could splitter and javtokas be our future when tim retires

[ivanfromwestwood]

can anyone see this happening? when tim retires we need splitter and javtokas up front with blair. this is the most realistic lineup that i see. we did not invest in these guys to not call on them one day. cia pop is stashing all these foreign players for a reason.

[objective]

No, Javtokas is 29. If the Spurs signed him, then when TD retires he'd be what? 32, 33? 34 even?

And I addressed more points on the think tank thread.

BTW, Javtokas and Splitter together would have a hard time scoring, though Splitter is much better than Javtokas.

[ivanfromwestwood]

yea im bored and got tired of looking at the same threads for the last few days. wish kbp was here to chime in. i need a good laugh right about now.

[silk]

This thread is absurd, not to be pessimistic, but there won't really be a future once duncan retires, at least, not for several years.

That's why, for the next three years, the front office is ready to put the money

[Dalamar_the_Dark]

Let these 2 RIP please. They aint coming over.

[holcs50]

Javtokas is never, ever, ever going to come here. I give splitter like a 20% chance a few years from now...but really don't give two shits. People need to just not even consider these guys spurs-constantly bringing splitter up now is pointless, maybe a slight chance down the road-he'll want money-and who even knows if he'll be good at all.

[Spurs Brazil]

No way

[Obstructed_View]

The chances of Javtokas coming to the NBA ended with his motorcycle accident. If the Spurs have his rights, they aren't even worth throwing in on a trade. If Splitter's smart, he figures out a way to come to the Spurs right now. Somehow I don't think he's all that smart.

[tmtcsc]

Duncan is borderline irreplaceable. He's the best that's ever played his position and is probably in the top 10 players that have ever played the game.

We have absolutely no idea how Splitter will perform in the NBA and Javtokas shouldn't even be mentioned as any type of solution for the Spurs ever again. He once had potential but that potential never was realized and he has been relegated to a bench player in Europe.

Superstars in Europe have a hard enough time making it in the NBA.

[exstatic]

There IS no future when Tim retires. You just don't replace a HOF player with a couple of journeymen and carry on.

You'll know who the Spurs future is when they draft him with a high lottery pick they obtained by sucking.

[Parker2112]

I've given this thing some thoought, and I agree with those of you who believe Duncan is irreplaceable. However, I disagree that we fall off a cliff when Duncan leaves. I think the spending right now, pooling talent around TD in his last few years will be the bridge that allows us to keep the team out of mediocrity. That, Parker, and Splitter in particular.

I think the assumption that these moves are a last ditch effort to win the title before the window closes only see half the story. The other half is that we are bringing in players who might stick, and might possibly be our stars of the next era (Jefferson, Ian, DeJuan, Splitter) along with Tony. If one of these guys sticks at a high level, we might find ourselves one high profile free agent away from another big three.

No one will ever replace TD, but then again no one ever replaced David, Shawn or Avery either. That's why they call it a new era.

[Spursfan092120]

there won't really be a future once duncan retires, at least, not for several years.
I wouldn't go that far. Sure, it's likely...but Tim took over right after David..who knows who we might get in here to step up..we still have until 2012 to find that guy...anything's possible.

[FromWayDowntown]

If you think contending for a title is just a matter of plug-and-play -- that it doesn't take transcendant, franchise-defining players -- I'd submit that you haven't been paying much attention to the NBA's big picture.

When Tim Duncan retires, the choices are to try to remain a playoff team, but basically one that never has any chance to win a title (something like the current Sixers) OR to get really bad and hope to land the next franchise-changing player through the draft or free agency.

It doesn't make much sense to me to settle for being just mediocre enough to make the playoffs occasionally and being just mediocre enough to never have a realistic chance to land a high lottery pick.

[barbacoataco]

There is also a lot of luck in the lottery and the draft and even if you suck for a couple years that is no guarantee you'll get a top 3 draft pick, or even if you do that a true franchise type player will be available.

I say this because I would rather see the Spurs try to remain a contender than blow up the teama and hope to win the lottery.

Also, when Duncan is gone his contract will be gone and the Spurs will be able to use all that money on someone substantial.