So do the Spurs still get a F- for this offseason?

[Marcus Bryant]

Where are you geniuses? Bitch bitch bitch. Nothing to offer.

"F-"?

F You.


http://www.nba.com/media/act_hidayet_turkoglu.jpghttp://www.nba.com/media/act_ron_mercer.jpghttp://www.nba.com/media/act_robert_horry.jpghttp://www.nba.com/media/act_radoslav_nesterovic.jpg

[Whottt]

In my book the Spurs avoided a total F when they lucked out and Kidd decided to **** up the Nets further instead of the Spurs.

[alamo50]

WORD!

[Ghost Writer]

You're happy with this sh1t?

Why don't you try subtracting Claxton and Jackson, too?

Where's that star signing?


Question.

The Spurs get an Incomplete in my book.

:cooldevil

[Marcus Bryant]

Yes, I'm happy with them getting Turkoglu for Danny Friggin' Ferry. What the F are you complaining about?

[Ghost Writer]

Read, homer.

We could've gotten Artest, a budding All-Star, and Mercer for Smitty two years ago.

Jackson > Turkeyglue

:next3





:cooldevil

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Ghost, you know that I often agree with you and very much appreciate your critical eye, because I often share it. However in this case, I don't think you're seeing the forest through the trees buddy.

In the last twenty-four hours, The Spurs have significantly improved their squad and have added, what I believe to be a budding superstar in Hedo Turkoglu. Many will disagree with what they feel to be a bombastic claim on my part but I think Hedo compliments Duncan in a way that makes the two-time MVP much more dangerous. I firmly believe that Turkoglu is Dirk Nowitzki waiting to happen- and within our system, he will.

Yes I'm upset at losing Speedy, but he wasn't going to be a starter on this team, so what could we have done to keep him? Oakland was willing to pay him starting dollars for starting minutes, two things that the Spurs just were unable to offer- that's sometimes the nature of the business.

As for Jack- we haven't lost him yet, but IMO, Ron Mercer is a slight upgrade. Manu Ginobili will undoubtedly- and deservingly be our starting two gaurd this season, making the addition of Mercer and his one-year contarct an extremely intelligent move by Buford and company.

This is a great trade Ghost. Stay cool.

[Ghost Writer]

Repeat:

We could've gotten Artest, a budding All-Star, and Mercer for Smitty two years ago.

Our team looks Charmin soft at this point.


Do you see Turyglu single-handedly beating the Suns or burying Dallas like Jackson?

Is the point guard to be named later going to bail Parker's @ss out and hit jumper after jumper in the Finals?


:cooldevil

[Marcus Bryant]

Ghost, call me a "homer" all you want at least I'm not a clueless **** like you. You've brought nothing to this forum but nonsensical bitching. Get lost man, the only reason anyone says anything to you is because your flood this site with your whiney ass posts everyday.

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Ghost, you're dealing in the hypothetical here.

1. If we made the Smitty move, our team would look different than it was for the title......would we have even won the title? Nobody knows- it's hypothetical.

2. As far as someone bailing out Parker next year- it's once gain nothing but a hypothesis that this situation will even arise.

Let's deal with reality.

[alamo50]

If you wanna see Artest in silver and black you are definitely not a homer indeed.
You are a HOMEWRECKER!

[F7]

Artest will never be a Spur.. he is a headcase... and we know just how much the Spurs value character above all when it comes to bringing in players. The case is closed on that deal. It would have never happened. Stop masterbating and move on.

If the current trade that is going on now was a repeat of the Artest and Mercer trade I GUARANTEE you the Spurs would back out.

Turkoglu is the real prize here. They have coveted him since he was drafted, and will be a perfect fit in the Spurs system.

[MannyIsGod]

Walton,

Finally something we can agree on.

Hideo has all the tools to be a great player, and surrounded with smart players like Manu and Tim, while given playing time, and I am extatic about this trade.

I think superstar and dirk comparisons are a bit too much, but I deffinetly see a great player, especially in our system.

This trade was a hell of a coup

[Ghost Writer]

Marcus, et al.

Only here would homers celebrate a trade of Mercer and Turkeyglu in 2003 over a deal for Mercer and Artest in 2003.

You people make me sick.

What a wonderful summer it's been.

I like the Lakers and the Wolves moves and those teams had very little wiggle room.

:cooldevil

[MannyIsGod]

Good,

When the spurs beat both those teams in the playoffs again, We can point back to your idiotic rants this summer and tell you to stfu.

agreed?

[Ghost Writer]

Go ahead. I hope you're right, Manny.

I think it's pathetic that Sacramento winds up with Brad Miller, Minnesota gets Michael Olowokandi, Sam Cassell and Latrelll Sprewell, and LA gets Gary Payton and Karl Malone, while we get leftovers during a summer where we were expected to bring in a superstar.

That is disappointing, no matter how you homers spin it.


:cooldevil

[Flipmode master]

Wait a minute Hedo T. > Jackson is the correct thing to say. Sjax is a good player,but he has to talk sense in his agent to bring down his salary demands to come back to the Spurs.I want Sjax back but he is not better than Hedo.Hedo is instant offense from just about any area on the court.

[romsho]

Walton, once again you've come in and added some much needed sanity to the situation. I couldn't agree with you more- what needs to be accepted is Claxton wanted to be a starter, and Jackson wanted more than the Spurs thought he was worth. They did not want another Jaren Jackson situation on their hands, not with Manu ready to start. The Fegan-Pop relationship didn't exactly help in the negotiations either.

As far as rest of the free agent process, the bottom line is no matter who the Spurs wanted and how much money they had at the end of the day the big names just did not wnt to play here. Obviously, caproom guarantees you nothing. Look at teams like Utah and Denver, plenty of money and no one to spend it on. I'm sure the front office thought guys would love to get on the Duncan train, even before the championship was won, so this whole thing has been somewhat surprising.

This is still a very good team. I think Pop, RC and the rest of the front office have earned the benefit of the doubt in regards to personnel and the future of this team. I will go ahead and assume they know alot more than a bunch of armchair quarterbacks sitting at a computer. If it all goes to shit, we can bitch about it later. I don't think too many people looked at the opening roster last season and said "now that is a championship basketball team". Who knew?

[Ghost Writer]

The Kings. Wolves and Lakers had better offseasons than us without max money to burn.

Pathetic.

See what good trades can do?


:cooldevil

[MannyIsGod]

Well I think Speedy would have stayed if we had matched his offer.

HOWEVER.

Then we can't make this trade, and for the role a backup point guard is going to play on this team, I'd rather pick up a minimum salary type vet and make this trade instead of keeping speedy.

Once again Pops chess moves are obvious when we look back on it.

[scott]

Would you trade the championship we won for Artest and Mercer?

I sure as hell wouldn't.

[Marcus Bryant]

"No" they tell me. "Ghost has some good takes." Right. He's nothing more than a child who shows up in here and complains about "ballas" as if that actually means something. In reality he's a fucking dumbass with no game who ruins quality discussion in this forum.

[alamo50]

Big names are cool indeed.
But are they going to have a postitive outcome on the team?
NONE of the big names out there would have taken a lesser part on the team than Timmy.

Well maybe Elton Brand, but he is too small anyway.

I am very happy with the things that are in the works right now.
We will also add either Kenny Anderson or Earl Boykins depending in which direction the staff wants to go.

[NCaliSpurs]

Ghost. C'mon. We did what we could on the FA market.

We should have gone after GP and Malone, but that is dust in the wind at this point, friend.

Olowokandi, Sprewell, and Sam Casell. Players we neither wanted nor needed.

Joneal and Brand were unattainable.

Oh yeah, and we signed tim duncan for 7 years.

Our Front office did a fine job in a summer that didn't have much to offer.

Your bitching would be excusable if we hadn't won a championship, but from this point on you can just watch the game without feeling so goddamned insecure. We got the rings (2!!!), and Tim Duncan is just getting started.

[Marcus Bryant]

He's not "insecure", he's nuts.

[MannyIsGod]

Is Ghost really Ron Artest?

Well, at least one pacer really wants to be a Spur.

[Ghost Writer]

Is Marcus the schitzo still talking about me? Find a new hobby.

I am sorry, folks, but I can't get look at our new acquisitions out of the context of the Holt-ing Pattern.

If we won the title last year with guys like Jack and Bowen, imagine what we could've done with Mercer and Artest over the past two years.


It's tough for me to watch our rivals get so much better having no cap space and we do the typicl marginal summer improvements.

This summer would be okay if I wasn't sold for two years that we were sacrificing for a star.

I am not happy about losing Claxton and Jackson. I think their style and demeanor played vital roles in our playoff success.

:cooldevil

[Marcus Bryant]

Would you shut the **** up about the "Holting Pattern"? That means nothing to anyone.

Let's see...the Spurs won a championship, are adding young talent, have kept Tim Duncan, and can keep most of their title winning core intact. I'd say that's pretty fucking successful.

WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT YOU CRAZY BASTARD?

[Marcus Bryant]

It's tough for me to watch our rivals get so much better having no cap space and we do the typicl marginal summer improvements.


Get a fucking clue. Both of those teams have made short term moves. Why the F should the Spurs blow up their team just because of that? That makes no sense whatsoever.

[NCaliSpurs]

Ghost, do you still complain about your junior high girlfriend fucking you over for another guy?

"Jenny, that bitch!!"

Let go of the past. Live in the now.

:drunk

[Ghost Writer]

I want what the Holt-ing Patten had us clear cap space for:

a star replacement for David Robinson.


It's terrible that our rivals had better offseasons than us.

Sad.


:cooldevil

[Marcus Bryant]

:lol

Dumbass.

[Ghost Writer]

Good comeback, homer.

We have enough to sign a max free agent and come up with Nesterovic and Horry.

Meanwhile, Minnesota trades for Spree, Cassell and signs Olowokandi.

We help the Kings trade for B. Miller.

The Lakers reload with Malone and Payton.

Pathetic.


:cooldevil

[Russ]

I am not happy about losing Claxton and Jackson. I think their style and demeanor played vital roles in our playoff success.
Are the Spurs becoming too Euro? Less athletic?

The Spurs quickness was a big factor against the Lakers last year.

I'm afraid the same obliviousness to his surroundings that allowed Jax to hit all those game-winning threes now is guiding him toward a huge career mistake.

[Marcus Bryant]

That's my comeback because your repetitive nonsense is tiresome.

For example:


We have enough to sign a max free agent and come up with Nesterovic and Horry.

...and Turkoglu. Oh yeah, forgot about him, right? In addition the Spurs give themselves the flexibility to retain Ginobili next summer. On top of that the Spurs could clear up to $13.75 mil in cap room next summer for trade and/or free agency purposes. Only you would hate a scenario in which the Spurs add young talent and set themselves up to retain their young talent and even add more.




Meanwhile, Minnesota trades for Spree, Cassell and signs Olowokandi.

The 2003 versions of Spree and Cassell. Short term moves. Why should the Spurs go into panic mode and make a bunch of dumb moves? As for Kandi there's a reason he went so cheaply and bigman starved teams like Dallas avoided him.




We help the Kings trade for B. Miller.

Miller's nice. Maybe if the Spurs didn't have Tim Duncan I would give a damn about Miller.




The Lakers reload with Malone and Payton

Short term moves. O'Neal is on the way down.

Get some fucking understanding nitwit.

[Flipmode master]

Ghost what is up with you? Would you rather not get Hedo? You still complain about every little thing.:lol

[T Park Num 9]

I dont get



how we acquire two great talents for Danny Ferry and Picks.


I dont understand how thats BAD?!?!?!?!??!!?

[Ghost Writer]

Um, Marcus, if you're last post was supposed to make our offseason look better than Sacramento's, Minnesota's and LA's, you didn't.

Remember, they also didn't have enough to sign a max free agent, either.



:cooldevil

[Marcus Bryant]

:lol

It was meant to educate you, but of course your intellectual capacity is not sufficient enough to understand.

LA and Minnesota made short term moves and Sacto added a nice piece, nothing spectacular. Why should the Spurs deviate from their long term strategy of putting together a young and talented team just because of those short term desperation moves by LA and Minnesota? Teams are successful in this league by not always jumping at what another team does. I'm sorry that you don't have the ability to understand this.

[Ghost Writer]

The strategy was to add a star this summer. Don't change what you've been trumpeting for two years because it failed, loser.


:cooldevil

[Marcus Bryant]

I haven't changed a damn thing, you little bitch. "Loser" = someone who blows as much time as you do on this board and still has nary a clue about the cap.

[MannyIsGod]

WE FAILED AT GETTING A STAR.

We still have argueably the best team in the NBA.

Good enough for me coming off a championship year.

[Marcus Bryant]

Indeed Manny. Ghost is whining like the little girl she is because the Spurs didn't end up with two franchise players this summer...right after they won their second championship. What a trick!

[Ghost Writer]

That's fair, Manny.

I'm not over that failure to get a star, obviously.

Reading you guys hi-five each other over marginal free agent signings is salt in the wounds.


:cooldevil

[Marcus Bryant]

Turkoglu is "marginal"? WTF? "Salt in the wounds"? :lol Damn, it's so damn horrible that the Spurs didn't add a franchise player to the one they already fucking have.

[Ghost Writer]

Yes, it is.

When you clear cap space for two years, you better do better than castoff foreigners from other Western rivals.

What are we — the Ellis Island of the NBA?


:cooldevil

[KoriEllis]

Ghost, I understand your disappointment in the Spurs not landing a second star. And though you may not be as high on Turkoglu as most here (for the record, I'm not either), you must admit that getting Turk and Mercer and not giving anything up was somewhat of a coup this late.

[ChumpDumper]

If I heard the reports from KENS TV correctly, Duncan put the kybosh on the Rose for Spree trade.

I don't consider Spree franchise material anymore anyway.

[Temple Of The Dog]

this last deal with sac and indy was basically a steal... so in that respect, the front office should be proud of what they did with all that capspace. (but some of the shit i'm reading here is insane)

for the most part hedo was benched for jackson and christie in sac... and mercer was moved around in indy because he struggled to get starting mins at shooting guard (over old and crippled people)

but both have lots of potential, and both make us a much deeper team. hedo has the most upside of the two... and should be a huge contributor this next season.

but what does that have to do with NO LIMIT? (nothing) there is no big name free agent or pseudo allstar coming to help tim duncan in the year 2003... and the organization did pass up trades that could have made us better earlier to do so... so its valid for people to wonder "what happened"?

maybe not as much as ghost...

i think what happened was that manu and parker turned into gems instead of just well placed gambles in the late first or second rounds of drafts... and they did so, sooner rather than later. (one by force and another by talent)

we managed to stay competitive while we planned for this season when robinson was to retire... something that the front office should be praised for... because it wound up winning us a title. its far removed from all that no-limit crap, but i hope that was the plan.

so far... the only move i do not understand is horry. other than that, with this trade i feel they did enough to stay competitive yet again... and now, to give themselves a good chance to repeat this year. (no matter what other teams did)

i'd rather have tim duncan and a solid team around him, then to be trying gimmicks like the lakers... or trying to keep up with the jones' like minny... or being locked into players in a losing system like dallas... or trying to plan for the future like sac seems to be now?

i give these boys a solid B this offseason. (just for the talent they added) for the flexibility they're keeping for next year... a solid A. (we'll be in even better shape then)

and i think we're almost done? just one more guy probably... a backup point that can bring the ball up in less than 8 seconds to play for 15-19 mins a game? (maybe?)

5 nesterovic/duncan/willis
4 duncan/malik/horry
3 bowen/hedo/horry
2 manu/hedo/mercer
1 parker/backup?/kerr

i love that depth... solid B...

[Ghost Writer]

Kori, I am pissed that the addition of Hedo & Mercer basically signals the end of Jackson.


:cooldevil

[scott]

If we can find a team with capspace in need of a wing cough*denver*cough*utah*cough* to take Mercer in exchange for a draft pick or perhaps a young PG- we can still sign Jack. I hope this is what happens.

[Ghost Writer]

I don't see there being room for Jack in the rotation anymore even if we trade Mercer. :(

We should really deal for a PG anyway.

:cooldevil

[Temple Of The Dog]

i liked the way the guy played "balls out basketball"... but with this trade... we don't need sjax. (he's not a finished player and probably never will be) as it was before the trade, alot of people (including myself) were already penciling in manu as the starter. sjax is just raw, and at his age, thats not a good thing...

[KoriEllis]

Kori, I am pissed that the addition of Hedo & Mercer basically signals the end of Jackson.

Ghost, me too.

But I think that the Spurs may deal Mercer (for a PG) and try to retain Jack. Jack's agent is being ricockulous and ruining everything. Hopefully Jack takes the reins back on his own life and they straighten it out. Don't give up yet.

I love Jack here too. And he needs to realize that it will damage him more than it will damage the Spurs if he ends up elsewhere. He will only flourish in SA.

[Marcus Bryant]

If I heard the reports from KENS TV correctly, Duncan put the kybosh on the Rose for Spree trade.

So I guess that means TD doesn't like "ballas"? Oh no.

[ChumpDumper]

Blame Jack's agent if he's truly gone.

He decided to **** around while the Spurs simply did what they had to ensure they had THREE guys to replace him.

:cry

[Ghost Writer]

Duncan was just looking out for his best friend on the team.




:cooldevil

[KoriEllis]

Ghost, IMO if Mercer is dealt, Jack can still get 20-24 minutes in the rotation.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yeah Ghost, like his former "best friend on the team" Daniels, right?

Give it up, kid.

[ChumpDumper]

Duncan was just looking out for his best friend on the team.Funny, I think it means Duncan figured Spree wasn't worth the cost.

I think Tim drove AD to the airport for his flight to Portland, too.

[Temple Of The Dog]

kori... even if mercer is delt, 20-24 mins is a little high for the 4th swingman in the rotation? if you plan on playing hedo at all, i think it would be best for sjax to just part company with the spurs... it would hurt to go from starting, to being a 4th guy depth option player.

[scott]

I think it means that Duncan is like me, and demanded Spreewell ditch the Predator hair. Spree was obviously unwilling to do that.

[KoriEllis]

kori... even if mercer is delt, 20-24 mins is a little high for the 4th swingman in the rotation? if you plan on playing hedo at all, i think it would be best for sjax to just part company with the spurs... it would hurt to go from starting, to being a 4th guy depth option player.

In my scenario, Manu would see some minutes at the point, opening up some more time at the 2/3.

Rasho 30
Duncan 38
Malik 28
Horry spot minutes

Manu 30 (22 at SG, 8 at PG)
Jack 22
Bowen 25
Hedo 27
Parker 35
Kerr/backup pt 5

Just an idea.

[Marcus Bryant]

Popd@mmit that's awful Kori. Why can't we have a rotation like the Knicks? Now those guys know how to build a team!

[KoriEllis]

But if Jack is gone. I would boost up Bowen, Manu and Hedo's minutes and limit Mercer to around 10 mpg.

[NCaliSpurs]

I will be interested in seeing what the Spurs front office will do with these new players.

I am still intrigued by Mercer. He may not be an all-star, but he had some impressive stats a couple of years ago.

Hopefully, the best players get the most minutes. Pop will make that happen (I have faith simply because he was willing to start Tony Parker at game 4).

[Ghost Writer]

Why do you think Duncan wanted Rose instead of Sprewell, dipsh1t?




Question.


P.S.

The dipsh1t I am referring to is Marcus, of course.

[Temple Of The Dog]

kori, thats not a bad idea, but it may be too many mins for parker during the regular season and playing manu at point might do him more harm than good in his second year. (and why do all that when you can get a cheap guy with semi-decent skills)

[KoriEllis]

kori, thats not a bad idea, but it may be too many mins for parker during the regular season and playing manu at point might do him more harm than good in his second year. (and why do all that when you can get a cheap guy with semi-decent skills)

I think that Parker could easily play those minutes, but it was just a notion. And I am just not sure if you can get a point guard for the minimum. So I was just throwing around ideas in my head.

[T Park Num 9]

Prob cause Duncan isnt high on Sprewell like you Ghost.

And afraid to break it to ya pasty, but thats all that counts.

Duncan's opinion. Now stfu already.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yeah Ghost, no friend of Duncan's will ever be dealt. Get your shit correct, homer.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

All good signings.

I'm too tired to read all of Ghost's ramblings to the contrary, but I don't see a bad signing in that group.

The overall talent of the team, regardless of whether we lose Jackson, is up.

We've added three guys in Turk, Rasho, and Horry who can hit shots. Turk and Horry are guys who can play multiple positions. Mercer is a tough, hard-nosed type of player.

A team that won a championship last year got BETTER.

Add to that the fact that the Spurs are once-again positioned to have salary options next season, and I'd say the future is bright.

[baseline bum]

The trade for Hedo boosts my offseason grade for the Spurs from D to B.

[T Park Num 9]

the trade for Hedo will be a

look back in two years and laugh, Jermaine Oneal- Dale Davis type deal.

Mark it down...