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| | News » Minus Manu, Spurs have no shot |
| Minus Manu, Spurs have no shot | |
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 If the aging San Antonio Spurs were heading downhill anyway, the season-ending injury to Manu Ginobili pushes them over the edge and into free fall. Roger Mason takes Ginobili's place in the starting lineup. Too bad Mason has already logged 713 total minutes more than he's ever played so far in any single season during the course of his five-year NBA career. No wonder he's dragging. And having to replay starter's minutes certainly won't revive him. With Mason starting, Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka will also see more daylight. Too bad neither one of these guys is a dependable scorer. Michael Finley is already playing on fumes. The more Drew Gooden plays, the more he scores, and the more costly mistakes he makes. And George Hill is still not ready for prime time. What other devastating implications does Ginobili's bad ankle have for the Spurs' postseason destiny? Tony Parker must score more points — many more points. That means firing up more of his erratic jumpers, and also trying to zip his way to the basket in the face of paint-clogging defenses. The more TP is compelled to attack the basket, the more hits he will necessarily absorb from opponents' bigs, and the more likely that he, too, will suffer a major injury.Except for Parker, the Spurs now lack any semblance of an explosive point-maker. And who will make the 3-pointers that a healthy Ginobili would have nailed? | Tim Duncan — even with his sore knees and still unhealed thigh — must register 25-plus points on a regular basis. Too bad his bank shots are on the verge of bankruptcy — which means more banging and bumping in the low post than his already-battered body can take.It's hard to imagine that San Antonio will be able to hold on to the No. 3 seed in the West. Indeed, with six games remaining, the Spurs could easily fall to the number five, six or even seven slots.Let's look at the rest of the Spurs' schedule. Even without Ginobili, their games at Oklahoma City, Sacramento and Golden State are certainly very winnable. Much more doubtful are SA's home games — against Portland, Utah and New Orleans. It's entirely conceivable, then, that the Spurs could face the Rockets, the Trail Blazers or the Hornets in the opening round of the playoffs. And minus the home-court advantage, San Antonio would be hard-pressed to overcome any of these opponents. Whatever edge the Spurs had — in playoff experience, disciplined defense, semi-explosive offense — has been inexorably dulled for the duration. All they have left is guts and smarts. Admirable qualities, to be sure, but not enough to mount a serious challenge for another championship. Oh, well. The Spurs had a nice run while it lasted.
Author: Fox Sports
Author's Website: http://www.foxsports.com
Added: April 7, 2009
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