Reply With Quote
pop vs argentina war v3 is now commencing.
Buck Harvey: Old role, new image: If Manu backtracks
Web Posted: 12/25/2005 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.2a96766.html
Manu Ginobili will sit behind the bench today, and that will change in a week or so. Then, when healthy, Ginobili will sit on the bench.
At least that's a possibility when he returns. As it has been the previous two seasons, there are logical reasons for Ginobili to resume life as a sixth man.
Some will think this diminishes him, especially in a world where the debut of Kobe Bryant's new sneaker line makes news. But the move, instead, would elevate Ginobili.
Who else, after everything he accomplished last season, would agree to this?
All that is certain now is that Ginobili won't play today in Detroit, and that's why this Christmas Day test isn't really a test. Without the one who made the pass to Robert Horry, these aren't the same Spurs who beat the Pistons last June.
Ginobili will probably return before the end of the year. And when he comes back there's reason to think the Spurs would be better served if he came off the bench.
This isn't a demotion. This is common sense. Michael Finley has started his entire career, and his play in Ginobili's absence underlines this. Without Finley and his jumper, how many games would the Spurs have lost in this stretch?
Finley is accustomed to starting and feels comfortable in the pattern. Ginobili's nature, ever unusual, doesn't depend on the usual.
Ginobili instead changes games any time he steps on the floor. When Gregg Popovich brought Ginobili off the bench in the Denver series last spring, George Karl said then that he long ago told Popovich that this was the better role for Ginobili.
The Spurs' rotation works well with this subs ution pattern, too. If Ginobili subs in halfway through the first quarter, then he would be on the floor when Tony Parker would sit. The Spurs, then, would always have a high-grade driver.
As for what happens later in games: Ginobili would play about the same number of minutes, and he would finish games.
No wonder Popovich is considering the move.
"We've talked about it," Popovich said. "Do we want to bring him off the bench slowly and let him have a adjustment period? Conventional wisdom would be, the longer this goes on, the more you might want to slowly bring him off the bench. You would play it from there and see how it goes."
Popovich chooses his words carefully, couching this as a kind of therapy. But why be cautious? Ginobili never complained before, did he?
"You can say the right things and do the right things," Popovich said. "But I guarantee you, deep in his gut, he wants to start."
Popovich doesn't see this as anti-Spurs behavior. To get to this level, he thinks every player has to have a strong ego.
So Popovich tries to be sensitive to Ginobili, as well as to Argentine fans who have his e-mail address. The image of a sixth man is what Karl said it was. It's a role, right? Allen Iverson, once approached to do the same, rejected the idea as if it were a slur.
For Ginobili, the move could be perceived as backtracking. He made the All-Star Game in Denver just a year ago, and then a Denver columnist announced that nearly everyone — including most of the Sacramento roster — deserved a spot over Ginobili.
The columnist eventually apologized in print; Ginobili chewed up the Nuggets, after all. And Ginobili spent the season creating a new status. He went from the Olympic gold medal to his second NBA ring as a rising superstar.
But this change would also be different than the other two. Popovich wasn't getting much out of Hedo Turkoglu in 2004 and Brent Barry last year, so he thought maybe starting them would give them confidence. Finley comes with some assets.
So what about it? Would Ginobili mind?
He does say the right things. He says he doesn't care, and he shares some something else. He admits he didn't like coming off the bench two years ago. "I was worried," he said.
Worried, perhaps, because he wasn't sure if Popovich understood him. That was his contract year, too.
Now he's shown the world what he can do. He angled inside, took hits, scored, won games and, on a night in Detroit, made the clutch pass to a clutch shooter.
So if he came off the bench?
Then the sixth man would have to be an important position.
oh here come the argentine bozos, ready to say how this is as big an insult to THEM as it is to Manu.
We, being me, TIMVP, Buck Harvey have said forever, to prolong Ginobili, and for it to make sense, would be to bring Ginobili off the bench.
This year?
Makes sense to a point.
I think if you could acquire a Ron Artest or Stephen Jackson, then you definately consider, and probobly follow through, on bringing Ginobili off the bench.
Actually, I think a move like this might prolong Manu's longetivity in the NBA. Our bench would be set with him coming off the bench--a lot more firepower coming off the bench.
Manu should start. It's important to him.
He can still be subbed early and often and used like a 6th man.
manu is a victim of his own game, I hope he sucks balls coming off the bench and recovers his starter spot that he has well earned.
So as a coach you worry about whats important to an individual over the "team' ???Manu should start. It's important to him.
Of course./...
I'm not sure anyone was paying attention but even Manu said today he thinks Finley can come off the bench just fine.
That's about as vocal of a "I want to start damnit" as you're going to get out of #20.
The Spurs need a ing rebounder, Tim Duncan sucks.
SAS at DET:
Finley 1-7 3pts.
Manu must go to the bench.
The fact that Finley has been a starter all his life does not justify Manu being demoted to bench duty. Finley knew what his role was when he agreed to be a Spur. Like M anu said today, Finley can do a good job coming off the bench. This business of letting Manu come off the bench is getting old. They tried it with Turkeglu and with Barry---same excuse---to build up their confidence. This is the NBA---if they don't have confidence, they have no business in the NBA.
If they do it this year, it won't be about Finley's confidence. It will be because Manu isn't healthy. Manu is needed in the postseason. He's an incredible playoff performer. So if he has to come off the bench for a little while or have his minutes reduced when he comes back to keep him healthy for the playoffs, then they'll do it. But come playoff time, Manu is the man.
We can still have the best of both worlds if Pop just subs Manu out at around the 6-7 min mark as he normally does and then bring him back in to finish the 1st quarter/start the 2nd. We should always strive to have a slasher/creator on the floor at all times and since Parker and Manu are our two best (or only) guys who fit this role, it does make sense to stagger their minutes on the court.
Poor Manu, even during the game internview today, he was asked about coming off the bench. He gave the "correct" answer.
Well, o people i am new here so i just want to say that manu must not come from the bench, are you crazy harvey? Finley hasn´t the heart as manu has. Certanily, you could say finley is better than barry or turkoglu but he would never be better than manu. And i agree something about pop said, manu has always said politly that he doesn´t care to start from the bench, but in his deep gut and desire he wants to be an starter.
Who the are you calling a bozo, you fat ???
if he were to come off the bench it would be in no way a demotion. i think if manu thought pop thought it was best he would do it. obviously, if it wasn't working pop would start him again. if he plays the same amount of minutes it is about nothing but ego, and nothing i have ever seen from manu shows him to be an egomaniac.
I totally agree with this idea. You don't give a player a 52 million dollar contract to come off the bench.
I know that the overall good of the team has to come first and that you cannot cater to any one player. But on the same token, you have to be sensitive to every player because they are the team.
Pop's job is not easy. Thank God all our guys are unselfish and put their team mates above themselves. That is a credit to Pop's management as much as it is to the individuals.
Personally, I don't define anyone's value to the team by whether or not they start.
However, I understand that starting means a lot to the players. Also I think Pop was incredibly accurate when he said:" I guarantee you, deep in his ( Manu's) gut, he wants to start."
For that reason, I hope it works out for Gino to start.
Last edited by angel_luv; 12-26-2005 at 01:50 PM.
Everybody wants to start. Thats not the point here.
The point is that Manu can be incredible effective off the bench going against 2nd team swingmen. Finley has been great in his games as a starter.
Everbody needs to look in their NBA History books and read up on John Havlicek. Came off the bench for around 18-21 PPG during the Celtics dynasty years with Russell.
after the first 6 mins of the game manu comes in for fin and td & tp takes their rest and we still have firepower and energy left..isnt that a nice strategy? finley starting (w/c he always does) to boost his confidence, td and tp doin early damage and rest, horry or barry doin the maintenance and we will still have an all start player in the court in manu.
you guys are nuts.Who the are you calling a bozo, you fat ???
Zanex PLEASE.
Yesterday after 12 mins of the game we had 8 pts all coming from TP and Pistons were ahead of us. Fin was a no show the whole game. U can try it during the regular season but doing such a thing during the POffs is suicidal.
U play your very best players against the opposition's very best players.
Period.
pop did it in the finals and spurs won that series
Bring him off the bench when he comes back and see how it works. Definitely makes sense to keep a slasher in at all times, and if we can maximize Manu's effectiveness while limiting his minutes, there's no reason outside of national pride to not do it.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
