How the Unholy Trinity Impacts the Spurs

[timvp]

Does the Unholy Trinity make the Heat favorites to win the 2011 NBA championship?

Almost. I'd still give a slight edge to the Los Angeles Lakers until we see who the Heat plug into the middle. Chris Bosh can be soft at times so they'll need a few rugged bigmen to shore up their interior against Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

That said, I'm sure free agents will flock to South Beach to play alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Bosh. When the dust settles on free agency, the Heat could be clear title favorites.

Should Spurs fans be mad about the creation of the Unholy Trinity?

Not really. The Heat took a huge risk by pressing the reset button. If Bosh would have signed elsewhere, Wade wouldn't have returned to the barren Heat roster and James doesn't even consider Miami. But all the dominoes fell perfectly for the Heat and their risk was handsomely rewarded.

It's not like the Heat traded a bunch of garbage for a star bigman . . .

So, how does this alter what the Spurs need to do in the offseason?

Signing Tiago Splitter with the MLE should remain to be priority No. 1. If anything, the urgency should be increased due to Splitter's ability to defend out on the perimeter against a player like Bosh.

On the other hand, Richard Jefferson just lost even more value. If you are going to beat the Heat, you need at least one quality one-on-one defender at a swingman position. Currently, the Spurs have no one who qualifies. Re-signing Jefferson, a well below average one-on-one defender, could amount to suicide against the Heat. Acquiring a perimeter defender or two in place of Jefferson would theoretically give the Spurs a better chance to compete against the Wade and James duo.

If the Spurs abandon ship on Jefferson, where does he end up?

Good question. The teams with salary cap room are drying up fast. Those that still have room don't appear to need or want Jefferson. It's looks increasingly likely that the best offer Jefferson will see is the MLE.

Interestingly enough, James going to the Heat could open another door for Jefferson -- in Cleveland. The Cavs can free salary cap space and they suddenly have a gargantuan void at small forward.

Of the swingmen still available on the open market, which are the best fit for the Spurs?

Reports indicate that Wesley Matthews has received interest from the San Antonio. If the Spurs were to acquire him, that would make a lot of sense. He's a gritty defender who can space the floor with his shooting on the other end. Unfortunately, it'd be very difficult to acquire Matthews without a trade exception ... unless the Spurs don't end up using their MLE on Splitter.

Cheaper options that would fit well include Raja Bell, Matt Barnes, Rasual Butler and Tony Allen. But the chances of getting a bargain are diminishing. First of all, with the way franchises are throwing around money this summer, any free agent with a pulse will likely get a healthy wad of cash. On top of that, the Heat just became an irresistible destination for bargain basement players to quickly raise their stock.

Why does any of this even matter? Miami will soon become unbeatable while San Antonio's best days are behind them.

Yes, the odds of the Spurs winning the championship next season are slim. Whatever odds the Spurs had previously took a noticeable plunge yesterday as LeBron was stabbing Cleveland in the heart on live television.

But it isn't time to throw in the towel. The Heat won't be flawless right away. Injuries happen. Egos clash. Karma strikes.

Besides, championships aren't supposed to be easy -- despite what LeBron may think. Championships take hard work. Championships take dedication. A fifth championship by stunning the self-appointed King and his henchmen would be the ultimate way for that team from a sleepy South Texas city to put an exclamation point on a run of excellence no one could have ever imagined.

[Dex]

On point, as always, timvp.

[ploto]

Should Spurs fans be mad about the creation of the Unholy Trinity?

Spurs fans really have no right in the sense that the Spurs tried to clear as much cap room as they could in 2003 attempting to get Kidd and Jermaine. They just ended up with Rasho, Horry, and Hedo, but they tried to find money to bring in 2 more stars to play with Tim.

[honestfool84]

+1

now it's just a matter of doing it. :D

[timvp]

Should Spurs fans be mad about the creation of the Unholy Trinity?

Spurs fans really have no right in the sense that the Spurs tried to clear as much cap room as they could in 2003 attempting to get Kidd or Jermaine. They just ended up with Rasho, Horry, and Hedo, but they tried to find money to bring in 1 more stars to play with Tim.

Fixed.

[Blackjack]

The Spurs have a championship formula and it's one they'll have to stick to because there's no time to reformulate. All they can do is fill their needs with the best players possible and hope for the best.

It's really as simple as that.

[AFBlue]

Why does any of this even matter? Miami will soon become unbeatable while San Antonio's best days are behind them.

Yes, the odds of the Spurs winning the championship next season are slim. Whatever odds the Spurs had previously took a noticeable plunge yesterday as LeBron was stabbing Cleveland in the heart on live television.

But it isn't time to throw in the towel. The Heat won't be flawless right away. Injuries happen. Egos clash. Karma strikes.

Besides, championships aren't supposed to be easy -- despite what LeBron may think. Championships take hard work. Championships take dedication. A fifth championship by stunning the self-appointed King and his henchmen would be the ultimate way for that team from a sleepy South Texas city to put an exclamation point on a run of excellence no one could have ever imagined.

I actually don't think the odds plunged any further down than they already were. The Lakers are still the barometer, and despite a superstar trio, the Heat haven't proven a damn thing.

The rest of the one-man Q&A session was on-point though.

[ploto]

Fixed.

They were trying to get Kidd to take less than the Max to bring in a second guy- like Jermaine or Elton Brand (who was restricted).

[ElNono]

Doesn't really matter to me. I'll be cheering for our team wether the championship chances are slim or not. That's what being a fan is all about.

[Brazil]

Doesn't really matter to me. I'll be cheering for our team wether the championship chances are slim or not. That's what being a fan is all about.

:toast

[clubalien]

i am pretty sure the plan was always kidd +rasho
we couldn't afford oneal and kidd

[TD=HOF]

Doesn't really matter to me. I'll be cheering for our team wether the championship chances are slim or not. That's what being a fan is all about.

I'd love for the Spurs to get Raja, I think he'd be a perfect fit. Regardless, like Nono said, i'm cheering for my Spurs no matter what:flag:

[Gooshie]

Should Spurs fans be mad about the creation of the Unholy Trinity?

Spurs fans really have no right in the sense that the Spurs tried to clear as much cap room as they could in 2003 attempting to get Kidd and Jermaine. They just ended up with Rasho, Horry, and Hedo, but they tried to find money to bring in 2 more stars to play with Tim.

BIG difference: The Spurs were fresh off winning the 2003 NBA Title. Most of the cap room came because David Robinson retired.

The Heat? They have been in cap clearing mode for a few years now.

[austN Spur]

But it isn't time to throw in the towel. The Heat won't be flawless right away. Injuries happen. Egos clash. Karma strikes.



the first thing I thought was when Orlando tried to create a super team and GHill went down for a 9 count. Going out on national tv and announcing it the way he did can only bring bad karma. Dont wish anyone to get hurt but i feel like someone will.

[Blackjack]

They were trying to get Kidd to take less than the Max to bring in a second guy- like Jermaine or Elton Brand (who was restricted).

No, that's what fans were concocting. The Spurs targeted Kidd and made overtures to O'Neal should they miss out on their first choice.

[ElNono]

Plus RuPaul is kinda overrated.... just sayin' :hat

[will_spurs]

Doesn't really matter to me. I'll be cheering for our team wether the championship chances are slim or not. That's what being a fan is all about.

:flag:


One more note: the Knicks just got Turiaf, who doesn't fit in a 7SOL/d'Antoni system... he could help the Spurs a lot.

[5in10]

A fifth championship by stunning the self-appointed King and his henchmen would be the ultimate way for that team from a sleepy South Texas city to put an exclamation point on a run of excellence no one could have ever imagined.

THIS!!!:flag::flag::ihit

[venitian navigator]

I think it's now time to try to take Splitter in his (our) new home.
I wonder why it's not been done already...no way we can get Shaq or a defensive small forward, except if we benefit of a large trade excepion from a RJ deal (maybe with Cleveland?)
Really hope there wil be no problem...

[Cane]

San Antonio absolutely needs to go back to their defensive ways if they want to be successful against the stacked LA and Miami teams.

The Spurs cannot afford not to grab big, defensive oriented perimeter players. This is a team that gets manhandled on the boards and in the paint by Jared Dudley and Ron Artest....against both Wade and LeBron? :downspin:

[rascal]

The Spurs have a championship formula and it's one they'll have to stick to because there's no time to reformulate. All they can do is fill their needs with the best players possible and hope for the best.

It's really as simple as that.

There is no championship formula to copy. Those past teams are over. Thinking like that will lead to failure.

It is time to make the necessary adjustments and play to the strenghts of the players on the roster instead of trying to replicate some type of formula of past success.

[Bruno]

Unfortunately, it'd be very difficult to acquire Matthews without a trade exception ...

A trade exception wouldn't even help to get Matthews. Jazz will need to use their MLE to re-sign Mathews and you can't S&T a player signed with the MLE.

[HankChinaski]

All I've seen from Free Agency is western conference playoff contenders get weaker.

I'm not concerned much with Miami and their trinity this coming season. I still think they'll need a year to completely gel and fill out their roster to compliment those guys better.

How this impacts free agency is now that LBJ has made his decision we can now see CHI, CLE, NY, NJ all bid on free agents left out in the market still and watch and see if other teams make moves now via trade.

Typical quiet spurs office, always leaves me nervous.

[024]

spurs shouldn't worry about the heat yet. if they can get past the lakers, then they can match the heat. spurs should still be focusing on building a roster to beat the lakers.

[Blackjack]

There is no championship formula to copy. Those past teams are over. Thinking like that will lead to failure.

It is time to make the necessary adjustments and play to the strenghts of the players on the roster instead of trying to replicate some type of formula of past success.

And how would you assume they do that? What formula can they concoct that's better than what's proven and what players can they acquire to do so?

The Spurs' formula is fine, the personnel just needs to be tweaked.

You're living in Fantasyland if you believe the Spurs can just change course in one year without adding marquee talent to the roster. The Spurs just need to add Splitter, look for a legitimate small forward with size that can play the small forward in their system and hope that Anderson's a player and that their youth overall has a good amount of growth internally.

That's all they can really do at this point. It's their best shot at winning another ring, anyway . . .

[T-Pain]

right on Timvp

[Tito_Trinidad]

next odd year is last Spurs opportunity. There is no tomorrow after next season.

Offseason priorities:
1- sign Splitter NOW!
2- get a defensive oriented, long, young, athletic SF
3- health for Tim, Manu and Tony
4- fire Mason and Bonner
5- Tony needs to play DEFENSE. His improvement of defense will be the X factor.

[crc21209]

Damn timvp right on the money with his posts again...:tu

[TDMVPDPOY]

i will say this for the final time, we fcked up when pop starting to play small ball, allowing the other team to dictate smallball made us weak, it should be the other way around where we force our strengths onto the enemy and force them to play our game, the game style that won us 4 rings, the style that made other teams to rebuild to compete against us.

[SenorSpur]

If you are going to beat the Heat, you need at least one quality one-on-one defender at a swingman position. Currently, the Spurs have no one who qualifies.
Therein lies the big flaw with this roster. In fact, this has been a consistent roster deficiency since the last year of Bowen era.

Acquiring a perimeter defender or two in place of Jefferson would theoretically give the Spurs a better chance to compete against the Wade and James duo.
The sooner, the better.

Reports indicate that Wesley Matthews has received interest from the San Antonio. If the Spurs were to acquire him, that would make a lot of sense. He's a gritty defender who can space the floor with his shooting on the other end.
Word has it that Portland is hot on his trail too. Then again, what player aren't they hot after?

Cheaper options that would fit well include Raja Bell, Matt Barnes, Rasual Butler and Tony Allen. But the chances of getting a bargain are diminishing. First of all, with the way franchises are throwing around money this summer, any free agent with a pulse will likely get a healthy wad of cash. On top of that, the Heat just became an irresistible destination for bargain basement players to quickly raise their stock.
One of these cheaper options is likely to be the more realistic route. My fear is if the Spurs continue to wait, their chances of landing one of these "bargain basement" guys will be slim.

Great analysis, by the way.

[Xevious]

The Heat should be the last thing on the Spurs' mind. They need to get past LA first, and they currently don't have a roster that can compete.

[xtremesteven33]

Bruce Bowen has left those shoes to fill and RJ has not been able to fit in them. Damn Bowen was a Spurs legend. Shane Battier is the only player that comes to mind that could defend and play the same kinda role Bruce used to but theres no way we are getting him.

[SenorSpur]

Bruce Bowen has left those shoes to fill and RJ has not been able to fit in them. Damn Bowen was a Spurs legend. Shane Battier is the only player that comes to mind that could defend and play the same kinda role Bruce used to but theres no way we are getting him.

All the more reason why the Spurs should've planned better for the eventual departure of Bowen.

[xtremesteven33]

All the more reason why the Spurs should've planned better for the eventual departure of Bowen.



Youre right. Bowens departure is still kinda a mystery. He really didnt show any signs that he wouldnt be at least a servicable bench player.

I wonder what really happened....

[hater]

A fifth championship by stunning the self-appointed King and his henchmen would be the ultimate way for that team from a sleepy South Texas city to put an exclamation point on a run of excellence no one could have ever imagined.

:lmao

lay down the crack pipe

[TD 21]

If the Spurs abandon ship on Jefferson, where does he end up?

Good question. The teams with salary cap room are drying up fast. Those that still have room don't appear to need or want Jefferson. It's looks increasingly likely that the best offer Jefferson will see is the MLE.

Interestingly enough, James going to the Heat could open another door for Jefferson -- in Cleveland. The Cavs can free salary cap space and they suddenly have a gargantuan void at small forward.

This was my thought. There's the gargantuan hole at SF as you said, but also the Scott connection. We'll see how desperate Jefferson is to leave the Spurs if he takes a comparable offer from the Cavs, who are officially in no man's land. By that I mean, not good enough to do any damage, not bad enough to get high enough picks to get to the point of doing any damage.

Right now, the Cavs have about $9 million in cap space. Once they jettison West (sounds like Law may be his replacement) they'll have about $13 million in cap space. If they're just desperate to plug a hole and grab a headline or two, they may overpay for Jefferson.

[silverblk mystix]

spurs shouldn't worry about the heat yet. if they can get past the lakers, then they can match the heat. spurs should still be focusing on building a roster to beat the lakers.

building a roster to beat the lakers will NOT help when the spurs are getting eliminated by another team who presents bad matchups for the spurs...

and having re-signed bonner already gives ANY team a matchup advantage...

next to sign is probably rj ---which will be matchup advantage for MOST western conf teams...


on & on

the spurs are not striving for excellence---or dominance---anymore

but rather for MEDIOCRITY...

[timvp]

They were trying to get Kidd to take less than the Max to bring in a second guy- like Jermaine or Elton Brand (who was restricted).

:lol No they weren't. The Spurs had ~$15 million in cap space that summer. They first went after Kidd, then talked about Brand or O'Neal, then tried to get PJ Brown ... and then had to settle :depressed

[Obstructed_View]

Youre right. Bowens departure is still kinda a mystery. He really didnt show any signs that he wouldnt be at least a servicable bench player.

I wonder what really happened....

Uh, he got benched for no reason and then he got traded.

[ezau]

fuck the Heat and Lakers. I'm gonna cheer for the Spurs even if Timmy already hangs up his shoes. Go Spurs Go!!

[The Truth #6]

Unholy Trinity...at first I thought this was about RJ, Bonner, and some unnamed scrub/savior to be named later.

[mookie2001]

fuck the Heat and Lakers. I'm gonna cheer for the Spurs even if Timmy already hangs up his shoes. Go Spurs Go!!that would show youre a spursfan and not a duncan fan, awesome.

[Juanobili]

I don't see what's so hard about sticking to a team and rooting for them during good times and bad

I'm proud to call myself a Spurs fan for life :)

Let's beat LA

then the Heat

drive for five!!

[Gagnrath]

The Bowen mystery works like this. Bruce got old... Bruce lost a fair amount of quickness both in his first step and lateral movement, This resulted in Bruce getting beaten by his man more.... The NBA changed Bruce guarded perimeter superstars the ability to touch them went away, this hurt Bruce as much as the quickness thing that which wasn't a foul now was....... Bruce wasn't getting the benefit of the doubt against these guys the NBA wants protected at all costs anymore either...... The Spurs changed Bruce used to be helped by a 7 footer coming up to alter a shot if Bruce got beat.... Bruce funneled them in, between Duncan's declining speed and a general lack of solid interior defensive play by others Bruce couldn't funnel people to the shot alteration station anymore. Therefor due to the above factors Bruce was traded for his replacement with minor hard feelings to be had. The decently defensive but makes up for it with his scoring Richard Jefferson, Jefferson hasn't worked out quite as planned.

There was very apparent reasons why the much beloved Bruce was done and traded. I think there probably was an offer for a vet min contract for a year to groom his successor after he was "wink, wink" waived by the bucks then a retirement to the scouting, publicity, or coaching staff but something fell through there.

[The Truth #6]

I think what fell through was Bowen was annoyed that Pop chose Finley over him.

[said7]

Matt Barnes would be an awesome addition. Give some attitude and defense.

[Tito_Trinidad]

Tony+Manu+Duncan+Splitter+(any good SF not named RJ) >>>> Miami SHits

[Chieflion]

timvp, with the goods.

[ohmwrecker]

I think what fell through was Bowen was annoyed that Pop chose Finley over him.

Somewhere along the line Pop started to value offense over defense. This has been the fatal wound. Aside from the corner three, Bowen was never much of an offensive threat. When his effectiveness on defense started to slide he went with Finley. This led to more bad decisions like sticking with RMJ and Bonner even though they provided no virtually no defense and wilted on offense in pressure situations. He couldn't turn Bulldog Bogans into Bowen either.
The truth is, there is not going to be another Bowen. The Spurs have to refocus on team defense if they are going to succeed. I don't know if Tim still has enough juice to be the defensive anchor. Hopefully, Splitter will help. If Matt Barnes would sign for the LLE, I think that's the best we could do, but I'm not counting on it.

[ohmwrecker]

Tony+Manu+Duncan+Splitter+(any good SF not named RJ) >>>> Miami SHits

Any good SF not named RJ does not exist. It's time to get over this. We aren't getting anyone better. It's not happening. Wake the fuck up.