Over or Under? Baynes will crack the rotation by....

[look_at_g_shred]

the Christmas Day game. I believe he can, but Pop has the tendency to just flip the script when things are going good. What are everyone's thoughts? Just an off-season topic to talk about...

[exstatic]

...the time he is on a team back in Australia.

[spursfan1000]

Sell, maybe in 14-15 season

[DJR210]

If one of the rotation bigs gets hurt is the only way IMO. A couple of strong regular season games could really jumpstart his career if he did get a shot, look at what Danny did with his opportunity a couple years ago.

[benefactor]

Prediction: He becomes part of trade at the deadline that brings a critical player that puts the Spurs over the top.

[look_at_g_shred]

Good feedback guys thanks..

[AusSpur]

Sell, maybe in 14-15 season

Selling low?

[CitizenDwayne]

Prediction: He becomes part of trade at the deadline that brings a critical player that puts the Spurs over the top.

:hungry:

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

...2016

[superbigtime]

This guy will only see garbage time and some injury subbing spots, like when Boris' back gives him trouble or when Splitter can't find his tampons.

[TrainOfThought5]

Baynes definitely cracks the rotation this season. Not a doubt in my mind.

[Holden_Caulfield]

after the trade deadline.

[DrunkTXLabrat]

game 1. baynes is the backup center. he wasnt a kawhi level summer league beast. but hes legit.

diaw/bonner are the question marks. will diaw be a 3, or can he hit a 3 well enough to steal matts stretch 4 time? is bonner bonner or 12-13 bonner? is manu hurt? and how good is pendergraph?
is baynes in rotation... thats not even a question imo.

[playblair]

baynes will crack rotation after blair demolishes the lineup of diaw/bonner/splitter.......................................... ..

[hooperflash]

2014

[Axegrinder]

baynes will crack rotation after blair demolishes the lineup of diaw/bonner/splitter.......................................... ..bahahahaha:downspin:

[Sean Cagney]

baynes will crack rotation after blair demolishes the lineup of diaw/bonner/splitter.......................................... ..

:lol :lol :lol

[DesertSpur50]

baynes will crack rotation after blair demolishes the lineup of diaw/bonner/splitter.......................................... ..

Well shit, then we'll never see Baynes:depressed

[racm]

Pop will start him on Christmas Day just to screw with Dwight. Then he's back in the doghouse, unsurprisingly after Tiago returns from a 1 game "injury".

[Raven]

would love to see it, but sell.

[Samr.]

I think the better question is when/will pendergraph crack the rotation?

[AaronY]

Everyone an expert on this guy who's played about five minutes

[look_at_g_shred]

I think the better question is when/will pendergraph crack the rotation?
Sure. That too.

[SA210]

When Pop gets over himself

[therealtruth]

baynes will crack rotation after blair demolishes the lineup of diaw/bonner/splitter.......................................... ..

Blair's going to destroy the frontcourt that basically stopped Gasol/Randolph, arguably the best front court duo in the NBA?

[look_at_g_shred]

Blair's going to destroy the frontcourt that basically stopped Gasol/Randolph, arguably the best front court duo in the NBA?
Everyone is quick to forget how extremely difficult it was to get to the Finals last season with the way it ended. Shutting down Gasol/Randolph, looking back on it now, is absolutely fucking awesome to think about. Very proud of our team for the work they put in last season no matter how it ended. Can't wait, a little less than two months now..:flag:

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I have a feeling Baynes will get some chances this year and develop into an 8-9th guy, and then...


Prediction: He becomes part of trade at the deadline that brings a critical player that puts the Spurs over the top.

[look_at_g_shred]

If Baynes was traded in February, who'd be a player that would put us over the top?.......

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

If Baynes was traded in February, who'd be a player that would put us over the top?.......

Who can say at this point? That's a question that can only be answered as the season progresses, depending on team need and who is available.

[look_at_g_shred]

I think if Bayne's pans out and can be a solid contributor off the bench, I wouldn't trade him.

[benfti]

Aron Baynes is monster big and can play defense. Has quick feet. Is worth keeping around for the money we have him on.

[TrainOfThought5]

Does anyone see him as an integral post Timmy/Manu piece of a Tony/Kawhi led team?

[weeks]

I think baynes is worth keeping, he's got some real serious size and can work on his other stuff.
It's not like we'd replace him with a quality big anyway.

[exstatic]

Does anyone see him as an integral post Timmy/Manu piece of a Tony/Kawhi led team?

No. He's pretty much a stiff.

[exstatic]

I think baynes is worth keeping, he's got some real serious size and can work on his other stuff.
It's not like we'd replace him with a quality big anyway.

He's big/immobile in a league that's clearly going away from big/immobile.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

He's big/immobile in a league that's clearly going away from big/immobile.

Cannot agree with this. I have seen him get back to the rim from the high post on dribble penetration. I have also seen him acquit himself well when switching on a pnr. He isn't Boris Diaw but he has good quickness for that size.

[Kidd K]

Less than 5% chance, mostly predicated upon someone getting majorly injured. I don't see how or why he would supplant Splitter or Diaw, and certainly not Tim Duncan.

I'm assuming you mean for rest of season, not just for 1-5 games for someone to rest up from a minor injury or garbage minutes. There's pretty much no chance imo that he will crack the rotation because of greater impact than the top 3 bigs we have already.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Less than 5% chance, mostly predicated upon someone getting majorly injured. I don't see how or why he would supplant Splitter or Diaw, and certainly not Tim Duncan.

I'm assuming you mean for rest of season, not just for 1-5 games for someone to rest up from a minor injury or garbage minutes. There's pretty much no chance imo that he will crack the rotation because of greater impact than the top 3 bigs we have already.

Baynes just has to be the 4th big to get 10 mins or so a night. Pop is going to baby those three you mentioned as he normally does with his vets. Now he may just go full on small ball but if he thinks Baynes has a shot then early in the season he will get one. We will know this particular answer fairly early I think.

[Texas_Ranger]

when Bonner breaks his legs

[benfti]

How quick does a 6'11 260 guy have to be?

[FuzzyLumpkins]

How quick does a 6'11 260 guy have to be?

Quick enough to defend the rim coming from the perimeter, hedge and recover on pnr and make solid rotations in general.

[Ice009]

I think exstatic was trying to say that he is slow to react. I noticed it on defense during the limited amount of summer league that I watched, he'd react slowly and end up fouling his man after getting beat defensively. It's true that he does move quite well overall for a guy his size, but it just seems that he reacts too slow on the defensive end. If he can't improve on that, then you can't have him in the rotation.

[exstatic]

If the Spurs thought Baynes had the tools and talent to be in the rotation, they wouldn't have signed Pendergraph-Ayers.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

If the Spurs thought Baynes had the tools and talent to be in the rotation, they wouldn't have signed Pendergraph-Ayers.

Ayers can't play the 5 and he replaces Blair's roster spot. I don't see how you can construe that into a diss on Baynes.

[Ice009]

I think Baynes is mainly here for an enforcer type of role and to play against teams with big centers. When he first came to the Spurs he kept mentioning Reggie Evans, and that he sees himself as a Reggie Evans type of player who will bang and bring toughness on the court. I don't think he is a regular all purpose rotation player.

[spurraider21]

He has great size, solid athletecism. He looked fine in limited time last year. He's worth a spot on the active roster and should be able to fight for rotation minutes. Not sure if he's ever going to be a legit offensive option, but he should be able to find ways to score. Look at Tiago, who isn't exactly a go-to post player, yet he manages to score with efficiency and volume.

[benfti]

He is a BIG screen

[Kidd K]

Baynes just has to be the 4th big to get 10 mins or so a night. Pop is going to baby those three you mentioned as he normally does with his vets. Now he may just go full on small ball but if he thinks Baynes has a shot then early in the season he will get one. We will know this particular answer fairly early I think.

That's garbage minutes though.

There are 48 minutes per big position to be had, that's 96 total. Last year Duncan got 30, Splitter about 25, Diaw 23. 78 total, leaving just 18 minutes of which Leonard gets some during "small lineups", and Bonner will be getting time too as he always does (13 1/2 last year). That leaves Baynes with barely any besides garbage time.

Even Bonner's minutes are borderline garbage minutes tbh. He was 12th on the team in MPG while Baynes was dead last. I don't think Baynes is going to get significant time unless someone gets hurt. His role is the role Splitter and Duncan fill (and they do it better), so there really isn't much chance imo he'll get minutes over anyone without injuries taking place. He's kind of just a redundancy/insurance policy.

[look_at_g_shred]

That's garbage minutes though.

There are 48 minutes per big position to be had, that's 96 total. Last year Duncan got 30, Splitter about 25, Diaw 23. 78 total, leaving just 18 minutes of which Leonard gets some during "small lineups", and Bonner will be getting time too as he always does (13 1/2 last year). That leaves Baynes with barely any besides garbage time.

Even Bonner's minutes are borderline garbage minutes tbh. He was 12th on the team in MPG while Baynes was dead last. I don't think Baynes is going to get significant time unless someone gets hurt. His role is the role Splitter and Duncan fill (and they do it better), so there really isn't much chance imo he'll get minutes over anyone without injuries taking place. He's kind of just a redundancy/insurance policy.
Or unless he's thrown into the fire one night and has a big outing. This of course assuming he has stepped up his game from last season which is a big "if".

[FuzzyLumpkins]

That's garbage minutes though.

There are 48 minutes per big position to be had, that's 96 total. Last year Duncan got 30, Splitter about 25, Diaw 23. 78 total, leaving just 18 minutes of which Leonard gets some during "small lineups", and Bonner will be getting time too as he always does (13 1/2 last year). That leaves Baynes with barely any besides garbage time.

Even Bonner's minutes are borderline garbage minutes tbh. He was 12th on the team in MPG while Baynes was dead last. I don't think Baynes is going to get significant time unless someone gets hurt. His role is the role Splitter and Duncan fill (and they do it better), so there really isn't much chance imo he'll get minutes over anyone without injuries taking place. He's kind of just a redundancy/insurance policy.

Baynes chance of hitting anything past the elbow is infinitely better than Splitter and because of Duncan's shitty mechanics, he is always going to be limited to a consistent outside shot from a few spots on the floor. Duncan really shouldn't be in this conversation as he is one of the best rebounders, low post scores and post defenders in NBA history.

He can bang down low and not get ragdolled as Splitter and Diaw do. Splitter worked on his core strength and has gotten better but we all saw him get overpowered against other team's 5s. He is best at the 4. Baynes is still raw but with the skyhook coming from either hand from either side of the court as well as a fadeaway jumper he has a more dynamic post game.

What he doesn't have is Splitters bball IQ in pnr spacing on offense of defense. Splitter is remarkable in that regard. Baynes looked slow to react last offseason in fairness though he was a midseason acquisition. What get me is how he has that openmouth stare especially when he is winded. Looking like a mouthbreather is looking like a mouthbreater. Maybe he is dumb or slowwitted.

I know it seems outlandish but maybe Baynes gets those minutes over Bonner. It's a long season and Popovich tinkers early. Baynes will get a shot if he is worth a damn most likely and he is one of the better big man prospects we have had in recent history. His ceiling is much higher than Blair for example. Will be interesting to see.

[Kidd K]

Baynes chance of hitting anything past the elbow is infinitely better than Splitter and because of Duncan's shitty mechanics, he is always going to be limited to a consistent outside shot from a few spots on the floor. Duncan really shouldn't be in this conversation as he is one of the best rebounders, low post scores and post defenders in NBA history.

He can bang down low and not get ragdolled as Splitter and Diaw do. Splitter worked on his core strength and has gotten better but we all saw him get overpowered against other team's 5s. He is best at the 4. Baynes is still raw but with the skyhook coming from either hand from either side of the court as well as a fadeaway jumper he has a more dynamic post game.

What he doesn't have is Splitters bball IQ in pnr spacing on offense of defense. Splitter is remarkable in that regard. Baynes looked slow to react last offseason in fairness though he was a midseason acquisition. What get me is how he has that openmouth stare especially when he is winded. Looking like a mouthbreather is looking like a mouthbreater. Maybe he is dumb or slowwitted.

I know it seems outlandish but maybe Baynes gets those minutes over Bonner. It's a long season and Popovich tinkers early. Baynes will get a shot if he is worth a damn most likely and he is one of the better big man prospects we have had in recent history. His ceiling is much higher than Blair for example. Will be interesting to see.

He is part of the conversation since he's one of the people Baynes is up against. There's no argument that he could take his spot unless he's hurt though, but you can't magically discount the minutes Duncan will be playing at the position Baynes plays at though. They still count, thus he's part of the conversation.

Diaw doesn't get ragdolled. Splitter, despite being soft on occaision, has improved out defense after playing longer minutes. That's reflected statistically. I don't think he's as limited as Baynes offensively either, so really he's better in just about every way besides help defense where Splitter for some reason doesn't try that hard.

Who were you talking about with the mouth breathing and looking slow-witted? Splitter of Baynes? I couldn't tell. It kinda of applies to both guys to me. Splitter often looks like he's dizzy out on the basketball court like he's struggling to figure out where he's supposed to go next as the play's happening. BB IQ might be okay but I don't think his actually IQ is that high. Here I am though bashing the guy I'm trying to make a case for. :lmao

We'll see about Baynes vs Bonner. That's certainly possible. . .and that's the ONLY spot in which he can really break in. I do not think he can break in over Splitter. Splitter isn't perfect but he's far from useless or scrub caliber. Plenty of teams would like to have him. Sometimes as Spurfans we can be spoiled though because we've had David Robinson and Tim Duncan, two of the absolute best ever big men. Splitter is an above average big man. Bonner though, you know Pop loves him some Matt BONER. Like I said, we'll see on if he can get minutes over him. I still think it's gonna take an injury though for him to get any more than 6-10 minutes a game.

I'm not totally adverse to Baynes though, he hasn't really shown he's mostly unreliable yet like De Colo has. But of what I have seen, he just didn't mess up, but didn't really stand out any either. Not overly excited for him, but I won't write him off yet.


Or unless he's thrown into the fire one night and has a big outing. This of course assuming he has stepped up his game from last season which is a big "if".

Even if he did, I don't see how he'd supplant Splitter or Diaw off of one good night. Those guys have already proven themselves and have seniority.

[look_at_g_shred]

Even if he did, I don't see how he'd supplant Splitter or Diaw off of one good night. Those guys have already proven themselves and have seniority.

True, yet you never know with Pop. When things are going good, he'll throw a curveball for no good reason and fuck up the fluidity of the team.

[xmas1997]

Pop doesn't need Bonner now as much as he did in the past and can be used more effectively and situational.

[elemento]

No, only garbage minutes. Bonner will play more minutes than Baynes and in the playoffs the rotation is: Timmy, Splitter, Diaw + small-ball with Leonard.

[look_at_g_shred]

Seeing the way Ayres played during the scrimmage, I have to change my answer to no. Pendergraph looks like he can contribute very quickly. I love his size, rebounding ability, and scoring. He had that nice little turn around jumpshot in the post as well as that baseline jumper. As for Baynes, there was nothing exciting about what I saw. Needless to say if Ayres and Baynes are fighting for the next slot in the bigman rotation, i'd say Ayres is the guy.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Seeing the way Ayres played during the scrimmage, I have to change my answer to no. Pendergraph looks like he can contribute very quickly. I love his size, rebounding ability, and scoring. He had that nice little turn around jumpshot in the post as well as that baseline jumper. As for Baynes, there was nothing exciting about what I saw. Needless to say if Ayres and Baynes are fighting for the next slot in the bigman rotation, i'd say Ayres is the guy.

Ayres cannot play the 5. Was Ayres even playing the 4 during the scrimmage?

Baynes still does get trapped way high on pnr and lets the play get behind him, I saw him do it again, but he can still rebound and set screens that completely take defenders out of plays. Baynes is only going to be playing the 5. The other two guys we have that can play the 5 are Duncan and Splitter.

There is always small ball with Diaw or Bonner trotted out at the 5. Or you can play Splitter and Duncan on separate lineups as much as possible.

[look_at_g_shred]

Ayres cannot play the 5. Was Ayres even playing the 4 during the scrimmage?

Baynes still does get trapped way high on pnr and lets the play get behind him, I saw him do it again, but he can still rebound and set screens that completely take defenders out of plays. Baynes is only going to be playing the 5. The other two guys we have that can play the 5 are Duncan and Splitter.

There is always small ball with Diaw or Bonner trotted out at the 5. Or you can play Splitter and Duncan on separate lineups as much as possible.

Your right! Although knowing Pop, he's going with Bon-Bon 95% of the time at that 5 spot.

[objective]

forget the rotation, Baynes won't even be on the active roster. Ayres isn't getting twice as much as Baynes to be in a suit.

And re: Ayres ability to play the 5. Maybe not, he was worse than Ian in Indiana playing the 5, but Duncan will play 5 when Splitter's out in games that matter anyway.

[TD 21]

Ayres cannot play the 5. Was Ayres even playing the 4 during the scrimmage?

Baynes still does get trapped way high on pnr and lets the play get behind him, I saw him do it again, but he can still rebound and set screens that completely take defenders out of plays. Baynes is only going to be playing the 5. The other two guys we have that can play the 5 are Duncan and Splitter.

There is always small ball with Diaw or Bonner trotted out at the 5. Or you can play Splitter and Duncan on separate lineups as much as possible.

He can and he will. He's 6-10 in shoes, stronger than Splitter, a better rebounder and roughly equal as a shot blocker. Though a PF first, expect him to primarily play C as a Spur, because between Duncan/Splitter in tandem, Diaw, Bonner and Leonard, the PF minutes are spoken for. At C, they only have Duncan/Splitter (as objective correctly pointed out, Baynes won't even be active the majority of the time), who will obviously play a fair bit together and won't eclipse 30 mpg. Neither Diaw nor Bonner can credibly play C.

[Hoops Czar]

He can and he will. He's 6-10 in shoes, stronger than Splitter, a better rebounder and roughly equal as a shot blocker. Though a PF first, expect him to primarily play C as a Spur, because between Duncan/Splitter in tandem, Diaw, Bonner and Leonard, the PF minutes are spoken for.
Leonard at PF? I'll believe it when I see it. As far as Ayres, you're talking in the hypothetical. He hasn't played more than 40 games in any one season and Indiana thought so highly of him, they put him behind Mahimni on the depth chart and weren't willing to offer him more than the minimum to retain him. I'm not sure how you can even compare a starting Center to a 4th/5th string Center and say with a straight face, the numbers are weighted equally.

[TD 21]

Leonard at PF? I'll believe it when I see it. As far as Ayres, you're talking in the hypothetical. He hasn't played more than 40 games in any one season and Indiana thought so highly of him, they put him behind Mahimni on the depth chart and weren't willing to offer him more than the minimum to retain him. I'm not sure how you can even compare a starting Center to a 4th/5th string Center and say with a straight face, the numbers are weighted equally.

In small ball lineups. It's already been seen, if you were paying attention.

I'm not talking in the hypothetical. He's got all the tools necessary to play some C (we're not talking about 20-30 mpg here) and has throughout his career. Mahinmi was ahead on the depth chart largely because of salary and the only reason the Pacers didn't retain him was because they didn't want to tie up cap space in a fifth big, since they needed to remake their bench. You act as if I made those numbers up. Go look at their profiles on Draft Express, then their advanced stats on basketball reference. Those are all facts, genius.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

He can and he will. He's 6-10 in shoes, stronger than Splitter, a better rebounder and roughly equal as a shot blocker. Though a PF first, expect him to primarily play C as a Spur, because between Duncan/Splitter in tandem, Diaw, Bonner and Leonard, the PF minutes are spoken for. At C, they only have Duncan/Splitter (as objective correctly pointed out, Baynes won't even be active the majority of the time), who will obviously play a fair bit together and won't eclipse 30 mpg. Neither Diaw nor Bonner can credibly play C.

There seems to be quite an assumption for the effectiveness of a fringe rotation guy on the Pacers coming in.

As fun as it sounds to have another 5 under 5'10" out there with Dwight Howard, Andrew Bogut, Marc Gasol, Thompson/Cousins, etc in the conference I do not think it's a foregone conclusion that Baynes will be inactive every night. When you trot out a guy like that at the 5 invariable the Spurs defense at the rim goes to shit. Baynes can bother NBA scorers at the rim. We have seen him do it. We have seen Diaw and Bonner fail at it and Ayres to this point in his career has not demonstrated that ability.

Duncan or Splitter are not necessarily going to be on the court every minute of the game. I would put the over under on games missed between the two at 15. We are three deep at the point and Leonard, Manu, Green, Bellinelli, Young/Maggette we have a glut at the swing positions. Inactives can come from there as well.

It's going to come down to play and practice in the preseason and Popovich has a tendency to tinker with lineups before the all star break. Baynes will get a shot just like the rest I am guessing.

[DrunkTXLabrat]

ayers will totally see some time at 5. the spurs played blair at 5! the starting line up will get some blood in the water. we'll see the fin of the great white, hear a few whistles, and there you have it. ayers at 5.

and with cojo, decolo/belli, manu in the primary bench rotation. i wouldn't be surprised to see ayers doing some serious checking of flakey and slumpy at 4.

[Hoops Czar]

In small ball lineups. It's already been seen, if you were paying attention.

I'm not talking in the hypothetical. He's got all the tools necessary to play some C (we're not talking about 20-30 mpg here) and has throughout his career. Mahinmi was ahead on the depth chart largely because of salary and the only reason the Pacers didn't retain him was because they didn't want to tie up cap space in a fifth big, since they needed to remake their bench. You act as if I made those numbers up. Go look at their profiles on Draft Express, then their advanced stats on basketball reference. Those are all facts, genius.

You're using PER which is a highly flawed stat. Having the tools is one thing but comparing him to a starting Center is another. The numbers just don't equate. Pendergragh was on the team when Mahimni got his 4 year/16M contract so I'm pretty sure they thought more highly of Ian than they did Jeff at the time. There's no written rule that says a team has to play a player more because he makes more money. You're familiar with Richard Jefferson, right? I don't consider myself a genius, and I certainly don't try to blow smoke up one's skirt either. I know how to reads stats from a web page. Thanks for the tip. The problem is using those stats and putting them into context. Your read analysis is way off. Ayres has done nearly all his damage in low leverage situations while Splitter has done so in medium to high leverage situations. I never said Jeff doesn't have the ability and wherewithal to get better, but he's not there yet. Oh, and yeah, he'll almost certainly see spot minutes at C, basically because the Spurs are using a carousel rotation this year and don't have a whole lot of go-to options at this point.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

ayers will totally see some time at 5. the spurs played blair at 5! the starting line up will get some blood in the water. we'll see the fin of the great white, hear a few whistles, and there you have it. ayers at 5.

and with cojo, decolo/belli, manu in the primary bench rotation. i wouldn't be surprised to see ayers doing some serious checking of flakey and slumpy at 4.

AYres at the 5 is going to mean more layup drills just like when we saw Blair, Bonner and whatever else smaller big was trotted out there.

[objective]

Mahinmi was ahead on the depth chart largely because of salary and the only reason the Pacers didn't retain him was because they didn't want to tie up cap space in a fifth big, since they needed to remake their bench.

Mahinmi was ahead on the depth chart because he was better, period. The Pacers gave Ayresgraph plenty of opportunities to take the back-up 5 spot from Mahinmi, he just wasn't good enough. Mahinmi, despite his flaws of bad hands, turnovers, and excessive fouls was still proven out over the season to be better.

Also, the Pacers dumping Ayres didn't have anything to do with capspace. They didn't have any as long as they kept West's caphold and then after they re-signed him it was settled. The Pacers signed their new players with their exceptions, and of course the trade of equivalent salary for Scola. Ayres' little caphold was meaningless. They could have signed him at that caphold instead of paying Hilton Armstrong the minimum and still been under the tax.

-----------

anyways, my two cents reiterated: if the Spurs thought Baynes had a future as a contributor (rightly or wrongly), they would have signed a minimum big like Hilton Armstrong instead of part of the MLE on Ayres. Writing's on the wall, same as it was when Mahinmi was here. When the team brings in players and pay them to play ahead of you instead of compete against you, you probably aren't getting minutes.

[Captivus]

I think Baynes will see more minutes than most assume, he has to, otherwise TD and TS will not rest.

[DesignatedT]

We know Tim, Tiago and Boris are our main three guys. Bonner is going to get minutes because he brings something the other 5 guys don't. That leaves a Ayres vs Baynes battle for consistent minutes.

[DrunkTXLabrat]

AYres at the 5 is going to mean more layup drills just like when we saw Blair, Bonner and whatever else smaller big was trotted out there.

i've seen jack squat of ayers. but i'm a bit more optimistic than that. i think ayers is bigger than you give him credit for? and i'm thinking rc adequately figured out the blair/neal upgrades this offseason. if there's gonna be a lay up drill going down. it'll be when diaw or/and bonner are out there.

[TD 21]

There seems to be quite an assumption for the effectiveness of a fringe rotation guy on the Pacers coming in.

As fun as it sounds to have another 5 under 5'10" out there with Dwight Howard, Andrew Bogut, Marc Gasol, Thompson/Cousins, etc in the conference I do not think it's a foregone conclusion that Baynes will be inactive every night. When you trot out a guy like that at the 5 invariable the Spurs defense at the rim goes to shit. Baynes can bother NBA scorers at the rim. We have seen him do it. We have seen Diaw and Bonner fail at it and Ayres to this point in his career has not demonstrated that ability.

Duncan or Splitter are not necessarily going to be on the court every minute of the game. I would put the over under on games missed between the two at 15. We are three deep at the point and Leonard, Manu, Green, Bellinelli, Young/Maggette we have a glut at the swing positions. Inactives can come from there as well.

It's going to come down to play and practice in the preseason and Popovich has a tendency to tinker with lineups before the all star break. Baynes will get a shot just like the rest I am guessing.

It's not an assumption; I didn't make up his advanced stats. Baynes will be inactive, so long as they're healthy. Had they thought he could be even a fringe rotation player, they wouldn't have signed Ayres. Buford even mentioned Ayres' ability to defend the likes of Howard, after his signing was announced.

They're not activating six bigs and Leonard essentially serves as a de facto sixth big (for small ball) on the active roster anyway. Baynes is the automatic to be inactive.

It's largely predetermined. The notion that minutes are based on merit in sports, is mostly false.


Hoops Czar, as you so often do, you missed the point. I'm not suggesting Ayres is as good or better than Splitter, I'm simply saying, if Splitter can play C, then there's no reason to think Ayres can't.

objective, they were roughly even and when that's the case, the tie goes to the one making more money.

And I meant avoiding the tax, not cap space. They didn't want to tie up the money his qualifying offer or a new deal would have, as he wouldn't have been more than a fifth big for them. A third big, backup PG and fourth wing, rightfully took priority. In hindsight, yeah, they could have avoided the tax anyway, but it was close enough that they couldn't take the risk at the time. They didn't know for certain they could get the exact players, at the exact cost, they did.

[Hoops Czar]

Hoops Czar, as you so often do, you missed the point. I'm not suggesting Ayres is as good or better than Splitter, I'm simply saying, if Splitter can play C, then there's no reason to think Ayres can't.


Honk. You said that Ayres was a better rebounder and virtually the same at blocking shots. How do you know this unless you're using advanced sabermetrics and making half-assed assumptions. All of Ayres numbers/stats have come in low leverage situations while Tiago's have come in medium to high leverage situations. You can't make a fair comparison when one player, in this case Ayres, is putting up numbers against inferior competition. He'll definitely play some 5 because the Spurs are going with a carousel rotation and TD is going to need some rest. I don't think he'll be very effective down low but only time will tell.

[Drachen]

... Playing well.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

12 points 7 rebs in ~20 mins. It's against Euroleague but its some of the best the Euroleague has to offer. Hit a nice jump shot with under 2 to play in OT down by 2. Was credited with the tip in though that was not directly his shot to tie it at the end of regulation. His effort down low helped make it happen though. Those are two clutch situations.

LJ says he needs to be more physical. Xellos says that his size seemed to bother CSKA. That speaks to me of efficacy and upside. He has maintained his awesome physique. I don't think people understand how much effort he puts into his body to maintain that. His cardio is noticeably improved. He can hit jumpers which if you look at his college scouting reports is something he has added to his game. That speaks to me of a good work ethic.

Very well could be a legit 5. 7'1" 270 lbs. Athletic for being that big. Is a presence in the paint on the boards, protecting the rim, and straight up banging. I know I am gushing a bit but if he develops he would immensely help the talent base for the rest of the Duncan era and beyond. He is only 26 years old which is right about the time that big men that are not HoF types begin to come into their own.

I'd say that if he puts a few more games in like this then he will be cracking the rotation sooner than later.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Honk. You said that Ayres was a better rebounder and virtually the same at blocking shots. How do you know this unless you're using advanced sabermetrics and making half-assed assumptions. All of Ayres numbers/stats have come in low leverage situations while Tiago's have come in medium to high leverage situations. You can't make a fair comparison when one player, in this case Ayres, is putting up numbers against inferior competition. He'll definitely play some 5 because the Spurs are going with a carousel rotation and TD is going to need some rest. I don't think he'll be very effective down low but only time will tell.

Baynes averaged twice the blocks of Ayres last season in less mpg. Ayres is a good player but you cannot pivot a defense around him. You might be able to with Baynes. Baynes' upside is a hell of a lot higher.

[look_at_g_shred]

Bump. What's up?

[Boomersgold]

He played well. Looked more polished offensively than Ayres.

[look_at_g_shred]

Two bumps in one week?

[Manufan909]

Two bumps in one week?

It doesn't count if you're the one that bumped it twice. :lol

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It's not an assumption; I didn't make up his advanced stats. Baynes will be inactive, so long as they're healthy. Had they thought he could be even a fringe rotation player, they wouldn't have signed Ayres. Buford even mentioned Ayres' ability to defend the likes of Howard, after his signing was announced.

They're not activating six bigs and Leonard essentially serves as a de facto sixth big (for small ball) on the active roster anyway. Baynes is the automatic to be inactive.

It's largely predetermined. The notion that minutes are based on merit in sports, is mostly false.

:lol predetermined

[look_at_g_shred]

It doesn't count if you're the one that bumped it twice. :lol
Lol I guess ur right! :lol

[TD 21]

:lol predetermined

I said largely predetermined . . . and as usual, I was right. How else do you explain Ayres, despite struggling mightily, continuing to be in the rotation?

As for Baynes being active, a few things unexpectedly led to that: 1) Mills nailed down primary backup PG (for now, at least). This meant there was less reason for De Colo to be active and his own pathetic play in preseason didn't help matters. 2) They've yet to sign a veteran SF. Whenever they do, that player will get the thirteenth spot.

[Chomag]

His confidence is looking better and better each game, seems his trip to play a couple of games with the toros did him very well.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I said largely predetermined . . . and as usual, I was right. How else do you explain Ayres, despite struggling mightily, continuing to be in the rotation?

As for Baynes being active, a few things unexpectedly led to that: 1) Mills nailed down primary backup PG (for now, at least). This meant there was less reason for De Colo to be active and his own pathetic play in preseason didn't help matters. 2) They've yet to sign a veteran SF. Whenever they do, that player will get the thirteenth spot.

:lol largely

and now you are doubling down on stories.

the cliche narrative is that Popovich uses the first half of the season to tinker with lineups and not that things are 'largely predetermined.' you can make up whatever shit you like as to why they made this or that decision but you are talking out of your ass.

[TD 21]

:lol largely

and now you are doubling down on stories.

the cliche narrative is that Popovich uses the first half of the season to tinker with lineups and not that things are 'largely predetermined.' you can make up whatever shit you like as to why they made this or that decision but you are talking out of your ass.

I'm not sure what's funny about something that's turned out to be right (and was obvious to anyone with half a brain to begin with).

Way to evade the question . . .

[look_at_g_shred]

Bump

[exstatic]

Bump

Chump

[look_at_g_shred]

Chump
Hoe

[exstatic]

Hoe

Biyotch

[Hoops Czar]

He'll never crack the rotation. But, he's still better than Ayres.

[look_at_g_shred]

Biyotch
Rape victim

[Old School 44]

Baynes, Ayres, Bonner, Joseph are just eating up regular season minutes so key guys can rest. I doubt if you see any of them in the playoff rotation. The only time they might get on the floor in the playoffs is to take "hack-a player" fouls on Howard and Jordan, if we meet the Rockets or Clips.

[exstatic]

Baynes, Ayers, Bonner, Joseph are just eating up regular season minutes so key guys can rest. I doubt if you see any of them in the playoff rotation. The only time they might get on the floor in the playoffs is to take "hack-a player" fouls on Howard and Jordan, if we meet the Rockets or Clips.

EXACTLY

[Gagnrath]

I think we will see baynes he out played howard straight up in the play-offs lst year

[exstatic]

I think we will see baynes he out played howard straight up in the play-offs lst year


Baynes, Ayres, Bonner, Joseph are just eating up regular season minutes so key guys can rest. I doubt if you see any of them in the playoff rotation. The only time they might get on the floor in the playoffs is to take "hack-a player" fouls on Howard and Jordan, if we meet the Rockets or Clips.

[wildbill2u]

Setting the playoff rotation probabilities aside, Baynes has clearly forged past Ayers. Then good thing about his newly positioned role in the rotation is that he is getting enough minutes to calm down and play his game with some confidence. Every minute he plays with some of the better players is a minute of conditioning his mind to the Spurs system to where it becomes second nature.