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ginobili should never have been an all-star
DENVER — Buck Harvey
Manu Ginobili's nose just got bigger.
So did his stature.
Ginobili came off the bench to jumpstart a Spurs team showing nothing. He came up with a late 3-pointer when seemingly no one could score. And at the end, with the clock counting down, he went to the basket yet again and took a hard blow to his regal beak.
Bent, maybe, but never broken.
It was only a few months ago when Ginobili sat in the Pepsi Center locker room, and he couldn't believe how far he had come.
As an All-Star?
As a grown man wearing bright, red socks.
"Look at this," Ginobili said then before the game, yanking on the uniform accessory before the All-Star Game. "And you know what? I love it."
He loved being among the game's best, and he loved everything attached to it. And maybe that's another reason he went back to his life as a backup this week with such zeal, culminating Saturday night when he took over when it was Tim Duncan's turn to go to the bench.
After being an All-Star, starting or not starting just didn't matter anymore.
The way this is going, Ginobili may never start another game. He came off the bench Wednesday with 17 points in 18 minutes in the rout, and Saturday he actually did more.
He had to. A loud crowd believed in the Denver al ude and a team that had won 20 of its last 21 at home, and the Nuggets responded early. When Ginobili checked in, the Spurs trailed 14-8.
Ginobili then went one-on-one, followed with a 3-pointer and he kept going. He had no choice. Duncan picked up his third foul in the second quarter with some keen acting by Kenyon Martin.
When Ginobili finished his run with a cut and drive, he'd put together 19 first-half points on his way to a career playoff high of 32.
"I saw the team wasn't being as aggressive as we were before," he said afterward, "and I wanted to change that. That's my job now."
If it looks familiar, that's because it is. When Ginobili came off the bench as a rookie, similar things happened. Ginobili and the Spurs went on the road three times in 2003 with playoff series tied at 1-1, with crowds howling, with opponents pumped up, and three times the Spurs won and took back those series.
First against Phoenix, then Dallas and finally New Jersey. And against the Nets, a familiar figure made the difference at the end. Ginobili came up with two late scores.
The Spurs needed two more wins in each series, but they knew after those Game 3s they would come. The Suns, Mavericks and Nets likely felt the same in their hearts. "It's a statement game, for sure," Danny Ferry said Saturday. "It's like you are saying, 'Let's see where we are.'"
Where are they today? Thanks to Ginobili, right where they want to be.
It almost didn't happen. The Spurs were so determined to go to Duncan, no matter the result, they forgot about Ginobili.
Maybe this will change in coming years. But when Duncan is heading toward a 5-for-19 night, shouldn't the Spurs look to their other All-Star?
They should when Ginobili feels it like he did Saturday. And with less than three minutes left, with the Nuggets within three points, Ginobili all but grabbed the game for himself.
He drove hard inside and earned a trip to the free-throw line. Another point about him this night: He was one of the few guys on either team who made his free throws.
George Karl complained afterward about how the refs favored the Spurs, centering on Bruce Bowen and Ginobili. Bowen has heard the rant before, but Ginobili rarely has.
Most coaches see him as smart. Karl said: "He's difficult to defend or ref or watch unless you are the San Antonio Spurs."
Karl had to grimace a minute later, when Ginobili followed with his 3-pointer. That shot changed the dynamics of the rest of the night. It was the play of a leader, the play of a man who has stepped up in the playoffs before, and what followed further highlighted that.
When Ginobili threw his body in the pack one more time — taking a shot to his nose and prompting Carmelo Anthony's ejection — the NBA likely realized something else.
It's time to order another pair of red socks for Ginobili for next February.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/....22dece56f.html
ginobili should never have been an all-star
Troll much?
Ginobili is becoming a true leader and a crucial player. Him coming off the bench is a great idea, since he provides spark a little later in games thus creating a more consistent offense for the Spurs
See if you had backed up that statement maybe someone would have taken you seriously, but because you're just opening your mouth and crap is coming out people just don't give a what you say.
This boy goes hard in the paint like no one else can.
"like no one else"
Well, he's our guy and he's spectacularly unconventional, but Kobe, AI, Stephon are excellent, relentless drivers and finishers. It's great skill to have, to complement jump-shooting, but Manu's one of a group with that skill.
Manu is more effective at that, any day. If you don't believe take a look at shots made vs shots attempted and you'll get the picture.
You should have never been a basketball fan.
Even Buck's got my back on this one. Nice to see others recognizing the obvious.It almost didn't happen. The Spurs were so determined to go to Duncan, no matter the result, they forgot about Ginobili.
Maybe this will change in coming years. But when Duncan is heading toward a 5-for-19 night, shouldn't the Spurs look to their other All-Star?
Yeah, if only we could be as smart as Aggie and Buck Harvey.
Orlando should have never traded McGrady... or let Shaq walk, or passed up Webber for Hardaway, or wasted $120 million on Grant Hill, or pissed away their season by trading Mobley for Christie, or moved the franchise... wait, that one is coming soon.
Yeah, if only we could be so stupid as to watch Duncan go 0 for 8 and think Pop still forcing it to him was a good thing.
You do realize that if it weren't for Robert Horry going vintage clutch we lose that game last night, right?
What purpose do the other four players on the court serve if they're there just to watch Duncan go 4 for 85? It's ing stupid, like your comebacks.
I've got no problem giving it to Duncan when he's cold, but the stand-around isolations last night were ridiculous. They could at least run a few picks and see if someone can get open. The other four were literally standing around with thumbs up their asses.
Let me elaborate a little bit: I don't mind if we run the offense through Duncan as long as others are incorporated.
There were several times in the third and fourth tonight where you had an iso situation with the other four Spurs all on the other side of the floor while Duncan went one on one.
When a guy is cold like that, it's assenine to be running isos for him.
Lier.I don't mind if we run the offense through Duncan
You have stated in the past
"An offense running through DUncan is a losing offense"
Make up your mind assclown.
okay Tpark. Let me specify for your dense ass. An iso offense running through Duncan is a losing offense.
The iso part was implied from the plays that were being run. Now you're just arguing semantics, like all people do when they're losing an argument.
My mind is made up, I've never wavered from it for the last 4 years regarding the Spurs offense. Too bad Pop's been just as stubborn at the other end of the spectrum, and you've been just as clueless about what an offense should look like.
Go run down to Best Buy and pick yourself up NBALive and play it for a few months, you'd definitely know more about basketball than you've learned so far in your lifetime.
how are the magic doing in there series? oh wait, thats right, there not in one cuse they SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah the offense wasn't too bad when were winning.My mind is made up, I've never wavered from it for the last 4 years regarding the Spurs offense. Too bad Pop's been just as stubborn at the other end of the spectrum, and you've been just as clueless about what an offense should look like.
But when we lose.
FIRE POP
HIRE THE ARGENTINIAN COACH ALREADY!!!
BRIGN BACK BOB HILL!!!
Why do you go with this slippery slope "fire Pop" ?
I think he's great defensively. Offensively, he's about as smooth as you are with women.
Yup, Game 2 is a horrible example of this too BTW.An iso offense running through Duncan is a losing offense
Offensively, he's about as smooth as you are with women
The good old personal insult.
Aggie the Aggie has to fall back on it. Cute.
Look, I can find examples that defeat any "fact" you advance too. Again, this isn't about one game, it's about trends.Yup, Game 2 is a horrible example of this too BTW.
And we aren't talking about a game 2 where Duncan was playing out of his mind. We're talking about a game 3 where he couldn't fall out of a boat and hit the ocean. Even you're not stupid enough to sit here and tell me Duncan was moving/jumping in game 3 like did in game 2.
Yeah, this coming from a person with snide little comments likeThe good old personal insult.
Aggie the Aggie has to fall back on it. Cute.Yeah, if only we could be as smart as Aggie and Buck Harvey.lierFire Pop, bring back Bob Hill (that one never gets old BTWAnd those are all just in the last 20 minutes.How in dumb can you be.
Again, pot, meet kettle.
BTW, I gave Pop props here.
http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14745
A thread you've curiously avoided since my last post. Go figure.
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