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i want nothing but good things for bonner. he has a very nice shot and when he shoots i cant help but think its goin in
Simple Life challenges Bonner
Web Posted: 02/26/2007 12:17 AM CST
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....139a3890.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
Tucked somewhere far away in the recesses of YouTube.com, yet easily accessible with only a few keystrokes, is a 3-minute, 45-second video clip led, simply, "The Matt Bonner Challenge."
The Matt Bonner Challenge consists of Bonner's younger brother, Luke, trying to make a layup, another layup, a free throw, a college 3-pointer, an NBA 3-pointer, another NBA 3-pointer, a college 3-pointer, a free throw, a layup and another layup in succession.
Or, as the le screen says, "In A Row!!"
The video was shot and edited by Matt and set to rap music and other sound effects. But while the clip do ents Luke, a sop re center at the University of Massachusetts, as he repeatedly flubs his way through the series of shots, it reveals less about him than it does his older brother.
"Watch that," Spurs guard Brent Barry said, "and you'll know just how simple Matt Bonner really is."
Barry and the rest of the Spurs have quickly come to appreciate not only Bonner's homespun humor but also his game. Since returning last week from a month-long absence, Bonner has shown off the same hustle and aggressiveness that allowed him to carve out a spot in the team's rotation before he tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
"He's strong - maybe stronger than he was x before the injury," coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's back."
Bonner is still trying to regain his timing - he missed seven of eight shots in his first two games back before scoring 13 points in 12 minutes during Saturday's victory over Seattle - but said he has had no trouble with his knee. His next goal is to get rid of the brace he's been wearing.
"It stinks," Bonner said. "I have to keep it in the trunk of my car because it smells so bad."
If nothing else, Bonner's sweat-stained brace is evidence of how hard he's worked to return. After Bonner injured his knee while jumping for a rebound and had to be carried off the court Jan. 13 against Washington, Popovich initially thought he might be out for two months.
Four weeks later, Bonner was cleared to play.
Before Bonner was injured, Popovich had begun using him to spell Robert Horry, and he did the same Wednesday in Atlanta, choosing to sit Horry on the second night of a back-to-back. It remains to be seen how much Bonner will play tonight against his former Toronto teammates, but Popovich clearly considers him an important member of the rotation.
When the Spurs acquired Bonner and Eric Williams from the Raptors last summer for Rasho Nesterovic, they knew the 6-foot-10 forward was a good 3-point shooter who could help space the floor for Tim Duncan. They have since come to value his offensive rebounding just as much.
"He's a better rebounder than we thought," Popovich said. "He's got more of a post game than we thought. He's more athletic than we thought. And he's even tougher than we thought.
"We're thrilled with him."
The trade seems to have worked out for both teams. In unloading the remaining three years and $23.5.million on Nesterovic's contract, the Spurs were able to sign Francisco Elson, whose athleticism so far appears to be a better fit in the Western Conference. The Spurs further improved their frontline depth this month by trading Williams to Charlotte for Melvin Ely.
Nesterovic, meanwhile, has been a steady starting center for the Raptors, who have won 12 of their past 15 games to surge up the Eastern Conference standings. Bonner, who spent his first two seasons in Toronto, isn't surprised to see his former team doing so well.
"All last year, you could see us getting better and better," said Bonner, who planned to get together with some of the Raptors players and staff members for dinner Sunday. "You knew (Toronto general manager
Bryan) Colangelo had a vision, and once he could start putting his pieces in place, things were going to turn around.
"It's tough to be part of a rebuilding process for two years and then get traded right when we're starting to turn the corner, but I'm very happy here. I don't have a single complaint."
Bonner became one of Toronto's most popular athletes. He was dubbed "Red Rocket" after the city's identically-named subway system, which, aside from his own two feet, served as his only mode of transportation.
Bonner now owns a car - "If I walked here, I'd have to bring a couple of gallons of sunscreen with me, too," he said - but his scrappiness has quickly earned him the respect of Spurs fans, particularly the Baseline Bums, who have been in mourning since Malik Rose was traded. The 26-year-old also has filled a hole in the team's locker room and now serves as the Spurs' representative to the Players Association.
"For me, personally, losing Sean (Marks) last year, who was a good friend of mine and a guy I had some good times with, was tough," Barry said. "I didn't know much about Matt other than he was another slow white guy who could shoot, but I kind of bonded with him early."
Bonner grew up in Concord, N.H., and graduated as his high school's valedictorian, before attending the University of Florida. His mother is a teacher and his father a postman, who, when visiting San Antonio, introduces himself to anyone wearing Spurs regalia as "Matt Bonner's Dad."
In addition to introducing the world to the Matt Bonner Challenge, Bonner also will put on the "Matt Bonner Presents: Sneakers and Speakers Charity Rockfest" on July 14 in Concord. The event, which will benefit the local Boys and Girls Club, will be headlined by Bonner's favorite indie band, Okkervil River.
"He just enjoys the simple things in life," Barry said. "He's not a complicated fellow, that Matt Bonner."
i want nothing but good things for bonner. he has a very nice shot and when he shoots i cant help but think its goin in
Seems like Bonner is a keeper. He wants to win so badly, you can see him go up for a rebound with passion bordering on tenacity.
Can't wait to see him get back to 100%.
Bonner really is the energizer we need. He has such a great work ethic.
I haven't been impressed with Bonner since he's come back from injury. I think he's forced too much offensively and hasn't done much defensively.
Hopefully he can get back to how he was playing before the injury so that he can find a spot in the rotation.
I agree that Bonner seems to be forcing the action a bit since his return, BUT...
I would rather him be overly aggressive than be timid, as players often are when they return from injury. That tells me Bonner will bring his game every night, regardless of cir stance, and is willing to play at the highest level. That's the kind of committment this team needs from it's role players. I hope he continues to be aggressive on the court and eventually settles into a groove...
I think he just needs a little more time to get some confidence back in his movement and shooting. Only time will tell, but he is definitely Spurs material. Hopefully he will prove dividends come playoff time.
Always liked Bonner, and gald things have worked out for him. Thanks for Rasho though!
Good things come to Good Guys! Keep up the good work MATT and Best Wishes to you ALWAYS
Bonner has a uva shot. He could be a clutch shooter come playoff time if he gets some minutes.
I wasn't aware Denver had been moved to the Eastern Conference.The trade seems to have worked out for both teams. In unloading the remaining three years and $23.5.million on Nesterovic's contract, the Spurs were able to sign Francisco Elson, whose athleticism so far appears to be a better fit in the Western Conference. The Spurs further improved their frontline depth this month by trading Williams to Charlotte for Melvin Ely.
Why a 3 page article on Bonner? Was the dancing usher not available?
bonner's a high energy player which seems to rub off on others. i just love seeing this guy crash the offensive boards.
Bonner is a unique guy in this vain nba world, a great guy.
I hope Spurs will resign him.
his character and work ethic will fit perfectly.
but he for sure isn't the player, who will be able to carry the team. he is capable to be a nice option for the 9 th or 10 th man in the rotation and he might be the x-faktor in some games, when the matchup is right and his shots are falling.
to expect more of him would be a bit exaggerative IMO.
Okkervil River does have some good songs, they're the ultimate Austin group for white guys.In addition to introducing the world to the Matt Bonner Challenge, Bonner also will put on the "Matt Bonner Presents: Sneakers and Speakers Charity Rockfest" on July 14 in Concord. The event, which will benefit the local Boys and Girls Club, will be headlined by Bonner's favorite indie band, Okkervil River.
That statement was poorly written, but I think he meant:I wasn't aware Denver had been moved to the Eastern Conference.
Elson's game is a better fit for the western conference than Rasho's/Nazr's was....not that Elson's game works better in the Western conference than the Eastern conference.
Talk to Shoog (grammar expert), I think that might be a misplaced modifier....
It's amazing how lucky this FO gets sometimes. They accidentally get a guy in a trade just because the contract is needed to match salary and it turns out he's way better than they thought. If the Spurs' bigs never had injury problems this year, Bonner would still be riding the bench."He's a better rebounder than we thought," Popovich said. "He's got more of a post game than we thought. He's more athletic than we thought. And he's even tougher than we thought.
"We're thrilled with him."
That just goes to show even more how horrible the Spurs' domestic scouting is. They don't even know what players in the NBA can and can't do.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_ZbFVERS8KcAnd he's even tougher than we thought
Unless it happened against the Spurs or in Europe, this FO doesn't know about.
Come playoff time who's minutes will Bonner be getting? Pop will always stick with Horry in the 4th quarter, IMO, and Elson will probably continue to start and Finley will continue to get minutes I'm sure.
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