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So who is really getting the finger?
Ginobili knows that no role with Popovich lasts forever
Mike Finger
Gregg Popovich made another vow Tuesday evening, but he might have been the only one who believed it. He told Manu Ginobili he’s a starter again, this time “in perpetuity,” and later listed off all the reasons why the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year will never be a sixth man again.
Then Popovich watched his new starting unit in action, and followed that by saying a few other things Ginobili has heard before. He called his team “soft” and “intimidated,” words that traditionally have preceded other spurts of lineup tinkering.
Everyone in the Spurs’ locker room understood what this meant. Diamonds are forever, but perpetuity might not even last until Thursday.
Even before Rasheed Wallace rediscovered his wild oats and the Pistons ripped through the supposedly healed Spurs at the AT&T Center, Popovich admitted his comments about Ginobili’s future were a tough sell. Over the past six years he’s declared Ginobili a starter about as often as “Pacman” Jones has been declared a new man, and every time, people winked the same way when they heard it.
Ginobili is as skeptical as anyone. Informed Tuesday that his days of coming off the Spurs’ bench were over for good, he reacted like his coach had just promised him a visit from the tooth fairy.
“When I told him, he laughed at me,” Popovich said. “He kind of raised his eyebrows and said, ‘Sure, Pop.’.”
But won’t this be different this time? Hasn’t Ginobili earned a permanent promotion? Doesn’t the presence of Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill mean that the Spurs don’t need Ginobili’s scoring punch off the bench anymore?
Popovich said he thinks so. He likes the idea of starting the game with a Ginobili-Tony Parker-Tim Duncan group that’s been through big moments together — a group with what Popovich calls “an edge, some personality and some bravado” — and doesn’t foresee that changing.
Ginobili does, though. In his mind, he’s the townsperson and Popovich is the boy who cried wolf, only in this story, the townsperson never gets tired of riding to the rescue.
“I’m so used to being a backup,” Ginobili said, “sometimes I prefer it.”
He speaks as though he fully expects to be sent back to the bench again, because he knows the Spurs eventually will need another jolt, and he suspects Popovich will look for it in the same place he has before. Ginobili heard Popovich talk about perpetuity, and although he doesn’t doubt his coach’s sincerity, he’s learned not to be surprised by a change of heart.
“Every time I started (before), it was forever,” Ginobili said.
As has become his custom, he said he’ll do whatever the team needs him to do, and that familiar refrain came from the other end of the Spurs’ locker room Tuesday night, too. Mason, the man who had perhaps as big a role as anyone in the Spurs’ 7-1 run last month, sounded just like Ginobili when he talked about his role switch. Mason talked about how he’d gotten used to being a starter, how he enjoyed it and how coming off the bench would require a few adjustments, and then — just as Ginobili always has done — he looked at the bright side.
“A lot of times you can be more of a difference-maker,” Mason said.
That’s exactly what Popovich had in mind when he decided to start Ginobili again. He said he wouldn’t have made the move unless he was sure he had someone on the bench to “bring us something Manu used to,” and added that “Roger has shown he can do that, for sure.”
Even in what was perhaps the most discouraging loss of the season, Mason showed a glimpse of that. With the Spurs floundering midway through the fourth quarter and the Pistons on an 11-1 run, Parker nearly traveled and tossed the ball to Mason, who was forced to heave a 3-point-attempt with the shot clock running down.
The ball swished, just like it used to do when it came out of Ginobili’s hands.
But that was Mason’s only highlight of the night, and when it ended, people began to wonder. They wondered about roles and vows and perpetuity, and how long it would be before they all changed. And as for the man who started it all?
“Well,” Popovich said, “I wouldn’t believe me, either.”
So who is really getting the finger?
If Pop wants to 'promote' Manu and have the big 3 play together, fine, but do it consistently so everyone gets used to it. But if they do, Bowen needs to start also, since TP and Manu aren't all that stiff defensively.
I think Manu needs to continue coming off the bench while Mason starts and like he said he has finally gotten comfortable with that role after coming off of it for six years so I don't see why we need to change that. I also think Mason would benefit playing with the starting unit.
Pop keeps in the rotations until April. get used to it.
although I would not mind this statting lineup:
Parker
Manu
Bowen
Duncan
Oberto
I really think manu prefers to come off the bench, because he doesn't have to share the rock with tony and timmy just one or the other. He gets to carry the load and get his rithym without worrying about defferring to the other two.
exactamundo!
I would eventually want to see
Duncan, Parker, Bowen, Thomas and Mason in the starting lineup
Ginobili, Hill, Bonner, Oberto + whoever in the 2nd unit.
The starters would at least keep the enemies at bay, and the 2nd unit will destroy the opposition's 2nd unit.
I think it's going to take Manu some time to get used to starting the game with Timmy and Tony and getting his rhythm with the other stars on the floor, but ultimately it might come down to Pop knowing he's going to need Timmy Tony and Manu on the floor together so there isn't such a huge gap between the Lakers' starters and their starters as far as offensive talent is concerned. This is a move that makes sense, it makes it so GHill can have the ball in hands more when he is on the floor. Since that's the only way he played in college it's going to be the only way he can be effective in the NBA for the time being.
I always thought Manu off the bench was just a disguised desperation move by Pop because of how limited they are offensively beyond the big 3, if he's putting Manu back in the lineup it means he's more confident with the bench offense, and in a way Mason and Hill could interpret it as a vote of confidence that the best coach in basketball is trusting them with most of the bench scoring.
Sidenote: since Manu has come back the Spurs have been far and away the best defensive rebounding team and now for the season are slightly the best at 77%, that number should go up to 80+ percent.
Didn't think of it like that, but I'd still prefer Manu coming off the bench so he can be the main guy in the 2nd unit, and so Mason can stay a starter. I also hope Bruce started tomo, 3 scorers at once is enough, and Mason is a scorer in my eyes.
And to nkdlunch, do you have 1 good reason why Fab should start? KT is getting better, Bonner is playing the best bball of his life(no 07 Horry level, but damn good), and Fab is playing at his worst, he hasn't had a good game all season. Bonner has already broken 5 rbs and 10 pts multiple times, Fab hasn't even gotten 8 pts yet. I don't see how any Spurs fan could put Fab above any big(even Ian) at this point.
I agree... I mentioned this in a past thread:
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...1&postcount=18
I think this is the best lineup the Spurs have to start and finish games. TP, Manu and Duncan is possibly the best trio in the NBA, so it would be wise to maximize the time on the floor together.
Let's see what Pop finally decides.
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