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i want to make jokes but i will refrain from doing so.
Spurs lose Finley to ankle sprain
Mike Monroe
The Spurs lost a game and a player Saturday at the AT&T Center.
Backup forward Michael Finley suffered a Grade 2 sprain of his left ankle and will not make the trip to Utah for Monday's game against the Jazz.
A club spokesperson said Finley would miss “some games.”
Finley turned the ankle running to defend Denver's J.R. Smith, who was attempting a 3-point shot with 11:15 left in the fourth quarter of Denver's 106-99 victory.
The 36-year-old veteran last missed a game due to injury on Nov. 17, 2005.
Since returning on Nov. 19, 2005, he had played in 335 consecutive games, though he had one game he did not play by coach's decision last season.
Battling bigs: As Alabama's gridiron dismantling of Florida in the Southeastern Conference championship game was playing out before Saturday's tipoff, Spurs forward Antonio McDyess, a former Alabama star, kept quiet in front of former Gator Matt Bonner.
“I'm not saying a word until the game is over,” McDyess said, suppressing a smile after Bama went ahead 32-13. “We don't celebrate early.”
Sometime this week, McDyess said he will show up for a practice decked out in ‘Bama-logoed red.'
“I'm even going to wear my Alabama sweatpants,” he said.
No Moe: Former Spurs and Nuggets head coach Doug Moe, who was on George Karl's staff for five seasons before retiring in May, was at the Nuggets' morning shootaround and Saturday's game.
Moe has kept a residence in San Antonio since coaching the Spurs in the late 1970s.
“When I got to Denver, I thought bringing Doug back to the bench was probably one of the biggest keys,” Karl said. “He knew everybody. He kind of knew the egos and the at udes of everybody. But what I found out is everybody liked him.
“Ninety-five percent of his life, he is jovial and the clown of the party. And five percent, he is the meanest, dirtiest compe or you ever wanted to deal with.”
Karl said he had no shot at getting Moe, 70, to remain on his staff.
“The last couple of playoff series, he had to walk out of the building and take some deep breaths,” Karl said. “So I think he hopes that we're going back there and would rather watch it from a distance.
i want to make jokes but i will refrain from doing so.
one injury after another but im surprised Finley is hurt. He usually does a good job avoiding injuries.
Figures. I just saw Finley doing some things he hasn't done in years, apparently his body was just as shocked as we were..
that's what happens when an 80 year old gets 3 inches off the ground.
I wonder if Pop will yank Hairston back or give Haislip a chance?
I'll say it: Blessing in disguise. It's just sad that this is what needs to happen for Pop to give more minutes to Hill/Bogans/Hairston.
It sucks that this happened to Fin, he's a great guy and he was actually playing well..however, I agree with ElNono that this could potentially be a blessing disguise, BUT only if Hairston is the one getting the shot..
It's obvious that we desperately need some athleticism on the perimeter, and I hope Pop agrees..
It's gonna be tough for Hairston to get a shot since Pop seems to bench him after every good play he makes, but hopefully this is it..
Where's Bowen when you need him.
To be honest, I doubt Hairston will take on any of the minutes at all. I think it's gonna be more minutes for Mason and Hill at SG.
Whats interesting is that Finely hurt his ankle while trying to defend JR Smith.
Why in the world was he set to guard a fast strong athletic player like JR? Over using Finley past his abilities to much? I don't know.
Considering this may be his one shot in the whole season for serious PT, I don't think Malik will disappoint.
That's because it was a fastbreak. Fin was actually on Melo for a stretch there.
I remember it well because I almost swing this coffee cup to the TV...
Injuries in and of themselves are never a good thing, but sometimes good things come of them. This may be a good opportunity for RMJ to reassert himself as a productive offensive player and re-establish himself as a rotation regular.
I doubt if Hairston gets a call-up, let alone makes it off the Spurs bench to play regular minutes. Bogans and Mason will take all of Fin's minutes.
With Mason back healthy, Finley was actually settling in to the role many had hoped for when he returned this season: about 6 minutes a half. Fin had responded actually fairly well and was hitting some shots. I think his injury highlights the theme of this season so far: we're still an old team and hence there will be a fair share of injuries. The flip side is that hopefully our youth will fill in and not look back.
Here's a thought. Our 2nd-most-common 5-man unit thus far this year (by minutes played together) is:
Bonner - Tim - Finley - RJ - Tony
Of our 5 most common 5-man units, this is the only one with a negative adjusted plus/minus (basketballvalue.com).
I have no idea why Pop has Bonner and Finley on the floor at the same time. The only difference between the two is Bonner can rebound. If we can give Finley's minutes to Bogans and Mason, I think we're much better off.
One thing I'll give Finley is that he has been ridiculously durable in his time with the Spurs. Wish I could say the same about Manu.
You know the expression "blessing in disguise? "
Well, it's not.
It's an obvious blessing
That's what happens to old-ass players - they get hurt.
Could be a blessing in disguise.
I imagine Pop will visit Fin tomorrow bearing flowers and candy.
Not according to my previous post
It'd be nice if there was a good 3 out there to challenge RJ. Force him to step up his game or lose his starting job.
Even though the talent level of the roster has been upgraded, it still looks old. Watching Finley injure his ankle when there was no opposing player around him is a clear example.
I actually think our 12th man will have a shot at some minutes..
Pop gives minutes when the team needs a spark and other players are struggling, as we saw when he inserted Hairston at a few points this season(he was replaced by Finley after he played)..
There are only 2 role players he rarely sits due to struggles IMO..Finley and Bonner..he gets down on other guys during games, but those 2 guys have rarely seen the doghouse the past few years, especially Finley..
His injury opens up time for others..
As much as I hate the too many minutes for Finley, I expect some of you extreme haters are going to be eating some crow when you realise how much he does help us when he is playing good minutes.
This will just show that our problems are much deeper than overplaying our 3-pt shooting role players. Our starting 5 should be one of the best in a league and they've been outplayed by a bench of vets and rookies in several games now.
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