Thurl Bailey is Why Manu Shouldn't Get 6th Man

By Craig Kwasniewski

The Sixth Man Award should NOT go to Manu Ginobili. The essence of the award is for the best player who contributes from the bench.... duh! In my opinion, it really applies to players not quite good enough to be starters who happen to add a lot to a team's success. Consider players like Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson from the Pistons or Bill Walton from the 1986 Celtics. Both of those guys were HUGH bench performers who did all the little things along the way to NBA titles. Manu Ginobili is the Spurs 2nd best player who happens to come off the bench a few minutes into the game. Can you really give a bench player's award to a person who gets starter's minutes that also closes out games?

He's more like a modern day Thurl Bailey. Time for a little NBA history here: Bailey was a key player for the Utah Jazz from the mid-80's to the early 90's. The guy played starter's minutes (around 30 per game) and averaged as many as 19.6 ppg. during his best year in 1987-88, but never got any pub for the 6th man award. Maybe it was because he played in relative anonymity in Utah or maybe it was because everyone saw him as a starter who just didn't play the first 3 minutes of a game (which is the way I saw it).

This is why I think the award should go to Kyle Korver. Since his acquisition, the Jazz have gone 37-12 winning the Northwest Division along the way with an easy pass to the second round if they face the Houston Rockets. They guy gives them the right mix of scoring and experience from the bench plus he's an excellent freethrow shooter with the game on the line... basically all that you can ask from a 6th man.

Nothing against what Manu Ginolibi has brought to the Spurs this season. He improved his game even more this year to the point where he is one of the best clutch players out there. In fact, I'm curious why he isn't getting a 5th place vote for MVP. I just don't think he's 6th Man Award material.

Comments

[fouledout]

giving the 6th man award to kyle korver actually makes sense..

[dave]

kyle korver? really? the sixers get rid of this guy and get better. are the jazz better? not really. korver has a one dimensional game. perimeter shooting. can he create his own shot? lead a fast break? break ankles with a crossover? finish at the rim going right or left? is he a good passer? can he play defense? is he an agressive rebounder? steals? toughness?
the answer to all questions is no.
do you know who can do all those things and lead his team in scoring?
manu ginobili.

[fouledout]

too much man-love for manu? give it a rest dude.. he'll probably win the award.. the 6th man award are for those people who are actually the 6th man.. not a starter sitting on the bench..

[dave]

there is always some ridiculous reason that a san antonio spur shouldn't win. manu isn't really a sixth man, bruce is too dirty, and my favorite, tim has too much help. why don't you give it a rest, jackass. man love for manu. that's real cute. aren't you a tough guy on the internet.

[sic]

I agree that Bowen is dirty and Manu isn't really a 6th man in the traditional sense (oh, and I'm also an internet tough guy!), but I'm not sure that Kyle Korver is the best 6th man in the league. Did Jose Calderon get too many starts to be in the running?

[Tim]

Guys, give Craig a break. He once went down on Kyle in the bathroom of a Dave and Buster's and ever since has had quite the thing for him.

[Craig]

"are the jazz better?"

37-12 since the trade.

To me, the 6th man is not the best overall player in the NBA that doesn't start, it's the player that adds something from the bench. Manu is a starter who happens to come in 3 minutes into the game. He's arguably the Spurs 2nd best player (and many would argue their best player this year). I just don't think he fits the original intent of the 6th man award.

As I wrote, "In fact, I'm curious why he isn't getting a 5th place vote for MVP."

Dave, this time I'm actually NOT hating on the Spurs.

[dave]

i meant, are the jazz better, overall, than they were last year? i don't think they are.
i just believe in giving credit where it's due. i don't like the lakers or kobe bryant, but i believe he deserves the mvp. no question. hasn't bruce bowen deserved at least one dpoy in the last five years? if kobe is the best player in the league and, by his own admission, bruce bowen defends him better than anyone in the league, wouldn't that make bowen the best defender? it's simple mathematics, people. also, let me propose this. if bruce bowen was on your team would you call him dirty?
why do i even bother?

[matt w.]

Uh... I'm a lifelong, die-hard Spurs fan and... Bruce Bowen is dirty as hell. He wasn't when he first earned his reputation 4-5 years ago and deserve consideration for DPOY. But now he just gets dirtier with each passing year and lost step. Man, I hope we draft Brandon Rush to replace his ass.

That said, dogging Manu for winning the 6th Man award seems like splitting hairs. Look a how other teams have gone to a similar rotation (Dallas pops to mind), all because of Manu's success. That seems like an achievement worthy of recognition.

[fouledout]

@ dave
thanks for calling me a jackass, you must be an internet toughie too.. for the record, i'm not a spurs hater. Manu is my favorite player in SA. but as craig said it, manu doesn't fit the true criteria of a 6th man.. kyle korver will NOT win the award, but he is a sixth man.. josh childress is a sixth man.. jason maxiell is a sixth man.. bostjan nachbar is a sixth man.. manu is NOT.. manu is a superstar sitting on the bench..

[dave]

matt w. makes an excellent point about how other teams have adopted the approach of bringing in a starter off the bench. maybe it's time to redefine what exactly a sixth man is. manu is doing what is best for the team as popovich sees it. he should get credit for that. i don't think there are a lot of superstar egos that would do the same as unselfishly as he has.

can we pinpoint the exact moment bowen went from good defender to dirty player? did it happen to coincide with other players (i'm looking at you ray allen) accusing him of being dirty because he played them so frustratingly well? did he decide to be more demonstratively "dirty" because he already had the rep?
ok. bruce bowen is dirty. my point is . . . so what? he is pretty selective about who he does it to and it's usually the players who will be the most psychologically affected by it. it's not like he is the only player (i'm looking at you raja bell) who does this, but he is the only player who gets called out on it.

fouledout,
i don't comment here expecting someone to respond to me with immature, personal attacks. if you have a point to make, then just make your point. i think anyone in my position would have the urge to retaliate. i should've just let it go, but i had a moment of weakness.

[Brandon]

Again, genius. I'm a huge Jazz fan, yet I'd never considered Korver for 6th MOY. You actually make a great point.

To Dave: Korver's game is a bit one-dimensional, but he is actually a good passer and an underrated defender.

[fouledout]

@ dave
you're the one who called me jackass man..
i already made my point.. i don't really care if manu wins the 6th man award.. all i'm saying is that he is not a real 6th man. he is a superstar sitting on the bench.. he does not fit the criteria of a true 6th man..

[sic]

The exact moment that Bowen became a dirty player? Wow that's a tough one, because there are so many awe-inspiring moments of dirtiness in his career. If I had to pick one it would be this moment:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhTjSrZi91Y&feature=related

I know, I know, he got jobbed on that call, the contact was incidental!

[dave]

that's my favorite, too!

[Israel Rico]

AFTER Game 1 your article on Manu is Bush!!!!!!!

HE IS THE SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR...he should have been it last year and the year before. Bowen should have been D player of the year....but your stupid ass blog and the bias ass east coast media with their heads in their asses to early to bed don't see that!!!!!!

[jacs aj]

there is always some ridiculous reason that a san antonio spur shouldn't win. manu isn't really a sixth man, bruce is too dirty, and my favorite, tim has too much help. why don't you give it a rest, jackass. man love for manu. that's real cute. aren't you a tough guy on the internet. www.bestplanetsneakers.com

[jacs aj]

there is always some ridiculous reason that a san antonio spur shouldn't win. manu isn't really a sixth man, bruce is too dirty, and my favorite, tim has too much help. why don't you give it a rest, jackass. man love for manu. that's real cute. aren't you a tough guy on the internet. http://www.bestplanetsneakers.com

[Charles Taylor]

Just thought I'd give a little insight about Thurl Bailey that most of you don't know. He is a very, very dishonest person and hides behind his past basketball publicity. He owes several employees tens of thousands of dollars in past unpaid wages that they are having to collect via attorneys because he refuses to take control of his spoiled rotten wife who rules his house and spends all his money. He owes many banks lots of money and is big trouble with them, as well as the IRS. Because of the same reason. The worst part, is that he claims to be an honorable and honest man and yet he has employees that are owed money from over a year ago - before he build a huge home and purchased new cars and tons of expensive clothes and jewelry for he and his wife. These employees worked hard for him and yet he didn't pay them and is still trying not to pay them, even though he admits to the attorneys that he owes them. He is just plain dishonest. Total scum. Since he is a Jazz player, the local TV stations are scared to air this story - worried Larry Miller may get upset, since Thurl is the spokes person for the games. What a racket! Big joke. Thurl - pay the employees. And to show that you are actually sorry, pay fees, penalties, interest, and the cost that the people faced because you didn't pay them when you were suppose to. A good faith act would be to double what you owe them - but, you aren't man enough for that.

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