The Bell May Toll For We, But Raja Bell Outflops Ginobili

by Aaronstampler on May 29, 2008 4:24 PM CDT

But not really. Just mostly self pity and random ranting. I'm in the perfect frame of mind for Game 5, totally.

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Manu

I became a Spurs fan because of Manu and have been faithfully following him and them since after the 2004 Olympics. Aaron is right on all counts. Manu won’t force shots and does disappear when shots aren’t falling. He won’t shoot his way out of a slump. It has to happen all of a sudden and then he is back on track.

I live in Minnesota so I was unaware that local sports talk shows in San Antonio are ripping him. That is really sad because without Manu there are no titles. For crying out loud the guy had a career year this year and made 3rd team all nba. How can you rip him now?

That said, in order for the Spurs to win he has to play well. The Spurs only have 3 decent offensive players that you can count on consistently. To beat a team like LA and even NO, all three have to be on. I think Pop should tell him that he should keep shooting and keep driving to the hoop if he misses his first 3 or 4 shots because there is no one else on the team to pick up the slack.

I agree that the play the Spurs called with 2.1 seconds left was an abomination. You would think that after all the years of coaching, they would have been able to call something that was better than Barry at the top of the key with a defender all over him. 2.1 seconds is a lot of time and I would think they could have gotten the ball into Duncan for a 2 point shot. As much as I would have liked the foul to be called and Barry awarded 2 shots, it probably would not have changed the outcome of the game. If he would have made them, it would have meant OT and the way the Spurs were playing, they would have lost anyway.

If Tony, Tim and Manu play well tonight, the Spurs will win. If one of them stinks, they will lose. It is as simple as that. I think they have pride and they will give a good effort. But if the shots don’t fall by the big 3, all the hustle in the world won’t matter.

by Minnesota on May 29, 2008 4:49 PM CDT reply actions

That post was straight fire dude. I don’t even go to Spurs tak because most of the yahoo’s there don’t know what good hoops are. To rip on Manu would be akin to ripping on family member that has given you all they have. He’s hurt, he’s tired, he makes no excuses, and he’s a winner, but it’s not good enough for some fair weather fans out there. I think even if the Spurs lose tonight, they will go down swinging.

I never met anybody who said when they were a kid, "I wanna grow up and be a critic." - Richard Pryor

by DennardC on May 29, 2008 4:53 PM CDT reply actions

Great post man. I agree with you that Manu does not deserve the treatment he has gotten from his own fans and from the media. He’s still got it. As you said, he was flipping 3rd Team All-NBA this season! Anyway, here’s what gets me. . . why isn’t he getting set up more? It seems like every time he gets a chance to penetrate, he’s on the left wing going with his right hand. The Lakers deserve some credit for that, but I don’t feel like Manu is getting his number dialed often enough. I mean, we all remember Manu coming right for that botched handoff on the left wing with Oberto. Why hasn’t he been getting more of those on the other side coming off with his left hand?

I think the Spurs take this one tonight, but of course I’m gonna think that. It’s time for the Spurs to go out and do it.

by jkalb on May 29, 2008 5:50 PM CDT reply actions

Manu and the offense

I love the point about Manu being the x factor. Correct me if I’m wrong here but it really seems like there are not a lot of well-designed plays for Manu. As a result, at least once or twice a game I’ll watch him chuck up an ill-advised three and then take a defensive chance to try and get the game loosened up (an area where he can use his savvy, awareness, and quicks). I know Pop preaches defense but have we just gotten too predictable on offense – mostly isos on the blocks for Duncan, an occassional pick and pop for a shooter (mostly Ginobili), and a TP drive with a corner 3…am I leaving anything out?

Allez Spurs!

by JustinBK on May 29, 2008 6:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Yeah, seriously, how many times did he get to the line in game 5? How many flops and charity stripe shots has he gotten in the entire playoffs? Not sure exactly, but not many. This flopping thing is all media hype. Kind of like the big 3, who for many Spurs fans, would honestly say that Bruce is the #3 in the big 3. Love Manu, but he is struggling big-time. Fisher is playing some incredible D on TP keeping him out of the paint too. But, my biggest take on the media hype BS ragging on Many is….where is Fin? Fin was the 2 spot starter ALL YEAR with Manu coming off the bench. Fin has a 17 point career avg, 2-time all star, and a +10 pt per game avg this year. So, he has lost a step and 6 inches off his jump. Does that mean that at the age of 35, your WIDE OPEN, UNCONTESTED jumpshot should leave you too? This guy was one of the better pure medium range shooters in the league for years. At 35, you should still be able to shoot, right? Very, very strange how Manu and Fin seem to have lost all confidence in their shots. I’ve read the biggest needs in the offseason, which we’ll discuss much more soon, as being better depth at #4 and #5 to help Timmy, a back-up who can actually score a bit at #1 to TP, but the biggest need is to find a #2 guard who can score and take some pressure off of Manu. Lots of work coming up in the off-season, but from what I understand, the biggest free agent gems come out in 2010, so not sure how we salvage next season.

I fully expect Timmy, TP, Manu, Bones, and Bruce to go down fighting with their boots on tonight. Maybe even pull an upset in LA. But, without Fin, or a career game from Fab or Udoka, we simply don’t have enough to win this series. Hats off to Pop for getting us this far, and big props to Phil Jackson for getting this Lakers team to play such wonderful defense.

by DFWTrojan on May 29, 2008 6:00 PM CDT reply actions

Great Post

Along with Gino, Timmy and Parker should be Five – oh, Sean and A.J. Even if big Dave closed the Carver Academy down and moved to Utah, even if Sean were magically made a part of the TNT broadcasting team and went all Chuck on the Spurs or even if A.J coached a hated rival team…..umm….yeah. They’ve all earned (good guys AND champions) a lifetime pass to the island of unconditional love. Big picture people. These guys are heroes and as such, can do NO wrong (short of murder or some other heinous crime). With that, I’m not ready to put away my lucky Ginobili jersey. Let’s spank these fuck nuts and make em think twice.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

by raynorschiene on May 29, 2008 7:54 PM CDT reply actions

great post..yeah people on Spurstalk are fairweather fans nothing more can be said about it! I’ve tried defending Manu, but no one cares

It’s ironic, that without Manu’s play against the Hornets the Spurs wouldn’t be in the Western Conference Finals..but people forget so easily!

And you are right..we don’t know how hurt Manu is..because he will never admit it in 1000 years.

I really feel bad for him, because we all know how personal he takes losing!

by adam8065 on May 30, 2008 12:26 AM CDT reply actions

tnt showed a small clip of manu in the locker room after the game and he looked very upset. he knows that he let his team down when they needed him, though it was injuries that he couldn’t play through effectively.

What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)

the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post

by Hamer_SpursFan on May 30, 2008 1:11 AM CDT up reply actions

HEAR HEAR!

I couldn’t possibly agree more with the “lifetime pass” concept. Any fan who doesn’t share that concept is a spoiled ingrate. Period.

Pop, Tim, Manu, Bones, Bruce and Parker have a lifetime pass from me. They can go kick it on the beach with Admiral Dave and Sean Elliott on the island of unconditional love as far as I’m concerned. While we’re at it, I’ll always have a soft spot for Malik Rose too. And Steve Kerr, even before the horrible Snaq acquisition.

More to the point, I can’t believe anyone – ANYONE- would dare throw Manu under the bus. That is outright blasphemy. Hell, It doesn’t matter to me if he plays like he did in WCF for the rest of his career. It really doesn’t. He has given the Spurs his absolute best since he got here, he embraces whatever role Pop thinks will help the team without complaint, he never passes the buck or makes excuses, he took a hometown discount to play for us, and he takes each loss and off performance probably too hard for his own good.

Oh, and he’s played out of his mind when we needed him most more times than I can count.

So if this is coming off like a Manu lovefest, well, GOOD. I feel incredibly fortunate to watch him give everything he has and to root for him year after year.

I just hope he gets some much needed rest on the aforementioned beach on the island of unconditional love this offseason. He’s sure as hell earned it.

by Foodbag on May 31, 2008 2:58 PM CDT reply actions