After being shaken up by San Antonio in Game 2, Nuggets coach George Karl might try to shake up his lineup Saturday night for Game 3 at the Pepsi Center.
Karl has started and at guard, and at forward and at center in the first two playoff games.
“I would consider a lineup change because I would want to be more defensive-minded,” Karl said after practice Thursday at the Pepsi Center.
The Spurs shot 47.9 percent from the field Wednesday in Game 2 in a 104-76 win over Denver and made 10-of-18 3-pointers. San Antonio guards Tony Parker, Brent Barry, Manu Ginobili and Beno Udrih combined for 62 points.
Karl might look to start guard , who was signed to be a defensive stopper, in place of Johnson.
“I haven’t figured that out yet,” Karl said.
Better off bench?
The Spurs got a spark in Game 2 when Barry replaced Ginobili in the starting lineup. The Nuggets found out about it an hour before the game, when the Spurs’ lineup was posted. Karl believes he might have had something to do with San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich making the change.
“I laughed about it because I sat with Pop last year when I was on ESPN and he was starting Ginobili,” Karl said. “I said, ‘Pop, you don’t have the spirit off the bench that you had (during the 2002-03 season).’ I know Ginobili’s different as your starter. He had (Hedo) Turkoglu coming off the bench, and he was lost and confused and frustrated. I remember having that conversation and then three weeks later he started Turkoglu and Ginobili went to the bench.”
Karl hinted Popovich might have another reason to bring his all-star guard off the bench.
“I don’t know that Ginobili’s healthy enough to play 35 minutes, and maybe that’s why (Popovich’s) doing it,” Karl said. “But I know the spirit of Ginobili off the bench is pretty dangerous because he just seems to bring a juice and a life to his team that as a starter he hasn’t done consistently.”
When Ginobili doesn’t start, it alters the Nuggets’ strategy somewhat.
“It just kind of sets your rotation differently,” Karl said. “I’m going to try to coach my team to play better. There is a chess match involved here. But right now I got to get my team playing my A-B game rather than the C game and then worry about the chess match.”
Nuggets forward , on Barry starting: “It was a trick Pop was trying to pull. That’s playoff basketball.”
Footnotes
Martin has struggled to score against the Spurs, as has Anthony. “We got to find a way to get ourselves involved a little more,” Martin said. “Our teammates are trying to find a way to get us involved. We’re not going to force (it).” … Along with a broken right hand, Nuggets forward Eduardo Najera is dealing with pain in his right knee. “It’s not a big deal,” he said. “What I’m trying to do is see how bad it is because I don’t want it to be a (problem) in the middle of the year next (season).” …
Media from France, China, Taiwan and Japan have received credentials for Game 3.
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com.
