Top NBA guard duos

[Lurker]

The reason his minutes are limited is because he's not a top-line player that his team depends on.  They can bring in Finley and still beat other teams.  Duncan plays over 30 min. a game because the Spurs do depend on him.

No top tier player sits on the bench during tip-off or gets less than 30 min. a game.  Their coaches know that their teams would suffer a severe drop off in the quality of play if they sat one of them down.

Sure you want your players rested, but not at the expense of winning games.

The Spurs have a luxury in that they are deeper than other teams, but they're not deep enough at Center to let TD get his rest.

Only Spurs fans and Argentinians think Manu is a top 10 player.

Have you checked the Spurs record?  They are the best 17-3 team in the NBA with no press coverage.  Boston this, Boston that...but the Spurs have as good a record and have been playing better teams.

Duncan is having some of the lowest numbers of his career...just because the Spurs do HAVE the luxury of being a good team without him.  Hell if Pop played his big 3 the same number of minutes that Boston played theirs the Spurs would be projected to smash the 70 win barrier.

As far as Manu isn't depended on...I'll get back to that when I stop laughing so hard.  Maybe you should watch a game or two before commenting.

As far as no one besides Spurs thinking he is top ten then maybe you should read some of the analysts that are saying Manu is in the early running for MVP.  Oh wait, nevermind, they must not understand the game enough unlike the great minds here.

[westkoast]

The reason his minutes are limited is because he's not a top-line player that his team depends on.  They can bring in Finley and still beat other teams.  Duncan plays over 30 min. a game because the Spurs do depend on him.

No top tier player sits on the bench during tip-off or gets less than 30 min. a game.  Their coaches know that their teams would suffer a severe drop off in the quality of play if they sat one of them down.

Sure you want your players rested, but not at the expense of winning games.

The Spurs have a luxury in that they are deeper than other teams, but they're not deep enough at Center to let TD get his rest.

Only Spurs fans and Argentinians think Manu is a top 10 player.

Have you checked the Spurs record?  They are the best 17-3 team in the NBA with no press coverage.  Boston this, Boston that...but the Spurs have as good a record and have been playing better teams.

Duncan is having some of the lowest numbers of his career...just because the Spurs do HAVE the luxury of being a good team without him.  Hell if Pop played his big 3 the same number of minutes that Boston played theirs the Spurs would be projected to smash the 70 win barrier.

As far as Manu isn't depended on...I'll get back to that when I stop laughing so hard.  Maybe you should watch a game or two before commenting.

As far as no one besides Spurs thinking he is top ten then maybe you should read some of the analysts that are saying Manu is in the early running for MVP.  Oh wait, nevermind, they must not understand the game enough unlike the great minds here.

No press coverage?  This isn't 2001.  They get plenty of press coverage.  Granted you hear about Boston a lot more but you can't go through NBA news without hearing about the Spurs.

And Manu Gnob is not a top 10 player in this league.

[westkoast]

The reason his minutes are limited is because he's not a top-line player that his team depends on.  They can bring in Finley and still beat other teams.  Duncan plays over 30 min. a game because the Spurs do depend on him.

Pop could easily start him if he wanted but then the second unit suffers because of it.  Once you go to rest the big 3 you have to bring in guys who can't get it done in the same fashion.   The Spurs bench is okay without Manu  but the reason it continues to be one of the best in the league is because of Gnob. 

Duncan plays 30 minutes a game because they don't have a legit big man after him.  He is the anchor of the defense.   If the Spurs had a back up like Alonzo Mourning at their disposal Pop would not be playing Duncan 40 minutes a game, that I am sure of.

If Gnob was not on this team they wouldn't be beating teams with Michael Finley instead.  That is just the truth.  He creates a matchup issue for other squads almost on a nightly basis.  Finley hasn't came close to scoring 40 in a game since he was the main man on the Mavs lol

[Lurker]

And Manu Gnob is not a top 10 player in this league.

And nobody is arguing that he is...


And actually what Pop has said it that bringing Manu off the bench keeps 2 of the big 3 fresh at any point in the game.  And in the 4th quarter all 3 are on the court.  It is like I stated earlier...each of the big 3 take turns being the primary focus or who "the ball runs through" on offense. 

[Reality]

And Manu Gnob is not a top 10 player in this league.

And nobody is arguing that he is...


And actually what Pop has said it that bringing Manu off the bench keeps 2 of the big 3 fresh at any point in the game.  And in the 4th quarter all 3 are on the court.  It is like I stated earlier...each of the big 3 take turns being the primary focus or who "the ball runs through" on offense. 

Same here.  The way basketball is set up, big men are simply in more of a position to control the game.  Sure MJ was a freak.  But even Magic and Bird couldn't do it without Kareem, Worthy, Bob Parish and McHale.  Virtually every NBA Champion has had an excellent big man.  Russle, Wilt, Kareem, Bob Parish, Olajuan,
That Manu is behind TD, KG, Dwight Howard, AStoudamire (health withstanding) LeBron James (another Magic type genetic freak) and 5 others (debateable but whatever) to round out a Top 10 is fine with us.  Manu, Timmy Duncar and co. 4 of 6 is the goal here.

And Kobe lovers and realists alike cannot escape the fact of his career record without Shaq in what, over 400 games(?) now and counting.  It's a big mans game, foundationwise. 

[Skandery]

The sheer lack of intelligence, or maybe utter disrespect, on this board when it comes to the subject of Manu is mind boggling. 

Wk: If the Spurs had a back up like Alonzo Mourning at their disposal Pop would not be playing Duncan 40 minutes a game, that I am sure of.

rt: Duncan plays over 30 min. a game because the Spurs do depend on him.

Rick, Westkoast put down the Bong.  Duncan has played 60% of the Spurs minutes, Manu has played 62% of the Spurs minutes.   Ginobili averages 29.36 minutes per game.
Duncan averages 32.17 minutes per game.  OH MY GOD, a WHOLE 2.81 minutes MORE!!

Its crazy when you guys reminisce about the Lakers playoff runs, all we ever here: "Stop discounting what Kobe means to the team!", "Kobe carried us in the Spurs series", "Kobe was just as important as Shaq", "Kobe was the outside to Shaq's inside", "Kobe ran the plays", "Yeah Kobe never won an NBA Finals MVP but that doesn't mean he wasn't important", Kobe this, Kobe that.  Wake up and smell your hypocrisy.   

By all means guys, please give Duncan a lot of credit.  After all he is the best PF to ever play the freakin' game.  But to just ignore the immense contribution of Manu is delusional, lame, and frankly, its getting tired on this board.  Duncan has been on the shelf for a week and Manu has exploded for 38 and 37 to literally carry the Spurs on his shoulders against DALLAS and UTAH--not exactly cupcakes!

[WayOutWest]

Duncan has been on the shelf for a week and Manu has exploded for 38 and 37 to literally carry the Spurs on his shoulders against DALLAS and UTAH--not exactly cupcakes!

I see your point, plus when you couple that with his defense then you get.....nevermind......

[Reality]

Well Skandery there was a disturbing phenomenon play last night.  With the score about 60-60, GNob let Pushy Turiaf and Kobe disrupt his ball handling at midcourt.  Ball popped loose to Kobester and he went down for the dunk at the other end.  GNob fouled and it was ruled a breakaway so Kobester got the two FTs and Lakers got the ball back.

Is GNob playing thru a broken hand?  That's what i thought.

[westkoast]

The sheer lack of intelligence, or maybe utter disrespect, on this board when it comes to the subject of Manu is mind boggling. 

Wk: If the Spurs had a back up like Alonzo Mourning at their disposal Pop would not be playing Duncan 40 minutes a game, that I am sure of.

rt: Duncan plays over 30 min. a game because the Spurs do depend on him.

Rick, Westkoast put down the Bong.  Duncan has played 60% of the Spurs minutes, Manu has played 62% of the Spurs minutes.   Ginobili averages 29.36 minutes per game.
Duncan averages 32.17 minutes per game.  OH MY GOD, a WHOLE 2.81 minutes MORE!!

Its crazy when you guys reminisce about the Lakers playoff runs, all we ever here: "Stop discounting what Kobe means to the team!", "Kobe carried us in the Spurs series", "Kobe was just as important as Shaq", "Kobe was the outside to Shaq's inside", "Kobe ran the plays", "Yeah Kobe never won an NBA Finals MVP but that doesn't mean he wasn't important", Kobe this, Kobe that.  Wake up and smell your hypocrisy.   

By all means guys, please give Duncan a lot of credit.  After all he is the best PF to ever play the freakin' game.  But to just ignore the immense contribution of Manu is delusional, lame, and frankly, its getting tired on this board.  Duncan has been on the shelf for a week and Manu has exploded for 38 and 37 to literally carry the Spurs on his shoulders against DALLAS and UTAH--not exactly cupcakes!

You must be still frustrated from the other thread to even bring me up.  Maybe you should put down the bong because I ALWAYS give Tim Duncan credit and gave Manu A LOT of credit in this thread.   You must be so high my words in this thread and others have turned into something else.  How is me saying that Pop would love to rest Tim Duncan if he had a legit backup for him any kind of shot at Tim Duncan?!?!?!?!?  On what planet is that taking a shot on someone?!?!

 I never discredited Manu in this thread other then an on going joke I have with the Spurs fans.  In fact I was defending Manu (go figure) and I didn't even talk about Duncan's game.  What I spoke on was the fact that if Pop didn't have to play Duncan a lot, that he would  not  play him a lot.  The problem is the drop off in his back up to where they have to play him a lot in tight situations.

Skander please show me where I was not giving Duncan credit in this thread and was being mean to poor Manu

Was it when I said he is not a top 10 player in this league?  Cuz Lurker agreed with me and Manu is one of his favorite players.

Maybe it when I said this?

If Gnob was not on this team they wouldn't be beating teams with Michael Finley instead.  That is just the truth. He creates a matchup issue for other squads almost on a nightly basis .  Finley hasn't came close to scoring 40 in a game since he was the main man on the Mavs lol

Oh maybe not...lemme find another

It has to be this one

I don't think Manu could hold a franchise on his shoulders alone.  He is a great player but that doesn't mean he can make a team a contender on his own

Hmm sounds fair does it not?  Let me see if I can find one more...

I pick Manu cuz it seems like the ill effects of his poison don't show up for entire days at a time 

Maybe it was this little jab that was done for fun yet still happens to be true.  He blew up against Utah and Dallas but had weak games against GS and the Lakers.


I'd like to know what Kobe has to do with anything as well.  You don't really want to compare them in the playoffs do you?  Or was that your way of trying to get at me?  D- for effort

[JoMal]

Have you checked the Spurs record?  They are the best 17-3 team in the NBA with no press coverage.  Boston this, Boston that...but the Spurs have as good a record and have been playing better teams.