‘Mini Manu’ puts on a show

[alh1020]

By Jeff McDonald

So maybe Stephen Jackson was getting a bit ahead of himself earlier this week when he compared the Spurs’ lone rookie to an All-Star. Then again, Jackson has never been known for his temperance.

Nando De Colo another Manu Ginobili? It’s enough to give coach Gregg Popovich nightmares.

“I remember in a timeout Pop joking,” point guard Tony Parker said. “ ‘I have one Manu. I don’t need two.’ ”

In Wednesday’s 101-99 preseason victory over Atlanta — achieved with Ginobili and the rest of the Big Three out — De Colo proved the value of keeping a spare Manu around.

Not only did he spread around nine assists to go with 11 points and two steals to boot, the 25-year-old Frenchman threw in the tie-breaking basket with 0.6 seconds left.

It came out of a play drawn up by Parker in the timeout huddle, just after the Hawks had tied the game on a 3-pointer by Mike Scott.

Without the real Ginobili at his disposal, Parker put the ball in the hands of De Colo and issued instructions usually reserved for a certain Argentine.

Just make a play.

De Colo dribbled left, pulled up and swished a 20-footer over Squeaky Johnson, a former Austin Toro.

“I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do,” De Colo said. “I saw (Johnson) far off me, so I took a shot.”

A pass-first guard by nature, it is not De Colo’s inclination to take such a shot.

Likewise, he has grown a little sheepish of the Ginobili comparisons, which he — and most everyone else associated with the team — admit are premature.

“He’s not another Manu Ginobili,” Popovich said.

This is true. De Colo, for one, is right-handed.

The nickname Popovich has been using on De Colo this week, perhaps with some tongue in cheek, hints otherwise.

“Pop calls me Mini-Manu,” De Colo said.

Something Popovich said before the season, however, is perhaps more telling. Asked what he expected for the incoming rookie this season, Popovich responded with three words:

“Observation. Learning. Patience.”

Translation: Mini-Manu probably isn’t in line for many minutes.

De Colo isn’t much of a scorer and doesn’t yet have Ginobili’s defensive instincts. Plus, the Spurs’ roster is log-jammed at both guard positions.

Still, Popovich concedes, De Colo does come with at least one Ginobili-ish quality.

“He’s a heck of a creative passer like Manu,” Popovich said.

The results can be titillating.

One example came in the first half Wednesday, when De Colo blindly dumped the ball to Derrick Brown for a dunk.

There also are times when De Colo reminds of the wild, young Ginobili who was almost single-handedly responsible in turning Popovich’s hair white from gray.

Near the end of the third quarter was one such moment, when De Colo tried a behind-the-back dish to Tiago Splitter that wound up out of bounds.

Later, he attempted a long, ambitious bounce pass upcourt that had turnover written all over it from the time it left his hand.

So far, De Colo says, Popovich has given him free rein to play his game.

“I don’t try to do too much,” De Colo said. “If I see the pass, I do it.”

That was Ginobili as a rookie in 2002-03, when every possession became a coin flip between something spectacular and a ball fired into the seventh row.

Still, there has been more good than bad from De Colo so far in this preseason.

Playing mostly point guard Wednesday with Parker and Patty Mills out, the rookie had three times as many assists as turnovers.

And then, with the game winding down and Parker calling his number in the timeout huddle, De Colo channeled Ginobili with a game-winner.

Most Spurs — including De Colo — are trying to keep this all in perspective.
“He’s got a long way to be like Manu,” Parker said. “We can say he’s like a poor (man’s) Manu right now.”

Wednesday night, a poor man’s Manu was enough.

Spurs Nation

[Spurd_On]

I'm beginning to get the sense that Neil and DeColo compliment each other well on the court.

[Eddy from Austin]

Play of the Day | NBA.com

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by Spurd_On

I'm beginning to get the sense that Neil and DeColo compliment each other well on the court.

the bad thing is the only spot open for actual minutes is the backup PG spot. Green is gonna take boatload of SG minutes and so is Manu, barring injury.

[spursfan9]

so many good players... but none a star.
if only i could combine them...
neil+green, Ganny Greil
DeColo+Mills, Patdo DeMills

imagine if we could combine blair strength and rebounding w/ tiagos height
splitter+blair, DeAgo Blaitter

now that makes for a sweet lineup!

Tony Parker / Patdo DeMills
Ganny Greil / Manu Ginobili
!!!Kawhi Leonard!!! / Steph Jax
Timmy Duncan / Boner
DeAgo Blaitter / SomePeopleCallMeBoris Diaw

[td4mvp2k]

They don't need to be stars because they already have them. They need to be role players and that's why the team is what it is, although they could use another star big or just a difference making big.

[e_93gsx]

It might be for 5 games it might be for 25 games but it is almost definite at some point in the season Manu will be out for injuries. I love the guy but he is about as injury prone as they come. That is going to be the time for De Colo to prove he belongs on the floor.

[TodTango]

What this team needs is height WITH athleticism. Spurs bigs play great postional defense, but its disheartening to see the D work to make the opposing team take a bad shot and lose out on the defensive glass due to younger legs.