Ginobili can't seal deal for Spurs
Web Posted: 06/22/2005 01:04 AM CDT
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....3285336b.html
It seems like weeks ago that Spurs guard Manu Ginobili walked off the SBC Center court with a Game 2 crowd chanting "M-V-P."
In reality, it was only 10 days ago.
On Tuesday, in the same arena, Ginobili walked off the court hearing only the voice in his own head.
Ginobili had to accept the fact that when Game 6 was there to be won, with the Spurs trailing the Pistons by a single point with two minutes remaining, he came up empty.
The official play-by-play lists Ginobili's crunch-time failures:
1:46 — missed 4-foot layup (Ben Wallace block).
1:16 — bad-pass turnover.
:35.9 — missed 3-pointer.
:13.9 — missed 3-pointer.
Looking and sounding exhausted after the game, Ginobili told the media that he was too tired to follow some of their questions. He acknowledged his own disappointment in the way he had played. He might have been tired by game's end, but he refused to accept fatigue as an excuse.
"Of course I didn't have the same energy as in the first half," Ginobili said, "but still, I think that even with the energy that I had available I could have done a way better job making decisions in the last five minutes.
"Even though it's not the same energy, I am still very upset because of the way I played down the stretch."
It was his decision-making down the stretch that bothered him the most. But it was not the fact he tried to take over as he had done so effectively in Game 2.
"I think in the last two minutes, it's not the same as at the beginning, where you can let the game come to you," he said.
Ginobili also was not happy with his defense in the final few minutes.
"I think I didn't take good decisions on offense," he said. "I made a couple of mistakes on defense, too. So, you know, that's what makes one team win and the other lose."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has talked often during the playoffs about having to learn to live with Ginobili's occasional expressions of creativity on the court. Popovich understands that the compe ive nature of his All-Star guard from Argentina sometimes leads him to attempt the impossible in the name of leading his team to victory.
On Tuesday, with an opportunity to win a third championship in seven years at least delayed thanks to the Pistons' 95-86 victory, Popovich responded to a question about Ginobili's play down the stretch diplomatically, but pointedly.
"I think, in general, there were times in the game — toward the end as one example — where we were a bit frenetic and probably trying to do some things one-on-one instead of with the group in an effort to win a basketball game," Popovich said. "That's real dangerous against a team that's as poised as Detroit.
"I thought, in that respect, we did not do a very good job tonight."
The Pistons clearly were better prepared for Ginobili in crunch time Tuesday than they had been in Games 1 and 2, when he scored 26 and 27 points.
Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups said things might have come a little too easily for Ginobili in the first half, when he made 5 of 9 shots and scored 12 points.
"Manu had it going so easy, so early that I don't know if he was forcing (late)," said Billups. "... Those shots that he was shooting, he makes. It seems like he always makes them against us.
"Just not tonight."
This is why IMO, you have to sit Ginobili for long stretches in the first half.
You have to save him for the second half.
Run the offense through Tim in quarters 1 -3, then let Ginobili take over in quarter 4.
Thats been the formula in the past, why go away from it tonight?
In My Opinion
........good for you Manu to acknowledge that, though it costs you 1 game and on the brink of saying "ByeBye great 2005 season"Ginobili said, "but still, I think that even with the energy that I had available I could have done a way better job making decisions in the last five minutes.
"Even though it's not the same energy, I am still very upset because of the way I played down the stretch."
The problem with trying to run the offense through Tim Duncan for 3 quarters is that he has two Pistons on him most of the time.
I thought Ginobili would be the difference in Game 6 and he was, just not in a good way. But the Spurs need more variation on offense, just like in Game 5 when Robert Horry got explosive. It seems to me that Mr. Popovich tried Brent Barry this time around, but I feel that Tony Parker could make the difference. He has been disappointing on offense in this series apart from Game 4.
If Parker gets in the groove offensively, the Spurs wouldn't need to go through Manu most of the time. That might save him up for the 4th quarter.
exactly.
His fatigue doesn't excuse playing stupid.
Jacking up three pointer after 3 pointer, when they are all short, and your tired,
nahh dont go to Duncan, nah, dont move the ball around to Bruce Bowen who had hit some shots.
DOnt run the offense.
Makes sense.
Pop needs to play Devin a lot more Thursday to give Manu his rest. Play hime 6 minutes in the first qt. 8 in the 2nd. 6 in the third and 8 in the fourth.
Give or take.
manu sucked under 1:30 seconds
worse stuff I ever say from him
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