lilmads
10-15-2005, 11:40 AM
2006 San Antonio Spurs Preview
Brendan McGovern
http://probasketball.about.com/od/teams/a/spurs06.htm
See You in the Finals
Power Ranking: No. 1
Projected Record: 55-27 (4-game decline)
Odds to Win the NBA Title: 2.5/1
Offseason Grade: B-
Drafted (Grade: C)
1. (28) Ian Mahinmi, PF, France
Signed (Grade: B)
Michael Finley, SG, Dallas
Nick Van Exel, PG, Portland
Robert Horry, SF/PF (Re-signed)
Fabricio Oberto, PF/C, Argentina
Sean Marks, PF/C (Re-signed)
Acquired (Grade: N/A)
None.
Lost
Devin Brown, SG/SF, Utah
Linton Johnson, SG/SF, New Jersey
Position Battles: Manu Ginobili vs. Michael Finley. Advantage: Ginobili.
Breakout: Tony Parker.
It's hard to believe he's only 23, but it's even harder to believe that he doesn't turn games with his slashing ability, especially after watching him do it so often in the Finals. We think this could be the year.
Burnout: Finley. He's more of a spot-shooter than the inside-outside scorer with a hop in his step that people remember. And few have succeeded right away in going from star to sub.
Catalyst: Nazr Mohammed or Fabricio Oberto. If either becomes the energetic presence on the glass that the team lost from Malik Rose, the Spurs will be flawless.
2006 Free Agents: Mohammed, Nick Van Exel
2006 Salary Cap Space: About $12 million over the $49.5 million cap.
Projected 2005 No. 1 Pick: None, Pick belongs to New York
Top Trade Chip: Brent Barry. Despite a disastrous season in San Antonio, we can't see Barry being shot.
Move We'd Make: With Finley sure to suck away whatever time the Spurs had slotted for Barry, send him to shooting-starved Charlotte for the rugged Melvin Ely.
State of the Franchise
It's good to be the NBA Champions. It's even better to be the perennial favorite to win it all and the standard for professionalism to which all other franchises aspire to become. We're, of course, talking about the San Antonio Spurs, NBA Champs in three of the last seven seasons and the leading destination for veteran free agents to ply their trade at a reduced rate in exchange for a shot at an NBA Title.
In the past three years alone, San Antonio has reeled in the likes of Brent Barry, Robert Horry, Glenn Robinson, Steve Smith, Charlie Ward and Kevin Willis at bargain prices with the promise of a ring at the end of the ride. This summer, the Spurs added former All-Stars Finley and Nick Van Exel and International blue-collar big man Oberto to the fray.
But are the Spurs a better team because of these arrivals? When you play on the global stage of the NBA Finals and get taken to seven games, a blueprint on how to expose "the team to beat" reveals itself to the basketball world. You can never have enough outside shooting and Finley and Van Exel are prolific from behind the arc, but this was not a sore spot for San Antonio, which shot 39% from three-point territory in the Playoffs and sank over seven per contest. The underbelly of the Spurs was inside. After two blowout losses to start the FInals, the Pistons dominated the paint, intimidating San Antonio's perimeter players from driving to the basket and, most importantly, forcing Tim Duncan out of his comfort zone.
Duncan needed a bodyguard and Oberto may be that guy, but couldn't GM R.C. Buford have gotten more of as sure thing? Instead, the Spurs seemed to haphazardly add big names to the mix (a la the 2004 Lakers) without considering whether they'd take to the life of a supporting player. And if not, how that might hamper the development of Ginobili and Tony Parker, two younger players who should not have to donate minutes to keep old egos afloat. It didn't work with Barry, how will Finley and Van Exel fare better?
Fortunately, the Spurs are so in tune with what it takes to win and have such an established top-to-bottom hierarchy that a few missteps and conflicts along the way will be a distant memory come May. Bottom line: San Antonio is still vulnerable to physical play and Finley won't have nearly the effect people are predicting, but no team is more stable and accomplished at exploiting its advantages than the Spurs.
Brendan McGovern
http://probasketball.about.com/od/teams/a/spurs06.htm
See You in the Finals
Power Ranking: No. 1
Projected Record: 55-27 (4-game decline)
Odds to Win the NBA Title: 2.5/1
Offseason Grade: B-
Drafted (Grade: C)
1. (28) Ian Mahinmi, PF, France
Signed (Grade: B)
Michael Finley, SG, Dallas
Nick Van Exel, PG, Portland
Robert Horry, SF/PF (Re-signed)
Fabricio Oberto, PF/C, Argentina
Sean Marks, PF/C (Re-signed)
Acquired (Grade: N/A)
None.
Lost
Devin Brown, SG/SF, Utah
Linton Johnson, SG/SF, New Jersey
Position Battles: Manu Ginobili vs. Michael Finley. Advantage: Ginobili.
Breakout: Tony Parker.
It's hard to believe he's only 23, but it's even harder to believe that he doesn't turn games with his slashing ability, especially after watching him do it so often in the Finals. We think this could be the year.
Burnout: Finley. He's more of a spot-shooter than the inside-outside scorer with a hop in his step that people remember. And few have succeeded right away in going from star to sub.
Catalyst: Nazr Mohammed or Fabricio Oberto. If either becomes the energetic presence on the glass that the team lost from Malik Rose, the Spurs will be flawless.
2006 Free Agents: Mohammed, Nick Van Exel
2006 Salary Cap Space: About $12 million over the $49.5 million cap.
Projected 2005 No. 1 Pick: None, Pick belongs to New York
Top Trade Chip: Brent Barry. Despite a disastrous season in San Antonio, we can't see Barry being shot.
Move We'd Make: With Finley sure to suck away whatever time the Spurs had slotted for Barry, send him to shooting-starved Charlotte for the rugged Melvin Ely.
State of the Franchise
It's good to be the NBA Champions. It's even better to be the perennial favorite to win it all and the standard for professionalism to which all other franchises aspire to become. We're, of course, talking about the San Antonio Spurs, NBA Champs in three of the last seven seasons and the leading destination for veteran free agents to ply their trade at a reduced rate in exchange for a shot at an NBA Title.
In the past three years alone, San Antonio has reeled in the likes of Brent Barry, Robert Horry, Glenn Robinson, Steve Smith, Charlie Ward and Kevin Willis at bargain prices with the promise of a ring at the end of the ride. This summer, the Spurs added former All-Stars Finley and Nick Van Exel and International blue-collar big man Oberto to the fray.
But are the Spurs a better team because of these arrivals? When you play on the global stage of the NBA Finals and get taken to seven games, a blueprint on how to expose "the team to beat" reveals itself to the basketball world. You can never have enough outside shooting and Finley and Van Exel are prolific from behind the arc, but this was not a sore spot for San Antonio, which shot 39% from three-point territory in the Playoffs and sank over seven per contest. The underbelly of the Spurs was inside. After two blowout losses to start the FInals, the Pistons dominated the paint, intimidating San Antonio's perimeter players from driving to the basket and, most importantly, forcing Tim Duncan out of his comfort zone.
Duncan needed a bodyguard and Oberto may be that guy, but couldn't GM R.C. Buford have gotten more of as sure thing? Instead, the Spurs seemed to haphazardly add big names to the mix (a la the 2004 Lakers) without considering whether they'd take to the life of a supporting player. And if not, how that might hamper the development of Ginobili and Tony Parker, two younger players who should not have to donate minutes to keep old egos afloat. It didn't work with Barry, how will Finley and Van Exel fare better?
Fortunately, the Spurs are so in tune with what it takes to win and have such an established top-to-bottom hierarchy that a few missteps and conflicts along the way will be a distant memory come May. Bottom line: San Antonio is still vulnerable to physical play and Finley won't have nearly the effect people are predicting, but no team is more stable and accomplished at exploiting its advantages than the Spurs.