By Michael Cunningham
Staff Writer
San Antonio · Last time the San Antonio Spurs were in the NBA Finals, Manu Ginobili was a rookie reserve just trying to make a contribution.
Now, Ginobili is an All-Star and after his 26-point effort led the Spurs to an 84-69 Game 1 victory Thursday against Detroit, reporters have swarmed around the 27-year-old Argentine.
Ginobili has tried to deflect the attention, clearly uncomfortable with suggestions that he was unstoppable while scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1.
"All of this attention feels very awkward," Ginobili said before Game 2 Sunday night. "Of course I am enjoying it. I'm enjoying the whole experience of being in the Finals again with a different role.
"But I'm not the kind of guy who's going to say how good I am and those kind of things. I'm very low-key."
Ginobili expected to get the star treatment from the Pistons in Game 2. Detroit coach Larry Brown suggested the Pistons might trap Ginobili or not switch as often to stay out of bad matchups.
"Of course they're going to try to not let me go easy into the paint," Ginobili said. "But I'm not worried about that. If the paint is crowded, I'm just going to try to kick it [out]."
CHANGE OF PLAN
When Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince and guard Richard Hamilton both checked back into the game with two fouls in the first quarter Sunday, it was a sign of desperation for Brown.
Brown's philosophy is to keep starters on the bench for the remainder of the first half if they get two fouls. Before Game 2, he was asked whether there were any situations where he wouldn't do that.
"If we got way down and I thought there was a chance we could lose it in the first half, I would consider it," Brown said. "I've basically done this forever. But if I think it gets critical and you think you're losing control, that's something I would really consider."
Both Prince and Hamilton made it to halftime without picking up another foul. Forward Rasheed Wallace played the final six minutes of the first half with two fouls.
WALLACE SILENT
The league likely will fine Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace for skipping a mandatory media session Saturday. Brown said Wallace was angry that the Pistons' starters and reserves were introduced separately before Thursday's Game 1. ...
Brown said the increase in pregame festivities, like the performance by actor/rapper Will Smith on Thursday, "takes away from our sport."
"[Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] told me he had about four guys almost trip over cords, we had a couple guys almost stumble off the platform and somebody got mad at me because I was in the way of a [power] cable," Brown said.
Walsh looks to NBA
Florida guard Matt Walsh likely will not be returning to the Gators next season, a move that would almost certainly leave the team without any of last season's three stars.
"I think I'm going to stay in the draft -- like 99 percent," Walsh said. "Chances are, right now, I'm not coming back. I've had such good workouts. I've had six workouts with teams that have all went great. I feel like at this point, I'll probably still stay in."
Walsh is scheduled to work out for the Heat on Wednesday. The team has expressed interest in taking Walsh with the 29th pick of the draft, he said.
The junior, who initially planned to pull his name out of the draft after "testing the waters," has changed his mind after receiving positive feedback from several NBA teams -- as well as Florida coach Billy Donovan.
"Teams tell [Donovan] that they feel like I'm an NBA player, that I'm going to play in the NBA for a long time," Walsh said. "It's been all real positive stuff."
Guard Anthony Roberson told reporters at last week's pre-draft camp in Chicago that he is 95 percent certain he also will not return to the Gators. Center David Lee, a senior, has also improved his draft stock during the past several months.
Laimbeer, Thomas talk
Bill Laimbeer recently met with Knicks president Isiah Thomas and acknowledged that he discussed the possibility of coaching the team.
"I suppose that was part of it, yes," Laimbeer said. "We talked about his basketball team, about its structure and what his vision is."
Laimbeer, the former Pistons center who now coaches the WNBA's Detroit Shock, was not more specific, but he said there was no timetable for his next move.
Laimbeer and Thomas were teammates on Detroit's "Bad Boys" 1989 and 1990 NBA championship teams.