How long will Kurt "Roadblock" Thomas last with the Spurs?

[Flux451]

All this talk about Gooden signing and what the team will look like next year got me thinking about KT. I think he has shown some energy this year and helped us tremendously some games. He is definitely too slow for athletic teams, and the West is looking faster and younger.

what yall think about his longevity with SA?

[Spursmania]

I think Kurt and his numbers have vastly improved from December (he was a bit injured earlier in the Fall). He's not perfect but for the most part is a solid defender with a pretty reliable little jumper. I think his work ethic and chemistry with the team is solid. He's obviously up there in age, but if we can keep him for the minimum, I think he would be worth retaining.

[Mel_13]

3 possibilities

traded this summer

traded at next trade deadline

end of next season when his contract expires

Pop obviously likes him, but his $4m expiring contract could be needed to acquire better, younger talent

[exstatic]

Kurt is the second best rebounder on the team behind Tim. Try to actually watch the games.

[Flux451]

Kurt is the second best rebounder on the team behind Tim. Try to actually watch the games.

Try to actually not be pretentious on a subject I didn't doubt, ignore or say otherwise.

I watch every game on League Pass biotch! Sean E. reminds me of his boards enough to not be a stat whore. Just cause you can't find your mom's Easter Eggs doesn't mean you have to take it out on the internet.

[Spursmania]

Flux451:
Just FYI, because it happened to me before. You have to spell Elliott with 2 t's, if you don't you get the LTF's stuff on your posts.:toast

[Flux451]

Flux451:
Just FYI, because it happened to me before. You have to spell Elliott with 2 t's, if you don't you get the LTF's stuff on your posts.:toast

haha, good idea. I hadn't spelled his name in a while and forgot.

[exstatic]

Let me start the 124,859th thread on an old guy and when we can get rid of him. That'll be fresh.

[Flux451]

Dear Diary,

I showed them on Spurstalk. Those newbs just don't learn. So I came up with an original idea of putting Flux451's name in a fake reply. OMG! He wasn't saying anything stupid, but since my dick is so small I pissed on my balls again this morning I had to take it out on someone. I wish I wasn't so quick to judge people and their threads but growing up was hard in the suburbs. Till next time.

your homie,

Exstatic

[Strike]

Dear Diary,

I showed them on Spurstalk. Those newbs just don't learn. So I came up with an original idea of putting Flux451's name in a fake reply. OMG! He wasn't saying anything stupid, but since my dick is so small I pissed on my balls again this morning I had to take it out on someone. I wish I wasn't so quick to judge people and their threads but growing up was hard in the suburbs. Till next time.

your homie,

Exstatic

:lol

Butt-hurt much?

[Flux451]

Spurs may try to use him as trade bait for a team wanting to unload salary..Like Mil, Sac, Indy....to get a guy we can use who is younger. If we get stuck with him he still can be a solid player for 12mpg.......but Im over the 6-9 centers we need size.

Yeah I hear that. We may have Ben Wallace to thank for that trend. Bring on the 7 footers!!

[exstatic]

Yeah I hear that. We may have Ben Wallace to thank for that trend. Bring on the 7 footers!!

Sorry about your knee. You were pretty quick on that delete button.

I think you may be confusing old with ineffective. Kurt is EXTREMELY effective in limited minutes, 17 to be exact. To get a seven footer who can just provide exactly what Kurt does (tough defender, high rebounding rate, knockdown jumper), would probably run you $8-10M per year. Kurt gives us that for like $5M. Don't be so quick to throw that away.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Kurt is one tough motherfucker, I really like his game and I'm sure Pop and especially Tony and Manu do too.

I don't see him going anywhere.

[Flux451]

Sorry about your knee. You were pretty quick on that delete button.

I think you may be confusing old with ineffective. Kurt is EXTREMELY effective in limited minutes, 17 to be exact. To get a seven footer who can just provide exactly what Kurt does (tough defender, high rebounding rate, knockdown jumper), would probably run you $8-10M per year. Kurt gives us that for like $5M. Don't be so quick to throw that away.

Haha, yeah work related, thanks.

I agree he is effective. He would probably be the best option. I never doubted him, just wishing upon a 7 foot star.

[Biggems]

I have two issues with Kurt

1. Moving screens.....He gets called for this way too much, of course Gasol gets away with it everytime down the floor, but Thomas isn't Gasol. He has to play smarter and make sure he is set and doesn't move at all.

2. Stupid fouls - For a long time veteran, he sure does commit some foolish fouls. Sometimes it is like he is a rookie out there, just hacking at whatever moves.

I do like his toughness, leadership, attitude, and midrange jumper. He is also an adequate rebounder. If he could just minimize those two factors above...I would feel a lot more comfortable bringing him back next season.

[exstatic]

Haha, yeah work related, thanks.

I agree he is effective. He would probably be the best option. I never doubted him, just wishing upon a 7 foot star.

That 7 foot star costs. They are notoriously overpaid as a group.

Unless something ridiculous drops into the Spurs lap this summer along the lines of a Gasol for nothing type trade, I think Kurt is back next year to play out his deal.

[exstatic]

I have two issues with Kurt

1. Moving screens.....He gets called for this way too much, of course Gasol gets away with it everytime down the floor, but Thomas isn't Gasol. He has to play smarter and make sure he is set and doesn't move at all.

2. Stupid fouls - For a long time veteran, he sure does commit some foolish fouls. Sometimes it is like he is a rookie out there, just hacking at whatever moves.

I do like his toughness, leadership, attitude, and midrange jumper. He is also an adequate rebounder. If he could just minimize those two factors above...I would feel a lot more comfortable bringing him back next season.

You realize that for every moving screen or slap down foul he gets called for, he probably gets away with like 3 of each, uncalled.

Oh, and 5.1 rebs in 17 minutes is almost the same rebounding rate as Tim's 10.5 in 33.5, and more than "adequate". The supposedly good young rebounder, Drew Gooden, pulls down 3.8 in 16 minutes.

[rayray2k8]

I'd like to keep him on our roster for next year, but he's one guy that other teams would
be interested in acquiring via trade.
Which means he's trade bait.

[HarlemHeat37]

if the right deal comes along, obviously we should package him..but I'm a big fan of Kurt, and I wouldn't mind it at all if he returned next year, getting 15 MPG of playing time..

[timvp]

3 possibilities

traded this summer

traded at next trade deadline

end of next season when his contract expires

Pop obviously likes him, but his $4m expiring contract could be needed to acquire better, younger talent:tu He's 36 so if another team values him this summer, the Spurs would have to consider trading him with the thought that they are selling high. He's been damn good this season but, as we saw earlier in the season, if he slows down a little bit he quickly becomes a liability.

Hopefully he plays very well in the playoffs and forces the Spurs to want to keep him.

[Muser]

One of my favourite spurs. But if his expiring can get a decent player I say do it.

[spursfan1000]

Id say keep Kurt Thomas, he is a really really good post defender and who cares about his age, he is still productive and only costs 4 million, but as soon as he becomes a scrub im all on it to get rid of him. GO KuRT!

[024]

kurt thomas is a good low post defender. if he gets dragged out into the high post, he's pretty much useless. that's why he sucks against NO and utah. west and boozer like to play the high post. i think the spurs will keep him for bigman insurance. he's pretty cheap considering what he brings to the table in limited minutes.

[exstatic]

kurt thomas is a good low post defender. if he gets dragged out into the high post, he's pretty much useless. that's why he sucks against NO and utah. west and boozer like to play the high post. i think the spurs will keep him for bigman insurance. he's pretty cheap considering what he brings to the table in limited minutes.

He actually shocked me by doing a creditable job against that kid Green last game against OKC. He was refusing to go for the pump fakes. He basically said "the jumper is yours, but you are NOT driving for a dunk". The kid was off that night, and allowed Kurt to play more minutes than he normally would have against that lineup, and just RULE the glass against the youngsters.

[sananspursfan21]

who gave him the name roadblock? i don't think of him like that. he adds depth to the team. he shouldn't be playing center though, he's too short but he's a bruiser and he gets rebounds and is a good down low defender for guys like david west and lamar odom, so he will pry get traded but for now, i'm enjoying having him a part of the team

[dbestpro]

Kurt is the second best rebounder on the team behind Tim. Try to actually watch the games.

Your comment can easily be debated as Gooden could be declared the 2nd best rebounder based upon his overall body of work. Perhaps you should have said. "Try actually watching only the games that I watched were Thomas did a good job of rebounding." That we make more sense than your previous portentous post.

[Flux451]

who gave him the name roadblock? i don't think of him like that. he adds depth to the team. he shouldn't be playing center though, he's too short but he's a bruiser and he gets rebounds and is a good down low defender for guys like david west and lamar odom, so he will pry get traded but for now, i'm enjoying having him a part of the team

That was I. A GI JOE fan back then. I was refering to his hard picks when giving that name, not his speed. His boards and blocking definitely positives.

[sananspursfan21]

That was I. A GI JOE fan back then. I was refering to his hard picks when giving that name, not his speed. His boards and blocking definitely positives.

oh, misread, i thought roadblock as in 'no good for anything but causing the spurs to stumble'. i thought it was a dis. haha, oops

[Flux451]

oh, misread, i thought roadblock as in 'no good for anything but causing the spurs to stumble'. i thought it was a dis. haha, oops

All good, i can see how that can happen. thomas is one of my favs!

[angelbelow]

hes got an expiring next year at around 4 million. could be a valuable trade piece or a pure salary dump situation.

[HarlemHeat37]

roadblock is a solid nickname..look at the screens he sets..

[exstatic]

Your comment can easily be debated as Gooden could be declared the 2nd best rebounder based upon his overall body of work. Perhaps you should have said. "Try actually watching only the games that I watched were Thomas did a good job of rebounding." That we make more sense than your previous portentous post.

Sorry, I only watch Spurs players and games. Gooden's "body of work" before he got here interests me not at all.

[exstatic]

KT may be the best in the league at blocking shots at shoulder height or below. He has three tonight.

[HarlemHeat37]

his timing on blocks and rebounds is amazing..

[onarollbaby]

i hope the Spurs keep him, his work ethic and defensive presence is needed. He reminds me of Charles Oakley

[Flux451]

his timing on blocks and rebounds is amazing..

I agree, maybe his crazy eyes help him predict the future.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Kurt has been great since about 6 weeks into the season, I'd say our 3rd best player this year after Tony and Tim (Manu's season was crueled by injury), and will be back to play 15-20mins a game again next year, next to Tim, Ian, and probably Matt.

I think Gooden will take the money elsewhere, although if we can get him for a reasonable price he'd be a good scoring big off the bench.

[GSH]

I've always liked Thomas, and had a lot of respect for his strength inside. I thought he was gassed at the beginning of the season, because I didn't realize how bad his injury was. But he has been a beast for this team since he got healthy, and he's been very consistent about knocking down shots from mid-range, which we desperately need. There are times when the other team is going small that he might not be a good matchup. But we are going to play teams with respectable big men, and KT is strong, tough, and smart in the low blocks. It's hard for me to understand the disrespect he gets from some Spurs fans.

I don't know what the salary considerations will look like, but we could do a hell of a lot worse than having him coming off the bench.

[greyforest]

KT got 8 offensive rebounds tonight and led the teams +/- with +16

[ElNono]

To me, it's amazing that a guy that has probably 1" of elevation gets so many rebounds. That's both being strong and being smart about positioning/boxing out. I wish Bonner had 1/3 of the smarts/strength.

[HarlemHeat37]

I really hope he stays next year, since our team should be better..I really want the guy to get a ring..

[raspsa]

Where would the Spurs be without KT, specially with Timmy hobbled the past couple of months? He's been the Spurs best big man and gets the job done. period.

[Spur|n|Austin]

I'm hoping we hold on to him til his contract expires, then look for youth.