Ginobili feels team familiarity will be key in shortened season
As he makes his final stay in his native country of Argentina, San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili spoke with LaNueva.com on a variety of topics as he prepares for the upcoming 66-game shortened season.
In the interview, Ginobili discusses the lack of rest teams will play on, the expectation of poor shooting percentages, and his finals days in Argentina before returning to San Antonio for another NBA season.
Ginobili gives little agreement when asked if teams with core pieces returning will have a slight advantage in a shortened season,
I think so, because games remain heavily on the players who remained in competition. Teams with players who know each other, like us, have a small advantage over the rest of the league.
Ginobili is referring to the fact that by the time training camp opens next week, the Spurs will have 11 players from last seasons returning discounting Antonio McDyess who is still questionable for retirement.
But though his club is back together, Ginobili knows the team's physical ability will be tested quickly.
Anyway, we're going to pay physically, because it can weigh a little more (to) play five games in a week. So, as always in some ways (we) will win and lose in others.
Ginobili then brought up the fact that shooting percentages were at one of their worst times in the 99' shortened season.
The worst shooting percentage in history was in 1999, after (the) lockout, so obviously it will cost. It will be exhausting but in February, March we will forget everything and the playoffs will be great.
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Nobody can rebound without splitter or duncan? So you all hate blair? Look we get it, everybody wants to see the spurs get a center or power forward, but we have to be realistic. Some of you guys need to really shut up about it is getting really old. The spurs are a great team without another big men, and it is never just about size. Stop insisting that the spurs need like a 7'0 guy. Look at Z-bo. He is blair's size and he is a beast
@antarescrane In fact DB is slightly higher than 6'6" and Z-Bo is 6'9" and he has all offensive weapons that Blair doesn't have. If you are just talking about the physical tools they may have similar ones. However, speaking of techniques, Blair is nowhere near what Z-Bo can do. Fans here yelling for a bigman or two is normal especially inside defense and rebounding were our weakness from last season. This is called - learn from your mistakes. The lesson we learned from ugly defeat by the Grizz last season.
Agree with you, I watched the series, and you are right that Blair is by no means a go to guy in the post like Z-Bo. I was just trying to use the Blair/Z-Bo example to make an argument. A lot of guys on here have been saying, oh we need a young ultra athletic 6'11+ guy or else all is lost. That argument is somewhat absurd. I never thought about Timmy as a player with tremendous leaping ability either, but I think he has accomplished a lot in this league. Although another post presence would be great, I would not say it was the only weakness I saw against Memphis. Bonner and Blair were obviously atrocious in the post. I am not sure that this is entirely important, but I saw their big wings posting up on our small wings as well. I also saw guys like battier and well, pretty much everybody light up RJ, which was quite miserable. Even George Hill got beat around some. I am just trying to say that not having another huge tall guy would not be the sole problem. @shawnthefreak
@antarescrane I think that for the situation regarding our front court, height and athleticism we should at least get one. It's OK to be under-sized if a player have enough athleticism to make up of it. I don't mind if we get a guy like Gerald Wallace, who is only 6'7" but can rebound and block shots like a power forward. When Wallace was a Bobcat he ever lead the league in rebound for quite a long time. He also ever averaged 2 block and 2 steal in a single season. That's why I think unless a post-player is super-athletic or he needs to be at least has height. That's why I'm excited about Leonard. If he can live up as a guy in Wallace's mold, it should be exciting.
@antarescrane thank you for saying that because i get tired of it too. realistically, though, i do believe we need to have another big man because i'm assuming McDyess is going to retire, however, the big man does not have to be an All-Star or a 7 footer. someone like an Aaron Gray, like you mentioned, would be nice. i'm not hating on Blair. as long as he stays in shape and doesn't eat a lot of Whataburgers, Blair can still be a beast. and Randolph's a little taller than Blair by 2 inches. Randolph's 6'9".
Steve is in Europe or Russia. We do need the likes of McRoberts, Sean Williams (6'11"), even Marcus Cousin will be ok. McD played hard last year but couldn't make a shot with consistency, this was his greatest strength, as it open the lane for TD. Memphis sagged of him the whole series and he shot around 40% from 16ft. Got to get shot blocking or mid range shooting and rebounding. McD as just too old. Oberto is too slow for the game now. He wasn't able to keep up in the Olympic qualifiers, this Summer. We need to take some chances. Portland use a D league guy Cris Smith with success in the playoffs. The Mavs used guys who barely played in the rotation or should have been in the D League ( Beaubouise ?), and won the title.
With mcdyess uncertain, the spurs need another big man to man the interior. Aside from TD and Splitter nobody can rebound. There are big men in the free agency. Sign a young, tall, aggressive banger. They don't need the likes of c. butler. The team is full of 6'7"s. What happen to Steve Novak?
@rtesoro440 size is not the only thing that matters. What I am puzzled at is that the spurs are looking at more perimeter players. I personally think the spurs have the best guard line-up in the whole NBA (Manu Ginobili, Gary Neal, James Anderson, Tony Parker) so it would make more sense to look at some big men. However, be 6'11 is not what makes a player great.You never heard of Charles Barkley? As long as we have Tim Duncan, size is not as a big of a problem as people like you are making it. Having said this, I would like to see the spurs try to get Gasol, Nene, or Gray. You are hugely mistaken though, that the spurs need a overhaul in this area.
@antarescrane from what i believe, i think the reason they're looking at more perimeter players is because they are working on trying to trade RJ or they are going to use the amnesty clause on him.
