<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Either Gregg Popovich is holding back Manu Ginobili. Or Ginobili's body is. Either Popovich is being too cautious with Ginobili to make sure he's fresh. Or Ginobili is what he is, a 30-minute player without the endurance to play longer. Which is it? The answer doesn't matter, not tonight, when sore legs should be as forgotten as the grind of the 2004 Olympics. This is when the stars play. Leaning on Ginobili would go against Popovich's season-long theme. He hasn't coached the Spurs as much as he has rested them. Popovich has spent the season managing their minutes, trying to find days off, concerned they are burning up their energy reserves. The same was true last week in Seattle, when the Sonics worked out while the Spurs took a day off. Popovich has had reason to be protective, especially with Ginobili and Tim Duncan. Maybe no duo in the world has put in as much time on a court over the past two years ? whether in the NBA or internationally ? as the Spurs' two All-Stars. Popovich knows them better than anyone, and he knows Ginobili is a peculiar star. Ginobili burns fuel the way a jet does; when his engines run hot, exhaust is visible. </div> Source
Bi-Polar Spurs? Well the Spurs need something. The Spurs seem to be a very psycholgically vunerable team, almost to the point of having a bi-polar disorder, they are either very up or down, this series is making about as much sense as the Suns-Mavs series. The way the Spurs dominated the first two games with the Sonics is bizarre but I have to give the Sonics credit. I hope this doesn't jinx my Spurs but back in 1979, they were playing the then Washington Bullets in the semifinals and were up 3-0 and lost the series and the Bullets went on to win the Championship that year. Weird things have happened in the NBA playoffs, especially that year. I still think the Spurs will win this series. I wouldn't want to be a Spurs player and have to listen to Pop chew my butt out and that's probably putting it mildly. Duncan needs to step up be the leader that he is, doesn't seem like he's doing this though! JT
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting JTex:</div><div class="quote_post"> I hope this doesn't jinx my Spurs but back in 1979, they were playing the then Washington Bullets in the semifinals and were up 3-0 and lost the series and the Bullets went on to win the Championship that year. JT</div> That was '78, I'll remember '79 as my Sonics won their only title, beating the Bullets (after losing to them in the '78 finals). Manu needs to start, they just aren't getting anything from Bones at the moment. Give Devin some minutes as your energy guy off the bench, assuming he's now fit.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Pwn3d!:</div><div class="quote_post">That was '78, I'll remember '79 as my Sonics won their only title, beating the Bullets (after losing to them in the '78 finals). Manu needs to start, they just aren't getting anything from Bones at the moment. Give Devin some minutes as your energy guy off the bench, assuming he's now fit.</div> My Bad! Then you must remember when the lights went off and that was it for the Spurs. If you remember that were both showing our age! LOL!! I guess Gino showed them all last night, he's one bad Manu on the court. JT Pwn3d, dude you know you basketball history for your age. Well done!!
I think Ginobli is proably one of the most underated players in the league after Ray Allen, and Marcus Camby. Ginobli is the type of herky gerky player you want to have not like a Steve Francis or Stephon Marbury. It kills me to see the Spurs set with all of these good young players for a long time. They still have a good salary cap situation too. I'm so jelous with the Lakers. It will work out though. I trust Mitch and Jim and Jerry. They will pull through for us laker fans.
