Let me start by restating what some others have said about the criticism of players. That is we shouldn't judge a player on how good or bad he plays but the effort he puts forth. If he is maximizing his abilities and is still sucking then it is no longer his fault, it becomes the coaching staffs fault for running him out there. So this is why Finley and, some day Manu, will always get a pass in my book.

At a certain point earlier in the season it seemed as though Spurs coaching staff, specifically Pop, had seen the light on a few things.

1) JV is no longer an NBA caliber player. I like the JV I really do. He's the anti-Iverson which is always a good start as a human being but his playing days are long gone.

2) Over the off season we improved our 2 position by aquiring Roger Mason Jr. He is better at defending, and shooting than Finley. What else is needed in our system for our other(Manu being the primary) wing? Shoot and Defend. Mace does both these things very well when played at his natural position.

3) Rookies can actually contribute. This goes along with the first realization. George Hill has proven he is capable of running the point when Tony needs a blow. Come playoff time it will probably only be 6 minutes a game anyway so how bad can George screw things up? That's not even the point though. He's not a Brad Johnson type quaterback who we can only ask "manage the game, don't turn the ball over." Georgie has moxie and skill set to contribute in playoff caliber games.

By un-realizing these things Pop has sent the team sputtering in recent weeks. JV is seeing playing time ahead of Hill. Mace is also being asked to run the point; he has become an erratic shooter and turnover machine. And Finley is being asked to play far too many minutes. Lord help us if Pop was being serious when he said Mason will continue to back up point into the playoffs.