This is the question of the day, and the only reason for watching this game tonight.
Three? Six? Eight? Add Mason to the mix, and could they hit ten? Fifteen? Ninety?
Obi Wan Popovich has no doubt informed his sharpshooters that, for one glorious evening, they’ll be guarded about as closely as a leper. Let it rain, Cobra Kai Spurs. Let it rain.
What’s your guess? Personally, I’m going with 4 each. Only cause Bonner’s too nice a guy to rub it in. Bet dude’s still taking the TTC to the game.
69 Raps
With regards to tonight’s game, I hope that the JO showcase continues. I hope he has a solid effort against the Big Fundamental.
I can’t say it enough, how much I appreciate Timmy D’s IQ and skills. Even now that he is slower, his IQ keeps him always in the perfect position to pull down the right boards, box out, block, and get easy points. This is one example, of where I think Bosh could improve 150%. Look how much better the team is with him around simply because he knows when to pass, where to stand, when to shoot. I mean, Matt Bonner is an alright player – but paired with Tim Duncan, he is a really good player. Is that because of Bonner? or because of TD?
When you watch the game tonight, just watch how the Big Fundamental is on it on every possession, boxing out, or altering shots, or hitting that corner bankshot.
I also believe that TD is further proof that no matter how talented a PF is as driving, they need to be able to shoot. No matter how good Bosh is at driving, it is imperative he continue to work on his jumpshot. TD spaces the floor because of it, and Bosh needs to as well. It is the IQ to when when to drive and when to shoot.
And, just because I think Bonner is an alright player doesn’t mean I don’t miss the big fella. How many players on this team have the balls to do this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puXDg637X10
Gotta love how Mo Pete’s encouraging the crowd to chant Bonner Bonner. We miss those types of guys, I want to see Big Jake take down TD tonight at some point, nothing malicious just a nice hard foul.
I want to see Roko take down big Timmy D.
I think Roko trying to take down Tim Duncan will look a lot like Mr Jeff Van Gundy hugging Alonzo Mourning’s leg.
Ah the good ol’ days. When we were mediocre but at least didn’t pretend to be good. I REALLY miss Matt Bonner. I gotta say watching those teams back then was far better than watching this pansy-filled collection of scrubs, wannabes and a pretend-superstar.
Also why is it that when VC missed games, he got booed while Jermaine plays every other game and is treated like a warrior.
How long was TD in college?
verbatim,
In the NBA, Mr. Duncan is a Center. : )
khandor, thanks for mentioning “In the NBA” in this comment. I always get confused with the NBDL Duncan.
I’m going with three threes for RMJ (one of them of course a dagger with less than 40 seconds left). I think Bonner’s going to be held in check, I’m going to boldly say ZERO threes for him.
Arsenalist,
Never know what position the Big Fundamental will NEED to play in the afterLife, given the slew of All-Time Greats who’ll be there ahead of him with dibs on the Center spot when the time comes to divy-up for shirts & skins. : )
In this league though, unlike say in FIBA, for example … where TD can play effectively while working as either a PF or C … Mr. Duncan’s best spot to operate from is by far as his team’s Main Man in the Middle.
Nice call.
Meaning nice call on the zero 3’s by Bonner.
Incidentally, I saw Bonner and his then fiance at the Rogers Picnic music festival this past summer. He was wearing an Eazy E t-shirt and was super friendly. And now he wants to play for Team Canada. How can anyone not love the guy?
not if you ask Pop.
PF, Centre…either way. Any big man that has a face up game needs to know how to shoot. That is perhaps a better and more general way to phrase it.
verbatim,
When the Spurs play the Suns with Shaq & Amare on the floor together, which one of Bonner or Duncan checks the Big Aristotle?
Then, when the Spurs get their chance on O, which one of Bonner or Duncan is primarily posting-up on the block?
Tim Duncan is THE Center for HIS team. : )
i can only reply: just ask Pop.
I can only reply … just watch where Pop chooses to play him. : )
Actions sometimes speak louder than words.
Pop is pretty loud though. He was very insistent on Duncan being listed as a forward.
Anyways, I think that the two position, on some teams are interchangeable, where the C should guard the opposing PF, but be guarded by the opposing C.
The league calls TD a centre, but man, when Pop speaks, I listen.
Who cares?
Everyone acknowledges he’s the best PF of all time.
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Who cares?
Everyone acknowledges he’s the best PF of all time. – by Paps
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No big deal. I just don’t agree with this assessment. : )
Hey douche bag he’s a PF.
FW,
The FACT that YOU think he’s a PF only serves to cement the correctness of my assessment. : )
Matt Bonner:
My prediction:
3 threes, 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting.
We are in trouble tonight, because Tony Parker is going to penetrate our porous perimeter defence like, well, something I shouldn’t say now that we are on TrueHoop.
I think Parker goes for 35+ points tonight, and Manu 25+
Players of TD’s ilk are truly rare breeds.
James,
IMO, Tim Duncan would be a very different player today if he did not have the good fortune of starting his pro career, and playing for, and learning his craft, under the tutelage of a top notch NBA coach like Gregg Popovich, in the system/culture of winning which has been created in San Antonio under the direction of the Buford/Pop tandem.
Tim is a special player AND the Spurs are a special organization in the NBA.
Bonner doing transit? Havent you heard he’s gone big-time down there and bought a Pontiac Grand-Prix. Ah four door mediocrity…
Even though he’s a spend-thrift, Bonner is 100% class. :)
Let’s not forget to mention that he met his wife here in Toronto! ;) We may as well give him a CDN passport.
I’m taking the over on Parker scoring 20 PIP tonight.
Between Jose “Spanish Pylon” Calderon and Jason “California Turnstyle” Kapono, it’s as sure a bet as a TD bank shot.
BTW Its Jose “The Matador” Calderon, or “Not 100%” too. :D
Olé! lol
I just realized how cheesy it would be if Tim Duncan played for the Toronto Raptors.
Devlin: “Punch it in, that was another ‘TD Bank’ shot!”
Leo: “You know, that really is a ‘money’ shot for him.”
Me: 12 inch needles in my eardrums.
Ah the good ol’ days. When we were mediocre but at least didn’t pretend to be good. I REALLY miss Matt Bonner. I gotta say watching those teams back then was far better than watching this pansy-filled collection of scrubs, wannabes and a pretend-superstar.
Also why is it that when VC missed games, he got booed while Jermaine plays every other game and is treated like a warrior.
How dare you! Infidel! O’Neal is a warrior as long as the army he’s fighting is made up of out of shape white guys that once used to work at grocery stores.
I feel like pissing some people off so I’m going to declare to the world that Timmy D is no way in hell a top 50 player all-time as he is not even top 5 in active players. He’s talented and crazy smart but wouldn’t be uber-hyped if he didnt play for the Spurs under Pop and didnt have a perfectly balanced team placed around him at all times. Seriously – people hate the spurs because they are always so f**kin good every f**kin year. Is that Timmy D or everyone around him? Remember back in the day when Duncan was considered the best player on the best team? Then some douche at TNT or whatever points out the obvious in that he’s underrated and the media gets hold of it and before you know it he’s the most over-rated guy around and I have to hear about him like he’s a rich man’s Wilt Chamberlain for the rest of time…. God I hate the Spurs!
Edgar, I’ll try to take your rant up a notch by declaring that the real reason TD is so good is because he’s surrounded by a full-cast of international teammates.
That’s crazy talk, in his prime he was the most efficient scorer in the league. Very good rebounder, great scorer and a very underrated passer, never seen a guy pass out of double teams better than TD (Charles was good too).
He’s not hype, in fact he’s the exact opposite because he’s not flashy or a media personality, he’s good because he’s good not because the media drools over him.
We won! Told you Duncan was crap… haha
When you look at the Spurs, what you see is a blue-print for success in the NBA. To wit:
CENTER – Tim Duncan … is actually under-sized for the position he plays best. [hint, hint, Raptors fans : ) ] Outstanding character. Unselfish. A Leader. Knows how to play WITH his teammates. Is a very good rebounder. Smart, funny, likeable. Can face-up and score, if necessary; can score on the block, if necessary. His focus, however, is Rebounding and Team [not individual] Defense.
POWER FORWARD – inter-changeable parts, provided that he can hold his own on the boards, defend bigger than his size, stick open shots, and is smart & tough … see David Robinson, Malik Rose, Rasho Nesterovic, Nazr Mohammed, Robert Horry, Francisco Elson, Fabricio Oberto and Kurt Thomas
WING 1 – a multi-dimensional player who can score or slash or defend or rebound but is not necessarily a Superstar player … see Ginobili!!!!, Mario Elie and Sean Elliot
WING 2 – similar to Wing 1 but with a complimentary [rather than redundant] skill set; far from being a Superstar … see Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley and Jaren Jackson
POINT GUARD – solid size, good quicks; not a superstar but a player who knows and understands his role with the team, as an extension of Pop on the floor … see Avery Johnson & Tony Parker
HEAD COACH – tough-minded and experienced with a clear Vision of How the Game Should Be Played, plus the knowledge, will and cmmunication skills to make it happen
GENERAL MANAGER – knowledgeable and humble enough to stay out of the spot-light, putting the players and the coach on center stage; WINNING is what he’s about
Dislike them if you wish … but R.E.S.P.E.C.T. you MUST, given what they have accomplished to-date without a DYNAMIC Superstar on their roster, in a market [$$$$$$] that is not New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, etc.
———————
There should be no acceptable excuses for an outfit like the Raptors … when you look at what they’ve done in San Antonio.
khandor hit it right on the head, the biggest reason that the Spurs are successful is because Timmy D is ’smart, funny, and likeable’. Smart, funny and likeable players do not lose.
Chris, you best be working on your personality if you care about the Raptors.
Dino Gunner,
re: Smart, funny, likeable
I think you left a few things out there.
————————————–
CENTER – Tim Duncan … is actually under-sized for the position he plays best. [hint, hint, Raptors fans : ) ] Outstanding character. Unselfish. A Leader. Knows how to play WITH his teammates. Is a very good rebounder. Smart, funny, likeable. Can face-up and score, if necessary; can score on the block, if necessary. His focus, however, is Rebounding and Team [not individual] Defense.
————————————–
: )
To be 100% honest, you are missing Robert Horry and Bruce Bowen’s assholish nature to the mix. Bowen could also drop open threes, which was crucial when Ginobili would draw his defender, or his defender would double TD. I have nothing wrong with toughness, but the those two have crossed the line surely.
Bowen is one of the best perimeter defenders of the past decade, but he was a dirty player. VC can tell you enough about that. And Big Shot Rob, well, that body-check will forever stain his legacy in the NBA.
I can live with Ginobili’s grabbiness, and there is nothing wrong with toughness either. Unfortunately I cannot accept Horry’s bodycheck. And do not tell me that it was nothing, and blown out of proportion. It was DIRTY. And I cannot accept Bowen constantly standing under jumpers.
Contradictorily, I consider the Spurs to be a 1st class team, not just ability-wise, but how they comport themselves. I think that this complete inner contradiction is entirely because of TD. Replace him with Garnett, and San Antonio are just a bunch of assholes and Matt Bonner.
I think what Khandor is arguing is that the organization’s values has an effect as well on TD. So if KG were in SA instead of Duncan, the influence of Popovich and the Spurs would mould garnett into a player similar to what duncan is today (in terms of personality, both on and off the court).
To this end, i dont think the Spurs roster would be a bunch of assholes (as the celtics currently are) and bonner because the organization would not allow that.
To be fair, what is the definition of an asshole. Could it be excessive whining after the whistle is blown, the ‘duncan’ face, putting your feet underneath shooters while they are shooting jumpshots? I guess its all relative to the individual.
relative, some things. What is absolute, are things such as not putting your feet under shooters, and not body-checking. Do not do these things. period.
Personally, I feel the same way. Some things should not be done, irregardless on how it may help you win.
The sad thing is that it happens in all sports. In soccer, there is all those theatrics and diving. Hockey has illegal hits from behind, pushing guys into the boards and football has chopping the legs.
I guess some athletes would go to no bounds to win, even if it is sacrificing their integrity.
“Contradictorily, I consider the Spurs to be a 1st class team, not just ability-wise, but how they comport themselves. I think that this complete inner contradiction is entirely because of TD. Replace him with Garnett, and San Antonio are just a bunch of assholes and Matt Bonner.”
haha I demand this to be post of the day!
Regardless, TD and Shaq have won 4 each, ie 8 of 10 and counting.
TD is crazy good. At this point, he is still underrated just because he is “boring”.
SA was extremely fortunate in getting him. He makes an above average group of people (GM, coach, supporting cast) look like stars.
Trade CB for TD today and the Raps make it to 2nd round this year.
how come kapono doesn’t speak properly?
Devlin and Jack truly suck the life out of the game.
Irritating commentators.
way to go bloggers….real positive post….good way to show support to your team…..nice work….despite all your negativity they’re in it
“This is the question of the day, and the only reason for watching this game tonight.”
What kind of fan are you? If you can’t handle the bad times, you probably shouldn’t be watching sports! You need to get behind your team through thick and thin.
I agree.
Looks like you’re just trying way too hard to be funny.
Oh and also, those two were 1 for 5. Hope you didn’t watch it, cos you missed out big time!
i predict Roko has a career night…on and off the court.
HE DID!!! led the team with a career-high 22 points and hit the Raps crucial points late in the game. man, the kid’s been improving, hitting clutch 3’s and driving the lanes. i hope he improves even more, like develop a consistent jumper. he should play more quality games like this, to solidify his place in the rotation and become the team’s primary backup pg.
So do you still want to get rid of him ALTRAPS?????
Yes.
thank God you are NOT the GM…
triano for coach of the year, euro shawn livingston for ROY.
let’s see here bonner 0 points….mason 9 points….combined one 3 pointer. count ‘em ONNNNNEEEEE….this site has lost a ton of credibility and respect amongst many raptors fan after this post i’m sure of it….a fan site should never purposely put down their own team
My prediction of Bonner with 0 threes came true!
How the hell did this happen. Even just looking at the scoreboard and the box, it doesn’t seem mathematically possible for us to win again SA. Ahh, the ever inconsistent Raptors…
You must be new to this site if you think that this is the first time the team has been (rightfully) put down or that it will lose a ton of credibility and respect as a result.
Unless you’re a homer.
HOLY FUCK THE ONE GAME I DON’T WATCH AND WE BEAT THE SPURS?
I stop watching last game after 3 quarters and we WIN?
Should I stop watching altogether?
Clearly I have some kind of karma horseshoe up my ass.
Come on. Did you really expect this outcome?
And just so I know the Raptors blogging rules: You guys are allowed to be negative about the state of the union, but we aren’t?
Is my role here to be a cheerleader, or a fan? Just checking.
Finally…credibility? We had some of that? You must have missed a few posts…
How da f. did this happen ha?
Simple.. Roko Ukic takes over the game in the crunch minutes just like the time against Orlando.
I kept repeating this over and over like a broken tape: let him finish games, the guy is clutch.
Don’t forget that these are the only 2 quality W’s worth something this season and that the Spurs recently beat virtually all of the NBA powerhouses.
Plus he goes for season/career NBA high: 22 pts on 9-13 shooting for 2 and 2-3 for 3, + 14 in +/- 3-4 assists, game winning runner and so on..
Anyways, I bet Triano goes with Salomon next game just like after the Magic..
well, i tried to call in to complain about TSN2, but the wait was ridiculous.
So, I will say it now: the Raps play extremely well, beat the Spurs, and most fans can’t even watch the game? Absurd. And, although it goes without saying that this is bad, it MUST BE SAID. LOUD AND CLEAR. IT WOULD NOT STAND FOR THE LEAFS AND IT SHOULD NOT STAND FOR THE RAPTORS.
ALSO:
Let it not be said that it is possible to happen to the Leafs because the fans are not as good, or as many.
True, there are fewer fans, but TSN2 draws 1/10th the viewing audience – But we the fans (well, I assume)( are PISSED OFF. And we can’t let it go without saying – it must be said no matter how redundant, or how useless. Because, in the long run, this is what ensures companies don;t do such a screw-job on the fans like this season.
RaptorsTV games are bad enough, now this? BS.
replace the “Leafs” in the first sentence of the second paragraph with Raptors :)
The Raptors are making the playoffs with a huge run after the allstar break and challenging all the way through the second round. Book It.
But seriously when are we starting the pool up for who the Raps draft (if they draft)? My pick is Earl Clark – god knows we need another tweener…
Im excited to watch the replay. I have a feeling though that BC stands pat with this team for the rest of the season because of this game. lol
verbatim,
Pop stands up for his players and supports their efforts to reach their individual goals. Given the way the NBA awards its starting positions in the All-Star Game … Tim Duncan has little hope of ever being voted in again as a starter Center in the WC with the international internet voting support that is generated for Yao Ming. Whether Yao’s actual performance warrants that support, or not, is irrelevant. If TD is ever going to make another All-Star Game as a starter, or not, depends largely on what position he is “listed at”. Hence, he is now being listed as a PF.
Between [A] the position Duncan is “listed at” and [B] the position which he actually plays for the team he’s on, according to how he is used by his coach … one has more meaning/significance than the other.
In the annals of the game, Tim Duncan will go down in history as one of the best Centers of all-time … similar to Misters Russell, Abdul-Jabbar, Olajuwon, Walton, Chamberlain, Mikan and Shaq.