3 Spurs who are redundant in the rotation

[8FOR!3]

https://www.spurstalk.com/san-antonio-spurs-rotational-redundancy-problem/

Pretty much everyone agrees that Forbes/Mills/Belinelli provide the same things. Interested to hear what steps you guys think we need to take with these 3 guys.

[Russ]

https://www.spurstalk.com/san-antonio-spurs-rotational-redundancy-problem/

Pretty much everyone agrees that Forbes/Mills/Belinelli provide the same things. Interested to hear what steps you guys think we need to take with these 3 guys.

I'd go with the youngest.

[Prime BEEF]

I’d get rid of all 3 and give their minutes to Walker

[cutewizard]

Hahaha hiihihi

[jjktkk]

If the Spurs were in any kind of contention, I would keep Mills, but since they're not, I'd
keep Forbes, and trade the older vets Marco, and Mills.

[TDomination]

I'd go with the youngest.
Initially that was my thought but I wouldn't be against keeping Patty over the other 2. He seems to be the better leader of the 3 and probably the more consistent player on both ends. Its not saying much when being compared to Forbes and Marco but still. I'm sure his next contract will be much more team friendly.

Get rid of Forbes and Marco ASAP.

[EasyMoney]

Bryn and Marco need to go ASAP. Give their minutes to Lonnie and Carroll and end games with Murray and white

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Harsh on Mills, he brings much more than the other two. I'd put Rudy in there instead. He's been a walking corpse this season.

It's a shame that the best volume 3 point shooters are so bad at everything else, but that's what they have. Wish White would be more aggressive with his shot ( and with everything else ), even if his % drops there's value in volume 3 point shooting.

[Dex]

Harsh on Mills, he brings much more than the other two. I'd put Rudy in there instead. He's been a walking corpse this season.

It's a shame that the best volume 3 point shooters are so bad at everything else, but that's what they have. Wish White would be more aggressive with his shot ( and with everything else ), even if his % drops there's value in volume 3 point shooting.

I really don't know what the deal with Rudy is. Obviously he is not the scorer he once was, but last year he did a great job of playing within himself and was super efficient.

This year...it's like he is the walking definition of losing a step. His movement is slow and jerky, his lateral quickness is gone, he is constantly fumbling and bumbling the ball away, and his jumper seems to have disappeared.

Oh, and he needs to stop trying to dunk on people. His body simply can't do that anymore. I've never seen a guy miss so many dunks over the course of two seasons.

[EasyMoney]

I really don't know what the deal with Rudy is. .

He got paid

[Sugus]

I really don't know what the deal with Rudy is. Obviously he is not the scorer he once was, but last year he did a great job of playing within himself and was super efficient.

This year...it's like he is the walking definition of losing a step. His movement is slow and jerky, his lateral quickness is gone, he is constantly fumbling and bumbling the ball away, and his jumper seems to have disappeared.

Oh, and he needs to stop trying to dunk on people. His body simply can't do that anymore. I've never seen a guy miss so many dunks over the course of two seasons.

He's the definition of washed. At least with LMA you see flashes that he still has something left in the tank... Rudy is just going through the motions, badly.

[JeffDuncan]

He got paid

Nah, Gay got a year older, and especially his feet and ankles got a year older. His wheels are wobbly.

The redundancy on the Spurs roster is worse than the article says. There's eight guards on the 15 man roster (DDR is actually a shooting guard,) then also Quinndary is a guard. Keldon Johnson is listed as SF but he's 6'5"; that's a guard.

In classic NBA terms, a "true" depth chart for the current Spurs might look something like this.

PG - Murray, White*, Mills**
SG - DDR, Forbes, Belinelli, Walker, Johnson

The team has one point guard who was drafted and signed as such, six players who are basically shooting guards, and White, noted below.

SF - Carroll. He is really the only SF, "classically," and he's not playing. This is at a position considered highly important in the modern NBA.

PF - LMA***, Gay, Lyles, Metu, Eubanks. Metu and Eubanks are usually at center when they get a chance to play, in this small-ball era.

C - Poeltl. "Classically" the only center.

*When Derrick White was drafted all the talk was about him being the team's future SG, and the scouting reports all called him a combo guard. Fortunately, considering the team's situation, he's shown ability to play point.

**Mills is actually an SG, who has a lesser ability to play point.

***Aldridge is really an old fashioned, big PF, a kind of player that's nearly extinct now. He would have been perfect paired with a 7' center, back when the whole league was trying to do "twin towers." He plays center now because of the change that has happened in the NBA.

So..... one point guard, one combo guard, six shooting guards, one SF who doesn't play, five PFs, and one center. Hm. It's oddly unbalanced from a head coach/team president who allegedly favors classic basketball.

[BackHome]

I agree I am OK staying with Mills he is playing much better and I think he really helps keep the team together. His next contract should be team friendly and I don’t think he would complain being a backup role - I also think he will make a great assistant coach in the future.

As far as Forbes he is not fast enough to guard PG not big enough to guard SG his defense is just terrible. I will be royally pissed if they give him another contract try to trade him or let him go when his contract is up. The same thing for Beli and Gay who I both really like but understand that they Father Time has caught up to them and we need to move on. The same for Poop

[itzsoweezee]

This is exactly why I said the off-season was a failure and made zero sense. This front office truly has no idea what it is doing.

[JeffDuncan]

On the original question by the OP, I have to say that Mills is the keeper, because he has some ability to play point guard. The need for that is always only one injury away. I'd prefer to have somebody other than Mills as the emergency PG, but if Mills is what there is, so be it.

I can't imagine Beli playing point guard, not in any serious way. In addition to the problems he's shown this year, he has no versatility.

Forbes played PG last season, for a while, because of the terrible injury situation. He got some praise, maybe even from me (I don't recall,) but that was because he was able to do it at all, not that he was good at it. Forbes has no versatility either.

So I guess I'd keep Mills, since he's already here, and look to part ways with Forbes and Beli.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

if forbes and belli get hot and i mean hotter than a pistol, then they can stay, start, whatever. but if theyre not shooting at a 45% pace the rest of the way, it’s dumper juice time fellas

[jermaine]

Bryn and Marco need to go ASAP. Give their minutes to Lonnie and Carroll and end games with Murray and white

It all seems so simple but yet for far fetched. If Spurs fans feel this way, why is it the front office dont!?!

[r0drig0lac]

It all seems so simple but yet for far fetched. If Spurs fans feel this way, why is it the front office dont!?!

because PATFO doesn't care what happens inside the court, it's important to keep your favorites with a job.

[tbdog]

This is exactly why I said the off-season was a failure and made zero sense. This front office truly has no idea what it is doing.

They actually did, orbat least attempted to rectify the roster issues. In the offseason I wrote a piece that the Spurs should target two of Carroll, Morris, Crowder, and trade Bertans for it to happen. I nearly nailed it if it wasn't for Morris fuck show. Not promoting Walker and Carroll in the rotation is just flawed decision making on Pop. You look internally before externally via trades. Pop just moved Lyles and Poeltl around.

[SpurSpike]

I cant wait to see the reaction on this site when Forbes is signed a huge deal. Pop is on quote saying he wants to pay him. The Spurs view Forbes as a starter and starts get paid.

[timtonymanu]

I really don't know what the deal with Rudy is. Obviously he is not the scorer he once was, but last year he did a great job of playing within himself and was super efficient.

This year...it's like he is the walking definition of losing a step. His movement is slow and jerky, his lateral quickness is gone, he is constantly fumbling and bumbling the ball away, and his jumper seems to have disappeared.

Oh, and he needs to stop trying to dunk on people. His body simply can't do that anymore. I've never seen a guy miss so many dunks over the course of two seasons.

It’s not hard to understand. That’s why I wasn’t excited like a lot on here when they brought him back for 32 million. Sure, he played great last year and was a huge factor in this team winning 48 games, but he was only gonna be coming back a year older and more broken down from that injury. Just turned out to be another thank you contract for an aging vet.

[RC_Drunkford]

Rudy Gay been garbage since the playoffs last year. He basically fell off a cliff right then and there. Luckily PATFO has been so smart to lock him up for another 2 years on a bargain 16 million per year deal

[timtonymanu]

Rudy Gay been garbage since the playoffs last year. He basically fell off a cliff right then and there. Luckily PATFO has been so smart to lock him up for another 2 years on a bargain 16 million per year deal

It’s baffling. You thought they would have learned their lesson after the Gasol deal, who’s being paid by them to be a mentor in Portland. :lol

[BackHome]

Rudy was also signed to help with DEROZZ and they both Cali guys so keep Rudy hopefully makes DEROZZ stay happy.

[JeffDuncan]

No, Rudy Gay is from Baltimore.

[Truth4sale$]

If the Spurs make the playoffs, dont expect much change- unless someone offers Forbes, Belnelli more money. If the Spurs miss the playoffs, expect significant change. Mills is likely to stay, because you need leadership, which he provides and he is a great shooter along side the right players. Belinelli and Caroll need to be traded for anything.

[Prime BEEF]

If the Spurs make the playoffs, dont expect much change- unless someone offers Forbes, Belnelli more money. If the Spurs miss the playoffs, expect significant change. Mills is likely to stay, because you need leadership, which he provides and he is a great shooter along side the right players. Belinelli and Caroll need to be traded for anything.
Spurs will not make the playoffs

[objective]

It’s not hard to understand. That’s why I wasn’t excited like a lot on here when they brought him back for 32 million. Sure, he played great last year and was a huge factor in this team winning 48 games, but he was only gonna be coming back a year older and more broken down from that injury. Just turned out to be another thank you contract for an aging vet.

for what it's worth, Gay's deal is now usually reported as 2/29. 14 million a year plus 500k in likely incentives.

Anyways, I don't think Gay's deal was that bad a risk. They weren't going to have caproom anyway last summer if they renounced him. This coming summer is a bad free agent pool even if they did lose DeRozan and buyout Aldridge. I don't think he's currently in the way of Samanic, unlike how he might be for a Brandon Clarke.

Gay is getting older and worse, but at least it's only 2 years. And there's little likelihood of an extension beyond, unlike Mills.

[Truth4sale$]

Spurs will make the playoffs. They are 2 games behind, Portland and that team cant get their act together. Suns, and Kings cant seem to put together a winning streak. Most importantly OKC DOES NOT want to make the playoffs. Expect them to trade whomever they can to drop out of that 7th spot.

[Sugus]

Spurs will make the playoffs. They are 2 games behind, Portland and that team cant get their act together. Suns, and Kings cant seem to put together a winning streak. Most importantly OKC DOES NOT want to make the playoffs. Expect them to trade whomever they can to drop out of that 7th spot.

I wouldn't be so sure, tbh - I doubt OKC goes for a full tank, they've been overachieving and the fact that they have a boatload of picks asides from their own means they can afford a season of competence and giving their young players PO experience, without sacrificing valuable drafting assets. Until they trade either Adams or Paul I won't be convinced they're tanking. As for Portland, they're hardly out of the race and, unlike the Spurs who are playing like shit whilst healthy, will have two very valuable pieces coming back around the ASB, which very well could result in a late run. I haven't looked at their SOS but Nurkic is a sorely needed addition for them.

I agree about Suns and Kings though, they're trash; but the Spurs could very well miss the postseason. And maybe they should, if that's what it will take for the FO to make some serious changes.

[rjv]

i don't know that there would be anyway to make a trade work with philly but that is one place where patty could prove useful in any kind of playoff run.

[rjv]

and the obvious reason that belli has to go is because of his limiting lonnie. the only reason that i can think of his still getting minutes over walker is because either pop is still holding on to some mistaken notion that his three-point shooting gives the spurs a better chance at winning or is hoping to convince other teams that marco still has something to offer. as much as i like belli, he has to go.

[Truth4sale$]

I wouldn't be so sure, tbh - I doubt OKC goes for a full tank, they've been overachieving and the fact that they have a boatload of picks asides from their own means they can afford a season of competence and giving their young players PO experience, without sacrificing valuable drafting assets. Until they trade either Adams or Paul I won't be convinced they're tanking. As for Portland, they're hardly out of the race and, unlike the Spurs who are playing like shit whilst healthy, will have two very valuable pieces coming back around the ASB, which very well could result in a late run. I haven't looked at their SOS but Nurkic is a sorely needed addition for them.

I agree about Suns and Kings though, they're trash; but the Spurs could very well miss the postseason. And maybe they should, if that's what it will take for the FO to make some serious changes.

OKC has 3 guys who have been in trade rumors, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroder. Also, the team still has Luxury tax issues. Having Dennis Schroder and Chris Paul hamper their youth at point guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is foolish. Dennis Schroder has value around the league. None of the collected draft picks, dont come without stipulations they are all basically lottery protected, which means to get in the lottery OKC, has to get their themselves. Lightning does not strike twice, no star players will sign there. Gotta find one in the lottery. Chris Paul will get injured (he always does), Spurs hit a hot streak of a 6 game win streak and sneak in as the 8th seed and then we are all disappointed as Spurs get swept away but get the 15th pick

[dbestpro]

Forbes would be a good fit if he were used to get points coming off the bench. He does one thing well and struggles when asked to do more.

[Sugus]

OKC has 3 guys who have been in trade rumors, Steven Adams, Danilo Gallinari and Dennis Schroder. Also, the team still has Luxury tax issues. Having Dennis Schroder and Chris Paul hamper their youth at point guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is foolish. Dennis Schroder has value around the league. None of the collected draft picks, dont come without stipulations they are all basically lottery protected, which means to get in the lottery OKC, has to get their themselves. Lightning does not strike twice, no star players will sign there. Gotta find one in the lottery. Chris Paul will get injured (he always does), Spurs hit a hot streak of a 6 game win streak and sneak in as the 8th seed and then we are all disappointed as Spurs get swept away but get the 15th pick

Trade rumours ≠ trades. CP3 is a great mentor to SGA and by all accounts they're getting along (and you can see the effect it has on SGA's production, guy is an excellent prospect). Paul could get injured just like any Spur could... It's not like we're not relying on a 34yo vet to carry us to the PO. Agree to disagree I guess, but OKC is still very much in the playoff race and is the better team right now. I do hope the Spurs make it over them, obviously, but a losing season could also be a positive if it wakes up the FO.