How many Manus would a Manu Manu if a Manu Man Man Manu?

by Matthew Powell on May 2, 2008 9:54 PM CDT

I, for one, am glad this series starts in New Orleans. This gives the Spurs the opportunity to put the fear of God in them right off the bat. A loss in game 1 and the story line for the whole series begins to write itself: the Hornets lack playoff experience and the Spurs know how to turn it up in the postseason. Whether or not either of those ideas are true is irrelevant; getting them into Paul and companys' heads is what matters.

I may be the only person on PtR who feels this way, but I hope Tony Parker sees this series as a personal battle between himself and Chris Paul. The man dominated Steve Nash on both ends of the court (with Bowen's help at times) and dropped 7.0 dimes a game in the first round. Is he going to dribble a lot and shoot 20 times a game? Yes. But let's give him the benefit of the doubt. I think there's a tendency here to imagine every every questionable shot he takes as him robbing Manu of a wide open three. Maybe he's robbing Michael Finley of one his patented awkward fading-in-two-direction 20-footers. Let's look at the glass as half-full, mmm-kay?

Speaking of Manu, I have a small quibble with the man. He's trying way too hard to draw the foul in the pick and roll. You know what I'm talking about. He just needs to go. Other than this small flaw he is, of course, perfection.

One thing I'm especially excited about this series? Jannero Pargo. As Jannero definitely knows, Jannero shot 51% and 45% against the Mavs in the first round. He averaged 15 a game and nearly got decapitated by Jason Kidd. Jannero, please, keep shooting the rock. It's all you. You're the man.

Bowen will obviously get a lot of time against Paul this series. I'm really looking forward to this. Obviously the run in they had earlier this season adds some spice to he matchup. Paul has proven to have a little bit of a temper. And Bruce? Well. Let's just say he has a knack for getting under people's skin. (Maybe we should call him Splinter. Yeah. We'll make that Bruce Bowen's Official PtR Nickname # 14.) But before he can be unleashed on Paul, he must first decimate the fragile psyche of Peja Stojakovic. That should take about, I don't know, two and a half quarters.

So here's this series is going to go. Chandler and Armstrong will be in constant foul trouble, allowing Parker at some point to hit tear drops on 6 straight possessions. Jannero Pargo will put up at least one 2-12 type performance, Bonzi Wells will be a non factor after losing a sanctioned knife fight with Ime during half time of game 2, and the only bench contribution New Orleans will get will be from Julian Wright. David West will discover the difference between regular season Tim Duncan defense and post season Tim Duncan defense. Paul will put up 25 and 11 but will shoot a poor percentage from the field and have his defense questioned. Manu will Manu down the stretch of at least Manu and single-handedly Manu it for the Spurs.

Spurs in six.

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Spurs in 5

Pop loves to exploit young teams with little playoff experience. We are going to smother them with our defense and give them so many looks their heads will spin. I see this playing out similar to how the Jazz and Cavs series were played last year. We play our way, we win in 5.

Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.

by CMoney on May 2, 2008 10:39 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

whoops!

wrong about that one, werent ya?

by ginobli sucks on May 7, 2008 2:53 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

the spurs will take this series because they are mentally better and physically more collected than the hornets when it comes down to the wire. the hornets will probably put the sting on san antonio at least one game. there is one thing we all know for sure, you can fix a sting with baking soda… a spur wound… it takes more than that. the spurs have implanted themselves in the brains of NO and we will see what happens because of that!

moognish

yeah, the spurs are boss

by moognish on May 2, 2008 11:29 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

What the hell?!

by SgtinManusArmy on May 3, 2008 12:34 AM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

My thoughts exactly.

by pollackj on May 3, 2008 2:15 AM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

i don't know, but...

give us more!!!

gospursgo. hook 'em. metal rules. ganja rules.

by metalandganja on May 3, 2008 9:14 AM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Byron Scott will put Julian Wright on Tony Parker. Makes sense right? An athletic young forward with a huge wingspan. I can’t see why he wont try it at least once. No need to get Paul in foul trouble or get terrorized on D for the whole series. Of course Wright is just a rookie and will do rookie like things. Such as pull a vanishing act.

Manu was such poo poo in Game 5. I’m sure he beat himself up these past couple of days and we’ll see SuperManu show up.

by r21x on May 3, 2008 1:05 AM CDT reply reply 0 recs

I am a little less optimistic about this series. This kind of reminds me of The mavs in 06. I don’t think anyone was worried about them at all. Unproven up until that series with us and I don’t know if anyone was scared of them. Especially after game 1 when dirk in the post game press conference was saying something along the lines of Bowen defending him better than anyone ever has. But with all that said, if Mathew is confident then I’m confident. Another thing I am confident about is my “Manu: Simply Erotic” shirt. My girlfriend is 2-0 this playoffs when wearing it so far. We’ll be watching the game tomorrow and she’ll have the shirt on.

by speedostuffer on May 3, 2008 1:44 AM CDT reply reply 0 recs

CMoney, here’s the answer to the date problem. You just need to get a “Manu: Simply Erotic” shirt and bring it on your date and make her wear it. If she puts it on before the game then odds are she’s a keeper. If she refuses, well…

by AusTechSpur on May 3, 2008 9:23 AM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Haha

Damn it, why didn’t I think of that…

On a side note, I just schooled a guy over at Mavs Money ball in a convo about Avery Johnson. Check it out if you’re killing time before the Spurs game tonight.

Where schooling happens…

Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.

by CMoney on May 3, 2008 1:52 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

Wow… you won an argument … on the internet?

chaos... panic... pandemonium... my work here is done.

by rick.2g on May 3, 2008 8:02 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

TP9vCP3

Don’t usually disagree with Powell, but I have to this time. To equate Paul with Nash is ludicrous at a whole number of levels. Nash is well past his prime, plays no defense, was stuck with an offense that totally changed the way he best operates and D’Antoni decided on a strategy of posting Diaw and the rest of the crew watching and waiting, to name but a few differences. I don’t think Tony ever saw the Phoenix series as one in which he had to prove himself vis a vis Nash. I fear that that is the way he will see this one (as he saw the last game against NO during the regular season). And sure it has to do with “taking away shots from Manu” (although if Gino is still hobbling and plays like he did the last two games against PHX, someone probably should take shots away from him). It’s more about stifling the flow of our offense, getting others involved, forcing NO to guard everyone and not allowing them to settle into one defensive alignment. NO is young and inexperienced. If they see multiple offensive and defensive sets, if they believe any number of players can burn them, if they start thinking they are being out-coached and out-thought, I think you’ll see panic. But if there view is, “stop TP and you stop the Spurs,” and if Tony plays into that, I think we’re in for a long series. Hope I’m proven wrong but don’t think so. Put the chinga on ‘em Spurs!

by agutierrez on May 3, 2008 2:10 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

It's all about the Schnozzolator

Healthy Manu, Spurs in 6.

Gimpy Manu, Hornets in 7.

by wangalusa on May 3, 2008 4:16 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

the guy over at hornets247 posted this on his gameday news roundup. he attributed it to “matthew powell of the super-biased spurs blog pounding the rock.”

i found it, obviously, looking for totally factual, stat-based and unbiased basketball news at his hornets blog.

anyway, i’ve been looking around some of the other blogs lately, but i’m pretty new to the game. up to now, my experience has been limited to my friends’ writing and the occassional workday glance at thesuperficial.com or pink is the new blog (it’s shameful). maybe i was wrong, but i thought this was a fan site, not a source people come to for real news. do we have some ethical standard we’re not living up to? is this guy some award-winning journalist? (and even if he is, take it from me - a reporter of less than a year - you have to be really, embarassingly, fuckingly bad to not win a journalism award.)

but if anyone has any opinions out there of some of the better sports blogs, let a brother in on it.

you ain't a beauty but hey you're all right.

by kalone on May 3, 2008 6:08 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

I got a message today...

We’re winning tonight. That’s really all there is to it. I just know we are. You’re thinking now… “That’s confidence bordering on arrogence.” No. It’s the mojo. A combination of my cookies and speedo’s girlfriend’s shirt and CMoney’s devotion and LatinD’s coolness. And….

So I’m driving over to get my mom a DVD for Mother’s Day several hours ago, and this 17-year old punk blows a stop sign and slams into me. Fortunately, as a good Texas boy, I have a ridiculous grill guard on my truck. He unfortunately drove a Chevy Cavalier. SiMA-1, punk kid-0. But there’s damage to the SiMA ride (coincidentally named ‘Malik,’ after one of my all-time favorite SPURS) and I’m fully pissed off for the rest of my Saturday. What does this mean, you’re asking yourself.

This all matters because the Cavalier was blue. The same color blue as the hornets. My truck is named for a SPUR. Are you catching the symbolism here? I tore through the challenging object like a hot knife through jello.

We’re winning tonight. There’ll be damage in the way of exhausted SPURS and banged up players, but no permanent or lasting impacts. And in the end, we’ll come out victorious after having thoroughly dominated the little young blue force.

All this said, if we do end up losing somehow, it’s going to be a really, REALLY shitty day for me.

by SgtinManusArmy on May 3, 2008 6:12 PM CDT reply reply 0 recs

I love the attitude. Way to see the silver lining in a bad situation. I also have a great feeling about this game. I’m looking for us to dominate and really catch NO off guard. I’m glad no one was hurt.

Superman wears Manu Ginobili pajamas to bed.

by CMoney on May 3, 2008 6:27 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs

CMoney, FYI, but I stole your “I have to go, my team has a game today…” line from your dallas posts. Good argument there too, by the way. A houston buddy emailed Simmons’ article to me to gloat, and I replied with only your line. Damaging….brief….professional….humiliating, all the qualities I look for in sports-related comments. Kudos and thanks

by SgtinManusArmy on May 3, 2008 6:49 PM CDT up reply reply 0 recs