Change the game for Finley
Web Posted: 02/15/2006 12:00 AM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....124aa5c6.html
PHILADELPHIA — For Michael Finley, it had been a forgettable night in a string of forgettable nights, with one important exception: The Spurs won.
Although Finley had made only 1 of 6 shots, his aim hadn't kept the Spurs from beating Golden State for their sixth consecutive victory. It also didn't keep coach Gregg Popovich from offering some humorous postgame analysis.
"You," Popovich told Finley, "were on fire tonight."
Finley started to smile, and Popovich countered with a friendly slap and colorful comment.
The message was this: If you make shots, great. If you don't, don't sweat it. Play defense, rebound, run the floor and everything else should take care of itself.
"I can't think of anytime in my basketball career a coach has said that," said Finley, who leads the Spurs against the 76ers tonight to end a five-game road trip. "From that standpoint, it's a drastic change for me."
Drastic change has become the norm for Finley. He's on a new team for the first time in almost nine years. He's moved from starter to sixth man. A high-volume shooter for much of his career, he's had to make do with no more than four shots on occasion.
In 16 minutes Sunday against Indiana, Finley went scoreless for the second time, matching the number of games in which he didn't score in his previous 10 seasons combined. On Monday, he didn't play at all in the third quarter, an unusual position for someone who averaged more than 39 minutes in his career.
To his credit, Finley hasn't complained. He wasn't sure what to make of Monday's loss in Cleveland when Popovich scrapped his usual rotation. But when Finley was called on, he contributed, making two 3-pointers and taking three rebounds in the final nine minutes.
"I'm just trying to stay as positive as I can," said Finley, who is shooting a career-low 38.6 percent, including 34.9 percent behind the 3-point line. "It's a tough role I'm playing right now. But it's the type I knew I was going to have when I signed here."
But while Finley, who turns 33 in three weeks, has looked his age at times, he also has shown the form that once made him one of the game's most consistent scorers. Last week in Toronto, he scored a season-high 23 points, including six in overtime when he rallied the Spurs past the Raptors.
When Manu Ginobili sprained his right foot in December, Finley started and helped win three consecutive games with clutch shooting, including burying a 20-foot jumper with 2.5 seconds left to beat Sacramento. After encouraging Ginobili's return to the starting lineup, Finley came off the bench to score 10 of his 21 points in the final 21/2 minutes of a narrow victory over Milwaukee last month.
His production, however, began to drop after that. Over the next eight games, he averaged 4.5 points while making only 13 of 50 shots, including 3 of 21 3-point attempts. His struggles culminated with the 1-for-6 effort against Golden State.
The Spurs, however, won all but one of the eight games, which provided a lesson of sorts for Finley: Neither the team's success, nor his own, is always predicated on how he shoots.
"If they don't go in, they don't go in," Popovich said. "But if you think about it even for a second, you've just reduced your emotion in other parts of the game. That can't be your focus."
Popovich has admired Finley's compe iveness — "He's lusted after him for years," said one former Spurs player — but he also worries that Finley puts unneeded pressure on himself.
"But that's the way I've always been," Finley said. "I want to go out and play the best I can, make every shot that I get.
"(Popovich) just wants me to relax out there and do the other little parts of the game."
As for those "other little parts of the game," Popovich would like to see Finley rebound more consistently. But Finley's defense, he said, has improved.
Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Derek Anderson, Steve Smith, Hedo Turkoglu, Brent Barry and Glenn Robinson also had to buy into the defense-first philosophy when they joined the Spurs. Some did a better job than others. All also had to learn to live with fewer shots.
Robert Horry, who missed all but one of his 11 attempts in his three-game return from the inactive list last week, also knows how difficult it can be for a shooter to regain his rhythm when he's not starting. Popovich even said he might have subs uted for Horry too early in a couple of games before he had a chance to get in the flow.
"That's one of the disadvantages," Horry said. "But that's the thing with this team. We have a lot of guys who can do different things."
No one in recent years, however, has had to make a more dramatic adjustment than Finley. In his final season in Dallas, he averaged 14.2 shots. Although he's averaged about nine with the Spurs — a reasonable number for a reserve — he's had five or fewer attempts in five of the past nine games.
"I think he gets a little nervous," Popovich said. "He's used to getting a set number of shots, so when he doesn't get one in a while he gets a little bit anxious about it and maybe tries to invent one."
Finley said he's trying to find a balance between being aggressive and letting the game come to him.
"I think it will come in time," Finley said. "Hopefully when it does, I can step up and take advantage of it."
Finley does seem to play better when he knows he's going to be out there for a longer period of time. He's kind of hit or miss in short stints. I think in that way he's a lot different than Horry. Robert can come off the bench and immediately make an impact. I see Finley as a guy who needs his minutes in order to fully contribute.
its a tough adjustment.
Going from a main cog in Dallas, to a role player.
People don't understand that stuff takes time to adjust to.
Its weird, you want to say the guy is a bust, but like Ludden points out, he puts up 23 and is a main reason they won VS Toronto, and milwaukee, game winning shot VS Sacramento, and the Clippers.
Its like, he pays bad, you get down on him, then he busts out a freakin 15 point game, and helps you beat like the Suns.
Im afraid that Nelson mighta ran the guy into the ground running him out there for 40 minutes a night damn near for 6 years.
yeah i was at the toronto game and he looked AMAZING. every time the ball left his hands it was nothin but net. but i think its something with SA that we could even get larry bird in his prime and he'd miraculously go down to shooting 37% from behind the arc.
Finley is a pro. I expect him and Nick to make significant contributions in the playoffs.
I say keep this group together and see what happens.
I like Finley, I always have. But, one of the reasons Dallas was so willing to move him, was his hit and miss games. On fire one night, MIA for the next 2. It might have to do with being run into the ground previous seasons...or, it might have to do with just conditioning. It's just an exponential thing...the older you get, you can't rely on the conditioning routine you used 5 years ago.
Still, overall...I like having Finley here. NVE has been my sore spot.
Tho, watching NVE in Cleveland gave me some hope. That was the best I've seen Nick look all year. Some awesome moves and dribbling, great passes, and a couple of 3's. If he can continue playing like that, I'm willing to eat some crow. He outplayed Parker in the Cleveland game.
It's gonna be interesting.
You make it sound like Dallas WANTED to move him. They didn't. They just couldn't afford him, because they were so far over the salary cap. You think they wouldn't want Nash and Finley back if they could have them? You want to know they importance of chemistry, look at the Pistons, or how much better the Spurs are when Duncan, Manu and Parker are all healthy at once.
I think Finley is having his high and lows, but mainly bc he's in transition form starter to be THE 6th man, probably having more minute he'll back to his numbers, even with less shots
It's interesting how every season some player takes less money to come to the Spurs, works hard, tries to adjust and fit in and find his place on the team, and we always hear this about them- whether it be Rasho, or Brent, or now Michael.... but he also worries that Finley puts unneeded pressure on himself.
Simply changing teams is harder than people think. Changing your role so sharply makes it even harder.
I'm confident Finley will come around and be a great contributor in the playoffs.
How many defensive players do the Spurs need??
the Spurs lost game 3, 4 and 6 and 2 games this year to Detroit because they lack any offensive talent...........
Oh and once Cleveland got hot in the third the other night, the defense was ty and ooopss that lack of offensive talent and strategy came out in full force.
They need some scorers and Finley is worse than Hedo/HITA.
Finley stunk in both of em...2 games this year to Detroit
Finley>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>Steve SmithFinley is worse than Hedo/HITA
learn the in game..
Forget, Finley...at least he's had a few pretty decent games, esp in the 4th quarter hitting timely 3's.
I'm more pissed at freakin Brent Barry. I just don't understand where he went! Even Beno makes better use of his time when he's been put on the floor than Barry. He's almost become invisible, I barely notice him when he's on the floor this season!
Its funny you say that Parker.
Thanks to the benefit of a certain poster at this site, I got some games from early last year.
Brent Barry, was Agressive. he was driving to the hole. Getting fouls, getting to the free throw line, getting into a rythm, and making shots.
WTF happened to Barry!??!
WHy doesn't he drive to the hole anymore, get to the line, and get points.
After the preseason there was so much damn hope.
Im truely dissapointed in what Brent Barry has turned into. A total s of the player the Spurs were supposed to have signed.
you gotta be kidding me...NVE made one 3 pointer (5 points total) and repeatedly got burned by Eric Snow. It would have been interesting to see how NVE would have faired if LeBron was guarding him (like TP), but since NVE importance to the Spurs is much lower than Tony's, there is no reason for Mike Brown to put James on NVE. Especially when Snow was doing such a fine job on NVE.
I just dont like the way the game slows down when NVE (one quick miss - followed by fast break from the other team) runs the offense. Free Beno!!!!
The Spurs need Finley to be the guy who can bring defense and scoring through the first 3 quarters of games. NVE was brought in because he can handle the rock under pressure and be clutch. It's not like Horry has ever been much of a regular season star in SA.
Unfortunely Fins has been just the opposite. He has hit shots in the clutch but has pretty much been horrible during the first 3 quarters of most games.
Don't mind turnovers in the backcourt for easy poits for the other teams still eh?Free Beno!!!!
but but butNVE was brought in because he can handle the rock under pressure and be clutch. It's not like Horry has ever been much of a regular season star in SA
NVE adn Horry are two different players!!!
When people realize the only difference between Horry and Van Exel, is that Horry has been on teams that were in the spotlight enough so that he could get recognized for his efforts, while NVE has always been just as clutch, but never got the spotlight cause his team's didn't do squat.
WHEN?!??!?
I don't think it's quite fair to compare Van Exel and Horry. Van Exel does have a reputation of being clutch, but let's not get carried away. Horry has shown a near supernatural ability to hit the big shots. He's one of a kind.
Something tells me that Michael Finley is going to come up very big in the playoffs. Just mark my words.
Ah .
You said he is better than Manu, resident .
I don't think even he would go that far smeagol.
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