http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...r.33468e0.html
Web Posted: 03/24/2007 10:02 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
SEATTLE — Matt Bonner eyed the pack of reporters positioned in front of Brent Barry's locker Friday night at the AT&T Center and volunteered his services.
"When Florida makes the Final Four and you need some quotes," Bonner announced to the room, "I'm the guy to see."
"And," Barry fired back, "if you need to save money on your bus pass, talk to Matt. Or, if you want to ride around in a used police car, go to practice with Matt."
Bonner's transportation choices have become a source of humor among the Spurs, and for good reason. After relying on Toronto's subway system for two years, he upgraded to a white Pontiac Grand Prix last summer.
But while Bonner's wheels are easily overlooked in today's Escalade and Bentley NBA parking lot, the Spurs don't question his motor.
On more than one occasion last week, the scrappy forward answered the call when his veteran teammates were in need of a jolt.
"We know now what to expect from him," Manu Ginobili said. "He's a hustle guy."
A hustle guy himself, Ginobili used the label as a compliment. For a veteran team occasionally lacking energy, Bonner has emerged as an important contributor — even if his minutes don't always reflect it.
With the Spurs struggling to keep Detroit's frenetic forward, Antonio McDyess, off the boards in Friday's second quarter, coach Gregg Popovich summoned Bonner from the bench. Less than a minute later, Bonner twice kept alive a possession with an offensive rebound.
Bonner's 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter also gave the Spurs a little breathing room after their offense had gone stagnant against the Pistons' zone defense.
"That was the only good thing we did against their zone," Popovich said.
Two nights earlier against Indiana, Bonner totaled 10 points and nine rebounds. When the Spurs fell behind by 19 points to Boston, he helped start the team's comeback.
"That's what the Red Rocket does," Barry said. "He comes out there ready to go and everything he's going to do, he's going to do hard. You can see the work he does on the glass for us is really important."
Though Bonner has taken some of Fabricio Oberto's minutes the past few games, he has largely remained a situational subs ute, playing when Popovich wants to give Robert Horry a night off or when the team's energy is sagging. Popovich also has frequently inserted him in end-of-quarter situations, calling a play that frees him up for a 3-point attempt just before the buzzer.
"That can be tough," Bonner said. "Especially if it's like the third quarter and I've been sitting on the bench the whole game.
"At this point in the season, I just know to be ready, whatever's needed of me. If for some reason, given a team's personnel or lineup I'm not going to play much, I'm not going to complain. I just want to win."
After coming from a winning program at Florida, Bonner spent his first two NBA seasons in Toronto, where the Raptors, in the midst of rebuilding, usually were out of playoff contention come spring. As a result, Bonner has enjoyed the experience of playing for a team that continues to hold championship aspirations.
"There are so many veterans here who have been through the wars before and know what to do in every situation," Bonner said. "As long as I go out and play hard, I know with the leadership we have on our team, the guys are going to get me in the right spots and have me ready to go."
After missing nearly a month when he tore the medial collateral ligament of his left knee while jumping for a rebound, Bonner said he has nearly regained the comfort level he had before the injury. He no longer has to wear the bersome brace he loathed, and, in a recent game against the Los Angeles Clippers, he even threw down an emphatic two-handed dunk that had his teammates laughing.
"It was ground-breaking," Bonner said. "I was thinking it would make top 10 plays just because it's a rarity."
Hey Pop, here's a situation to play Bonner: When you finally realize Oberto sucks azz and should be selling hot dogs instead of wearing an NBA uni. That realization should occur, say, two months ago.
Bench Oberto, play Bonner and Ely. What could you POSSIBLY have to lose? Do you really think they couldn't do better than Berto's 4.4 pts and 4.6 rbs per game??
(copy of previous post, Jan)
Does anybody remember Matt Bonner?
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With much of the focus on all the heroes of yesterday's Spurs-Lakers game, Matt Bonner's name has not been mentioned here much at all, funny as it may seem. If he was in the mix yesterday, what impact would his hustle and perimeter skills have made during the game, and just as importantly, when would his contributions helped out? Aren't Pop's options bigger and better Bonner takes to the floor? Or would there be a problem of finding minutes for everyone?
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