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Apr 4, 2005, 00:25
Spurs Need To Shorten Bench Right Now
By Spurs Fans
SpursTalk.com
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We continue the series of Point-Counterpoint articles in which two people debate different aspects of Spurs basketball.
In this edition, fans from Spurstalk.com message boards Rummpd and Guru of Nothing discuss if the Spurs should shorten their rotation now as they prepare for the postseason.
Rummpd: Despite the injuries, it is time to shorten the San Antonio Spurs bench and get ready for the playoffs. In the playoffs, winning teams rarely go more than eight or nine deep and the Spurs need to start getting consistent minutes out of players to get some synchrony in rotations and roles. As present, Spurs have only 13 games left and those that are in the top ten in the rotation need to get the minutes, with the only exception being blowouts and back-to-backs. The Spurs have added Mike Wilks, Sean Marks and Dion Glover, and I believe there is nothing that the three give to the team compared to other players in the rotation. Yet I have a major fear that Pop will continue to get "cute" with rotations.
This should be the core starters and reserves, with no more than five minutes per game allotted to the rest:
5. Nesterovic, Mohammed
4. Horry, Mohammed
3. Bowen
2. Ginobili, Barry
1. Parker, Udrih
On average, the starters should get at least 35 minutes a game, the only exception being on hot shooting nights by Barry, then let him take some of Ginobili’s minutes to give him some rest.
Again, I for one, don't want to see Wilks taking Udrih’s minutes or Marks in early. Glover is a nice placeholder until Brown comes back but time will tell if he should take more than 10-12 minutes a game from Bowen and deserves an eventual small role in the playoffs.
It is imperative that Popovich gives our top three reserves right now - Udrih, Barry and Mohammed adequate time to get in the groove and make the needed contributions.
I believe they will.
Guru of Nothing: Team, heal thyself!
The playoffs are about teams and players elevating their games to a higher level, not riding a groove. Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are more than capable of establishing a championship rhythm on short notice. Conversely, carrying nagging injuries into the playoffs will only drag down a player's performance, and thus the team's. Spurs fans are all too familiar with the effects injuries can have on the team in the playoffs. And let's face one glaring fact - Ginobili will not throttle his game, not one bit.
I hope that Pop significantly reduces Ginobili and Parker's minutes, if not bench them outright, until the last five games of the season. In the meantime, throw the rest of the team into the proverbial fire. Let Barry play 35 minutes a game and find out what he can really do within Pop's schemes. Give Udrih 30 minutes a game too. He is still a rookie and every extra minute he plays represents an opportunity to grow.
Moving on to the frontcourt, I think most will agree that Nesterovic is a good defender, but (putting it politely) his offensive game frustrates the heck out of fans like me. It's my amateur observation that Nesterovic is a good defender because he “has to” be. Call me crazy, but I think Nesterovic will respond favorably if he "has to" score 15 points a game - and what's not to like about an improved starting center?
Rhythm, yes; rhythm and blues, no thanks!
Rummpd: My only rebuttal is that Pop effectively shortened the bench against the Houston Rockets, substituting Marks for Mohammed. He did put Wilks in for limited minutes as well but overall Nesterovic, Marks, Horry, Parker, Barry and Ginobili played by far the most minutes.
Great result! Pop needs to settle on nine players max and keep at least the two seed if at all possible.
Guru of Nothing: Yes, the results were great. Nesterovic’s ten points on 5-10 shooting (most of that coming in the first half) with seven boards, two steals and three blocks while playing 36 minutes. That is what I want to see, and I expect his point production to rise over the next two weeks.
However, Ginoibli played 37 minutes and Parker played 39 minutes while Barry played only 29 and Udrih a mere 6. If Parker and Ginobili are healthy, then this is wonderful. Let's hope we don't have pay the piper come May.
A number one or two seed is attractive, but it is not a substitute for a healthy team entering the playoffs.
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