Bill Simmons ESPN recaps Spurs offseason (briefly)

[EmantheSpursFan]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090728

36. Do you know how to keep from getting charged for the ice below the floorboards at Chicago Stadium? Do you know how to do a
headlining tour? Do you know how to get a record not just pressed, but played? I didn't invent the rainy day, man. I just own the best umbrella.

To the Spurs. Just when we thought we could write them off, they trade a box of donuts for Richard Jefferson, steal DeJuan Blair and entice Antonio McDyess to leave Detroit for less money than Rasheed Wallace got. Throw in Roger Mason and George Hill and that's the best eight-man nucleus of the Duncan era. And you know they're laughing about it, too. I am convinced Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford go out for margaritas for three hours every Tuesday and laugh about how dumb the other front offices are. You can't tell me differently.

[tp2021]

No way Pop touches a margarita.

[Strike]

I am convinced Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford go out for margaritas for three hours every Tuesday and laugh about how dumb the other front offices are. You can't tell me differently.

:lmao

[nkdlunch]

the Dejuan Blair steal is something not even David Blaine could have pulled

[EmantheSpursFan]

Its nothing we didnt already know but its fun to read what the crazy mind of bill simmons thinks about it
:lol

[rjv]

well wine yes. and poor bowen, fab and KT being referred to as donuts. :lol

[Spursfan092120]

well wine yes. and poor bowen, fab and KT being referred to as donuts. :lol
Exactly what I was thinking..on both accounts. Bruce is at least a bear claw. Dude was a great player for this team. And Pop with a margarita? Hell no...dude loves his wine too much. But yes at the "best 8 man nucleus of the Duncan era" comment. Most definitely.

[TIMMYD!]

Bill Simmons is one of the handful of guys in the media that actually understand how good the Spurs Organization actually is. THANK YOU, BILL SIMMONS!

[bigdog]

Awesome.

[scottspurs]

lol. Bill Simmons isn't always funny, but this is hilarious.

[Greyberger]

I like his columns, but Bill Simmons is still on probation for his early-summer advice to trade Tony for Foye, expiring contracts and the 2009 No. 6:


OK, you're San Antonio. Your Duncan window is closing and so is your chance to contend. You're in NBA no-man's land, a little like Utah from 1999-2002: 45-50 wins guaranteed, no real chance of contending, no way of getting better because they spent too many years picking at the bottom of the first round. So what do you do? You can't trade Duncan; he's an icon and has to finish his career in San Antonio. You can't get fair value for Ginobili because of his injuries and because he's an expiring contract. Your best trade chip is Parker, a good character guy coming off a career year. He's also your most replaceable guy: a gifted scorer who can't shoot 3-pointers, isn't a traditional point guard and struggles to defend certain points. You only need to replace him with someone who can provide 80 percent of his numbers and you'll be OK. You also need to turn him into multiple pieces.

Foye is a scoring point guard like Parker (his January/February splits: 27 games, 19.3 PPG, 40 percent 3FG), he's four years younger, he's a quality 3-point shooter, he's on the books for cheap ($8.3 million combined in '09-10 and '10-11), and between Foye and George Hill, you have a shot of replacing nearly all of Parker's numbers. Plus, you're adding the sixth pick and some much-needed young blood (maybe swingman James Harden, power forward Jordan Hill or shooter Stephen Curry); you'd have $27 million of expiring deals (Cardinal, Bruce Bowen, Fabby Oberto, Kurt Thomas, Matt Bonner and Roger Mason) for a possible mega-trade during the season; and you're selling high on Parker, who will never have more value than he does right now. You're telling me that trade doesn't make sense?
What he doesn't explain is how Foye and Hill are supposed to replace the Tim-Tony high screen play, one of the most effective plays of the decade, or whether there's any reason to suggest Foye is ready to go deep in the playoffs.

[Agloco]

No way Pop touches a margarita.

+1

Now I could see both of them drunk in Pop's wine cellar.......:lol

[angelbelow]

Haha

[timtonymanu]

If Hairston and Mahinmi are anything special this year, the Spurs could have a great 10-man rotation.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

the Dejuan Blair steal is something not even David Blaine could have pulled

man I keep thinking about that fateful day and this one is on the other FOs. You also have to think that if you don't pick this guy, the Spurs will do and they will become stronger. I just can't concieve how they let him slip that far.

[jb4g]

man I keep thinking about that fateful day and this one is on the other FOs. You also have to think that if you don't pick this guy, the Spurs will do and they will become stronger. I just can't concieve how they let him slip that far.

and then instantly realize your mistake when you see the spurs pick up the phone so damn fast that the nba guy doesnt even get off the stage after announcing the previous pick.

doh!

[Nathan Explosion]

I like his columns, but Bill Simmons is still on probation for his early-summer advice to trade Tony for Foye, expiring contracts and the 2009 No. 6:

What he doesn't explain is how Foye and Hill are supposed to replace the Tim-Tony high screen play, one of the most effective plays of the decade, or whether there's any reason to suggest Foye is ready to go deep in the playoffs.



Ah, but knowing what we know now, that 6th pick would have been Ricky Rubio. I'm not saying Hill and Rubio replace Parker, but how interesting would THAT have been? Then they still come up with Blair in the 2nd round.

Having said that, I'd rather have the proven Parker still. I was just playing devil's advocate for a bit.

[Thompson]

If Hairston and Mahinmi are anything special this year, the Spurs could have a great 10-man rotation.

Don't forget Haislip. I know you can't really make sound judgements based on a highlight video, but he looked Odom-esque in that video that was floating around here the other day (not saying he's that good, just looked good in a highlight video). Then there's Williams, whom the Spurs seem to like.

Mahinmi, Haislip, Hairston, Williams, Blair and Hill. I can't wait to see which ones pan out (hopefully all, but how often does that happen?).

[Greyberger]

Ah, but knowing what we know now, that 6th pick would have been Ricky Rubio. I'm not saying Hill and Rubio replace Parker, but how interesting would THAT have been? Then they still come up with Blair in the 2nd round.

Having said that, I'd rather have the proven Parker still. I was just playing devil's advocate for a bit.

Yeah once you try out his premise that we could get multiple pieces for Parker and still do the RJ and Dice deals, we could go in a million different directions with it... but if Rubio is #5 and Flynn is #6, that's something of a glut at pg, isn't it? You'd have Foye, who could start but would be giving a lot of points back as a replacement for Parker. He has upside of course, having only played 200 games, but that's what you already have with Hill and mystery draft pick pg. No matter how you turn that into other assets (drafting at a different position, trading Foye, etc) you've gone from an 'A' quality pg to a 'B' in the starting lineup, and only widened the gap between the youth movement and the window for Tim/Manu/Dice.

You're taking a big step backwards in an important position, if anything we should wait out Parker's contract which at 12 mil is reasonable

[Das Texan]

outstanding!

[Summers]

:lol

[superbigtime]

No way in hell Pop would let go of parker after being the starting PG for this team since age 19 and he's been playing with Tim for so many years now. Too much time and effort invested in him, he would never want to start over with another PG. Even Simmons doesn't seem to understand and appreciate Parker's greatness. Great talent, 100% effort and a character guy. He represents the city very well. I love watching and cheering for Tony. One of my favorite players.