Tim Duncan needs to guard David West. Screw foul trouble. We're one game from elimination, and Tim will have no use for those extra fouls while he's sitting next to a St. Croix pool in a week. I'm afraid that's where he'll be if we continue to waste him on Chandler.
Tim Duncan, according to himself, Spurs management and anyone with less than half a brain, is a power forward. David West is also a power forward. Tim Duncan is a first team all-defense player. David West has averaged 22.2 points this series against the likes of Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto; he's had three games where he's obliterated the Spurs.
Poor arguments against putting Duncan on West.
1. Foul trouble. If he gets in foul trouble we move back onto Chandler. This is an elimination game. You don't leave a bullet in the chamber because OMG WHAt iF he GETs a fOUL?1???
2. We need him to protect the basket. He can't protect the basket against a wide open David West 18'.
3. We need him to keep Tyson Chandler off the glass. Chandler's averaging 3.2 offensive rebounds against the Spurs during the post season. He averaged 4.1 over the whole regular season. Tim's saving us 0.9 offensive rebounds per game so far. Methinks we'd be better served having him guard West.
Why it makes sense for Pop to put Duncan on West:
1. It will fire Duncan up. He's been playing too timidly on defense.
2. It will fire David West up. This is a good thing for the Spurs. He gets emotionally unraveled fairly easily, and we've seen it affect his game.
3. The Hornets will still go to David West just as often. The Hornets are still running plays for Peja, despite the fact Bowen has now made him nearly completely worthless of offense. Any New Orleans' half court possession that ends in a Stojakovic jump shot is a good thing for the Spurs. Duncan will not be as affective against West as Bowen is against Peja, but he will do a better job against him than anybody else. And that's the point. Tim Duncan is the Spurs best answer against David West, a guy who's killed us three games, while Tim Duncan has been assigned to Tyson Chandler. Tyson fucking Chandler. A guy with as many post moves as Jacque Vaughn.
4. If Pop doesn't make the change, and the Spurs lose with West going off, I will never, ever, EVER let it go. Stop being so fucking stubborn Pop. You're this close to being eliminated, and yet you're still going with hopeless strategies like playing Robert Horry. Do the simple things. Put your best post defender on their best offensive post player. Just for shits and giggles. Just to humor me. Just to win.