Ian for Bonner

[cantthinkofanything]

Seriously, if Bonner isn't going to make any threes, just put Ian out there. At least the team would look more intimidating. Maybe he even gets a block or does somehing funny.

[objective]

At least you can do different things with Ian. You can post him up if he has a mismatch, and he's a threat to score with his back to the basket or facing up and driving. You can use him in the pick-n-roll and get good looks either with Mahinmi rolling to the basket or freeing up Parker or Manu for a good look. Ian can camp out and attempt the midrange jumper, and even though he's missed his two of them in the playoffs in a Bonner-esque fashion, he wasn't scared to shoot them either and then dribble all around and get called for travelling.

Sure, Ian will get offensive fouls. So what? Matt Bonner just had a bad moving screen called against him last night.

But Ian can make hustle plays that have positive outcomes, whereas Bonner just has all-activity for no-achievement. Mahinmi had the great block and the hustle to stay in the play and tap the ball forward for a Hill fast break against the Mavs. He also knocked the ball away from a driver on a switch, ended up falling down, and as the ball swung around got his ass up and went for the block causing Shawn Marion to blow a dunk.

Bonner does nothing but grab uncontested rebounds, miss open looks at a tremendous clip, get scared to shoot other open looks and turn the ball over, and get scored on at will by other teams' bigs. And it wouldn't get any better next round, because Pau/Bynum/Odom would destroy him and he'd choke his threes, and Boozer/Milsapp would destroy him and he'd choke his threes.

[boutons_deux]

I fully agree. Ian can't be worse in stats than Bonner, and he's more mobile than Tim now in protecting the basket.

But rock-headed Pop keeps pounding the rock.

[EricB]

Because uhm he sucks worse.

[cantthinkofanything]

Because uhm he sucks worse.

Preposterous. How could he suck worse? To suck worse, he'd have to take the inbounds pass and dunk in the wrong goal.

[Bruno]

Spurs are hiding Ian to re-sign with a cheap contract this summer. Giving him some playing time now isn't a good solution. Either he sucks and he will hurt the team or he plays well and his market value will raise. It's a loss/loss situation.

[cantthinkofanything]

Spurs are hiding Ian to re-sign with a cheap contract this summer. Giving him some playing time now isn't a good solution. Either he sucks and he will hurt the team or he plays well and his market value will raise. It's a loss/loss situation.

or he plays well enough to help contribute to a playoff win

[coyotes_geek]

At least you can do different things with Ian. You can post him up if he has a mismatch, and he's a threat to score with his back to the basket or facing up and driving. You can use him in the pick-n-roll and get good looks either with Mahinmi rolling to the basket or freeing up Parker or Manu for a good look. Ian can camp out and attempt the midrange jumper, and even though he's missed his two of them in the playoffs in a Bonner-esque fashion, he wasn't scared to shoot them either and then dribble all around and get called for travelling.

You do realize this is Ian Mahinmi we're talking about, right? If he could post up, was a threat to score back to the basket, facing up and driving, could play the pick and roll and hit midrange jumpers he wouldn't be Ian Mahinmi. He'd be Amare Stoudamire.

[objective]

Spurs are hiding Ian to re-sign with a cheap contract this summer. Giving him some playing time now isn't a good solution. Either he sucks and he will hurt the team or he plays well and his market value will raise. It's a loss/loss situation.

I don't think he could hurt the team any worse than Bonner. That's because Pop would have a very quick hook with Ian and a dumb moving screen would get him yanked immediately, whereas Bonner is allowed to stay in to choke shots and give up rebounds.

[objective]

You do realize this is Ian Mahinmi we're talking about, right? If he could post up, was a threat to score back to the basket, facing up and driving, could play the pick and roll and hit midrange jumpers he wouldn't be Ian Mahinmi. He'd be Amare Stoudamire.

Watch the Dallas game again. He scored the ways I said he could, against Dallas rotation players. And he didn't hit midrange jumpers, he only wasn't too scared to shoot them. And read carefully that I posted 'if he had a mismatch'. Bonner has no mismatches.

[cantthinkofanything]

Watch the Dallas game again. He scored the ways I said he could, against Dallas rotation players. And he didn't hit midrange jumpers, he only wasn't too scared to shoot them. And read carefully that I posted 'if he had a mismatch'. Bonner has no mismatches.

NBA capable ≠ Bonner
MISMATCH

[coyotes_geek]

Watch the Dallas game again. He scored the ways I said he could, against Dallas rotation players. And he didn't hit midrange jumpers, he only wasn't too scared to shoot them. And read carefully that I posted 'if he had a mismatch'. Bonner has no mismatches.

One game's worth of garbage minutes doesn't make him a player. If he were better than Bonner he'd be playing.

[Bruno]

or he plays well enough to help contribute to a playoff win

This year team is going nowhere even if Mahinmi plays some minutes and do better than Bonner. The only unknown about this year is if Spurs will lost against Suns or against Lakers in the WCF.

Next year could be different...

[flacura]

Seriously, if Bonner isn't going to make any threes, just put Ian out there. At least the team would look more intimidating. Maybe he even gets a block or does somehing funny.

whoever you want for Bonner, you name it

[objective]

One game's worth of garbage minutes doesn't make him a player. If he were better than Bonner he'd be playing.

one games worth of garbage minutes > 2 years of playoffs garbage

Enjoy Matt Bonner's career playoff 3-point numbers of 24% along with all the other great intangibles he brings, like defense and rebounding.

And I'm not even saying they should play Ian. I'd rather see a 3-man big rotation of only Duncan, Dice, and Blair. I'm just saying that after that, Ian is a better option than Bonner. Not because of how great Ian is. Because of how Bonnerish Bonner is.

[cantthinkofanything]

whoever you want for Bonner, you name it

Deal. , give me Gary Coleman. I'll even throw in Mason.

[flacura]

Deal. , give me Gary Coleman. I'll even throw in Mason.

Gary Coleman > Mason

[spurtech09]

yeah i think Ian should play over bonner.....

[coyotes_geek]

one games worth of garbage minutes > 2 years of playoffs garbage

Enjoy Matt Bonner's career playoff 3-point numbers of 24% along with all the other great intangibles he brings, like defense and rebounding.

And I'm not even saying they should play Ian. I'd rather see a 3-man big rotation of only Duncan, Dice, and Blair. I'm just saying that after that, Ian is a better option than Bonner. Not because of how great Ian is. Because of how Bonnerish Bonner is.

I'm not enojoying Matt Bonner's performance in the least. His play has been absolutely atrocious. But playing Ian isn't the solution to that problem.

[objective]

And as bad as people think/fear Ian might be, just look at these fabulous Bonner numbers:

If I didn't mess the numbers up, in the second half of games in this year's playoffs, Bonner is shooting 27% from the field, and a staggering 16.7% from three. And that's not even his current funk. After game 1 against Dallas, Bonner in the last 7 games is rocking in the 2nd halves of games a FG% of 14% and a three point rate of 0%.

The second half of NBA playoff games . . . where Bonner really gets clutch!

[cantthinkofanything]

I'm not enojoying Matt Bonner's performance in the least. His play has been absolutely atrocious. But playing Ian isn't the solution to that problem.

Well it sure as is more viable than reanimating Drazen Petrovic.

[objective]

I'm not enojoying Matt Bonner's performance in the least. His play has been absolutely atrocious. But playing Ian isn't the solution to that problem.

Not playing Bonner is the solution to the problem. If Ian grabbing 3-4 minutes in a first half to give a breather to Dice or Blair as they get every other minute available alongside Duncan, then I don't see how that's a problem.

[Kamala]

ie to the no no

[nkdlunch]

This year team is going nowhere even if Mahinmi plays some minutes and do better than Bonner. The only unknown about this year is if Spurs will lost against Suns or against Lakers in the WCF.

going nowhere? if Ian contributes more than Bonner we could reach WCF. How is that nowhere?

Next year could be different...

yeah, we could miss the playoffs

the point is, Spurs need to do anything and everything to win now, today. Not tomorrow. Next season Duncan will be 1 year older, that negative alone offsets anything positive that could happen next season.

[SsKSpurs21]

with bonner, they are just giving him the shot. they just leave him and double manu, tony, or tim. i dont think they can leave a post presence like mahinmi open...the reason why pop uses bonner is to spread the floor and open up the lane but if he is not hitting and the defense is leaving him open then whats the point.