Dedmon<3..

[HarlemHeat37]

What a demonic nigga, tbh..hardest Spurs big in a looong time..

[timtonymanu]

Hope the team can keep him. Pop needs to start giving Dedmon his due respect. Should be starting over one of Pau/Aldridge.

[ElNono]

I want him to play more mins, tbh... even on a night Gasol didn't play, this dude couldn't see the court the entire 3rd quarter? smh

[apalisoc_9]

Called him the soon to be third best spur behind Kawhi and Danny in just his second spurs game tbh.

Sadly, He is probably republican. Pop hates republicans.

[apalisoc_9]

I want him to play more mins, tbh... even on a night Gasol didn't play, this dude couldn't see the court the entire 3rd quarter? smh

He is republican...

Said it like 4 weeks ago.

People need to keep up.

[HarlemHeat37]

He couldn't play more minutes in Orlando because he was a foul machine, which hasn't really changed, unfortunately..I wish he could give the Spurs 25 MPG, but it's probably unrealistic, sadly..

[hater]

Overrated stiff

But compared to the excrement that are Gasol and Aldrshit, hes God

[cd98]

Play him sparingly to keep his market value down.

[elemento]

He should start over Pau even if Pau plays more minutes, but I doubt Pop does it. I doubt we blow a game in the 1st quarter as we did multiple times this season with him starting.

[pgardn]

Called him the soon to be third best spur behind Kawhi and Danny in just his second spurs game tbh.

Sadly, He is probably republican. Pop hates republicans.

His hands can be absolutely pitiful.

But there is so much ability. He is so much quicker on blocks, rebounds, setting picks, diving off a pick. But he can be absolutely mistake riddled the next game. And yeah, Dedmon looks like your typical Republican... yikes...

[HarlemHeat37]

Oh, he's definitely horrible on offense outside of dunking(and even then, he has missed a few, this season:lol), but his defense and rebounding have been outstanding..

That gets you paid in the NBA, look at players like Biyombo..

[Snaq O'Meal]

I want him to play more mins, tbh... even on a night Gasol didn't play, this dude couldn't see the court the entire 3rd quarter? smh

:pop:: "He needs to get over himself."

[Splits]

This shit again?

[HarlemHeat37]

I want him to play more mins, tbh... even on a night Gasol didn't play, this dude couldn't see the court the entire 3rd quarter? smh

Pop's rotations were just strange tonight, even excluding Dedmon's minutes..

[HarlemHeat37]

804174325196668928

[Robz4000]

He's the kind of player I wanted the Spurs to go after in the off season. Could've used the money the wasted on MVPau on a playmaking guard; I love Gasol but him and LMA are practically the same player on this team.

[DarrinS]

Poor man's Robinson, but he was great tonight :lol

[YGWHI]

Loved blocks and defense in the paint and on opposite guards.

Even on the bench, he was some kind of Patty-motivator :tu

[spursistan]

Pop effusive in praise :wow

804174508437438465

[MI21]

Very thankful he didn't go to the Warriors.

[spurraider21]

:lmao conspiracy theories

but yeah dedmon is awesome

[HarlemHeat37]

Very thankful he didn't go to the Warriors.

Yep..the forgotten story, they were the other team chasing him, would have had their starting C and rim protector:(

[spursistan]

Damn hanging his nuts on Justin Anderson from all angles..:lol

804174203486244864

[ViceCity86]

Yep..the forgotten story, they were the other team chasing him, would have had their starting C and rim protector:(

Could the Dubs had got him after Durant? They could only offer Dedmon the minimum, right?

[LittleCriminal]

Im down for dedmon to start.. Bring Gasol off da bench with manu and lee.

[MI21]

Yep..the forgotten story, they were the other team chasing him, would have had their starting C and rim protector:(

Imagine the value he would bring to that team over D-Worst, :lol

[HarlemHeat37]

Could the Dubs had got him after Durant? They could only offer Dedmon the minimum, right?

Yep..it was between the Spurs and Dubs according to reports at the time IIRC..they could only offer him the minimum, while the Spurs were able to give him more IIRC..Chinook probably remembers more accurately..

[Arcadian]

hardest Spurs big in a looong time..

That's not saying much.

[midnightpulp]

Nice player, but I'm not getting the appeal of him as someone who can conceivably start and replace "Paussy."

There's too much evaluation of players in a vacuum lately without consideration of the overall effect they could have on other players, namely our Alpha.

One of the reasons I'm such an advocate of LMA and now Pau isn't because I'm a great fan of them on an individual level, but how they can potentially complement Leonard's game. Everyone loves Leonard's "Jordan-esque" mid-post game on here, and those people want to see the offense run through him in those spots every time down. Fair enough. But for Kawhi to flourish the most in that context, he needs to be paired with bigs who have ranges of 15 feet and out.

Dedmon won't draw an opposing shotblocker out of the paint.

See here.

http://i.imgur.com/KDACh9F.png

"K" is one of Kawhi's favorite spots to post up, and from there, he can take a turn around jumper or post-dribble into a drive. Offensively limited bigs like Dedmon typically hang around the "D" spot on offense hoping for o-boards and put backs, which lets the opposing paint anchor basically patrol the paint. If Kawhi turns for a jumper, the opposing big can rush him enough to bother the shot. If Kawhi dribbles from there, the opposing big can go for a block.

Pau can pull another big much farther out, giving Kawhi a lot more space to work with. And with LMA drawing his man out, Kawhi is going to get plenty of isolation opportunities where help defense can't do much as they'll have to stay home on Pau and LMA.

Dedmon will be useful in spots, but I think he would be a detriment to Kawhi's game overall long term.

[Ice009]

I truly do love this guy. Wasn't he supposed to be a Jehovah's witness and wasn't allowed to play Basketball until he turned 18 when he had his own choices? He seems like a guy that grew up in a rough neighborhood.

I really loved his defensive performance tonight, and I'd take that over Pau's offense. I am a lot more excited about Dedmon scoring 6-8 points coupled with his play on the defensive end Vs Pau scoring 15 points along with putrid defense. Gasol probably needs to be benched. Not sure you can bench LA.

[dabom]

Damn hanging his nuts on Justin Anderson from all angles..:lol

804174203486244864

Dude is a mini-DRob. :lol

[Kawhitstorm]

Nice player, but I'm not getting the appeal of him as someone who can conceivably start and replace "Paussy."

There's too much evaluation of players in a vacuum lately without consideration of the overall effect they could have on other players, namely our Alpha.

One of the reasons I'm such an advocate of LMA and now Pau isn't because I'm a great fan of them on an individual level, but how they can potentially complement Leonard's game. Everyone loves Leonard's "Jordan-esque" mid-post game on here, and those people want to see the offense run through him in those spots every time down. Fair enough. But for Kawhi to flourish the most in that context, he needs to be paired with bigs who have ranges of 15 feet and out.

Dedmon won't draw an opposing shotblocker out of the paint.

See here.

http://i.imgur.com/KDACh9F.png


Kawhi isn't really a slasher or a drive-&-kick guy but rather a mid-range shooter. All he needs is a PnP partner like LMA to get one of the bigs out of the paint then he's either going to pull up or drive based on how the other big plays it. As far as 4-down post-ups, Pop has pretty much eliminated that from the playbook except for Softridge. The days of clearing sides for Kawhi post-ups is over unless it's a mismatch where Kawhi bullies the defender.

For the most part, Kawhi is playing ISO ball w/ LMA stretching the floor when Dedmon is in the game.

[midnightpulp]

Nice player, but I'm not getting the appeal of him as someone who can conceivably start and replace "Paussy."

There's too much evaluation of players in a vacuum lately without consideration of the overall effect they could have on other players, namely our Alpha.

One of the reasons I'm such an advocate of LMA and now Pau isn't because I'm a great fan of them on an individual level, but how they can potentially complement Leonard's game. Everyone loves Leonard's "Jordan-esque" mid-post game on here, and those people want to see the offense run through him in those spots every time down. Fair enough. But for Kawhi to flourish the most in that context, he needs to be paired with bigs who have ranges of 15 feet and out.

Dedmon won't draw an opposing shotblocker out of the paint.

See here.

http://i.imgur.com/KDACh9F.png

"K" is one of Kawhi's favorite spots to post up, and from there, he can take a turn around jumper or post-dribble into a drive. Offensively limited bigs like Dedmon typically hang around the "D" spot on offense hoping for o-boards and put backs, which lets the opposing paint anchor basically patrol the paint. If Kawhi turns for a jumper, the opposing big can rush him enough to bother the shot. If Kawhi dribbles from there, the opposing big can go for a block.

Pau can pull another big much farther out, giving Kawhi a lot more space to work with. And with LMA drawing his man out, Kawhi is going to get plenty of isolation opportunities where help defense can't do much as they'll have to stay home on Pau and LMA.

Dedmon will be useful in spots, but I think he would be a detriment to Kawhi's game overall long term.

Reposting for the page flip.

[bigfan]

So far he reminds me of the flashes we had with Nazi; seems to have the skills, just needs the consistency. I hope we can keep him.

[midnightpulp]

Kawhi isn't really a slasher or a drive-&-kick guy but rather a mid-range shooter. All he needs is a PnP partner like LMA to get one of the bigs out of the paint then he's either going to pull up or drive based on how the other big plays it. As far as 4-down post-ups, Pop has pretty much eliminated that from the playbook except for Softridge. The days of clearing sides for Kawhi post-ups is over unless it's a mismatch where Kawhi bullies the defender.

For the most part, Kawhi is playing ISO ball w/ LMA stretching the floor when Dedmon is in the game.

Exactly. And more spacing the better, since pulling the other big out gives him an additional lane to use. He needs all the interior spacing he can get when driving since he's not a Lebron/Westbrook super athlete who can routinely posterize shotblockers.

It also gives Parker more space, but he's useless no matter the scheme these days.

[HarlemHeat37]

I don't know if Dedmon should start, he's a foul machine..he's perfect in his role, at the moment..

Not to mention Gasol would never happily accept a bench role, based on his history..

I don't have a problem with Gasol as an individual, he's been fine for the Spurs, exactly what I expected..it just sucks that he was essentially a wasted signing that could have potentially been used on a guad, since he's redundant with Aldridge in virtually every way(including being soft)..that's just hindsight, though, since the Spurs probably didn't expect both Dedmon and Lee to perform as well as they have..

[Kawhitstorm]

Exactly. And more spacing the better, since pulling the other big out gives him an additional lane to use. He needs all the interior spacing he can get when driving since he's not a Lebron/Westbrook super athlete who can routinely posterize shotblockers.

It also gives Parker more space, but he's useless no matter the scheme these days.

I'll take Kawhi's pull-up over Pau's defense especially if he's being replaced by an elite defender who can grab offensive rebounds & be a lob threat.

Replacing Pau w/ Dedmon has essentially had the same effect as Tristan replacing Love in '14-'15 & the Cavs actually had Mozgov instead of a stretch 4 like LMA.

[coachmac87]

Nice player, but I'm not getting the appeal of him as someone who can conceivably start and replace "Paussy."

There's too much evaluation of players in a vacuum lately without consideration of the overall effect they could have on other players, namely our Alpha.

One of the reasons I'm such an advocate of LMA and now Pau isn't because I'm a great fan of them on an individual level, but how they can potentially complement Leonard's game. Everyone loves Leonard's "Jordan-esque" mid-post game on here, and those people want to see the offense run through him in those spots every time down. Fair enough. But for Kawhi to flourish the most in that context, he needs to be paired with bigs who have ranges of 15 feet and out.

Dedmon won't draw an opposing shotblocker out of the paint.

See here.

http://i.imgur.com/KDACh9F.png

"K" is one of Kawhi's favorite spots to post up, and from there, he can take a turn around jumper or post-dribble into a drive. Offensively limited bigs like Dedmon typically hang around the "D" spot on offense hoping for o-boards and put backs, which lets the opposing paint anchor basically patrol the paint. If Kawhi turns for a jumper, the opposing big can rush him enough to bother the shot. If Kawhi dribbles from there, the opposing big can go for a block.

Pau can pull another big much farther out, giving Kawhi a lot more space to work with. And with LMA drawing his man out, Kawhi is going to get plenty of isolation opportunities where help defense can't do much as they'll have to stay home on Pau and LMA.

Dedmon will be useful in spots, but I think he would be a detriment to Kawhi's game overall long term.



Jordan did fine with Rodman

[midnightpulp]

I don't think Dedmon should start, either, he's a foul machine..he's perfect in his role..

Not to mention Gasol would never happily accept a bench role, based on his history..

I don't have a problem with Gasol as an individual, he's been fine for the Spurs, exactly what I expected..it just sucks that he was essentially a wasted signing that could have potentially been used on a guad, since he's redundant with Aldridge in virtually every way(including being soft)..that's just hindsight, though, since the Spurs probably didn't expect both Dedmon and Lee to perform as well as they have..

I'm think the FO's logic was similar to mine.

Gasol + LMA drawing bigs out of the paint=ocean of space for Kawhi. Plus Pau's superlative passing having impact. I also think the FO was hoping, once again, that Parker would have a resurgence, since the increased spacing would benefit his penetration. But he doesn't even do that anymore.

[Kawhitstorm]

I'm think the FO's logic was similar to mine.

Gasol + LMA drawing bigs out of the paint=ocean of space for Kawhi. Plus Pau's superlative passing having impact. I also think the FO was hoping, once again, that Parker would have a resurgence, since the increased spacing would benefit his penetration. But he doesn't even do that anymore.

I wouldn't be surprised if Pop sought out Pau in the interest of his loyal son Porker.

[MaNu4Tres]

He's the type of player Spurs needed.

He makes an impact on the game on the defensive end, on contested boards and without the ball on the offensive end. Wish Aldridge & Gasol didn't need the ball to extract their marginal overrated value.

[midnightpulp]

I wouldn't be surprised if Pop sought out Pau in the interest of his loyal son Porker.

Pau made sense. All his defensive metrics were similar to last season's Duncan, from rim protection and on. Add in his passing and shooting, and he seems tailormade for the Spurs. I honestly don't think he's a problem.

It's the backcourt sans Patty. I won't even throw Danny under the bus here. In reality, Parker and Manu are killing us. Oh, we also don't have a backup SF. Fathead still hasn't paid any dividends.

[Kawhitstorm]

Pau made sense. All his defensive metrics were similar to last season's Duncan, from rim protection and on. Add in his passing and shooting, and he seems tailormade for the Spurs. I honestly don't think he's a problem.

Pau would have been GREAT as a Diaw/D-Worst replacement but his defense didn't pass the eye test in Chicago besides his ability to block shots/rebound when he's camping under the rim. (He doesn't get exposed in FIBA b/c there is no 3 second rule)


It's the backcourt sans Patty. I won't even throw Danny under the bus here. In reality, Parker and Manu are killing us. Oh, we also don't have a backup SF. Fathead still hasn't paid any dividends.

Not signing a LEGIT 5th guard like Felton was inexcusable when Enrique/Evita are a 73 year old backcourt.

[gambit1990]

Damn hanging his nuts on Justin Anderson from all angles..:lol

804174203486244864
thank god parker wasn't playing tonight.

if parker was in that possession then dedmon would be passing the ball behind him and parker would've waited until the mavs got back on defense before making a pass.

[Kawhitstorm]

thank god parker wasn't playing tonight.

if parker was in that possession then dedmon would be passing the ball behind him and parker would've waited until the mavs got back on defense before making a pass.

He would have reversed the ball out when he saw a shot blocker running towards the rim, including his own teammate.

[MaNu4Tres]

Nice player, but I'm not getting the appeal of him as someone who can conceivably start and replace "Paussy."

There's too much evaluation of players in a vacuum lately without consideration of the overall effect they could have on other players, namely our Alpha.

One of the reasons I'm such an advocate of LMA and now Pau isn't because I'm a great fan of them on an individual level, but how they can potentially complement Leonard's game. Everyone loves Leonard's "Jordan-esque" mid-post game on here, and those people want to see the offense run through him in those spots every time down. Fair enough. But for Kawhi to flourish the most in that context, he needs to be paired with bigs who have ranges of 15 feet and out.

Dedmon won't draw an opposing shotblocker out of the paint.

See here.

http://i.imgur.com/KDACh9F.png

"K" is one of Kawhi's favorite spots to post up, and from there, he can take a turn around jumper or post-dribble into a drive. Offensively limited bigs like Dedmon typically hang around the "D" spot on offense hoping for o-boards and put backs, which lets the opposing paint anchor basically patrol the paint. If Kawhi turns for a jumper, the opposing big can rush him enough to bother the shot. If Kawhi dribbles from there, the opposing big can go for a block.

Pau can pull another big much farther out, giving Kawhi a lot more space to work with. And with LMA drawing his man out, Kawhi is going to get plenty of isolation opportunities where help defense can't do much as they'll have to stay home on Pau and LMA.

Dedmon will be useful in spots, but I think he would be a detriment to Kawhi's game overall long term.

You're not thinking about the game deep enough. You're basically explaining basic concepts that are on the level of a CYO coach.

In all honesty, Kawhi can work just fine with Dedmon if he was able to see the court better, so the times when he would have the lane ( which hardly happens), the weakside perimeter defender would dig down to Dedmon to eliminate the anticipated pass if Dedmons man was to move over to contest Kawhis' penetration. This would leave the weakside three wide open and would be a better end result than a Kawhi mid range jumper.

Hell, Kawhi would work better with Dedmon if he was able to turn the corner in PnRs better too because Dedmons dives in the PnR would suck in the weakside defense creating open 3's on the weakside. Give me wide open weakside 3's from the corner all day over a contested Kawhi jumper.

Kawhi and his weaknesses are a bigger reason why the others haven't been effective when Kawhi has the ball because: A) He can't create separation from his man with his foot speed/acceleration to attract an aggressive commit from the weakside D ( opening up wider passing pockets and easier and more efficient shots for others). B) He lacks vision and decisions passing the ball are very poor.

[SAGirl]

He would have reversed the ball out when he saw a shot blocker running towards the rim, including his own teammate.
:lol

[Laughing Gravy]

Im down for dedmon to start.. Bring Gasol off da bench with manu and lee.

This must happen.

[james evans]

He's the kind of player I wanted the Spurs to go after in the off season. Could've used the money the wasted on MVPau on a playmaking guard; I love Gasol but him and LMA are practically the same player on this team.
and neither one of them plays defense worth a damn

[midnightpulp]

You're not thinking about the game deep enough. You're basically explaining basic concepts that are on the level of a CYO coach.

In all honesty, Kawhi can work just fine with Dedmon if he was able to see the court better, so the times when he would have the lane ( which hardly happens), the weakside perimeter defender would dig down to Dedmon to eliminate the anticipated pass if Dedmons man was to move over to contest Kawhis' penetration. This would leave the weakside three wide open and would be a better end result than a Kawhi mid range jumper.

Hell, Kawhi would work better with Dedmon if he was able to turn the corner in PnRs better too because Dedmons dives in the PnR would suck in the weakside defense creating open 3's on the weakside. Give me wide open weakside 3's from the corner all day over a contested Kawhi jumper.

Kawhi and his weaknesses are a bigger reason why the others haven't been effective when Kawhi has the ball because: A) He can't create separation from his man with his foot speed/acceleration to attract an aggressive commit from the weakside D ( opening up wider passing pockets and easier and more efficient shots for others). B) He lacks vision and decisions passing the ball are very poor.

Agreed, and that's why I think the logic of give Kawhi the most space to work with via isolation by pairing him with shooting bigs makes sense in theory. It covers some of those limitations. Much easier to kick it out to waiting Gasol than it is to find Dedmon in traffic with a shovel pass (something Manu was great at doing in his prime).

[Kawhitstorm]

Agreed, and that's why I think the logic of give Kawhi the most space to work with via isolation by pairing him with shooting bigs makes sense in theory. It covers some of those limitations. Much easier to kick it out to waiting Gasol than it is to find Dedmon in traffic with a shovel pass (something Manu was great at doing in his prime).

One option this season is to play Kawhi at the 4 spot & have him run 4-5 PnPs w/ Pau or LMA who could set a drag-screen at the 3 point line to force a switch. It would have to be against a team that doesn't have an elite 3 where Kawhi would have to be matched up against & that team might be the Cripples whom Pop could afford to have Kawhi play the 4 when Blake is on the bench.

Patty/Felton
Manure/Crawford
Simmons/Rivers
Kawhi/Johnson?
Pau/Speight

[r0drig0lac]

Should be starting over one of Pau/Aldridge.

[r0drig0lac]

Poor man's Robinson, but he was great tonight :lol

Poor man's Robinson would be a top 20 player in the league today

[jermaine]

Soooo Pop don't wanna start him cuz it'll hurt Paul's feelings?

[Brazil]

Poor man's Robinson, but he was great tonight :lol

if he could be a poor man's draymond I'd take it tbh... both have some fire when they play, they shake things up

[Dre_7]

Called him the soon to be third best spur behind Kawhi and Danny in just his second spurs game tbh.

Sadly, He is probably republican. Pop hates republicans.

Where do you get that Pop hates republicans? :lol

Just because he leans left doesn't mean he hates or isn't going to play republicans.

[Dre_7]

I think Dedmon should start. Would love to see him starting and Pau coming off the bench. I know it won't happen but I am loving Dedmon this year!

[Brazil]

:lol ST schticks sometimes...

For Chinook dude is coddled like a mofo by Pop. On the opposite side of the sceptrum, Apo is with the Pop hates Dedmond because he is republican.... I love this site

[Chinook]

For Chinook dude is coddled like a mofo by Pop.

What? I never said anything like that about Dedmon. WTF is with ST creating "sound bites" out of thin air?

[dabom]

What? I never said anything like that about Dedmon. WTF is with ST creating "sound bites" out of thin air?

He wasn't talking about dedmon you stupid fuck. :lol

[Raven]

i think we need him, but he can be quite dumb from time to time.. then again, better have random dumb moments than play lee

[Brazil]

What? I never said anything like that about Dedmon. WTF is with ST creating "sound bites" out of thin air?

like my nigg dabom said, was talking about your Simmons is coddled stuff and Apo Dedmon is hated... I was not very clear in my post to be fair

[Chinook]

like my nigg dabom said, was talking about your Simmons is coddled stuff and Apo Dedmon is hated... I was not very clear in my post to be fair

Simmons being coddled is actually a law of physics, so I don't know what you're talking about.

[bklynspursfan]

Didn't realize he didn't play organized ball until he was 18

804380839496675328

[Brazil]

Simmons being coddled is actually a law of physics, so I don't know what you're talking about.

:lol sure thing pal

[NameLess Scrub]

Pop should take some of those games that he uses to rest people and rest Gasol only.
He won't lose the starting position, but the team can try Dedmon in the SL and see how it works.

[bigfan]

I'd like to see him get some pointers from David Robinson on workouts, he needs some big guns like David had. I like this guy, he seems real sharp and a good guy as well.

[SAGirl]

I have loved Dedmon. I hope the team can resign him. Probably my favorite big in this team TBH.

[DAF86]

Dedmon in the starting lineup and Pau off the bench is the obvious move. I doubt the super duper coach, which doesn't take shit from anyone and likes players that are "over themselves", does the move, tbh.

[MaNu4Tres]

Dedmon needs more minutes than Lee from here on out.

He impacts the game in so many more ways. Love the activity he brings on both ends.

Great game by him.

[TimDunkem]

I wish he was starting. :cry

[Seventyniner]

Dedmon needs more minutes than Lee from here on out.

He impacts the game in so many more ways. Love the activity he brings on both ends.

Great game by him.

Agreed. Though I don't think he should start. The Pau/diva thing is, well, a thing, and prime Manu set a precedent for a bench player being better than the guy he's supposedly backing up. Dedmon has definitely earned the right to finish games and play at least as many minutes as Pau imo.

[GSH]

:lol ST schticks sometimes...

For Chinook dude is coddled like a mofo by Pop. On the opposite side of the sceptrum, Apo is with the Pop hates Dedmond because he is republican.... I love this site



Is "sceptrum" the same thing as "taint"? If it is, then I understand Chinook and Apo being on opposite sides of the sceptrum.

[YGWHI]

Dedmon in the starting lineup and Pau off the bench is the obvious move. I doubt the super duper coach, which doesn't take shit from anyone and likes players that are "over themselves", does the move, tbh.

Agreed. But Pop can't bench Pau, since he already said in the offseason that "Pau is a starter" to silence the rumors about of him coming off the bench as the best fit with the Spurs lineups.

That was a surprising and ugly move by Pop. And exposed Pau's diva-attitude about his need of being recognized as starter.

I just hope that Pop reduces his minutes and plays Dedmon more.

[DAF86]

Agreed. But Pop can't bench Pau, since he already said in the offseason that "Pau is a starter" to silence the rumors about of him coming off the bench as the best fit with the Spurs lineups.

That was a surprising and ugly move by Pop. And exposed Pau-diva attitude about his need of being recognized as starter.

I just hope that Pop reduces Pau's minutes and plays Dedmon more.

I at least hope Pau and Dedmon get the Manu treatment and come off (if starting) or come in (if on the bench) at the 6 minute mark. Dedmon gained the right of being the first guy off the bench.

[YGWHI]

I at least hope Pau and Dedmon get the Manu treatment and come off (if starting) or come in (if on the bench) at the 6 minute mark. Dedmon gained the right of being the first guy off the bench.

:tu

[Brazil]

Is "sceptrum" the same thing as "taint"? If it is, then I understand Chinook and Apo being on opposite sides of the sceptrum.

:tu

[spursistan]

806307842806390784

:lmao

[apalisoc_9]

806307842806390784

:lmao

How old is dedmon? Niggas has wrinkles like hes 60

[spursistan]

How old is dedmon? Niggas has wrinkles like hes 60
Only 27..Only other explanation: muslim's prayer bump? :lol..

[elemento]

Dedmon needs start. I don't give a fuck about Pau's feelings. "Get over yourself" old fellow.

[DisAsTerBot]

How old is dedmon? Niggas has wrinkles like hes 60

And he still has more hair than you

[apalisoc_9]

I suppose The only reason to start Pau is s Pop can Finish with Dedmon without playing dedmon too much minutes and have him with 6 fouls by the 4th quarter considering his tendency to foul.

[I. Hustle]

I suppose The only reason to start Pau is s Pop can Finish with Dedmon without playing dedmon too much minutes and have him with 6 fouls by the 4th quarter considering his tendency to foul.

I think we could hold onto this guy for quite some time. He only started playing at 18 years old. He doesn't have all that mileage on him that most players do. He could be really good. Too bad we don't have Forcier anymore though.

[DeRozan m8]

THIS NEEDS A BUMP

DEDMON IS THE FUCKING MAN!!!!

#STARTDEDMON

[timtonymanu]

THIS NEEDS A BUMP

DEDMON IS THE FUCKING MAN!!!!

#STARTDEDMON

[100%duncan]

THIS NEEDS A BUMP

DEDMON IS THE FUCKING MAN!!!!

#STARTDEDMON

[DAF86]

Spurs' center for years to come.

[Robz4000]

THIS NEEDS A BUMP

DEDMON IS THE FUCKING MAN!!!!

#STARTDEDMON

[TimDunkem]

He gooooood.

[spursistan]

Dedmon.Needs.More.Minutes.

Dedmon.Needs.To.Start.

Dedmon.Is.A.Better.Fit.With.LMA.

Pop.You.Hear.Me.?

Repeat!

Dedmon.Needs.More.Minutes.

Dedmon.Needs.To.Start.

Dedmon.Is.A.Better.Fit.With.LMA.

Pop.You.Hear.Me.?

[100%duncan]

Dedmon.Needs.More.Minutes.

Dedmon.Needs.To.Start.

Dedmon.Is.A.Better.With.LMA.

Pop.You.Hear.Me.?

Repeat!

Dedmon.Needs.More.Minutes.

Dedmon.Needs.To.Start.

Dedmon.Is.A.Better.With.LMA.

Pop.You.Hear.Me.?

[Kawhitstorm]

Dedmon.Needs.More.Minutes.

Dedmon.Needs.To.Start.

Dedmon.Is.A.Better.Fit.With.LMA.

Pop.You.Hear.Me.?

Repeat!

Dedmon.Needs.More.Minutes.

Dedmon.Needs.To.Start.

Dedmon.Is.A.Better.Fit.With.LMA.

Pop.You.Hear.Me.?

I'm hoping that Pop is just trying to have Pau eat minutes in the regular season like Blair while not showing his cards.

[spursistan]

https://s24.postimg.org/v7ej0bkyr/ded_vs_pau.jpg

Can the "Genius" coach wise-up to this fact?

[spursistan]

15/10 in only 23 minutes..amazing second half involved in the 3rd Q game-turning run with Bertans .. :tu

if only he could cut down on fouling; he should play more than Gasol in nights like this when he looks like a total zombie by his lack of effort or simply opponents destroying him.. ..

[spursistan]

817921911665676292

Picture Pau getting switched on instead :lol..

Glad Pop rode him all night after a suspect, foul-riddled last few games..It keeps my hope up he will again when Pau D gets inevitably shown up by the elite teams in the playoffs..

[quentin_compson]

What I really love about Dedmon is how hard he runs the floor. Great thing to have in a defensive minded big.

[exstatic]

15/10 in only 23 minutes..amazing second half involved in the 3rd Q game-turning run with Bertans .. :tu

if only he could cut down on fouling; he should play more than Gasol in nights like this when he looks like a total zombie by his lack of effort or simply opponents destroying him.. ..

He doesn't seem to be able to not foul, 5 in 22 minutes, and he did play more than Gasol last night, who only had 20.

[playbonner15]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuhA0TYc3g

Dudemon's gonna get paid next season, or goes to a contender who will give him minutes (CLE or GSW) :bang

[Raven]

I'm sold. I was against this signing, thought he'd be just a foul machine, but he's been really impressive. Chinook was right, this kid is a keeper.

[Ice009]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuhA0TYc3g

Dudemon's gonna get paid next season, or goes to a contender who will give him minutes (CLE or GSW) :bang

I hope not. I want him back.

I don't know if it was mostly about money (not sure if he chose the Spurs solely because they were able to give him a bit more money), but when the Warriors wanted him, and he turned them down and joined the Spurs, I knew this guy's attitude is legit. He said he wants to beat the Warriors, not join up with them.

[Mr. Body]

I can't see the Spurs letting him go. Finding big guys has been hard enough and he's been a surprise.

[sasaint]

I can't see the Spurs letting him go. Finding big guys has been hard enough and he's been a surprise.

:tu You got it!

[cjw]

Dudemon's gonna get paid next season, or goes to a contender who will give him minutes (CLE or GSW) :bang

The Warriors are essentially out of the question to poach anyone as they'll need to use cap space to resign Durant. Will leave them very little room to make an outsized offer.

Cavs are in the same boat - have Lebron's bird rights but are way over the cap and probably the tax, so won't have the full MLE

Risk is a team with tons of cap space throwing him a silly offer but there's much less of it to go around this summer.

[absoloot66]

I hope not. I want him back.

I don't know if it was mostly about money (not sure if he chose the Spurs solely because they were able to give him a bit more money), but when the Warriors wanted him, and he turned them down and joined the Spurs, I knew this guy's attitude is legit. He said he wants to beat the Warriors, not join up with them.

Would be an interesting matchup vs Draymond - methinks there'd be some fireworks between them:ihit

[bic50]

He's a keeper. And Bertrans.

[Kawhitstorm]

Would be an interesting matchup vs Draymond - methinks there'd be some fireworks between them:ihit

His value isn't against Gaymond but on switches similar to Tristan Thompson shadowing Curry in the Finals.

[spursistan]

He doesn't seem to be able to not foul, 5 in 22 minutes, and he did play more than Gasol last night, who only had 20.
Yeah, especially in the playoffs when he is relative nonentity for the refs..it is hard to see him top 25 minutes threshold..

[spursistan]

How much do you guys expect Dedmon to get in the summer? and which teams have the cap-space/need to throw big money at him?

my guess right now is Mavs..Cuban has knack for nabbing former spurs, and you would imagine he saw him up close dunking on their collective souls in the second great game Dedmon had in Dallas..I could see him offer 12-14 millions $ per..

[spursistan]

10/11/3

It is shame that Pau will be back soon as he Aldridge/Dedmon combo was starting to gel defensively..

[DAF86]

How much do you guys expect Dedmon to get in the summer? and which teams have the cap-space/need to throw big money at him?

my guess right now is Mavs..Cuban has knack for nabbing former spurs, and you would imagine he saw him up close dunking on their collective souls in the second great game Dedmon had in Dallas..I could see him offer 12-14 millions $ per..

We need to throw money at him.

[sasaint]

We need to throw money at him.

Do we have Early Bird Rights?

[SAGirl]

Do we have Early Bird Rights?
Don't know a much about contract issues but after just one season with the team... I don't think so, maybe Chinook or DPG can enlighten us.

[DAF86]

Dedmon and Bertans, only Spurs free agents I would like to mantain no matter what.

[spursistan]

We need to throw money at him.
Dedmon is my 1st priority in the summer..I actually think he still got alot more development left in him than a guy like Simmons (hopefully he works out with Timmy) ..Spurs will be getting the prime years of an already low a mileage defensive center...

[DAF86]

Dedmon is my 1st priority in the summer..I actually think he still got alot more development left in him than a guuy Simmons (hopefully he works out with Timmy) ..Spurs will be getting the prime years of low a mileage defensive center...

I have Bertans over him, but Dedmon is a very close 2nd.

[spursistan]

I have Bertans over him, but Dedmon is a very close 2nd.
Bertans is signed for another year, won't be an FA until 2018...

[sasaint]

Dedmon and Bertans, only Spurs free agents I would like to mantain no matter what.

This.

[TheGreatYacht]

Okafor shat on him, not sure why this was bumped

[sasaint]

Dedmon is my 1st priority in the summer..I actually think he still got alot more development left in him than a guy like Simmons (hopefully he works out with Timmy) ..Spurs will be getting the prime years of an already low a mileage defensive center...

And this.

[TheGreatYacht]

Bertans isn't a free agent.

[sasaint]

Do we have Early Bird Rights?

Chinook?

[DAF86]

Bertans is signed for another year, won't be an FA until 2018...

Oh, better then. I don't know why I thought he was a FA after this year.

[Chinook]

Chinook (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=37557)?

Nope. The team only has non-Bird rights, and those are too small to matter for a contract Dedmon's size.

[Ice009]

Dedmon's my number 1 priority in the off-season. I'm defense first, I don't want to let go of a young (basketball wise) big that's still learning and improving his game.

[Cry Havoc]

Keep Dedmon. But he has to learn to stay on the floor and to have SOME consistent offense. We can't play 4 on 5 in the post-season on offense.

[bigfan]

I really like this guy, hes still a bit raw but I could see him being effective for years to come. I dont care what we have to pay, I hope we keep him.

[HarlemHeat37]

He shouldn't be a starter on a good team, but some shitty team or a desperate franchise like the Mavs will probably pay him, tbh:lol

[Mnky]

I like Gasol and what he offers offensively. Definitely stretches the floor for Kawhi and has a good sense with Parker and Al fridge.

But, I'd say throw the money at dedmon and lee. I think Lee can play the back up center like draymond plays center all the time. No way are they the same player, and isn't what I mean, just that Lee does all the little things and fights for every possession. Bertans could run the 4 with him while dedmon stays with Aldridge and Leonard.

This of course is dependent on dedmon learning how to decrease his foul rate, which he has shown he can get better with.

[james evans]

If we keep gasol and let dedmond walk, I will explode

[spurraider21]

If we keep gasol and let dedmond walk, I will explode
We don't have a say in the former and the market will dictate the latter

[SAGirl]

He shouldn't be a starter on a good team, but some shitty team or a desperate franchise like the Mavs will probably pay him, tbh:lol
hmmmm...
it reminds me of Biyombo... not the same physicality obviously... Biyombo's physicality, strength, and rebounding talent really stand out ... but in just being underrated defensive bigs with the potential to be impactful in a series and change the outcome of a game with their defense.

If he is that impactful in the playoffs... your post made me kind of sad. All along I think the Spurs should keep him... but at a Biyombo sized contract ... then I wonder and I think it may be too much for the Spurs...

[HarlemHeat37]

hmmmm...
it reminds me of Biyombo... not the same physicality obviously... Biyombo's physicality, strength, and rebounding talent really stand out ... but in just being underrated defensive bigs with the potential to be impactful in a series and change the outcome of a game with their defense.

If he is that impactful in the playoffs... your post made me kind of sad. All along I think the Spurs should keep him... but at a Biyombo sized contract ... then I wonder and I think it may be too much for the Spurs...

Ya, I knew Biyombo would be a bust in Orlando, having watched him closely in Toronto(living here)..like many bigs before him, he got paid due to 1 nice stretch of playoff basketball(Jerome James syndrome)..I was going to say that maybe teams will learn after seeing Biyombo struggle in Orlando, but they probably won't, considering bigs have always gotten paid, regardless of era..

There's a demand for defensive Cs that focus on finishing lobs/passes, rather than demanding the ball in the post(due to the success of players like Biyombo, Tristan Thompson, Steven Adams, DeAndre Jordan, etc), allowing the perimeter players to dominate usage..we'll see if there will be a shift in focus around the league, though, since there are many young, ultra-talented bigs coming up(Jokic, Towns, Embiid, Porzingis, Turner, etc)..

[SAGirl]

Ya, I knew Biyombo would be a bust in Orlando, having watched him closely in Toronto(living here)..like many bigs before him, he got paid due to 1 nice stretch of playoff basketball(Jerome James syndrome)..I was going to say that maybe teams will learn after seeing Biyombo struggle in Orlando, but they probably won't, considering bigs have always gotten paid, regardless of era..

There's a demand for defensive Cs that focus on finishing lobs/passes, rather than demanding the ball in the post(due to the success of players like Biyombo, Tristan Thompson, Steven Adams, DeAndre Jordan, etc), allowing the perimeter players to dominate usage..we'll see if there will be a shift in focus around the league, though, since there are many young, ultra-talented bigs coming up(Jokic, Towns, Embiid, Porzingis, Turner, etc)..
The other thing is that the Tristan, Adams, Deandre etc. play in good teams with already top players in the league and outstanding guard play. Those guards do have the ball a lot and their style of game fits the athletic defensive lob finisher big. In an already good/great team those guys have great value... in the not so good teams like Orlando is, they are in trouble.

The new breed of talented bigs is interesting to watch and see develop (Embiid specially... I never watched him in college and he had played so little that even the footage of him was of this dominant guy but raw. Then being out not playing at all for two seasons... I really thought he was a talent I would never get to see.)

[Ice009]

Yeah, I don't think the Spurs can afford to pay Dedmon anywhere near Biyombo money (and I wouldn't throw any silly money at him no matter how much I like him), but I really do think they should try and keep him a reasonable contract if he's willing to take a little less. Maybe tell him that they can develop his game further if he stays here, and maybe offer him an early player opt. out if he takes a discount so that he can cash in if he improves significantly. Could the Spurs do a 3 or 4 year deal with a player option after year 2 or 3? Is that allowed?

Also, off-topic, but I hope Joel Embiid stays healthy. He's probably the first big man since Tim Duncan that I'm truly liking. The things I like in a big man are defensive ability to anchor an entire defense and mobility to guard multiple positions. I don't know if many people remember, but when Tim was a rookie, Pop had him guarding the PG of the other team a couple of times in games during his 1997-1998 rookie season (I'm pretty sure it was his rookie season that he did it). Tim may not have been the highest jumper, but man, he had very good/elite lateral quickness for a big man before his knee injury/issues (he was lighter back then too, I think he ended up putting on weight to be able to bang with Shaq). On offense I look for them to be a very good post player, good passer, and be able to shoot a bit from mid-range to be able to keep defenses from collapsing on them. Tim had all of that, and I see flashes of all of that in what I've watched of Joel Embiid so far.

[MaNu4Tres]

They won't be able to afford him, they'll probably let him walk if he gets anything north of 8 mil per.

Regardless if that happens or not, I think they'll bring in Milutinov for pennies and sign a vet C (if Dedmon signs elsewhere) as insurance in case Nikola isn't ready for a role to start the season.

[apalisoc_9]

As long as Dedmon doesnt sign with the warriors. Would be brutal if Gaycob somehow ends up with Dedmon.

I suspect 2018-2019 won't have a monster team like the warriors. Really think one of curry or Durant will walk away.

[sasaint]

Nope. The team only has non-Bird rights, and those are too small to matter for a contract Dedmon's size.

Thanks for sharing your expertise. :toast

[Ice009]

Is there any chance that Dedmon opts in? I'm assuming there is a less than 0.1% chance of that happening. Do you think that he'd take a gamble on himself improving even more in the Spurs system with another year under his belt, thus raising his value even higher for an even bigger payday in 2018-2019?

[apalisoc_9]

Is there any chance that Dedmon opts in? I'm assuming there is a less than 0.1% chance of that happening. Do you think that he'd take a gamble on himself improving even more in the Spurs system with another year under his belt, thus raising his value even higher for an even bigger payday in 2018-2019?

Why not opt out and get paid again by the spurs...that makes no sense on his end.

Even if he wanted to stay he can just sign for 6 million or something.

[Ice009]

Why not opt out and get paid again by the spurs...that makes no sense on his end.

Even if he wanted to stay he can just sign for 6 million or something.

I'm saying he might not do as well in another system. If he stays another year, he might become even better and then get a much bigger payday 2 off-seasons from now. I guess it depends on how big the biggest deal that he gets offered this off-season is.

Are you saying that he could opt out and sign another 1 + 1 deal, but this time for 6 million next season? If he wants to stay with the Spurs that is?

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

MLE will be very high with the new CBA, so the Spurs would be able to afford him, barring some crazy Biyombo-like offer. There aren't too many teams with cap space that need a center like him as a priority. Dallas, as mentioned, are probably the biggest threat, but hopefully they go after more flashy names like Nerlens Noel instead.

[DAF86]

He shouldn't be a starter on a good team, but some shitty team or a desperate franchise like the Mavs will probably pay him, tbh:lol

Why do you say he shouldn't start for a good team? I haven't checked his numbers but the eye test tells me he's easily starting material if he keeps his progression. Great defensively, great energy, good rebounding, good mobility, good finishing around the rim and he even showed flashes of a mid range shot. What's not to like?

I mean, let's look at the starting centers for the other contenders. Zaza Pachulia, Tristan Thompson and Clint Capella. How much better are them than Dedmon?

[daledondale]

Pay him and Lee, i like both. Even if that means losing Gasol doesn't matter.

[UZER]

Keep Dedmon. But he has to learn to stay on the floor and to have SOME consistent offense. We can't play 4 on 5 in the post-season on offense.

So why is Parker still starting then. He's 4 on 5 on offense AND defense in the post season. So it's really 3 on 5 when he's in the game.

[pgardn]

So why is Parker still starting then. He's 4 on 5 on offense AND defense in the post season. So it's really 3 on 5 when he's in the game.

So who do you start in the playoffs at pg?

[Cklbmk]

They won't be able to afford him, they'll probably let him walk if he gets anything north of 8 mil per.

Regardless if that happens or not, I think they'll bring in Milutinov for pennies and sign a vet C (if Dedmon signs elsewhere) as insurance in case Nikola isn't ready for a role to start the season.


Miluntinov has another year on his contract. Doubt he comes over this year

[bigfan]

I'd rather keep Dedmon than Gasol too; Gasol is much better today but Dedmon could be very good for years to come. I guess it depends on if his play improves over this season?

[dabom]

So who do you start in the playoffs at pg?

I see you understand the problem. :lol

[UZER]

So who do you start in the playoffs at pg?

Exactly!

[cd021]

MLE will be very high with the new CBA, so the Spurs would be able to afford him, barring some crazy Biyombo-like offer. There aren't too many teams with cap space that need a center like him as a priority. Dallas, as mentioned, are probably the biggest threat, but hopefully they go after more flashy names like Nerlens Noel instead.

I tend to agree, the teams that will have cap space may not necessarily need a center or will be looking at higher profile big men such as Ibaka. The new MLE is around $8.5 million, which is what I would think the Spurs would value him at. A 4 year, $34 million dollar deal (maybe with a player option after 3 years) may be enough to retain him.

[cd021]

Miluntinov has another year on his contract. Doubt he comes over this year

I was hoping he would come over next year, maybe he has an NBA-out in his deal. Would be nice to get him under that 4 year rookie scale deal instead of waiting another year and having to use cap space or an exception to sign him for more.

[cd021]

As long as Dedmon doesnt sign with the warriors. Would be brutal if Gaycob somehow ends up with Dedmon.

I suspect 2018-2019 won't have a monster team like the warriors. Really think one of curry or Durant will walk away.
There's a decent chance that the Warriors might lose Iggy and or Livingston in FA. According to Nate Duncan, if Durant wants the full max then they would have to renounce both of them to get under the cap. Basically they would lose their bird rights to be able to resign both of them. Their bench could be pretty weak next year.

[Ice009]

Miluntinov has another year on his contract. Doubt he comes over this year

Spurs need to get any of the overseas stashes that show potential in earlier. Spurs development coaches are so much better and they're likely to reach closer to their potential here. Look at Jean Charles. It was a complete waste of time leaving him over there. I wonder if they would have bought Bertans in earlier if not for his injuries. I think he could have been further along too, but because of the injuries I guess it just wasn't possible to bring him in earlier.

[spursistan]

Career night 17/17/2 in 32 minutes :tu

Let's hope he and PATFO find a middle ground in the summer; they really need each other..Otherwise he is going to get paid and get back to scrub status on shitty team :lol

[CGD]

Monster game, wow

[phxspurfan]

he is going to get paid and get back to scrub status on shitty team :lol

probably gonna happen

[HarlemHeat37]

Man, he was so close to joining the Warriors:lol

[TheDoctor]

AVGing almost a double-double 9pts/9rebs as a starter. And he's literally the 5th offensive option :wow

[spursistan]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C4WP14zXUAE_Naz.jpg
830222525795823616

[FkLA]

SVG gonna throw the max at him, tbh.

[BatManu20]

Future Pistons' Center.

[Ice009]

Man, he was so close to joining the Warriors:lol

After a few of you guys in the forum talked him up during the off-season, I was furious when I heard that the Warriors were going after him. Good call on getting him (I didn't know much about him at the time) as a cheap big that's been worth way more than he's getting paid.

It would have been very, very bad had the Warriors signed him. It would have shored up their front court weakness.

[spursistan]

Teams just gonna throw money at him just out of spite for the Spurs, tbh..Boban's contract looked like one of those signings :lol..

[dbestpro]

The Spurs will keep Dedmon, and most likely will let Mills go should he get a big contract offer. Gasol may also find himself traded in the off season to facilitate Dedmon. He is part of the future with Kawaii, Bertans, Murray, and Simmons. Anderson is still an enigma.

[CGD]

Future Pistons' Center.

Lol

[Cklbmk]

Spurs need to get any of the overseas stashes that show potential in earlier. Spurs development coaches are so much better and they're likely to reach closer to their potential here. Look at Jean Charles. It was a complete waste of time leaving him over there. I wonder if they would have bought Bertans in earlier if not for his injuries. I think he could have been further along too, but because of the injuries I guess it just wasn't possible to bring him in earlier.


Once the roster size increases with new CBA this becomes a real option

[CGD]

Spurs need to get any of the overseas stashes that show potential in earlier. Spurs development coaches are so much better and they're likely to reach closer to their potential here. Look at Jean Charles. It was a complete waste of time leaving him over there. I wonder if they would have bought Bertans in earlier if not for his injuries. I think he could have been further along too, but because of the injuries I guess it just wasn't possible to bring him in earlier.

I agree that the Livio situation should be a cautionary tale.

At this point the only viable player is Mulitinov (and maybe Hanga?). Cubbard pretty empty these days.

[Ice009]

I agree that the Livio situation should be a cautionary tale.

At this point the only viable player is Mulitinov (and maybe Hanga?). Cubbard pretty empty these days.

Yeah it is. Mulitinov is the guy I was talking about bringing in earlier. He's shown potential, there's no reason to leave him over there any longer. He'll learn more and develop better coming to the Spurs.

[TheGreatYacht]

Mulitinov is averaging 4 & 3 overseas and getting Fathead minutes. Who knows how he'll do.

[Ice009]

Mulitinov is averaging 4 & 3 overseas and getting Fathead minutes. Who knows how he'll do.

Wow. I thought he was better than that. I thought he'd be averaging something like 10 and 6. I wonder if teams overseas don't like playing players or spending resources developing them if they are NBA draft picks because they're likely to leave.

[TheGreatYacht]

Wow. I thought he was better than that. I thought he'd be averaging something like 10 and 6. I wonder if teams overseas don't like playing players or spending resources developing them if they are NBA draft picks because they're likely to leave.
That's most likely why, although he is on a good team. Mulitinov is 11th in MPG on his team with the highest player only at 24 minutes/game

[spursistan]

832052627772944384

:lmao Magic

[spursistan]

^^
Last 5 games:

10 pts / 11 rebs
17 pts / 17 rebs
3 pts / 7 rebs
6 pts / 12 rebs
10 pts / 11 rebs

[DAF86]

Pay this man.

[sasaint]

832052627772944384

:lmao Magic

The comparison makes me nervous about the Spurs' chances of keeping him.

[Ice009]

The comparison makes me nervous about the Spurs' chances of keeping him.

Yeah, that comparison is not one I need to see. It's one I don't want anyone to show Dewayne either.

[elemento]

Feels so good not have to worry about getting manhandled by the opposite team with offensive rebounds.

Dedmon is a beast. Should be the n1 priority in the off-season.

[spursistan]

“He has been stupendous,” Popovich said. “He runs the floor, he guards, he rebounds, he gives us a lot of energy. He has been absolutely super.”

We'll see if Pop remebers his own words come playoff time or when Pau comes back next week and we start getting roasted again on defense..

[Ice009]

Man, didn't think Pop would hype him up like that. He really has been very, very good. I really want to be able to re-sign him keep him on the Spurs.

[Chinook]

I think Dedmon likes playing in SA and would stay if their offer is competitive. Gotta give him credit for his plus-32 in a game against his old club. I was surprised that he wasn't more friendly with Payton after that dude got him so many lobs last year.

As far as Dedmon/Pau goes, we'll have to wait and see. If Pau starting makes LMA a 22ppg guy again, that could be worth the lack of immediate defense.

[bigfan]

I don't care too much what we have to pay this guy (within reason). He's the best discovery we've had in a long while, he is relatively young, big and motivated. I think he is a pretty sharp guy too from what Ive heard on his interviews. He may not be a super scorer and is still fouling but he has gotten much better over this season. Pay him and lets keep him.

[spursistan]

Dallas are out of running for Dedmon after getting Noel in a trade and I assume they are planning on paying him...

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

After the Dallas trade for Noel it's difficult to find a team with cap space to offer more than MLE and a glaring need at center. Indiana's supposed interest in a couple of centers at the deadline was strange, having Turner, but who knows. Perhaps Milwaukee if they want a Henson upgrade, but they have more pressing needs. So do Boston.

Barring some major draft night trades it doesn't look like there'd be a suitor for Dedmon at more than MLE on July 1st.

His mom really cost him millions.

[timtonymanu]

#PayDedmon

[HI-FI]

#PayDedmon

[NASpurs]

#PayDedmon

Incoming DNPs with Gasol back.

[jermaine]

#KeepStartingDedmon

[jermaine]

He has to have 20rebs or something

[spursistan]

Pay the man :lol

[spursistan]

#KeepStartingDedmon

[ECOV]

Pay the man :lol

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol imagine the Spurs had Miles Plumlee or Cole Aldrich like a bunch of posters wanted, tbh..

[Snaq O'Meal]

Did the guy just blocked more shots in the game than the entire Clippers team?

[apalisoc_9]

What a diference Maker....

Imagine if Diaw was playing tonight :lol

[spursistan]

Nigga is our most impactful big :lol..

[r0drig0lac]

:lol imagine the Spurs had Miles Plumlee or Cole Aldrich like a bunch of posters wanted, tbh..

[ceperez]

What a diference Maker....

Imagine if Diaw was playing tonight :lol

Second best defender on the team. Incredible that as a big, he's quick enough to cover guards like Paul. Paul could not score over him.

Griffin had a ton of trouble one-on-one against him. Sure he scored on a play where he was blocked, but it took a ton of work to score against him.

Dedmon absolutely needs to get signed. That quickness for a big is very valuable in the new NBA.

[raybies]

maybe we found our center of the future. how old is he?

[CGD]

48/4yr

[CGD]

I feel he even has a more polished offensive game than Jordan.

[emanueldavidginobili]

I feel he even has a more polished offensive game than Jordan.

Of course he has lol Jordan doesn't have a lick of offense unless it's coming from an alley oop.

But man dewayne defense and hustle is astonishing, this dude deserves to get paid.

[Splits]

835514669502763008

[sasaint]

835514669502763008

Thanks for posting these stats. Leads to the next question: How does the bench grade out with Pau instead of Deadman? Can you generate those? Problem is that sample size is much smaller due in large measure to Pau's injury...

[jermaine]

Second best defender on the team. Incredible that as a big, he's quick enough to cover guards like Paul. Paul could not score over him.

Griffin had a ton of trouble one-on-one against him. Sure he scored on a play where he was blocked, but it took a ton of work to score against him.

Dedmon absolutely needs to get signed. That quickness for a big is very valuable in the new NBA.

He stuffed that shot back in Griffins mouth, then LMA fouled him on the 3rd put back!!! Is that the play you speak of?

[sasaint]

Second best defender on the team. Incredible that as a big, he's quick enough to cover guards like Paul. Paul could not score over him.

Griffin had a ton of trouble one-on-one against him. Sure he scored on a play where he was blocked, but it took a ton of work to score against him.

Dedmon absolutely needs to get signed. That quickness for a big is very valuable in the new NBA.

Valuable and rare! He was my X-factor coming into the season, but he has moved beyond X-factor status. Spurs definitely need to make Deadman a priority in the off-season. I do worry about poachers and the obvious comparisons to Biyombo and his contract last off-season - for better or worse. But he is flourishing here, so I expect he would like to stay if the money is close

I wonder if/how much impact Timmy has had on his development...

[TheDoctor]

maybe we found our center of the future. how old is he?
27 :wow

[CGD]

Going to be very annoying if Spurs lose him for nothing.

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol all the premature meltdowns over his preseason performance..

[apalisoc_9]

I like the minutes breakdown last night from Pop between Dedmon and Gasol. I hope it stays that way.

[HarlemHeat37]

I like the minutes breakdown last night from Pop between Dedmon and Gasol. I hope it stays that way.
Yep..I hate starting lineup Pau, but love bench unit Gasol..he would dominate the bench rotation of any opposing team, and he wouldn't be a liability if you limit his minutes vs. starters, too..

Dedmon is going to be far more important vs. GS, though..pounding the boards is going to be more essential than posting up against them, especially since neither Aldridge nor Gasol are reliable post players anymore..not to mention, the Warriors don't mind players scoring against them in the post, either..

[UZER]

Yep..I hate starting lineup Pau, but love bench unit Gasol..he would dominate the bench rotation of any opposing team, and he wouldn't be a liability if you limit his minutes vs. starters, too..

Dedmon is going to be far more important vs. GS, though..pounding the boards is going to be more essential than posting up against them, especially since neither Aldridge nor Gasol are reliable post players anymore..not to mention, the Warriors don't mind players scoring against them in the post, either..

He'll be great until Draymond kicks him in the balls.

[apalisoc_9]

Surprisingly, I'm glad Pau is back. Lee, while still playing way over his salary, has somewhat regressed. It's probably because he plays too much.

I have this strong sense that he's going to destroy the Warriors bench offeneively in his limited 8-12 minute role. :lol

You can just see it in him. He probably has GSW circled in his calender. He was pretty salty in the Boston game, imagine how salty he is with GSW...

[TheDoctor]

Pagare lui l'uomo :toast

[Chinook]

Dedmon was top 10 in the league TRB% last time I checked. But the Spurs have the best rebounding front court in the league. All four of the main guys are in the top 100. Three players got double-doubles last night, and Lee probably would have as well had he played more.

I don't know how I feel about Dedmon as a starter over Pau. Definitely think he's developing chemistry with LMA. But the first unit because much harder to work offensively with him there. People talk a lot about defending against the Warriors, but the other half of that is being efficient on offense. You can't just sacrifice O for D against a team that can hit a three even against stellar D.

[SAGirl]

Valuable and rare! He was my X-factor coming into the season, but he has moved beyond X-factor status. Spurs definitely need to make Deadman a priority in the off-season. I do worry about poachers and the obvious comparisons to Biyombo and his contract last off-season - for better or worse. But he is flourishing here, so I expect he would like to stay if the money is close

I wonder if/how much impact Timmy has had on his development...
Not just Biyombo. Tristan got paid too...sure he had Lebron pushing for him to get paid. Deandre also got a massive contract. Gobert got paid huge. Heck broken down and injury prone centers like Noah and Tyson Chandler got paid. This summer he will get paid too, specially if what we have seen continues and is showcased in the playoffs. He will absolutely get paid. It's like HarlemHeat37 says bigs always get paid.

Its possible the market for centers is smaller but I wouldn't take it for granted.

[SAGirl]

:lol all the premature meltdowns over his preseason performance..
He looked very scrubbish my friend at the time... and truth is he has only got tren better and better with more playing time and chemistry with the guards.

[Capt Bringdown]

Dedmon and Manu were the difference in last night's game.
It's hard to say when LMA and Pau had a decisive impact on a game, except in a negative sense.
Fuck those clowns.

[HarlemHeat37]

He looked very scrubbish my friend at the time... and truth is he has only got tren better and better with more playing time and chemistry with the guards.

Players should never be judged in their first month with a new team in a new system, tbh..I know it's SpursTalk, but still..

[spursistan]

The metrics support what we've been all calling for: "Start Dedmon"835515515028262912835516916341047296Look at him basically shutting down CP on the perimeter with terrific guard footspeed..835354402638684161

[HarlemHeat37]

Pau actually ranks really well in all adjusted on/off numbers, tbh..

It's not a knock on him, at all, that the Spurs are performing so well with Dedmon..

You can make a legitimate argument that Dedmon has been the 2nd best defensive big in the NBA, this season, though..he ranks #2 in rim protection and #2 in RPM among Cs..ridiculous impact, especially for that price..Dedmon/Aldridge is the best defensive frontcourt in the NBA..

[SAGirl]

Players should never be judged in their first month with a new team in a new system, tbh..I know it's SpursTalk, but still..
Point well taken for future reference... he had never been a rotation player and was someone I had not seen b4.. so first impressions are what they are. He quickly turned that around though, very quickly :tu

[spursistan]

835520205010972672

[HarlemHeat37]

http://i66.tinypic.com/sen6ud.jpg

[raybies]

At 27 years old and a birthday in August, just entering his prime, and started late playing ball, you have to lock him up long term all things considered. He's been getting minimum salary checks and will be very grateful for the raise, I'm guessing. He has a good situation here, so he could well give us a Danny Green discount. I'd pay up to 18 million for him in this market. The numbers speak for themselves. But I also don't think we'll have to. I peg him at 12-15 mill per year for four years. Lock him up now. He's the big we always wished Timmy could be paired with. He's like the center equivalent to Green as far as finds go. My question is this though. Since he only signed a one year with a player option, I'm assuming we don't have any rights on him? Meaning we can't go over the cap to sign him right? In which case we would have to sacrifice a lot to keep him... Can't just let him walk for nothing.

[SAGirl]

At 27 years old and a birthday in August, just entering his prime, and started late playing ball, you have to lock him up long term all things considered. He's been getting minimum salary checks and will be very grateful for the raise, I'm guessing. He has a good situation here, so he could well give us a Danny Green discount. I'd pay up to 18 million for him in this market. The numbers speak for themselves. But I also don't think we'll have to. I peg him at 12-15 mill per year for four years. Lock him up now. He's the big we always wished Timmy could be paired with. He's like the center equivalent to Green as far as finds go. My question is this though. Since he only signed a one year with a player option, I'm assuming we don't have any rights on him? Meaning we can't go over the cap to sign him right? In which case we would have to sacrifice a lot to keep him... Can't just let him walk for nothing.
It's going to be tough.
Argument can be made that they shouldn't pay both him and Pau what amounts to a starting level salary while also having Lamarcus under contract. Chinook remarked somewhere that if he's going to get paid they need to trade Pau. I have trouble assuming Pop does that and Pau has talked of picking up his option already. They would also need to add to their guard rotation with Ginobili retiring though that's a separate issue.
I do hope Spurs can work things out.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

At 27 years old and a birthday in August, just entering his prime, and started late playing ball, you have to lock him up long term all things considered. He's been getting minimum salary checks and will be very grateful for the raise, I'm guessing. He has a good situation here, so he could well give us a Danny Green discount. I'd pay up to 18 million for him in this market. The numbers speak for themselves. But I also don't think we'll have to. I peg him at 12-15 mill per year for four years. Lock him up now. He's the big we always wished Timmy could be paired with. He's like the center equivalent to Green as far as finds go. My question is this though. Since he only signed a one year with a player option, I'm assuming we don't have any rights on him? Meaning we can't go over the cap to sign him right? In which case we would have to sacrifice a lot to keep him... Can't just let him walk for nothing.

It's highly unlikely the Spurs would have $12-15 min in cap space in the summer. Best case scenario is that very few teams with cap space have needs at center so he'd have to accept the MLE.

[RD2191]

So will Pau keep coming off the bench?

[Nathan89]

Look at him basically shutting down CP on the perimeter with terrific guard footspeed..835354402638684161

That outside defense was so impressive.

[Chinook]

It's highly unlikely the Spurs would have $12-15 min in cap space in the summer. Best case scenario is that very few teams with cap space have needs at center so he'd have to accept the MLE.

A big problem is that we don't know the new roster spots affect the cap. Do you have to have 15 guys as a minimum now? Are the 12th and 14th spots full roster charges? If so, everyone is going to have $2 Million fewer dollars in cap space. According to Basketball Insiders, the Spurs have like $4 Million in space not counting cap holds. The most I can see them getting is $9 Million if they don't trade somebody. That would be enough to make a competitive offer to Dedmon, but it would cost Simmons and Mills (and that's assuming the Manu retires). So they'd only have the room exception to replace them.

I've been reading conflicting information on the MLE and LLE. People are saying that it might increase directly with the cap. If that's the case, the MLE next year will likely be large enough to potentially represent the same contract as the aforementioned best offer with cap space. That would allow the team to keep Patty and Simmons or to use them in S&T transactions as well as use their picks for players this year. Definitely seems like the best outcome.

Dedmon's market will be interesting, both because we don't know who all will have cap space (because as I said, holds may end up being much more burdensome), and because it's not clear that a guy who had this little hype coming into this season and who hasn't played big minutes in important games yet will get the same treatment as TT coming off a Finals appearance or Bismack after essentially anchoring a team to its best-ever finish. It might be in both sides' best interest for Dedmon to sign a three-year deal with a player option for the final season or a two-year deal with the same with a starting salary around $8-10 Million. That way, the Spurs get a chance to offer him a much bigger deal if he opts out and he gets to prove one year wasn't a fluke while also getting significant financial protection in case it was.

This is what the lineup would look like if he signs with the MLE:

Parker, Mills, Forbes
Green, Murray,
Leonard, Simmons
Aldridge, Bertans
Gasol, Dedmon

With four open spots along with two picks and a handful of prospects to fill in the cracks, as well as the LLE (about the size of the current room exception, I'd assume) to add depth on the perimeter, or maybe to bring Lee back.

If he needs cap space:

Parker, Murray
Green, Forbes
Leonard, Anderson
Aldridge, Bertans
Gasol, Dedmon

With likely only one first-rounder and the room exception as major additions. Obviously, this is a lot more scary, even if the rMLE is going to be in the neighborhood of the current MLE. With the right guard signed or drafted, the two units could work really well. But you'd then have to fill six spots with just the min.

[Snaq O'Meal]

At 27 years old and a birthday in August, just entering his prime, and started late playing ball, you have to lock him up long term all things considered. He's been getting minimum salary checks and will be very grateful for the raise, I'm guessing. He has a good situation here, so he could well give us a Danny Green discount. I'd pay up to 18 million for him in this market. The numbers speak for themselves. But I also don't think we'll have to. I peg him at 12-15 mill per year for four years. Lock him up now. He's the big we always wished Timmy could be paired with. He's like the center equivalent to Green as far as finds go. My question is this though. Since he only signed a one year with a player option, I'm assuming we don't have any rights on him? Meaning we can't go over the cap to sign him right? In which case we would have to sacrifice a lot to keep him... Can't just let him walk for nothing.

Timmy used to have a front court partner like that. Wore no. 50. Not a bad player. In fact, some have even remarked that Dedmon bears a physical resemblance to that guy.

[RD2191]

Timmy used to have a front court partner like that. Wore no. 50. Not a bad player. In fact, some have even remarked that Dedmon bears a physical resemblance to that guy.

He obviously means post Robinson. :rolleyes

[BillMc]

A big problem is that we don't know the new roster spots affect the cap. Do you have to have 15 guys as a minimum now? Are the 12th and 14th spots full roster charges? If so, everyone is going to have $2 Million fewer dollars in cap space. According to Basketball Insiders, the Spurs have like $4 Million in space not counting cap holds. The most I can see them getting is $9 Million if they don't trade somebody. That would be enough to make a competitive offer to Dedmon, but it would cost Simmons and Mills (and that's assuming the Manu retires). So they'd only have the room exception to replace them.

I've been reading conflicting information on the MLE and LLE. People are saying that it might increase directly with the cap. If that's the case, the MLE next year will likely be large enough to potentially represent the same contract as the aforementioned best offer with cap space. That would allow the team to keep Patty and Simmons or to use them in S&T transactions as well as use their picks for players this year. Definitely seems like the best outcome.

Dedmon's market will be interesting, both because we don't know who all will have cap space (because as I said, holds may end up being much more burdensome), and because it's not clear that a guy who had this little hype coming into this season and who hasn't played big minutes in important games yet will get the same treatment as TT coming off a Finals appearance or Bismack after essentially anchoring a team to its best-ever finish. It might be in both sides' best interest for Dedmon to sign a three-year deal with a player option for the final season or a two-year deal with the same with a starting salary around $8-10 Million. That way, the Spurs get a chance to offer him a much bigger deal if he opts out and he gets to prove one year wasn't a fluke while also getting significant financial protection in case it was.

This is what the lineup would look like if he signs with the MLE:

Parker, Mills, Forbes
Green, Murray,
Leonard, Simmons
Aldridge, Bertans
Gasol, Dedmon

With four open spots along with two picks and a handful of prospects to fill in the cracks, as well as the LLE (about the size of the current room exception, I'd assume) to add depth on the perimeter, or maybe to bring Lee back.

If he needs cap space:

Parker, Murray
Green, Forbes
Leonard, Anderson
Aldridge, Bertans
Gasol, Dedmon

With likely only one first-rounder and the room exception as major additions. Obviously, this is a lot more scary, even if the rMLE is going to be in the neighborhood of the current MLE. With the right guard signed or drafted, the two units could work really well. But you'd then have to fill six spots with just the min.

It's really sad that veteran like Lee comes in, does everything the team asks him, plays well, but is almost certainly gone next season.

[Chinook]

It's really sad that veteran like Lee comes in, does everything the team asks him, plays well, but is almost certainly gone next season.

I'm not sure that he is. Definitely don't think he leaves if Dedmon moves on (which under most reasonable scenarios looks more likely than not). With Manu probably retiring and Mills/Simmons moving on, the bench needs a bench anchor, and he's shown he can do that. Or he can start with LMA while Pau becomes that anchor. Either way, I think he has that Diaw vibe going on where he and the team will look to get something done that works for everyone rather than him really testing free agency.

I'd peg his value at around $4 Million given his age, flaws and skills. The Spurs can offer $6.8M/2 with just the LLE, so I think he'll be able to stay if the team wants him to. With the room exception, he can get like $8.9M/2, so I'd consider it a guarantee if they had that offer.

Incidentally, RealGM has updated their projections for the relevant cap numbers (including exceptions) based on what they know about the new CBA:

http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/salary_cap

Looking at this, the full MLE would be $35.7M/4. I think that all things considered, that may well be enough to keep Dedmon. I'll toss these into a spreadsheet and try to see what the financial outlook of team could be probably tonight, but if not tomorrow.

[cd021]

It's highly unlikely the Spurs would have $12-15 min in cap space in the summer. Best case scenario is that very few teams with cap space have needs at center so he'd have to accept the MLE.

I agree; If we were to look at every team in the NBA and figure out their needs and, also whether it makes sense to throw money at a center, that is a rather short list. Luckily, I have nothing better to do, so:

GSW- No cap space; may end up losing Iggy and Livingston if KD wants the full max.

HOU-Have Capella and Harrell, both much cheaper and younger.

Jazz-Have Gobert and Favors and focusing on resigning Hayward and Hill

LAC-Have 'Dre Jordan and no cap space while also trying to retain their core players.

MEM-Gasol, ZBO, and also doesn't fit a need. Memphis always seems to need additional shooting.

OKC-Have Adams and Kantor.

DEN-Have Jokic starting but they do have cap space and are terrible defensively.

SAC-Have cap space but also have Callie-Stein and Kufous and a couple of other former first round picks

POR- Capped out and at $133 million dollars in salary, could have the second largest team salary next season

NOP-Brow and Boogie, also Ajencia and Osik on the books.

MIN-Dieng and Towns, but they do have cap space. Gasol is someone they've been interested in...

MAVS-Already made a move for Noel. Seems like he's their starting C going forward. Not sure how much they'd throw at Dedmon to be a backup, even though he has been better to Noel this season.

LAL-Have Mosgov on a big deal, plus they seem to be looking for more home run deals with Magic there now.

Suns-Have the cap space but also have Len as an RFA and Chandler is having a really solid season (8.5 ppg, 11 rpg)

Cavs-Capped out, may have the largest team salary in the league.

Celtics-They get killed on the glass but do have Horford as the C with Zeller backing him up. They do have cap space though.

Eastern Conference

Wizards- Have Ian and Gortat, doesn't really fit a need

Raps-Have Ibaka and Vitamin V. Have to resign Lowry and Ibaka while also maybe having to dump COJO

Hawks-Have Howard on a long term deal, he's actually playing decently.

Pacers-Have Turner as a starter (already playing 31 mpg in his second season and will likely to continue to have an increased role season to season but the do have cap space and an aging Al Jefferson as his backup.

Bulls-Have Lopez but no one really behind him. Poor shooting team so that should be their priority

DET- AKA S.S.S (Spurs sloppy seconds)Already have Drummond and Boban, Baynes will probably walk in FA though

76ers-Still have Embidd and Okafor at C

Bucks-Could be capped out with Hawes and Monroe opting into player options, front court crowded.

Hornets-Very little cap space to sign Dedmo, if they wanted to, (around $8 million if they decline Sessons and Wood's team options)

Heat-Whiteside. Doesn't make much sense.

Knicks-Cap space but have Noah on a big deal and Hernagomez may play a bigger role, given Noah's play.

Magic-Have a lot of cap space but are already paying Vucevic and Biyombo around $30 million a year.

Nets-Have Brook Lopez, who is less than a year older than Dedmon, but massive amount of cap space ($30, at least) and no real backup C. They could make offers to Mills, Simmons, and or Dedmon give how terrible they are at PG and SG.

MLE is expected to be around $8.5 million, he could always take a short term deal with the hopes of opting out and getting paid again but I would hope he does a 3 +1 (3 years fully guaranteed with the final year a team option. Something like a 4 year $35 million dollar deal could be an option unless, Brooklyn throws out a big offer.

[Chinook]

New salary thread up in the Think Tank. Prognosis is actually pretty horrible. Might have to refinance Pau just to be able to bring the same team back and avoid the tax.

[apalisoc_9]

Lee is rich even without Basketball :lol

He might even opt in.

Chances are, he's eyeing an organizational role Post pop. If he is, he will opt in or accept a cheap rate. He's not getting any younger.

[bigfan]

Man this really blows when we finally find an undiscovered big guy and we know more than likely he's probably gone at the end of the season. I really think Leonard/Dedmon could be one hell of a long term combo.

[Ice009]

I can't handle it if we lose Dedmon. His ability to be able to guard one of the top 3 PGs in the NBA in Chris Paul a couple of times for full possessions is amazing. I'm a defense first guy and I love defense more than offense. I was more excited and pumped up from those sequences over anything on the offensive side of the ball during the game. Suffocating defense and locking down for full 24 second possessions is more beautiful to me than the beautiful game itself.

Of course in order to win a Championship you need balance. It can't be all defense and no offense as I learned over the years that the Spurs had a great defense, but just couldn't score enough points at times to win games. Most of Phil Jackson's teams had a top 5 offense and a defense in the top 5 too, or if not in the top 5 defense, very, very close to it.

[dabom]

Do teams even wanna throw money at our Big's after the last 2 years?

[spursistan]

Both Dedmon & Pau have looked great in their new roles..let's hope Pop ride this thing..LMA-Dweayne duo is starting to work better on offense, but most importantly they have given the Spurs the solid defensive foundation to get their teeth into games from the get go..no more +30 point first quarter and early holes..

[apalisoc_9]

Both Dedmon & Pau have looked great in their new roles..let's hope Pop ride this thing..LMA-Dweayne duo is starting to work better on offense, but most importantly they have given the Spurs the solid defensive foundation to get their teeth into games from the get go..no more +30 point first quarter and early holes..

Yup. The offense might start slower with Dedmon, but the spurs are better half court team than most team anyways.

Not just the first quarter, but the third quarter too.

Gasol-Lee-Dedmon might be the three biggest keys in a potential GSW-SAS martchup. If those Guys can average around 26-30...the spurs might find themsevles in the game against GSW in every game.

All you can ask for against the most talented team ever.

[emanueldavidginobili]

This dude is really good. Bill said it perfect where was he when Pop said I want some nasty. He's aggressive he can jump he can bang, he runs the floor better than 99% of the big man. And he started playing the game late, he's going to get a lot better than he is now.

[TD 21]

Even with less money floating around and most teams being set or overloaded at center, it's still difficult to envision someone not making him a massive offer. The two I've zeroed in on, are . . .

Celtics: Have long needed a glass cleaning, rim protecting/rolling center and have significant cap space. They'll still have it even if they acquire one of Butler or George. They won't if they Hayward instead, but he'll probably re-sign with the Jazz and even if he doesn't, they could attach one of the lesser of their myriad assets to get someone to take Zeller.

Rockets: Had interest last off season, have significant cap space and appear to have nothing big on horizon. Have a comparable in Capela and though they've gotten good mileage out of Harrell, he's an undersized power forward masquerading as a center and isn't nearly the rebounder/rim protector/lob threat Dedmon is. Always having one of those playing with Harden and army of shooters could be appealing.

Talking Gasol into pulling a Jefferson might be the only way to retain Dedmon.

[spursistan]

836294731902693377Virtually all metrics have him as a top 5 defensive big this season..I think sticking with him as starter is the right move..Pop can always have a quick hook if the offense severely bogs down or if Dedmon is beset by foul trouble..

[ceperez]

That outside defense was so impressive.

Honestly, ridiculously impressive. If Spurs can morph this guy into Kawhi 2.0, then he's worth every penny.

[bic50]

Dedmon is someone the Spurs have desperately needed for a while.

[SpursFan86]

Really hope Pop gives him a fair shot in the postseason...worried that even with Dedmon proving himself in the regular season, Pop will stick with Pau in the postseason regardless of the matchup (especially in big moments).

[Spur|n|Austin]

Dedmon is someone the Spurs have desperately needed for a while.

It goes both ways, which is great!

[FkLA]

It's probably been discussed already, but how much money will the Spurs have to play around with this off-season? Trying to get an idea of how much the Spurs can throw at the deadman, tbh.