Aron Baynes to sign with the Spurs

[cd021]

According to draft express its a 3 year deal with 2 years being team options and roughly worth $2million with 750,000 (possibly less because the season is near the halfway point.)

Spursnation reports that it could take as much as a month to complete any deal (they used Mills the basis from when he was reported to sign and when he actually played his first game.)

[BackHome]

He seems to have the physical tools necessary for it. Tall, pretty good wingspan, decent leaper, and he seems to have at least some lateral quickness. Mentally, I'm not sure. I read something that said he didn't get into basketball until he was 16. He was a rugby player before that so he certainly won't lack toughness. Here's the article: http://london2012.olympics.com.au/athlete/aron-baynes/meet

The Dude is a Beast...I can tell you no player is going to want to try and stop him from dunking for risk of getting there arm torn off.

[Jumi]

I think a lot of people are getting way too excited, I could easily see him being sent to the d league. However with Blair playing so bad it leaves room for a 5th big, same with Pop giving up on Bonner. Even if he does play well I don't expect him to get any mins just like Splitter.

If the kid plays well and Pop doesn't give him any extra minutes, then wtf!! The only thing this teams need is a hustle guy that can get you a few 50/50 balls a game, a guy to set a few tough screens and add a little toughness when the starters need a rest. I think everyone is excited because unlike alot of teams that need major pieces to get over the hump, what we have already is pretty damn good! We're competitive in most games so a little tweak or two here and there could provide major benefits!

It's like giving Batman a better batsuit! He was kickin yo ass at first....... now he just fucks you up!!

[cd021]

I wonder if the spurs would preempt the risk of a big offer, for Splitter by offering him something like a 5 year, 25 million dollar deal,

I know other teams can only offer four years, with some being able to offer comparable money for less years.

If Baynes pans out for the Spurs they can release Blair (not ideal given his production earlier in his career) and possibly move Bonner for a future 2nd round pick or simply waive him in the off season.

This years draft also has a lot of big men expected to go in the 1st round the spurs could really reshape their big man rotation in a short amount of time .

[007nites]

He's 7 foot and 260 pounds. That's good enough for me lol.

[AussieFanKurt]

He was impressive for Boomers, deserved more time. Happy with this signing. Cya Blair

[Samr.]

There will always be a place in the league and minutes in the games for big, big men. #EddyCurry #TractorTraylor

[Russ]

TD, TP and Ginobili all took every last cent when they were signing their first big-money deal. Splitter will be no different.

Nice company. :tu

[MANUNG-Ginobili]

I honestly haven't heard anything from this guy..here's some footage of him..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOAPXnrt208
pretty decent player..
and he's actually a slam dunk contest winner..lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi_M5yr90EA

[aal04]

IMO... Grab every youngish big guy with a hint of potential we can and let the Spurs develop them.

Look at our draft picks for the last 15 years. All low picks, yet we keep finding/developing quality players.

We make the most out of what we are given.

Baynes is raw, athletic, large and has some potential, if there is any talent in him the Spurs will find it

[Strategic]

It's already noted on Baynes' Wikipedia site that he signed a contract with the Spurs today. Must be gospel.............lol

[dallasmaverickslose]

This guy looks like a total BADASS

[urunobili]

He could rug up with Collison and all dirty bigs of the west :tu

[Russ]

I honestly haven't heard anything from this guy..here's some footage of him..


He looks like Bill Wennington after a Happy Meal.

[ace3g]

I wonder what number Baynes will wear since he can't wear his normal # 12

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4883/baynesbanecopy.jpg

[dallasmaverickslose]

I wonder what number Baynes will wear since he can't wear his normal # 12

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4883/baynesbanecopy.jpg

I bet he'll wear #10

[bigfan]

Could maybe be a Rasho (good) or could be a Cherokee Parks. Guess we will find out. Adios Mr Blair. And re Splitter, its a professional league, if he gets more money elsewhere why would anyone expect him to stay? That said, I hope we can keep the guy, he is finally getting playing time and delivering. Finally, Im still pissed we didnt somehow get Javtokas, even after his accident. The guy was a beast.

[capek]

I wonder what number Baynes will wear since he can't wear his normal # 12

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4883/baynesbanecopy.jpg

:lol Nice! :tu

[spurtech09]

I just hope he plays this season....I would like to see what this guy can do....He looks like a big physical dude...spurs need something like that on there team...splitter is weak when it comes to toughness

[RD2191]

is he suppose to be a better version of blair?

[TDMVPDPOY]

just another big will goto waste on the spurs, since the clowns are in winning mode dont have time to be developing shit

[timtonymanu]

I wonder what number Baynes will wear since he can't wear his normal # 12

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/4883/baynesbanecopy.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_M7_yPVHRcao/SiANmJqWU_I/AAAAAAAABUA/EH51Zy2I-to/s400/aron-baynes-washington.jpg

My guess is he'll wear his Washington State number. Looks like he also wears #44, but we all know who claims that number.

http://www.nba.com/media/act_richard_jefferson.jpg

Just kidding. :lol

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

He could rug up with Collison and all dirty bigs of the west :tu

Intersting comment. I think Baynes will be a Collison type after a few years in the NBA, and if he's as good as Collison I'll be very happy.

[lurker23]

Haven't read the full thread, so sorry if some of this has been covered.

We all knew the Spurs needed another big man to sure-up their rotation. Duncan/Splitter/Diaw + small ball wasn't going to cut it depth-wise heading into the playoffs, as an injury to one of those three would basically end the season. The major choices were:

1. Continue to start Duncan/Splitter, find a true 5 to pair with Diaw.
2. Go back to Duncan/Diaw, find an athletic 4 to pair with Splitter.

While I think the Spurs will continue to watch the trade market, I think this trade is a good sign that they've chosen option #1. Assuming Baynes pans out and can take on a solid 10-20 minutes, you can shop Blair and/or Bonner with more confidence.

[spurraider21]

is he suppose to be a better version of blair?
at the very least he's looks like a blair that can play above the rim.

[spurraider21]

Haven't read the full thread, so sorry if some of this has been covered.

We all knew the Spurs needed another big man to sure-up their rotation. Duncan/Splitter/Diaw + small ball wasn't going to cut it depth-wise heading into the playoffs, as an injury to one of those three would basically end the season. The major choices were:

1. Continue to start Duncan/Splitter, find a true 5 to pair with Diaw.
2. Go back to Duncan/Diaw, find an athletic 4 to pair with Splitter.

While I think the Spurs will continue to watch the trade market, I think this trade is a good sign that they've chosen option #1. Assuming Baynes pans out and can take on a solid 10-20 minutes, you can shop Blair and/or Bonner with more confidence.
as much as i like what i've seen from baynes, its not like pop to give a new guy much of a role, especially in the playoffs. look at what happened to Tiago year 1 and Patty last year

[TheSkeptic]

as much as i like what i've seen from baynes, its not like pop to give a new guy much of a role, especially in the playoffs. look at what happened to Tiago year 1 and Patty last year

But at the same time Diaw played last season. I'm guessing that this guy isn't on Diaw's level though.

[timtonymanu]

as much as i like what i've seen from baynes, its not like pop to give a new guy much of a role, especially in the playoffs. look at what happened to Tiago year 1 and Patty last year

I think Dex brought it up perfectly. Pop definitely has changed his tune the last few years. George Hill got a lot of burn in his rookie season, but he didn't get much time in the playoffs unfortunately. Blair was a key part of the rotation his rookie year. Neal too. Anderson was getting a lot of minutes before his injury. Leonard was a starter last year.

Tiago was hurt for majority of the training camp which is why Pop was so hesitant with him. Had Tiago been healthy for training camp, who knows how it would have played out?

Patty Mills wasn't a rookie last year, but the intent was for him to be a backup.

[TDMVPDPOY]

is this the aussie version javtokas?

[SpurPadre]

Intersting comment. I think Baynes will be a Collison type after a few years in the NBA, and if he's as good as Collison I'll be very happy.

Well, Collison started playing in the NBA at age 22 so if Baynes were to be that good, he would've been in the league already instead of not sniffing the pro level until he's 26. It's not like he played international ball all his life like Splitter and Manu and so, took a while to get to the NBA. Wouldn't this dude have been drafted in the NBA after college if he were to be of any use here?

[rapliketp]

Baynes is 6-9/10. He clearly isn't a 7 footer when standing next to those guys.

[ploto]

Why would Splitter take less money to play with the Spurs? It is not like he is taking less money to play with a prime Duncan and Ginobili.

[TDMVPDPOY]

looks like all the australian bigs mesh into one on roids....

[spurraider21]

Patty Mills wasn't a rookie last year, but the intent was for him to be a backup.
patty had been with the blazers before. i know he wasn't a rookie but he was a midseason acquisition and he didn't log any important minutes in the playoffs. this guy hasn't played an nba game and didn't have camp or anything like that. as of now he'll probably still be behind bonner in the rotation, but he might already be ahead of blair, which is a no brainer, since blair brings nothing to the table these days

[spurraider21]

But at the same time Diaw played last season. I'm guessing that this guy isn't on Diaw's level though.
diaw has been around the league for a while and his game is known. he was a big part of those suns teams that we faced. he had seen big playoff minutes. thats why jax got burn last year too. but tiago didn't get playoff burn his first year, neither did george hill. kawhi was an exception though

[timtonymanu]

patty had been with the blazers before. i know he wasn't a rookie but he was a midseason acquisition and he didn't log any important minutes in the playoffs. this guy hasn't played an nba game and didn't have camp or anything like that. as of now he'll probably still be behind bonner in the rotation, but he might already be ahead of blair, which is a no brainer, since blair brings nothing to the table these days

Yeah I'm just saying Patty probably didn't get any burn because he was the 3rd string PG - TJ Ford's replacement.

Guys like Diaw and Jack got a lot of playing time though because they fulfilled a need - starting PF and backup SF.

[TDMVPDPOY]

diaw has been around the league for a while and his game is known. he was a big part of those suns teams that we faced. he had seen big playoff minutes. thats why jax got burn last year too. but tiago didn't get playoff burn his first year, neither did george hill. kawhi was an exception though

this is where the problem is, the rookie seasons...the players held their own when given the assignments, only to see them not get any minutes in the playoffs against the same player assignments they contained....

[Brazil]

Why would Splitter take less money to play with the Spurs? It is not like he is taking less money to play with a prime Duncan and Ginobili.

Cauz we are class

[spurraider21]

this is where the problem is, the rookie seasons...the players held their own when given the assignments, only to see them not get any minutes in the playoffs against the same player assignments they contained....
true. i'm just the messenger though lol

[TD 21]

When was that? When the Spurs signed him, they were offering him more money than any other team in the world. Sure, he didn't get every last drop of what the Spurs could offer but he was still being offered the most from the Spurs, so his leverage to get it all was extremely limited.

The case is stronger that Splitter will go to the highest bidder. First of all, just about every player in history goes to the highest bidder. Secondly, remember back to when Splitter was drafted. He said he was going to come over the next summer. However, when the time came, he decided to spurn San Antonio in order to take a contract in Europe that was more money than what the Spurs could offer. That is a clear example of Splitter picking money over the Spurs so I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything differently. In fact, Splitter has always gone with the team offering the most money.

If a team throws huge money at Splitter, he's going to take it.

He clearly signed for a surprisingly low number. His leverage was this: To stay in Europe. I know he said he wanted to come over, but he still had that in his back pocket if he were consumed with getting every last cent out of them.

That's overstating it. The vast majority do, but despite the perception, there's probably more guys in the NBA who have taken less than any other sport. Particularly those on or going to elite teams. Now I know he hasn't gotten his "big" contract yet, but I think he knows that he can't possibly find a better situation than this and I think he'll value that more than getting every last cent. Green was in a similar situation last summer, they got him signed at a very reasonable number and he's made less than Splitter's made. I know the demand for Splitter will be much greater, but still.

I know they technically can't sign him before July 1st, but they could easily agree in principal to something beforehand.

[swaggerjackson]

I don't know if this has been asked, but why is the signing taking place now? If I am not mistaken he is midseason over in Europe, just as we are now. Shouldn't he atleast been a training camp invite or something?

[TDMVPDPOY]

He clearly signed for a surprisingly low number. His leverage was this: To stay in Europe. I know he said he wanted to come over, but he still had that in his back pocket if he were consumed with getting every last cent out of them.

That's overstating it. The vast majority do, but despite the perception, there's probably more guys in the NBA who have taken less than any other sport. Particularly those on or going to elite teams. Now I know he hasn't gotten his "big" contract yet, but I think he knows that he can't possibly find a better situation than this and I think he'll value that more than getting every last cent. Green was in a similar situation last summer, they got him signed at a very reasonable number and he's made less than Splitter's made. I know the demand for Splitter will be much greater, but still.

I know they technically can't sign him before July 1st, but they could easily agree in principal to something beforehand.
its only a 1 year deal anyway, he looking to get a bigger pay day if everything works out for him

or else he can just return to europe or china if it doesnt workout, he can still earn more then nba minumum or whatever is offered in australia...

in australia the bush league, imports can earn max 1m, dunno about local players...dont think any local player is earnning 1m, all chose to go play overseas where the pay is better...

[TD 21]

its only a 1 year deal anyway, he looking to get a bigger pay day if everything works out for him

or else he can just return to europe or china if it doesnt workout, he can still earn more then nba minumum or whatever is offered in australia...

in australia the bush league, imports can earn max 1m, dunno about local players...dont think any local player is earnning 1m, all chose to go play overseas where the pay is better...

I was talking about Splitter, not Baynes.

Ultimately, if the Spurs lose Splitter, it'll be in part because he was in fact after every last cent, but more so because they were morally opposed to paying him more than any of the big three. This idea that he'll get an offer too rich for them to match though, is just typical Spurs fan panic. He's restricted and they'll have enough flexibility to match and avoid the tax even if he get's offered something astronomical.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I was talking about Splitter, not Baynes.

Ultimately, if the Spurs lose Splitter, it'll be in part because he was in fact after every last cent, but more so because they were morally opposed to paying him more than any of the big three. This idea that he'll get an offer too rich for them to match though, is just typical Spurs fan panic. He's restricted and they'll have enough flexibility to match and avoid the tax even if he get's offered something astronomical.
cause the spurs tend to low ball their own players when they hit FA....doesnt help when u have teams under the cap throwing out deals to players with no intention of signing just to stuff up other teams cap resigning the player over commitment...

this guy is nice insurance though if what said is true

[Chinook]

Ultimately, if the Spurs lose Splitter, it'll be in part because he was in fact after every last cent, but more so because they were morally opposed to paying him more than any of the big three.

I don't think Spurs have any problem with Splitter getting paid more than the Big Three. I feel that the reason why Duncan took so little money, and why I think Ginobili will do the same is so that the young players can get the contracts they deserve. I'm not sure Duncan would be too happy if the Spurs went away from Splitter after he (Duncan) took less so that they could keep the team together. This isn't a team like the Lakers where the stars have to eat first and have the biggest pieces. At this point all Duncan cares about is winning. If the Spurs think Splitter is necessary to helping them win and is worth $8.5 Million a year in a vacuum, then not signing him because he'd get paid a little more than Ginobili would be absurd.

[slick'81]

dont know anything about the dude but hes a big soo great

[RD2191]

http://distilleryimage3.s3.amazonaws.com/cc1e17e4492d11e2a03a22000a1fbd56_7.jpg

[TDMVPDPOY]

did the spurs sign him so he can wave a towel with mills and brown on the bench?

[Buddy Holly]

Baynes is 6-9/10. He clearly isn't a 7 footer when standing next to those guys.

He was measured as 7 feet in shoes.

[Buddy Holly]

did the spurs sign him so he can wave a towel with mills and brown on the bench?

Fuck man. We get it. It's time to stop now.

[outmap]

He's 6-10.5" w/o shoes. :)

[will_spurs]

diaw has been around the league for a while and his game is known. he was a big part of those suns teams that we faced. he had seen big playoff minutes. thats why jax got burn last year too. but tiago didn't get playoff burn his first year, neither did george hill. kawhi was an exception though

Indeed you can't compare players with proven NBA experience (Diaw, Jackson) with players coming from overseas who haven't adapted to the NBA yet, or rookies who aren't starters. Talking about real rookies (i.e. not Manu or Splitter) it seems clear to me that there are 2 types of rookies in Pop's mind: starters (Duncan, Parker, Kawhi) and bench (everybody else, including Hill or Blair). Starters will get PT in their first playoff run. The others won't.


Fuck man. We get it. It's time to stop now.

So you're telling me there are still some people on ST who don't have TDumboMVPYOYO on ignore? Wow.

[Thompson]

For his first entrance they need to play the ominous music from The Dark Knight Rises trailer where everyone's chanting 'Matara, Matara Baynes Baynes - Matara, Matara Baynes Baynes!'

[99 Problems]

Or tip in Patty's Kobe assists. :lol



:lol

[aal04]

i have to admit im slightly disappointed with this move, yes hes cheap and has potential.

But i was secretly hoping we would be chasing down a current all-star/fringe all-star in the C/PF position. Gay/Cousins/Al/Gasol/Klove etc.

By the time Aron *possibly* shines, TD will be retired.

[freetiago]

This move could be the setup if they think he can play
trade splitter + whatever for those guys
but thats a stupid trade since splitter is more valuable to this team

[PingPong]

did the spurs sign him so he can wave a towel with mills and brown on the bench?

Patty Mills is the star of the australian NT. Baynes is just a role player. Yeap, he'll be waving towels a lot. Probably will do some dunks on garbage time. And getting tons of foul calls since he plays in the worst side of euroleague, where defense is virtually non-existent. Or will spend some time in Austin...

[MinuteByMinuteSports]

When is he supposed to get here?

[Paranoid Pop]

I think people who think he's only gonna play in garbage time are crazy... We don't have a stacked fontline like Milwauke, our rebounding is weak, Tiago lost some rebounding ability with the weigh loss and the pairing with Boris is pretty bad... He's gonna be the back up center the day he gets here, because there's isn't any and he will be a better rebounder than Splitter from the get go, Boris can help him a lot on O anyway, but on D he will be an net upgrade.

[chapnis]

Doubt it. He's not very good. He might be a decent backup centre next season. But he will be a rookie without much experience at top levels so I don't see him getting any serious minutes for a while.

[Paranoid Pop]

Doubt it. He's not very good. He might be a decent backup centre next season. But he will be a rookie without much experience at top levels so I don't see him getting any serious minutes for a while.

Rebounding is one of the stats that actually gets better in the nba, to me for his precise role he'll be ready.

[rascal]

Wow
By the looks of the thread it looks like the Spurs signed an all star big.

[Bruno]

When is he supposed to get here?

It will take a little time. He needs to get a visa, a letter of clearance from FIBA and to pass a physical in SA. My guesstimate would be that he will be ready to play for Spurs in one to two weeks.


And for people being surprising that he hasn't done more while still being 26, don't forget that he started playing BB seriously at 17.

[Tuddy]

Anyone in aus remember his brother Callum playing for the bullets? Used to crack me up he was so bad

[Tuddy]

He would have dominated in the Olympics if Patty wasn't such a black hole and we had run more offense through him instead of those shit wings who can't shoot newley and ingles

[TDMVPDPOY]

Anyone in aus remember his brother Callum playing for the bullets? Used to crack me up he was so bad

u knwo the league is shit, when it allows a fkn wanker play wearing a bandana....

[Boomersgold]

He would have dominated in the Olympics if Patty wasn't such a black hole and we had run more offense through him instead of those shit wings who can't shoot newley and ingles

Patty Mills scored 39 points against Luol Deng's Great Britain team; how is that being a "black hole" if you're a scorer on a team that lacks true scorers? I'd attribute the Boomers' losses more to the poor play of its bench.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Patty Mills scored 39 points against Luol Deng's Great Britain team; how is that being a "black hole" if you're a scorer on a team that lacks true scorers? I'd attribute the Boomers' losses more to the poor play of it's bench.

lol 1man team...u know the boomers are utter shit when bogut is not even playin

[JureEe]

come here to post this.. all games in ABA league can you watch here for free:
http://www.abaliga.com/n72/ABA_Contents/League_Video

so you can make better view of Baynes.


Patty Mills is the star of the australian NT. Baynes is just a role player. Yeap, he'll be waving towels a lot. Probably will do some dunks on garbage time. And getting tons of foul calls since he plays in the worst side of euroleague, where defense is virtually non-existent. Or will spend some time in Austin...

sory but i belive that he made very good improvment on "foul trouble"... also he is good defender.. he is player that will always figth for team..

[Jordanobili2320]

when do we think he will play?

[PingPong]

when do we think he will play?


Probaly in 2015...

:lol
:lol

[spurraider21]

So you're telling me there are still some people on ST who don't have TDumboMVPYOYO on ignore? Wow.

[look_at_g_shred]

I think people who think he's only gonna play in garbage time are crazy... We don't have a stacked fontline like Milwauke, our rebounding is weak, Tiago lost some rebounding ability with the weigh loss and the pairing with Boris is pretty bad... He's gonna be the back up center the day he gets here, because there's isn't any and he will be a better rebounder than Splitter from the get go, Boris can help him a lot on O anyway, but on D he will be an net upgrade.

Preach!

[Darkwaters]

i have to admit im slightly disappointed with this move, yes hes cheap and has potential.

But i was secretly hoping we would be chasing down a current all-star/fringe all-star in the C/PF position. Gay/Cousins/Al/Gasol/Klove etc.

By the time Aron *possibly* shines, TD will be retired.

Sorry. We called Memphis and offered them Bonner and Blair for Marc Gasol. They turned us down.

Then we called the Knicks and said we'd send them Jax and Neal for Tyson Chandler. They hung up immediately.

Seriously? What the fuck do you want the Spurs to do? An All-Star center is about the most over-valued commodity there is. And you want us to get one with scraps? Signing Baynes outright is a total blessing. This isn't an EA video game, afterall.

[dunkman]

True, which is probably another reason why he'll go for the most cash. Even if he really likes the Spurs -- and I have not reason to think he doesn't -- he knows that even going for the most money will still give the Spurs an opportunity to match.

TD, TP and Ginobili all took every last cent when they were signing their first big-money deal. Splitter will be no different.

TD signed only for 3 seasons or so, until DRob's retirement. He was to re-evaluate his options at that point, and he opted for a 7 years contract in '03. But, even at the max Duncan was underpaid, as other players like Shaq or KG had higher salaries.

TP was demanding 2M more then the Spurs offer, that TD offered to pay. In the end, Tony left that 2M on the table and he could have gotten even a max contract from another team.

Manu had a better offer from the Nuggets and he cancelled his visit to Utah. He could have definitely sign a much better contract.

[TheCerebral1]

Awesome to see someone under thirty with size added to the team. It's exciting! I cannot wait to see how he fits into the teams structure and add to the chemistry.

[smaka]

"Union.Olimpija.com (http://www.facebook.com/union.olimpija?ref=stream)Če je Union Olimpija pred mesecem dni še lahko kljubovala ponudbam za avstralskega centra Arona Baynesa, to danes ni bilo več mogoče. Klub je ponudbo za igralca prejel včeraj, danes pa z vsemi vpletenimi že dorekel vse potrebno glede prestopa. Baynesa v kratkem čakajo še zadnje formalnosti pred podpisom pogodbe z novim klubom, ureditev zahtevane papirologije in zdravniški pregled.

Več o tem in izjavi predsednika kluba in trenerja:http://www.union.olimpija.com/4/11/9028/"


In other words, guys, IT'S OFFICIAL!!

Olimpija says they could not reject the offer which they recieved yesterday and adds, that now everything is dealed for a buyout.

:toast

[benefactor]

I'll wait for McDonald to chime in before I believe it's official.

[timvp]

TD signed only for 3 seasons or so, until DRob's retirement. He was to re-evaluate his options at that point, and he opted for a 7 years contract in '03. But, even at the max Duncan was underpaid, as other players like Shaq or KG had higher salaries.Max = every last cent


TP was demanding 2M more then the Spurs offer, that TD offered to pay. In the end, Tony left that 2M on the table and he could have gotten even a max contract from another team.No, Parker ended up getting that extra $2 million he wanted. And he couldn't have gotten a max contract offer from another team because he wasn't a free agent at the time.


Manu had a better offer from the Nuggets and he cancelled his visit to Utah. He could have definitely sign a much better contract.Nobody offered Ginobili more than the Spurs signed him for. The Nuggets told him to wait around in case they didn't land Kenyon Martin ... that was the closest he got to getting an offer as big as he ended up getting from the Spurs. Utah had Boozer on top of their list. In fact, when the Spurs signed Ginobili, they were criticized for bidding against themselves. (Obviously in retrospect it was a great deal for San Antonio.)

In subsequent deals, all three of them left some money on the table to stay with the Spurs. But when it came time for their initial deal, they milked the Spurs for top dollar. Just like Splitter is going to do.

[ace3g]

someone on twitter added him to their 2K13 roster:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BAProXNCUAA5Th5.jpg:large

[ace3g]

Gaze spurs Baynes on to higher goalsGaze, who was part of the Spurs 1998-1999 NBA championship team, said Baynes had landed in one of the best managed teams in professional sport.
Advertisement

''They don't recruit dills,'' Gaze said yesterday.

''Personality and team ethos is just as important to them as the ability to make a jump shot or get a rebound.

''They don't tolerate stupidity or those who don't buy into their system.''

Baynes has caught the eye of scouts, first with the Boomers at the London Olympics and then in Europe this season averaging 13 points per game and nine rebounds.

''I think you look at his abilities, there are certainly players of his calibre or less running around in an NBA jersey,'' Gaze said.

''He is a strong talent with good size and more importantly he has tremendous athleticism for a big guy and runs the floor really well.

''I think for him the hoop gods have smiled upon him and he has joined one of the great franchises in sport.''

The Texas city is considered a major drawcard and the Spurs also have a long tradition of successfully signing foreign players.

''It's a fantastic city,'' Gaze said.

''The Spurs are the number one team in town, the fans love the Spurs and get right behind them and their venue is as good as there is.

''Most importantly their management has shown over the decades that they are first class and treat people the right way.''

Once the move is completed, Baynes will join Boomers teammate Patty Mills, who plays with the Spurs, and former Boomers coach Brett Brown, who coached Baynes in London.

But Gaze added Brown's influence wasn't all that got the centre to San Antonio.

''My understanding is they will part with some serious cash to secure Baynes,'' he said.

''You wouldn't bother doing that for a short-term player, they must see a need for him and want to get him into their system now.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/gaze-spurs-baynes-on-to-higher-goals-20130110-2cixk.html#ixzz2Hbbh2D2F

[Chinook]

In subsequent deals, all three of them left some money on the table to stay with the Spurs.

Did I miss a Ginobili extension somewhere? I thought he signed for a max extension a couple of years ago while he was still under the contract you mentioned. If that's true, Manu hasn't given up any money yet.

[NASpurs]

''You wouldn't bother doing that for a short-term player, they must see a need for him and want to get him into their system now.''


I hope that's the case.

[Bruno]

"Union.Olimpija.com (http://www.facebook.com/union.olimpija?ref=stream)Če je Union Olimpija pred mesecem dni še lahko kljubovala ponudbam za avstralskega centra Arona Baynesa, to danes ni bilo več mogoče. Klub je ponudbo za igralca prejel včeraj, danes pa z vsemi vpletenimi že dorekel vse potrebno glede prestopa. Baynesa v kratkem čakajo še zadnje formalnosti pred podpisom pogodbe z novim klubom, ureditev zahtevane papirologije in zdravniški pregled.

Več o tem in izjavi predsednika kluba in trenerja:http://www.union.olimpija.com/4/11/9028/"


In other words, guys, IT'S OFFICIAL!!

Olimpija says they could not reject the offer which they recieved yesterday and adds, that now everything is dealed for a buyout.

:toast

Nice to see Olimpija taking it well. Knowing their past financial struggles, the buyout money would be welcome for them.

The last thing that could delay Baynes start with Spurs is getting his visa. Let's hope the US embassy in Ljubljana will work quickly.

[smaka]

Nice to see Olimpija taking it well. Knowing their past financial struggles, the buyout money would be welcome for them.

The last thing that could delay Baynes start with Spurs is getting his visa. Let's hope the US embassy in Ljubljana will work quickly.

Yeah I'm glad they realized that there is no point in having unsatisfied player on roster, whose wish is to play in NBA and who would leave the team after the season 101%, without any buyout.

The buyout money will be really welcome, I just hope it gets to "right hands" (knowing how they have been working in the past years, I'm not really sure about that, but that's another topic and has nothing to do with Aron).

All in all, I'd say it's a win-win situation for both teams.

[timvp]

Why does Olimpija never pay its players? It seems like every player who plays there ends up complaining that they didn't get the money owed to him. I wonder if Baynes got any money. Probably not, tbh.

[RD2191]

does this mean he will get playing time? i mean why did the spurs do this mid season? why didnt they just wait. idk how all of this works so help me out

[bluebellmaniac]

A brilliant move, more so for the fact that it keeps a big out of the clutches of teams that are desperate for one right now. And it keeps him on our roster for long enough to see if he can/will develop into the role player that is needed, all for a minimal impact on the payroll. He's also a cheap insurance policy for if / when Blair/Bonner come up short during the playoffs. I don't see him playing this year, I see him as a project that if all goes well, will find his role on the team...

[chapnis]

If they do it mid-season then he can learn the system and develop chemistry this season as well as getting some playing time (maybe). If they signed him end of this season then he would have less time to develop and learn the system.

[slick'81]

big and athletic ,well shit

[Samr.]

I'm not sure which Im more excited about -- that the Spurs signed what appears to be a very athletic, big center.... or that teams like the Thunder, Nuggets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Rockets, Heat, Lakers, Knicks, etc. didnt.

If another team signed Baynes, and someone posted his youtube videos on here, ST would be in end-of-the-world mode.

[look_at_g_shred]

A brilliant move, more so for the fact that it keeps a big out of the clutches of teams that are desperate for one right now. And it keeps him on our roster for long enough to see if he can/will develop into the role player that is needed, all for a minimal impact on the payroll. He's also a cheap insurance policy for if / when Blair/Bonner come up short during the playoffs. I don't see him playing this year, I see him as a project that if all goes well, will find his role on the team...

I believe he will start playing pretty qucikly as we are weak in that position.

[boutons_deux]

The From JizzBourne puts Spurs over the top :lobt2:

[DesignatedT]

I'll wait for McDonald to chime in before I believe it's official.

:lol

[Strategic]

https://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/1491646535/twitter_avatar02_normal.png Union Olimpija @union_olimpija (https://twitter.com/union_olimpija)
Thank you for everything and good luck - @aronbaynes (https://twitter.com/aronbaynes)!

[ace3g]

article from his first coach, on how his focus and hard work got him where he is today:

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sport-tv.si%2Fd167793%2FKosarka%2FSlovenija%2FNBA_si_je_ Baynes_s_trdim_delom_priboril_sam.html

[TD 21]

I don't think Spurs have any problem with Splitter getting paid more than the Big Three. I feel that the reason why Duncan took so little money, and why I think Ginobili will do the same is so that the young players can get the contracts they deserve. I'm not sure Duncan would be too happy if the Spurs went away from Splitter after he (Duncan) took less so that they could keep the team together. This isn't a team like the Lakers where the stars have to eat first and have the biggest pieces. At this point all Duncan cares about is winning. If the Spurs think Splitter is necessary to helping them win and is worth $8.5 Million a year in a vacuum, then not signing him because he'd get paid a little more than Ginobili would be absurd.

Having thought about it some more, I think the magic number is $8M. For comparisons sake, Gibson, Asik, Ilyasova and Anderson all signed in the past 7 months and got between $8-9M. The other thing is, $8M is probably about what Ginobili will get and if in fact they are opposed to paying him more than any of the big three, then that will be the max they'll offer.

When guys really want to stay, oftentimes they'll take either less or at least a reasonable number. Gibson is a perfect example of this. He was rumored to want $9M a season, but in the end, he took $8M. I think the reason a lot of guys don't do this is because deep down, they probably don't care whether they stay with their current team or not. I think Splitter does and that's why I think he'll take less. But who knows? The guy who thinks Blair should be the starting PF and that Jackson is still a starting SF (:lol), could be right.

[outmap]

Aron Baynes can be likened to a taller Tyler Hansbrough. :)

[Samr.]

... Anyone else have the gut feeling that this signing might be bigger than "another backup big"?

I mean something just seems "off" with this whole thing -- from the amount of money paid for AB's buyout, to how quickly it happened (what, no rumors first? Usually someone reports on this being a possibility well before it actually goes down), to the lack of any kind of official comment from the Spurs camp, to the Gary Neal-type guaranteed deal, to Gaze coming out of nowhere to lump praise on the Spurs and AB, to the Spurs playing with an uncharacteristic lack of motivation or urgency the last few games (like when someone hears a big promotion is coming there way, then starts to get lazy at work leading up to when the boss calls them in).

All circumstantial, yeah, but I just have this gut feeling that this isn't a typical mid-season signing. Something seems "off" with this one.

[ace3g]

... Anyone else have the gut feeling that this signing might be bigger than "another backup big"?

I mean something just seems "off" with this whole thing -- from the amount of money paid for AB's buyout, to how quickly it happened (what, no rumors first? Usually someone reports on this being a possibility well before it actually goes down), to the lack of any kind of official comment from the Spurs camp, to the Gary Neal-type guaranteed deal, to Gaze coming out of nowhere to lump praise on the Spurs and AB, to the Spurs playing with an uncharacteristic lack of motivation or urgency the last few games (like when someone hears a big promotion is coming there way, then starts to get lazy at work leading up to when the boss calls them in).

All circumstantial, yeah, but I just have this gut feeling that this isn't a typical mid-season signing. Something seems "off" with this one.

While I was definitely surprised by the news, considering that wasn't the first thread to see when I woke up yesterday, I see it more of their confidence in Baynes than anything else.

And this is the CIA Spurs we are talking about, when we rarely know their intentions so I am not really surprised by lack of rumors; maybe if someone caught wind of their interest in Baynes, they might have lost in a bidding war.

Do you think a bigger trade is about to happen?

[Johnny RIngo]

... Anyone else have the gut feeling that this signing might be bigger than "another backup big"?

I mean something just seems "off" with this whole thing -- from the amount of money paid for AB's buyout, to how quickly it happened (what, no rumors first? Usually someone reports on this being a possibility well before it actually goes down), to the lack of any kind of official comment from the Spurs camp, to the Gary Neal-type guaranteed deal, to Gaze coming out of nowhere to lump praise on the Spurs and AB, to the Spurs playing with an uncharacteristic lack of motivation or urgency the last few games (like when someone hears a big promotion is coming there way, then starts to get lazy at work leading up to when the boss calls them in).

All circumstantial, yeah, but I just have this gut feeling that this isn't a typical mid-season signing. Something seems "off" with this one.

Spurs have quite a few blowout wins when they're forced to play guys like Blair/Bonner for long periods of garbage time. Blair gives us nothing seeing as his playing days are nearly over and Bonner has no upside. During those moments, they might as well play a project big.

[TDMVPDPOY]

they shouldve gone out and sign ingles to replace bonner for that stretch big....another lanky left hander


baynes role will be no different to all the other australians who has played on the spurs b4 him, gaze, heal, mills all have one thing in common.....sit on the bench, warm that shit, wave a towel and hand out hi5s when camera is screening the bench...it is what it is...aussies stealing towel boys jobs....

[Samr.]

Do you think a bigger trade is about to happen?

If you mean "big trade" in the sense of "for a big name now," then no, I think that's the last thing the Spurs are going to do. On the contrary, I believe the Spurs are in anything but a "win now" mode. I think the "after Duncan" team is already built though not yet unveiled, and the true value of AB is going to be the draft picks he allows the Spurs to trade for. Signing Bayne appears to have nothing to do with winning now, and that's what seems "off."

******

Keep in mind that the NBA is a business, and team owners don't own teams as a philanthropic service to the community. They own teams because those teams are supposed to make them money, which means asses in the seats, which means putting a competitive product on the floor night in and night out. Coaches are coaches, and as much as we may like to give the coach "CIA Pop" credit, keep in mind his paycheck is signed (or more likely, stamped) by one Peter Holt. Peter Holt runs this, because he is the one to profit from this. Holt is also a highly successful businessman; you probably pass by his company (or one of their vehicles) every day on your commute to work.

The cliche as a business owner is that you are supposed to "stay two steps ahead of the competition," but in practical terms that means that your job as CEO, president, whatever, is to be simulating what the competition will look like years from now and preparing your current product to meet and exceed those future demands. A decade ago, when Duncan, Parker, Manu, Pop slowly started to show that they alone were enough to create a competitive team (which means asses in the seats, which means money in Holt's pocket), Holt had to start planning for the future. And because he's a smart businessman -- as you can tell by the successful company he runs -- he was able to delegate the appropriate future-orientated tasks to the appropriate personnel.

*****

A decade ago Holt knew he didn't have the deep pockets to compete (and thus make money) against most of the NBA in the NBA free agent market, so he started going over seas where all the sudden his small pocket book by NBA standards still made him a big fish in a small pond there. In business-language, it's called the "blue ocean strategy" -- you move where others aren't. Parker, Ginobili, Splitter, Beno Udrih, De Colo, Mahinmi, Oberto came from that. Countless more could have, but those that did are still a solid haul that proves the strategy worthwhile.

In regard to domestic talent, where the exchange rates weren't as good for Holt, he decided instead to (military metaphor here) "snipe" (sign) the "high value targets" (role players w specific skill set) which furthered his mission (making money by staying competitive) -- i.e., the FA's who could be bought cheap, who each individually had one or two superior traits, and who combined became the much cheaper equivalent of what teams in larger markets could afford to sign. Steven Jackson, Jarren Jackson, Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Robert Horry, Gary Neal, Kevin Willis, Roger Mason, Barry, Van Exel, terry porter, samaki walker, antonio daniels, mario elie, jerome kersey. Either big names past their prime where they still have one or two major skills left, or budding names with one or two skills upon which they hope to launch a career. And for players on both extremes, the Spurs were either the perfect launching pad or the perfect landing pad for their careers. What benefited them, also benefited the Spurs, which benefits the fans, the abundance of whom financially benefited Holt.

It's all about competing, because for Holt, it's all about making money. Like I said before, owning the Spurs isn't some philanthropic community endeavor for him.

*******

So now in that light, look at the potential of the Bayne signing -- it looks like the final piece if you're playing a half decade ahead like Holt is. De Colo at PG, Green/Neal at SG, Kawhi at SF, Bayne at PF, Splitter at C. Take their current projections, add in expected "changing of the guard" in the league, and go out about 5 years. In 5 years, that's a very competitive starting 5. It might not be a championship team, but it's certainly going to be competitive enough to guarantee asses in the seats which in turn guarantees Holt that he won't have to think of selling the team (which, 5 years out, is something you should probably start working on) because it isn't profitable to him.

*****

Now about that "bigger trade" you mentioned. If Bayne fills the remaining spot in the future starting 5, then it's safe to say now that the Spurs could use some draft picks. Unless those picks' last name is "Leonard," it will probably take them a few years anyways to grow into the Spurs system. Bonner, Blair, Jackson, Green/Neal, and to a certain extent Parker or Ginobili is going to look like some awfully tempting trade bait for a lottery-bound team in "win now" mode because their owner wants to guarantee asses in the seats (and money in his/her pockets). Millionaires and billionaires only got that way because they were smart with their finances to begin with (or their name is Mikhail Prokhorov, and they simply own all of their native country), in that light EVERY team is in "win now" mode because they need to put asses in the seats now in order to make a profit now.

Tim Duncan's REAL value to the Spurs is that he guaranteed at least a decade of Spurs competitiveness, high attendance rates, and thus profitability for Holt. Championships were a bonus; the real reward for us fans was the holding pattern of profitability Duncan provided for Holt. It allowed him to think, and plan, for the future.

*****

Bayne might not turn out to be much of anything at all individually, but that "off" feeling I have with his signing eminates not from the signing itself, but from the fact that it is a manifest indicator that Holt isn't working in "win in 2013" mode; rather, it feels "off" because it appears more like Holt is signing players now in order to win in 2023.

[TrainOfThought5]

If you mean "big trade" in the sense of "for a big name now," then no, I think that's the last thing the Spurs are going to do. On the contrary, I believe the Spurs are in anything but a "win now" mode. I think the "after Duncan" team is already built though not yet unveiled, and the true value of AB is going to be the draft picks he allows the Spurs to trade for. Signing Bayne appears to have nothing to do with winning now, and that's what seems "off."

******

Keep in mind that the NBA is a business, and team owners don't own teams as a philanthropic service to the community. They own teams because those teams are supposed to make them money, which means asses in the seats, which means putting a competitive product on the floor night in and night out. Coaches are coaches, and as much as we may like to give the coach "CIA Pop" credit, keep in mind his paycheck is signed (or more likely, stamped) by one Peter Holt. Peter Holt runs this, because he is the one to profit from this. Holt is also a highly successful businessman; you probably pass by his company (or one of their vehicles) every day on your commute to work.

The cliche as a business owner is that you are supposed to "stay two steps ahead of the competition," but in practical terms that means that your job as CEO, president, whatever, is to be simulating what the competition will look like years from now and preparing your current product to meet and exceed those future demands. A decade ago, when Duncan, Parker, Manu, Pop slowly started to show that they alone were enough to create a competitive team (which means asses in the seats, which means money in Holt's pocket), Holt had to start planning for the future. And because he's a smart businessman -- as you can tell by the successful company he runs -- he was able to delegate the appropriate future-orientated tasks to the appropriate personnel.

*****

A decade ago Holt knew he didn't have the deep pockets to compete (and thus make money) against most of the NBA in the NBA free agent market, so he started going over seas where all the sudden his small pocket book by NBA standards still made him a big fish in a small pond there. In business-language, it's called the "blue ocean strategy" -- you move where others aren't. Parker, Ginobili, Splitter, Beno Udrih, De Colo, Mahinmi, Oberto came from that. Countless more could have, but those that did are still a solid haul that proves the strategy worthwhile.

In regard to domestic talent, where the exchange rates weren't as good for Holt, he decided instead to (military metaphor here) "snipe" (sign) the "high value targets" (role players w specific skill set) which furthered his mission (making money by staying competitive) -- i.e., the FA's who could be bought cheap, who each individually had one or two superior traits, and who combined became the much cheaper equivalent of what teams in larger markets could afford to sign. Steven Jackson, Jarren Jackson, Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Robert Horry, Gary Neal, Kevin Willis, Roger Mason, Barry, Van Exel, terry porter, samaki walker, antonio daniels, mario elie, jerome kersey. Either big names past their prime where they still have one or two major skills left, or budding names with one or two skills upon which they hope to launch a career. And for players on both extremes, the Spurs were either the perfect launching pad or the perfect landing pad for their careers. What benefited them, also benefited the Spurs, which benefits the fans, the abundance of whom financially benefited Holt.

It's all about competing, because for Holt, it's all about making money. Like I said before, owning the Spurs isn't some philanthropic community endeavor for him.

*******

So now in that light, look at the potential of the Bayne signing -- it looks like the final piece if you're playing a half decade ahead like Holt is. De Colo at PG, Green/Neal at SG, Kawhi at SF, Bayne at PF, Splitter at C. Take their current projections, add in expected "changing of the guard" in the league, and go out about 5 years. In 5 years, that's a very competitive starting 5. It might not be a championship team, but it's certainly going to be competitive enough to guarantee asses in the seats which in turn guarantees Holt that he won't have to think of selling the team (which, 5 years out, is something you should probably start working on) because it isn't profitable to him.

*****

Now about that "bigger trade" you mentioned. If Bayne fills the remaining spot in the future starting 5, then it's safe to say now that the Spurs could use some draft picks. Unless those picks' last name is "Leonard," it will probably take them a few years anyways to grow into the Spurs system. Bonner, Blair, Jackson, Green/Neal, and to a certain extent Parker or Ginobili is going to look like some awfully tempting trade bait for a lottery-bound team in "win now" mode because their owner wants to guarantee asses in the seats (and money in his/her pockets). Millionaires and billionaires only got that way because they were smart with their finances to begin with (or their name is Mikhail Prokhorov, and they simply own all of their native country), in that light EVERY team is in "win now" mode because they need to put asses in the seats now in order to make a profit now.

Tim Duncan's REAL value to the Spurs is that he guaranteed at least a decade of Spurs competitiveness, high attendance rates, and thus profitability for Holt. Championships were a bonus; the real reward for us fans was the holding pattern of profitability Duncan provided for Holt. It allowed him to think, and plan, for the future.

*****

Bayne might not turn out to be much of anything at all individually, but that "off" feeling I have with his signing eminates not from the signing itself, but from the fact that it is a manifest indicator that Holt isn't working in "win in 2013" mode; rather, it feels "off" because it appears more like Holt is signing players now in order to win in 2023.

*Begins Slow clap*

[Two10Whitey]

Holy shit man. I don't have the energy to read all of that :lol

[chapnis]

I actually read it. Was good, although I didn't agree completely with all of it.

[Hoops Czar]

Oh, I have no doubt Holt is a smart man. In 2007, he didn't want to the buyout of Luis Scola and thought that Scola's game didn't translate well to the NBA, so he traded him for the Rockets. Little did Houston realize that years later, that trade would come back to haunt them as the draft pick they gave up turned out to be none other than Manu "light". I know if I was the GM of the Houston Rockets, I'd be sick to my stomach.

[DanAu]

Very interesting read, thanks for the post, we'll worth the 5 minutes. Certainly puts into perspective the day to day whining and bitching we plebs focus on after a single bad performance...

[TDMVPDPOY]

we always wanted a big 7'0, now we got one...yet you clowns are still disappointed?

[Paranoid Pop]

If you mean "big trade" in the sense of "for a big name now," then no, I think that's the last thing the Spurs are going to do. On the contrary, I believe the Spurs are in anything but a "win now" mode. I think the "after Duncan" team is already built though not yet unveiled, and the true value of AB is going to be the draft picks he allows the Spurs to trade for. Signing Bayne appears to have nothing to do with winning now, and that's what seems "off."

******

Keep in mind that the NBA is a business, and team owners don't own teams as a philanthropic service to the community. They own teams because those teams are supposed to make them money, which means asses in the seats, which means putting a competitive product on the floor night in and night out. Coaches are coaches, and as much as we may like to give the coach "CIA Pop" credit, keep in mind his paycheck is signed (or more likely, stamped) by one Peter Holt. Peter Holt runs this, because he is the one to profit from this. Holt is also a highly successful businessman; you probably pass by his company (or one of their vehicles) every day on your commute to work.

The cliche as a business owner is that you are supposed to "stay two steps ahead of the competition," but in practical terms that means that your job as CEO, president, whatever, is to be simulating what the competition will look like years from now and preparing your current product to meet and exceed those future demands. A decade ago, when Duncan, Parker, Manu, Pop slowly started to show that they alone were enough to create a competitive team (which means asses in the seats, which means money in Holt's pocket), Holt had to start planning for the future. And because he's a smart businessman -- as you can tell by the successful company he runs -- he was able to delegate the appropriate future-orientated tasks to the appropriate personnel.

*****

A decade ago Holt knew he didn't have the deep pockets to compete (and thus make money) against most of the NBA in the NBA free agent market, so he started going over seas where all the sudden his small pocket book by NBA standards still made him a big fish in a small pond there. In business-language, it's called the "blue ocean strategy" -- you move where others aren't. Parker, Ginobili, Splitter, Beno Udrih, De Colo, Mahinmi, Oberto came from that. Countless more could have, but those that did are still a solid haul that proves the strategy worthwhile.

In regard to domestic talent, where the exchange rates weren't as good for Holt, he decided instead to (military metaphor here) "snipe" (sign) the "high value targets" (role players w specific skill set) which furthered his mission (making money by staying competitive) -- i.e., the FA's who could be bought cheap, who each individually had one or two superior traits, and who combined became the much cheaper equivalent of what teams in larger markets could afford to sign. Steven Jackson, Jarren Jackson, Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Robert Horry, Gary Neal, Kevin Willis, Roger Mason, Barry, Van Exel, terry porter, samaki walker, antonio daniels, mario elie, jerome kersey. Either big names past their prime where they still have one or two major skills left, or budding names with one or two skills upon which they hope to launch a career. And for players on both extremes, the Spurs were either the perfect launching pad or the perfect landing pad for their careers. What benefited them, also benefited the Spurs, which benefits the fans, the abundance of whom financially benefited Holt.

It's all about competing, because for Holt, it's all about making money. Like I said before, owning the Spurs isn't some philanthropic community endeavor for him.

*******

So now in that light, look at the potential of the Bayne signing -- it looks like the final piece if you're playing a half decade ahead like Holt is. De Colo at PG, Green/Neal at SG, Kawhi at SF, Bayne at PF, Splitter at C. Take their current projections, add in expected "changing of the guard" in the league, and go out about 5 years. In 5 years, that's a very competitive starting 5. It might not be a championship team, but it's certainly going to be competitive enough to guarantee asses in the seats which in turn guarantees Holt that he won't have to think of selling the team (which, 5 years out, is something you should probably start working on) because it isn't profitable to him.

*****

Now about that "bigger trade" you mentioned. If Bayne fills the remaining spot in the future starting 5, then it's safe to say now that the Spurs could use some draft picks. Unless those picks' last name is "Leonard," it will probably take them a few years anyways to grow into the Spurs system. Bonner, Blair, Jackson, Green/Neal, and to a certain extent Parker or Ginobili is going to look like some awfully tempting trade bait for a lottery-bound team in "win now" mode because their owner wants to guarantee asses in the seats (and money in his/her pockets). Millionaires and billionaires only got that way because they were smart with their finances to begin with (or their name is Mikhail Prokhorov, and they simply own all of their native country), in that light EVERY team is in "win now" mode because they need to put asses in the seats now in order to make a profit now.

Tim Duncan's REAL value to the Spurs is that he guaranteed at least a decade of Spurs competitiveness, high attendance rates, and thus profitability for Holt. Championships were a bonus; the real reward for us fans was the holding pattern of profitability Duncan provided for Holt. It allowed him to think, and plan, for the future.

*****

Bayne might not turn out to be much of anything at all individually, but that "off" feeling I have with his signing eminates not from the signing itself, but from the fact that it is a manifest indicator that Holt isn't working in "win in 2013" mode; rather, it feels "off" because it appears more like Holt is signing players now in order to win in 2023.

Baynes actaully helps right now, you're talking like Baynes wasn't brought in mid season to help in an area of weakness and like we're steamrolling the league. It just isn't the case.

Also in your mind Baynes is a PF somehow (guess I shouldn't be surprised the PF and Center position are inversed in SA thanks to Tim Duncan).

I think Baynes allows Holt to take a swing and try to make a big trade involving Splitter for a better PF without the risk of going full midget. We now have two real centers that can rebound like centers should.

The PF position on the other hand is kinda problematic Boris and Blair each got a shot and didn't satisfy, Tiago is getting his shot but he doesn't provide spacing, doesn't provide that many rebounds or that great of a defense, he's just not very athletic, off the ball he's kinda underwhelming not to say useless, he's just not a great fit... The offense is now looking like shit... I think Baynes allows to trade Tiago for a better PF, there's no fear of going full midget anymore and they can think freely about that very possibility. I think it's a lot more about now than it is about 10 years from now, getting young players is just a bonus.

Anyway we'll get the first answer as to Baynes role quickly, if he doesn't play any minutes but garbage time once in a while, all the people claiming he's not there to help win now will be proven right but I don't believe that for one second tbh.

I wouldn't be overly surprised by a "big" trade including Tiago either. He's not a great fit and will command a lot of money, exactly the situation of GHill. Would be wonderful if they could get an Ilyasova, but a Derrick Williams helps now and fits the win now and rebuild at the same time narrative and would be easier to get...

[Paranoid Pop]

Also Pop is basically saying that Tiago is his new favorite player lol. The signs are there.

[Chinook]

Splitter is a great fit on the Spurs, as run the pick-and-roll a lot. He probably shouldn't be starting at center, though. The Spurs need a mobile, defensive-minded stretch-four in order to reach their ceiling. But by no means do I think signing Baynes should give the Spurs enough comfort to trade Splitter. He Aron does well for the rest of the year, however, I could see them being comfortable not overpaying Splitter in the off-season. I think it's likely they'll try to keep all three, though.

I don't think Splitter could bring in a player that raises the Spurs' ceiling higher than it is with him this year.

[ElNono]

I gotta see him play first. But on paper the guy has all the ingredients to be the guy we need.

[Chinook]

(Your whole post.)

I respect your opinion, and you make a lot of good arguments, but I respectfully disagree with you on a few premises.

1) I don't think it's fair to give Holt as much credit as you're giving him. He probably isn't the one who created the Spurs' plan. Rather, I think he set a budget, and Pop and R.C. suggested alternative ways to get players while respecting this budget. I give Holt credit for putting (or keeping) good people in control of the franchise, but rarely do owners have such a positive effect on personnel decisions. Holt may have suggested insourcing European talent, but that's just a vague guideline at best.

2) The Spurs do draft-and-stash players for the future, with Ginobili and Splitter being the best successes of that. But they do not sign players for that same reason. The Spurs have been in win-now mode for 26 years (with a couple of lulls here and there). They rarely have true developmental projects on their roster. From first to last, all players have a pretty defined role, and there have only been one or two players in any given year that have been allowed to sit and learn. Furthermore, the Spurs' track record of actually developing these end-of-bench players is pretty poor. I can really only think of Alonzo Gee as a long-term project that ended up a starter (and not even in San Antonio), but there are probably others. When it comes to their roster, one of the big complaints of some fans has been that they always sacrificed "five years down the line" for "a slightly better shot at this year."

3) I don't consider Baynes a potential building block. Like Splitter and Green, Baynes is youngish, but at 26, he's really not a guy that I imagine taking the torch from Duncan in three years and being part of a core for the next decade. Planning on him being a big part of the future means the Spurs are going to try to stay around as a middling playoff team for a few years after the Big Three are gone instead of going into full rebuild mode right away. That's fine by me for a while, but it is not a great plan to return to a championship level in the near future.

4) That being said, I like Baynes as a signing for this year, as he can definitely help with the Spurs' lack of size when the team plays without Duncan and Splitter. The fact that he's a good rebound and finisher make him valuable in games where Pop rests the Big Three. I think this deal was made more for next year, however. I think it gives San Antonio an alternative to giving Splitter a blank check. With time to learn the system and more importantly to find his role, I could see him getting big minutes next season, whether Splitter is there or not. If he can show a consistent jumpshot, then he may be a better choice to start next to Duncan.

I agree with you that the Spurs will probably just stand pat now. They value chemistry too much to make major changes during the season very often. But if they were to make a trade, I think it's obvious they'd look for one of two things: A legitimate, T.J. Ford-quality backup point guard, and another power-forward who Pop can trust more than Bonner or Blair. I would prefer they look at the latter, but it wouldn't shock me if they went for the former, either. Good guard play is becoming increasingly important nowadays. The Spurs can't afford to have poor play-making and handling off the bench when their main competitors can exploit it so easily. I could see Jack, Neal and even De Colo (so much for building for the future) being moved for a player that the Spurs consider a missing piece. With Joseph looking legitimate in Austin, there are just too many guards on this team right now to allow the backup point situation to be this bad.

[benfti]

sorry, have to do this


I seriously think we should sign Baynes, he would be worth about 50 bucks and he just bangs down low. Would open up holes all day long

posted that on 7/30/2012

[PingPong]

Poor Baynes. Too much expectations around a raw scrub destined to be 4th or 5th big playing few minutes in the garbage time.

:downspin::downspin:

[benfti]

Baynes reminds me of Donk in the Croc Dundee movies. LOL Big dude for sure.
:toast

:lol

spot on!

[LASToog36]

i feel if the croissant keeps bein too passive especially when an easy layup or tre is abailable... the croissant could end up on blairs vacant seat on the bench... i hope baynes puts guys like d jordan and ibaka in posters

[Strategic]

i feel if the croissant keeps bein too passive especially when an easy layup or tre is abailable... the croissant could end up on blairs vacant seat on the bench... i hope baynes puts guys like d jordan and ibaka in posters


I will need to see him play some league minutes before I hand him my MVP vote. The two you've mentioned have a tendency to play above the rim.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i feel if the croissant keeps bein too passive especially when an easy layup or tre is abailable... the croissant could end up on blairs vacant seat on the bench... i hope baynes puts guys like d jordan and ibaka in posters

if this bayne mofo can fill the area of the teams needs, he could rapidly move up the rotation..

im too not sold on the teletubby who passes up open shots for stupid penetrations and creating the extra pass thats not needed when he has an open shot or open layup, he has the ability to knock down 3s and stretch the floor, but all his doing is being passive on offense...

[smaka]

Why does Olimpija never pay its players? It seems like every player who plays there ends up complaining that they didn't get the money owed to him. I wonder if Baynes got any money. Probably not, tbh.


Baynes did get the money, it has been said many times in Slovenian media, that Olimpija is really careful about paying him regularly. So yeah, I'm pretty sure Baynes is one of the few guys in the last decade who played for Olimpija and got their money payed.. :rolleyes

Why does Olimpija never pay its players? Because they've had a big minus on their bank account for a couple of years now... And some sponsors didn't provide money regularly, etc, so the club practically wanted to make sure they pay its best players, and therefore "forgot" about most of other players, who were less likely to leave the club due to financial situation. They still owe salaries for coaches for last season, for some players even from previous seasons...

But still I'm pretty sure Baynes was payed, otherwise he would already leave for Maccabi in December, because Olimpija could not keep him from going.

[DrSteffo]

I dont think there is anything strange with this signing or the timing of it at all since Blair cannot play anymore. Makes so much sense.

[Captivus]

I really like this signing.
If this guy can play in the NBA he would get more minutes quickly. Hope he can.
Don’t know if someone posted this link, interesting…
http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/1/11/3864778/aron-baynes-spurs-signed-nba-rumor-acquisition

[bthewigwam]

Bruno, a.k.a Enterprising Poster :lol, gettin some love on Spurs Nation blog. :tu

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2013/01/11/who-is-aron-baynes/

[Mel_13]

Thanks Mel! Yes just like I thought. Splitter will then have all the leverage to sign whichever QO he wants, which means he can make Big3 money if he wants to. If, for example, no one comes calling or he doesn't like any of the QO handed to him, how much money will he make that year? Will the Spurs then be able to negotiate an extension?

Only the Spurs can make a qualifying offer to Splitter. The amount will be 4.9M for one year. That qualifying offer secures their right to match any offer sheet that Splitter may sign with another team.

Once the qualifying is tendered Splitter has 3 choices.

1. Sign the qualifying offer and play for 4.9m in 2013-14. Then in the summer of 2014, he would be an unrestricted free agent.

2. Sign a new contract with the Spurs. The Spurs can offer him a contract, up to five years in length, that starts at any salary up to the league maximum and can include annual raises of up to 7.5%.

3. Sign an offer sheet with another team that uses cap space or a salary exception. If a team has sufficient cap space they can present an offer sheet to Splitter for a contract, up to four years in length, that starts at any salary up to the league maximum and can include annual raises of up to 4.5%. The Spurs get three days to decide whether or not match the offer, during which time the cap space of the other team is on hold. If Splitter signs an offer sheet that will be his new contract. It's just a matter of which team he will play for.

Splitter obviously has some leverage, but much less than he would as an unrestricted free agent

[spurraider21]

Some party poopers on this thread saying "Baynes is gna be the #4 big stop getting so excited"

well obviously. Nobody here is saying he's going to be starting next to Tim. But haven't we all been saying "we need one more legit big" for quite some time now? Isn't having somebody 6'10 who can jump already an instant upgrade over Blair? We aren't expecting 20-10 from the guy but its certainly easy to get excited when we finally have Blair's replacement, and its popping up that the Spurs are shopping blair

[spurraider21]

Only the Spurs can make a qualifying offer to Splitter. The amount will be 4.9M for one year. That qualifying offer secures their right to match any offer sheet that Splitter may sign with another team.

Once the qualifying is tendered Splitter has 3 choices.

1. Sign the qualifying offer and play for 4.9m in 2013-14. Then in the summer of 2014, he would be an unrestricted free agent.

2. Sign a new contract with the Spurs. The Spurs can offer him a contract, up to five years in length, that starts at any salary up to the league maximum and can include annual raises of up to 7.5%.

3. Sign an offer sheet with another team that uses cap space or a salary exception. If a team has sufficient cap space they can present an offer sheet to Splitter for a contract, up to four years in length, that starts at any salary up to the league maximum and can include annual raises of up to 4.5%. The Spurs get three days to decide whether or not match the offer, during which time the cap space of the other team is on hold. If Splitter signs an offer sheet that will be his new contract. It's just a matter of which team he will play for.

Splitter obviously has some leverage, but much less than he would as an unrestricted free agent
I don't think the Spurs offer a 5 year deal. Much more likely the spurs make the obvious qualifying offer, but have talks for a 3-4 year deal around Asik levels, or the Spurs match whatever another team gives.

[Mel_13]

Some party poopers on this thread saying "Baynes is gna be the #4 big stop getting so excited"

well obviously. Nobody here is saying he's going to be starting next to Tim. But haven't we all been saying "we need one more legit big" for quite some time now? Isn't having somebody 6'10 who can jump already an instant upgrade over Blair? We aren't expecting 20-10 from the guy but its certainly easy to get excited when we finally have Blair's replacement, and its popping up that the Spurs are shopping blair

You answered you own question. Blair hasn't been in the rotation for a month. He's just played in garbage time and in cases of foul trouble. Replacing Blair doesn't get Baynes into the rotation.

[objective]

I guess the question I have is does Baynes make it to the active roster as long as Blair is still on the team?

[Mel_13]

I don't think the Spurs offer a 5 year deal. Much more likely the spurs make the obvious qualifying offer, but have talks for a 3-4 year deal around Asik levels, or the Spurs match whatever another team gives.

I imagine that the Spurs will make him an offer that they calculate is enough to keep him from seeking other offers. The 5th year can be quite an incentive, but we'll see. They do have the security that comes with being able to match. In the end, I think Splitter gets annual money closer to Asik than to Hibbert and that the Spurs will keep him.

[Mel_13]

I guess the question I have is does Baynes make it to the active roster as long as Blair is still on the team?

Unless they want him to spend some time in Austin to play major minutes while he gets acclimated, then he has to be ahead of Blair on the depth chart. Mills and De Colo are also candidates to occasionally wear a suit behind the bench.

[ace3g]

Looks like Baynes and Duncan can compete for the best (or worst depending on how you look at it) foul face:



Also, has he ever been called for a foul he thinks he committed? I've only seen him play in the Olympics since his graduation but I'd wager he still has the same "what the hell did I do?" look on his face every time he hears a whistle and an official points at him.

http://www.cougcenter.com/2013/1/9/3855930/aron-baynes-signs-san-antonio-spurs-wsu-cougars

[DPG21920]

You answered you own question. Blair hasn't been in the rotation for a month. He's just played in garbage time and in cases of foul trouble. Replacing Blair doesn't get Baynes into the rotation.

True, but some of that could be because Blair is so bad. He got some shots, but either due to injury or terrible play (or one causing the other) Blair is no longer looked to. If he were fully healthy would he be in such a limited role? I am not so sure.

[Mel_13]

True, but some of that could be because Blair is so bad. He got some shots, but either due to injury or terrible play (or one causing the other) Blair is no longer looked to. If he were fully healthy would he be in such a limited role? I am not so sure.

If he were fully healthy, he never would have been a Spur in the first place, but that really has nothing to do with what I said. I was responding to someone who, to me, was equating surpassing Blair with making the rotation. The bar is higher than that.

[DPG21920]

I meant fully healthy in the context of the Spurs drafting him (meaning healthy as his first year with the Spurs). If he passes Blair on the depth chart, that doesn't mean he will get the same amount of minutes as Blair for the reasons I stated. If Blair were his normal self (not fully healthy in the sense he has his acl's back like a normal person, but just as he was his rookie year) he would probably still be the same on the depth chart but his minutes would more than likely increase from what they are now IMO.

[DPG21920]

I am equating passing Blair on the depth chart to actually playing better than Blair, not just because of injury forcing that issue as well.

[Strategic]

If Baynes doesn't pass Blair when he puts his uni on, I'll eat my hat.

[Mel_13]

I'll leave the hypotheticals for others. I'm with Strategic, Baynes passes Blair on the depth chart as soon as he signs his contract.

[I. Hustle]

LOL Gaze
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/michael-deleon/2013/01/former-spur-gaze-comments-on-aron-baynes/

[Prime Time]

Looks like Baynes and Duncan can compete for the best (or worst depending on how you look at it) foul face:



http://www.cougcenter.com/2013/1/9/3855930/aron-baynes-signs-san-antonio-spurs-wsu-cougars

Someone should record a Duncan/Leonard/Baynes staring contest. But tbh I don't believe any camera would have enough film for that.

[dallasmaverickslose]

Any news on when this badass mofo is going to arrive in Spursland?

[timvp]

Some party poopers on this thread saying "Baynes is gna be the #4 big stop getting so excited"

well obviously. Nobody here is saying he's going to be starting next to Tim. But haven't we all been saying "we need one more legit big" for quite some time now? Isn't having somebody 6'10 who can jump already an instant upgrade over Blair?

Yeah, I don't know how this is viewed as a negative by anyone. How many times has the mantra by Spurs fans been ":cryPlease just sign a big, athletic seven footer who can rebound:cry"? So, the Spurs sign a big, athletic seven footer who can rebound ..... yet there are still some tears being shed. Don't get it.

[Samr.]

Athletic what?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjufElnd6_U

Is it just me, or does it sound a lot like that announcer says "crap shit!" right before the defender gets annihilated?

Love it how the defender's posture instantly goes from "taking a charge" to "brace for impact."

[RD2191]

it says on draft express that he isnt very athletic and probably wont dunk unless he has a clear path, but from the vids i see it seems like the complete opposite. what do you guys think? is he maybe a poor mans kenneth faried?

[spurraider21]

Yeah, I don't know how this is viewed as a negative by anyone. How many times has the mantra by Spurs fans been ":cryPlease just sign a big, athletic seven footer who can rebound:cry"? So, the Spurs sign a big, athletic seven footer who can rebound ..... yet there are still some tears being shed. Don't get it.exactly. and considering the only "bigs" on the spurs bench are Diaw, Bonner, and Blair, its nice to get a big dude that can come in and play physical for 10-15 minutes

[capek]

Yeah, I don't know how this is viewed as a negative by anyone. How many times has the mantra by Spurs fans been ":cryPlease just sign a big, athletic seven footer who can rebound:cry"? So, the Spurs sign a big, athletic seven footer who can rebound ..... yet there are still some tears being shed. Don't get it.

I got a ST ignore list in my brain, and every single annoying entitled whinging ST Spurs fan is on it. To be honest it's gotten so long that you and bruno are about the only ones not on it. :lol

ok maybe there are a few others..

really though they're just not smart fans. It's the same thing with De Colo. Obviously the kid has a long ways to go before we'll know if he'll be a player. But how long have Spurs fans wanted a pass first back up PG to spell TP? Then we get De Colo, and some of the same people are all, "why is he no shooting more?!" :cry "Put Mills in he'll shoot those threes." :cry

[Samr.]

So would this signing count as Patty Mills' first assist of the season?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Timmy looks asleep on O - WTF???

The Baynes signing was a superb move for next year and beyond. What he contributes this year is questionable.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Geez Splitter, DUNK THAT!!! :pctoss

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Wrong thread! :oops

[CGD]

Wow I've been away for a few days and all these nice nuggets: Baynes, shopping Blair, working out Greene. Props to the folks monitoring the Baynes situation for a few weeks now. :toast

[ace3g]

someone made this twitter account:
@spursbane

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

The other thing I like about Baynes is that he has some of that Queenslander redneck agro mongrel in him, and this team needs some more agro and grittiness.

[Richie]

Baynes really needs to turn out well for us. At $2m, his salary could be the difference between getting a decent free agent big man or not.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Baynes really needs to turn out well for us. At $2m, his salary could be the difference between getting a decent free agent big man or not.

He's not being paid 2mil. His contract is 3.5mil over 4yrs, last 2 team options, so he's getting about $800,000.

[99 Problems]

So would this signing count as Patty Mills' first assist of the season?


Pop only playing Patty 'small minutes' Mills, small minutes as he's using him as an international scout.

[rascal]

it says on draft express that he isnt very athletic and probably wont dunk unless he has a clear path, but from the vids i see it seems like the complete opposite. what do you guys think? is he maybe a poor mans kenneth faried?

Has anyone seen him shoot the ball on the floor? All I see is dunks. he looks good going in on uncontested dunks or with minimal pressure from small guys but in the NBA he won't be getting easy looks like what you are seeing in these videos. Look at the small guys he is dunking on.

[capek]

Has anyone seen him shoot the ball on the floor? All I see is dunks. he looks good going in on uncontested dunks or with minimal pressure from small guys but in the NBA he won't be getting easy looks like what you are seeing in these videos. Look at the small guys he is dunking on.

Earlier in the thread, one person who's been watching him play this season said he has a capable jump shot that goes out to 15 feet but not much beyond that. Honestly, if he can pull boards on an NBA level and is halfway decent at guarding the pick and roll, I could care less about his offensive game outside of dunks and put backs. He'll come in with Diaw, Neal, and Manu, so he doesn't need to do anything fancy on O, as long as he's manning the boards and not constantly pulling a Blair on his man D assignments.

[BackHome]

If he can keep people like Zach and Paul G. from getting 17 rebounds then I am all for him getting as much playing time as possible.

[024]

:cry but is he classy? :cry

[TDMVPDPOY]

with his physic body.....will the refs allow him to play a physical game b4 blowing the whistle....

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Could have used him tonight when Tiago fouled out tbh.

[TJastal]

Athletic what?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjufElnd6_U

Is it just me, or does it sound a lot like that announcer says "crap shit!" right before the defender gets annihilated?

Love it how the defender's posture instantly goes from "taking a charge" to "brace for impact."

Too bad he would be charged with an offensive foul for doing the same thing in the nba.

[ace3g]

Patrick Mills ‏@Patty_Mills (https://twitter.com/Patty_Mills) Lucky I have some good news to share before hitting the hardwood again in the morning... #secrets (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23secrets&src=hash)

[TJastal]

with his physic body.....will the refs allow him to play a physical game b4 blowing the whistle....

Haha... yep I was thinking the exact same thing. Now otoh if he just a different skin color.. *cough*..

[TDMVPDPOY]

Haha... yep I was thinking the exact same thing. Now otoh if he just a different skin color.. *cough*..

even a softcock like bonner doesnt get away from touch phantom fouls called out of nowhere....

this guy can easily be 3rd backup big, beating diaw and bonner up the rotation shouldnt be hard

[Buddy Holly]

Too bad he would be charged with an offensive foul for doing the same thing in the nba.

You mean he would have gotten an and 1 in the nba. Defenders feet were in the circle.

[TDMVPDPOY]

He's not being paid 2mil. His contract is 3.5mil over 4yrs, last 2 team options, so he's getting about $800,000.

watta lame ass contract offer from the spurs, hopefully he pans out in those 2 years and looks for a bigger pay day in FA asking for a release...

[TJastal]

You mean he would have gotten an and 1 in the nba. Defenders feet were in the circle.

Wouldn't matter. Refs in the nba would feel the need to make the politically correct call in that situation. IMHO of course so take it for what its worth.

[timvp]

Haha... yep I was thinking the exact same thing. Now otoh if he just a different skin color.. *cough*..

So now white players get called for offensive fouls at a higher than normal rate? That's the first I've heard of that phenomenon. TJastal with some weirds, tbh.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Wouldn't matter. Refs in the nba would feel the need to make the politically correct call in that situation. IMHO of course so take it for what its worth.

monkeyball gets away from that shit all the time, dunno why there should be a double standards on how fouls should be called for monkeys and avg players.....

as long the plays fits sportscenter then they wont call it...

if he pans out in the 2 years, should test FA for bigger pay day, bigs get overpaid in this league cause skilled bigs are a dime

[Richie]

He's not being paid 2mil. His contract is 3.5mil over 4yrs, last 2 team options, so he's getting about $800,000.

According to this report, he is getting $2m/yr

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/spurs-aron-baynes-union-olimpija

May not be accurate, but if it is it should be worrying

[TJastal]

So now white players get called for offensive fouls at a higher than normal rate? That's the first I've heard of that phenomenon. TJastal with some weirds, tbh.

If it were only so... I wish. But I've seen far too many examples that say otherwise.. I think of guys like Splitter and Bonner and I've honestly lost count of how many times I've seen these guys get hosed repeatedly by the refs. Unfortunately, political correctness has seeped into everything, including pro sports.

[Buddy Holly]

Wouldn't matter. Refs in the nba would feel the need to make the politically correct call in that situation. IMHO of course so take it for what its worth.

What?

[TJastal]

Spurs really should have waited to sign this guy till after the season and snapped up Delonte West with the lure of playing alongside a future HOF legend (Ginobili). That would have been a potent lefty backup duo. Damnit.

[timvp]

If it were only so... I wish. But I've seen far too many examples that say otherwise.. I think of guys like Splitter and Bonner and I've honestly lost count of how many times I've seen these guys get hosed repeatedly by the refs. Unfortunately, political correctness has seeped into everything, including pro sports.

As evident by Bonner having one of the lowest foul rates in the history of bigmen ...

And that Dirk guy never gets calls ...

[TJastal]

As evident by Bonner having one of the lowest foul rates in the history of bigmen ...

And that Dirk guy never gets calls ...

Bonner having a low foul rate might have something to do with him being practically invisible most of the time. But even that doesn't make him immune from getting an inordinate share of phantom and-1's for doing little more than standing like a statue with arms outstretched. And other phantom bullshit calls. Which is why I've always wanted Pop to attempt to turn him into a Brian Cardinal type player.. with more limited minutes. I mean if you're going to get called for cheesy fouls anyway, might as well make em count, right?

As far as Dirk goes, he's accorded some respect (being a superstar and all) but not nearly the same type as other superstars like James, Durant, Melo, etc. Just my opinion, take it for what its worth.

[crc21209]

I can't wait till this guy joins the team. I don't care if he has ANY NBA experience or not, but after watching Bonner catch the ball 2 feet from the basket and freeze up and not do a damn thing with it, I'm DONE with him. Seeing him out there hurts my eyes. That, and Baynes would be a perfect extra body to throw at bigs like Randolph and Gasol...

[TJastal]

I can't wait till this guy joins the team. I don't care if he has ANY NBA experience or not, but after watching Bonner catch the ball 2 feet and freeze up and not do a damn thing with it, I'm DONE with him. Seeing him out there hurts my eyes. That, and Baynes would be a perfect extra body to throw at bigs like Randolph and Gasol...

2 feet .. from the rim?

[crc21209]

2 feet .. from the rim?

Yeah sorry I just edited my post. :lol

[smaka]

Has anyone seen him shoot the ball on the floor? All I see is dunks. he looks good going in on uncontested dunks or with minimal pressure from small guys but in the NBA he won't be getting easy looks like what you are seeing in these videos. Look at the small guys he is dunking on.


He also shoots the ball outside the paint and imo he is a pretty decent shooter from there.
In one of the first games of the season, he also hit a clutch 3 for the win. :hat

[Spurs Brazil]

Marc Stein

Aron Baynes played more than 15 minutes only once in Australia's six games at the London Olympics. He logged all of eight minutes of court time in the Boomers' quarterfinal loss to Team USA.

Baynes, though, was seen extensively behind closed doors all summer by Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown, who happened to be Australia's national team coach at London 2012. Which should temper anyone's surprise when it emerged this week that San Antonio is closing in on a buyout of Baynes' contract with Slovenian powerhouse Olimpija Ljubljana to sign the 7-footer to a multiyear deal.

Such is the credibility built up by Spurs president R.C. Buford, by contrast, that it was immediately assumed in league and media circles that San Antonio has done it again and unearthed yet another overseas gem. As former Spur Andrew Gaze, referring to his old team, colorfully explained to the Sydney Morning News: "They don't recruit dills."

Dills being Australian for idiots.

Realistically, though, Baynes won't be seriously counted on by San Antonio before next season even if the 26-year-old center -- one of the top rebounders in the Euroleague this season -- arrives from Slovenia relatively soon. According to DraftExpress.com, Baynes will be signed for the next three seasons after this one, with 2014-15 and 2015-16 at the Spurs' option.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-130111-12/nba-latest-nba-trade-chatter

[TDMVPDPOY]

Marc Stein

Aron Baynes played more than 15 minutes only once in Australia's six games at the London Olympics. He logged all of eight minutes of court time in the Boomers' quarterfinal loss to Team USA.

Baynes, though, was seen extensively behind closed doors all summer by Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown, who happened to be Australia's national team coach at London 2012. Which should temper anyone's surprise when it emerged this week that San Antonio is closing in on a buyout of Baynes' contract with Slovenian powerhouse Olimpija Ljubljana to sign the 7-footer to a multiyear deal.

Such is the credibility built up by Spurs president R.C. Buford, by contrast, that it was immediately assumed in league and media circles that San Antonio has done it again and unearthed yet another overseas gem. As former Spur Andrew Gaze, referring to his old team, colorfully explained to the Sydney Morning News: "They don't recruit dills."

Dills being Australian for idiots.

Realistically, though, Baynes won't be seriously counted on by San Antonio before next season even if the 26-year-old center -- one of the top rebounders in the Euroleague this season -- arrives from Slovenia relatively soon. According to DraftExpress.com, Baynes will be signed for the next three seasons after this one, with 2014-15 and 2015-16 at the Spurs' option.

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-130111-12/nba-latest-nba-trade-chatter

anything from andrew gaze....hahahhahaah have u seen the clown do commentary? if u think sean is worst at being a spurs homer, gaze is up there when it comes to bball in general and alot of reference to outdated player scout material....

[benfti]

anything from andrew gaze....hahahhahaah have u seen the clown do commentary? if u think sean is worst at being a spurs homer, gaze is up there when it comes to bball in general and alot of reference to outdated player scout material....

Being Australian, and disrespecting Andrew Gaze on anything to do with basketball is akin to burning the flag for these folk.

its just not done.

shame on you.

[Russo21]

Aron Baynes will be a monster for us. Aron fucking Baynes will be a monster for us. Write that down.

Additt: If Pop put's him on the floor and not as part of the cheersquad on the end of the bench he will be a monster . It's up to Pop to play the fucker. It's all on you old man. Play the fucker from the get go.

I don't think anyone realised what they stumbled upon when they signed him.

[Russ]

I don't give a damn about anything except that Baynes comes into practice with a chip on his shoulder. I hope he goes right after Splitter and those two go at it like Ann Coulter and Emma Goldman in a cat fight. "You think that'a knife, mate? Now this is a knife." Let's get in on and get ready for May!

[Bruno]

Extract from an interview of one of Baynes' former teammate called Dan Watts:
http://www.eurobasket.com/Germany/basketball.asp?NewsID=303316

Aron Baynes who played for Oldenburg two seasons ago is close to signing with the Spurs. How will he fit into their lineup there best and what do you remember most from his game?

He was a huge guy that would make a great WWE wrestler. I saw that he was playing really well in Euroleague this year, he can be a physical rebounder for the Spurs.


http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/537301_149318105218389_1880073802_n.jpg

[MoSpur]

I don't get my hopes anymore about guys that the Spurs bring from overseas.

[Mad Bonner]

FukkanAronBaynes

[Samr.]

You mean he would have gotten an and 1 in the nba. Defenders feet were in the circle.

I think yall are missing the bigger picture here -- it doesn't matter whether that was a charge or a foul, it matters that he DESTROYED that guy.

If Baynes did that in the NBA, ESPN would instantly label him the next blake griffin, the real blake griffin would have gotten a hard on, and baynes would be in the dunk contest for the next 3 years automatically.

[Boomersgold]

anything from andrew gaze....hahahhahaah have u seen the clown do commentary? if u think sean is worst at being a spurs homer, gaze is up there when it comes to bball in general and alot of reference to outdated player scout material....

:bang Are you really Australian? Calling one of Australia's most decorated athletes a clown?

[DPG21920]

290152797494722561

[Drachen]

@ DavidtheAdmiral is David's twitter.

[LittleCriminal]

So when Is this dude joining the Team??? The Spurs need another Big in the Rotation. Bonner and Lamont do not qualify anymore.

[Jumi]

So when Is this dude joining the Team??? The Spurs need another Big in the Rotation. Bonner and Lamont do not qualify anymore.

Lamont??
Big Dummy!

[LittleCriminal]

Lamont??
Big Dummy!

DeJuan Blair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeJuan_Blair)en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeJuan_Blair
DeJuan Lamont Blair (born April 22, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs.

Big Dumbass!!

[Jumi]

:rollin

[maverick1948]

If he was a finished project and had been to training camp with the Spurs, he would step right in the rotation. But !!! It is doubtful he can be here and get meaningful practice with the Spurs before the rodeo road trip. Therefore, a trip to Austin ASAP could get him court time with Cory J and a group of players who are in a Spur system. Several days of practice and 8 games before the All Star break, would be perfect for him. Then practice with the big boys over the break and join them on the 2nd half of the trip. Then he can get some minutes with the team and see the speed of the game in the NBA. Not sure what Pop will want to do but I cant see signing him and putting him on the bench when practice time for the Spurs is not available.

[maverick1948]

Maybe he will wear #34 like Donk.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ufDTDUPZrag?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[AussieFanKurt]

anyone know when he will play his first game?

[AussieFanKurt]

:bang Are you really Australian? Calling one of Australia's most decorated athletes a clown?

have you ever heard gaze commentate? He is a fucking deadshit and terrible. I don't remember him as a player but TDMVPDPOY was just talking about commentary

[Boomersgold]

have you ever heard gaze commentate? He is a fucking deadshit and terrible. I don't remember him as a player but TDMVPDPOY was just talking about commentary

No doubt, but when it comes to commentators, Australia doesn't really have a lot of options. Calling him a "clown" is downright disrespectful though.

[TDMVPDPOY]

No doubt, but when it comes to commentators, Australia doesn't really have a lot of options. Calling him a "clown" is downright disrespectful though.

never seen a player coatride his dad, copeland, giddey, bradke to rings.... :D:D

[benfti]

have you ever heard gaze commentate? He is a fucking deadshit and terrible. I don't remember him as a player but TDMVPDPOY was just talking about commentary Sorry mate, but he is just being himself, you dont remember him as a player, but reality is if it wasnt for him you would not even know about basketball in this country in the first place. Mate, he is the EJ Whitton/ Wally Lewis of basketball. He can be however the hell he wants and you need to be eternally grateful.

He is a national treasure.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Sorry mate, but he is just being himself, you dont remember him as a player, but reality is if it wasnt for him you would not even know about basketball in this country in the first place. Mate, he is the EJ Whitton/ Wally Lewis of basketball. He can be however the hell he wants and you need to be eternally grateful.

He is a national treasure.

lets just say australian commentary for most sports...is like watchin ur friend gloating out of his ass, boasting something thats not exciting to be the best thing since slice bread...thats how fkn lame it is, too much sarcasm...ever since the bush league has been back on local tv, they hired the same old tosb who did the shows during the 90s, trying to recapture those golden years of the nbl...i dont think they have the correct ppl doing those shows to be targeting todays audience...

hopefully with this signing....means more fkn spurs game on aussie tv, like when bogut was drafted...it was either shitty bucks games or watchin lebron shitty cavs in action....

[LittleCriminal]

Anybody know when this Slut is going to see any action???

[PingPong]

Anybody know when this Slut is going to see any action???

2015-16.

[ace3g]

290533593455939584

Today at our game as a visitor. Only about visa formalities to cross it apart.

*google translate

I think another key aspect in his development was getting into shape. Not that he wasn't in shape before, but you can see in pictures early in his career to even early as a few years ago he was pretty "chubby" in the cheeks, now he is more toned all around, being in shape probably accelerated his already progressive basketball development.

http://distilleryimage6.instagram.com/37dc85665daa11e2b9ed22000a1f8cd8_7.jpg

[temujin]

Best scenario: an unskilled Robertas Javtokas before the accident.
Worst scenario: an unexperienced Robertas Javtokas AFTER the accident.

[timtonymanu]

He definitely lost weight/got into shape. I was looking at a clip of him at Washington State and he looked chunky, like the fat Marc Gasol build.

[smaka]

http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/251382_10152106649575184_852238774_n.jpg

Strong guy :lol
He was at the game today, but didn't play, Olimpija said only thing left to be done is his visa for USA, then he is coming.

[ace3g]

Paul Garcia PS ‏@24writer (https://twitter.com/24writer) Coach Pop on international players: “None of them are out there hidden anymore.” #Spurs (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Spurs&src=hash) #Wolves (https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Wolves&src=hash)

*Not really a comment on Baynes specifically but glad we got him before someone else did.

[Samr.]

Still no word from Spurs camp about Baynes and it's been four days since the news first broke. Anyone else find that at least a little strange?

[timtonymanu]

Still no word from Spurs camp about Baynes and it's been four days since the news first broke. Anyone else find that at least a little strange?

Same thing happened with Patty. I don't think the official presser broke out until he cleared his visa.

[ace3g]

Spurs don't want announce anything in case some snag occurs in the FIBA process and/or VISA issues, seems like with the interview Baynes had at his team's game today, VISA is the only thing that needs completion.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Surely the Baynes signing rules out a strong push for Oden, at least during this season (unless there is a major space-creating trade like shipping Bonner-Grizz-Neal in a 3-for-1)?

[Ice009]

Surely the Baynes signing rules out a strong push for Oden, at least during this season (unless there is a major space-creating trade like shipping Bonner-Grizz-Neal in a 3-for-1)?

Good to see that you are interested in Oden too Ruff.

[jimbo]

290533593455939584

Bayneswithchick.jpg


Damn, he definitely has the best physique out of the bigmen on our roster. He should be really interesting.

[Ice009]

Baynes should pick Pop up like that if Bonner gets court time over him.

[Prime Time]

Damn, he definitely has the best physique out of the bigmen on our roster. He should be really interesting.

Tbh his competition isn't that high. Two walking sticks in Duncan/Splitter and two marshmallows in Diaw/Blair. Bonner is.... Well, Bonner.

[Prime Time]

Baynes is going to be SOLID. I can't think of many "scrubs" that have his height, built, motive, and activity.

[team-work]

Baynes should pick Pop up like that if Bonner gets court time over him.

:lol

[DPG21920]

You could definitely photoshop Batman into that picture and put the Bane mask on him and boom.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Baynes defiantly looking strong, he got's that "pornstar build " tbh


http://distilleryimage6.instagram.com/37dc85665daa11e2b9ed22000a1f8cd8_7.jpg

[Samr.]

I dont think there has been this much anticipation over a new Spur since we drafted Duncan.... We must be getting desperate for news.

[Spursfan092120]

Crappy, I know...but it is what it is..lol

http://i45.tinypic.com/149tmjs.jpg

[ace3g]

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/1540/spursbaynebane2copy.jpg

[lefty]

lol

[Spursfan092120]

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/8443/spursbaynebanecopy.jpg
lol...now THAT is a good one.

[callo1]

I think Baynes will get much more playing time than many people think. I think Pop is clearly seeing the impact of the schedule on Timmy and this move was a move to take some load off.

I like this kid, he has that tuffness that the Spurs are lacking at his position. I not expecting him to be the savior, but if he can come in and deliver some physical boards and get some putbacks, he has the potential to really help...this year.

[Richie]

If Baynes can give us 5-10min of big, bruising minutes getting good rebounds on both ends he will be an asset. Play him next to Timmy when Splitter rests in the 1st and 3rd

[Manufan909]

290533593455939584

Today at our game as a visitor. Only about visa formalities to cross it apart.

*google translate

I think another key aspect in his development was getting into shape. Not that he wasn't in shape before, but you can see in pictures early in his career to even early as a few years ago he was pretty "chubby" in the cheeks, now he is more toned all around, being in shape probably accelerated his already progressive basketball development.

http://distilleryimage6.instagram.com/37dc85665daa11e2b9ed22000a1f8cd8_7.jpg

All I want to know is his preference: chocolate or vanilla? Clearly he is still torn on the matter.

[ace3g]

Granted it could change after everything is official and he can talk about it but:

Baynes Tweets: 288

Blair Tweets: 29,555

[Imakandi]

ARON BAYNES 2012
Let me start by saying i am from Slovenija huge fan of Union Olimpija and i ve seen over 30 games played by my team this year most of them in person. Let me break player profile at DRAFT EXPRES and give u my perception of pply s abilities backed up by some stats:

* Physical presence
TRUE
Arons ability as a powerful big man was dully noticed in Euroleage. Often pushing and carrying best opp. big man out of a paint like its nothing. Loncar,Davis even so called "Baby Shack Shortcanidis" 7th 250lbt Panathinaicos center couldnt muscle im inside.

* Little athleticism to speak of
TRUE AND FALSE
In Euroleague made a more than few power dunk and also posterized opp players. Standing dunk under the rim is standard weapon of choise. However thats is Euroleage in NBA his atletic skills would be most likely consider average at best. * LumberingI trully have no idea what that meens :))
* Leaping ability is poor
FALSE
Having achieved 9.8 reb /game he was BEST rebounder in Euroleague and 3rd best in regional ABA leaguu (7.1reb). * Extremely fundamental playerTRUE Scoring and rebounting was never a problem for Aron, but the number of moves in offense is very limited. Posses great hook shot, can dunk on ppl, can score by shooting form close range.. ..and thats about it.

* Excellent touch around the basket
TRUE
When he receve the ball in the paint he cant be stoped.

* Lacks any real creativity with his post moves
TRUE
Same as "fundemental player".

* Holds his position wel
lTRUE
Like said befor he cant be moved inside even by bigger and heavier player.

* Does a good job on the defensive glass
TRUE AND FALSE
Having only 0.5 block per game in Euroleage and 0.9 in ABA league doesnt give a real picture of his inside defense. U have 2 realize that U.Olimpia played in Euro l. against teams who s basic offense is long range shootin (combine 72% live game points).Also never got "owned" by any big man in competision.His biggest problem was collectin lots of personal fouls, at start of a season he had 5 (max in europe) before the end of a game in 7 out of 9 games. Shown great progress on that area.

Aron Baynes is hard working, intelegent player who, under good coaching (Greg would be perfect for him!!!) could develept into a good player.

Some stats for Euroleague regular season:
Ranks #1 : 2-pointers made (54)#1 in Offensive Rebounds (39)#1 in Total Rebounds (98)#3 in Defensive Rebounds (59)#10 in Points (138)#11 in Fouls Drawn

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Thanks for the insight.

[capek]

Thanks a lot for your first hand perspectives Ima! Best information I've seen on him so far, thanks for sharing. I'm most curious to see who he manages his fouling, so it's good to know that he's shown progress on it.

[Biggems]

so when does the Aussie arrive?

[Richie]

How long did Pattys visa take?

[Strategic]

If Baynes can give us 5-10min of big, bruising minutes getting good rebounds on both ends he will be an asset. Play him next to Timmy when Splitter rests in the 1st and 3rd

Hopefully it won't take Pop as long to play Baynes with Duncan as it did for him to play Splitter with Duncan. If that's the case Timmy will be playing in the old timers league before it happens!

[Bruno]

How long did Pattys visa take?

10 days.

[maverick1948]

10 days.

Did we learn how to expedite the process with Patty?

[JureEe]

Did we learn how to expedite the process with Patty?

this is system.. you cant really speed this thinks up.. and its really depends on other side.. (in this case American embassy in Slovenia, Ljubljana)

After Visa he have to pass medical tests.. this can be speed up but isnt standart that medical test is first possible day?

[xellos88330]

Thanks for that! Oh, and what people say someone is lumbering, it means that they are heavy footed and slow.

[I. Hustle]

this is system.. you cant really speed this thinks up.. and its really depends on other side.. (in this case American embassy in Slovenia, Ljubljana)

After Visa he have to pass medical tests.. this can be speed up but isnt standart that medical test is first possible day?

Ducks?

[timvp]

Nice stuff, Imakandi :tu

[Kamnik]

Man.... San Antonio doesn't have true Slovenians but Green and Baynes got to count for 1 :)

[boutons_deux]

I have two colleagues from India, already professionally employed in USA, and their green cards took 4+ years. Guy on the radio said his brother has been waiting 6 years.

I guess pro sports knows how to jump over the multi-year queue.

[Mel_13]

I have two colleagues from India, already professionally employed in USA, and their green cards took 4+ years. Guy on the radio said his brother has been waiting 6 years.

I guess pro sports knows how to jump over the multi-year queue.

He needs a work visa, not a green card.

[romsho]

I like Pop being called Greg "Greg would be perfect for him!!"

[ElNono]

I have two colleagues from India, already professionally employed in USA, and their green cards took 4+ years. Guy on the radio said his brother has been waiting 6 years.

I guess pro sports knows how to jump over the multi-year queue.

He's getting a P-1 visa. He only needs to show he has a contract with an NBA team to get it.

A green card is a permanent residency and a completely different story.