Reply With Quote
Bench Tony and Manu.
Start Hill and Mason.
Updated version.
Parker's return gives Spurs plenty of options
By Mike Monroe
Fifteen games into the season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is thrilled to have all his backcourt players available.
Now, he has to figure out how to use them, and he knows it won't be easy.
With Tony Parker coming off the injured list for Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Spurs were closer to full strength than at any time since the opening day of training camp.
Parker, who suffered a sprained left ankle on Nov. 7, suited up and entered Friday's game at the start of the second quarter. He had missed nine full games, a stretch that produced seven victories for his short-handed teammates.
Manu Ginobili, who missed the first 12 games while recovering from off-season surgery on his left ankle, played his first game on Monday, in Memphis.
Ian Mahinmi, the second-year power forward-center, remains the only Spur who has yet to suit up for a game. Popovich admits he doesn't know how his player rotations are going to shake out with all his backcourt available to him. Newcomers Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill are averaging 14.9 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Popovich wants to continue to give them court time.
Ginobili and Parker came off the bench Friday.
Popovich had his Big Three scorers Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan on the court together Friday for 2:25 of the third quarter.
I just have ideas, Popovich said. I don't have anything set in stone, that's for sure. We get to see a lot of people play. Some people played very well. That offers a lot of options as people become healthy and you figure out the rotations you really want to use and what we want off the bench; what might be best for our team.
Parker, like Ginobili, will come off the bench. Popovich believes Parker may get to a point of playing his normal complement of minutes before Ginobili manages the same.
It was just a sprained ankle (for Parker), Popovich said, not an operation. He's been working hard, running and doing stuff. He's much more ready, in that sense.
Hill sore: After Friday's game, Hill looked like a left-handed pitcher who had just thrown nine innings. His left shoulder was encased in an ice bag wrapped in athletic tape after he stretched the shoulder slightly diving for a loose ball midway through the fourth quarter.
I can't even pronounce what they said I have, Hill said, but it's the same thing that happened Wednesday when (Chicago's Andres) Nocioni pulled my arm. It's sore, but they just told me to ice it, and it should be all right.
Last edited by duncan228; 11-29-2008 at 02:21 AM.
Bench Tony and Manu.
Start Hill and Mason.
Popovich believes Parker may get to a point of playing his normal complement of minutes before Ginobili manages the same.
Plenty of trade options.
mason is not going anywhere
If you're not a Spur named Tony, Timmy, Manu or Bruce, play like you want to keep your job.
This team is stacked on the perimeter. Not only Manu, TP, Mason and Hill but Finley is playing some of his best basketball as a Spur, Udoka is now coming around and Bowen is looking like the old Bowen. I don't know how Pop is going to find room.
But it's a good problem to have and this is an example of when having character players on the team helps because even if Pop had to start handing out DNP-CD's, there wouldn't be any complaining.
Play small ball!
no with hill tp has to play like he wants to keep starting manu has to play well so mason does not get all his minutes
to keep people more happy he might not play some one game but the next night play them
Our insurance policy has just been upgraded from silver to premium gold. Older bodies
will really benefit from not having to play just to survive to get to decent seeding. With the new energy from young legs and ring-driven hunger now the vets get to have fun tangling with the improved western teams.
Amazing what having fun does to your outlook.
Possibilities and potential that other teams would kill for.
What Pop should do is keep Manu's average around 28 MPG, and try to give Fin and Bowen each about 7-10 games off this year, preferable on the second of B2Bs.
what if pop did not play manu on back to back games
I actually liked this idea in the offseason. But Manu would probably strangle Pop if Pop told him he couldn't play in back-to-back games.
Limiting Manu to about 25 MPG would make a lot of sense in hopes of keeping him fresh for the playoffs.
Scary, considering that in the NBA, beards and strangling go hand in hand.
Hill better keep loose and ready because as good as he has been until now, IMO, his production will be reduced as his minutes are reduced. Well duh,I probably didn't word that right, but with even limited intellect, the rest of you should know what i mean.
Our bench has proven that they can hang with most starting fives in the NBA.
Imagine once they start going up against the second stringers and bench-warmers of the NBA.
Hill/Ginobili/Mason/Udoka/Thomas is a of a defensive smallball combo. Switch Bonner for Udoka if you need more size. Swap Bowen if you need more defense. Finley could theoretically end up flopping spots with Mason, and who knows where the Mahinmi will end up in all of this.
Even our second team is like a freaking chess match.
As much as I like what I am seeing out of Hill, don't forget that when we were looking for our first win of the season, Parker dropped 55 points, along with 10 assists and 7 boards. Hill is playing great for a rookie, but Parker is one of the elite PG's in the league.
And in case Manu's play in the last few games isn't enough, flash back to the playoffs last year against New Orleans. Ginobili was playing hurt, and he was still our high-point man in 4 of the 7 games. (3 of the 4 wins) And the only game we won against the Lakers, he was also our high-point man. Pop may bring Manu off the bench, and he may give him some extra rest during the regular season - but if he's healthy, nobody is taking his minutes.
I think the Spurs have minutes for all their players. Hill will get 12-18 minutes as backup for Tony and a few more as a SG. I see it like this:
Thomas 16
Oberto 18
Duncan 36
Bonner 16
Bowen 24
Finley 20
Ginobili 26
Mason 30
Parker 34
Hill 20
----------
240 minutes-- If Udoka plays he takes minutes from Mason/Bowen/Finley
With this rotation you have 10 minutes of small ball. Depending on the matchups it would be different every night. If you're playing the Suns then Thomas would have to play more, and Bonner/Oberto less. If Hill is playing well and the defensive matchups allow, he could play more in a 3-guard lineup. If Mahinmi breaks into the rotation then either Oberto or Bonner would lose minutes. The Spurs need Thomas to defend some players.
I think its a good problem to have. Less pressure now on Hill to deliver every night. And we can have a rested Manu and TP for the playoffs. With Mason and Hill, we now know that beyond our big 3, we have got guys who can step up and give us 20 points a night. Finley can also give us 20 on some nights. So if any of the big 3 has an off day, we got peeps to pick up the slack. That was our problem last season. Once Manu went down, the pressure was on TP and Duncan to have MVP performances every night.
We're looking good no doubt. And I knew TP would be out there tonight. And once again. Thanks and God Bless Duncan228 for the great thread. But lets not forget it was Memphis again. I cant wait to see our team tested. Its almost to easy right now.
If you have such a problem with what I post, why the are you in every one of the threads?
I thought she was on your ignore list. You shouldn't be able to see this thread
Once Manu/Tony get up to full speed, it will be interesting to see how Pop scales back the others minutes. I think Mason will still get 25 and Hill 20+ mpg.
I'm guessing we will see no Udoka and less Finley as the season wears on.
Something like TP=32, Manu=26, Mason=25, Hill=20-25, Bowen/Finley=split 40-45.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
