Scattershooting Spurs thoughts and key questions

[SenorSpur]

One the eve of the start of the NBA season, I've got a few scattershooting thoughts and questions about our favorite team:


How will Ginobili's surgically-repaired ankle hold up?
I was really looking forward to seeing Splitter in a Spurs uniform this year
Will George Hilll live up to the preseason hype and make me get past the disappointment of the Spurs missing out on Nicolas Batum?
I'm anxious to see how Roger Mason Jr's talents fit with this team
Will Ian earn a spot in the regular rotation this regular season?


What are yours?

[ChumpDumper]

Barring some incredible contribution from the new rotation players, they'll have to make a fairly major trade to win another championship.

[tp2021]

Dang CD. Any ideas worth bouncing off RC?

[ChumpDumper]

Not until January.

[Manufan909]

How long will it take for Pop to get over his mancrush's with Tolliver, JV and Finley, and/or how long will it take for Ian, Hill, and Farmer/Mason to forcibly earn those minutes, coupled in with the vets just showing more and more they're good for 15-20 minutes a game, nothing more.

[mountainballer]

Barring some incredible contribution from the new rotation players, they'll have to make a fairly major trade to win another championship.

totally agree.
and it will have to be a quality big IMO.
(a big who is good enough to take the #2 spot in the big rotation and plays 25-30 MPG)
assuming that the Spurs can't and don't want to trade for a player with a 10+ million contract, it should be a player like Nick Collison or Udonis Haslem. (I mention them, because they MIGHT be available at deadline).

well, the alternative scenario might be a trade for a small ball PF, someone like Nocioni and then Spurs go small often. (don't know if this would work against Lakers. against Hornets yes.)

[Obstructed_View]

How will Ginobili's surgically-repaired ankle hold up?


Just to make you feel a little better (maybe), Manu's ankle problem was fixed with surgery, but the term "surgically-repaired" might be misleading in this case. He didn't have an injury where the ligament was damaged and needed to be fixed or reattached. The way I understand it (I'm not a doctor), the part that was getting pinched (impinged) in the bones of his heel and causing pain was extra tissue, sort of like scar tissue, around the ligament and that tissue was removed from the outside of the ligament. The ligament underneath should be strong and everything should heal up with no problems. I seem to recall reading that he's less likely to re-injure the ankle than he would be if he'd simply sprained it.

[Dex]

# I was really looking forward to seeing Splitter in a Spurs uniform this year

Gottamnit, I had almost forgotten. :pctoss

[whottt]

Scattershooting


Blackie izzat you?

[Dr. Gonzo]

There was preseason hype surrounding Hill?

[BacktoBasics]

How much better than Hill will Chalmer and CDR be.

[Chomag]

err, George Hill had hype? :huh

After his SL play and spurs OF holding out on his contract for so long I thought this kid barley had a chance.

I'm so exited that he is proving to me and many others wrong. I'm pulling for this guy to have a great career.

[lurker23]

-Will Matt Bonner take advantage of the most important season of his career, and will Coach Popovich really give him the opportunity he needs?

-Will George Hill prove so many doubters wrong and show the world again that solid NBA players can come from any university they want to?

-Will Roger Mason Jr. and Ime Udoka take advantage of Ginobili's injury to become an important part of the Spurs rotation?

-Will Ian Mahinmi overcome injury woes and finally get some extended NBA minutes? If so, will he be effective?

-What will Michael Finley's role on this team be? Where will he fall in the rotation, especially with respect to Mason?

-With another year under his belt in the Spurs system, will Kurt Thomas be the center next to Tim Duncan that San Antonio has been looking for since the retirement of David Robinson?

[SenorSpur]

Blackie izzat you?

:lol

I guess he can sue me. :lol

[angelbelow]

will ian contribute after all these years?

[Mr. Body]

Barring some incredible contribution from the new rotation players, they'll have to make a fairly major trade to win another championship.

100% agreed. This is a second tier team. A good one, although it could quickly go south.

[SenorSpur]

100% agreed. This is a second tier team. A good one, although it could quickly go south.

The potential frontline gap still troubles me. I hope for a mid-season trade.

The talent within the conference is even more tough and the teams are stronger than even last year. Factor in new emerging teams (Blazers, Rockets)

In the end, I just don't know if they've done enough to come out of the West this season.

[Obstructed_View]

Considering Horry's contribution last year, I'm not sure how the Spurs have taken a huge step down across the front from last year. Unless Ian is a total waste of a roster spot, the Spurs are about even. Looks mostly like they're going to be trying to outscore people at times, which is the biggest concern for me. Perhaps this new philosophy by Pop is ill timed; the rest of the west has gotten awfully damn big.

[SenorSpur]

Considering Horry's contribution last year, I'm not sure how the Spurs have taken a huge step down across the front from last year. Unless Ian is a total waste of a roster spot, the Spurs are about even. Looks mostly like they're going to be trying to outscore people at times, which is the biggest concern for me. Perhaps this new philosophy by Pop is ill timed; the rest of the west has gotten awfully damn big.


That's my concern too. Lost in all the hoopla over the Spurs offensive woes, the fact remains that their team defense slipped a bit. They were still in the top 5 in FG% defense. However, they're normally hovering around the 40% mark.

[ShoogarBear]

I don't know that the Spurs are necessarily significantly worse than last year, but the Lakers and Rockets should be clearly better. Adding Posey should make the Hornets better, and they were already probably the worst matchup for the Spurs.

If Mahinmi does not turn out to be an adequate big, the road ahead for the Spurs is going to be too tough.