OK, so it is pretty obvious that Duncan is a big piece of this team and McDyess's role is pretty well set.

Why is Bonner playing so much, and why is Splitter in the process of recording his 2nd straight DNP (and 3 minutes in the game before that)? It's nice that Bonner was hitting his threes before tonight, but we all know that Bonner will vanish in the playoffs which means that this team is not winning a title with Bonner logging starter minutes.

Player reg. min/playoff min
Duncan 30/35
McDyess 21/21
Bonner is playing over 19 mpg since he came back from injury.

Assuming the Spurs play a pretty standard two-big lineup for a total of 96 "big" minutes per game, that leaves 45 minutes after Duncan/Dice in the regular season and 40 minutes in the playoffs. How do those minutes shake out?

I don't really want to see more than 15 for Blair and 10 for Bonner in the playoffs, which leaves 15 for Splitter. Why isn't he getting minutes right now, and preferably more minutes than Bonner (it's not like Bonner's ability to stand flatfooted on offense and get worked on defense is going to improve with more playing time).

Side note: It's great that the Spurs are winning right now, but it's November and playoff basketball might as well be another sport. IMO Splitter should be playing at least 10 mpg. The Spurs can still win even if does absolutely nothing for 10 minutes.

[This message has been edited by aero ag 2010 (edited 11/19/2010 10:13p).]

because Pop is not Texags. Balir won't get 30mpg now and Splitter is not the second coming of tall jesus.

i wonder when people will realize Bonner is to Pop as Luke Walton is to Phil Jackson.

Pop is also going with a lot of small ball this season, putting RJ at the 4. So that also eats into the minutes. Just simply not enough to go around.

Splitter doesn't need to be fantastic to stand between another tall guy and the basket, a concept that has eluded Bonner for years.

No need to be questioning the best NBA coach in the game. Although early, I do like what I'm seeing with the Spurs from both offense and defense. Just hope they are healthy down the stretch.

I like what I'm seeing too, but Bonner in the playoffs is terrible. His inability to box out or defend is a big reason the Spurs got swept by the Suns last year. They were killing us on the offensive glass all series, and Bonner was usually somewhere nearby watching Dudley or Amundson or whoever run past to tip in a miss.

I'm not at all saying that he is the reason the Spurs lost the series, but he was a big weakness. In 20 MPG he managed 6.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. The points are ok, but a post has to clean up the boards and at least slow down the backup he is defending.

tweet from SA Express beat writer tonight: "Wondering when Spurs Nation starts with the "Play Antonio McDyess" campaign."