tinysands
2007-12-30, 06:16 PM
NBA: Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) hurting for points from bench
Consistency a concern with Ginobili, Barry nursing injuries.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA20071230.16C.NZ.State.NBA_spurs_lede_1230.2960f56.html
Web Posted: 12/29/2007 10:45 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Injured guards Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) and Brent Barry (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/brent_barry) looked dapper Friday night, sitting side-by-side behind the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) bench in sport coats.
To the rest of their Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) teammates, however, they would have looked a lot more handsome in shorts and gym shoes.
"Those guys bring a lot of energy, a lot of shooting, and lot of stuff that we need," point guard Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) said. "Now we have to do without it."
Recent injuries have significantly shortened a Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) bench that, when healthy, seems to stretch halfway from the AT&T Center to Austin.
Ginobili, the league's highest-scoring sixth man at 19.2 points per game, is still nursing a sprained finger that will keep him out again tonight against Memphis. Barry, the Spurs' second-leading point-producer off the bench at 7.7 per game, is out for at least another eight days with a torn calf muscle.
In the meantime, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) will continue their search for offense off the bench with their two highest-scoring reserves seated behind it.
Led by Ginobili, the Spurs' once-bottomless reserve of reserves is averaging an NBA-best 39.8 points per game, half a point more than Seattle, owner of the league's second-best bench.
But with Ginobili and Barry on simultaneous hiatus, there are serious questions as to how long the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) can lay claim to that bench-scoring benchmark.
Nobody is more curious to discover the answer than coach Gregg Popovich.
"Guys will either produce or they won't," Popovich said. "Who will produce, I don't know. You just have to see what kind of games people have."
Thus far, that pursuit has produced mixed results.
In a victory over Chicago on Wednesday, in which Barry played just one minute before pulling up lame, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) got 28 points off the bench, including 12 apiece from Matt Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) and Ime Udoka (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/ime_udoka).
Two days later, however, the bench was almost barren in an 83-73 loss to Toronto.
In that game, the Raptors outscored the league's best bench 20-0 in the first half, en route to a 41-15 edge by game's end. At minus-26, it was the largest negative point differential the Spurs' bench has endured all year.
"We know we have to pick up more of the load," Udoka (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/ime_udoka) said. "We don't really talk about it, but we know we have to bring something extra."
Against Toronto, [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) was the lone reserve sparkplug for the Spurs, collecting 10 points and 10 rebounds. He and Udoka (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/ime_udoka) were the only reserves to log a point.
"We're a little thin right now, but that's no excuse," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said. "Guys have got to be ready to come in and do our jobs."
On Saturday, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) made strides toward shoring up their decimated ranks on the wing by plucking seven-year NBA veteran DerMarr Johnson out of the Developmental League.
Johnson, who was playing for the Spurs' affiliate in Austin, signed a non-guaranteed deal for what is believed to be the veteran minimum. He should supply immediate depth on the perimeter, something Marcus Williams — the rookie swingman waived to make room for Johnson — could not.
Johnson has NBA experience, most recently spending the past three seasons in Denver, to go with NBA shooting range.
"He's been in the league, and we know he's a good shooter," Popovich said.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) hope Johnson, a 6-foot-9 former first-round draft choice of Atlanta, can serve as another piece to the patchwork puzzle while their two best bench players are sidelined.
And if not?
"Hopefully," Popovich said, "somebody will rise to the occasion."
Consistency a concern with Ginobili, Barry nursing injuries.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA20071230.16C.NZ.State.NBA_spurs_lede_1230.2960f56.html
Web Posted: 12/29/2007 10:45 PM CST
Jeff McDonald
Injured guards Manu Ginobili (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/manu_ginobili) and Brent Barry (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/brent_barry) looked dapper Friday night, sitting side-by-side behind the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) bench in sport coats.
To the rest of their Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) teammates, however, they would have looked a lot more handsome in shorts and gym shoes.
"Those guys bring a lot of energy, a lot of shooting, and lot of stuff that we need," point guard Tony Parker (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/tony_parker) said. "Now we have to do without it."
Recent injuries have significantly shortened a Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) bench that, when healthy, seems to stretch halfway from the AT&T Center to Austin.
Ginobili, the league's highest-scoring sixth man at 19.2 points per game, is still nursing a sprained finger that will keep him out again tonight against Memphis. Barry, the Spurs' second-leading point-producer off the bench at 7.7 per game, is out for at least another eight days with a torn calf muscle.
In the meantime, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) will continue their search for offense off the bench with their two highest-scoring reserves seated behind it.
Led by Ginobili, the Spurs' once-bottomless reserve of reserves is averaging an NBA-best 39.8 points per game, half a point more than Seattle, owner of the league's second-best bench.
But with Ginobili and Barry on simultaneous hiatus, there are serious questions as to how long the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) can lay claim to that bench-scoring benchmark.
Nobody is more curious to discover the answer than coach Gregg Popovich.
"Guys will either produce or they won't," Popovich said. "Who will produce, I don't know. You just have to see what kind of games people have."
Thus far, that pursuit has produced mixed results.
In a victory over Chicago on Wednesday, in which Barry played just one minute before pulling up lame, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) got 28 points off the bench, including 12 apiece from Matt Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) and Ime Udoka (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/ime_udoka).
Two days later, however, the bench was almost barren in an 83-73 loss to Toronto.
In that game, the Raptors outscored the league's best bench 20-0 in the first half, en route to a 41-15 edge by game's end. At minus-26, it was the largest negative point differential the Spurs' bench has endured all year.
"We know we have to pick up more of the load," Udoka (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/ime_udoka) said. "We don't really talk about it, but we know we have to bring something extra."
Against Toronto, [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) was the lone reserve sparkplug for the Spurs, collecting 10 points and 10 rebounds. He and Udoka (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/ime_udoka) were the only reserves to log a point.
"We're a little thin right now, but that's no excuse," [url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner][url=http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner]Bonner (http://www.chinaspurs.com/players/matt_bonner) said. "Guys have got to be ready to come in and do our jobs."
On Saturday, the Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) made strides toward shoring up their decimated ranks on the wing by plucking seven-year NBA veteran DerMarr Johnson out of the Developmental League.
Johnson, who was playing for the Spurs' affiliate in Austin, signed a non-guaranteed deal for what is believed to be the veteran minimum. He should supply immediate depth on the perimeter, something Marcus Williams — the rookie swingman waived to make room for Johnson — could not.
Johnson has NBA experience, most recently spending the past three seasons in Denver, to go with NBA shooting range.
"He's been in the league, and we know he's a good shooter," Popovich said.
The Spurs (http://www.chinaspurs.com) hope Johnson, a 6-foot-9 former first-round draft choice of Atlanta, can serve as another piece to the patchwork puzzle while their two best bench players are sidelined.
And if not?
"Hopefully," Popovich said, "somebody will rise to the occasion."