Enough playing time for Tolliver already!

by TdotSpursfan on Dec 27, 2008 11:40 PM CST

So I just arrived home from a post Christmas party and I picked up the phone to call my brother to see how he is doing. He informs me that he is watching the Raps (we live in Toronto) and that the Spurs are about to win in double OT. "WTF" I reply, "I thought they were playing Memphis tonight".

In any event, thankful for the win, I proceeded to log onto PTR to check out the game thread to see how the things unfolded. Starting around 6:26 PM PST, I start seeing some posts that make me cringe... "Tolliver can't make a shot", "why is Tolliver seeing so many early minutes" and "Tolliver can't make anything".

This brings me to me current rant... is it just me or is Tolliver a younger version of an over-the-hill Robert Horry? The best thing about Robert Horry retiring is that I no longer have to watch him miss wide open three pointer after wide open three pointer (for the record I appreciated what Horry did for the Spurs while he could still play - we don't win the 2005 title without him).

Tolliver's inability to even come close on the majority of his shots has been nagging at me for some time so I decided to check out his stats. Now, I didn't see any of the summer league games, but could someone please explain to me why Tolliver is on the team, let alone getting playing time, while Gist is stashed away overseas? I am assuming the choice was based on the fact that Tolliver was a big who could "shoot", but his play this year certainly seems to suggest otherwise.

Side point #1 - I know the other reasons are that Mahinmi, if he were healthy, would likely be receive PT ahead of Gist and that no one was expecting Bonner to contribute the way he current is (although anyone from Toronto will tell you that the Red Rocket has some skills), but these are logical points that take the fun away from my rant.

In closing, here is my plea to Pop, please, for the love of god, stop playing a guy who is shooting .327 from the floor, .229 from behind the ark and .500 from the line. I can't take it anymore!

Side note #2 - I am not usually a negative person, but it is late, I am tired, my post likely has typos in it, the Spurs needed double overtime to beat Memphis and Tolliver had another stellar 0-for performance. My next post will be positive. I promise.

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Mahinim must have the worst ankle injury in history

He can solve so many of our problems

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Dec 28, 2008 9:28 AM CST reply actions

Mahinmi

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Dec 28, 2008 9:29 AM CST up reply actions

I keep having this fantasy that his ankle really isn’t bad, and all this time on the bench is just a psychological ploy. Pop has this conspiracy going to convince everyone that Ian is nothing more than an average, injury-prone, over-hyped rookie; when in actuality Ian is the next big star in the NBA capable of mirroring Dwight Howard in his ruthlessness and prowess. He’s keeping Big French secret now to shelter him and guard against teams creating early match-up scenarios with us. Pop is simply stashing him now, only to unveil him upon the world in the 2009 playoffs as we roll onward to sweep every series as the 7 seed on our way to Championship #5.

Shut up….. it could happen.

by SgtinManusArmy on Dec 28, 2008 10:28 PM CST up reply actions

My hat's off

And I thought that I concocted some embarrassingly bizarre scenarios about how Pop’s got the world on a string and that anything that’s bad actually just LOOKS bad and is actually due to The Bearded One’s tendency to toy with our (and everybody else’s) minds because that’s what he likes to do.

I THOUGHT I was embarrassing, but I must admit that I’m truly nothing compared to you.

I am calm, filling myself with patience - Manu Ginobili

by J.R. Wilco on Dec 29, 2008 12:59 AM CST up reply actions

Seventh seed? Man, you’re an optimist! :-)

by 4Him on Dec 29, 2008 3:41 PM CST up reply actions

Can’t speak to much of this other than watching Tolliver in Summer League this year, where he played well. There were about 4 or 5 of us who watched most of the games and of those guys, Gist was the clear favorite, followed closely by Hill and Tolliver. Tolliver hit open jumpers like crazy and rebounded well for an undersized 4. I thought at the time that he would make the team.

My theory is that Pop is using games against the Grizz as open labs. I recapped one and have watched all of the others, and in each game he used some odd lineups and players that were unexpected. Farmer (remember him?) got a ton – for him – of minutes against the Grizz in an earlier meeting and was cut shortly after. We’ve played them 3 times already and are starting to know them well, so I thinnk he’s screwing around trying to look at guys at the end of the bench he wants to see.

And we play them again on Jan 2nd at their place. Good times.

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." – Aldous Huxley

by spurchief on Dec 28, 2008 4:25 PM CST reply actions

i agree with you that Pop is using the games against the lesser teams as experimentation time. Tolliver didn’t get any minutes against the suns, so you know he is using the crap-team games as his opportunity to see how players like Tolliver can play. i just wish that the guy would actually start hitting shots, then he could actually contribute to the team meaningfully.

but i also wish Gist was here instead.

by znimrod on Dec 28, 2008 4:51 PM CST up reply actions

+1 to the Gist. I know I speak for the group who watched Summer League when I say I can’t wait to see his awesomeness unleashed next season.

By the way, did anyone else see this? (link).

Classic stuff. Stay surly, Pop.

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." – Aldous Huxley

by spurchief on Dec 28, 2008 5:04 PM CST up reply actions

I vote Gran Torino for Pop's new nickname

If it sticks, then we’ll have Manu (Plainview) and Pop covered with cinematic references.

One by one — if we don’t force it — we’ll get them all eventually.

I am calm, filling myself with patience - Manu Ginobili

by J.R. Wilco on Dec 29, 2008 1:07 AM CST up reply actions

+1 – done. That is cinematic and comedic genius.

"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." – Aldous Huxley

by spurchief on Dec 29, 2008 11:18 AM CST up reply actions

How about simply “Coach GT”?

by 4Him on Dec 29, 2008 3:45 PM CST up reply actions

hmm, I kinda like the sound of that as well — you can never have too many versions of nicknames here at PtR, you just can’t

I am calm, filling myself with patience - Manu Ginobili

by J.R. Wilco on Dec 30, 2008 12:26 AM CST up reply actions

I bet we’re going to but Tolliver and get Mutombo. That should help us go back to the top when it comes to age average.

by LatinD on Dec 28, 2008 7:15 PM CST reply actions

+1

That, or make a run at Joe Smith. 48 Minutes had a great piece about that the other day and I could easily see either happening. Sadly, Deke is more likely at this point.

by SgtinManusArmy on Dec 28, 2008 10:29 PM CST up reply actions