duncan228
03-05-2009, 04:20 PM
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Gooden should be plenty good enough to help San Antonio (http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/art_garcia/03/05/western.insider.20090305/)
By Art Garcia, NBA.com
Drew Gooden isn't a difference-maker on a large scale, but he can make a difference. That's all the Spurs are looking for.
The athletic and enigmatic 6-foot-10 forward, released Sunday by Sacramento, will join San Antonio and its quest for another title this week. The Spurs and Gooden already have agreed to a contract after he considered offers from several other Western Conference playoff contenders, including Dallas and New Orleans. San Antonio opened up a roster spot Wednesday by waiving a recent NBA Development League call-up, Pops Mensah-Bonsu.
"Intuitive people would reasonably read into that move in some way, shape or form," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich quipped Wednesday night.
Gooden has been plagued by injuries this season, the most recent a groin strain, but when healthy he's shown remarkable consistency. The Kansas-ex has averaged about 12 points and eight rebounds a game in his seven-year career. Each season, he's in the ballpark of those numbers.
He's never had the breakout season some forecasted when he was taken fourth in the 2002 draft. Instead, Gooden's career numbers have flat-lined, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Still, the Spurs will be his sixth team in seven years.
In his first four stops -- Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland and Chicago -- Gooden was expected to be the answer at power forward. The Spurs have no such illusions. Gooden provides depth in San Antonio, giving the team another option behind Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner.
"He's got a big body, athletic, strong, great rebounder," Bonner said. "Definitely adds something to our team."
Steady and heady veteran Kurt Thomas is filling that backup role now, but Gooden brings a lively presence to a frontcourt in need of athleticism. And Gooden is no stranger to playoff battles or the Spurs, having started against San Antonio in the 2007 Finals while with Cleveland and averaging 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.
He's not going to put up anything close to those numbers in San Antonio, either in the last 20 or so games of the regular season or the playoffs. And he won't have to. Where Gooden can make a difference is in an individual game somewhere along the way.
He may get a big basket or rebound or block in crunch time. He may eat up valuable minutes against a Dirk Nowitzki or David West or Pau Gasol.
Gooden won't win a series. But he could help win a game that goes a long way toward winning a series.
"We're a team in every sense of the word, and we know when someone new comes in it's up to us to make him feel welcome," Bonner said. "It's for the good of the team to help him fit in as quick as possible."
Blurb at bottom of article:
Not There Yet
Just because the Spurs are leading the Southwest Division and own the West's second-best record doesn't mean they're satisfied. Popovich sees room for improvement.
"You always want to be playing better," he said. "Coaches are sick puppies. You could be winning every game and coaches say you can play better. We're not winning every game, so we're hoping we can play better."
He shrugged when asked if he's happy with where his team is right now.
"It doesn't really matter, does it? We are where we are, and whether I'm thrilled or pleased is irrelevant," he said. "Here we are and we just keep trying to get better, and we'll see if we're good enough to play with everybody come playoff time."
Gooden should be plenty good enough to help San Antonio (http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/art_garcia/03/05/western.insider.20090305/)
By Art Garcia, NBA.com
Drew Gooden isn't a difference-maker on a large scale, but he can make a difference. That's all the Spurs are looking for.
The athletic and enigmatic 6-foot-10 forward, released Sunday by Sacramento, will join San Antonio and its quest for another title this week. The Spurs and Gooden already have agreed to a contract after he considered offers from several other Western Conference playoff contenders, including Dallas and New Orleans. San Antonio opened up a roster spot Wednesday by waiving a recent NBA Development League call-up, Pops Mensah-Bonsu.
"Intuitive people would reasonably read into that move in some way, shape or form," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich quipped Wednesday night.
Gooden has been plagued by injuries this season, the most recent a groin strain, but when healthy he's shown remarkable consistency. The Kansas-ex has averaged about 12 points and eight rebounds a game in his seven-year career. Each season, he's in the ballpark of those numbers.
He's never had the breakout season some forecasted when he was taken fourth in the 2002 draft. Instead, Gooden's career numbers have flat-lined, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Still, the Spurs will be his sixth team in seven years.
In his first four stops -- Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland and Chicago -- Gooden was expected to be the answer at power forward. The Spurs have no such illusions. Gooden provides depth in San Antonio, giving the team another option behind Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner.
"He's got a big body, athletic, strong, great rebounder," Bonner said. "Definitely adds something to our team."
Steady and heady veteran Kurt Thomas is filling that backup role now, but Gooden brings a lively presence to a frontcourt in need of athleticism. And Gooden is no stranger to playoff battles or the Spurs, having started against San Antonio in the 2007 Finals while with Cleveland and averaging 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.
He's not going to put up anything close to those numbers in San Antonio, either in the last 20 or so games of the regular season or the playoffs. And he won't have to. Where Gooden can make a difference is in an individual game somewhere along the way.
He may get a big basket or rebound or block in crunch time. He may eat up valuable minutes against a Dirk Nowitzki or David West or Pau Gasol.
Gooden won't win a series. But he could help win a game that goes a long way toward winning a series.
"We're a team in every sense of the word, and we know when someone new comes in it's up to us to make him feel welcome," Bonner said. "It's for the good of the team to help him fit in as quick as possible."
Blurb at bottom of article:
Not There Yet
Just because the Spurs are leading the Southwest Division and own the West's second-best record doesn't mean they're satisfied. Popovich sees room for improvement.
"You always want to be playing better," he said. "Coaches are sick puppies. You could be winning every game and coaches say you can play better. We're not winning every game, so we're hoping we can play better."
He shrugged when asked if he's happy with where his team is right now.
"It doesn't really matter, does it? We are where we are, and whether I'm thrilled or pleased is irrelevant," he said. "Here we are and we just keep trying to get better, and we'll see if we're good enough to play with everybody come playoff time."