NBA Scouts examine the Spurs in Sports Illustrated

[DenialTwist]

http://on.si.com/1LAW0eu (https://t.co/DBsUq2sRaH)

NBA Scouts examined all 30 teams for Sports Illustrated. Here is what they said about the Spurs


Manu Ginóbili can still step behind the pick-and-roll and make big shots. He doesn’t beat guys as well anymore, and he isn’t as consistent finishing. He’s a playmaker, but it’s more in spurts and flashes now... Tony Parker needs to have his minutes cut. Point guard is such a tough position in the West; it’s harder for him to be consistent. He still shoots a good percentage but he forces a lot of shots... Danny Green is 0 for 6 or 5 for 6. You don’t know what you are going to get from him. He gets away with being an O.K. defender because they have great team defense... They didn’t replace Marco Belinelli, so there’s a lot of pressure on Green and Kawhi Leonard to carry them from three-point range. Maybe Jimmer Fredette will step up and be Stephen Jackson this year...

Full Quote:
http://i.imgur.com/9PKhl7r.png

[cjw]

"He gets away with being an O.K. defender because they have great team defense"

:lol :lol :lol

[YGWHI]

Thanks for posting.

Well, this guy pretty much says what we already know...LMA deadly mid-range shooter...Parker and Manu getting older...Parker needs to change his role on the team...Danny icy-hot...nothing new

[MI21]

:lol @ the Danny Green comment.

:lol @ the Jimmer Fredette comment.

[DenialTwist]

Thanks for posting.

Well, this guy pretty much says what we already know...LMA deadly mid-range shooter...Parker and Manu getting older...Parker needs to change his role on the team...Danny icy-hot...nothing new

How many minutes do you think Pop will Parker this season? I've heard other fans say Pop will live and die by Parker. Wonder if that will change if Parker struggles in the postseason?

[Joseph Kony]

Stopped reading after he called LDN an "ok defender"

[Juggity]

:lol how could anyone possibly call themselves an informed basketball analyst and in the same breath call Danny Green an "okay defender" — as if he wasn't easily a top five 3&D player in the league (and probably a top 3 defensive SG). That's just indicative of somebody having not studied the advanced stats or watched the spurs play a game of basketball in the last three years.

[YGWHI]

How many minutes do you think Pop will Parker this season? I've heard other fans say Pop will live and die by Parker. Wonder if that will change if Parker struggles in the postseason?

Pop didn't play a younger point guard with the hot-shooting hand over an injured Parker last playoffs...nothing changes for him.

Live and Die...probably the latter. At least, against Westbrook, Paul, Curry..."Point guard is such a tough position in the West"

[YGWHI]

if he wasn't easily a top five 3&D player in the league
Who are the other four players that rank above him? Korver can shot better but he can't defend at Danny's level, the same with Matthews he's fine but not that good...In a balance between shooting and defense, Danny Green's the best of them.

[BillMc]

Who are the other four players that rank above him? Korver can shot better but he can't defend at Danny's level, the same with Matthews he's fine but not that good...In a balance between shooting and defense, Danny Green's the best of them.

Klay Thompson?

But, yeah, I agree. Danny is way up there. And perfect for what we need.

[YGWHI]

Klay Thompson?
I wouldn't compare his defense and playoffs shooting performances with Danny's...but it's ok. One, which players get the remaining three spots?



Danny is way up there. And perfect for what we need.

:toast

[Spurtacular]

It's pre 50 game mark. The 'experts' are required by NBA law to cast the Spurs as one of many mere contenders.

[Chinook]

'Green's an okay defender who is helped by team defense.'

:lol Danny's defensive metrics are off the charts, especially his on/off stats. Besides Leonard obviously, the team has no one close to Green in terms of perimeter D.

Oh and considering Jimmer to be a potential Jack. :lol Please tell me this take wasn't made this month.

[cd98]

Like I said last night to the redicule of a few, Spurs are in need of 3 point shooting and losing Beli was big. Even if he didn't make every three you had to gaurd him three feet from behind the line. He was that kind of a scoring threat.

[cd98]

All the summer league level players the Spurs signed are not great or confident three point shooters. Patty is going to have to have a great shooting year.

[Killakobe81]

:lol how could anyone possibly call themselves an informed basketball analyst and in the same breath call Danny Green an "okay defender" — as if he wasn't easily a top five 3&D player in the league (and probably a top 3 defensive SG). That's just indicative of somebody having not studied the advanced stats or watched the spurs play a game of basketball in the last three years.

At times early in the year (Kiwi injured?) I thought Green was the best defender on the team. As the season wore on the cream rose to the top and KL was clearly better. But I thought Green was the best defender early over Tim and KL who won DPOTY.

[Spur|n|Austin]

"Maybe Jimmer Fredette will step up and be Stephen Jackson this year.."

http://i.imgur.com/Enj9XeV.gif

[Chinook]

Like I said last night to the redicule of a few, Spurs are in need of 3 point shooting and losing Beli was big. Even if he didn't make every three you had to gaurd him three feet from behind the line. He was that kind of a scoring threat.

And now you can see why your take was ridiculed (though I hope you didn't take too much offense -- we were all caught up in the fervor by that point). Jimmer sucks as a floor-spacer. He's sucked at that his entire NBA career. If the Spurs really wanted him for that, it's obvious why he didn't make the cut.

[NameLess Scrub]

I think he meant Jimmer might be Jackson exclusively on the shooting aspect...

[SpursforSix]

Maybe Jimmer Fredette will step up and be Stephen Jackson this year.

:downspin:

[SAGirl]

Like I said last night to the redicule of a few, Spurs are in need of 3 point shooting and losing Beli was big. Even if he didn't make every three you had to gaurd him three feet from behind the line. He was that kind of a scoring threat.
Could also score off the dribble with a killer midrange jumpshot and was very active running through picks and trying to get open off the ball. He definitely commanded attention.

[Dex]

"Maybe Jimmer Fredette will step up and be Stephen Jackson this year.."

I want some of what this dude has been smoking.

[apalisoc_9]

The one solution to a Belli less offense is just to play leonard and Green more..They're young anyway.

Anderson is way to hesitant to take the three...

[313]

Maybe he meant Steve Kerr not sjax.. :huh

Anyway this was obviously not written recently

[SpursBig3s]

Like I said last night to the redicule of a few, Spurs are in need of 3 point shooting and losing Beli was big. Even if he didn't make every three you had to gaurd him three feet from behind the line. He was that kind of a scoring threat.

maybe Rasual Butler will be that replacement? He can shoot, but obviously can't handle the ball the way Beli did...

[tholdren]

And now you can see why your take was ridiculed (though I hope you didn't take too much offense -- we were all caught up in the fervor by that point). Jimmer sucks as a floor-spacer. He's sucked at that his entire NBA career. If the Spurs really wanted him for that, it's obvious why he didn't make the cut.
Here's where your argument lacks, chinook. There is no one on the team with the potential of shooting off the dribble from deep. McCallum is a mix between turnover pro Jeremy lin and out of control brickbrook. Simmons is McCallum with better passing. Butler can't dribble. Anderson is like a preteen with a slower wind up than lefty gomez.

At the end of the day we will still be a 4th q team who cannot control the lead bc they cannot score.

West will be the equivalent of mcdyess = softer than we thought

[DJR210]

:lol @ the Danny Green comment.

:lol @ the Jimmer Fredette comment.

:lol

But he did say Parker needs his minutes cut, so obviously this guy gets it

[cd98]

And now you can see why your take was ridiculed (though I hope you didn't take too much offense -- we were all caught up in the fervor by that point). Jimmer sucks as a floor-spacer. He's sucked at that his entire NBA career. If the Spurs really wanted him for that, it's obvious why he didn't make the cut.

Again, I don't ascribe to your opinion regarding his floor spacing ability. But I also don't think Jimmer is anywhere near the level of Beli. Best case scenario for Jimmer was 50% of Patty Mills.

[cd98]

maybe Rasual Butler will be that replacement? He can shoot, but obviously can't handle the ball the way Beli did...

Right. Beli could handle, shoot from anywhere, and create. He was only an elite shooter, but he was solid in other areas. Alas, only his defense was horrendous, but his diverse offensive abilities compensated for that.

[SpursBig3s]

Yeah no I agree with you, I'm in the camp that Beli was our biggest loss. I'm just saying I think Butler could replace his shooting. But Beli was definitely more versatile/diverse as a whole offensively

[BillMc]

"Maybe Jimmer Fredette will step up and be Stephen Jackson this year."

Good call. Jimmer will score the same amount of points for the Spurs as S-Jax will this year.

[BillMc]

Yeah no I agree with you, I'm in the camp that Beli was our biggest loss. I'm just saying I think Butler could replace his shooting. But Beli was definitely more versatile/diverse as a whole offensively

I agree Beli is a big loss, but it is funny how everyone was bashing him last year (mostly for his defense).

You don't know what you got until you lose it.

[Chinook]

I agree Beli is a big loss, but it is funny how everyone was bashing him last year (mostly for his defense).

You don't know what you got until you lose it.

Losing Beli isn't the issue. Having no money to replace him and not using a draft pick on a shooting wing is the issue.

[TheDoctor]

:lol @ the Danny Green comment.

:lol @ the Jimmer Fredette comment.

[BillMc]

Losing Beli isn't the issue. Having no money to replace him and not using a draft pick on a shooting wing is the issue.

There were going to losses if we were going to sign LMA. I think, like Splitter, Baynes and Joseph, Beli was a necessary loss.

[SpursBig3s]

That's true but I was not part of the crew that was bashing Belinelli.