48MoH: San Antonio Spurs 102, Los Phoenix Suns 110

[Blackjack]

San Antonio Spurs 102, Los Phoenix Suns 110: Reversing the curse by reversing roles
by Jesse Blanchard

In Game 2 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, Freaky Friday turned Wacky Wednesday and the star-crossed Phoenix Suns have suddenly become the soul swapping Los Phoenix Suns.

As stated in the series preview, the San Antonio Spurs and Los Phoenix Suns remain stylistically opposed but no longer occupy complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

Los Phoenix Suns’ strengths now overlap the Spurs on several key factors while still retaining their unique strengths, leaving Tim Duncan and company in an 0-2 hole following their 102-110 defeat.

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[kace]

Adjustments must be made. That might mean starting Tony Parker so that Manu Ginobili can revitalize Blair, Bonner and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs’ bench.

i know that 48MoH has been especially pro manu and not really a TP fan.

but if TP gets back to the starting 5, it's because we need him desperately to match Nash production with his good defense and above all his scoring.

nothing to have with manu "revitalizing" bonner and blair.

Indeed, TP is the player who has helped Bonner score the most, and lately he even found a good chemistry with Blair.

[ElNono]

i know that 48MoH has been especially pro manu and not really a TP fan.

but if TP gets back to the starting 5, it's because we need him desperately to match Nash production with his good defense and above all his scoring.

nothing to have with manu "revitalizing" bonner and blair.

Indeed, TP is the player who has helped Bonner score the most, and lately he even found a good chemistry with Blair.

Agreed. Furthermore, Manu is not going to make those wide open threes start falling for Bonner...

[spursfaninla]

i know that 48MoH has been especially pro manu and not really a TP fan.

but if TP gets back to the starting 5, it's because we need him desperately to match Nash production with his good defense and above all his scoring.

nothing to have with manu "revitalizing" bonner and blair.

Indeed, TP is the player who has helped Bonner score the most, and lately he even found a good chemistry with Blair.

I don't agree with both of these statements.

1) First, TP matched Nash in both games, more or less, in production. He played enough minutes in both instances to make the difference between starting and coming off the bench unimportant.

The difference comes in TP defending nash ONLY. That could be a significant difference. But it does not have to do with matching production.

2) When manu came off the bench earlier in the year, he played well with the bench guys. There was a period where that was the case, where the bench was productive. I don't think that manu going back to the bench will magically re-create that, but you could hope it was the case.

I see a few points being scored off the bench by these guys in the short time Tony has been on the bench, but it is not comparable. It is not like TP has never passed to them, or run a pnr with blair. He has. But the production is nothing like it was earlier in the year. Again, this is not to blame TP. The cause could be several factors. But the difference is clear statisically. The bench was producing like 35pts a game, and now it is in the 20s, and almost all parker.

As a caveat, that might have included the time that RJ was on the bench as well.


AND, I am noticing a trend with the french fans on the board. Several have been VERY touchy about TP coming off the bench, taking it personal, having a chip on your shoulder about it, and taking everything as a slight against tony.

Well, get over that. Very few teams start 3 all-stars. It is hard to get them all touches at the same time. One of the three gets more touches if they come off the bench, and shoot while the other two rest. That is the only reason either Manu or Parker would ever be on the bench. There is no reason to feel slighted for Parker when Manu came off the bench for the last 5 years.

I am a Spurs fan. I love all the players. I hold none above the team.