Rasho (or Nazr) is gone

[Marcus Bryant]

From Ludden's article: (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA071505.1D.BKNspurs.oberto.6c5ecb8d.html)


After Oberto's signing, the Spurs will have about half of their $4.9 million midlevel exception remaining, in addition to their $1.6 million exception. They would like to add an athletic wing player, a third point guard (re-signing Mike Wilks remains a possibility) and another reserve big man to occupy the role Tony Massenburg and Kevin Willis held previously.

With Oberto coming in, the Spurs' active roster bigmen (as of now) will look like:

Starters
4 Duncan
5 Mohammed

Bench
4 Horry
4/5 Oberto
5 Nesterovic

If the Spurs are looking for someone to be the 5th big, then Rasho's gone. If they put Oberto on IR to start the season, perhaps not, but I don't see the Spurs signing someone to a 3 year non-minimum deal and then not putting him in uniform.

[JUUOT]

the point i was trying to make is that the rotation fo bigs is 6 not 5.
sorry i was just waking up...lol

[1Parker1]

Duncan-Rose? :lol

[td4mvp3]

^ yeah, i was wondering what that was about, too.

[CubanMustGo]

I thot that under the new CBA the IR was a thing of the past?

[Marcus Bryant]

I thot that under the new CBA the IR was a thing of the past?

The only change is that now a player doesn't have to have an injury to be placed on it. If I am not mistaken, they've changed the acronym "IR" to stand for "inactive reserve" instead of "injured reserve"...

[CubanMustGo]

Cool - thx MB.

[SpursChampsIII]

Duncan - rose
netserovic - horry
Marks - Massenburg.
i count 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! not 5
so there is just one place to fill on the roster for a 6th big man!!! not 5th

Rasho and nazr until proven otherwise are staying. a bullshit argument is not enough to pull the triger on a trade
sorry

Damn dude...did you just fall off the couch and bump your head?

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

Do the Spurs really want a center rotation comprised of a guy who hasn't played in the NBA and a guy with bad hands and a shaky grip on the defensive system? I know, Nazr will have a full training camp to learn things, but the reality of it is that after a training camp Rasho could be starting. Rasho will stick around.

[Marcus Bryant]

Well, if they are looking for a 5th big then the answer is "yes".

Also, don't forget that Duncan is a major part of that center rotation.

[usckk]

I think the article just had a typo. I think it mean the Spurs needed another bigman to fill the roles of Marks.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

Do the Spurs really want a center rotation comprised of a guy who hasn't played in the NBA and a guy with bad hands and a shaky grip on the defensive system? I know, Nazr will have a full training camp to learn things, but the reality of it is that after a training camp Rasho could be starting. Rasho will stick around.

I agree sfie, and Nazr's not going to be coached into having better hands. Its been the rap on the guy since he was at Kentucky. I'm beginning to think that a trade is not going to happen at this point. They may be waiting to see what they can pick up off on Mulligan Day. They have until February to make a move anyway. That should give them plenty of time to 1. give Rasho a shot at earning his job back, 2. give Nazr a full training camp to get further system immersion, and 3. Oberto a chance to show how quickly he can acclimate. To me, if there is not a great SF out there, then there's no need to rush into a trade. (But I still think Rasho for Battier would be a no-brainer if the Grizz are willing).

QUESTION: Can Rasho get waived under the new mulligan clause?

[usckk]

No.

[angel_luv]

Did we lose Marks or are they talking past tense?

[usckk]

Marks is a free agent

[ducks]

Center Rasho Nesterovic has generated some trade interest among other teams, though the Spurs have yet to find a deal they like.
from ludden's article

[Twisted_Dawg]

I do not think the Spurs would have signed another big in Oberto, and spent half of their MLE, if they did not have other plans already in place. I just do not see the Spurs going into the season with 3 centers when only one will get any meaningful playing time with Tim slipping to the 5 frequently. Nor can a team have a center making Narz/Rasho money sitting on the bench or playing 5 minutes per night.

The other plans? That means that either Rasho or Narz is gone. I do not see the Spurs trading Rasho without first locking up Narz on an extension. There is no way the Spurs will trade Rasho and have Narz's contract expire next summer and lose him because some idiot GM offers him $10 million per year and be left with out an experienced center.

It is reasonable to conclude the Spurs have already approached Narz's agent to for an extension. If Narzs says he want to wait until next summer, then I think Narz is gone. If Narz has already secretly agreed to that extension, then Rasho is gone.

Right now I am guessing Narz turned down the contract extension and he will soon be traded since his trade value is so high now.

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs are in a very good position to shore up the 3 spot long term within the next year.

[clubalien]

I am perdicting that nazr is traded

[spurster]

Why not keep them all? Here is a possible minutes distribution, anticipating that there will be some games Horry or Oberto don't play.

TD - 34
Nazr - 24
Rasho - 18
Horry - 10
Oberto - 10

[Cant_Be_Faded]

if nazr is traded we better get a tall black athletic defensive stopping SF

[Marcus Bryant]

What's wrong with a tall white athletic defensive stopping SF?

[Marcus Bryant]

Why not keep them all? Here is a possible minutes distribution, anticipating that there will be some games Horry or Oberto don't play.

TD - 34
Nazr - 24
Rasho - 18
Horry - 10
Oberto - 10

No complaints here, but do the Spurs keep Nazr or Rasho past the trade deadline? I suppose that in the worst case scenario, they lose Nazr for nothing next summer and then Rasho (or Oberto) moves into the starting rotation.

[TheTruth]

You guys think there is any chance the Hawks would trade Childress for Nazr?

[Marcus Bryant]

You guys think there is any chance the Hawks would trade Childress for Nazr?

If they want a true starting center bad enough.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

Why not keep them all? Here is a possible minutes distribution, anticipating that there will be some games Horry or Oberto don't play.

TD - 34
Nazr - 24
Rasho - 18
Horry - 10
Oberto - 10

And what would Bowen's minutes be at the 3 if the above scenario happened and given that he has no real backup? The guy is getting up there. We can't expect he's going to stay injury free as he has the past couple of seasons.

The reason IMO that we can't keep them all is that we need a small forward and the means to acquire one locked right now in the above list.

[TheTruth]

If they want a true starting center bad enough.
Would you rather have Josh Childress or Shane Battier?

[grjr]

No complaints here, but do the Spurs keep Nazr or Rasho past the trade deadline? I suppose that in the worst case scenario, they lose Nazr for nothing next summer and then Rasho (or Oberto) moves into the starting rotation.

From what I've seen of Oberto I won't be a bit surprised if he's our starting center sometime this year. Maybe even to start the season depending on how fast he picks up the defensive scheme in training camp.

[Marcus Bryant]

One thing is for certain, the Spurs have some tradeable assets in Rasho (because his deal is reasonable for a big with his skills) and Nazr because a team can try him out before having to commit to him.

Overall, the center position is one of the thinnest in the NBA today and the Spurs have two above average (and starting quality) players at that position, both of whom could be traded.

[timvp]

With the signing of Oberto, I have to believe that Rasho (or Nazr) will be gone soon. It doesn't make sense to carry three centers, especially since the on that you just signed wasn't cheap.

If I had to guess, I'd predict that Rasho is traded and Nazr is given a year to show what he can do. However, since the Spurs have Oberto signed up long term, I'd expect the Spurs to give him the opportunity to start. Bringing Nazr off the bench would lower his market value next offseason.

Plus Oberto has much better hands than Nazr and is the much better passer. If he can survive the physical NBA players in pivot, I think Oberto will be starting sooner than most expect.

[Horry For 3!]

Damn this is all new to me. I haven't been on for a week. I have been in New Mexico on a vacation trip. So I guess Scola didn't work out and we got Oberto.

[strangeweather]

I don't think Nazr is going anywhere

we wouldn't of even got to the finals if it wasn't for Nazr's play

I would hate for him to go anywhere too, but not as much as I'd hate to have the Spurs cough up $10 million a year next year to keep him.