The 2003 Bench vs. The 2009 Bench Print E-mail
Written by Robby Lim   
Wednesday, 02 December 2009 10:00

After a summer of retooling the roster heading into this 2009-2010 NBA season, the Spurs assembled a team that is arguably the most talented and deepest in recent years. It's no secret any team with championship aspirations has to have a strong supporting cast.

spursonthebench2

During their previous title runs, the Spurs had players that fit their roles and provided a spark off the bench to get it done.

The 2003 championship team had what some Spurs fans would call the deepest bench in the Tim Duncan era, and who can blame them.  The bench consisted of players such as Speedy Claxton, Steve Kerr, Steve Smith, and Malik Rose.  That bench played a significant role in helping the franchise win their second title.

However this 2009-2010 bench has the potential to be better than the bench of 2003. With players such as DeJuan Blair, Manu Ginobili, Roger Mason, George Hill, and Michael Finely coming off the bench, let's see how they would stack up against a proven championship bench.

Check out the stats.

2003 Bench statistics

PLAYER

FG%

3P%

MIN

PTS

OFF

DEF

TOT

AST

STL

BLK

Malik Rose

.459

.000

24.5

10.4

1.9

4.5

6.4

1.6

0.72

0.51

Manu Ginobili

.438

.345

20.7

7.6

0.7

1.7

2.3

2.0

1.39

0.25

Steve Smith

.388

.331

19.5

6.8

0.4

1.5

1.9

1.3

0.53

0.17

Speedy Claxton

.462

.000

15.7

5.8

0.7

1.1

1.9

2.5

0.73

0.23

Kevin Willis

.479

.000

11.8

4.2

1.2

2.0

3.2

0.3

0.28

0.28

Steve Kerr

.430

.395

12.7

4.0

0.2

0.6

0.8

0.9

0.36

0.04

Danny Ferry

.355

.350

9.4

1.9

0.3

0.9

1.2

0.3

0.11

0.14

2009 Bench statistics (through 14 games)

PLAYER

FG%

3P%

MIN

PTS

OFF

DEF

TOT

AST

STL

BLK

Manu Ginobili

.378

.341

23.4

14.1

0.8

1.9

2.7

4.2

1.00

0.56

George Hill

.427

.394

27.4

12.1

0.8

1.6

2.4

2.1

1.07

0.50

Matt Bonner

.471

.474

20.7

8.4

1.3

3.4

4.7

1.4

0.14

0.14

DeJuan Blair

.583

.000

14.6

5.6

1.6

3.6

5.2

0.9

0.14

0.36

Roger Mason

.409

.326

19.4

7.0

0.1

1.7

1.8

2.5

0.36

0.21

Michael Finley

.429

.391

18.6

4.9

0.2

1.3

1.5

0.9

0.29

0.21

Theo Ratliff

.462

.000

8.8

1.6

0.6

1.2

1.8

0.3

0.00

1.22

I could have easily added Antonio McDyess or Keith Bogans in current the bench lineup, but both have been starting of late.

The stats above gave us an idea on how the two benches performed and what they can produce. Now let's dig in a little deeper and take a look at the individual match-ups.

bonner Steve Smith vs. Matt Bonner

Both players can shoot the from three-point land. While Smith might have more basketball skills than Bonner, Matt shoots the ball at a better percentage.

Danny Ferry vs. Roger Mason

They are basically spot up shooters.  Ferry is a decent shooter from  behind the arc in the limited minutes he received in 2003. Mason has proven in the past (except for the 2009 playoffs) that he can make big shots. In the first few games of the season, Mason has struggled with his shot, but he is slowly returning into form in the Spurs' last few games.

Steve Kerr vs. Michael Finleykerr

Both are smart veterans who can hit big shots in big games. But Kerr has more rings than Finley and his performance during Spurs 2003 title run against the Dallas Mavericks showed his worth off the bench for the 2003 team.

Kevin Willis vs. Theo Ratliff

They both can play with limited minutes. Willis was a big man that provided hustle and energy off the bench, while Ratliff provides additional spark on the defensive end and can block shots.

2003 Ginobili vs. 2009 Ginobili

Manu Ginobili won his first NBA championship in his rookie year, but it could be argued that even at 32; Manu is a better player than he was in 2003. Now if he could only stay healthy.

Malik Rose vs. DeJuan Blair

rose

They are undersized big men that play with a lot of energy, hustle and grit. Both can rebound the ball with their hard work and aggressiveness. Rose enjoyed his best season as a Spur in the  2002-2003 season averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds and was a fan favorite.

Blair on the other hand is still a rookie but is learning fast. He is gifted with long arms and big hands and can snatch every possible rebound within his reach. He is also a crowd favorite. He can produce with limited minutes but should we ask more minutes for Blair?

Speedy Claxton vs. George Hill

Both are steady backup point guards. Claxton's numbers are not impressive at first hillglance, but if a player can average 5.8 points in just 15 minutes of action, he must be doing something right.  Also his veteran presence in the back court in the 2003 NBA Finals is something that shouldn't be ignored.

George Hill is on the rise. His improvement from last year is quite impressive. This guy can play defense and plays with a lot of poise while on the court.

The 2003 bench deserves a slight advantage mainly because they helped the Spurs win a title. However, the current Spurs bench is looking strong. If everybody gets on the same page, there is a major possibility they can do the same for the Spurs this year. But that remains to be seen.

So what do you guys think? Is the 2009 bench better than 2003? Please give us your thoughts and opinions.

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Comments (7)Add Comment
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written by meekprize, December 02, 2009
the 03 bench was definitely more experienced but i think this year bench has more potential talent and will be even better next year (if still intact) claxton's PPG was 5.8 @meekprize
na
written by Kim c, December 02, 2009
GO SPURS!!
...
written by Regan Rahardja, December 02, 2009
I think this year's bench is better although the 2003 Spur's team is more experienced. When you have George Hill, DeJuan Blair, a better Manu (when healthy), Roger Mason (who can score, create plays), and a specialist in Ratliff - this is definitely a better bench.

Matt Bonner is essentially what Steve Kerr was, the difference being Matt's a 4/5 and Steve has won more championships. But Matt is also experienced and shoots the 3 ball just as well. His hook shots and drives have also improved.

What's important is the starting five. Clearly TP is better at this stage than he was in 03 and when he gets healthier and more comfortable - he definitely can reach last year's level of play. Mario Elli is a tough savvy veteran for us back in '03 as is David Robinson - a great complementary center who rebounds, plays defense, and scores occasionally. We have McDyess who gives up a few inches but has a money jumper and savvyness. He is smaller and probably a little less athletic than David, which we could use against the Lakers. Our shooting guard now is Keith Bogans, great defender who plays reserve minutes to serve a good role for us to win. Ellie was a better scorer and has championship grit. Tim Duncan is playing at a very high level and i believe he can still play better. However, the Tim Duncan of 03 was on another level. This was the Tim Duncan who won MVP and had a near quadruple double in the Finals. Finally, Bruce Bowen's an elite defender. We have RJ who is a much better scorer and more athletic. He will get more comfortable. It's been only around 1/7 of the season so far.

This is a great post comparing the benches. I think this year's bench is without doubt better. But we should have an overall discussion about the starting fives too. And maybe we should look at the competition too. In 2002-2003, the Lakers had Kobe and a prime Shaq and maybe the Kings/Mavs (sortof). Now we face a tall Lakers and deep Celtics, Magic team. In my opinion, the competition is stronger this year relative to 2002-2003.
....
written by -Jason-, December 03, 2009
I'm going with 2003 bench right now because they were able to help the team win a championship, the current bench looked strong but I have to see them play in the playoffs. Bonner and Mason might easily disappear like last year.
.....
written by Mark_M, December 03, 2009
Hill, Blair, Finley, Ratliff, Mason and Bonner are good players off the bench but we still have Haislip and Hairston. This years bench is definitely better than the 2003 bench, In that year Duncan practically carried the team to the title.
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written by AlexC, December 03, 2009
2003 is better for two main reasons Claxton's steady play when Tony can't keep up with Jason Kidd and Steve Kerr's cluthct baskets.

This years bench certainly has the potential but it remains to be seen. The 2003 bench on the other hand was able to get it done and that's the most important thing!

Maybe if the Spurs win the title this year i'll change my mind.
Thanks for the comments guys!
written by RobbyLim, December 04, 2009
This year's bench could be considered the deepest bench during the Duncan era. But the 2003 bench has really helped in helping the Spurs to win their second title, so it's too close to call.

Keep the comments coming again thanks! we appreciate it at PS.

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