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I'm all for Manu being the 6th man "in perpetuity."
Ginobili golden against Hawks
By Jeff McDonald
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich summoned Manu Ginobili into his office early Wednesday evening, and Ginobili knew what was coming next. Popovich, all powerful in the Spurs’ universe, was about to unilaterally decree an end to forever.
Five games after Popovich announced Ginobili would be a starter “in perpetuity,” the league’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year would be headed back to the bench against Atlanta.
Ginobili accepted that familiar news with a familiar shrug, and a familiar sound bite.
“Whatever is best for the team,” he said. “Sometimes I prefer coming off the bench.”
Returned to his old role, Ginobili also returned to being himself.
In his ninth game since returning from ankle surgery, Ginobili turned in his finest outing of the season, pouring in 27 points and five 3-pointers to help the Spurs hold off Atlanta 95-89 at the AT&T Center.
In doing so, the Spurs (13-8) ran their winning streak to four games, matching their longest of the season.
Dead-legged and dog-tired, having survived a double-overtime thrill ride of a victory at Dallas a night earlier, the Spurs needed every ounce of Ginobili, plus 19 points and 11 rebounds from Tim Duncan, plus 15 points and three key fourth-quarter baskets from Michael Finley to also survive the Hawks.
Joe Johnson had 21 of his 29 points in the second half, as Atlanta (12-9) rallied from a nearly game-long deficit to pull within two in the final minute.
“Both teams were really dragging, neither were really sharp,” said Popovich, noting that the Hawks had also played the night before in Houston, albeit in a game that lasted 48 minutes. “I was glad to see our guys hang in there and get it done.”
As he was for breathtaking swaths of last season, Ginobili provided the emergency fuel for a Spurs team running on empty. He had 14 points in the fourth quarter.
“Manu carried it for us,” said Duncan, who was playing in his 1,000th game, including playoffs. “He loves games like that.”
Early in the second quarter, Ginobili showed signs of what was to come. He crossed over Atlanta’s Josh Smith at the top of the key, then completed a rain-drawing layup over the NBA’s top shot-blocker.
Other moments were vintage Ginobili, but in another way. Later in the quarter, Ginobili swept up a loose ball at the defensive end, bounced it behind his back on the way to leading a break — and ended up dribbling it into the breadbasket of Atlanta’s Acie Law for one of his four turnovers.
“Sometimes I force it a little bit,” Ginobili said. “That’s how I’ve always been. I’m not proud of it, but it’s me.”
But so too was Ginobili’s work at the end of the game.
Johnson had just tossed in a layup, cutting what had been a 10-point Spurs lead moments earlier to 87-85 with 54.2 seconds left.
The Spurs responded, as they often have over the past seven seasons, by handing the ball to Ginobili.
It was partly by necessity.
Tony Parker was out of the game, having been replaced by rookie George Hill for the stretch run after enduring his roughest outing of the year that didn’t end with a sprained ankle. Parker, who had been brilliant of late for the Spurs, had six points on 3-of-13 shooting.
“He just had a tough night,” Popovich said. “That’s allowed. He’s a human being.”
And so, needing a basket to put the pressure back on Atlanta, the Spurs cleared out for Ginobili.
What followed was pure, pre-surgery Ginobili: He raced by Flip Murray, pirouetted past Al Horford, and finished a layup that made it a four-point game.
From there, the Spurs were able to close out the game with free throws, and Ginobili had four of them.
Ginobili suspects he will be back in the starting lineup Friday night at Minnesota, but he says he can’t be sure.
“Who knows?” he said. “A week ago, we said I was the starter for good. That changed after five games.”
Something else has changed since then as well. Ginobili, for the first time this season, is back to being Ginobili.
I'm all for Manu being the 6th man "in perpetuity."
I like him coming off the bench, too, but I don't understand what prompted the change.
Probably just easier to keep his minutes down that way.
When the body's fatigued, players are usually more susceptible to injury, (i.e. Tony after dropping 55) so my guess is that Pop is just trying to limit the amount of risk.
yeah I wonder if this was a one time thing or if this is going to be a long term thing again not that I really care who comes off the bench.
Mason, Hill, Manu. That's a ferocious tandem to bring off the bench.
Indeed. Hopefully it becomes the rule now instead of the exception. I figured that Mason would eventually land the starting job anyway as he is more of a system player to pair with Duncan/TP and Manu can come in off the bench with Hill and be the spark.
Yep, that is who he is . . . take it or leave it . . . love him or hate him.“Sometimes I force it a little bit,” Ginobili said. “That’s how I’ve always been. I’m not proud of it, but it’s me.”
Bench Manu > Starter Manu no question... as Chuck said once.. if he's coming of the bench they have to retire the award... JET is going great on that regard and the league might give it to him though
MIght have something to do with Bonner playing as well as he is. Giving the guy some looks, which would be harder with the big 3 on the floor. Its probably not the main reason, but could be one among a few.
The Jet is a dirty punk...when everything is going his way, he is swinging his arms out there like the y jackass he is....but when things are going sour, he turns into a thug and takes cheap shots.
Not bad for a McDonald article.
I like him off the bench as well, for reasons stated hundreds of times in this forum, but I to do not understand the reason for the change this time, not that I'm against it.
i think pop moved manu to start because he didnt want him to press as the 1st option on the 2nd team. by starting him, pop can reduce his workload without reducing his minutes.
thats my theory anyway
Manu is all heart.
He never loses a game, he just runs out of time.
God, I love that guy.
btw, I hate the Tony vs Manu thing so this is not about that. I think they are both fantastic. It is my guess that Tony had a bug last night. He left the court to go straight to the (bathroom?) back.
you are the profesor and yet you cant comprehend my post?
Terry is y and a jackass. When he is winning, he is doing his jet celebration after every made shot...but when he is losing, he turns thug and starts taking cheap shots on the opposition. It is his M.O......he is the very definition of a poor sport. He is not a gracious winner, he will trash you in a heartbeat....and he is a completely sore loser, will try and take you out if he cant get his way.
He can go to .......
My bet is it was the 58-minute thriller they had played the night before. Bringing Ginobili off the bench is a tried and true way to limit his minutes. It will be interesting to see what happens in the upcoming games.
After the perpetuity comment, I'd be surprised for it to be a switch in the actual game plan, but who knows with Pop.
Maybe Pop thinks he's making the right move, but Manu came out and actually indicated that he prefers playing from the bench. We've heard that 'kind of' quote a few times now since Pop made him a starter.
a very slow version of Ginobili
Manu Ginobili Illustrated Picture Book: Golden!
I don´t think Manu is stilll healthy enough to carry our second unit all by himself, plus i don´t see him and Mason playing well together.
If you ask me, i prefer TP to take some games off the start job and be the 6th man, i think he is very close to unstoppable right now and that would open a lot of room for Mason and Finley, Udoka or Bowen (the 3´s) to opperate, plus he is playing very well the minutes he shared with KT.
Too bad this will never happen i think.
I guess we are going back to the TP-Manu-Finley-Duncan-Booner again. Evendoe i prefer Bowen over Finley every night.
c-ya
Manu was brutal early on I thought. His 3s disguised a lot of his carelessness and erratic play. In the 4th quarter he was better, but his defense was still sub-par.
with all that said, I think manu has a illness because he was breathing way too hard.
I also like to see Manu off the bench
Mason play well with TD and TP and it's easier to keep Manu's minutes down coming off the bench
I would agree to a certain level. I think that when he was pushing too fast was when he was being turn-over prone. His perimeter foot work looked great, some of his drives were reflecting vintage Manu and that spin move toward the end was break-neck. I think he's playing as fast as he needs to at this point in the season/ his recovery. Give him a month and he'll be breaking ankles on par.
Indeed. But I'm slightly concerned he isn't getting FTs on his fakes like he usually does. Now when he fakes someone up into the air, he ends up passing the ball.
I wrote a couple of years ago that it's almost mathematically impossible to start Manu and achieve all of the following:
1. Keep his minutes to 25-30.
2. Play him ~8-9 minutes in the fourth.
3. Keep 2 of the Big 3 on the court at all times.
With Mason and Hill producing, goal #3 is probably no longer necessary, which is why I though moving him to the starting lineup would stick.
However, the thought of Manu, Hill, and Mason coming off the bench makes me very happy.
that bench is best by far in the nba
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