Video: Bonner not complaining about reduced role

[alh1020]

On a team that prizes unselfishness and sacrifice above all else, it should come as no surprise that Matt Bonner isn�t grumbling over his reduced role with the Spurs.

Indeed, the New England native�s comments to his hometown Concord Monitor during the Spurs� recent visit to Boston could have come straight out of Gregg Popovich�s coaching manual.

�It comes with experience. I�ve fallen out of a rotation many times throughout my career,� said Bonner, 32. �For whatever reason, I�ve been out of the rotation (this year).
�My reaction is to keep working harder and to do whatever I can to help the team win. You can pout, or you can work even harder to be an even better teammate and stay ready every chance you get.�

Such as Monday�s game against the Clippers, in which Bonner scored 10 points in the fourth quarter despite having played just 11 minutes in the previous five contests.

It was one of the few highlights of Bonner�s ninth NBA season, during which his minutes have plunged to just 10.6 per game. Not only is that roughly half what he averaged over the past four seasons � 20.4, 21.7, 17.9 and 23.8 � it�s the lowest figure of his career.

The sharp-shooting redhead has become something of a lightning rod during his seven seasons in San Antonio.

At his best, Bonner is a historically good 3-point shooter � 41.7 career percentage, 12th-best in NBA history � who plays surprisingly solid post defense. Thanks in large part to his ability to stretch the floor from a frontcourt position while almost never turning the ball over, the Spurs registered a 116.4 offensive rating when he played last season, a figure that would have led the league by more than six full points.

Bonner�s biggest shortcoming? He hasn�t been able to duplicate that impact in the playoffs, where both his scoring average and true shooting percentage tend to plummet. Such was the case last spring, when he shot 31.3 percent from the floor as the Spurs fell to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference Finals.

Bonner appears to have bounced back, shooting a league-best 64.3 percent on 3s this season. Though that hasn�t been enough to earn consistent minutes, there�s ample evidence Popovich is using the early season to experiment with new lineups. If the Clippers game is any indication, Bonner still has a role to play with the Spurs.

Until it becomes more pronounced, he still has quality sandwich knowledge to dispense.

Spurs Nation

[clovisnmspurfan]

Would we have won the Clippers game if Bonner had gotten more playing time?

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by clovisnmspurfan

Would we have won the Clippers game if Bonner had gotten more playing time?

"Bonner" and "more playing time" should not be mentioned like the name "Voldemort"

[WILLTHETHRILL]

I love his reduced role but now he seems way overpaid at 3.6 million plus. Hope they can move him. He has a one million dollar buyout this summer. That's a good trade chip!

[spurscrazed]

Originally Posted by WILLTHETHRILL

I love his reduced role but now he seems way overpaid at 3.6 million plus. Hope they can move him. He has a one million dollar buyout this summer. That's a good trade chip!

Amen That!

Maybe the best way to shop Bonner now is to sit his arse down for a long time so he may gets frustrated and then gives up and then maybe ASK for a TRADE?

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by WILLTHETHRILL

I love his reduced role but now he seems way overpaid at 3.6 million plus. Hope they can move him. He has a one million dollar buyout this summer. That's a good trade chip!

it does sound good but why would he want to get bought out?

[e_93gsx]

This is not news. We all know Bonner is a quality no drama guy. I want to see a headline �Bonner super mad. Wants to be The Man�. Now that would be some news� and they day the world ends.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

it does sound good but why would he want to get bought out?

Not saying he would but the Spurs have an option (their option or whoever has him) to buy him out at 1 million. He is due 3.9 million next year. Nobody will pay him that next year.

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by WILLTHETHRILL

Not saying he would but the Spurs have an option (their option or whoever has him) to buy him out at 1 million. He is due 3.9 million next year. Nobody will pay him that next year.

they'd basically still have to unless they're over the luxury tax. they buy him out, he's still going to count against the team for that amount, so might as well keep him on there. he might be a good expiring deal if we'd take back a bad contract for a decent player somewhere. nobody will want to pay him that, but no way he turns down $2.9 million to sign elsewhere for the veteran's minimum. i know you want him gone, but he's likely here to stay for at least one more year.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

they'd basically still have to unless they're over the luxury tax. they buy him out, he's still going to count against the team for that amount, so might as well keep him on there. he might be a good expiring deal if we'd take back a bad contract for a decent player somewhere. nobody will want to pay him that, but no way he turns down $2.9 million to sign elsewhere for the veteran's minimum. i know you want him gone, but he's likely here to stay for at least one more year.

Jose what you say is true to a point. If they buy him out only the 1 million will count on the Spurs' cap not 2.9 million or 3.9 million just the 1 million. McDyess's money that was paid to him last year DID count on the cap BUT only the amount paid to him not the whole amount which was I think 5.2 million total but 2.6 million on the actual cap hit. Where do you get 2.9 million for Bonner to decide? If the Spurs did that his contract is gone and would likely only be offered vet minimum here or anywhere else. He would still get 1 million to walk not 2.9 million as an option to stay. Really what I'm trying to get to is that trading him to another team they can use that team buyout option to shed a player in trading to the Spurs or shedding payroll their own payroll.

[Uwe Blab]

So clarify something for me, does Bonner have a choice if a team wants to buy him out?

[WILLTHETHRILL]

Originally Posted by Uwe Blab

So clarify something for me, does Bonner have a choice if a team wants to buy him out?

No it's a team option.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

Bonner Sucks!

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by WILLTHETHRILL

No it's a team option.

where'd you read that? that'd be the first time i've ever heard of a team option of a buy out. there's either a team option where they can void the contract or a player option that can do that. that'd be pretty surprising if they can just automatically buy out his deal without his consent, especially since he's with the union and that's some of the stuff they'd fight against.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

where'd you read that? that'd be the first time i've ever heard of a team option of a buy out. there's either a team option where they can void the contract or a player option that can do that. that'd be pretty surprising if they can just automatically buy out his deal without his consent, especially since he's with the union and that's some of the stuff they'd fight against.

um let's see.............Oberto had one. Bowen had one. McDyess had one last year. You're getting the normal end of the season buyouts versus the contract built in team options confused.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Jose do you got a clue buddy?????????

[Jose_TheGenius]

Originally Posted by WILLTHETHRILL

^^^^^^^^^^^^^Jose do you got a clue buddy?????????

McDyess retired (comes off the books unlike a buy out) and he wasn't earning as much as Bonner. his buy out was around $2 mill the most, Bonner's is double that next year. Oberto retired too, so he didn't get a buy out option done. Bowen got bought out by the Bucks because he was an expiring deal from the RJ deal (he wasn't earning anything close to RJ).

you're also talking about a Spurs team that didn't have a lot of big contracts like they do this year. After the Big 3, the Spurs rarely had someone over $5 mill a year

[WILLTHETHRILL]

Originally Posted by Jose_TheGenius

McDyess retired (comes off the books unlike a buy out) and he wasn't earning as much as Bonner. his buy out was around $2 mill the most, Bonner's is double that next year. Oberto retired too, so he didn't get a buy out option done. Bowen got bought out by the Bucks because he was an expiring deal from the RJ deal (he wasn't earning anything close to RJ).

you're also talking about a Spurs team that didn't have a lot of big contracts like they do this year. After the Big 3, the Spurs rarely had someone over $5 mill a year

McDyess never offically retired! HE WAS ON THE CAP LAST YEAR CHECK IT PLEASE! The Spurs couldn't get him to report to camp so they bought him out at their team option of 2.6 million. Oberto didnt retire until he got to portland. The Bucks traded his contract to the pistons for Amir Johson. pistons exercised the buyout. Bucks exercised buyout on Bowen.


The Spurs had until the end of business Monday to guarantee the other half of veteran big man Antonio McDyess’ $5.2 million contract, but they won’t drag the process to the end of the day.
The teams acknowledged that McDyess won’t be back, and the club will get to remove $2.6 million, the non=guaranteed portion of his contract, off its player payroll for the 2011-12 season.
McDyess, a former All-Star and an Olympic gold medal winner i n 2000, started all six playoff games last season.
– Reported by Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News Blog


Read more: Antonio McDyess will not return to Spurs :InsideHoops