Matt Bonner is not especially outstanding but he can shoot the three and defend inside, two commodities that are scarce in the Association. Will he play much for San Antonio? If Bonner’s shooting well, he’s another target for Tim Duncan to pass to out of the double team. I think he’s too limited offensively (off the bounce) and defensively (against quicker 4s) compared to the current Spurs line-up. If it’s true that Gregg Popovich wants to play a smaller line-up, this trade is an excellent start; Big Shot Rob can’t last forever.
Isiah Thomas got his wish and Larry Brown was fired. Essentially, like Miami, the Knicks are a collection of highly paid pieces that don’t quite fit together. Unlike Miami, the Knicks have many pieces that don’t complement each other since they were assembled with no particular plan in mind. Miami’s veterans put their egos aside and listened to Pat Riley in order to win. New York’s veterans … well it’s something new every day.
Eric Williams was never going to see the court in Toronto. He won’t see the court in San Antonio given their depth at the wing positions.
Is Pat Riley a better coach than Larry Brown? Perhaps — but the key lesson to be learned from this series is that Riley won because he was willing to compromise and adapt his methods to the players and situation in Miami. Brown stuck to his guns, was hospitalized during the season, and later fired.
Teams have been waiting for Rasho Nesterovic to reach his potential for years and he has a large contract based on that potential. If he plays to that potential, this is a steal for the Raptors. However, he couldn’t play to that potential with Tim Duncan in the post, Manu Ginobli and Michael Finley spacing the floor, and Tony Parker penetrating.
Obviously, Isiah Thomas better win. But New York is not a team that can simply regroup at Red Lobster and win fifty games next year. In The Winner Within, Pat Riley speaks of teams coming together as a family and completing a “Mission”. Miami just finished a mission that began when Charlotte upset the Heat in the 2001 Playoffs. Even if the Knicks like Isiah Thomas more than Larry Brown, they still can’t be described as a close team and if they don’t accept that they are merely embarking upon a multi-year mission, 06-07 will be just as frustrating as 05-06.
It’s hard to judge this trade without knowing what identity the Raptors wish to adopt. I hope they decide to run more. If Nesterovic screens and rolls and crashes the boards, he could put up 12 and 8. If not, he will warm Rafael Araujo’s spot on the bench at twice the price. I’m hesitant because I think there are better posts on the market who might have been a better fit. Like the first overall pick, Nesterovic’s development depends on the teachers that the Raptors are willing to add to their coaching staff.
Larry Brown’s large contract and New York City’s media spotlight obfuscate a key issue: the Knicks placed too much value on the coach. Players win games, not the coach. As John Wooden often said, his job was largely done when the game began. Pat Riley’s adjustments were better than Avery Johnson’s decisions but Miami won because the Heat performed when it mattered most while the Mavericks froze and ultimately choked.
This is a great deal for the Spurs, who get more cap flexibility to retain their supporting cast or add a veteran player or two. Matt Bonner can provide some quality minutes at a much better value than Rasho Nesterovic. If they re-sign Nasr Mohammed, San Antonio’s rotation is Duncan, Ginobli, Parker, Finley, Horry, Van Exel (or a free agent replacement), Barry, Bowen, Mohammed, Oberto/Bonner, which is good enough to compete with Dallas, Detroit, Miami, and Phoenix.