SAN ANTONIO –
San Antonio Spurs fans – and maybe even some of the
San Antonio Spurs themselves – are asking one question after the team's
109-93 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 4 of the NBA Finals:
What's wrong with
Manu Ginobili?
"I don't know," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "If I knew that I would have fixed it."
Ginobili has built a reputation as one of the NBA's most explosive
reserves and a big-game performer, but hasn't shown a lot of that during
the Finals. He's averaging 7.5 points on 34.4 percent shooting in the
series, punctuated by a five-point performance on Thursday.
With the Finals now even, the Spurs could use a little more production from the third member of their Big Three.
"No one is happy," Ginobili said. "Of course, I'd prefer to make more
shots and play better. But I didn't. That's the bottom line."
Ginobili hasn't had many open moments against the Heat during the NBA Finals. (AP)Ginobili's
scoring – and minutes – have dropped noticeably over the past two
seasons. He averaged 11.8 points during the regular season, his fewest
since his rookie year. He also had a long summer a year ago when the
Spurs advanced to the Western Conference finals and Ginobili then played
for Argentina's national team in the London Olympics.
"That's what they've been all season long," said Ginobili, defending
his low Finals scoring average. "It's not like I'm scoring 30 a game
this year."
Ginobili's scoring isn't the only concern. He's also appeared more
mistake-prone, taking some ill-advised shots late in games and causing
uncharacteristic turnovers. He's always played with a gambler's
attitude, but he's also usually made more winning plays.
Gary Neal has given the Spurs' bench a lift with his shooting, but that wasn't enough in Game 4.
"We definitely need Manu," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. "We need to
try to help him get his confidence going. But I have a lot of confidence
in Manu. I'm sure he's going to break out of the slump. I've played
with him a long time. I just know he's going to have a big game soon."
Spurs forward Tim Duncan says Ginobili needs to be more selfish offensively.
"He's trying to make the right play at the right time," Duncan said.
"He's trying to make the right pass, make the defense move instead of
looking for his own. So I think he's just trying to make the right play
more than anything. We need him to be a little more aggressive, be a
little more selfish, maybe, and hopefully we can find him a way to get
him to do that."
The Heat also have done their best to make the games more difficult for Ginobili.
"He's a big-time player," LeBron James said. "Against big-time
players, you just try to make it tough on them. That's what we've been
trying to do. We've been trying to get high hands on his pick-and-rolls.
He's a great passer. When he raises for his [3-pointers], we try to get
contests. When he drives the lane, we try to get a body in front of him
and contest him at the rim."
Ginobili called Game 5 in San Antonio a "must win" for the Spurs,
given that Games 6 and, if necessary, 7 will be played in Miami. But
that doesn't mean Ginobili thinks the Spurs need a big-scoring night
from him to win. He's considered himself more of a facilitator this
season because Parker and Duncan have played so well.
"I wish I could score more, but it's not happening," Ginobili said.
"I have to try to do other stuff. I got to move the ball if my shot is
not falling. I have to find the bigs and shooters. My teammates are
doing great. If that happens, I use them. I don't have to force the
issue.
"That's not what I do. It's not what I'm asked to do."
Ginobili turns 36 next month and will be a free agent after making
$14.1 million this season. He's said he's not likely to retire and would
like to end his career in San Antonio. Still, Ginobili also knows that
this could be his best opportunity to win his fourth NBA championship.
And deep down, he also knows that if the Spurs are to win two more
games, he'll need to play better. The Spurs might not rely on him to put
up points the way he once did, but they do need him to provide a spark.
"I didn't do that good today," Ginobili said. "But I don't feel the pressure to score 20 to win. That's not who we are."
What's going on with Ginobili he could possibly cost Spurs a championship with a game like that, it's almost like how Wade was playing for Miami. He has to play better or Spurs can't hold off any longer.