I just picked Pop as one example of a good coach who has been known to think and deploy his players from time to time in an unconventional way. I could have chosen someone else like Pat Riley or Phil Jackson or Larry Brown or Don Nelson or Bill Fitch or Chuck Daly or Nate McMillan [who, I think, gave Brent Barry the chance to play PG in Seattle], etc., just as readily.

I wasn’t aware that Anthony Parker played the point in Europe, I thought he only played on the wing and mostly at shooting guard. I watch very little European basketball, my knowledge on happenings over there is pretty weak.

I presume, since you like the idea of him there, that he played the point well over there?

How much time did Parker spend at the point, a small amount or a large amount? Did he play any big games at the position?

That’s very interesting, I never knew that.

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Brent Barry was the starting point guard for the Sonics and played some limited time at the point at both Miami (I’m still disappointed Riley didn’t keep him around, he was a great addition to that team) and for the Clippers … at both LA/Miami he was used predominantly at the two guard and even then he was used on the ball and as a creator a good deal of the time.

I knew he played for another team in the NBA, but I couldn’t remember who, turns out it was Chicago, but I can’t remember watching him play for the Bulls so no idea if he got any time at the point there.

Jerome Kersey is another player who played both forward spots a great deal before arriving in San Antonio. Both Mario Elie and Jaren Jackson played both wing positions heavily before arriving in San Antonio. These weren’t new positions for them. Malik Rose was a power forward when he entered the league and he played power forward for Pop.

Bowen is another player, he was a major role player for the Miami Heat before joining San Antonio. Bowen had already established himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league before he ever played for the Spurs. He was a starter in Miami and played more minutes that season for Pat Riley than all but one of his seasons (all seasons fairly close to each other) since then under Popovich. The man was voted All-Defensive second team in Miami.

The one mark on Bowen at the time, like you pointed out, was his shooting. Most of the criticism was over-done, Bowen’s shooting was decent but unremarkable (33.6% on threes, 300 attempts in Miami). The situation is a lot like Jamario Moon for the Raptors today, they’re both judged unfairly and inaccurately for their shooting. Both were/are decent shooters (below par, but solid). After time and a lot of hard work Bowen turned himself into an excellent specialist three point shooter.

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I still don’t see why you’d single out Popovich and say it would be the lineup he’d use. The overwhelming majority of the lineups he has chosen when times are tough have been offensive orientated [offense usually San An's problem, defense usually great or not worried about], and lots of those lineups in recent seasons have been small ball lineups full of shooters+scorers, his best shooters. I don’t see why you’d link your idea to that.

Sorry, I thought you were asking just about shifting Anthony Parker.

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IMO …

Exhibit C – Pop’s willingness to use Bruce Bowen as a starting Wing player, who couldn’t shoot a lick at his other prior stops in the NBA, but who found a home as a defensive specialist in San Antonio’s 1st Unit

Exhibit D – Pop’s use of wrong-sized players at the spots where they fit best, like Jerome Kersey, Malik Rose, Jaren Jackson & Mario Elie, in 1999

re: Brent Barry, as a PG elsewhere

To what specific situation are you referring? [e.g. when he first broke into the league, as a dunk champion]

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Parker has played PG before, in the Euroleague … and, in a different way to Will Solomon.

Technically, only Moon would be shifting to a ‘new’ spot, which he hasn’t played before … and, IMO, Jamario’s eyes wouldactually light up, at the prospect of such a shift, because that’s THE spot he has envisioned himself playing, in the NBA, since he first laced ‘em up back in Mississippi.

That’s not the same situation.

Brent Barry was a starting point guard in this league before he ever arrived in San Antonio, and was used at the point by two other teams too. He’s also got terrific vision, passing ability and decision making …. not just for a wing but for any position on the basketball court. Ginobili is another player with similar attributes and someone who has played the point in the past like with his International team.

You’re not just asking for one player to shift, you’re asking for several players to either change position and then play in a lineup that has probably never played together – (1) Moon changing position (2) Parker changing position (3) Graham/Moon on the wings together – which is a lineup with below average passers, ball handlers, penetrators, shot creators at every position on the perimeter. Then you’re saying this is what Popovich would do.

I don’t see how you link your idea to Popovich.

“I have high expectations for this team and I still do. It’s still very early in the season and it’s just when I feel that we’re not playing to our potential, it’s upsetting if I feel like I’m not playing up to my standards.” – Chris Bosh

[from Doug Smith's column today]

Using players unconventionally is a sure sign of a high calibre GM/head coach/organization/etc.

Standard fare, on the other hand, is most frequently … a sign of a standard ['average'] performer.

Exhibit A – Pop’s willingness to play Brent Barry at the PG spot, even though he is someone who others would think might have a difficult time covering smaller, quicker opponents.

Why do you think that Popovich would use that lineup? What has he done in the past that makes you believe he’d use that lineup?

Whenever Jorge Garbajosa played more than 20+ MPG for Toronto … their team performed like one of the High End squads in the NBA, while without him in the line-up they were decidely in the Middle-of-the-Pack.

This Raptors team DID NOT NEED a player like Jermaine O’Neal in order to put it back on track, climbing the ladder in the EC. What it NEEDED, instead, was a player like … Jorge Garbajosa [i.e. a smallish Big, who was an excellent passer, could shoot the 3-ball, rebound effectively, do the dirty work, defend Big and, if need be, even defend the Wing, as well], who was already on their roster last season, but was injured and recovering from his extended rehab.

THE MAIN PROBLEMS with this team right now are NOT at the Wing position … they are at (1) the back-up PG spot, and (2) at the Power Forward position, which is where Garbo used to play.

When you have a rampant mis-diagnosis of what it is that actually ails a team … it’s very difficult [impossible-?] to address the causes of the problem correctly.

U got Bosh, O’Neal, Capono even Bargnani and Parker for scoring.

After 13 games, the problem here is not Jose or the back up point, its the SGs and wings who everyone assumed will at least play like last year but they seemingly lost all confidence and just degraded (parker, moon, capono, graham, and to some degree bargnani who lets be honest has improved his offense slightly)

The line-up I’m advocating at this time is slightly different than what I put forward earlier, when all hands were on deck.

Not saying that Parker wouldn’t have his hands full at the PG-spot … because he would. Only that, at this point, he is the best choice to play that spot until Calderon is healthy.

Once that happens, then, yes, I would still like to see him shift to splitting time between the back-up PG & OG spots … where he’s a better fit, athletically, at this stage of his career.

[e.g. Parker would need to use his size & strength to his advantage vs quicker PG's like Rondo & Harris, who are solid pentrators no doubt but nowhere near the shooting threat of a #2 like Kobe Bryant or Ray Allen]

Likewise with Moon …

who is not an ideal #2 but is very solid, athletically, at that spot [rather than the #3], against the likes of Ray Allen, where he too could use his size, and his overall lack of strength could be minimized, allowing him to board better, at this spot, in a similar but different way to what he did last season;

and, Graham …

who is far from being an ideal #3 but is a solid athlete that can defend and rebound that spot, physically, against the likes of Paul Pierce & Lebron James.

The designated shooters would then become Bargnani and Parker, with Bosh operating in the Mid-Post, and the Wings using their size to post-up vs smaller or same-sized players and ‘Catch & Shoot’ spot up J’s in the Corners.

Solomon would then be turned into the 2nd coming of Mike james not ‘The Microwave’.

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IMO, it’s precisely this type of unconventional line-up which a coach like Gregg Popovich would use, at this time, with a roster like the Raptors’ if he had the task of keeping them afloat until Calderon and O’Neal regain their health.

i was getting pretty depressed about it. then i watched parts of the charlotte/philly game. yee-ikes. that was some ugly stuff. so, at least i know it can get worse.

as cruel as it may be, this whole mess, if you’re inclined to pin it on one player, comes down to moon. i’m not sure that’s fair, and maybe our expectations were set too high by his play last year, and maybe all the ‘feel-good’ stuff blinded us to his inherent flaws. but his whole attitude coming into camp seems to have spread throughout the organization, that laissez-faire lack of urgency or awareness, the kind of urgency & awareness that his own mortality as an NBA player was at stake, and that if he wanted to stick, he’d have to show he was worthy. instead, he arrived with the air of a seasoned vet, without, apparently, working on many (any?) aspects of his game (his shot is better, but still horrible). his D is laughable (has anyone ever bit on more pump fakes…or shoulder fakes…or head fakes). top it off with the chip he’s carrying around, and to me, he sums up the raps recent play to a T.

Graham need a fresh start. Either he needs to find another team or we need to get a new coach. He will amount to nothing under Mitchell, he needs very specific instruction on what to do on the court and if he doesn’t have those he’s making a mockery of himself. Also, you’re asking Solomon to pull a Microwave Johnson? Naaaaaaahh……we’ll discuss more tomorrow..

With JO’s current injury … the moves I’d make are these:

1. Calderon sits until he is healthy.
2. JO sits until he is healthy.
3. Bargnani goes back to the PF position.
4. Bosh goaes back to the C position.
5. Paker becomes the starting PG.
6. Moon becomes the starting OG.
7. Graham become the starting SF.
8. Hump becomes the 1st Big off the bench.
9. Solomon becomes the back-up PG, and is asked to score the ball without conscience when he come’s into the game.
10. Kapono becomes the back-up Wing.

11. Ukic sits … because he can’t shoot the ball a lick.
12. Adams sits … because he just isn’t very good.
13. Jawai … waits for the results of his tests to come back.

At least that line-up is fairly athletic and can rebound the ball with some degree of proficiency.

With the increased size & athleticism at the #1, #2 & #3 spots it should be able to hold its at the defensive end of the floor, allow Bosh to return to the mid-post area, on offense, and allow Bargnani & Parker to jack away from the TOTK, with Moon & Graham setting up shop in the Corners, strictly for ‘Catch & Shoots’.

That team, with that rotation, is not good enough to beat high end teams in the NBA … but it is good enough to remain competitive, until Jose & Jermaine return to health, and give the Raptors a fighting chance to win the games they play against the other Middle-of-the-Pack Teams across the League.

Defense from the Starters; Offense from the subs … is the way for this team to go, this season … given the limitations of the player roster for Bryan Colangelo is fully responsible.

That leaves us with Graham and Parker. Graham has been played in a way such that he has no value whatsoever. And so its down to Parker who I only think would be attractive to a true contender who is looking for 10-15 minutes of backup SG work and some specialty shooting. I’m afraid there’s no magic forumula to fix the Raptors, we’ll have to either suck this year and wait to get an FA in the off-season and go over the cap. Or this team could somehow find itself and start playing some defense like we all had hoped they would. I know one thing, it has to start by us showing some pride on defense and coming out aggressive and staying aggressive for 48 minutes. We need to compensate for our lack of depth and talent by playing HAAARD! So far its not happened.

And yes, I agree with you on BC being held accountable for putting together a weak roster that lacks athleticism. No arguments there.