Maybe the old dog takes longer to adjust to different balls?
Three-point Percentage
Nov and Dec - 48.4%
Jan and Feb - 26.3%
First 10 games of March - 19.0%
March 23 - present (7 games) - 56.5%
Maybe, just maybe Bruce found his shot. I know many of you wrote him off, called him a scrub, said he lost it and wouldn't ever find it again in his career, etc.
But Bowen has still been a great defender this year and I'm hoping that he's actually shot himself out of this horrible slump.
Only time will tell, but it looks good so far.
(I know the Bowen bashers will say 7 games is nothing - but he has to start somewhere so STFU)
Maybe the old dog takes longer to adjust to different balls?
i haven't said he sucks, just he needed to pull his head out of his ass. The Spurs will need him to make those when they play Pho. on Thursday, especially when D'antoni puts Nash on him.
Wasn't his back bothering him earlier this year?
I'm glad i wasn't one of them.
who can hate a Spur who's there on the floor despite back spasms?
how many consecutive games-season & playoffs this iron man has played since he became a starter for this team?
Yes isn't this a back deal all the way.
While I don't want to see Bowen guarding Dirk again should it come to that, one of the ways to *slow* Dirk is to make him play some defense.
In other words, let Bowen play some offense.
If Bruces shot is back, great.![]()
Bowen said it wasn't a back thing but more of a new ball thing.
It was probably a combination of both, but hopefully he's on the way out of it.
I am glad to see him hitting the one only shot he has.
It's great to see Bowen's shot back, along with Finley's resurgence.
The only concern is that this is in the setting of the team becoming three-point happy, which I think will be a problem if it continues into the playoffs.
We were told that the average of the season meant nothing in many posts that defended his play so I don't see that we should argue about the last seven games or the last 70. Let it play out. We'll all know by the end of this year's run exactly how well Bowen has played.
The thing I worry about is a team setting their up strategy to "Let Bowen beat us." Basically you have his defensive skills vs. his poor ball handling, and lack of rebounding and steals, and questionable shooting of FG & FTs.
I hope he plays well (or adequately at an NBA starter level) in all facets of the game. We can't win against high quality teams if he doesn't.
I think impatience really makes us brutal on our players.
I remember not being too worried about Finley's stroke, and was pretty assured he'd find it again.
however, I don't think the flak Bowen got in the last months had to do with him missing his threes, I think more people had problems with the fact that he was mixing up his offensive game with runners, 16 footers, and taking it to the hole.
Bruce and Finley are both feeling it right now.
If anyone has lost their shot, its Horry.
I'm also LOVIN' Finley over the past few weeks. The guy has been money. If he continues to play like this in the playoffs, we're golden!
Noooo. It is exactly as wildbill2u wrote, we need Bowen to do more then just be a 3 point prop. Ditto Finley, Ditto Barry.
The thing I worry about is a team setting their up strategy to "Let Bowen beat us." Basically you have his defensive skills vs. his poor ball handling, and lack of rebounding and steals, and questionable shooting of FG & FTs.
Wouldnt it be great if Fin, Barry, and Bruce were all feeling it come playoff time??
Add a few Horry clutch shots to the mix, and thats a recipe for a forth le!![]()
Why do so many people here think that the only thing stopping the Spurs from the le is their shooting?![]()
Shhh.. don't tell them anything about rebounding or anything else
Did I mention Lamar Odom is averaging 14 rpg over the last seven games?
I am not arguing any point on the subject. Just pointing out that he looks like he may be coming out of a bad shooting slump.![]()
If given a choice between having only one of:
a) Bowen, Finley, and Barry being on fire during the playoffs
or
b) Elson, Horry, and Oberto giving us solid rebounding and defense in the paint and Bowen, Finley, and Barry shooting just adequately,
I'd take b) every time.
That has never worked against the Spurs. In 2002 and 2004, Bowen was the one player who consistently hit threes for the Spurs against the Lakers when everyone else went ice cold.
Last year, AJ never let Bowen get open. He'd have the guy guarding Bowen stay on Bowen the whole time and never wanted to give him an open shot. Coaches like Phil Jackson and AJ realize that Bowen isn't a choker and will hit shots in the playoffs if he's open. They don't test him.
In Bowen's six years in the playoffs for the Spurs, he has shot from three-point land: 44%, 44%, 38%, 43% and last year 50%. For comparison sakes, Golden Boy Manu Ginobili's career playoff three-point percentage is lower than Bowen's worst showing.
I hope teams this playoffs dare Bowen to beat them. But by now, people know his reputation and will force someone else to beat them.
Well, people other than Spurs fans, that is.
Bowen is getting more assists and steals than he did in either 2003 or 2005. He's getting as many rebounds as he did in 2003. His turnover numbers are the same. He's fouling less.
It's like people just found nba.com/stats and think there is something wrong. Bowen is playing just how he played the last two times the Spurs won the championship.
As long as he stays healthy, he's one of the players I worry about the least going into the playoffs. You don't have to worry about him bringing defensive energy, especially in the playoffs.
Having the best perimeter defender in the league covers up a lot of holes that will be exposed the day Bowen loses a step. Sadly enough, Spurs fans won't realize what they had until it's gone.
I doubt they will listen TIMVP, they will continue to hate and blindly ignore Bowen.
Shame.
yeah being a good 3 point shooter, and best perimeter defender in the game is clearly not enough.we need Bowen to do more then just be a 3 point prop. Ditto Finley, Ditto Barry.
Back den yall hatin on him, now he's on fire you kiss his ass es. BAck to killin people
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