Spurs Sign 2nd Round Pick Metu

[MoSpur02]

To a three year deal. Spurs are high on him per Shams Twitter.

[K...]

1035153888876392448

[r0drig0lac]

stacked!!!!

[Uriel]

David Robinson 2.0

[duncan2150]

Happy for him, he could be a good player in a few years...

[NASpurs]

When’s the last time the Spurs signed their rookie 2nd rounder to a 3 year deal?

[playbonner15]

It begins... #MetuMovement

[playbonner15]

Saw him post a gif of a crying guy because he wanted to play with Manu but will never get a chance :lol . Well now at least he'll get to play even if it's just garbage time

[ceperez]

Wow.... upside confirmed! When was the last time Spurs signed a 2nd rounder long term?

This guy is ideal for the new kind of NBA. Mobile big and can shoot the 3. This is damn promising!!

[exstatic]

When’s the last time the Spurs signed their rookie 2nd rounder to a 3 year deal?

Blair got a 4 year deal, IIRC.

[John B]

I really like this kid. DJ, White, Lonnie, Metu, Poeltl. That’s a great young core and should keep Spurs relevant in awhile. Old Spurs never had so many young talents before.

[rastaspur]

I am glad they inked this kid. Needed another mobile big and he has clear nba level skills that can be further developed.

[BillMc]

So does he make the big roster this year or spend the whole season in Austin?

[Rocalcio]

David Robinson 2.0

Much shorter.

[exstatic]

So does he make the big roster this year or spend the whole season in Austin?

Both. He signed an NBA contract, so he'll be on the 15 man roster, but he's incredibly thin and incredibly raw. He'll spend a lot of time in Austin and in the weight room.

[BillMc]

Both. He signed an NBA contract, so he'll be on the 15 man roster, but he's incredibly thin and incredibly raw. He'll spend a lot of time in Austin and in the weight room.

Thanks. I know nothing about this kid. Obviously Spurs see his potential.

[ceperez]

He played soccer.

Both Manu and Tony played soccer. This explains there excellent foot work.

Imagine a mobile big with elite footwork ( i.e. Olajuwon).

Just watch his highlights in a single summer league game:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNpWOt5pcS0

He's doing everything!!

Jump hook
3 point shot
Mid range jumper fadeaway
Drive and kick
Clean block and recover
Pump fake and hook

Spurs should have locked him up even longer than 3 years!

Spurs now have a DEATH LINEUP:

Murray, DeRozan, Gay, Metu, Aldridge or

Murray, Walker, DeRozan, Gay, Metu

[sasaint]

Thanks. I know nothing about this kid. Obviously Spurs see his potential.

The staff is very high on Mezi (as he has asked them to call him).

[spurs50_]

I don't think Blossomgame will ever play for the San Antonio Spurs......Hope I am wrong.

[BillMc]

The staff is very high on Mezi (as he has asked them to call him).

Cool. Mezi it is then. :bobo

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I got to watch a lot of the summer league and was pretty impressed.

Super skinny, but the NBA isn't a league requiring a lot of bulk in the paint anymore. 10-15 years ago I'd say this guy isn't the right size for the NBA at his position. Now I'd say he's got a chance...definitely has the (raw) tools, and from what I can see, the work ethic and desire.

I'm glad he got the deal.

[Blake]

Looks like he has some Kawhi game to him

[superbigtime]

yay I guess

[RD2191]

yay I guess

Tbh

[BSfromTX]

Looks like he has some Kawhi game to him

And some Durant as well. I actually liked him better than Walker in the summer league. His feel for the game, length, and defense are solid. Now is the time to give the young guns some serious minutes. We are not veteran laden like we have been for 20 years. It is time to go through some growing pains.

Put Metu, Walker, White, and Poetl in for serious minutes Pop.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

And some Durant as well. I actually liked him better than Walker in the summer league. His feel for the game, length, and defense are solid. Now is the time to give the young guns some serious minutes. We are not veteran laden like we have been for 20 years. It is time to go through some growing pains.

Put Metu, Walker, White, and Poetl in for serious minutes Pop.

And I don't think the veterans we do have are built for extended minutes, other than the two vets who should be getting PT - DeRozan and LMA. I'd love to see those two guys surrounded by the young guns, with our other vets (Belli, Gay, Gasol and Mills) getting more limited action. All 4 of those guys will be more effective at 15-20 minutes per night anyway.

[SpurSpike]

Super excited and surprised at this signing. I thought based on summer league that he has the confidence to be in the NBA. Everyone keeps talking like he is going to play center though, i think most of his time will be at the 3 and 4. He has the size and athleticism to be a 3 4 or 5 combo depending on the situation which is probably why he was signed.

[Blake]

And some Durant as well. I actually liked him better than Walker in the summer league. His feel for the game, length, and defense are solid. Now is the time to give the young guns some serious minutes. We are not veteran laden like we have been for 20 years. It is time to go through some growing pains.

Put Metu, Walker, White, and Poetl in for serious minutes Pop.

Wish he had a longer wingspan and better hands, but if he did he probably would have been a first rounder

[Namundy]

Seems like a great fit in today's NBA if he continues to improve.

[Floyd Pacquiao]

Start him at the 3

[kobyz]

Hope he become What Jeff Pendegragh should have been

[ceperez]

Wish he had a longer wingspan and better hands, but if he did he probably would have been a first rounder

Spurs now have two 6-10 guys with very narrow shoulders.

[SAGirl]

Good news!

[BSfromTX]

Spurs now have two 6-10 guys with very narrow shoulders.

At least he's not another guard!!!

[TimmyBuckets]

Wow.... upside confirmed! When was the last time Spurs signed a 2nd rounder long term?

This guy is ideal for the new kind of NBA. Mobile big and can shoot the 3. This is damn promising!!

Yay



Blair got a 4 year deal, IIRC.

Oh

[SAGirl]

When’s the last time the Spurs signed their rookie 2nd rounder to a 3 year deal?
They are definitely high on him. Compare that with Livio Jean Charles who was a first round pick and stayed in France for about 4 years and got a 2 year deal (that the Spurs were obliged to give) but was waived in camp. Metu looked good and he is at least as tall to play the forward spot. Glad about this signing.

[SpurPadre]

I don't think Blossomgame will ever play for the San Antonio Spurs......Hope I am wrong.

His game just never blossomed tbh.

[sasaint]

His game just never blossomed tbh.

I thought he would develop. But I am very disappointed in his progress at this point. I, too, doubt he ever makes more than token appearances for the Spurs. He is probably going to have a career overseas.

[NASpurs]

If you follow Blossomgame on IG specifically his stories, that dude is always in the gym putting in work. Hopefully that translates into his game expanding and surprising people this year.

[SpurSpike]

I don't think Blossomgame will ever play for the San Antonio Spurs......Hope I am wrong.

I bet he gets a 2 way contract. Who else do we have with enough potential to take the two 2 way contracts? Maybe Hilliard again?

[BackHome]

The problem is that KY left before you could have a guy like him make the team cause you would not expect him to get much playing time. But with KY gone we need someone who has more upside and can give you goood minutes. The Spurs have one more roster spot which definitely needs to be a SF so hopefully the Spurs have multiple invites to camp and may the best man win.

[phxspurfan]

The newest Spurs draft day 2nd round steal

[BackHome]

Man nice pictures!!! Nice going back to memory lane. Damn I Love My Spurs.

So in that picture with Jefferson and Luke their is also:
Blue shorts - TheGreatYacht
Little dude - Daboom
Black Shirt - HATER

Apo is somewhere.

[SAGirl]

I bet he gets a 2 way contract. Who else do we have with enough potential to take the two 2 way contracts? Maybe Hilliard again?
Hilliard is playing in Europe this upcoming season.

Blossom could get one of the 2 way deals this year and I believe the team will leave one spot open for somebody catching their eye on training camp the way they did with Bryn Forbes and other seasons with the argies they brought in two years ago etc.

If he doesn’t get inked to a deal this season it’s a red flag. They still have one regular roster spot and 2 way deals available and are near the tax. Signing a rook is ideal for their cap and current situation. It’s like all the stars aligned with so many players leaving the team this year to make room for him.

And he’s no youngster anymore. I believe he will soon be (if he’s not already) 25 years old. Guys like Jon Simmons (making an NBA team at 26) show me it’s not too late for him, but Jon Simmons was 1 of hundreds and really, really stood out.

I d like to see him compete with Pondexter and guys like that, which is all the Spurs can afford at this point. Ball is on Blossomgame court. He’s got a chance this season.

[SAGirl]

The problem is that KY left before you could have a guy like him make the team cause you would not expect him to get much playing time. But with KY gone we need someone who has more upside and can give you goood minutes. The Spurs have one more roster spot which definitely needs to be a SF so hopefully the Spurs have multiple invites to camp and may the best man win.
I am actually looking forward to preseason. It should be interesting to see who the best man is for that last spot.

Forbes once made the team in worse circumstances (he came in during a season the Spurs had a stacked roster with a lot of veterans and rook Murray). May the best man win.

[DAF86]

Good shit.

[SpurPadre]

It'll be cool when he dunks on someone, that person will become a #metu victim tbh.

[TimmyBuckets]

It'll be cool when he dunks on someone, that person will become a #metu victim tbh.

:lol

[Nivek_ogre]

Now sign blossomgame and call it an off-season

[stephen jackson]

i dont think hes skinny, he looks pretty built to me at least...

[TimmyBuckets]

i dont think hes skinny, he looks pretty built to me at least...

Narrow shoulders

[Truth4sale$]

Spurs used up their last roster spot for Metu. Not sure why people think their is a 15th spot. Poindexter was 14, and Metu is 15.Smart move to lock him up for 3, I would have like to have seen 4 years. This year is a redshirt year, to gain weight and improve his handle. He is a 3/4 as opposed to a 4/5. Watch out in 3 years with Metu, Walker and Murray
Blossomgame will get the two way deal. Nobody of any value is left, or he goes overseas. Gleague is a waste for him. Work on the ball handling and 3pt shot and he is a regular rotation player

[bklynspursfan]

His game just never blossomed tbh.

I see what you did there

[paperboy77]

He played soccer.

Both Manu and Tony played soccer. This explains there excellent foot work.

Imagine a mobile big with elite footwork ( i.e. Olajuwon).

Just watch his highlights in a single summer league game:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNpWOt5pcS0

He's doing everything!!

Jump hook
3 point shot
Mid range jumper fadeaway
Drive and kick
Clean block and recover
Pump fake and hook

Spurs should have locked him up even longer than 3 years!

Spurs now have a DEATH LINEUP:

Murray, DeRozan, Gay, Metu, Aldridge or

Murray, Walker, DeRozan, Gay, Metu

Good video of him. What i really like that i saw was his hands. Not sure if in that game but there was a play which he had a low pass thrown to him in traffic and he was able to catch like a receiver catches a football that's thrown behind him. Anyway that kinda stuff you cant teach, it's instinct. That dude really has upside. Can't wait to see him. But he's gotta stay aggressive and confident. Hopefully Pop doesn't decide to neuter this guy.

[r0drig0lac]

putting some shooters and athletes around Aldridge / Demar really leaves a little hope for the future, now if somehow they could replace Forbes and Gasol would be perfect

[cd021]

How did they sign him to a 3 year deal? The minimum is only for 2 years?

Either way, I am glad. Really like his footwork and skill on offense and his potential as a rim protector on D.

Metu needs to bulk up in the worst way, though. His body is probably two years away from being where it needs to be, he is incredibly slight for a big.

[Chinook]

How did they sign him to a 3 year deal? The minimum is only for 2 years?

Either way, I am glad. Really like his footwork and skill on offense and his potential as a rim protector on D.

Metu needs to bulk up in the worst way, though. His body is probably two years away from being where it needs to be, he is incredibly slight for a big.

They had the MLE. Still have enough to sign a number of players

[ceperez]

How did they sign him to a 3 year deal? The minimum is only for 2 years?

Either way, I am glad. Really like his footwork and skill on offense and his potential as a rim protector on D.

Metu needs to bulk up in the worst way, though. His body is probably two years away from being where it needs to be, he is incredibly slight for a big.

Although he played C and PF in Summer League, I think his size is more competitive at SF.

The young bench is indeed very intriguing:

White, Walker, Bertans, Metu, Poetl

Perhaps they can run the other team out of the gym?

[cd021]

They had the MLE. Still have enough to sign a number of players

I thought they used all of it on Beli and Cunningham. Must be an extremely cheap 3 year deal.

[cd98]

I like some of what I have seen. But barring some bad injuries, he's spending next year in the G-League. I think Walker has a chance to get a role for the Spurs next year, but it's likely he'll make a lot of trips to the G-League too.

I hear a lot of GMs are excited to draft high school players next year so they can send them to the G-League and get some buzz to boost attendance. I could see the Spurs using Walker and Metu for that as well.

[cd021]

Although he played C and PF in Summer League, I think his size is more competitive at SF.

The young bench is indeed very intriguing:

White, Walker, Bertans, Metu, Poetl

Perhaps they can run the other team out of the gym?

He's a NBA 4 or 5; after re-watching highlights from college and summer league, it's surprising how thin he looks out on the floor. He does as solid array of post moves and seems like he already has decent midrange capabilities. I thought his passing looked pretty good and cam also affect shots at the rim.

He may never be big enough to be a full time 5 and him as a traditional 4 is a bit odd of a fit, unless he can become a stretch 4 that can also bully 6'8 dudes in the paint and on the glass.

[ceperez]

I like some of what I have seen. But barring some bad injuries, he's spending next year in the G-League. I think Walker has a chance to get a role for the Spurs next year, but it's likely he'll make a lot of trips to the G-League too.

I hear a lot of GMs are excited to draft high school players next year so they can send them to the G-League and get some buzz to boost attendance. I could see the Spurs using Walker and Metu for that as well.

I can see Metu getting more action than Walker. Spurs have bigger holes to fill in the front court.

Despite departure of Green, Ginobilli and Parker, the back court is still loaded: DeRozan, Murray, Mills, White, Forbes, Belinelli

Cunningham and Pondexter will have to play well enough to keep Metu out of the court.

[ceperez]

He's a NBA 4 or 5; after re-watching highlights from college and summer league, it's surprising how thin he looks out on the floor. He does as solid array of post moves and seems like he already has decent midrange capabilities. I thought his passing looked pretty good and cam also affect shots at the rim.

He may never be big enough to be a full time 5 and him as a traditional 4 is a bit odd of a fit, unless he can become a stretch 4 that can also bully 6'8 dudes in the paint and on the glass.

Them narrow shoulders are going to prevent Metu from gaining any real size. Perhaps the new NBA will allow a smallish sized PF.

[SAGirl]

Spurs used up their last roster spot for Metu. Not sure why people think their is a 15th spot. Poindexter was 14, and Metu is 15.Smart move to lock him up for 3, I would have like to have seen 4 years. This year is a redshirt year, to gain weight and improve his handle. He is a 3/4 as opposed to a 4/5. Watch out in 3 years with Metu, Walker and Murray
Blossomgame will get the two way deal. Nobody of any value is left, or he goes overseas. Gleague is a waste for him. Work on the ball handling and 3pt shot and he is a regular rotation player
I don’t assume Pondexter has a spot locked in. I may be incorrect but he got a partial guaranteed 1 year deal that is very reminiscent of Jimmer Freddette. Also, as they demonstrated with waiving Livio Jean Charles to sign Forbes 2 summers ago (and LJC was in a 2 year guaranteed deal), these players in small contracts can be beat by a training camp invitee. I remember Rasual Butler beating out Jimmer Fredette for example... I don’t assume Pondexter has the roster spot on lock.

[ceperez]

I don’t assume Pondexter has a spot locked in. I may be incorrect but he got a partial guaranteed 1 year deal that is very reminiscent of Jimmer Freddette. Also, as they demonstrated with waiving Livio Jean Charles to sign Forbes 2 summers ago (and LJC was in a 2 year guaranteed deal), these players in small contracts can be beat by a training camp invitee. I remember Rasual Butler beating out Jimmer Fredette for example... I don’t assume Pondexter has the roster spot on lock.

Its hard to predict if Pondexter has any mobility or athleticism left in his game. If he does, then he'll be in the team like Rasual Butler.

Butler played the entire season, but was waived prior to the playoffs. So I will not be surprised if Spurs hold 15 players throughout the regular season.

Nice for a #49th pick:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V__8dRw_1wA

[ceperez]

Spurs really wanted Metu... scouted for two years:

https://twitter.com/MooreSports/status/1010021132475305984

they hid their interest by NOT even inviting Metu to a predraft workout:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=100&v=4CR2lfSYohc

[davidbowie]

Saw him post a gif of a crying guy because he wanted to play with Manu but will never get a chance :lol . Well now at least he'll get to play even if it's just garbage time

haha i saw this.

[TD 21]

:lmao At people thinking he can play "SF" or is automatically part of the future core because he's young.


I initially thought he was likely more so strictly a small ball "C", but after seeing him play some, I see some Siakam in him (better jumper, worse handle/play making), so he might be able to play some "PF".

He's got a chance to be an NBA player, maybe a rotational one, but every young player isn't a core piece and damn near everyone has fringe prospects. They're called that for a reason: most don't stick.


I thought they used all of it on Beli and Cunningham. Must be an extremely cheap 3 year deal.

Per Pincus, they used a portion of the BAE on Cunningham.

[cd021]

:lmao At people thinking he can play "SF" or is automatically part of the future core because he's young.


I initially thought he was likely more so strictly a small ball "C", but after seeing him play some, I see some Siakam in him (better jumper, worse handle/play making), so he might be able to play some "PF".

He's got a chance to be an NBA player, maybe a rotational one, but every young player isn't a core piece and damn near everyone has fringe prospects. They're called that for a reason: most don't stick.



Per Pincus, they used a portion of the BAE on Cunningham.


-I resisted the idea of him being a 4, but that is probably going to be his position if he were to make it in the NBA. He is on the small size for a C and extremely thin but he has some skill with the ball, pretty good passer, looks like he isn't far off from being consistent a mid-range shooter with potential of stretching out to 3.

-That makes much more sense, smart move tbh. Locking him up on a 3-year deal, probably for only around $3 million is a cheap gamble that could pay off.

According to Basketball Insiders, Spurs have $2.5 million left on the MLE and $900,000 on the BAE. If I am not mistaken; Spurs can put all of the MLE towards a buyout player, as opposed to a prorated vet min. contract, meaning that a player could make the full $2.5 million for only 3 months instead of around $1 million.

[TDomination]

i hope he gets decent playing time this year. i'm excited about his potential.

[cd021]

Them narrow shoulders are going to prevent Metu from gaining any real size. Perhaps the new NBA will allow a smallish sized PF.

Its something to wonder about with him, for sure.

[TD 21]

As an aside, he's lucky Vonleh, who the Spurs were interested in, choose the Knicks, or he'd have had to wait a season.


-I resisted the idea of him being a 4, but that is probably going to be his position if he were to make it in the NBA. He is on the small size for a C and extremely thin but he has some skill with the ball, pretty good passer, looks like he isn't far off from being consistent a mid-range shooter with potential of stretching out to 3.

-That makes much more sense, smart move tbh. Locking him up on a 3-year deal, probably for only around $3 million is a cheap gamble that could pay off.

According to Basketball Insiders, Spurs have $2.5 million left on the MLE and $900,000 on the BAE. If I am not mistaken; Spurs can put all of the MLE towards a buyout player, as opposed to a prorated vet min. contract, meaning that a player could make the full $2.5 million for only 3 months instead of around $1 million.

He's definitely at least primarily a small ball "C". If Bell, who's - 1.5 in height and .75 in length, while weighting roughly equal, can play it, there's no reason he can't.

Small ball being the operative words though. He'll never be equipped to defend behemoths who can do damage in the post.

[alpha_HaZE]

I am excited and I think earned it with his summer league play. I can't wait to see him in Spurs uniform.

[boutons_deux]

Thin?

check his musculature, even has good legs, is light on his feet, not a plodder like Tim or LMA.

rebounds, good height/timing to block shots, soft shooting touch, runs the court, court vision, passing, aggressive, quite fearless, confident.

hey, cd021, fuck you :)

[daslicer]

Looking forward to saying "I support Metu."

[Old School 44]

Saw him post a gif of a crying guy because he wanted to play with Manu but will never get a chance :lol . Well now at least he'll get to play even if it's just garbage time

I always wanted the Spurs to get a young, athletic big with good hands and instincts around the basket to play with Manu. I believe the closest the Spurs got was Blair. Too bad we won't ever see the Metu/Manu connection.

[SpursDynasty85]

He's a NBA 4 or 5; after re-watching highlights from college and summer league, it's surprising how thin he looks out on the floor. He does as solid array of post moves and seems like he already has decent midrange capabilities. I thought his passing looked pretty good and cam also affect shots at the rim.

He may never be big enough to be a full time 5 and him as a traditional 4 is a bit odd of a fit, unless he can become a stretch 4 that can also bully 6'8 dudes in the paint and on the glass.

He looks exactly like a prototype 4. Hes not exactly a sharpshooter but he seems to be a swiss knife 4. Pretty good length for a 4. Can shoot, drive, post up, but will get pushed around a bit when he plays against the bigger 4s. I actually think he fits better at the 3 than at the 5.

[BackHome]

I think he can get some minutes at the 3,4 and 5 spot. His natural position will be PF doesn’t need to bulk up to much just needs to get better handles and improve shooting. It’s going to be a fun year without all the KY drama.

[r0drig0lac]

He looks exactly like a prototype 4. Hes not exactly a sharpshooter but he seems to be a swiss knife 4. Pretty good length for a 4. Can shoot, drive, post up, but will get pushed around a bit when he plays against the bigger 4s. I actually think he fits better at the 3 than at the 5.

maybe robert horry prototype?

[keithington1]

The Spurs probably told him he was on their first round radar to boost up his confidence. Hey, whatever works...

[SpursDynasty85]

maybe robert horry prototype?

Lol. I actually think Metu is a lot more versatile but Horry was a much better athlete, broader shoulders, longer. It always perplexed me why Horry never had better numbers. I guess he was fine being a role player. Metu from highlights looks like he has more handles than Horry and slightly quicker.

[ceperez]

maybe robert horry prototype?

nice association.

[spurs1990]

I really like this kid. DJ, White, Lonnie, Metu, Poeltl. That’s a great young core and should keep Spurs relevant in awhile. Old Spurs never had so many young talents before.
Very nice sequential years of birth to the roster.
Every year represented from '85 to '98 except 1990 and 1991.

1992 - Bertans age 26
1993 - Forbes age 25
1994 - White age 24
1995 - Poetle age 23
1996 - Murray age 22
1997 - Metu age 21
1998 - Walker age 20

1989 - DeRozan age 29
1988 - Mills age 30
1987 - Cunningham age 31
1986 - Gay / Belinelli age 32
1985 - Aldridge age 33

[ceperez]

Lol. I actually think Metu is a lot more versatile but Horry was a much better athlete, broader shoulders, longer. It always perplexed me why Horry never had better numbers. I guess he was fine being a role player. Metu from highlights looks like he has more handles than Horry and slightly quicker.

Yes, Metu has better handles and is quicker than Horry. Horry had length. However, I do recall that teams would attack Horry as being the weak link in the defense.

To be honest, both Metu and Proetl are bigs that seem to be quick enough. They are both definitely quicker than Aldridge.

[SpursDynasty85]

Yes, Metu has better handles and is quicker than Horry. Horry had length. However, I do recall that teams would attack Horry as being the weak link in the defense.

To be honest, both Metu and Proetl are bigs that seem to be quick enough. They are both definitely quicker than Aldridge.

Poeltl looks a bit wreckless sometimes in defense. Hence his penchant for fouls. Aldridge was so good for us defensively last year. For a 7 footer he is pretty quick too but you can tell he was never a defensive minded player. He has to work hard at it while Poeltl seems to love defense but can be a bit too aggressive at it. Can't wait to see Poeltl and Metu play more than Gasol. Hope its sooner rather than later.

[Ice009]

Very nice sequential years of birth to the roster.
Every year represented from '85 to '98 except 1990 and 1991.

1992 - Bertans age 26
1993 - Forbes age 25
1994 - White age 24
1995 - Poetle age 23
1996 - Murray age 22
1997 - Metu age 21
1998 - Walker age 20

1989 - DeRozan age 29
1988 - Mills age 30
1987 - Cunningham age 31
1986 - Gay / Belinelli age 32
1985 - Aldridge age 33

Is Walker 20? I thought he just turned 19 this year? Also, how old is Derozen this year? Did he just turn 29?

[spurs1990]

Is Walker 20? I thought he just turned 19 this year? Also, how old is Derozen this year? Did he just turn 29?

Sorry I didn't check months so these are their ages as of December 31 of this year only.

[cd021]

Is Walker 20? I thought he just turned 19 this year? Also, how old is Derozen this year? Did he just turn 29?


Sorry I didn't check months so these are their ages as of December 31 of this year only.

He's 19, turns 20 on December 14th.

[cd021]

Thin?

check his musculature, even has good legs, is light on his feet, not a plodder like Tim or LMA.

rebounds, good height/timing to block shots, soft shooting touch, runs the court, court vision, passing, aggressive, quite fearless, confident.

hey, cd021, fuck you :)

:lol, I've been very high on him with my only concern is that he is thin.

[MaNu4Tres]

Some people see him as a 3?

What in the world?

[SpursDynasty85]

Some people see him as a 3?

What in the world?

At first I laughed at that too. But if you see his highlights and scouting report the guys is very mobile. When he plays he has a diverse skill set and in one of his interviews he seems so confident of his skills and even 3 point shooting I believe him. He has pretty good handles, passes well, can shoot the 3, and has a mid range and small post up game. Ultimately in a team setting he can gaurd a lot 3's part time. But he's definitely better suited for the 4. His frame being so small I do not think he can be successful at the 5 unless the opposing 5 is small too.

[boutons_deux]

"His frame being so small I do not think he can be successful at the 5 unless the opposing 5 is small too."

who and where are these Big 5s, on teams that the Spurs should worry about?

[SpursDynasty85]

"His frame being so small I do not think he can be successful at the 5 unless the opposing 5 is small too."

who and where are these Big 5s, on teams that the Spurs should worry about?

I think he would get beat up in the paint against: Capela, Adam's, Ibaka, Aldridge, Cousins, Valaciunas, Kanter, both Gasols, Ayton, McGee, Jokic, etc... he is actually a pretty lean and quick 4.

For example: Kevin Love and Anthony Davis (traditional NBA 4) each outweigh Metu by over 25 lbs already. Dude is carrying the weight of most SG/SFs in today's NBA.

[ceperez]

I think he would get beat up in the paint against: Capela, Adam's, Ibaka, Aldridge, Cousins, Valaciunas, Kanter, both Gasols, Ayton, McGee, Jokic, etc... he is actually a pretty lean and quick 4.

For example: Kevin Love and Anthony Davis (traditional NBA 4) each outweigh Metu by over 25 lbs already. Dude is carrying the weight of most SG/SFs in today's NBA.

This is exactly his main weakness. He can't hold his ground against bigger and heavier post players.

In small ball lineups, he is serviceable at center. But in traditional lineups, he's a liability at PF. There's a reason why he was picked at #49.

His biggest promise is to play at the 3, where his current weight will not be a liability. Bertans has the same problem. Can't hold his ground at PF.

[duncan2150]

Imo he'll never be a 3, not close. He's a four, he will add some buk and will be fine. He does'nt have the game of a SF, give him some time and he will be a good active big in the paint.
.

[SpursDynasty85]

Imo he'll never be a 3, not close. He's a four, he will add some buk and will be fine. He does'nt have the game of a SF, give him some time and he will be a good active big in the paint.
.

I guess we will see how Spurs utilize him. Him being a small ball 4 or a long death lineup 3 is our best bet to beat Golden State or Rockets. If were going by our traditional ways of doing things we may be left behind.

Adding bulk is good but Metu's shoulder frame and hip frame scream 3. He would have to bulk up to be a 4. The 5 is a stretch imo. He could be our secret weapon for GS this year or next. Since Spurs scouted him for a long time, let's see how they utilize him. I think he'd pair well with Gay and Bertans on which case his foot speed matches up better at the 3 than those other two.

[duncan2150]

I guess we will see how Spurs utilize him. Him being a small ball 4 or a long death lineup 3 is our best bet to beat Golden State or Rockets. If were going by our traditional ways of doing things we may be left behind.

Adding bulk is good but Metu's shoulder frame and hip frame scream 3. He would have to bulk up to be a 4. The 5 is a stretch imo. He could be our secret weapon for GS this year or next. Since Spurs scouted him for a long time, let's see how they utilize him. I think he'd pair well with Gay and Bertans on which case his foot speed matches up better at the 3 than those other two.

I agree, i think he could had some bulk but not a lot, about the 3 now he does'nt the game of a SF, all his carreer he was an inside guy and i'm not sure he can make the change. we'll see.

[BackHome]

Yeah the days of just playing one spot are pretty much over. I could see him playing SG on offense and playing PF on defense or vise versa. It all going to come down to match ups.

Though I hope he does not play C not that he can’t but he already broke his wrist so I don’t think his body could handle the banging down low very long.

[KDKSpurs24]

I guess we will see how Spurs utilize him. Him being a small ball 4 or a long death lineup 3 is our best bet to beat Golden State or Rockets. If were going by our traditional ways of doing things we may be left behind.

Adding bulk is good but Metu's shoulder frame and hip frame scream 3. He would have to bulk up to be a 4. The 5 is a stretch imo. He could be our secret weapon for GS this year or next. Since Spurs scouted him for a long time, let's see how they utilize him. I think he'd pair well with Gay and Bertans on which case his foot speed matches up better at the 3 than those other two.
Keep talking about his shoulder frame but it’s not just about his size. This dude’s game is not a SFs game. Yes he’s somewhat skilled but he would have to reinvent himself and that’s not a smart risk to take. His current abilities as a PF slated him as a second round pick with lots to improve on. There’s a chance reinventing himself into a 3 would be a failure and set him back. He just needs to get stronger and expand his game at the stretch 4 because it’s where he will mostly play.

[BackHome]

I agree PF the spot where he will get the most minutes

[SpursDynasty85]

Keep talking about his shoulder frame but it’s not just about his size. This dude’s game is not a SFs game. Yes he’s somewhat skilled but he would have to reinvent himself and that’s not a smart risk to take. His current abilities as a PF slated him as a second round pick with lots to improve on. There’s a chance reinventing himself into a 3 would be a failure and set him back. He just needs to get stronger and expand his game at the stretch 4 because it’s where he will mostly play.

At first I thought his skill set was limited too but if you look at the Spurs summer league game. He was rarely in the post. He did everything. He drove to the basket with impressive handles, hustled, pick and roll, 3 ball every now and then, and good jumpers. You underrate his skill set. I believe he does have a 3 ball but he takes what the defense gives him and is smart about his chances. Ultimately in the half court set he is mobile enough to gaurd the 3. Who cares if he doesn't have the playmaking of a Tatum or Harden. He can be something different at the 3. We have guys with better offensive skill sets that are better suited for the 4. He could compliment them well by guarding the 3 and being versatile on offense. Check his highlights one more time. He is incredibly quick with his decisions. Should fit in fine at the big lineup 3 or small ball 4.

[TDMVPDPOY]

theres plenty of undersized bigs playing 4/5

then again 4/5 defense has been pretty shit over the years...i doubt metu will have any problem scoring on them

[KDKSpurs24]

At first I thought his skill set was limited too but if you look at the Spurs summer league game. He was rarely in the post. He did everything. He drove to the basket with impressive handles, hustled, pick and roll, 3 ball every now and then, and good jumpers. You underrate his skill set. I believe he does have a 3 ball but he takes what the defense gives him and is smart about his chances. Ultimately in the half court set he is mobile enough to gaurd the 3. Who cares if he doesn't have the playmaking of a Tatum or Harden. He can be something different at the 3. We have guys with better offensive skill sets that are better suited for the 4. He could compliment them well by guarding the 3 and being versatile on offense. Check his highlights one more time. He is incredibly quick with his decisions. Should fit in fine at the big lineup 3 or small ball 4.
He can probably play it for short spurts. I hope he turns out to be that versatile. I just don’t see the team even attempting to allow that. I even see him as a small ball 5 sometimes. I know it was college but there were times in his highlights he seemed huge on the floor (I know some colleges have smaller players than others) and he played way above the rim. We will see but I’m very excited about having him on the team.

[Joseph Kony]

when was the last time the spurs signed a second round pick for multiple years? Blair? spurs must be high on this kid

[SpursDynasty85]

He can probably play it for short spurts. I hope he turns out to be that versatile. I just don’t see the team even attempting to allow that. I even see him as a small ball 5 sometimes. I know it was college but there were times in his highlights he seemed huge on the floor (I know some colleges have smaller players than others) and he played way above the rim. We will see but I’m very excited about having him on the team.

For sure. Just hearing he has been signed for 3 years and has the full confidence of the Spurs is enough for me. Hope he gets playing time this year. I'd say he's a better fit for the roster this year than Walker.

[ceperez]

I guess we will see how Spurs utilize him. Him being a small ball 4 or a long death lineup 3 is our best bet to beat Golden State or Rockets. If were going by our traditional ways of doing things we may be left behind.

Adding bulk is good but Metu's shoulder frame and hip frame scream 3. He would have to bulk up to be a 4. The 5 is a stretch imo. He could be our secret weapon for GS this year or next. Since Spurs scouted him for a long time, let's see how they utilize him. I think he'd pair well with Gay and Bertans on which case his foot speed matches up better at the 3 than those other two.

I agree here.

Bertans has no real chance at being a 4, yet the Spurs always play him at the 4. In fact, Metu has a better chance at the 4 than Bertans.

The way the game is played these days, there's usually just one big (see: Celtics with just Baynes) and a lot of quicker players. So I'm not going to get hung up if Metu just DOES NOT fit the conventional 4 or 5.

[ceperez]

At first I thought his skill set was limited too but if you look at the Spurs summer league game. He was rarely in the post. He did everything. He drove to the basket with impressive handles, hustled, pick and roll, 3 ball every now and then, and good jumpers. You underrate his skill set. I believe he does have a 3 ball but he takes what the defense gives him and is smart about his chances. Ultimately in the half court set he is mobile enough to gaurd the 3. Who cares if he doesn't have the playmaking of a Tatum or Harden. He can be something different at the 3. We have guys with better offensive skill sets that are better suited for the 4. He could compliment them well by guarding the 3 and being versatile on offense. Check his highlights one more time. He is incredibly quick with his decisions. Should fit in fine at the big lineup 3 or small ball 4.

There was even one summer league game when he hit like a clutch 3 pointer while being heavily covered. The guy can shoot beyond just a set shot.

He's a swiss army knife player. Probably like Boris Diaw but with less skill and experience.

[Truth4sale$]

At first I thought his skill set was limited too but if you look at the Spurs summer league game. He was rarely in the post. He did everything. He drove to the basket with impressive handles, hustled, pick and roll, 3 ball every now and then, and good jumpers. You underrate his skill set. I believe he does have a 3 ball but he takes what the defense gives him and is smart about his chances. Ultimately in the half court set he is mobile enough to gaurd the 3. Who cares if he doesn't have the playmaking of a Tatum or Harden. He can be something different at the 3. We have guys with better offensive skill sets that are better suited for the 4. He could compliment them well by guarding the 3 and being versatile on offense. Check his highlights one more time. He is incredibly quick with his decisions. Should fit in fine at the big lineup 3 or small ball 4.

I agree. I think he has been pegged as a 4/5 due to his height. But that is misleading or miscast. Ayton abused him when matched up against each other. If you look back, some of Kawhi's draft profile had him as hybrid forward due to his length and college rebounding numbers, and lack of polished game. That changed when he arrived on the Spurs. Kyle Anderson was considered to slow to be a guard, thrown in as a small/power forward and flourished. People are saying Rudy Gay is the starting small forward, but he lacks elite athletism or superior ball handling and is 10 lbs heavier than Metu.
Metu has shown growth since his freshman year to summer league. He is versatile. Shoots3's. Rebounds and block shots.
Bottom line, Spurs see something in him now and don't want to limit him to Austin, like Blossomgame. With his length, athleticism, his effort and Spurs coaching. In 2-3 years he will be something.

[r0drig0lac]

I see Metu more as a pf/sf than pf/c

[BackHome]

Yep

[ceperez]

I agree. I think he has been pegged as a 4/5 due to his height. But that is misleading or miscast. Ayton abused him when matched up against each other. If you look back, some of Kawhi's draft profile had him as hybrid forward due to his length and college rebounding numbers, and lack of polished game. That changed when he arrived on the Spurs. Kyle Anderson was considered to slow to be a guard, thrown in as a small/power forward and flourished. People are saying Rudy Gay is the starting small forward, but he lacks elite athletism or superior ball handling and is 10 lbs heavier than Metu.
Metu has shown growth since his freshman year to summer league. He is versatile. Shoots3's. Rebounds and block shots.
Bottom line, Spurs see something in him now and don't want to limit him to Austin, like Blossomgame. With his length, athleticism, his effort and Spurs coaching. In 2-3 years he will be something.

Spurs have rarely ever signed a 2nd rounder to a long term contract. In the case of Blair, he was actually the Spurs first pick in that draft. Blair played almost every game in the first two seasons with the Spurs. Averaging more than 18 minutes a game for the first three seasons.

The only other 2nd rounder signed and drafted by the Spurs was Manu. This is how rare these signings are!

I have zero doubt that Metu will be a valuable player in the Spurs roster. He's the kind of player you need in today's NBA. I guess the closest comparison I can make right now is a smaller Chris Bosh.

Bosh, Chris 225 6' 10.25" 6' 11.5" 7' 3.5" 9' 1"
Metu, Mezi 220 6'8.5" 6’9.5 7’0.5 9'0"
LaMarcus Aldridge, 234, 6' 10'', 6' 11.25'', 7'4.75, 9' 2'

[keithington1]

I read an article that called him a raw Paul Millsap. I can see that.

[cjw]

Spurs have rarely ever signed a 2nd rounder to a long term contract. In the case of Blair, he was actually the Spurs first pick in that draft. Blair played almost every game in the first two seasons with the Spurs. Averaging more than 18 minutes a game for the first three seasons.


Right - Blair was a different type of second rounder than most. Part of the reason his stock was down was because of his size vs. centers in the league, but he was one of the elite rebounders in college basketball and you can’t tesch rebounding.

The REAL reason he wasn’t a first rounder was his knees. The concern wasn’t that he’d be able to play a solid few years, but more long term. And he did end up having a short career, albeit better than a lot of guys picked higher in that same draft (believe Patty and Green were also second rounders). Whataburger did him in.

[ceperez]

Right - Blair was a different type of second rounder than most. Part of the reason his stock was down was because of his size vs. centers in the league, but he was one of the elite rebounders in college basketball and you can’t tesch rebounding.

The REAL reason he wasn’t a first rounder was his knees. The concern wasn’t that he’d be able to play a solid few years, but more long term. And he did end up having a short career, albeit better than a lot of guys picked higher in that same draft (believe Patty and Green were also second rounders). Whataburger did him in.

Yes, but both weren't drafted by the Spurs.

[ismael-robert]

Lack of height did him in. Great scorer n rebounder but couldn't guard anyone in post

[Dejounte]

I agree. I think he has been pegged as a 4/5 due to his height. But that is misleading or miscast. Ayton abused him when matched up against each other. If you look back, some of Kawhi's draft profile had him as hybrid forward due to his length and college rebounding numbers, and lack of polished game. That changed when he arrived on the Spurs. Kyle Anderson was considered to slow to be a guard, thrown in as a small/power forward and flourished. People are saying Rudy Gay is the starting small forward, but he lacks elite athletism or superior ball handling and is 10 lbs heavier than Metu.
Metu has shown growth since his freshman year to summer league. He is versatile. Shoots3's. Rebounds and block shots.
Bottom line, Spurs see something in him now and don't want to limit him to Austin, like Blossomgame. With his length, athleticism, his effort and Spurs coaching. In 2-3 years he will be something.

This is accurate. Kawhi was projected to be a SF/PF but ended up being a SF/SG. Dejounte was projected to be a SG, but the Spurs molded him into their top PG. Derrick White has been projected to be a PG in college then the Spurs used him as a SG all season long last year (on the Austin Spurs he played more PG)

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

lol half of spur stalk wants to put dijon at sf and the other half metu at sf

[ace3g]

https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1037087113345425408

[Chinook]

Want a PG and a big wing as the two two-way guys. It's a shame they seemed to have passed on Dangubic, but there are still a couple of decent guys to take fliers on. Maybe waiting to see if a guy is cut in another camp makes sense. There will be guys drafted in the second round who don't make teams this year, maybe even those drafted before Metu.

[NickiRasgo]

https://twitter.com/spurs/status/1037087113345425408

What's his real height by the way? Here in article it's listed him as 6'11" while others site are listed him as 6'8" (w/ shoes) or 6'9" (w/o shoes) and others are 6'10".

[KDKSpurs24]

What's his real height by the way? Here in article it's listed him as 6'11" while others site are listed him as 6'8" (w/ shoes) or 6'9" (w/o shoes) and others are 6'10".
In his USC highlights he looks huge on court at times. I know it’s college but I think it’s hard to look that tall compared to other players unless you’re around 6’10 in shoes.

[BackHome]

Want a PG and a big wing as the two two-way guys. It's a shame they seemed to have passed on Dangubic, but there are still a couple of decent guys to take fliers on. Maybe waiting to see if a guy is cut in another camp makes sense. There will be guys drafted in the second round who don't make teams this year, maybe even those drafted before Metu.

Why do you want a PG we have White and Murray?

[Chinook]

Why do you want a PG we have White and Murray?

Because they need depth. Honestly, I want a vet PG on the 15, but they can probably make it through the year with just a seasoned d-leaguer. Honestly, it's pretty startling how few PGs Pop has on the roster, given his usual proclivity to having too many.

[Fusternino]

What's his real height by the way? Here in article it's listed him as 6'11" while others site are listed him as 6'8" (w/ shoes) or 6'9" (w/o shoes) and others are 6'10".

6'8.5" w/o shoes 6'9.5" w/ shoes.

[ceperez]

6'8.5" w/o shoes 6'9.5" w/ shoes.

Decent size, but certainly not a center. More like a borderline PF.

[TimmyBuckets]

Is he fast enough to play the 3?

[SpursDynasty85]

Is he fast enough to play the 3?

I say he could play it situationally. Especially against a KD at SF line up for 15 mpg. He is a perfect new age PF if he can reliably shoot the 3. I would never want to see him gaurd Adam's, Gobert, DJ, Cousins, etc.. would rather he gaurd Lebron, KD, or PG ar the 3 than that.

[TimmyBuckets]

Hopefully he's not too slow to guard wings and too small to guard bigs

[ceperez]

I say he could play it situationally. Especially against a KD at SF line up for 15 mpg. He is a perfect new age PF if he can reliably shoot the 3. I would never want to see him gaurd Adam's, Gobert, DJ, Cousins, etc.. would rather he gaurd Lebron, KD, or PG ar the 3 than that.

Makes absolute sense. Just enough length, speed and athleticism to bother them sometimes.

[Larry O]

I'd call Mezi a "tweener," since he's between a 3 & a 4. According to nba.net, they list him at 6-10 (no shoes?) and 6-11 (with shoes?) at 220 lbs, a 6-11 wingspan, & has a quick first step off the dribble for his position as they labled him, as a 4-5. Of coarse, in traditional NBA lineups, he couldn't possibly play the 5, but in small-ball lineups, he could. I've read somewhere where it said that he's played soccer when he was younger, so for him, that's a big plus, because that would help him with his lateral quickness, even if he were allowed to play the 3, which is important of coarse, for that postition, especially if he is to guard up to 4 positions. Mezi is a hybrid who's athletic; has a high motor, when he wants to bring it, but to be honest, the ball is in his court to develop his body & his skills if he wants to be sucessful in the NBA, but for a late 2nd rounder, if he can live up to his potential, SAS has another great steal! GSG!!

[TimmyBuckets]

I'd call Mezi a "tweener," since he's between a 3 & a 4. According to nba.net, they list him at 6-10 (no shoes?) and 6-11 (with shoes?) at 220 lbs, a 6-11 wingspan, & has a quick first step off the dribble for his position as they labled him, as a 4-5. Of coarse, in traditional NBA lineups, he couldn't possibly play the 5, but in small-ball lineups, he could. I've read somewhere where it said that he's played soccer when he was younger, so for him, that's a big plus, because that would help him with his lateral quickness, even if he were allowed to play the 3, which is important of coarse, for that postition, especially if he is to guard up to 4 positions. Mezi is a hybrid who's athletic; has a high motor, when he wants to bring it, but to be honest, the ball is in his court to develop his body & his skills if he wants to be sucessful in the NBA, but for a late 2nd rounder, if he can live up to his potential, SAS has another great steal! GSG!!

[Keepin' it real]

Will Metu and Cady be the small ball twin towers???

[DJR210]

Will Metu and Cady be the small ball twin towers???

Cady is gonna retire in Austin if anything

[Pavlov]

Cady is gonna retire in Austin if anythingJust signed for an ACB team in Spain.

[DJR210]

Just signed for an ACB team in Spain.

So long, Cady. He's already 26

[Pavlov]

So long, Cady. He's already 26Seems like he found a pretty good middling first Euro level if he can stick for more than a season. Same team on which Gervin scored 25ppg as a 38 year old.

[MaNu4Tres]

Because they need depth. Honestly, I want a vet PG on the 15, but they can probably make it through the year with just a seasoned d-leaguer. Honestly, it's pretty startling how few PGs Pop has on the roster, given his usual proclivity to having too many.

Labeled positions don't matter. Spurs have more perimeter creators and facilitators than they did last season. They don't need a short 6'0-6'2 labeled PG just to have depth in writing.

Here are players they added this year that can facilitate from the perimeter: DeRozan, White, Belinelli, an improved Dejounte, and to an extent Lonnie.

Facilitators they lost: Manu, and to very small extents -- Tony and Kyle. Even though Tony didn't really pose as a significant threat to score. Most of his facilitating had to do with redundant and telepathic PnPops that were given up by the defense on purpose on most occasions.

[cd021]

I see Metu more as a pf/sf than pf/c

This "Metu is a 3" thing is really getting out of hand. He is an NBA 4 that may play some small ball 5

[Chinook]

Labeled positions don't matter. Spurs have more perimeter creators and facilitators than they did last season. They don't need a short 6'0-6'2 labeled PG just to have depth in writing.

Here are players they added this year that can facilitate from the perimeter: DeRozan, White, Belinelli, an improved Dejounte, and to an extent Lonnie.

Facilitators they lost: Manu, and to very small extents -- Tony and Kyle. Even though Tony didn't really pose as a significant threat to score. Most of his facilitating had to do with redundant and telepathic PnPops that were given up by the defense on purpose on most occasions.

Nope. Lonnie and Beli aren't facilitators. DeRozan is better than Kawhi, but he's not a PG. It's not defensible to argue they have more facilitators this year. It's just not true.

[Dex]

Nope. Lonnie and Beli aren't facilitators. DeRozan is better than Kawhi, but he's not a PG. It's not defensible to argue they have more facilitators this year. It's just not true.

Beli isn't a bonafide ball handler by any means, but he is capable of moving the ball and making plays for others as exhibited by the work he put in during the Beautiful Game days.

His movement on offense also loosens opposing defenses, which makes plays without him being directly involved.

I used to love watching the ball whip around when both he and Manu were on the floor.

[TD 21]

A traditional PG on a 2-way makes sense. I could see them having interest in Ulis. They liked him in '16 and I suspect would have picked him had Murray not fallen. The 15 man is fine with DeRozan, Murray and White, serving as primary ball handlers, with Mills and Forbes as ancillary options who can defend the position.


Decent size, but certainly not a center. More like a borderline PF.

:lmao It never ceases to amaze me how many of you people don't get it. In shoes and rounding up, Metu is 6'10'', 225, with a 7'1'' wingspan. If he's going to stick long term, it'll be as an undersized, rim running C. There's plenty examples of this archetype: Faried, Nance, Thompson, Vanderbilt, Bell, Looney, Chriss, Harrell, Diallo, Randle, etc.

Two big lineups are becoming extinct. The league is in a holding pattern, waiting out the dead money C contracts and feverishly scouring for wings. Eventually, hybrid bigs like Aldridge will be converted into full time C's and big wings like Gay will be converted into full time PF's.

[MaNu4Tres]

Nope. Lonnie and Beli aren't facilitators. DeRozan is better than Kawhi, but he's not a PG. It's not defensible to argue they have more facilitators this year. It's just not true.

They are in PnRs in small doses from secondary action, not primary action.
Spurs have more facilitators coming into this season than they did last season. Thats not a question.

[Dex]

This "Metu is a 3" thing is really getting out of hand. He is an NBA 4 that may play some small ball 5

Metu is definitely not a 3. He may be able to match up okay with 3s on the occasional switch if he can improve his lateral movement and awareness, but anyone thinks he is going to play the 3 clearly didn't see him in Summer League.

Rose and Blair were able to survive in the post being 6'7. Metu will be fine at 6'10 (with possible some room to grow) as long as he bulks up. Capella is only 6'10, and I see Metu fitting that mold.

Hell, Duncan was closer to 6'10 than he was 7', and he seemed to turn out okay.

[SpursDynasty85]

This "Metu is a 3" thing is really getting out of hand. He is an NBA 4 that may play some small ball 5

Small ball lineups usually consist of a legit center/of as the 5 with a combination of gaurd and wings at the 1-4. There are obviously some exceptions but ultimately it all comes down to positionless basketball. Even if Metu is the 5 against GS, the biggest weakness for the Spurs is when the center or smaller guy switches onto KD and making sure Klay is chained down. As long as Metu can gaurd KD/Lebron/Harden on switches for few stretches it will give us the best chance to contend for a championship. We really don't care what position you call him. Especially on our roster say you have Aldridge and Gay in there along with Metu for length which of these guys has quicker lateral footspeed? I think most would say Metu.

Circumstantially:

Aldridge
Gay
Metu
DeRozan
White/Murray

For when length and size is needed.

[Chinook]

They are in PnRs in small doses from secondary action, not primary action.
Spurs have more facilitators coming into this season than they did last season. Thats not a question.

They lost Tony and Manu and replaced them with DeRozan and White. Walker doesn't count, because he's going to play just as much as White (whom you didn't count for last year) did last season. Anderson at least cancels out Beli. Moreover, last year, the team had offensive issues without Kawhi, so merely replacing that output isn't good enough. The offense would have been fine had they had Leonard's scoring and gravity, but this year's team won't get that. When you lose as much D as they did, you can't just tread water offensively.

Even so, last year, the team had White and Murray as PGs behind Parker and Manu. Murray started because Tony was still hurt, but they still had the depth to take two injuries. Now we're expecting every one of the "facilitators" to be in the rotation. If one of them goes down, they aren't being replaced by Murray or White. They are being replaced by Forbes, Pondexter or Cunningham.

[Chinook]

Small ball lineups usually consist of a legit center/of as the 5 with a combination of gaurd and wings at the 1-4. There are obviously some exceptions but ultimately it all comes down to positionless basketball. Even if Metu is the 5 against GS, the biggest weakness for the Spurs is when the center or smaller guy switches onto KD and making sure Klay is chained down. As long as Metu can gaurd KD/Lebron/Harden on switches for few stretches it will give us the best chance to contend for a championship. We really don't care what position you call him. Especially on our roster say you have Aldridge and Gay in there along with Metu for length which of these guys has quicker lateral footspeed? I think most would say Metu.

Circumstantially:

Aldridge
Gay
Metu
DeRozan
White/Murray

For when length and size is needed.

Metu isn't a three. No amount of jargon makes that true. Chim's agility isn't better than the average center at the combine. I'm sure he's not a stiff, but he's not guy who's going to do well if he gets iso'd on a guard or wing. At least he won't just because of his physical standing.

Anyway, there are a lot of different ways to do "small-ball" lineups. It's not just a five and four smalls.

[SpursDynasty85]

Metu isn't a three. No amount of jargon makes that true. Chim's agility isn't better than the average center at the combine. I'm sure he's not a stiff, but he's not guy who's going to do well if he gets iso'd on a guard or wing. At least he won't just because of his physical standing.

Anyway, there are a lot of different ways to do "small-ball" lineups. It's not just a five and four smalls.

Exactly lots of ways to do it. His agility is much better than most centers. You are ignorant to this fact. Ultimately I agree he is not a true 3 or 5. His natural position appears to be a 4. But against some lineups we need to switch it up. Hope Popovich was watching Messina coach last year against the warriors isn the playoffs. Metu is quicker than both Gay and Bertans.

[Chinook]

Beli isn't a bonafide ball handler by any means, but he is capable of moving the ball and making plays for others as exhibited by the work he put in during the Beautiful Game days.

His movement on offense also loosens opposing defenses, which makes plays without him being directly involved.

I used to love watching the ball whip around when both he and Manu were on the floor.

Lebron used the term "live" to describe that sort of ball-moving ability. Beli is live, sure. He can dribble and finish, maybe make a kick-out. But you don't go "damn, one of the PGs is hurt; good thing we have Beli to fill in." You have two young PGs with little experience with being primary facilitators, another guy who facilitated well but also played with three PGs in the rotation, and a couple of decent scorers who can make the right pass if motivated, and a PG who makes great reads but can't force the action. All in one rotation, I can see if being good enough. But there's no margin for error in that unit. You lose any of those top four facilitators, and there's just a huge hole. No one on the deep bench can run a team at all.

[Chinook]

Exactly lots of ways to do it. His agility is much better than most centers. You are ignorant to this fact. Ultimately I agree he is not a true 3 or 5. His natural position appears to be a 4. But against some lineups we need to switch it up. Hope Popovich was watching Messina coach last year against the warriors isn the playoffs. Metu is quicker than both Gay and Bertans.

Look at his combine results before popping off like that. Him driving and pulling up doesn't make him mobile, especially defensively. Hell, Bertans can that better than Metu can, and I don't see you saying he's a three.

[Pavlov]

Look at his combine results before popping off like that. Him driving and pulling up doesn't make him mobile, especially defensively. Hell, Bertans can that better than Metu can, and I don't see you saying he's a three.Did Kyle Anderson even do those tests?

[Chinook]

Did Kyle Anderson even do those tests?

Did anyone say Anderson has good agility?

[Pavlov]

Did anyone say Anderson has good agility?Well, it's just that he played a lot of SF.

It was an honest question about his test results. I'd love to compare but i've only found N/As so far.

[TD 21]

Small ball lineups usually consist of a legit center/of as the 5 with a combination of gaurd and wings at the 1-4. There are obviously some exceptions but ultimately it all comes down to positionless basketball. Even if Metu is the 5 against GS, the biggest weakness for the Spurs is when the center or smaller guy switches onto KD and making sure Klay is chained down. As long as Metu can gaurd KD/Lebron/Harden on switches for few stretches it will give us the best chance to contend for a championship. We really don't care what position you call him. Especially on our roster say you have Aldridge and Gay in there along with Metu for length which of these guys has quicker lateral footspeed? I think most would say Metu.

Circumstantially:

Aldridge
Gay
Metu
DeRozan
White/Murray

For when length and size is needed.

:lmao Suffice it to say, curb your enthusiasm with Metu.


Even if that lineup had sufficient mobility, it wouldn't have enough stretch.

In matchups where playing 2 traditional bigs together isn't applicable and size on the wings is needed, expect Bertans and Cunningham to have increased roles.

[SpursDynasty85]

Look at his combine results before popping off like that. Him driving and pulling up doesn't make him mobile, especially defensively. Hell, Bertans can that better than Metu can, and I don't see you saying he's a three.

I just did. He is top 5 for pf/c in the agility drills. How can you say he is not more agile than most centers? Your use of quantitive evidence clearly supports he is above average in that regard. NbA is getting smaller but Centers are not. Most small ball lineups include 1 7 footer from my observation.

Also, game tape can say a lot more than draft stats. He looks plenty agile and makes play that I see small forwards make all the time.

He will likely play 5 more than 3 because Popovich tends to go extra small but in certain lineups we need him in there with Aldrodge and Gay. Who cares what position he is on paper? Point is his quickness looks like it will be an asset on switches.

[Chinook]

Well, it's just that he played a lot of SF.

It was an honest question about his test results. I'd love to compare but i've only found N/As so far.

I mean, we can talk about Kawhi's combine too, if we're on the subject of random SFs. My point is that Metu doesn't seem to have some special mobility that makes him an SF. If he had been playing that position last year, then it would make sense why folks would argue for him doing so as a pro. But he's a big. Sure, he's small. But he hasn't been a wing and shouldn't be thought of one unless he demonstrates some new ability to be one. I don't have the burden of proof here.

To answer your literal question, Kyle's absent from the official combine stats. I'm assuming he didn't attend.

[SpursDynasty85]

:lmao Suffice it to say, curb your enthusiasm with Metu.


Even if that lineup had sufficient mobility, it wouldn't have enough stretch.

In matchups where playing 2 traditional bigs together isn't applicable and size on the wings is needed, expect Bertans and Cunningham to have increased roles.

You sacrifice some stretch for size. There is plenty of shooting in there. All 5 should be able to make corner 3's easy. Lol. I really am getting excited for Metu. Would be great if he panned out as a dynamic 4 for us. Good combo with Poeltl at the front court.

[Chinook]

I just did. He is top 5 for pf/c in the agility drills. How can you say he is not more agile than most centers? Your use of quantitive evidence clearly supports he is above average in that regard. NbA is getting smaller but Centers are not. Most small ball lineups include 1 7 footer from my observation.

Also, game tape can say a lot more than draft stats. He looks plenty agile and makes play that I see small forwards make all the time.

He will likely play 5 more than 3 because Popovich tends to go extra small but in certain lineups we need him in there with Aldrodge and Gay. Who cares what position he is on paper? Point is his quickness looks like it will be an asset on switches.

Metu had the ninth-worst agility time out of anyone in the combine. Not a single perimeter player had a worse one except for Jaylen hands, who went back to school. In fact, the only players who were drafted who had worse agility times than Metu were Kostas and Spellman, the former of whom was drafted 60th overall and the latter being a bulky center who will have no ambiguity in his position. Moreover, Metu was 9/16 for the stat among PF/Cs (again, counting undrafted guys too). So yes, I can say he was not above-average.

[Pavlov]

I mean, we can talk about Kawhi's combine too, if we're on the subject of random SFs. My point is that Metu doesn't seem to have some special mobility that makes him an SF. If he had been playing that position last year, then it would make sense why folks would argue for him doing so as a pro. But he's a big. Sure, he's small. But he hasn't been a wing and shouldn't be thought of one unless he demonstrates some new ability to be one. I don't have the burden of proof here.

To answer your literal question, Kyle's absent from the official combine stats. I'm assuming he didn't attend.lol this isn't a trial. I can see people's squinting to make Metu a SF, even after seeing him in SL. I personally see him as a PF who needs to put on 10 pounds.

[SpursDynasty85]

Metu had the ninth-worst agility time out of anyone in the combine. Not a single perimeter player had a worse one except for Jaylen hands, who went back to school. In fact, the only players who were drafted who had worse agility times than Metu were Kostas and Spellman, the former of whom was drafted 60th overall and the latter being a bulky center who will have no ambiguity in his position. Moreover, Metu was 9/16 for the stat among PF/Cs (again, counting undrafted guys too). So yes, I can say he was not above-average.

Which stat are you looking at?

I'm looking at lane agility and shuttle run and he is top 4 and top 5 respectively among the 14 centers and pf/center combos. https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine/

[Chinook]

Which stat are you looking at?

I'm looking at lane agility and shuttle run and he is top 4 and top 5 respectively among the 14 centers and pf/center combos. https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine/

Yeah:

https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine-strength-agility/#!?sort=LANE_AGILITY_TIME&dir=-1


He's not top four in lane agility. He's one of the worst.

[exstatic]

They lost Tony and Manu and replaced them with DeRozan and White. Walker doesn't count, because he's going to play just as much as White (whom you didn't count for last year) did last season. Anderson at least cancels out Beli. Moreover, last year, the team had offensive issues without Kawhi, so merely replacing that output isn't good enough. The offense would have been fine had they had Leonard's scoring and gravity, but this year's team won't get that. When you lose as much D as they did, you can't just tread water offensively.

Even so, last year, the team had White and Murray as PGs behind Parker and Manu. Murray started because Tony was still hurt, but they still had the depth to take two injuries. Now we're expecting every one of the "facilitators" to be in the rotation. If one of them goes down, they aren't being replaced by Murray or White. They are being replaced by Forbes, Pondexter or Cunningham.

Do you remember the last time the Spurs drafted in the top 20? They drafted James Anderson, and he played 26 games, right up to the point where he fractured his fifth metatarsal. The Spurs had Walker in the top 10 on their draft board. I’m not sure the same rules apply that do when they draft in the late 20s.

[SpursDynasty85]

Yeah:

https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine-strength-agility/#!?sort=LANE_AGILITY_TIME&dir=-1


He's not top four in lane agility. He's one of the worst.

Bro look at the section where it compares within his position group. He is listed as a pf/c. Clearly in the section where it groups those players as well as purely centers his name is top 4 and top 5. You are saying he is below average compared to all pgs, wings, forwards and centers? Sure. But he is clearly above average compared to other centers.

[Chinook]

Yeah:

https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine-strength-agility/#!?sort=LANE_AGILITY_TIME&dir=-1


He's not top four in lane agility. He's one of the worst.

What happened, is that you filter only for players who had C in their designation. That puts Metu at four, but everyone after him did not get drafted except for the aforementioned Spellman. Beating out a bunch of non-NBA players doesn't mean anything.

[boutons_deux]

I really hope both new bigs get a chance early in the season to win a spot on the bench.

Compared to LMA plodder, they both have wide open, mobile games. Can't wait to see them, Pop allowing.

[SpursDynasty85]

What happened, is that you filter only for players who had C in their designation. That puts Metu at four, but everyone after him did not get drafted except for the aforementioned Spellman. Beating out a bunch of non-NBA players doesn't mean anything.

No just scroll down. Don't use the filters. It's clear as day.

[TD 21]

NbA is getting smaller but Centers are not. Most small ball lineups include 1 7 footer from my observation.


They are. Not always in height, but weight. Plenty of current C's were or would have been PF's in the past.

There's very few in shoes 7 footers, never mind barefoot. You still need a rim protector in small ball lineups, but being 7 foot doesn't automatically mean being a rim protector (Kaminsky, Nowitzki, Olynyk, Leonard, etc.). Within' reason, length is more important than height.


You sacrifice some stretch for size. There is plenty of shooting in there. All 5 should be able to make corner 3's easy. Lol. I really am getting excited for Metu. Would be great if he panned out as a dynamic 4 for us. Good combo with Poeltl at the front court.

Bertans and Cunningham represent size.

:wow Not a single remotely threatening, much less dynamic 3-point shooter. Any defense would pack the paint, bait them to fire away and they'd labor to score.

There is no non garbage time scenario where Metu and Poeltl should be playing together.

[Chinook]

Bro look at the section where it compares within his position group. He is listed as a pf/c. Clearly in the section where it groups those players as well as purely centers his name is top 4 and top 5. You are saying he is below average compared to all pgs, wings, forwards and centers? Sure. But he is clearly above average compared to other centers.

No. You've been filtering incorrectly. You're comparing him to the centers, in which case, he's the second-worst among centers drafted. Everyone else either went undrafted or withdrew because their combine numbers sucked. The only guy he beat out was Spellman. Once you add PFs in the mix (meaning once you add in his actual position), Metu becomes well below-average. I assume adding in wings would just make it worse.

[Chinook]

No just scroll down. Don't use the filters. It's clear as day.

No. You filtered for Centers only, ignoring PFs if they weren't PF/C. PF/C doesn't mean PFs and C. It means a guy who is in between those positions. Unambiguous players get one or the other, and adding in pure PFs makes it a more honest data set.

[SpursDynasty85]

No. You've been filtering incorrectly. You're comparing him to the centers, in which case, he's the second-worst among centers drafted. Everyone else either went undrafted or withdrew because their combine numbers sucked. The only guy he beat out was Spellman. Once you add PFs in the mix (meaning once you add in his actual position), Metu becomes well below-average. I assume adding in wings would just make it worse.

It's the combine! This was a deep draft and younger talent is becoming increasingly agile and long. The drafted centers will probably all be above average to today's starting centers. The website filtered it for me. I didn't mess with the filters.

These are fresh young guys who make it to the combine based on their potential and athleticism. All these guys are near their athletic peak for combine results. Strength and skill grow but their combine numbers will not get better but worse as they age. Metu is easily as agile as most of not better than today's NBA centers.

Anyways, can we agree he seems to have potential as a decent big guarding some of the perimeter players at least? That's the minimum we are going to need from anybody to against Houston and GS.

[SpursDynasty85]

They are. Not always in height, but weight. Plenty of current C's were or would have been PF's in the past.

There's very few in shoes 7 footers, never mind barefoot. You still need a rim protector in small ball lineups, but being 7 foot doesn't automatically mean being a rim protector (Kaminsky, Nowitzki, Olynyk, Leonard, etc.). Within' reason, length is more important than height.
[/I][/B]


Bertans and Cunningham represent size.

:wow Not a single remotely threatening, much less dynamic 3-point shooter. Any defense would pack the paint, bait them to fire away and they'd labor to score.

There is no non garbage time scenario where Metu and Poeltl should be playing together.


Metu and Poeltl will be our future front court watch. That combo looks great offensively and defensively. I guess you don't trust Metu at all with a jumpshot?

[Chinook]

It's the combine! This was a deep draft and younger talent is becoming increasingly agile and long. The drafted centers will probably all be above average to today's starting centers. The website filtered it for me. I didn't mess with the filters.

These are fresh young guys who make it to the combine based on their potential and athleticism. All these guys are near their athletic peak for combine results. Strength and skill grow but their combine numbers will not get better but worse as they age. Metu is easily as agile as most of not better than today's NBA centers.

Anyways, can we agree he seems to have potential as a decent big guarding some of the perimeter players at least? That's the minimum we are going to need from anybody to against Houston and GS.

I don't think we can agree on that. I mean, sure it's possible, and I hope so. But being physically able to move fast enough to keep up with wings doesn't mean much if the player isn't fundamentally sound in their perimeter defense. Being a big who can switch on a PnR is one thing and a pretty good goal for Metu to aspire to. But being able to go up and down the floor with any SF is a lot to ask. It requires skills I don't think it's fair to say Metu should have. Of course, could he randomly have those skills and thus become a different player? Maybe. But I haven't seen a single reason to think he has those or should have his development go in that direction.

[SpursDynasty85]

No. You filtered for Centers only, ignoring PFs if they weren't PF/C. PF/C doesn't mean PFs and C. It means a guy who is in between those positions. Unambiguous players get one or the other, and adding in pure PFs makes it a more honest data set.

Why? Your statement was he is not average compared to centers. In a pool of Centers and PF/C ar the combine he was top 5 for the two agility drills. This evidence clearly does not prove your theory. Just saying. All draft analysis previously has Metu with quick feet and good agility for a big man. Your just being ignorant when you say he is not even average for a center.

[SpursDynasty85]

I don't think we can agree on that. I mean, sure it's possible, and I hope so. But being physically able to move fast enough to keep up with wings doesn't mean much if the player isn't fundamentally sound in their perimeter defense. Being a big who can switch on a PnR is one thing and a pretty good goal for Metu to aspire to. But being able to go up and down the floor with any SF is a lot to ask. It requires skills I don't think it's fair to say Metu should have. Of course, could he randomly have those skills and thus become a different player? Maybe. But I haven't seen a single reason to think he has those or should have his development go in that direction.

In the end it will be only situationally ge may gaurd 3s I believe. The same way we had Gay and Bertans on Durant. Those guys cannot do it for 30 mph but can in 10 mph spurts which is what Metu (hopefully a little more because he appears quicker than both at this stage in their careers) will get to.

Against Houston we will see PJ Tucker and Carmelo at the 3. Metu is a better fit to gaurd those guys than DeRozan. Gay and Bertans could too but so can Metu I think. If it works out, it would be great because Metu can drive and dunk viciously over those guys. Would be exciting and fun to watch it in spurts.

[Chinook]

Why? Your statement was he is not average compared to centers. In a pool of Centers and PF/C ar the combine he was top 5 for the two agility drills. This evidence clearly does not prove your theory. Just saying. All draft analysis previously has Metu with quick feet and good agility for a big man. Your just being ignorant when you say he is not even average for a center.

As I said, he was the second-worst out of centers that actually got drafted. The combine numbers support that. Constantly using "ignorant" over and over doesn't negate that. Your argument is that he was top-five. But he was top-five out of a pool of six.

[Chinook]

In the end it will be only situationally ge may gaurd 3s I believe. The same way we had Gay and Bertans on Durant. Those guys cannot do it for 30 mph but can in 10 mph spurts which is what Metu (hopefully a little more because he appears quicker than both at this stage in their careers) will get to.

Against Houston we will see PJ Tucker and Carmelo at the 3. Metu is a better fit to gaurd those guys than DeRozan. Gay and Bertans could too but so can Metu I think. If it works out, it would be great because Metu can drive and dunk viciously over those guys. Would be exciting and fun to watch it in spurts.

It might be. But I don't like Metu versus big threes either. I totally see Cunningham getting those minutes. Metu is tall enough, but he has the bulk of a wing. Any hefty post player will eat him up.

[SpursDynasty85]

As I said, he was the second-worst out of centers that actually got drafted. The combine numbers support that. Constantly using "ignorant" over and over doesn't negate that. Your argument is that he was top-five. But he was top-five out of a pool of six.

Lol. You are ignorant. https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine/

He is top 4 and top 5 out of 14 center and pf/c combos. Ignorant, ignorant, ignorant.

Edit: looks like 4 guys didn't run. So it was out of 10. But draft analysis of game film suggest he has good footspeed and agility for a center. Today's draft looks a lot different from one 10 years ago so I would say we picked up one heck of a dynamic big.

[Chinook]

Lol. You are ignorant. https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine/

He is top 4 and top 5 out of 14 center and pf/c combos. Ignorant, ignorant, ignorant.

Click on the fucking arrow next to the results and see who he's being compared to.

https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine-strength-agility/#!?sort=LANE_AGILITY_TIME&dir=-1&CF=POSITION*E*C&SeasonYear=2018-19

He beat out guys who didn't stay in the draft because they weren't going to be good picks or guys who were undrafted. He didn't compete at all against guys like Ayton or Bamba.

[TD 21]

Metu and Poeltl will be our future front court watch. That combo looks great offensively and defensively. I guess you don't trust Metu at all with a jumpshot?

Stranger things have happened, but I'd be surprised if Metu ever became more than a 4th big and would consider 5th a success (that still means relatively significant minutes throughout the season, especially on this team).

After this season, near future I expect the 4-5 rotation to be as follows: Aldridge, Gay or some other big wing (Aminu?), Poeltl, Bertans.

[SpursDynasty85]

Click on the fucking arrow next to the results and see who he's being compared to.

https://stats.nba.com/draft/combine-strength-agility/#!?sort=LANE_AGILITY_TIME&dir=-1&CF=POSITION*E*C&SeasonYear=2018-19

He beat out guys who didn't stay in the draft because they weren't going to be good picks or guys who were undrafted. He didn't compete at all against guys like Ayton or Bamba.

Lol. Still everything you were trying to say was wrong though. He competed against centers and pf/c combos. Finished top 4 out of 10. This proves he is below average agility for NBA centers?

Like I said, today's NBSmA centers: Capela, Adam's, Ibaka, Valaciunas, McGee, Cousins, Gortat, Horford, would do better? Draft analysis clearly puts his agility and footspeed as impressive for his height and position. I'd say it's pretty ignorant to say he is below average. But I digress.

[SpursDynasty85]

Stranger things have happened, but I'd be surprised if Metu ever became more than a 4th big and would consider 5th a success (that still means relatively significant minutes throughout the season, especially on this team).

After this season, near future I expect the 4-5 rotation to be as follows: Aldridge, Gay or some other big wing (Aminu?), Poeltl, Bertans.

Gay and Aldridge will probably be retired after 3 more years
That would leave Poeltl, Bertans, and Metu to carry the torch after. Hopefully we do pick up at least one more front court player by then. I can see Metu playing off the bench but hopefully being the first one off of it.

[Chinook]

I don't think the NBA will move past PFs of Metu's size. It's just that if Metu's most intriguing skills were NBA-caliber, he would be an SF. Then that guy and a center would still be considered a small-ball lineup. We're essentially talking about a dude the same size as Kyle Anderson here. If Metu can cut and spot-up, while being a positive defensive presence, he can certainly play next to Poeltl or Aldridge. You don't have to be perfect at guarding wings to be a small-ball PF. You just have to good enough to compliment whatever you supply on the other end.

[Chinook]

Lol. Still everything you were trying to say was wrong though. He competed against centers and pf/c combos. Finished top 4 out of 10. This proves he is below average agility for NBA centers?

Like I said, today's NBSmA centers: Capela, Adam's, Ibaka, Valaciunas, McGee, Cousins, Gortat, Horford, would do better? Draft analysis clearly puts his agility and footspeed as impressive for his height and position. I'd say it's pretty ignorant to say he is below average. But I digress.

You consistently fail to acknowledge that everyone below him is not going to be in the NBA next year except for Spellman. It doesn't matter how non-NBA players did against him. Anyway, you keep ignoring that his position is not center in your mind. You are arguing he's a PF who should play more SF than C. But compared to the PFs and SFs in the combine, he showed poorly. His agility is NOT impressive for his height. It is above-average if you compare him exclusively to bigger players and fail to filter out guys who were not drafted. That's intellectually dishonest as shit though.

[TD 21]

Gay and Aldridge will probably be retired after 3 more years
That would leave Poeltl, Bertans, and Metu to carry the torch after. Hopefully we do pick up at least one more front court player by then. I can see Metu playing off the bench but hopefully being the first one off of it.

They're only 33 and 32. One is late prime, the other slightly past prime. They both have elite length, so they can slide up a position as they age. They should be able to play a relatively long time, if they so choose. Especially Aldridge, who's similar to Duncan and Gasol, the exact archetype that ages best (long, skilled, below the rim bigs).

Even if both did retire in 3 years, that's plenty of time for things to change. You're only considering what they have in the cupboard today and also not considering the amount of money that would be freed up.

[SpursDynasty85]

They're only 33 and 32. One is late prime, the other slightly past prime. They both have elite length, so they can slide up a position as they age. They should be able to play a relatively long time, if they so choose. Especially Aldridge, who's similar to Duncan and Gasol, the exact archetype that ages best (long, skilled, below the rim bigs).

Even if both did retire in 3 years, that's plenty of time for things to change. You're only considering what they have in the cupboard today and also not considering the amount of money that would be freed up.

No. I get what your saying. I am just a little more high on him than you I guess. Aldridge I definite can see playin past 3 years and yes more at the 5 with limited minutes. Gay is interesting. Even at the 4, his foot speed would attract a lot of guards to switch on him and blow by him so I can see Metu easily out playin Gay by then, maybe before but the way Pop stays loyal Metu may well be just our 4th or 5th big but in some cases he will be bigtime for us on occasions I think.

[SpursDynasty85]

You consistently fail to acknowledge that everyone below him is not going to be in the NBA next year except for Spellman. It doesn't matter how non-NBA players did against him. Anyway, you keep ignoring that his position is not center in your mind. You are arguing he's a PF who should play more SF than C. But compared to the PFs and SFs in the combine, he showed poorly. His agility is NOT impressive for his height. It is above-average if you compare him exclusively to bigger players and fail to filter out guys who were not drafted. That's intellectually dishonest as shit though.

To be fair. I am only high on him at the 3 against certain lineups. I call him a 4. Second, I was refuting your statement on that he is below average agility for an NBA center. Then you point me to draft combine and your main argument is that the best centers didn't even compete in the agility drills. His combine stats prove of the likely centers and pf/c combos that teams wanted to see, he finished at least average to above average. It is poor evidence of your assertion that he is below average agility no matter how you want to twist the numbers. Like I said, most draft analysis likes his foot speed and ability for a big man.

And it is not dishonest. You are trying to compare him to purely the drafted guys? Lol sounds like your comparison is dishonest. Today's young guys in the combine are head and shoulders more agile than most of today's NBA centers. Lol.

[NickiRasgo]

In his USC highlights he looks huge on court at times. I know it’s college but I think it’s hard to look that tall compared to other players unless you’re around 6’10 in shoes.


Hopefully he's 6'10" (w/ or w/o shoes).


6'8.5" w/o shoes 6'9.5" w/ shoes.

Sorry I interchanged the two but thanks for this and it's still confusing on which report is the accurate. :lol

[Chinook]

To be fair. I am only high on him at the 3 against certain lineups. I call him a 4. Second, I was refuting your statement on that he is below average agility for an NBA center. Then you point me to draft combine and your main argument is that the best centers didn't even compete in the agility drills. His combine stats prove of the likely centers and pf/c combos that teams wanted to see, he finished at least average to above average. It is poor evidence of your assertion that he is below average agility no matter how you want to twist the numbers. Like I said, most draft analysis likes his foot speed and ability for a big man.

And it is not dishonest. You are trying to compare him to purely the drafted guys? Lol sounds like your comparison is dishonest. Today's young guys in the combine are head and shoulders more agile than most of today's NBA centers. Lol.

Yes, I'm trying to compare him to his rookie class, not to guys who dropped out of the draft or who will be playing overseas. Now do I think Metu is faster than the Gasols of the league? Yes. But Metu is INSANELY small for a center. Like there was a two-guard who was bigger than him in the draft. He doesn't have the weight to play center, small-ball or no. Once he adds the 20 pounds to get there, will his average agility numbers still hold up? Probably not. My whole point is that he's not some special athlete where it makes sense to think of him as a forward rather than a big. He has some floor game, but he doesn't have perimeter-level movement. Whether he's slightly above-average or slightly below-average is really unimportant. His feet say he's a big, even if his frame and girth say he's a wing.

[ceperez]

Yes, I'm trying to compare him to his rookie class, not to guys who dropped out of the draft or who will be playing overseas. Now do I think Metu is faster than the Gasols of the league? Yes. But Metu is INSANELY small for a center. Like there was a two-guard who was bigger than him in the draft. He doesn't have the weight to play center, small-ball or no. Once he adds the 20 pounds to get there, will his average agility numbers still hold up? Probably not. My whole point is that he's not some special athlete where it makes sense to think of him as a forward rather than a big. He has some floor game, but he doesn't have perimeter-level movement. Whether he's slightly above-average or slightly below-average is really unimportant. His feet say he's a big, even if his frame and girth say he's a wing.

We are all really speculating as what kind of player he might become. The point I make however is that the Spurs RARELY ever sign a 2nd rounder that they drafted. The previous occasion was Blair and they played him a lot for the next 3 seasons. That's not typical for a Spurs rookies. The other guy they drafted (and stashed) in the second round is a HOF (i.e. Manu). So I have some trust in the instincts of the PATFO. They had more time and access to evaluate Metu than any of us and apparently they like him enough to lock him up for 3 years.

[cd021]

Small ball lineups usually consist of a legit center/of as the 5 with a combination of gaurd and wings at the 1-4. There are obviously some exceptions but ultimately it all comes down to positionless basketball. Even if Metu is the 5 against GS, the biggest weakness for the Spurs is when the center or smaller guy switches onto KD and making sure Klay is chained down. As long as Metu can gaurd KD/Lebron/Harden on switches for few stretches it will give us the best chance to contend for a championship. We really don't care what position you call him. Especially on our roster say you have Aldridge and Gay in there along with Metu for length which of these guys has quicker lateral footspeed? I think most would say Metu.

Circumstantially:

Aldridge
Gay
Metu
DeRozan
White/Murray

For when length and size is needed.

That lineup is just baffling to me, for a number of reasons.

[ceperez]

Small ball lineups usually consist of a legit center/of as the 5 with a combination of gaurd and wings at the 1-4. There are obviously some exceptions but ultimately it all comes down to positionless basketball. Even if Metu is the 5 against GS, the biggest weakness for the Spurs is when the center or smaller guy switches onto KD and making sure Klay is chained down. As long as Metu can gaurd KD/Lebron/Harden on switches for few stretches it will give us the best chance to contend for a championship. We really don't care what position you call him. Especially on our roster say you have Aldridge and Gay in there along with Metu for length which of these guys has quicker lateral footspeed? I think most would say Metu.

Circumstantially:

Aldridge
Gay
Metu
DeRozan
White/Murray

For when length and size is needed.

This could be the best the Spurs can field against a GSW death lineup.

White is bigger than Curry. Ideally though, you want to attack Curry on offense, so every player that Curry switches on to guard should give Curry fits.

[SAGirl]

They lost Tony and Manu and replaced them with DeRozan and White. Walker doesn't count, because he's going to play just as much as White (whom you didn't count for last year) did last season. Anderson at least cancels out Beli. Moreover, last year, the team had offensive issues without Kawhi, so merely replacing that output isn't good enough. The offense would have been fine had they had Leonard's scoring and gravity, but this year's team won't get that. When you lose as much D as they did, you can't just tread water offensively.

Even so, last year, the team had White and Murray as PGs behind Parker and Manu. Murray started because Tony was still hurt, but they still had the depth to take two injuries. Now we're expecting every one of the "facilitators" to be in the rotation. If one of them goes down, they aren't being replaced by Murray or White. They are being replaced by Forbes, Pondexter or Cunningham.
good point. I see the possibility of one of those 2 way deals being a guard, but we shall see. They seem as nervous as fans are about the wing depth and have invested in a lot of marginal vets coming to camp to fill a spot. I would expect them to look at some guards too.

This team is younger but one cannot assume they will be injury free.

I think Forbes has improve his ballhandling enough to help out (more than Danny would have for example), but he's still no more of a PG than Danny was. Forbes really is an undersized wing.

But I'd be totally fine if he proves me wrong bc his lack of contribution in anything other than a few shots last year was actually infuriating in some games.

[SAGirl]

That lineup is just baffling to me, for a number of reasons.
it is

[TimDunkem]

Anyone who thinks Metu will ever play the 3 in anything more than spot minutes in some experimental lineup during garbage time just doesn't know basketball.

"As long as Metu can guard KD/LeBron/Kawhi..."

Jesus Christ. Do some of you actually read the drivel you type before you post it? The guy has yet to play an NBA minute and we're already talking about moving him out of position and sticking him in front of the world's best. :lmao Fucking casuals.

[cd021]

This could be the best the Spurs can field against a GSW death lineup.

White is bigger than Curry. Ideally though, you want to attack Curry on offense, so every player that Curry switches on to guard should give Curry fits.

Mills, Murray, DDR, Gay, and LMA is the best lineup that the Spurs cam field against GSW and Houston, for better or for worse.

White may end up being a good rotation player, this season, but people are really penciling in Metu and White in a closing unit vs. GSW?

[SpursDynasty85]

Mills, Murray, DDR, Gay, and LMA is the best lineup that the Spurs cam field against GSW and Houston, for better or for worse.

White may end up being a good rotation player, this season, but people are really penciling in Metu and White in a closing unit vs. GSW?

For this year, I would not think Metu would be in the rotation against that team but for only about 10 minutes. White I am reserving my judgment on because he looks NBA ready and is 25 years old. Ultimately, we need to put length and physicality to stifen Golden State's offense. Any lineup that does not concentrate on length and physicality will likely fail against GS, even if that means throwing a line up of below average offense. Houston's offense in playoff crunch time was a glorified shoot any 3 that you can and it was VERY ugly. They missed 27 straight 3's yet the Golden State Warriors still needed friendly referee whistles. Ultimately we saw Rockets physicality and length on the defensive end start to wear the Golden State Warriors down and in return their offense looked very worn down. Rockets at that point, instead of jacking up 3's and giving the defense a break,they should've took it to the hole or posted up those skinnier Warriors which their line up was not ready for. With Aldridge, Derozan, and Gay we will have ample assets to slow it down and look for some easy physical buckets.

Warriors throw up points in a blaze but also go through droughts. If we can switch up the rotations and give them some trouble with some length and physical line ups of Metu, Gay, Bertans, Cunningham variant or combination, to throw off those point outburts, we will have a great chance to stay competitive.

Next years' closing line up on the regular I would imagine is:

Aldridge, Gay, Derozan, Belli/Mills/White, Murray

Another thing to consider is if Cousins and Draymond will be in the finsihing line up together along with Durant. Then yes I would vouch for a Aldridge, Metu, Gay, Derozan, White/Murray/Mills line up if it works.

[Chinook]

Mills, Murray, DDR, Gay, and LMA is the best lineup that the Spurs cam field against GSW and Houston, for better or for worse.

White may end up being a good rotation player, this season, but people are really penciling in Metu and White in a closing unit vs. GSW?

I think White is better than Murray. I certainly think he's on par with Patty when factoring in defense. Putting Metu in there is insane. He's not KBD where he just screams "role-player from jump-street". He screams "raw but worth developing". It does say something that Chim got a deal with the big club and that they liked him enough to hide their interest in him before the draft. But they way they used him in the summer league and how long it took them to actually give him his contract suggest that they don't have immediate plans for him the way they did with Kawhi and Blair. They probably view him similar to how they viewed Murray, White and Walker.

[Chinook]

good point. I see the possibility of one of those 2 way deals being a guard, but we shall see. They seem as nervous as fans are about the wing depth and have invested in a lot of marginal vets coming to camp to fill a spot. I would expect them to look at some guards too.

This team is younger but one cannot assume they will be injury free.

I think Forbes has improve his ballhandling enough to help out (more than Danny would have for example), but he's still no more of a PG than Danny was. Forbes really is an undersized wing.

But I'd be totally fine if he proves me wrong bc his lack of contribution in anything other than a few shots last year was actually infuriating in some games.

I have to think Forbes is listed as a PG on Pop's depth chart now, along with Patty. That's the only way I can see them re-upping Bryn. That's just strange for a guy who used to have Patty, Cory and Nando behind Tony while still running Neal as the backup point.

Just get the best d-league PG you can to sign a two-way and leave him in Austin to train Walker. Or sign Hanlan to reward him for taking Toros money last year.

[keithington1]

Murray White Belinelli Metu Aldridge is probably the Spurs most balanced lineup

[SAGirl]

I have to think Forbes is listed as a PG on Pop's depth chart now, along with Patty. That's the only way I can see them re-upping Bryn. That's just strange for a guy who used to have Patty, Cory and Nando behind Tony while still running Neal as the backup point.

Just get the best d-league PG you can to sign a two-way and leave him in Austin to train Walker. Or sign Hanlan to reward him for taking Toros money last year.
One has to think Pop has a plan bc otherwise, it's thinking he's gone a little bit senile at this point.

He does have a lot of love for Bryn, but didn't he just watch the guy have the lowest assist percentage in the team all year last year? I just looked it up right now and can't believe it.
HIs ast % 7.8
Shooters like Davis have 10.3% and Danny, who's playmaking was nothing to write home about and who nobody would peg as a PG, had 8.9 %. Forbes had almost as many assists as Davis in 500 more minutes, etc. His numbers as a playmaker are worse than I remember.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/SAS/2018.html

In the Toros his asst % was 13. still very low for a guy who had so many shot opportunities. I'd say playmaking is surely not a strength and he has not looked as PG whenever I have watched him, but whatever Pop. It should still be only in a "break in case of emergency" situation.

[BackHome]

White is better then Patty in defense not even close. And I agree White is a better PG then Murray right now.

[SpursDynasty85]

Anyone who thinks Metu will ever play the 3 in anything more than spot minutes in some experimental lineup during garbage time just doesn't know basketball.

"As long as Metu can guard KD/LeBron/Kawhi..."

Jesus Christ. Do some of you actually read the drivel you type before you post it? The guy has yet to play an NBA minute and we're already talking about moving him out of position and sticking him in front of the world's best. :lmao Fucking casuals.

So you are going to ignore the trend of the new NBA? Longer, taller, skinnier, dynamic players coming in to play positionless basketball? If were talking 1 on 1, Metu of course would get burned but in 5 on 5 basketball the space being eaten up by longer bigger guys is what can make these kinds of line ups work for small stretches.

You take one blank statement and take it out of context to make yourself feel like you are superior and smarter than everyone else. I NEVER SAID START METU at the 3 but play him there in spurts to give guys like KD and Lebron trouble at certains points in time. Metu can come in fresh and use up all his energy for defense and tire KD and Lebron out a little bit. It happened last year in the playoffs when Bertans and Gay were being put in at the 3's sometimes 2's. Against guys that can shoot over you with ease you need to switch it up every now and then while our best lines up are on the bench.

Cousins, Metu, KD, Klay, Curry - Capela, Anthony, Tucker, Harden, CP3 what lines up are you using off the bench? You want Belli, Mills, Forbes, Derozan switching on those guys only? Bertans and Gay will eventually get tired, Metu can give them some fits too. Metu to me is a 4 but he will eventually be switched onto PGs, SGs, SFs, like everyone who plays against them. Gay and Metu are our best bet at stopping Durant for a few minutes at a time period. You have to throw multiple bodies on him during a game. Metu is possibly one of them.

Aldridge, Metu, Gay will be in a line up this year if we play the Warriors I think. Especially if we see Cousins, Draymond, and KD there as well. Metu will likely see some minutes guarding KD and Lebron in the next 2 years. BOOK IT!

[ceperez]

Murray White Belinelli Metu Aldridge is probably the Spurs most balanced lineup

Pop will have to figure out what lineup plays best together over balance.

Spurs are loaded with one-dimensional players. Players who can defend but can't shoot. Players who can shoot but can't defend.

[Pavlov]

Penciling Metu in the rotation is cute and insane.

[ceperez]

Aldridge, Metu, Gay will be in a line up this year if we play the Warriors I think. Especially if we see Cousins, Draymond, and KD there as well. Metu will likely see some minutes guarding KD and Lebron in the next 2 years. BOOK IT!

You got my vote! The players on this team that may likely play the role are Metu, Cunningham, Pondexter or Huestis. Everyone else is too small, too slow or too old to guard an elite SF.

[ceperez]

Penciling Metu in the rotation is cute and insane.

Spurs played Blair (2nd rounder) a ton of minutes.... he was 6'5" and played PF-C for the Spurs.

[Pavlov]

Spurs played Blair (2nd rounder) a ton of minutes.... he was 6'5" and played PF-C for the Spurs.He fell in the draft because he had no ACLs.

Why was Metu available so low?

[ceperez]

He fell in the draft because he had no ACLs.

Why was Metu available so low?

Maybe because he punched another player in the balls during a game? I'm not sure, but Spurs felt the need to sign him for 3 years.

[Pavlov]

Maybe because he punched another player in the balls during a game? I'm not sure, but Spurs felt the need to sign him for 3 years.Yes, long term they see potential.

[acoelho1]

I think White is better than Murray.

Based on what? G league games. Let's see him with the big team before we anoint him better than anyone. I expect big things from Murray this year on the offensive end and he will only become more elite on the defensive side of the ball. There haven't been any talk from the Spurs that White can be star unlike Murray.

[TD 21]

Anyone who thinks Metu will ever play the 3 in anything more than spot minutes in some experimental lineup during garbage time just doesn't know basketball.


"As long as Metu can guard KD/LeBron/Kawhi..."

Jesus Christ. Do some of you actually read the drivel you type before you post it? The guy has yet to play an NBA minute and we're already talking about moving him out of position and sticking him in front of the world's best.

:lmao
Fucking casuals.



I was laughing at this thread yesterday, but I literally :lol when I read this.



Cousins, Metu, KD, Klay, Curry - Capela, Anthony, Tucker, Harden, CP3 what lines up are you using off the bench? You want Belli, Mills, Forbes, Derozan switching on those guys only? Bertans and Gay will eventually get tired, Metu can give them some fits too. Metu to me is a 4 but he will eventually be switched onto PGs, SGs, SFs, like everyone who plays against them. Gay and Metu are our best bet at stopping Durant for a few minutes at a time period. You have to throw multiple bodies on him during a game. Metu is possibly one of them.

Aldridge, Metu, Gay will be in a line up this year if we play the Warriors I think. Especially if we see Cousins, Draymond, and KD there as well. Metu will likely see some minutes guarding KD and Lebron in the next 2 years. BOOK IT!

Teams Gasol can't start against: Celtics (unless they inexplicably start Baynes), Lakers, Bucks (if they start Brogdon over Snell).
Teams Gasol shouldn't start against: Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Pelicans (if they start Mirotic/Payton over Randle/Hill), 76ers.

Bertans probably starts against the first group and along with Cunningham, plays an increased role against the rest.

[John B]

I think Metu will be a stud, especially in today’s NBA, long athletic versatile player who can play both sides of the court. And I just wanted to note that it’s simply remarkable that Spurs keep on finding these types of players. After losing the big 3 and Kawhitter, Spurs didn’t even missed a beat, didn’t have to succumb to mediocrity like some teams find themselves after losing their star players, like Lakers, Celtics, Heat, etc. Some couldn’t even recover until now, Knicks, Bulls, etc. It’s testimony to RC and Pops leadership to finding ways, working out with LMA instead of maybe letting him walk when everybody thought that’s inevitable, getting an All-Star talent like Demar when Kawhitter short of sabotaging the Spurs chances of getting a fair trade, re-signing Gay who could’ve signed to the Dubs maybe as ringchaser, getting/retaining role players like Beli, Bertran, Mills, Pau for continuity, continue to develop future studs like Murray and White, and scouting/acquiring future studs like Lonnie, Metu, Poeltl. It doesn’t cease to amaze me of the longevity, consistency, just pure excellence in managing situations. Spurs fans are spoiled. Even retired superstar players like Duncan, Manu continue to help develop veteran and young players alike. Really I cannot think of another organization even close. Maybe Patriots. Simply remarkable.

[KDKSpurs24]

I think Metu will be a stud, especially in today’s NBA, long athletic versatile player who can play both sides of the court. And I just wanted to note that it’s simply remarkable that Spurs keep on finding these types of players. After losing the big 3 and Kawhitter, Spurs didn’t even missed a beat, didn’t have to succumb to mediocrity like some teams find themselves after losing their star players, like Lakers, Celtics, Heat, etc. Some couldn’t even recover until now, Knicks, Bulls, etc. It’s testimony to RC and Pops leadership to finding ways, working out with LMA instead of maybe letting him walk when everybody thought that’s inevitable, getting an All-Star talent like Demar when Kawhitter short of sabotaging the Spurs chances of getting a fair trade, re-signing Gay who could’ve signed to the Dubs maybe as ringchaser, getting/retaining role players like Beli, Bertran, Mills, Pau for continuity, continue to develop future studs like Murray and White, and scouting/acquiring future studs like Lonnie, Metu, Poeltl. It doesn’t cease to amaze me of the longevity, consistency, just pure excellence in managing situations. Spurs fans are spoiled. Even retired superstar players like Duncan, Manu continue to help develop veteran and young players alike. Really I cannot think of another organization even close. Maybe Patriots. Simply remarkable.
I completely agree. This deserves a thread. People swear they want the team to tank but for what?! A low chance of getting lucky and building a championship team? That could set the Spurs back for years! The only people who want that to happen are the ones who aren’t strong enough fans to sit and watch every game and endure the Spurs sucking. You know what they would do? Just avoid watching until Spurs get good again. As a true fan I couldn’t imagine wanting to do that. I am glad the Spurs wanted to stay competitive. They made the best of this shitty Kawhi situation and still have a very competitive team capable of winning a lot of games. The Spurs already have FIVE championships. Yes it would be nice to get more but I would much rather be competitive than watch our team suck if they don’t have to. Other fans have dealt with shitty organizations for sooo many years and we’re so lucky but some are so spoiled. I’m excited for this season!

[ceperez]

I think Metu will be a stud, especially in today’s NBA, long athletic versatile player who can play both sides of the court. And I just wanted to note that it’s simply remarkable that Spurs keep on finding these types of players. After losing the big 3 and Kawhitter, Spurs didn’t even missed a beat, didn’t have to succumb to mediocrity like some teams find themselves after losing their star players, like Lakers, Celtics, Heat, etc. Some couldn’t even recover until now, Knicks, Bulls, etc. It’s testimony to RC and Pops leadership to finding ways, working out with LMA instead of maybe letting him walk when everybody thought that’s inevitable, getting an All-Star talent like Demar when Kawhitter short of sabotaging the Spurs chances of getting a fair trade, re-signing Gay who could’ve signed to the Dubs maybe as ringchaser, getting/retaining role players like Beli, Bertran, Mills, Pau for continuity, continue to develop future studs like Murray and White, and scouting/acquiring future studs like Lonnie, Metu, Poeltl. It doesn’t cease to amaze me of the longevity, consistency, just pure excellence in managing situations. Spurs fans are spoiled. Even retired superstar players like Duncan, Manu continue to help develop veteran and young players alike. Really I cannot think of another organization even close. Maybe Patriots. Simply remarkable.

I've got high hopes for Metu. He's a #49th pick, that's a extremely low pick to be signed for 3 years. If he's as good as the PATFO believes he is, then I've got no clue why so many other NBA teams passed on him. Just no idea as to how he ended up with the Spurs!

Here's one thing though, Spurs have scouted Metu for 2 years while he was in college. Interesting enough, he wasn't called to a pre-draft workout with the Spurs! That's how close Spurs staff keep a secret.

I'm also surprised Walker fell into the Spurs lap. Walker has outrageous athleticism and skills for his age. How does a Donovan Mitchell type player land at #18??

[cd021]

I think White is better than Murray. I certainly think he's on par with Patty when factoring in defense. Putting Metu in there is insane. He's not KBD where he just screams "role-player from jump-street". He screams "raw but worth developing". It does say something that Chim got a deal with the big club and that they liked him enough to hide their interest in him before the draft. But they way they used him in the summer league and how long it took them to actually give him his contract suggest that they don't have immediate plans for him the way they did with Kawhi and Blair. They probably view him similar to how they viewed Murray, White and Walker.

Whether he is or isn't, Whie isn't likely to close games over Murray and probably not over Mills either. Thats not to disparage White but I think it's going to take time for him to earn that type of trust and role with the team.

[cd021]

For this year, I would not think Metu would be in the rotation against that team but for only about 10 minutes. White I am reserving my judgment on because he looks NBA ready and is 25 years old. Ultimately, we need to put length and physicality to stifen Golden State's offense. Any lineup that does not concentrate on length and physicality will likely fail against GS, even if that means throwing a line up of below average offense. Houston's offense in playoff crunch time was a glorified shoot any 3 that you can and it was VERY ugly. They missed 27 straight 3's yet the Golden State Warriors still needed friendly referee whistles. Ultimately we saw Rockets physicality and length on the defensive end start to wear the Golden State Warriors down and in return their offense looked very worn down. Rockets at that point, instead of jacking up 3's and giving the defense a break,they should've took it to the hole or posted up those skinnier Warriors which their line up was not ready for. With Aldridge, Derozan, and Gay we will have ample assets to slow it down and look for some easy physical buckets.


Warriors throw up points in a blaze but also go through droughts. If we can switch up the rotations and give them some trouble with some length and physical line ups of Metu, Gay, Bertans, Cunningham variant or combination, to throw off those point outburts, we will have a great chance to stay competitive.

Next years' closing line up on the regular I would imagine is:

Aldridge, Gay, Derozan, Belli/Mills/White, Murray

Another thing to consider is if Cousins and Draymond will be in the finsihing line up together along with Durant. Then yes I would vouch for a Aldridge, Metu, Gay, Derozan, White/Murray/Mills line up if it works.

I feel fairly confident that Metu is going to play fewer than 137 minutes (Whites minute total for last year). You not only have him being a rotation player but you have him closing games, at position that he isn't equip to play.

[Chinook]

Whether he is or isn't, Whie isn't likely to close games over Murray and probably not over Mills either. Thats not to disparage White but I think it's going to take time for him to earn that type of trust and role with the team.

I don't think Pop's going to be too obsessed with trust this year. He let Tony walk and apparently did not convince Manu to stay on. He knows it's time to move on. If White is a better player than Mills, he will play. I also think that if Murray doesn't improve, he's not going to be considered one of the vets. He was hot and cold last year rather than consistently solid. Those types of players aren't regular closers. If Murray does improve, however, then he'll likely be the third-best player on the team and would definitely close unless his shot is just too bad.

[SpursDynasty85]

I feel fairly confident that Metu is going to play fewer than 137 minutes (Whites minute total for last year). You not only have him being a rotation player but you have him closing games, at position that he isn't equip to play.

Metu is a 4. Will he gaurd 3s yea. Who cares who a 4 or 3 is. Positionless basketball is coming sooner or later. I want Metu to break rotation sooner rather than later as well. He was a highly touted his prospect too. Wonder if Pop can tap the potential that nobody saw.

[duncan2k5]

Start him at the 3

This

[cd021]

Metu is a 4. Will he gaurd 3s yea. Who cares who a 4 or 3 is. Positionless basketball is coming sooner or later. I want Metu to break rotation sooner rather than later as well. He was a highly touted his prospect too. Wonder if Pop can tap the potential that nobody saw.

Again, not a 3. Whether you want Metu to break the rotation sooner rather than later, it doesn't change the fact that he is likely a project and unlikely to play much aside from Austin. Even next season, with Pau possibly gone, he'd probably have a tough time getting minutes with LMA, Poeltl, Bertans, Gay and probably even Milutinov. He has potential but it may be a couple of years before he has a shot at cracking the rotation.

[Chinook]

Metu has a chance to play minutes with Pau and LMA both aging. All it would take is one of the three Cs being inactive and a second missing time due to injury, foul trouble or lineup restrictions. With Tony and Manu gone, the front court is where the majority of the age and durability concerns lie. I strongly doubt Pop has plans for Metu this year. But I do think he/RC believes Chim can play. Even if they view him as a developmental project, they didn't try to stash him in Europe or Austin like they did other projects. They felt comfortable enough signing him instead of a bench-warmer.

But "Metu at the three" is probably the strangest hill I've seen people willing to die on this side of #ceperez . If it were just one poster, that would be one thing. But it's not, and that's bonkers.

[cd021]

I don't think Pop's going to be too obsessed with trust this year. He let Tony walk and apparently did not convince Manu to stay on. He knows it's time to move on. If White is a better player than Mills, he will play. I also think that if Murray doesn't improve, he's not going to be considered one of the vets. He was hot and cold last year rather than consistently solid. Those types of players aren't regular closers. If Murray does improve, however, then he'll likely be the third-best player on the team and would definitely close unless his shot is just too bad.

I don't think guard depth is a strength this year, and without Parker and Manu eating up half of the guard minutes there is a vacuum that needs to be filled. DDR may start at the 3 and may actually play a lot of minutes there, if the SL is Mills, Murray, DDR, LMA and Gasol and the closing unit is Mills/White, Murray, DDR, Gay, and LMA.

White will certainly get his chance to play and, it's not inconceivable that he plays his way into a solid role assuming he can defend, create and shoot on the second unit. I do fully expect Murray to make a jump; however, making him the 3rd or 4th best player on the team and the best guard on the team.

He'll have to improve his outside shot-even something like 34% from 3 on 3 attempts per game would be a big improvement, and potentially allow him to get to the rim more often by attacking closeouts. His defense on the perimeter gives him a good chance to close, though I agree that he may be hard to play late if his shot doesn't improve.

Mills seems to be the most like candidate to play late, at the other guard spot. I don't buy into to Beli closing many games, unless he's nailing 3's. White may be a dark horse if he plays well, given his size, shooting and ability to possibly be able to defend decently, but I am still skeptical that he'd be able to usurp Mills in that role.

[FireMicoHalili]

Whether he is or isn't, Whie isn't likely to close games over Murray and probably not over Mills either. Thats not to disparage White but I think it's going to take time for him to earn that type of trust and role with the team.
^ this, plus he hasn't proven anything yet. Probably wise to temper expectations until he shows up and earns a spot on the rotation.

[ceperez]

I don't think guard depth is a strength this year, and without Parker and Manu eating up half of the guard minutes there is a vacuum that needs to be filled. DDR may start at the 3 and may actually play a lot of minutes there, if the SL is Mills, Murray, DDR, LMA and Gasol and the closing unit is Mills/White, Murray, DDR, Gay, and LMA.

White will certainly get his chance to play and, it's not inconceivable that he plays his way into a solid role assuming he can defend, create and shoot on the second unit. I do fully expect Murray to make a jump; however, making him the 3rd or 4th best player on the team and the best guard on the team.

He'll have to improve his outside shot-even something like 34% from 3 on 3 attempts per game would be a big improvement, and potentially allow him to get to the rim more often by attacking closeouts. His defense on the perimeter gives him a good chance to close, though I agree that he may be hard to play late if his shot doesn't improve.

Mills seems to be the most like candidate to play late, at the other guard spot. I don't buy into to Beli closing many games, unless he's nailing 3's. White may be a dark horse if he plays well, given his size, shooting and ability to possibly be able to defend decently, but I am still skeptical that he'd be able to usurp Mills in that role.

The problem with trying to predict the productivity of an NBA player is that other teams try to find the players weaknesses. Players that are un-scouted can have break out games, only to come crashing when exposed. Good players are sufficiently unpredictable and talented that they find a way to score. Many Spurs players are good at what they do but are one-dimensional. This is the biggest problem going into the season.

[cd021]

The problem with trying to predict the productivity of an NBA player is that other teams try to find the players weaknesses. Players that are un-scouted can have break out games, only to come crashing when exposed. Good players are sufficiently unpredictable and talented that they find a way to score. Many Spurs players are good at what they do but are one-dimensional. This is the biggest problem going into the season.


Sure, but my point with Murray was that if he can improve as a 3pt shooter then it would be a big improvement to his game and to the team as a whole. Teams leave him open on the perimeter is a result of his unwillingness and inability to shoot from outside, but him knocking down 3's is on him.

[ceperez]

Sure, but my point with Murray was that if he can improve as a 3pt shooter then it would be a big improvement to his game and to the team as a whole. Teams leave him open on the perimeter is a result of his unwillingness and inability to shoot from outside, but him knocking down 3's is on him.

I don't disagree here. Same problem as Kyle Anderson, who was afraid of taking the 3 point shot.

I wonder what's worse, a player like Patty/Forbes who can shoot but can't defend or a player like Murray who can't shoot but can defend?

I guess it depends on what the other team has. Murray matched up against Westbrook pays a ton of dividends. Forbes matched up against a bench warmer pays better than Murray matched up against a bench warmer.

[dbestpro]

I don't think Pop's going to be too obsessed with trust this year. He let Tony walk and apparently did not convince Manu to stay on. He knows it's time to move on. If White is a better player than Mills, he will play. I also think that if Murray doesn't improve, he's not going to be considered one of the vets. He was hot and cold last year rather than consistently solid. Those types of players aren't regular closers. If Murray does improve, however, then he'll likely be the third-best player on the team and would definitely close unless his shot is just too bad.

I expect Murray will show that consistency and White will play hot and cold. That is the way it seems to go most of the time when they move to regular minutes in the show. White, then will be one of the go to guys next year. I expect Walker and Metu the year after that.

[Spurs Brazil]

BobbyMarks42

16 out of the 23 players signed are under contract for 2+ years with Chimezie Metu in San Antonio being the latest to join the list. The Metu contract is guaranteed for two years ($838K and $1.4M) with $0 protection in year 3 (has partial trigger dates).

[Chinook]

Chim's agent got him a very good deal. Really surprised SA didn't get a team option for a fourth year if they were going to guarantee two. Then again, they probably could have upped this year's payout in order to get that second-year non-guaranteed if that were a priority. To put it into perspective, Blair's deal was also guaranteed for the first two seasons, but they had two more non-guaranteed years rather than just the one.

[SpursDynasty85]

Poor man's Marvin Bagley

[ceperez]

BobbyMarks42

16 out of the 23 players signed are under contract for 2+ years with Chimezie Metu in San Antonio being the latest to join the list. The Metu contract is guaranteed for two years ($838K and $1.4M) with $0 protection in year 3 (has partial trigger dates).

Hmmm... I guess he's going straight to D-league to master his craft.

[SpursDynasty85]

Hmmm... I guess he's going straight to D-league to master his craft.
Makes sense. Too many guys to play already. Will be interesting to see how Pop handles the 3 spot this year.

[Dejounte]

Mezi will be a star, book it.

[TD 21]

I can't imagine this is actually true, but sportac claims Metu was signed with the BAE and that his contract is 3/$10.653.300 . . .

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/chimezie-metu-27015/

This not only makes no sense (2nd rounders are usually signed at or near the minimum), but refutes a Pincus tweet (that inexplicably won't post) from August 29th saying a portion of the BAE went to Cunningham and that $895K is left.

[Chinook]

I can't imagine this is actually true, but sportac claims Metu was signed with the BAE and that his contract is 3/$10.653.300 . . .

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/san-antonio-spurs/chimezie-metu-27015/

This not only makes no sense (2nd rounders are usually signed at or near the minimum), but refutes a Pincus tweet (that inexplicably won't post) from August 29th saying a portion of the BAE went to Cunningham and that $895K is left.

The LLE/BAE can only be for two years. So it's not true. In fact that whole table is messed up. If I had to guess $3.4 Million is the total value, not his starting value.

[TD 21]

The LLE/BAE can only be for two years. So it's not true. In fact that whole table is messed up. If I had to guess $3.4 Million is the total value, not his starting value.

Yeah, I thought so.

I believe the 3 year minimum for 2nd rounders this year is: $838, 464K, $1.588, 231M, $1.663, 861M. He probably received that, with the first 2 years guaranteed.

[lefty]

Metu Gepetobili

[Dex]

jjfTY7ksYdo

Had his jumper going in this game. Hopefully time in the GLeague will serve him well.

[duncan2150]

He looks more and more comfortable in g league. His first games were not that good.

[Blackhaus]

Looking good, excited about the younger players the spurs are collecting