Spurs Sign Boban Marjanovic for 1-Year, $2 Million

[Chinook]

I have been pretty impressed by Ian's development since we let him go - so much so that I have wondered from time to time why we did let him go. Was it just money, or were there other issues? Barring such "other issues" I wouldn't mind bringing him back at the right price. However, I really expect Tim to return for at least 2016-17 and possibly even 2017-18.

He wasn't very good with the Spurs. I mean, he wasn't very good at all. So there's that. Then you have to add in that they let him go the summer they got Splitter. I guess they didn't want that many developmental centers. Had Pop been on his game, he would have started Tim and Tiago off the bat and brought in McD off the bench. Then he could have subbed in Blair, Bonner and Mahinmi as needed.

[Mel_13]

He wasn't very good with the Spurs. I mean, he wasn't very good at all. So there's that. Then you have to add in that they let him go the summer they got Splitter. I guess they didn't want that many developmental centers. Had Pop been on his game, he would have started Tim and Tiago off the bat and brought in McD off the bench. Then he could have subbed in Blair, Bonner and Mahinmi as needed.

That history is not quite right.

When the Spurs traded Scola in the summer of 2007, they had a plan. The plan failed, but there was a plan. They brought back the whole squad that won a ring in 2007 for one more try in 2008. They signed their 2005 first round pick, Mahinmi, with the intention of training him in Austin for the entire season and having him ready to join the big team in 2008-09. Their 2007 first round pick, Splitter, was expected to play out his contract in Spain and also join the team for the start of 2008-09 season.

Then lots of things went wrong. After playing the 07-08 season in Austin as planned, Mahinmi had a mysterious ankle ailment that defied proper diagnosis for months, eventually requiring surgery and costing him and the Spurs Year 2 of his rookie contract. Meanwhile, Splitter's sister had a cancer that recurred and eventually took her life, which led him to take a much more lucrative deal and remain in Spain until he was no longer bound by the rookie scale. So Splitter didn't arrive until 2010.

When the 2009-10 training camp began, Ian was starting Year 3 of his rookie contract and the Spurs had to decide whether or not to pick up his 4th year option by the end of camp. They had drafted DeJuan Blair in the 2009 draft and the simple truth is that Blair outplayed Mahinmi over the course of that camp. If the play-by-plays of those games still exist, I'm certain they'll show that Ian was ahead of Blair in the rotation the early games, but was outplayed and moved down in the rotation. When training camp ended, the Spurs declined to exercise Ian's Year 4 option and he was a lame duck for the 2009-10 season and played less than 200 minutes. He was an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010 and signed a 2 year minimum deal to take his chances with a new team in Dallas.

[Uriel]

Boban is already 27, though. Granted, it's only his 1st year in the NBA, but one has to wonder how much upside he still has left.

[ceperez]

That history is not quite right.

When the Spurs traded Scola in the summer of 2007, they had a plan. The plan failed, but there was a plan. They brought back the whole squad that won a ring in 2007 for one more try in 2008. They signed their 2005 first round pick, Mahinmi, with the intention of training him in Austin for the entire season and having him ready to join the big team in 2008-09. Their 2007 first round pick, Splitter, was expected to play out his contract in Spain and also join the team for the start of 2008-09 season.

Then lots of things went wrong. After playing the 07-08 season in Austin as planned, Mahinmi had a mysterious ankle ailment that defied proper diagnosis for months, eventually requiring surgery and costing him and the Spurs Year 2 of his rookie contract. Meanwhile, Splitter's sister had a cancer that recurred and eventually took her life, which led him to take a much more lucrative deal and remain in Spain until he was no longer bound by the rookie scale. So Splitter didn't arrive until 2010.

When the 2009-10 training camp began, Ian was starting Year 3 of his rookie contract and the Spurs had to decide whether or not to pick up his 4th year option by the end of camp. They had drafted DeJuan Blair in the 2009 draft and the simple truth is that Blair outplayed Mahinmi over the course of that camp. If the play-by-plays of those games still exist, I'm certain they'll show that Ian was ahead of Blair in the rotation the early games, but was outplayed and moved down in the rotation. When training camp ended, the Spurs declined to exercise Ian's Year 4 option and he was a lame duck for the 2009-10 season and played less than 200 minutes. He was an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010 and signed a 2 year minimum deal to take his chances with a new team in Dallas.

Wow... impressive backgrounder.

Blair had a natural feel for the game that Mahinmi did not. I think it has taken Mahinmi a while to figure it out and he apparently is doing much better now with the Pacers. The NBA game has become quite complex that it takes a long while for players to figure it out. It is starting to remind me of the the NFL.

[Chinook]

That history is not quite right.

When the Spurs traded Scola in the summer of 2007, they had a plan. The plan failed, but there was a plan. They brought back the whole squad that won a ring in 2007 for one more try in 2008. They signed their 2005 first round pick, Mahinmi, with the intention of training him in Austin for the entire season and having him ready to join the big team in 2008-09. Their 2007 first round pick, Splitter, was expected to play out his contract in Spain and also join the team for the start of 2008-09 season.

Then lots of things went wrong. After playing the 07-08 season in Austin as planned, Mahinmi had a mysterious ankle ailment that defied proper diagnosis for months, eventually requiring surgery and costing him and the Spurs Year 2 of his rookie contract. Meanwhile, Splitter's sister had a cancer that recurred and eventually took her life, which led him to take a much more lucrative deal and remain in Spain until he was no longer bound by the rookie scale. So Splitter didn't arrive until 2010.

When the 2009-10 training camp began, Ian was starting Year 3 of his rookie contract and the Spurs had to decide whether or not to pick up his 4th year option by the end of camp. They had drafted DeJuan Blair in the 2009 draft and the simple truth is that Blair outplayed Mahinmi over the course of that camp. If the play-by-plays of those games still exist, I'm certain they'll show that Ian was ahead of Blair in the rotation the early games, but was outplayed and moved down in the rotation. When training camp ended, the Spurs declined to exercise Ian's Year 4 option and he was a lame duck for the 2009-10 season and played less than 200 minutes. He was an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010 and signed a 2 year minimum deal to take his chances with a new team in Dallas.

I do appreciate the history. I was more of a casual observer of the team back then and didn't know the backstory. Still think that two things were true:

1) Ian sucked as a Spur. I watched enough of him back then to know he showed flashes but could never put it together. Without the ankle injury, maybe things would have been different. But that is true with James Anderson and his foot too.

2) The Spurs knew Splitter was coming over in 2010 and didn't want to keep Mahinmi around to be the seventh big. I think the Spurs and Splitter knew 2010 was going to be the year in 2009. The Spurs had just drafted Blair, whom they considered a steal (and used the MLE to sign for four years). They loved Bonner and probably planned on re-signing him. They had McDyess inked to a two-year deal (with the third year salary ballast). There just wasn't room to develop Ian on the big club anymore.

I agree the situation wasn't as cut-and-dried as I implied, but it still seemed like a numbers game combined with his poor performance. I wished they would have kept him around, but really, I guess it didn't matter.

[Mel_13]

I do appreciate the history. I was more of a casual observer of the team back then and didn't know the backstory. Still think that two things were true:

1) Ian sucked as a Spur. I watched enough of him back then to know he showed flashes but could never put it together. Without the ankle injury, maybe things would have been different. But that is true with James Anderson and his foot too.

2) The Spurs knew Splitter was coming over in 2010 and didn't want to keep Mahinmi around to be the seventh big. I think the Spurs and Splitter knew 2010 was going to be the year in 2009. The Spurs had just drafted Blair, whom they considered a steal (and used the MLE to sign for four years). They loved Bonner and probably planned on re-signing him. They had McDyess inked to a two-year deal (with the third year salary ballast). There just wasn't room to develop Ian on the big club anymore.

I agree the situation wasn't as cut-and-dried as I implied, but it still seemed like a numbers game combined with his poor performance. I wished they would have kept him around, but really, I guess it didn't matter.

That was largely the case. Ian had to perform at 2009 training camp to stay with team and he didn't. Even with the numbers stacked against him, his 4th year option was so small that they would have exercised it if he had shown anything at all. It wasn't until his fifth season on an NBA payroll that Ian cracked an NBA rotation. People also forget how little playing time Ian had gotten as a pro in France. He was just incredibly raw when he arrived in the States.

[Chinook]

That was largely the case. Ian had to perform at 2009 training camp to stay with team and he didn't. Even with the numbers stacked against him, his 4th year option was so small that they would have exercised it if he had shown anything at all. It wasn't until his fifth season on an NBA payroll that Ian cracked an NBA rotation. People also forget how little playing time Ian had gotten as a pro in France. He was just incredibly raw when he arrived in the States.

Kinda the track LJC is going on.

[Mel_13]

Kinda the track LJC is going on.

Unfortunately. Athletes with NBA bodies who need to be taught how to play basketball at an NBA level.

[SAGirl]

Kinda the track LJC is going on.

Unfortunately. Athletes with NBA bodies who need to be taught how to play basketball at an NBA level.

Thanks for the team history. It was interesting for me since I didn't follow the Spurs back then.

LJC case is interesting right now. Not only does he have an NBA body, but he's very athletic with the kind of defensive dedication Pop loves. However, he has no offensive game whatsoever and didn't seem to have good hands, kind of Jeff Ayers' like (hopefully that was just lack of chemistry with guys). Right now Cady is probably getting more experience in the dleague and has improved. It's unknown what LJC is doing in Europe.

[Chinook]

Thanks for the team history. It was interesting for me since I didn't follow the Spurs back then.

LJC case is interesting right now. Not only does he have an NBA body, but he's very athletic with the kind of defensive dedication Pop loves. However, he has no offensive game whatsoever and didn't seem to have good hands, kind of Jeff Ayers' like (hopefully that was just lack of chemistry with guys). Right now Cady is probably getting more experience in the dleague and has improved. It's unknown what LJC is doing in Europe.

One of the many reasons they need to overhaul the d-league to pay prospects a salary compe ive with mid- to low-tier overseas leagues. Jean-Charles will only be 22 next season, but he's wasting away in France. His offensive game in the summer league looked worse than it did when he was a at the U-19. Who knows how he'd look if he could have developed in Austin?

[sasaint]

That history is not quite right.

When the Spurs traded Scola in the summer of 2007, they had a plan. The plan failed, but there was a plan. They brought back the whole squad that won a ring in 2007 for one more try in 2008. They signed their 2005 first round pick, Mahinmi, with the intention of training him in Austin for the entire season and having him ready to join the big team in 2008-09. Their 2007 first round pick, Splitter, was expected to play out his contract in Spain and also join the team for the start of 2008-09 season.

Then lots of things went wrong. After playing the 07-08 season in Austin as planned, Mahinmi had a mysterious ankle ailment that defied proper diagnosis for months, eventually requiring surgery and costing him and the Spurs Year 2 of his rookie contract. Meanwhile, Splitter's sister had a cancer that recurred and eventually took her life, which led him to take a much more lucrative deal and remain in Spain until he was no longer bound by the rookie scale. So Splitter didn't arrive until 2010.

When the 2009-10 training camp began, Ian was starting Year 3 of his rookie contract and the Spurs had to decide whether or not to pick up his 4th year option by the end of camp. They had drafted DeJuan Blair in the 2009 draft and the simple truth is that Blair outplayed Mahinmi over the course of that camp. If the play-by-plays of those games still exist, I'm certain they'll show that Ian was ahead of Blair in the rotation the early games, but was outplayed and moved down in the rotation. When training camp ended, the Spurs declined to exercise Ian's Year 4 option and he was a lame duck for the 2009-10 season and played less than 200 minutes. He was an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2010 and signed a 2 year minimum deal to take his chances with a new team in Dallas.

Thanks for jogging my memory. I had forgotten about Ian's "lost" second season. But your reminder has served to rekindle the sense of frustration I felt that season. To add one more point about the Blair/Mahinmi compe ion - IIRC Ian had only been playing basketball for a few short years when he was drafted on his potential.

[k_nguyen93]

All this LJC talk is making me sad about us missing out on Gobert by a pick. Who knows if we actually take him still considering how highly touted LJC was from Nike Hoop Summit and the Parker conection. As a fan I'm proud that other teams want to hire guys from the Spurs to run their organizations but it sucks when they take with them the connections overseas and insight into drafting foreign guys. Nuggets gave away the draft rights to Gobert for a second round pick and cash. Perhaps another part of it is that is teams are scared to do deals with the Spurs. Granted he progressed at the same level with the Spurs, I think Gobert would have gotten some solid minutes last year with all the injuries. Definitely would have been nice for him to have 3 fellow French players with him his rookie season as well.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

One of the many reasons they need to overhaul the d-league to pay prospects a salary compe ive with mid- to low-tier overseas leagues. Jean-Charles will only be 22 next season, but he's wasting away in France. His offensive game in the summer league looked worse than it did when he was a at the U-19. Who knows how he'd look if he could have developed in Austin?

I liked Silver's idea of 2 additional roster spots for d-league players. I'd go even up to 4. If they had a different pay scale, say a third of the minimum or something like that, it would not influence the cap space much with the significant increase coming up. Would help teams invest in and develop second round picks, or foreign players.

[DJR210]

All this LJC talk is making me sad about us missing out on Gobert by a pick.

I ing threw the remote when Utah took him.. Could only imagine the defense with Gobert

[Kawhitstorm]

News Flash: He's rotting on the bench