Robinson on Spurs/splitter

[nbaman99]

http://projectspurs.com/2010-articles/june/the-admiral-qi-dont-think-we-should-do-too-much-changingq.html

[greyforest]

your link crashes my firefox

[tdunk21]

^ it worked in chrome....very good opinion.....although...i would love to see the admiral back on roster even if its for 3 mins.....lol...thats just me

[nbaman99]

sorry dude, it works fine on explorer

[4lifecowboy]

Why isn't anyone bringing up Greg Monroe as a potenial big man to pursue in the draft?

[TimDunkem]

Why isn't anyone bringing up Greg Monroe as a potenial big man to pursue in the draft?
Maybe it's because he's a potential top 5 pick?

[silverblackfan]

^ it worked in chrome....very good opinion.....although...i would love to see the admiral back on roster even if its for 3 mins.....lol...thats just me

worked in safari too. Ditto on seeing the Admiral in uniform.

[Shifty]

Worked on my Firefox too. So is not the browser, maybe something else is crashing it.

Anyway, is great to hear from David and a possible "return". Hey just play the last 5 minutes of the game and stand underneath the basket :D

[Blackjack]

Poor Tim. Bonner's presence has driven him to beg for the help of a guy who's been retired for 5-years. Don't worry, Timmy, Tiago's on his way!

There's got to be some wood around here, somewhere . . .

[ducks]

rj needs to be the man of the bench
he can score
let hill and rj play off the bench all year develop chemistry

LIMIT MANU MINUTES 30 minutes but let him start

[Spursfanfromafar]

Rj is an amazingly limited player who can't fit into any system and wants the system altered to fit him. He never looked like fitting with the Spurs and was a major disaster, during playoff time. Besides he seems to play well only when Manu is on the court and if you want him to play from the bench, he would want to be seventh man to Manu's sixth. That means, we have a starting 5 which is woefully short of talent. Trading RJ will be near impossible, but I hope the Spurs try their best to do that, through the Draft or during the offseason. RJ is a wasted experiment.

[Mel_13]

rj needs to be the man of the bench
he can score
let hill and rj play off the bench all year develop chemistry

LIMIT MANU MINUTES 30 minutes but let him start

Who starts at SF?

[Mel_13]

Paul George!!

I forgot, we're gonna get him with 10th pick after we trade Tony to Indiana.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Overall I think RJ was set up for failure. People here at Spurstalk expected him to be the man. A player who would bring the Spurs back to the finals, when he was never that good. He only averaged 20 points per game with the Bucks as the first option.

I think when this season came to an end RJ knew that he wasn't agressive enough, but whenever you play with someone new you don't play your game. The biggest disapointment for the Spurs was actually Roger Mason. Man couldn't hit a jump shot.

Am not so sure. I (can't speak for others) merely wanted him to be the fourth guy, hit some shots, post up at times, shoot the 3 when needed, play appreciable defense and stay healthy all year in a squad that had some problems in that front. Apparently the only consistent thing he managed was the last point - staying healthy. He was a major disappointment in the playoffs, losing his jump shot when needed most, looking lost on defense more often than not and fell down the depth chart with even an ankle injured George Hill better than him.

RJ is a vet, who yes, played Princeton offense most of his NBA life. But to wait for one whole year and still not managing to adjust, was for me, too much to take.

Mason Jr was a scrub before he came to the Spurs and did his thing with buzzer beaters last season. This season, he had injuries on his shooting hand and lost the one skill he had. For me, he was more "under par" than a disappointment, because I never had too many illusions about Roger Mason Jr.

[HankChinaski]

When it comes to RJ...I sit disappointed. What looked great on paper really didn't seem to be that way when the season came and went. In the playoffs he showed some promise but like others had mentioned he was lost or screwing up defensive assignments. I've begun to question his mental toughness to stay in the game especially when he lost his 3pt touch coming into our system. He just seemed more and more at a lost with what he could do with out the able hands of a PG feeding him in transition. I'd imagine that the Spurs coaches spoke to him with their thoughts of an off season plan to work with in regards to fitting in better in the line-up and schemes. So honestly i can't imagine him ignoring working on the next two things

1. If he can rebuild that 3pt shooting he had with the Bucks

2. focus his attention as well to the spurs defensive schemes coming into this next season, I will have better hopes of him contributing to this squad.

If he's just not quite there or simply is just a wash in regards to never being a fit for the spurs come the trade deadline, well the F.O. has options to consider with what to do with him.

Back on to the thread topic.

I don't see Splitter the savior in the spurs roster, but if his post game can contribute at the NBA level and take some stress off of duncan having to bang it inside as often throughout the season, that in itself is a plus for the Spurs and their post season chances in getting back to the finals.

My hopes are that since he has accomplished what he has accomplished with the MVP and Finals MVP awards that he will interested in jumping the next stage in competitive sports here. I wouldn't fault him for staying in Europe for more money. Because overall if I was offered a better position in a new city with a higher upside for promotion and improvement and then my current boss or someone in the company offered me something MORE in salary to stay on. How could you not consider it nor feel guilty overall when family and your own personal concerns outside of your work come into play?

[DPG21920]

We can deal w a lesser player talent wise starting at sf IMO as long as they fit better. Like bogans was supposed to. If the spurs can find a bogans/bell type
player in fa or a young piece in the draft, it would be great.

[Chomag]

^ it worked in chrome....very good opinion.....although...i would love to see the admiral back on roster even if its for 3 mins.....lol...thats just me

Funny thing is even at his age he would probably be better then most our other bigs not names TD. lol

[silverblk mystix]

i would be ok with d rob playing the last two minutes of the 4th qtrs---all season long---

then maybe the last 5-7 minutes of the 4th qtr in the playoffs...

[Ginobilly]

The sad thing is that David Robinson, at this point in his life, is still a better basketball player than Matt Bonner. Which has sucked for us Spurs fans and Timmy the last 3 years.:depressed

[MaNu4Tres]

Rj is an amazingly limited player who can't fit into any system and wants the system altered to fit him.He never looked like fitting with the Spurs and was a major disaster, during playoff time. Besides he seems to play well only when Manu is on the court and if you want him to play from the bench, he would want to be seventh man to Manu's sixth. That means, we have a starting 5 which is woefully short of talent. Trading RJ will be near impossible, but I hope the Spurs try their best to do that, through the Draft or during the offseason. RJ is a wasted experiment.

Not necessarily. Jefferson seemed like the perfect fit given his performance in Milwaukee prior to the Spurs acquiring him. He was a 40% three point shooter in a whopping 292 attempts in Milwaukee, which indicated to many of us and the Spurs F.O that he would be a great fit that could spread the floor (in Manu and Tony P&R opportunity and in 4 down).

Unfortunately Jefferson lost all confidence in his 3 point stroke during the middle of the season and had a hard time "fitting" the Spurs offense because how important spot up shooting is because of the high volume of Manu and Tony pick and roll plays and Tim's interior presence.

If Jefferson just improves or finds the confidence in the 3 point stroke he's had in 4 of his 9 NBA seasons, it will do wonders for the Spurs. Especially from the corner. Teams will have to respect his shot and close out on him a lot harder, which will open up more driving opportunities for him after Tony and Manu pass out of their penetrating attempts from the pick and roll.

I honestly believe it is possible for Jefferson to fit better next year, given that he's had successful seasons shooting from 3 and for the fact that it is his contract year, which means he should be more than prepared for this upcoming season with the Spurs.

Trading Jefferson is nearly impossible as I've stated here:


Trading Richard Jefferson's contract for a "better fit" is virtually impossible to do.

There's less than a handful of guys out there to begin with that are a great fit for the Spurs. Three criteria exists for such a player IMO:
1) Defensive oriented- great one on one perimeter defender
2) Can hit the three with consistency
3) Long enough to be as effective guarding the longer, taller wings in the league such as( Melo, Durant, LeBron, Roy, Kobe, Joe Johnson ect.)

Wings 6'7 and above (exception Lee)on the top of my head that exhibit one criteria (defensive oriented):In order IMO

1. Thabo Sefolosha
2. Luc Mbah a Moute
3. Trevor Ariza
4. Gerald Wallace
5. Shane Battier
6. Stephen Jackson
7. Courtney Lee
8. Nicolas Batum
9. Ronnie Brewer
10. Martell Webster

Now you filter those guys into the category: Can spread the floor by shooting the 3 ball with consistency.

1. Thabo Sefolosha (barely)
3. Trevor Ariza
5. Shane Battier
6. Stephen Jackson
7. Courtney Lee
8. Nicolas Batum
10. Martell Webster

Now lets see how available these 7 guys are:

1. Thabo Sefolosha- Signed a very cheap-valued extension with the Thunder that runs through 2014. Virtually impossible to pry away from Thunder. Only makes roughly 3 million a year. Virtually untouchable.
2. Trevor Ariza- IMO was underpaid by the Rockets with the MLE. Highly doubt Rockets are looking to trade him due to his relatively cheap contract for the amount of production he puts on the court on both ends. Most likely not available
3. Shane Battier - Could be available at the trade deadline if Rockets aren't in contention due to his expiring contract. Won't know his availability til mid-February. Even so it's less likely Morey gives such a valuable piece to a division rival.
4. Stephen Jackson- Leading the Bobcats to the playoffs for the first time makes him virtually untouchable being owned by Jordan's competitive spirit, unless Bobcats are the Nets of the league by the trading deadline. Then Bobcats may consider parting ways with their long-term expensive contracts. (Won't know his availability til mid-February)
5. Courtney Lee - Still on a very cheap rookie scale salary. His productivity output surpasses his salary by a wide margin. Making his availability less likely.
6. Nicolas Batum- See above
7. Martell Webster- Has a contract that pays him 4.8 next year and 5.2 the next with a team option for the 3rd year in 2013. Could be trade-able with the improvement of Batum, if they draft a wing with the 22nd pick. They were interested in Jefferson at the 2009 trading deadline. Jefferson plus 20th pick for Webster+Pryzbilla's expiring(player value insignificant with torn patella tendon)+ maybe Fernandez or Cunningham may get the Blazers to think for at least a second. (Possibly available)

As you can see there's virtually no "better fit's" out there that are realistically possible for the Spurs to attain.

All in all, Spurs fan's underestimated the value Bruce Bowen brought to the Spurs. He was a key component in the efficient well-oiled machine on both ends of the court that lasted from 2003 to 2008. Looking for such a player will be virtually impossible to attain.


IMO With this reasoning Spurs are better off keeping Jefferson. Perhaps a summer with Chip can do wonders for his confidence and revitalize the 40% clip he shot from the distance with the Bucks just a year ago.


In regard of the thread...

IMO These things need to happen for Spurs to have a better chance at competing for a championship:

1. Sign Splitter

2. Find a 5th wing to step up and be consistent on both ends night in and night out. ( Through the draft, free agency or have Hairston or Gee really improve and step up to the plate.) *Preferably a wing with height and length*

3. The improvement of Richard Jefferson. Sick Chip Engelland on him the entire summer and revamp his confidence. A more consistent Jefferson on the offensive end would do wonders for his overall hustle and activity on the defensive end.

4. The improvement of Blair and Hill.

Those 4 things plus Manu and Tony having the summer off to rest and work on their respective games can catapult the Spurs into contention for number 5. IMO

In other words....A fresh coat of paint

[G-Dawgg]

I really don't understand why everybody hates on RJ so much.. sure he's making the big bucks and didn't make a smooth transition but as soon as he gets accustomed to the Spurs he'll be a a deadly weapon. I mean he has everything we need in player, length athleticism, good shooting range, experience and he's not old. Also he's been a proven scorer on every other team he played on. I personally believe it's up to Popovich as a coach to utilize RJ to HIS STRENTHS rather than put all the responsibility on him to adjust or adjust the style of play slightly to suit Jefferson's abilities when he's on the court...The Spurs did have alot of success in the 2nd half of this year with Tim throwing quick outlet passes to RJ and Hill on fastbreak leak-outs. I think Popovich should have to earn his paycheck too and that's his job as a coach to make these types of adjustments. I think if they invested a bit of time in helping Jefferson fit in he could really benefit this team.

[Chomag]

I really don't understand why everybody hates on RJ so much.. sure he's making the big bucks and didn't make a smooth transition but as soon as he gets accustomed to the Spurs he'll be a a deadly weapon. I mean he has everything we need in player, length athleticism, good shooting range, experience and he's not old. Also he's been a proven scorer on every other team he played on. I personally believe it's up to Popovich as a coach to utilize RJ to HIS STRENTHS rather than put all the responsibility on him to adjust or adjust the style of play slightly to suit Jefferson's abilities when he's on the court...The Spurs did have alot of success in the 2nd half of this year with Tim throwing quick outlet passes to RJ and Hill on fastbreak leak-outs. I think Popovich should have to earn his paycheck too and that's his job as a coach to make these types of adjustments. I think if they invested a bit of time in helping Jefferson fit in he could really benefit this team.

Oh we all know RJ is loaded with Talent, no question there. However his weakenst flaw is his mental toughness. Those kind of players you will not win a championship with.

[rjv]

Oh we all know RJ is loaded with Talent, no question there. However his weakenst flaw is his mental toughness. Those kind of players you will not win a championship with.

not if you have no other mentally tough players> the same was said about david for years, and sean and so on...

[honestfool84]

i agree 100%.

[Spursfanfromafar]

Not necessarily. Jefferson seemed like the perfect fit given his performance in Milwaukee prior to the Spurs acquiring him. He was a 40% three point shooter in a whopping 292 attempts in Milwaukee, which indicated to many of us and the Spurs F.O that he would be a great fit that could spread the floor (in Manu and Tony P&R opportunity and in 4 down).

Unfortunately Jefferson lost all confidence in his 3 point stroke during the middle of the season and had a hard time "fitting" the Spurs offense because how important spot up shooting is because of the high volume of Manu and Tony pick and roll plays and Tim's interior presence.

If Jefferson just improves or finds the confidence in the 3 point stroke he's had in 4 of his 9 NBA seasons, it will do wonders for the Spurs. Especially from the corner. Teams will have to respect his shot and close out on him a lot harder, which will open up more driving opportunities for him after Tony and Manu pass out of their penetrating attempts from the pick and roll.

I honestly believe it is possible for Jefferson to fit better next year, given that he's had successful seasons shooting from 3 and for the fact that it is his contract year, which means he should be more than prepared for this upcoming season with the Spurs.

Trading Jefferson is nearly impossible as I've stated here:

I don't disagree. RJ was brought in because of stated faith in some of his abilities. But as I pointed out earlier, his abilities seem to thrive only when the system is tweaked for him and not the other way around. He prefers the running game and fast transitions and can't manage to shoot when it is required of him to shoot.

It is easier said than done to let him work on his jump shot and make him fit better. I think it is as much impossible as it is to trade him. Thats because he is not so much a fit as a situational presence, as much he would like to perpetually be in the scheme of things.

So in other words, a fresh coat of paint will not crease away the rust accumulated, is my opinion. And as much effort must be made to trade him within the constraints that you mention very well.