This is probably beating a dead horse but I stayed up all night thinking of this "Manu hasn't showed up yet" joke so...If anyone at Time Warner could actually explain to Manu that even though he does the commercial where he works at Time Warner doesn't mean he actually in real life works there.  The Spurs didn't fire him and TWC didn't hire him, can someone please pass this information on to him.  I'm new addition on this site and I just wanted to say I've enjoyed checking on what everyone has to say cause I mostly agree with all that said.  So if I may just let out some frustration from lasts night's game here, because my wife doesn't care.  Besides not having Manu and the worst pick and roll defense ever a couple of other things stood out to me as reasons why we lost.  #1 is obvious - we couldn't hit an open shot to save anyone's life.  #2 That awful lineup Pop for whatever reason decided to play for most of the 3rd - Duncan, Fab, Bowen, Finley, and Vaughn.  We had trouble scoring all night and he runs THAT lineup.  What the hell was he thinking!?  Granted that lineup caught us up by a whole 2 points - good job Pop - but if it weren't for Tim's abuse of the Phoenix front line we would have lost by 50.  #3 Well this isn't really reason just an observation, but I didn't know that Steve Kerr was gay.  I like the guy and all but seriously you thought that the way he talked up Kurt Thomas last night he either thought Kurt was a perennial all-star or they were lovers.  Those were the only two options.  Tim had his way with Thomas, i don't understand it.  #4 I'm really enjoying watching Jacque Vaughn screw things up on both ends.  He for whatever reason can do a decent job on AI but not on Nash, and he is looking to shoot!!!!!  What!!!! Why is he doing this other than the fact that Van Exel is channeling his spirit into Vaughn's body in order to screw another post season up for us - Thanks Nick.  Beno can't be that much worse than Vaughn and at least he can shoot.  Last one #5 - We don't run the best pick 'n roll, definitely no where near the suns but it never looked as bad as it did last night.  Ugh.  Maybe home court will be favorable and someone will tell Manu that he is still a Spur.

Welcome staves - I pretty much agree with everything you said.  Oberto and Elson just blow.  Every once in a while Fabs while have some kind of nifty little play but he does not possess any defensive or offensive skill to trouble Stoudemire.  So Stoudemire gets to take a break on defense thanks to (cue Kerr) Kurt Thomas' fabulous defense.  And I do mean Fabulous.  

In addition to our center problems is our Vaughn problem -- guy has heart but that's about it.    Tony will need some rest in this series (his shot was alreay off last night) if the Spurs want to continue to play the Suns' game - scores in the 100s.  I would say stick Barry out there as a PG but the guy has gone into hiding and couldn't make a open three pointer to save his life.  What a disappointment.

I'd say the most troubling news from my perspective is the fact that Manu has fallen in love with the jab-step jumper.  It's hard to watch.  I have to wonder aloud if this is strategy by Pop or Manu, fear of injury, or just plain 'ol injury.  His insistence of making himself solely a jumpshooter - or looking for his shot and hoping it opens things up for him in the lane - could cause this series to get ugly with Finley, Bowen, and Manu all standing around the perimeter and hoping someone can get it going.

I think it's agreed that its time for Vaughn to go.  Lot of heart little skill.  Its been VERY frustrating watching him trying to create for himself.  Since when was even supposed to look for his own shot?  If he plays he shouldn't be allowed to shoot period.  I haven't liked the Manu and Tony back court in this series at all.  It looks like those guys aren't communicating at all, or hopefully not worse like they don't like playing together.  When Tony is out there he and Timmy are the only 2 that touch the ball, Manu gets completely lost.  Which is one of the reasons why he started coming off the bench, but with the extended minutes for everyone playing in these playoffs the 2 now share more court time.  So I think that a Ginobili/Barry backcourt to spell Tony/Finley would be much more effective, at least in a night like last night when no one could buy a bucket.  And having Ginobili run the pick and roll with Oberto, you may as just give the ball to Nash for a fast break (of course the ONE time he ran that with Timmy, Timmy decided to plow over Steve Nash).  So i agree Ginobili needs to have the ball in his hands in game 3 or we are going to be in trouble.  I think that Elson has missed either 2 or 3 dunks this post season that weren't contested.  Glad he's starting.  Oberto has moments where he is very handy and competent like game 1 then he has games like last night which i think playing a guy who at least can score like Bonner in his stead.  Bonner would have given the same amount of energy with the same amount of boneheaded plays while at least giving the potential of hitting a shot or two.  And finally I have no doubt that Phoenix's defense last night was a mirage for 2 reasons.  #1 they can't keep that type of intensity up on both ends for 7 games no one on that team is that disciplined minus Nash and he's a crappy defender.  #2 the fact that the Spurs were ice cold (they missed countless wide open jumpers) allowed the Suns to sag on Manu and Tony creating the illusion of a great defense.  Spurs hit a few more shots this doesn't happen.  Also Thomas did a good job not allowing Tim to lay the ball in, past that i'm not seeing the great defensive Tim stopper everyone else is.  Granted he played Tim well straight up, but Tim got whatever he wanted.

I couldn't agree more with both of you.  I was even getting a little excited about Elson and Vaughn as the year went on.  They both had some heroic showings during the season, but it seems that everyone outside of Duncan, Bowen, Horry, Finley, and Parker has their body double playing for them.  Ugh.  It's frustrating being a fan, just plain frustrating.

I'll start by saying I didn't watch that game, which makes me a bad fan, I know, but I pretty much knew we'd lose, if only because Tony had a great Game 1 and whenever we get up in a playoff series, Tony gets too comfy. Also, I hadn't bathed in seven weeks, and that took up my whole evening.

One of the things I love about Manu (until this is no longer true) is that, whenever he looks done, he rises again like Christ. Jacque Vaughn, however, is looking a lot like Lot's wife right now.