Spurs Could Free Up $20 million in cap space for 2013-2014 season

[Knoxxx]

"So at the beginning of the free agent period next season, the Spurs won't have cap space until they resign or renounce Ginobili. If they renounce Manu and Blair, don't extend qualifying offers to Neal and Splitter, and waive Bonner, the Spurs would have over $20 million to play with in free agency to remake the team. That means cap room for a max free agent and some change."

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/4/30/4183152/spurs-trade-draft-cap-nba-acquisitions

1) Big man in order of preference: Howard/Cousins/Jefferson/West
2) Manu gets what's left below cap
3) Throw MLE at Jarret Jack

Manu may get vet min if it helps sign any more players and I think we have the LLE in the picture too.

Time to go for broke, we can't wait until 2014-15 to make a big free agent move!

[Buddy Holly]

Draft well.

Sign Paul Millsap.

Bring over Hanga.

Three things I'd like to see.

[TheGreatYacht]

1) Bring in DH12. 2) If Howard doesn't want to come here then offer that whole cap space to Al Jefferson/David West and Jarrett Jack. Talk to both of them and convince them to split that salary between them. They both fit in perfect because they cover the positions we need. 3) Worst-case scenario is to bring back the exact same team. Duncan, TP, and Manu will only be one year older.

[KL2]

Jack is gonna get paaaiiiiid, Howard won't come here, Jefferson is terrible defensively and will totally screw up the Spurs' fast paced offense (he's a bad fit in the system), Cousins will demand a max contract and can probably get one. That leaves West who I'd LOVE to have, moreso than a guy like Millsap. He's nowhere near as good as Splitter but offensively he's 10x better, and he'd fit next to Duncan very well.

[chapnis]

West is my no. 1 preference for a big man.

[tesseractive]

Even if the Spurs were willing to compete with everyone willing to overpay Jarrett Jack, he's going to get offered a starting job somewhere. There's no way he's going to come here to be Tony's backup.

West is great, but I seriously doubt he's leaving Indiana, for the same reasons that our guys don't leave. Class program up there.

We need to resign Splitter and get him to commit to improving his game in the offseason. We also need to keep working with Cory and Nando and try to get them in position to contribute as consistent members of the rotation. If Gary Neal is willing to live with small and inconsistent minutes, we should resign him.

We need to find (draft? sign?) a solid backup small forward and a 4th big man who can do more than Bonner. Hanga might be a possibility as a swingman if we think he's ready. It would be nice to have a couple of inexpensive playoff tested veterans for the deep bench, 2003 Steve Kerr / Kevin Willis style.

Of the free agents I've heard mentioned so far, MWP and Mike Miller both sound like they could be useful additions.

We were one FT away from winning the title. We should focus on subtle fixes, not radically changing the team.

[kaji157]

Wes is the guy i would like us to sign but i doubt he leaves the pacers.

[spurraider21]

I'd cite the chances of landing Dwight at less than 2%, but if he came it would vault the Spurs into the instant favorites for 2014. Many on this site will agree that EVEN if he came, he isn't Spurs material and it won't work out. To that, I say fine. If it doesn't work out, you can always deal him for assets and draft picks. Coward will always have takers

[barakz21]

Even if the Spurs were willing to compete with everyone willing to overpay Jarrett Jack, he's going to get offered a starting job somewhere. There's no way he's going to come here to be Tony's backup.

West is great, but I seriously doubt he's leaving Indiana, for the same reasons that our guys don't leave. Class program up there.

We need to resign Splitter and get him to commit to improving his game in the offseason. We also need to keep working with Cory and Nando and try to get them in position to contribute as consistent members of the rotation. If Gary Neal is willing to live with small and inconsistent minutes, we should resign him.

We need to find (draft? sign?) a solid backup small forward and a 4th big man who can do more than Bonner. Hanga might be a possibility as a swingman if we think he's ready. It would be nice to have a couple of inexpensive playoff tested veterans for the deep bench, 2003 Steve Kerr / Kevin Willis style.

Of the free agents I've heard mentioned so far, MWP and Mike Miller both sound like they could be useful additions.

We were one FT away from winning the title. We should focus on subtle fixes, not radically changing the team.

I like the way you think bruh. Like you, I think I'd go for West too. The guy can contribute, without exactly being a ballhog.

[Chinook]

"So at the beginning of the free agent period next season, the Spurs won't have cap space until they resign or renounce Ginobili. If they renounce Manu and Blair, don't extend qualifying offers to Neal and Splitter, and waive Bonner, the Spurs would have over $20 million to play with in free agency to remake the team. That means cap room for a max free agent and some change."

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/4/30/4183152/spurs-trade-draft-cap-nba-acquisitions

1) Big man in order of preference: Howard/Cousins/Jefferson/West
2) Manu gets what's left below cap
3) Throw MLE at Jarret Jack

Manu may get vet min if it helps sign any more players and I think we have the LLE in the picture too.

Time to go for broke, we can't wait until 2014-15 to make a big free agent move!

No offense, but there are a lot of things messed up about your logic:

-The Spurs can't use the MLE and cap space in the same off-season. So 3) is impossible.
-The max salary is more than $20 Million for a lot of players, and for the others, there's not enough room to give Ginobili any money.
-Jack just finished playing for the MLE (the old one at that). He won't settle for that again.
-No LLE
-The Spurs can actually free up about $26 Million if Diaw and Mills opt out and they amnesty Bonner.

There's a lot of good cap-related discussion in Bruno's salary thread in the Think Tank. You should check it out if you're curious about such things.

[TheGreatYacht]

-The max salary is more than $20 Million for a lot of players, and for the others, there's not enough room to give Ginobili any money.Fine then don't offer him anything. Too harsh. He should do what Timmy did which was to let the FO make their moves, sign players, and then take whatever money there is left. If the Spurs use all their cap space to sign a couple of good FA's like Jarrett Jack and David West then so be it. Manu can take the veteran's minimum.

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

Paul Milsap would be so nice

[timmy2003]

Draft well.

Sign Paul Millsap.

Bring over Hanga.

Three things I'd like to see.
Millsap is a slight upgrade over Diaw but may cost too much.

[Chinook]

Fine then don't offer him anything. Too harsh. He should do what Timmy did which was to let the FO make their moves, sign players, and then take whatever money there is left. If the Spurs use all their cap space to sign a couple of good FA's like Jarrett Jack and David West then so be it. Manu can take the veteran's minimum.

He'd probably get the room exception in that scenario ($5.4M/2) unless the Spurs use it on Casspi or another backup three. If they can draft another center, it wouldn't be a bad idea, although I'd prefer them to stay over the cap and make trades.

[soxxx]

Trade for Garnett,

[timmy2003]

Trade for Garnett,
Timmy hates him.

[tesseractive]

He'd probably get the room exception in that scenario ($5.4M/2) unless the Spurs use it on Casspi or another backup three. If they can draft another center, it wouldn't be a bad idea, although I'd prefer them to stay over the cap and make trades.

Who / what would you use as trade bait?

[Chinook]

Who / what would you use as trade bait?

Bonner's deal, Mills/De Colo and draft picks on draft night. The Spurs can take back more than $6 Million in salary in that scenario. That's more than enough for a Thomas Robinson, Mbah A Moute, Derrick Williams, etc. and enough to make the Dallas deal (Carter, Cunningham and the 13th-overall pick for cap relief).

If the Spurs don't want to keep Splitter, they can sign-and-trade him for up to 150 percent of his first-season salary. So if Splitter starts off making $8.4 Million, the Spurs would be able to take back a player making up to $12.6 Million, which will pretty much be any free agent the Spurs want outside of Howard.

A small sign-and-trade with Neal isn't out of the question, either.

[Dverde]

We need to spend the money on a new sixth man. A SG that can drive and make 3 pointers. I don't mind Mayo, but Pop will never allow that. I think Tyreke Evens should be their target. Pop for whatever reason likes JR Smith, too. Let Neal go (someone will overpay him). Resign Manu for no less than 5 per season. Resign Tiago for 7 a season. Make one last run next year.

[apalisoc_9]

There's way too many touches to share in this team specially with Kawhi's emergence. That's going to scare of other "star" players.

[TheGoldStandard]

Tiago Splitter should not be resigned. Shoot, I'd contact Nazr Mohammad, he's unrestricted right? That would probably be a nice bench Center on the cheap. I'd put in a call to Iggy too. A max offer to Cousins while Duncan/Pop teach him. I know as fans we dislike the idea of some of these guys coming over because of the way they act on other teams but it's because we're spoiled. The guys that have come here have learned to accept there role and they have good coaching to get there. I'm sure some of them are not always happy with there role but success and winning has a way of making things okay. The Spurs win and they are good with managing people and believing in them when nobody else will, we've taken D league material and made them look good and made them shine. I'm sure as soon as any of these cases were to put up 25 and 15 we'd be saying, Yay so and so..

[Namundy]

Guys we're not signing a big name free agent. The plan should be simple:

1 -- Keep what we have. Splitter, Neal, Bonner. All valuable contributors for the right price. Blair is gone. T-Mac is gone.
2 -- Develop Cojo. Or scour the open market for a suitable backup PG with experience handling the rock in the playoffs. (Remember when we had TJ Ford? We need that)
3 -- Sign Manu to a decent contract and communicate to him that his role is diminished.
4 -- Give Kawhi Leonard more isolation plays and see what happens. After watching Dwyane Wade tear us apart with mid range/floaters/drives, why can't Kawhi do the same?
5 -- Pray that Timmy has another semi-renaissance season and hope he can still anchor a defense.
6 -- Draft another athletic swingman and see what happens. Who knows.. we might get lucky...

The answer is not in free agency except for our backup PG spot. We were one rebound away from the championship, there's no need to bring in someone to disrupt the system no matter how appealing.

[spursince#99]

Wesley Johnson to backup Kawhi Leonard

[TheGoldStandard]

Guys we're not signing a big name free agent. The plan should be simple:

1 -- Keep what we have. Splitter, Neal, Bonner. All valuable contributors for the right price. Blair is gone. T-Mac is gone.
2 -- Develop Cojo. Or scour the open market for a suitable backup PG with experience handling the rock in the playoffs. (Remember when we had TJ Ford? We need that)
3 -- Sign Manu to a decent contract and communicate to him that his role is diminished.
4 -- Give Kawhi Leonard more isolation plays and see what happens. After watching Dwyane Wade tear us apart with mid range/floaters/drives, why can't Kawhi do the same?
5 -- Pray that Timmy has another semi-renaissance season and hope he can still anchor a defense.
6 -- Draft another athletic swingman and see what happens. Who knows.. we might get lucky...

The answer is not in free agency except for our backup PG spot. We were one rebound away from the championship, there's no need to bring in someone to disrupt the system no matter how appealing.

I know what you're saying and I'd be all for that if our guys were younger but we're talking about another grueling 82 game season with injuries and diminishment in certain areas. With the team we have we can get to the playoffs, Splitter is a decent regular season guy but unless he's getting a post game, increasing his rebound numbers or getting stronger than I don't see a reason to pay him anything more than peanuts on the dollar. Neal is fine at the 2 guard position but again unless he wants to take a discount I don't resign him, I'd cut bonner just to save on the cash.

I'd develop the heck out of Cojo that's fine, good investment because he is young and is still very moldable but they do need a PG who can handle the ball above all else, handle the ball and can pass.

Manu should take a 1.5 mil 1 year deal and play primarily off the bench as a SG with a better PG handling the rock.

I'm all for Kawhi getting the ball within the system, plays for him and opening the offense up to him, don't know if Pop will concede that this year but he should. He needs a go to move and he needs to work on hitting that 3.

Timmy is pretty consistent but unless we have someone who can actually spell him for periods of times or games so he can stay fresh than it's really pointless because we'll be back to the same thing in the playoffs depending on our crappy bigs to maintain leads when they can't.

Drafting of course would be ideal, and the spurs usually do a decent job every other year or so getting someone they can stash.. The draft picks they usually get that are Americans are small SGs so hopefully they actually try to go big this time, we need length.

The Spurs need to make a move though, they need to go after a big to set up this franchise for the future.

[Twenty1Lik3aBoss]

Let Gino walk is my opinion; he really cost the spurs everything if you ask me but i am not one to judge i suppose. Paul Milsap would be a sweet addition, but i don't see why Timmy would hate KG and also David west im sure is gonna be back with Indy, bring back core guys and make minor moves maybe a 'little splash' then draft well and whamo bring it on.

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs should've violated Miami's front court even moreso in the Finals.

Splitter is a serviceable big. As always with NBA bigmen who can kinda chew gum and walk at the same time there is the risk of the market leading a team into overpaying. Utilizing the cap flexibility for a potential upgrade is not a bad idea.

If Manu wants to continue to play in the Association, there is a place for him in SA. As maddening as his style of play is, he is part of the reason for three of the four Larry O'Brien trophies in SA.

Backup 3 needs to be looked at. McGrady for a small contract is not a bad idea. Like his offensive versatility and the audition seemed to go well.

Haven't looked at the international talent the Spurs have draft rights on and if any are ready to come over.

No idea about the upcoming draft talent pool.

Kawhi. Leonard. Him spending a summer in the gym working on his dribble drive and mid range game is an upgrade in and of itself.

[sammy]

For all if you bitch Manu haters GTFO! Traitor ass bitches! After everything he's done for this franchise! Plays his heart out & helped win 3 championships and all you bitches want him gone! Fuck you assholes!

[cjw]

We don't win game 5 going away without Manu's performance. Four turnovers (and oh was the timing bad) last night but scored an efficient 18 on 12 shots. I have no idea what you guys expect to replace him with - he wasn't worth $14 million this past year, but he's better than basically everyone people have listed.

[TheGreatYacht]

We don't win game 5 going away without Manu's performance. Four turnovers (and oh was the timing bad) last night but scored an efficient 18 on 12 shots. I have no idea what you guys expect to replace him with - he wasn't worth $14 million this past year, but he's better than basically everyone people have listed.LOL he's not better than Jarrett Jack. Hey I've been a Manu hater these playoffs but I'll admit that he did have a pretty good performance in Game 7. In the boxscore, he was actually the most efficient player on the team at + 8 I think. That is why I think he should retire. I mean what a better way to retire than doing it after his last good performance that he probably had left in him.

[cjw]

LOL he's not better than Jarrett Jack. Hey I've been a Manu hater these playoffs but I'll admit that he did have a pretty good performance in Game 7. In the boxscore, he was actually the most efficient player on the team at + 8 I think. That is why I think he should retire. I mean what a better way to retire than doing it after his last good performance that he probably had left in him.

Touché. Jack is better at this point, but I discounted him as he's headed somewhere to start. We'd all probably start looking for windows to jump out of with Jack given his brainfarts on defense.

[BatManu20]

I'd cite the chances of landing Dwight at less than 2%, but if he came it would vault the Spurs into the instant favorites for 2014. Many on this site will agree that EVEN if he came, he isn't Spurs material and it won't work out. To that, I say fine. If it doesn't work out, you can always deal him for assets and draft picks. Coward will always have takers

Agreed. I think there's 0% chance of him coming here, but IF he did, that'd honestly be an unreal pickup and the Spurs would have a very good shot at winning it next year barring injuries. If the Spurs could somehow pull that off it be remarkable, but it will never happen. Millsap is actually possible. Would love him in a Spurs uni.

[T Park]

I think you swing for the fences and go for Iguadala. (Sp) you make him your starting 2.

This allows Green to pair with Manu Joseph and Diaw.

If that falls through you go Korver West. Love the idea of West in the post with Duncan playing high. West is a tough hombre and guarded James solidly.i

[Mal]

Dont throw all of this on one guy - Howard. He isnt worth max.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

I think you swing for the fences and go for Iguadala. (Sp) you make him your starting 2.

This allows Green to pair with Manu Joseph and Diaw.

If that falls through you go Korver West. Love the idea of West in the post with Duncan playing high. West is a tough hombre and guarded James solidly.i

I overall like this. I'm not convinced yet that Green can dependably be a starter. I would like for him to develop further in terms of creating his own shots. Those floaters he tried were garbage.

[dualmax]

For all if you bitch Manu haters GTFO! Traitor ass bitches! After everything he's done for this franchise! Plays his heart out & helped win 3 championships and all you bitches want him gone! Fuck you assholes!

I am totally with you on this, there are too many ungrateful bandwagons here only troll him and forget how much a warriors he was(still is). Money can buy players but not their true heart.

[Knoxxx]

Only an idiot would think we would blow our cap space on resigning Splitter and the rest of the current cast. With our core 3(2) a year older, that's a recipe for another playoff disappointment.

[TheGreatYacht]

Only an idiot would think we would blow our cap space on resigning Splitter and the rest of the current cast. With our core 3(2) a year older, that's a recipe for another playoff disappointment.Wells said. This would su*k a*s. I don't even know if I would be able to watch. Spurs have cap space. Why waste it? If the Spurs try to sign other FA's and those players refuse, then I can understand. But I am confident in the FO that they will do everything they can to assemble the best team possible via free agency to win Duncan's 5th ring that Pop and Manu gave to the Heat. The clock is ticking for Tim Duncan. Spurs can't afford to stay pat and hope that our current players develop. The time is now to make some moves.

[Horse]

Splitter although very skilled is the biggest pussy in the nba besides bosh that is. Cousins is as talented a big man as there is in the nba but he has shit for brains, maybe Pop can fix him. We need a real big man maybe Baynes can develop. I want Manu back but at a big time discount. Really think Diaw should and should have played more. Love Joseph the kids got heart, if he and Kahwi continue to improve each year our future is bright.

[Knoxxx]

No offense, but there are a lot of things messed up about your logic:

-The Spurs can't use the MLE and cap space in the same off-season. So 3) is impossible.
-The max salary is more than $20 Million for a lot of players, and for the others, there's not enough room to give Ginobili any money.
-Jack just finished playing for the MLE (the old one at that). He won't settle for that again.
-No LLE
-The Spurs can actually free up about $26 Million if Diaw and Mills opt out and they amnesty Bonner.

There's a lot of good cap-related discussion in Bruno's salary thread in the Think Tank. You should check it out if you're curious about such things.

No offense taken and thanks for the clarification on the MLE. I am aware of the Think Tank and Bruno's excellence, but in the off season Think Tank and main Spurs board are one and the same really.

Your logic flaws:

I'm not in the Manu hater crowd, but given that his effectiveness is a huge question mark for next year, we need to put free agency well ahead of Manu and we can always just offer vet min.

Why on earth would Diaw opt out? No way do I see that happening, unless we are playing some type of contract money games with his cooperation. As long as we avoid Richard Jefferson part II then.

Bonner we've been praying to leave the for years now after playoff flameouts. He was pretty decent against the Lakers though and well liked, we may be stuck with him again.

Jack meets multiple needs for us: 1) ball handling 2) clutch scoring. He can stay on the floor against a team like Miami, especially when it is critical that our second unit get some baskets. He's worth whatever we can reasonably afford, in our quest to make our team one FT better. With our cap room, there is no reason we should not be talking to JJ.

Iguodola and West though, now that would be one heck of an offseason right there!

[SpurPadre]

Guys we're not signing a big name free agent. The plan should be simple:

1 -- Keep what we have. Splitter, Neal, Bonner. All valuable contributors for the right price. Blair is gone. T-Mac is gone.
2 -- Develop Cojo. Or scour the open market for a suitable backup PG with experience handling the rock in the playoffs. (Remember when we had TJ Ford? We need that)
3 -- Sign Manu to a decent contract and communicate to him that his role is diminished.
4 -- Give Kawhi Leonard more isolation plays and see what happens. After watching Dwyane Wade tear us apart with mid range/floaters/drives, why can't Kawhi do the same?
5 -- Pray that Timmy has another semi-renaissance season and hope he can still anchor a defense.
6 -- Draft another athletic swingman and see what happens. Who knows.. we might get lucky...

The answer is not in free agency except for our backup PG spot. We were one rebound away from the championship, there's no need to bring in someone to disrupt the system no matter how appealing.

If one of the plans is to "pray" for TD to not be gassed at 38 in another potential Game 7 in next year's NBA Finals, then that is no plan at all and the answer SHOULD be in free agency. I mean, come on, let's give TD some help down low. The Heat are probably going to get a big man to keep up with us and the Pacers and it's just not fair to TD to have to keep relying on to log 42+ minutes in a potential Finals next year as the only reliable big man in a match-up against either team. Milsap could be that missing piece we need and would've stayed on the floor if we had him in Game 6 to have grabbed that last board. It's not about disrupting the system, it's about helping take the load off a physically-spent 37 year old TD and 36 year old Manu who absolutely deserve another Championship...and that's why we need to make something happen via free-agency.

[Chinook]

I'm not in the Manu hater crowd, but given that his effectiveness is a huge question mark for next year, we need to put free agency well ahead of Manu and we can always just offer vet min.

Or the room exception, which the Spurs can use after using their cap space. That gives him $5.4M/2.


Why on earth would Diaw opt out? No way do I see that happening, unless we are playing some type of contract money games with his cooperation. As long as we avoid Richard Jefferson part II then.

I brought that up to show that the Spurs can free up more than that. Diaw could well opt out if he thinks he can get a long-term deal for more money. Had the Spurs won this season, he may well have done so.


Bonner we've been praying to leave the for years now after playoff flameouts. He was pretty decent against the Lakers though and well liked, we may be stuck with him again.

Sticking with Bonner actually lowers the Spurs' cap space down to about $17 Million. The $20 Million assumption comes from the Spurs waving him and only eating a million in salary. If they keep him, his entire $4 Million remains on the books.


Jack meets multiple needs for us: 1) ball handling 2) clutch scoring. He can stay on the floor against a team like Miami, especially when it is critical that our second unit get some baskets. He's worth whatever we can reasonably afford, in our quest to make our team one FT better. With our cap room, there is no reason we should not be talking to JJ.

I personally think he's pretty bad. He breaks the offense and isn't really efficient. He's also a poor defender. I'd much rather try to Tyreke Evans with the cap space.


Iguodola and West though, now that would be one heck of an offseason right there!

I like them both well enough, but they're not worth the deals they're going to get. They're both on the downsides of their careers and still have major flaws in their games. I especially don't see West as the missing piece.

[jag]

Iggy is an athlete and he can play D. But his shooting is inconsistent and his brain is no larger than DeAndre Jordan's or JaVale McGee's. He's basically retarded.

[Chinook]

I think you swing for the fences and go for Iguadala. (Sp) you make him your starting 2.

This allows Green to pair with Manu Joseph and Diaw.

If that falls through you go Korver West. Love the idea of West in the post with Duncan playing high. West is a tough hombre and guarded James solidly.i

Iggy sucks as a two-guard. He has good enough handles, but he can't shoot and sucks at running plays. His offensive and defensive PER numbers suggest he's been far-superior at the three. He's not an upgrade to Green in the starting unit, since he hurts spacing and probably would be taking touches away from Leonard.

On the bench, though, that's a different story. He has enough play-making ability to help Ginobili and Joseph and he could be the lock-down defender of that unit. His finishing abilities would also be helpful for Ginobili, and his lack of shooting can be covered up by the other three members of bench unit (not counting the center). All in all, he's a good player and would make sense for the price, but having him in instead of Green wouldn't have made the Spurs any better during the Finals--actually, it would have made them worse.

[sexinthatsx]

Iggy sucks as a two-guard. He has good enough handles, but he can't shoot and sucks at running plays. His offensive and defensive PER numbers suggest he's been far-superior at the three. He's not an upgrade to Green in the starting unit, since he hurts spacing and probably would be taking touches away from Leonard.

On the bench, though, that's a different story. He has enough play-making ability to help Ginobili and Joseph and he could be the lock-down defender of that unit. His finishing abilities would also be helpful for Ginobili, and his lack of shooting can be covered up by the other three members of bench unit (not counting the center). All in all, he's a good player and would make sense for the price, but having him in instead of Green wouldn't have made the Spurs any better during the Finals--actually, it would have made them worse.

We have enough shooters on the team... it's time to get someone who can actually drive to the basket. Kawhi did it and look how successful it was. We need another player of that caliber. Andrew Igoudala would be the best replacement for Manu so far as well. He can rebound and pass really well. He is great on fastbreak transition offense (as seen on 76ers and Nuggets).

Another option we can go for is Andrei Kirilenko. Have him play the 4 with Timmy or Splitter at the 5, that way we get defense on small ball and we can grab boards in the process.

[Chinook]

We have enough shooters on the team... it's time to get someone who can actually drive to the basket. Kawhi did it and look how successful it was. We need another player of that caliber. Andrew Igoudala would be the best replacement for Manu so far as well. He can rebound and pass really well. He is great on fastbreak transition offense (as seen on 76ers and Nuggets).

Another option we can go for is Andrei Kirilenko. Have him play the 4 with Timmy or Splitter at the 5, that way we get defense on small ball and we can grab boards in the process.

1-I was talking about the starting lineup. A Parker/Iggy/Leonard/Splitter/Duncan lineup has very poor spacing.

2-I agree about Iggy being a good supplement/replacement to Ginobili. That's why he should be with the second unit.

3-If the Spurs go through with the off-season plan being discussed, they will have exactly one elite shooter on the roster. They probably need to find another one somewhere.

[T Park]

Iggy is an athlete and he can play D. But his shooting is inconsistent and his brain is no larger than DeAndre Jordan's or JaVale McGee's. He's basically retarded.


Huh?

[T Park]

Iggy sucks as a two-guard. He has good enough handles, but he can't shoot and sucks at running plays. His offensive and defensive PER numbers suggest he's been far-superior at the three. He's not an upgrade to Green in the starting unit, since he hurts spacing and probably would be taking touches away from Leonard.

On the bench, though, that's a different story. He has enough play-making ability to help Ginobili and Joseph and he could be the lock-down defender of that unit. His finishing abilities would also be helpful for Ginobili, and his lack of shooting can be covered up by the other three members of bench unit (not counting the center). All in all, he's a good player and would make sense for the price, but having him in instead of Green wouldn't have made the Spurs any better during the Finals--actually, it would have made them worse.


Having a player that could create his own shot wouldn't have helped?

That's beyond ridiculous.

[sexinthatsx]

1-I was talking about the starting lineup. A Parker/Iggy/Leonard/Splitter/Duncan lineup has very poor spacing.

2-I agree about Iggy being a good supplement/replacement to Ginobili. That's why he should be with the second unit.

3-If the Spurs go through with the off-season plan being discussed, they will have exactly one elite shooter on the roster. They probably need to find another one somewhere.

Spacing is only an issue if your team thrives on hitting set jump shots or set 3's (role players). Take a player like Igoudala who can slash and drive to the basket for dunks, and spacing is not an issue at all. It's never been more apparent that the Heat killed the Spurs with iso play after iso play with Lebron. It's time the Spurs brought someone else who can do the same without having to go through 2-3 touches or passes around the team before getting a shot or look off. Also, it was the spacing that killed us during the final series. All those passes were long passes that resulted in turnovers. While the Heat have had their share of sloppy turnovers, wouldn't it be easier just to hand it to a guy who will relentlessly take it to the basket?

[Chinook]

Having a player that could create his own shot wouldn't have helped?

That's beyond ridiculous.

It would have helped, but having him instead of a player that set the Finals record for 3PM wouldn't have been a net positive. The Spurs had their greatest offensive success when they were able to spread the Heat out. Iggy would not have done that. Had he been the player they inserted instead of Ginobili in Games 6 and 7, then it would have helped.

More importantly, you didn't even seem to look at the post. I said Iggy would be a good fit, but not as the starting two-guard. He has terrible numbers there, and that has been the case his whole career. I like him on the bench, and I think he'd've been a really big help in that capacity against Miami precisely because he can create his own shot. But the Spurs' starters would not have been as successful because they would have lacked shooting.

Nothing ridiculous about that.

[4lifecowboy]

Spacing is only an issue if your team thrives on hitting set jump shots or set 3's (role players). Take a player like Igoudala who can slash and drive to the basket for dunks, and spacing is not an issue at all. It's never been more apparent that the Heat killed the Spurs with iso play after iso play with Lebron. It's time the Spurs brought someone else who can do the same without having to go through 2-3 touches or passes around the team before getting a shot or look off. Also, it was the spacing that killed us during the final series. All those passes were long passes that resulted in turnovers. While the Heat have had their share of sloppy turnovers, wouldn't it be easier just to hand it to a guy who will relentlessly take it to the basket?

Igoudala is my first choice. He adds a dimension to our offense as a slasher/finisher that we need as well as a solid perimeter defender.

[TheGreatYacht]

Spacing is only an issue if your team thrives on hitting set jump shots or set 3's (role players). Take a player like Igoudala who can slash and drive to the basket for dunks, and spacing is not an issue at all. It's never been more apparent that the Heat killed the Spurs with iso play after iso play with Lebron. It's time the Spurs brought someone else who can do the same without having to go through 2-3 touches or passes around the team before getting a shot or look off. Also, it was the spacing that killed us during the final series. All those passes were long passes that resulted in turnovers. While the Heat have had their share of sloppy turnovers, wouldn't it be easier just to hand it to a guy who will relentlessly take it to the basket?I thought that most of the turnovers happened because of Manu?

[Chinook]

Spacing is only an issue if your team thrives on hitting set jump shots or set 3's (role players).

This is the fundamental misunderstanding of people who critique the Spurs' system. The spacing isn't for three-point shooters; it's for Parker and the bigs. Parker doesn't get Green open looks; Green gives Parker a more-open lane. That's why the Heat also rely on spacing (which is why they tried parking Bosh out on the three-point line).


Take a player like Igoudala who can slash and drive to the basket for dunks, and spacing is not an issue at all. It's never been more apparent that the Heat killed the Spurs with iso play after iso play with Lebron. It's time the Spurs brought someone else who can do the same without having to go through 2-3 touches or passes around the team before getting a shot or look off.

This is silly. You think that iso plays don't rely on spacing? Do you not understand that that is the fundamental reason why iso plays exist?


Also, it was the spacing that killed us during the final series. All those passes were long passes that resulted in turnovers. While the Heat have had their share of sloppy turnovers, wouldn't it be easier just to hand it to a guy who will relentlessly take it to the basket?

That's ludicrous. The reason why the Spurs lost is because the Heat trapped the ball-handlers and the team was too slow to react to it. If the spacing had been poorer, then the defenders would have been even closer to the ball-handler and could have doubled easily.

All in all, you don't seem to understand the concept of spacing. Almost every team uses it, and teams that don't like Indiana and Memphis have abysmal offenses. The Heat had very little success without at least two shooters on the floor at all times, which is why they inserted Miller into the starting lineup. It wasn't because they wanted to get open threes; it was because they wanted to stop the Spurs from double- or triple-teaming James. If the Spurs forwent spacing, Parker would have to face a clogged lane, and Duncan would be doubled in the post.

[look_at_g_shred]

If one of the plans is to "pray" for TD to not be gassed at 38 in another potential Game 7 in next year's NBA Finals, then that is no plan at all and the answer SHOULD be in free agency. I mean, come on, let's give TD some help down low. The Heat are probably going to get a big man to keep up with us and the Pacers and it's just not fair to TD to have to keep relying on to log 42+ minutes in a potential Finals next year as the only reliable big man in a match-up against either team. Milsap could be that missing piece we need and would've stayed on the floor if we had him in Game 6 to have grabbed that last board. It's not about disrupting the system, it's about helping take the load off a physically-spent 37 year old TD and 36 year old Manu who absolutely deserve another Championship...and that's why we need to make something happen via free-agency.
Well said man!

[raybies]

What we do in the draft will tell a lot about what we plan to do in free agency. If our first round is a draft and stash we can assume the plan to go big in free agency, especially if a Bonner, de Colo or Joseph gets traded. Big like Dwight big or maybe two near 10 million players like a jack and west or even resign splitter.

Who they draft will tell a lot also. I think sg like ledo or sf like Snell. Maybe it is livio.

We could have won this year but one right player could put us over the top. We simply overachieved imo. One player and overachieve might mean finals sweep. We overachieved against Memphis.

[baseline bum]

I'm just blown away by this thread reading all the desires for SFs. There Spurs are absolutely set at the SF with Leonard, Green, and Diaw all able to give great minutes. You bring Ginobili back and you're set at the two guard. You bring Splitter back and you're set at the big positions. The one and only hole this team has is at backup point where they have absolutely nothing. I don't know how anyone could think otherwise after watching the Finals. I mean if the Spurs had TJ Ford handling the ball 12 minutes a night they win that series going away. I'm just not understanding most of the posts in this thread at all.

[Chinook]

I'm just blown away by this thread reading all the desires for SFs. There Spurs are absolutely set at the SF with Leonard, Green, and Diaw all able to give great minutes. You bring Ginobili back and you're set at the two guard. You bring Splitter back and you're set at the big positions. The one and only hole this team has is at backup point where they have absolutely nothing. I don't know how anyone could think otherwise after watching the Finals. I mean if the Spurs had TJ Ford handling the ball 12 minutes a night they win that series going away. I'm just not understanding most of the posts in this thread at all.

Honestly, I don't think the team has any real holes. I don't want them to acquire players to fill holes; I want them to increase the amount of (preferably young) talent on the roster. If the team can get a player like Iggy or Evans while keeping their core intact, and especially while getting another ball-handler to run with the second unit, I think they have to go for it. The Spurs were good enough to win this season, and they stand to be about good enough to again and potentially for the next couple years if they can get a star or future star with their cap space. That's a real possibility this off-season.

[spurraider21]

A Kawhi-iggy duo is intriguing as hell. Spacing in the half court could be an issue, but defense and transition offense would be elite

[chazley]

Jesus Christ, some of the takes in this thread are some of the worst I've ever seen. A TP/Iggy/Kawhi/Duncan/Splitter would be one of the best defensive teams in history. Not an exaggeration.

[baseline bum]

Honestly, I don't think the team has any real holes. I don't want them to acquire players to fill holes; I want them to increase the amount of (preferably young) talent on the roster. If the team can get a player like Iggy or Evans while keeping their core intact, and especially while getting another ball-handler to run with the second unit, I think they have to go for it. The Spurs were good enough to win this season, and they stand to be about good enough to again and potentially for the next couple years if they can get a star or future star with their cap space. That's a real possibility this off-season.

They have a young star in Leonard. I'd much rather re-sign Splitter unless he gets ridiculous offers than overpay for Iguodala. I'm not high on 'Reke at all; he hasn't improved in the slightest since coming into the league, and I think the money it would take to sign him because of his potential would be an enormous gamble. Dude looks like he's headed on a Beasley career trajectory.

And the Spurs have an enormous hole at the backup PG. Neal, DeColo, and Mills are all end of the bench guys and Ginobili is too wild for point. Corey Joseph could eventually be a really nice bench player, but the Spurs need a quality backup point right now and not in a year or two. Over and over this team collapsed when Parker was on the bench and they had no real option at point, and Miami is going nowhere; any ring will have to be through them.

[HarlemHeat37]

Iggy is an athlete and he can play D. But his shooting is inconsistent and his brain is no larger than DeAndre Jordan's or JaVale McGee's. He's basically retarded.

:lmao, tbh..

Iguodala is a waste of money, tbh..if he accepts a cheaper deal to be a 6th man, sure, I'd take him..otherwise, I'll pass, his athleticism will begin to decline, killing most of his impact, tbh..

He also can't shoot and his half-court offense is average, he's easy to game-plan against..

The Spurs don't need another perimeter defender, Leonard and Green will suffice, and they'll both be playing 40 per game in the playoffs..the Spurs ranked 3rd defensively this year, defense wasn't a problem..

[ElNono]

I'm just blown away by this thread reading all the desires for SFs. There Spurs are absolutely set at the SF with Leonard, Green, and Diaw all able to give great minutes. You bring Ginobili back and you're set at the two guard. You bring Splitter back and you're set at the big positions. The one and only hole this team has is at backup point where they have absolutely nothing. I don't know how anyone could think otherwise after watching the Finals. I mean if the Spurs had TJ Ford handling the ball 12 minutes a night they win that series going away. I'm just not understanding most of the posts in this thread at all.

Spot on. Splitter has work to do though. But at least he already went through Pop's doghouse, has the 'corporate knowledge' part down, etc. He also improved greatly from last season and he's been fairly healthy. We still don't know what the ceiling is for him. This was his first real big dance, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[baseline bum]

Jesus Christ, some of the takes in this thread are some of the worst I've ever seen. A TP/Iggy/Kawhi/Duncan/Splitter would be one of the best defensive teams in history. Not an exaggeration.

How many quality SFs do you need in the rotation? Leonard, Diaw, and Green can all give strong minutes at the three. You're talking extreme diminishing returns for a high price with Iguodala. If the Spurs were still starting Jefferson at the three and Leonard hadn't blown up into a really good player then I'd be all for throwing everything at Iguodala, but it would be a stupid way to spend money right now when they desperately need a second point guard.

[baseline bum]

Spot on. Splitter has work to do though. But at least he already went through Pop's doghouse, has the 'corporate knowledge' part down, etc. He also improved greatly from last season and he's been fairly healthy. We still don't know what the ceiling is for him. This was his first real big dance, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I still think Splitter's problems are correctable. Everyone says he's soft and a faggot, but I don't think that's the case at all. His problems this series boiled down to holding the damn ball too low every time he got a good pass at the basket. I think that's something they'll see on the tape and know to work on in training camp and throughout the season. The only thing I'm worried about with Splitter is that he gets injured easily.

[baseline bum]

A Kawhi-iggy duo is intriguing as hell. Spacing in the half court could be an issue, but defense and transition offense would be elite

More diminishing returns. The transition offense is already elite and they're set with a quality defensive three already in Leonard. Meanwhile having Iguodala would mean there would be no outside shooting and teams could easily pack the paint against Parker and Duncan. Iguodala would be a horrible fit on this team.

[ElNono]

I was one that overrated Iggy's impact when the season started for Denver... After the GSW series, I just can't think as highly of him...

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol the lineup that chasley posted would have atrocious spacing, which is paramount in today's NBA..

Iguodala makes absolutely no sense for this team, unless he agrees to be a 6th man for cheaper than other teams will overpay for him being a starter, tbh..

The Spurs didn't have problems defending, they had problems with ball-handling when Parker went out, along with an inconsistent bench and lack of consistent offensive production..

[ElNono]

People underestimate how good both Miami and this Spurs team is, tbh... As impressive as the 20-win streak was last season, this team was infinitely better.

- Wrecked a Lakers team that was hurt, but still trotted Gasol/Howard and Nash out there.
- Stymied and beat a Warriors team that was hot as hell, making bullshit 3 pointers from absolutely everywhere.
- *Swept* the Grizzlies in the WCF, a team that had the reigning DPOY, ZBo finally playing well (against OKC he was a monster, credit Spurs), a top 3 perimeter defender in the league, and a top PG (IMO underrated) in Conley.

[TheGreatYacht]

People underestimate how good both Miami and this Spurs team is, tbh... As impressive as the 20-win streak was last season, this team was infinitely better.

- Wrecked a Lakers team that was hurt, but still trotted Gasol/Howard and Nash out there.
- Stymied and beat a Warriors team that was hot as hell, making bullshit 3 pointers from absolutely everywhere.
- *Swept* the Grizzlies in the WCF, a team that had the reigning DPOY, ZBo finally playing well (against OKC he was a monster, credit Spurs), a top 3 perimeter defender in the league, and a top PG (IMO underrated) in Conley.For the first time ever I agree with you. Our only missing link was another ball handler or backup PG to Tony Parker. Tiago didn't fit well in this series. Diaw fit in fine.

[ElNono]

For the first time ever I agree with you. Our only missing link was another ball handler or backup PG to Tony Parker. Tiago didn't fit well in this series. Diaw fit in fine.

Tiago, IMO, was the only unexpected development, but only for the Finals...

Pop has been looking for a backup PG all season long (and even last season with Neal). This 'need' wasn't new nor was 'exposed' by the playoffs or Finals. Since TJ Ford retired, the Spurs have been loading with backup PGs to try out (CJ, DeColo, Mills).

It's much easier to address this issue when you have cap space, and so the Spurs will likely do exactly that this summer.

[TD 21]

We have enough shooters on the team

Actually, "we" don't. The dirty little secret of this team (other than their lack of reliable depth), as I pointed out months ago, was that their 3-point percentage was misleading, because a good portion of it was either built on the backs of or aided by a low volume shooter, in Diaw, a fringe rotation player, in Bonner and a non rotation player, in Mills. But out of the top eight, who not surprisingly comprised the entirety of the rotation for the majority of the Finals, they had one knockdown shooter, in Green, another who was a knockdown one, but only from the corners, in Leonard and that was it, as far as even average threats. Granted, Neal's plantar fasciitis dropped him from knockdown shooter status to sub par and it could be argued that Ginobili flat out had an off shooting season, but still. The instant Green, who was long overdue for a slump, cooled off in games 6 and 7, they were basically a collective non threat from three.

[sexinthatsx]

This is the fundamental misunderstanding of people who critique the Spurs' system. The spacing isn't for three-point shooters; it's for Parker and the bigs. Parker doesn't get Green open looks; Green gives Parker a more-open lane. That's why the Heat also rely on spacing (which is why they tried parking Bosh out on the three-point line).

I agree with this, but the bottom line is it helps Parker just as much as Parker helps out all the spot up shooters, which couldn't hurt there.




This is silly. You think that iso plays don't rely on spacing? Do you not understand that that is the fundamental reason why iso plays exist?

Iso plays don't rely on spacing because when one player has the ball and calls an iso, everybody just gets the fuck out of the way lol. Haven't you seen Kobe's iso's? As many of my friends who are Lakers fans calls it, it's the play where Kobe calls for an iso and everybody just gets the F out of the way. In short, when a player calls for an iso play, it's pretty much assumed you're going to space out and just wait for the kick out or wait for the player who called the iso play to do his thing.




That's ludicrous. The reason why the Spurs lost is because the Heat trapped the ball-handlers and the team was too slow to react to it. If the spacing had been poorer, then the defenders would have been even closer to the ball-handler and could have doubled easily.

All in all, you don't seem to understand the concept of spacing. Almost every team uses it, and teams that don't like Indiana and Memphis have abysmal offenses. The Heat had very little success without at least two shooters on the floor at all times, which is why they inserted Miller into the starting lineup. It wasn't because they wanted to get open threes; it was because they wanted to stop the Spurs from double- or triple-teaming James. If the Spurs forwent spacing, Parker would have to face a clogged lane, and Duncan would be doubled in the post.

I'm just saying, a ton of turnovers (and a lot from Ginobili) were pretty much long passes and that's why it got deflected leading to fastbreak points. Spurs almost spaced out too much to a fault to allow such an athletic player like Lebron to deflect and create turnovers. Had the spacing been a little more congested, all those long passes might not have slipped out of the player's hands or a pass out of desperation. I know what you're trying to convey, but at the end of the day all those passes resulting in turnovers were WAY too predictable.

[sexinthatsx]

Actually, "we" don't. The dirty little secret of this team (other than their lack of reliable depth), as I pointed out months ago, was that their 3-point percentage was misleading, because a good portion of it was either built on the backs of or aided by a low volume shooter, in Diaw, a fringe rotation player, in Bonner and a non rotation player, in Mills. But out of the top eight, who not surprisingly comprised the entirety of the rotation for the majority of the Finals, they had one knockdown shooter, in Green, another who was a knockdown one, but only from the corners, in Leonard and that was it, as far as even average threats. Granted, Neal's plantar fasciitis dropped him from knockdown shooter status to sub par and it could be argued that Ginobili flat out had an off shooting season, but still. The instant Green, who was long overdue for a slump, cooled off in games 6 and 7, they were basically a collective non threat from three.

What I meant by "shooters" is players who can only shoot set shots. I know everybody hates on Gary Neal, but as much as everybody cringes every time he shoots, it was him that was able to create his own shots (as witnessed from that blowout game), something the Spurs need more of. I know a lot of people here rag on Andre Igoudala, but his passing and his ability to create his own shot is something the Spurs need. As of right now, having a player like AI has a lot of pros and very little cons. I'm also open to the idea of him becoming a 6th man for the Spurs because that was the explosive offensive surge the Spurs need as well.

[Chinook]

They have a young star in Leonard. I'd much rather re-sign Splitter unless he gets ridiculous offers than overpay for Iguodala. I'm not high on 'Reke at all; he hasn't improved in the slightest since coming into the league, and I think the money it would take to sign him because of his potential would be an enormous gamble. Dude looks like he's headed on a Beasley career trajectory.

It's not really an either/or situation between keeping Splitter and bringing in a solid player averaging seven figures. It's more about what Ginobili would cost to re-sign. If he takes the room exception, the Spurs actually have at least $11 Million to offer to someone while keeping Splitter. If Tiago takes a deal starting at less than $7.5 Million, that creates even more room. Also, I don't think Evans is headed toward being Beasley at all. That dude is just crazy. If he had his head on straight, he'd be a star. Evans at worst is just trending toward being stuck in overrated above-averageness, like Kevin Martin. If the team thinks they can fix Evans' shot, he'd be a great pickup, in my opinion. He's actually been getting better in his advanced stats and per 36 numbers recently.


And the Spurs have an enormous hole at the backup PG. Neal, DeColo, and Mills are all end of the bench guys and Ginobili is too wild for point. Corey Joseph could eventually be a really nice bench player, but the Spurs need a quality backup point right now and not in a year or two. Over and over this team collapsed when Parker was on the bench and they had no real option at point, and Miami is going nowhere; any ring will have to be through them.

For some reason, a lot of solid point-guards are only getting minimum contracts on the market nowadays. Watson and Prigioni are two good targets who probably wouldn't take more than that to sign, and honestly, having either of them should fill that hole pretty easily. I'm not saying it's not important to bring in such a player; I'm just saying that it's not something that should take a lot of cap space if the team is smart about it.

In general, I just feel like this is the last time the team will have cap space/flexibility for the rest of the Duncan era. If they're smart about their contracts, they can keep the team together (as much as they should want to), fill their "holes" and STILL have about $10 Million to spend on whatever they want. So why not swing hard and go for a player like Iggy or Evans or even JR Smith (not that I want him)? It's not like it'd cost the team anything.

[SpurPadre]

I'm just blown away by this thread reading all the desires for SFs. There Spurs are absolutely set at the SF with Leonard, Green, and Diaw all able to give great minutes. You bring Ginobili back and you're set at the two guard. You bring Splitter back and you're set at the big positions. The one and only hole this team has is at backup point where they have absolutely nothing. I don't know how anyone could think otherwise after watching the Finals. I mean if the Spurs had TJ Ford handling the ball 12 minutes a night they win that series going away. I'm just not understanding most of the posts in this thread at all.

What about the desire in getting another big like Millsap? What's your take on that? TD needs some more help down low and I'm not sure Splitter can learn to be effective should we happen to face the Heat again or even the Pacers in next year's Finals.

[therealtruth]

I'm just blown away by this thread reading all the desires for SFs. There Spurs are absolutely set at the SF with Leonard, Green, and Diaw all able to give great minutes. You bring Ginobili back and you're set at the two guard. You bring Splitter back and you're set at the big positions. The one and only hole this team has is at backup point where they have absolutely nothing. I don't know how anyone could think otherwise after watching the Finals. I mean if the Spurs had TJ Ford handling the ball 12 minutes a night they win that series going away. I'm just not understanding most of the posts in this thread at all.

I agree. No overreaction needed. And CJ could work out if TMac takes over backup PG duties. At 6'8" he will have no problem passing over the defense. Splitter's got to improve his post scoring and keeping the ball high. In fact they should keep feeding him the ball till he gets it.

[Knoxxx]

I agree. No overreaction needed. And CJ could work out if TMac takes over backup PG duties. At 6'8" he will have no problem passing over the defense. Splitter's got to improve his post scoring and keeping the ball high. In fact they should keep feeding him the ball till he gets it.

LOL at the "bring all the same guys back" crowd. You are ignoring that we wore Duncan out and it showed at the end of the last two games. 0 points 4th quarter and OT game 6. The missed bunny at end of game 7 to tie. We need to lean on Duncan less next year, but Splitter was a complete disaster on the court against Miami. I can tolerate Splitter, but we can and really need better or we don't win the championship.

I said at the outset we need a combo guard who can run point and score a little which was why I suggested Jack like others. Jack is Gary Neal on steroids. He's everything we wish Neal was. He can't be any worse on defense than Neal either. If we can't get Jack, find me someone similar.

[look_at_g_shred]

I have a few questions regarding Al Jefferson. Would signing him actually hurt our team? With Splitter? W/O Splitter? Also, what would we have to pay to get him? Do you think he would actually take a pay cut to play with a contender like the Spurs and alongside Tim Duncan, a player he looks up to and admires?

[Knoxxx]

I still think Splitter's problems are correctable. Everyone says he's soft and a faggot, but I don't think that's the case at all. His problems this series boiled down to holding the damn ball too low every time he got a good pass at the basket. I think that's something they'll see on the tape and know to work on in training camp and throughout the season. The only thing I'm worried about with Splitter is that he gets injured easily.

I guess you missed that awful hook shot in one of his last painful minutes on the court. The guy has no offensive game other than "nifty" (soft) lay ins around the basket and wide open dunks. He was much too slow to stay on the court against the Heat and did not rebound or protect the rim at all. If resigning this guy is our biggest offseason move, we are SCREWED.

[chazley]

:lol the lineup that chasley posted would have atrocious spacing, which is paramount in today's NBA..

Iguodala makes absolutely no sense for this team, unless he agrees to be a 6th man for cheaper than other teams will overpay for him being a starter, tbh..

The Spurs didn't have problems defending, they had problems with ball-handling when Parker went out, along with an inconsistent bench and lack of consistent offensive production..

Iggy shot 39% from 3 his last year in Philly. He had a bad regular season this year shooting the 3 but shot in the high 40s during a small sample size in this year's playoffs. Get him to work with Chip and you have a guy who prob shoots at a 38-40% clip from 3. Add to that he can run an offense and rebound the ball, PLUS is regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and you have a very nice upgrade over Danny Green at the 2.

And let me say, Iggy can play the 2. Seems you guys are restricting him to only playing the 3 but that is not accurate. He started at SG all year for Denver.

[timmy2003]

How many quality SFs do you need in the rotation? Leonard, Diaw, and Green can all give strong minutes at the three. You're talking extreme diminishing returns for a high price with Iguodala. If the Spurs were still starting Jefferson at the three and Leonard hadn't blown up into a really good player then I'd be all for throwing everything at Iguodala, but it would be a stupid way to spend money right now when they desperately need a second point guard.
Completely agree. Spurs only need a back-up SF who is able to play 10 mins per game.

[timmy2003]

Iggy shot 39% from 3 his last year in Philly. He had a bad regular season this year shooting the 3 but shot in the high 40s during a small sample size in this year's playoffs. Get him to work with Chip and you have a guy who prob shoots at a 38-40% clip from 3. Add to that he can run an offense and rebound the ball, PLUS is regarded as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and you have a very nice upgrade over Danny Green at the 2.

And let me say, Iggy can play the 2. Seems you guys are restricting him to only playing the 3 but that is not accurate. He started at SG all year for Denver.
I don't think he will a nice upgrade over Green. Green is arguably a better defender when comes to defending PGs and a better spot up shooter.

[Chinook]

And let me say, Iggy can play the 2. Seems you guys are restricting him to only playing the 3 but that is not accurate. He started at SG all year for Denver.

And he's sucked at it. Last season was by far his best in a while, and he wasn't any better than Green (exact same offensive and defensive PERs). Despite his assist numbers, he's not a great play-maker. He is also not nearly the shooter Green is, despite the assumption that he would be. What he is is a ball-dominating wing who's a great finisher but who's individual impact is massively overrated.

That said, he'd make a great sixth man. He'd be an effective small-forward on the bench, and he'd be fine as the third wing in small-ball. But he's not a two-guard, and Denver's desire to make him one really hurt both his production and the team's production.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Paul Millsap is an unheralded, undersized power forward that brings a lot to the table and doesn’t take much off.
While he’s not going to score 50 points or grab 30 rebounds, the seven-year veteran brings his lunch pail and blue collar work ethic every time he steps onto the court.
He’s an extremely efficient player that is capable of defending effectively despite his height limitations, has range out to the three-point line to draw defenders and does all the little things to help the Utah Jazz win.
For those reasons, we think he’d be a perfect acquisition for the aging San Antonio Spurs, who could use another big man to compliment the frontcourt rotation.
If Millsap is able to log 30 minutes a night, San Antonio will be fresher for the playoffs and have a better chance of succeeding after the regular-season grind.


Prediction: San Antonio Spurs

[Nbadan]

Milsap would be a tremendous pick up for the Spurs...

[mingus]

It'd be great to be able to sign a guy like Jarrett Jack. Our one true weakness was back up pg.

[ViceCity84]

DO NOT sign Tiago Splitter

Go after West J.Smith or Milsaap or get 2 out of 3
Manu wants to win.Sign for veteran minimum.

[TheGreatYacht]

DO NOT sign Tiago Splitter

Go after West J.Smith or Milsaap or get 2 out of 3
Manu wants to win.Sign for veteran minimum.We also need a backup PG to Tony Parker or a 6th man to replace Manu. Jarrett Jack would be perfect. Sign Jarrett Jack and one of the big guys that you mentioned.

[BatManu20]

Spurs will take a hard look at Ron Artest once/if the Lakers amnesty him. Then they'll quickly realize it'd a dumb decision and they'll sign some other player who probably won't play much.

[baseline bum]

Spurs will take a hard look at Ron Artest once/if the Lakers amnesty him. Then they'll quickly realize it'd a dumb decision and they'll sign some other player who probably won't play much.

Yeah, Artest was finished in 2011.

[Knoxxx]

I can't believe we'd spend $20 million on bringing back Splitter/Neal/Bonner that's ludicrous! Timmy and TP need to get out of their funk quick and start dialing for top FAs.

My latest plan is spend $20 million on Splitter/Jack/Milsap. That solves our small ball problem against heat, while retaining Splitter to deal with the few teams with two quality bigs.

So $6.6 million for each of those guys, and we get to call them our "Mini Big Three," or "Big 3 Part Deux." Pretty catchy eh?

[cdcast]

I can't believe we'd spend $20 million on bringing back Splitter/Neal/Bonner that's ludicrous! Timmy and TP need to get out of their funk quick and start dialing for top FAs.

My latest plan is spend $20 million on Splitter/Jack/Milsap. That solves our small ball problem against heat, while retaining Splitter to deal with the few teams with two quality bigs.

So $6.6 million for each of those guys, and we get to call them our "Mini Big Three," or "Big 3 Part Deux." Pretty catchy eh?

:lol $6.6 mil for each

[stephen jackson]

that 20 gonna be gone

splitter shuldnt get more than 7 mill if he does let his ass go even 7 is too much but whatever centers are overpaid
manu anymore than 5 is crazy but hey its the spurs prolly give him 6 or 7 mill to be nice
thats 6 mill left neal maybe a small tier free agent..
as much as id love to use tht money elsewhere the spurs would never do that. same team back


my hopes for oj though :(

[TheGreatYacht]

that 20 gonna be gone

splitter shuldnt get more than 7 mill if he does let his ass go even 7 is too much but whatever centers are overpaid
manu anymore than 5 is crazy but hey its the spurs prolly give him 6 or 7 mill to be nice
thats 6 mill left neal maybe a small tier free agent..
as much as id love to use tht money elsewhere the spurs would never do that. same team back


my hopes for oj though :(LOL then no championship for sure next year because a lot of teams in the West are going to get better. GSW, Mavericks, Clippers, Rockets, and OKC. They are all younger too BTW. Spurs FO should at least try their as*es off to sign a couple of good free agents. That's all were asking.

[Knoxxx]

that 20 gonna be gone

splitter shuldnt get more than 7 mill if he does let his ass go even 7 is too much but whatever centers are overpaid
manu anymore than 5 is crazy but hey its the spurs prolly give him 6 or 7 mill to be nice
thats 6 mill left neal maybe a small tier free agent..
as much as id love to use tht money elsewhere the spurs would never do that. same team back


my hopes for oj though :(

If the Spurs spend $20 million on Splitter, Manu, and Neal then I'll wait until the win the next Robinson/Duncan in the lottery before watching them again.

[stephen jackson]

LOL then no championship for sure next year because a lot of teams in the West are going to get better. GSW, Mavericks, Clippers, Rockets, and OKC. They are all younger too BTW. Spurs FO should at least try their as*es off to sign a couple of good free agents. That's all were asking.


If the Spurs spend $20 million on Splitter, Manu, and Neal then I'll wait until the win the next Robinson/Duncan in the lottery before watching them again.
every year we hope for any key free agents but we never get em. sucks but same story every year.....
we do need to add some instant offense though... we go into some really hard to watch offensive stretches

[Agloco]

GSW, Mavericks, Clippers, Rockets, and OKC. They are all younger too BTW. Spurs FO should at least try their as*es off to sign a couple of good free agents. That's all were asking.

They were younger this year. How are they going to get better?

[spursnatic]

Say try and get Dallas' #13 Pick...Draft Rudy Gobert bring him Immediately so TD can teach him...Go after Al Jefferson, I believe he would love to play alongside TD..And a must would be to get an actual PG who can carry the load with Parker on the bench..TJ Ford retiring early hurt us last year and could've really used him this year..Manu should be welcomed back also, and we could really use a back up SF So fucking Punk Ass Pop doesn't ruin Kawhi before the Playoffs start..

[spurs10]

I'm just blown away by this thread reading all the desires for SFs. There Spurs are absolutely set at the SF with Leonard, Green, and Diaw all able to give great minutes. You bring Ginobili back and you're set at the two guard. You bring Splitter back and you're set at the big positions. The one and only hole this team has is at backup point where they have absolutely nothing. I don't know how anyone could think otherwise after watching the Finals. I mean if the Spurs had TJ Ford handling the ball 12 minutes a night they win that series going away. I'm just not understanding most of the posts in this thread at all.
Yep...:toast

[Knoxxx]

A rim protecting big that finishes strong and a combo guard that can handle the ball and score a little are our needs.

[baseline bum]

A rim protecting big that finishes strong ...

I don't think Dwight Howard's coming tbh.

[Spur|n|Austin]

:lol at people thinking Bonner is going anywhere.