Tank time

[K...]

This isn't a knee jerk thread, I'm talking one to two years from now.


If the Leonard/Aldridge core can't realistically get back to championship level it makes sense to end it sooner than later.

On paper we don't have the talent to overtake the two best teams. Next year's free agency might have a home run, but it's hard to see that being a sure thing. We need to plan a tank.


Lma won't be in his prime, but we saw the market for Dwight and horford. If lma asks to be traded I think we have to agree. Dude is a ring chaser and if we can't deliver, he should be traded to a good team.


Leonard is the harder call. Does he want to be the man through a short tank period? Do the spurs even have a need for him?


Leonard's prime is long enough to plausibly tank and recover, the problem is tanking is broken, the race for the higher seeds is more competitive than the championship. Leonard and spare parts is probably a late lottery team. And Leonard would be one of the best trade chips we had. I think he goes.

Anyway sorry to bum everyone out. Maybe poop pulls a Carlisle and makes the role players work like a team. He hasn't done anything like that in two years though.

[dabom]

Kill yourself faggot. :lmao

[Blizzardwizard]

Something something something Popsuckers something something something trade Bonner.

Who the hell needs KD anyway, we've got Paul George.

[Nathan89]

If we don't land Westbrook or CP3 next summer then maybe. It's pretty sad that Durant just ruined the league for 5years. Kawhi's prime just went out the fucking window.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

Kill yourself faggot. :lmao

[SAGirl]

I don't know what to tell you on tanking a couple of seasons from now, but Spurs cannot go into the next couple of seasons with that mentality bc LMA and Kawhi, like Durant are not above pairing with someone else in 3 years if the Spurs don't do anything. Like Durant, once Kawhi is a real UFA and has given years of his prime to the Spurs if the team has nothing to show for it, he will look out for the best opportunities for himself. Kawhi's emergence as an MVP candidate puts a burden on the Spurs to not be complacent. Things like holding on to Tonys contract too long, maybe Boris too, and not looking for trades or deals to improve the team hanging on to past glories can bite the Spurs in the ass.

This is not about Timmy, Manu, and Tony anymore. This is about Kawhi. It's his team. LMA was the best the Spurs could get as a partner for him last season and that was commendable but the team needed to get young this season and they stood pat again.

[K...]

I would probably make this thread later this year if not for the Durant news.

I think about this every year actually. You can't be a modern nba team without a tank plan. I guarantee the spurs think about it.

The aging of the big three presented huge whole. Kawhi and lm are good, but they don't replace Duncan's all time great defense, gino and Parker drive game. Those are huge holes to fill! !

We still have this free agency. We have the tarde deadline, but there are only so many chances to fill those holes before lma expires.

[K...]

I don't know what to tell you on tanking a couple of seasons from now, but Spurs cannot go into the next couple of seasons with that mentality bc LMA and Kawhi, like Durant are not above pairing with someone else in 3 years if the Spurs don't do anything. Like Durant, once Kawhi is a real UFA and has given years of his prime to the Spurs if the team has nothing to show for it, he will look out for the best opportunities for himself. Kawhi's emergence as an MVP candidate puts a burden on the Spurs to not be complacent. Things like holding on to Tonys contract too long, maybe Boris too, and not looking for trades or deals to improve the team hanging on to past glories can bite the Spurs in the ass.

This is not about Timmy, Manu, and Tony anymore. This is about Kawhi. It's his team. LMA was the best the Spurs could get as a partner for him last season and that was commendable but the team needed to get young this season and they stood pat again.

They kind of had to stand pat with the payroll. As a pop apologist I have to mention that because we don't hear about trades doesn't mean they aren't being explored. It's absurd, this team was historically great this year, but the makeup of the team was too thin. It's hard to count on internal growth matching warriors and Cleveland.

[RD2191]

Too late to tank now. I said it was a mistake signing LMA and we should have gone for a tank to build a solid young team around Kawhi. It is what it is though so we owe it to LMA to try and win a title.

[tholdren]

I would probably make this thread later this year if not for the Durant news.

I think about this every year actually. You can't be a modern nba team without a tank plan. I guarantee the spurs think about it.

The aging of the big three presented huge whole. Kawhi and lm are good, but they don't replace Duncan's all time great defense, gino and Parker drive game. Those are huge holes to fill! !

We still have this free agency. We have the tarde deadline, but there are only so many chances to fill those holes before lma expires.
new age fans with their new age drama. Ban this loser.

[SAGirl]

I think sentimentality made Pop hold on too long to the old big 3 TBH. This season, once Tim started showing signs that age was overcoming him, they needed to look at trades. They needed to look at trades midseason at the trade deadline, and in draft night too. Look at OKC, Portland. They started making moves to try to recover quickly once they saw the writing on the wall with one star:Lillard and Westbrook. You can't tank in this game if you have 2 stars. It's not worth it. And if you have even one star as a franchise you git to look around ways to improve.

Spurs have not been aggressive on trades and developing. They stood pat too long. This was the season it came crashing down, but they are not out. CP3, Westbrook are FA next season and the Spurs are bringing anyone who they think has a chance to make it in this league. But there are still tied to sentimentality like Tony.

[SAGirl]

They kind of had to stand pat with the payroll. As a pop apologist I have to mention that because we don't hear about trades doesn't mean they aren't being explored. It's absurd, this team was historically great this year, but the makeup of the team was too thin. It's hard to count on internal growth matching warriors and Cleveland.
We do have 2 stars. Look at the Celtics they made do go something like 3 years and just got Horford to show for it. I don't think the Spurs are as aggressive as w think bc they hold on to vestigs like Bonner and Tony. Let me ask you this. For the good of the team, should Manu Ginobili get paid to be kept if we don't get a Gasol (we already didn't get Durant).

I think no. His timeline is not the Spurs timeline anymore and there are younger players out there who are not going to be 39 who can help the Spurs.

[sasaint]

I don't know what to tell you on tanking a couple of seasons from now, but Spurs cannot go into the next couple of seasons with that mentality bc LMA and Kawhi, like Durant are not above pairing with someone else in 3 years if the Spurs don't do anything. Like Durant, once Kawhi is a real UFA and has given years of his prime to the Spurs if the team has nothing to show for it, he will look out for the best opportunities for himself. Kawhi's emergence as an MVP candidate puts a burden on the Spurs to not be complacent. Things like holding on to Tonys contract too long, maybe Boris too, and not looking for trades or deals to improve the team hanging on to past glories can bite the Spurs in the ass.

This is not about Timmy, Manu, and Tony anymore. This is about Kawhi. It's his team. LMA was the best the Spurs could get as a partner for him last season and that was commendable but the team needed to get young this season and they stood pat again.

I have been saying that this season would be a mini-tank. We didn't need to get younger this season with important pieces. We need to develop a young piece or two that we already have and make our splash next season. Next off-season we will get a lot of cap space without making sacrifices to do so.

[SAGirl]

I have been saying that this season would be a mini-tank. We didn't need to get younger this season with important pieces. We need to develop a young piece or two that we already have and make our splash next season. Next off-season we will get a lot of cap space without making sacrifices to do so.
Even if that young piece is to trade a la George Hill. Drafted guys just take a longer time to develop playing 8 minutes behind all these vets.

We won't find out about Dejounte for sure until 2 years have passed anyways. If it truly was a mini tank you'd have to let Manu go to really find out what you have there with J.Simms, Dejounte et al. They also maybe needed to let Diaw go for the same reason, just play Bertans and Kyle instead of Diaw, get some hungry dudes in. Maybe they fail miserably bc they aren't ready and have a lot to work on, or maybe they discover talent there and some hungry dudes. If they really wanted to rebuild depth they could scratch it and start over. Maybe in scratching so much at once they mini tank a season and refuel the coffers with youth too.

But I don't think they would do that to Kawhi and LMA and waste a good year of their careers.

[dbestpro]

The NBA just needs to go back to how they use to call the games about 20 years ago, and the whole league will be allowed to compete.

[daslicer]

Tanking sucks and it doesn't guarantee anything. I know it seems like the easy answer because the Spurs got Robinson and Duncan in the past through the lottery, but that was extreme luck and it usually doesn't work out that way. My home team the Hornets tried tanking for years and failed miserably. They tried to get Davis way back in '12 and fell short and got Kidd-Gilchrist instead. From personal experience you guys will hate watching a 20 win team play and will start wishing for days just to have a 50 win team. I rather have a 50 win team than be a perennial lottery team.

[sasaint]

Even if that young piece is to trade a la George Hill. Drafted guys just take a longer time to develop playing 8 minutes behind all these vets.

We won't find out about Dejounte for sure until 2 years have passed anyways. If it truly was a mini tank you'd have to let Manu go to really find out what you have there with J.Simms, Dejounte et al. They also maybe needed to let Diaw go for the same reason, just play Bertans and Kyle instead of Diaw, get some hungry dudes in. Maybe they fail miserably bc they aren't ready and have a lot to work on, or maybe they discover talent there and some hungry dudes. If they really wanted to rebuild depth they could scratch it and start over. Maybe in scratching so much at once they mini tank a season and refuel the coffers with youth too.

But I don't think they would do that to Kawhi and LMA and waste a good year of their careers.

I do not want Manu back at all. If we dump Diaw and have to eat 4 million - okay.

A slightly different scenario may be opening up if Tim retires and Manu is allowed to walk. Would that make a parting of the ways with Tony more mutually amenable?

[SAGirl]

I do not want Manu back at all. If we dump Diaw and have to eat 4 million - okay.

A slightly different scenario may be opening up if Tim retires and Manu is allowed to walk. Would that make a parting of the ways with Tony more mutually amenable?

I have been a Pop apologist but I think I am stepping off Pop's wagon. He's been too loyal to too many old farts when age and injuries have screamed loudly in his ear that it's time to let go. Tony is the last one. He's going to seemingly be in the team so long as Pop is here. We didn't have anyone better this season to take his role, that's the truth. But we had guys Pop could develop and he still got Kevin Martin end of the season to swallow almost 300 minutes that could have been to develop Simmons. I though ok that was a win now move but after you know what Tim's, Tony's, and Manu's stages of their games are and that there is no longer a turning back the clock situation, do you still hold on to them? I don't mind any of them in mentorship and support roles, and I'd really love Tim back. but support is not exactly how they are played. Tony doesn't get paid like he's in a mentoring or support role either and that's a problem and Manu wanting to get paid like he's the 6th man is also another problem.

This is,evolving into a new locker room too. We shall see the leaders next season.

[Taking it to the Hole]

I have been a Pop apologist but I think I am stepping off Pop's wagon. He's been too loyal to too many old farts when age and injuries have screamed loudly in his ear that it's time to let go. Tony is the last one. He's going to seemingly be in the team so long as Pop is here. We didn't have anyone better this season to take his role, that's the truth. But we had guys Pop could develop and he still got Kevin Martin end of the season to swallow almost 300 minutes that could have been to develop Simmons. I though ok that was a win now move but after you know what Tim's, Tony's, and Manu's stages of their games are and that there is no longer a turning back the clock situation, do you still hold on to them? I don't mind any of them in mentorship and support roles, and I'd really love Tim back. but support is not exactly how they are played. Tony doesn't get paid like he's in a mentoring or support role either and that's a problem and Manu wanting to get paid like he's the 6th man is also another problem.

This is,evolving into a new locker room too. We shall see the leaders next season.

I agree with you on Pop being given the benefit of the doubt these past couple of years because we knew that the Big 3 still had the ability to play at a high level but after this past year, what concerns me is that we don't have a true leader among the core group of young players. Manu and Tim have always fulfilled that role for us and TP to a lesser degree but we don't have a player that we can rely on to be the example on the court. Maybe it is unrealistic to believe that anyone could fulfill that role but it is necessary for this team to survive. Kawhi or LMA have to be that leader on the floor because it is their time to do that now. My issue with PATFO is that for years they have known that the time was going to come when the Big 3 would be gone and they did nothing to prepare for that day. Instead of developing talent from pre-2014, we did nothing. We got very fortunate that our group from 2013-2014 was able to play together but before that we squandered a lot of years of Manu and Tim still being able to play at a high level. I think as much as we had interchangeable pieces, it reaked of complacency. I just think if this is the last ride for TD, it is going to have to fall on TP and Manu to be that leader but like you said, they are supporting pieces now. Tanking would seem like an option but as much as it could be a sound strategy to get a high draft pick, it won't solve any of our immediate problems. The reality is Father Time was looming like a shadow over this team for a long time and we just chose to accept it rather than turn him away.

[spurtech09]

Bump this thread....

[spursistan]

nah..second seed and the right to get curbstomped by GSW in the WCF is still within reach..That should count as successful post-TD season by every measure..

[cjw]

Too late to tank now. I said it was a mistake signing LMA and we should have gone for a tank to build a solid young team around Kawhi. It is what it is though so we owe it to LMA to try and win a title.

Given that Aldridge is on one of the best non-rookie contracts in the league, you can always change your mind if you're RC and tank. Boston would give up a king's ransom for him.

Not happening.