Spurs notebook: Ginobili player of the week

[THE SIXTH MAN]

Spurs notebook: Ginobili player of the week

Web Posted: 02/26/2008 12:20 AM CST

Mike Monroe
Express-News

It was too late to atone for his being snubbed by the conference coaches for an All-Star Game berth, but the NBA on Monday named Spurs guard Manu Ginobili its Western Conference Player of the Week.

Ginobili led the Spurs to a 3-0 record the first week after the All-Star Game, averaging 30.7 points, 6.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds. His 16-foot jumper with 6.2 seconds remaining gave the Spurs their 100-99 victory at Minnesota and Ginobili 44 points for the game. He followed that with a 30-point, 12-assist, six-rebound game against New Orleans.

Even more amazing: Ginobili had his head coach, Gregg Popovich, scrambling for superlatives.

"I think there have been times in these games recently where I've been mesmerized, just like everybody else," Popovich said. "Watching him make step-back threes and dribbling between people's legs to get open and make passes, these are things he does absolutely by instinct. He's an incredible basketball player and the intrinsic knowledge of the game and ability to execute makes one really step back and be in awe."

Ginobili was less than awesome in Monday's 89-74 Spurs victory over Atlanta. He made only 4 of 13 shots and his three assists were offset by three turnovers. He did, however, nail another big shot, a 3-pointer with 2:30 remaining that stretched a nine-point lead to 12.

Immediate impact: Kurt Thomas watched his new teammates miss 14 of 15 shots in the first 10 minutes before he entered Monday's game. They missed two more before quarter's end, but he didn't hesitate when presented his first open look of the game.

His first shot in silver and black: A perfect 15-foot jumper with 11:06 left in the second period.

"You've got to block that out," Thomas said of the misses that preceded his make, a shot Popovich called "a bigger shot than you might think."

Added Thomas, "You've just got to keep playing the game, realize you're going to make some and miss some. When you get into a little slump like that, just put it in the back of your mind and keep playing."

Getting re-acquainted: Forward Ian Mahinmi visited with his Spurs teammates and sat behind the bench after making the drive from Austin, where he scored 30 points, with 15 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in an Austin Toros victory over Dakota in a D-League game Saturday.

"He's doing well," Popovich said of the team's first-round draft pick in 2006. "He's getting a lot of experience and a lot of minutes he obviously wouldn't be getting here."

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Thanks for posting!

I love this Pop quote, it pretty much covers everything...

"I think there have been times in these games recently where I've been mesmerized, just like everybody else," Popovich said. "Watching him make step-back threes and dribbling between people's legs to get open and make passes, these are things he does absolutely by instinct. He's an incredible basketball player and the intrinsic knowledge of the game and ability to execute makes one really step back and be in awe."


By the way, I know that probably most fans missed it...but Manu made a pass to himself again, this time between the legs of Chris Paul in the recent game...