NBA: Spurs plan to rest stars as Warriors run
Web Posted: 10/17/2007 11:06 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
The Spurs have run their wind sprints. They've spent their time on "The Hill." In a little more than two weeks of training camp, they've successfully worked off the love handles wrought from a summer of sitting around on the sofa.
And now they're ready for the ultimate preseason conditioning test.
Bring on Nellie Ball.
Golden State's Don Nelson brings his frantically fast-paced offense to the AT&T Center for a preseason showdown tonight.
Translation: The Spurs are in for quite a workout.
"We know we're going to have to run a lot," guard Manu Ginobili said. "Lots of tough mismatches, lots of shooters. Now that we're trying to get in shape, it's great to play a team like them."
Nelson, in the first season of his second stint in Golden State last season, used his fun-and-gun offense to help the Warriors run to an improbable playoff berth �" and an even more improbable first-round upset of the Dallas Mavericks.
His scheme uses smaller, faster players to create mismatches by outrunning opponents.
In short, Nellie Ball is sure to prove a hindrance to the best-laid plans of Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who typically likes to use the preseason to slowly round his team into fighting shape.
"It will be interesting for fans, but we're going to ignore it," Popovich said of Golden State's style. "They're going to be playing in first gear, we'll be playing in fourth gear."
The way Spurs players describe it, Golden State's offense is much like the one Greek team Panathinaikos brought to town last week - except on pep pills.
"It will be a lot like the team we just played," guard Brent Barry said. "A lot of pick and roll, and guys scrambling all over the place."
Twenty minutes against the frenetic Warriors can seem like 40 minutes against a slower-paced team. So to save wear and tear on his team full of 30-somethings, Popovich aims to vastly limit the minutes of most of his veterans tonight.
That probably means less Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley, and more Marcus Williams, Ian Mahinmi and the quartet of undrafted reserves.
For the third consecutive game, the Spurs will also be without starting point guard Tony Parker.
Parker participated in full-scale workouts for the first time Tuesday, with an eye toward making his preseason debut Saturday against Detroit.
For one more game, that leaves point guard duties in the hands of Ginobili and, to a lesser extent, Barry.
"We're not going to treat it like a real game," Popovich said. "If we did, it would take us about a week to recover. We'll look at a lot of new guys and make sure we've given them a good look."
If nothing else, the Spurs at least get a good look at a Warriors team Popovich says should be one of the best in the Western Conference this season. And one that ought to improve considerably in its second season under Nelson.
"It's amazing what he got across to them in one season, but that was just one season," said Popovich, who worked under Nelson during Nelson's first stint at Golden State. "A lot of those guys had never even seen the guy before. This year, they will be doing it in a more sophisticated manner."
Nelson, for his part, will probably rest his veterans somewhat as well - especially perpetually hobbled guard Baron Davis, upon whose health the Warriors' hopes rest again this season.
But he isn't likely to dial down the tempo.
The Spurs are looking forward to the test. After which, they will also be looking forward to the rest.
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