Bring Scola in.

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs might as well bring him in this summer. I believe he could elect to opt out and sign a new long term deal with Tau or another European club. If he does so, that could very well close the door on him being of any value to the Spurs.

[Kori Ellis]

How much would you want to pay him?

[Marcus Bryant]

Obviously they would have to move one of the current bigs to do so. Butler seems to be on the bubble though I'd move Elson first.

[Brutalis]

Why do we draft guys if we know there's a buyout but we never do it? If Scola becomes history we'll all be wondering about Splitter.

[Bruno]

Bring him or trade him.
If Spurs don't do something with his rights before July 15th, I have the feeling he will stay in europe for the rest of his career and Spurs will get nothing for him.

[Marcus Bryant]

How much would you want to pay him?

I thought I read a report that he was looking for 3 years/$10 mil. Sounds about right.

[AFBlue]

And leave who off the roster?

And make him sit the bench, or give him PT?

If you give him PT, who do you take it away from?

I'm all for Scola coming over, but it has to be the right situation. Having just signed Oberto and Bonner to an extension and guaranteeing the final year of Horry's contract....where is the room?

[Marcus Bryant]

And leave who off the roster?

And make him sit the bench, or give him PT?

If you give him PT, who do you take it away from?

I'm all for Scola coming over, but it has to be the right situation. Having just signed Oberto and Bonner to an extension and guaranteeing the final year of Horry's contract....where is the room?

It's not too hard to project Scola as the better player over Butler and Elson for the next couple of seasons.

[Ariel]

I think it's too late for that. The Spurs have already re-signed Bonner and Oberto, and they kept Horry. How many PFs are they going to have on their roster? Besides, they've had the chance to sign him for the past two years, and chose otherwise. And it's not like they had some stellar player they just had to sign over him. I can't see the Spurs signing him. And most likely they'll keep pricing him out of other team's reach, so my guess is, he'll stay in Europe one more year. Possibly for the rest of his career.

[smrattler]

I don't know, his trade value might plummet! He seems to be worth more while never touching an NBA floor. I'd be mad if he came in and looked terrible. Those 2nd round draft pick offers might start looking pretty good.

[AFBlue]

It's not too hard to project Scola as the better player over Butler and Elson for the next couple of seasons.

No doubt he'd be better than Elson. I'm still waiting/hoping on JB, though.

Again, I'm a proponent of Luis being a Spur, but I'm not sure if he'll even want to come over to the NBA if he's destined to ride the pine for at least a year.

IMO, Luis wants to come to the NBA to play....and he won't be able to as long as he's Spurs property.

[Mr. Body]

I sure as hell would rather have Scola than Bonner - the price was pretty similar - but the Spurs already have shown they don't want Scola. Probably a mistake, but whatever.

[Marcus Bryant]

How many low post scorers do the Spurs have? Duncan & Butler. When TD leaves the game the Spurs have often struggled with their inside game. Scola would be a nice fit subbing for TD in the post against the league's reserve bigs.

I'm not sure why Spurs fans are sold on Elson. Scola can bring the same energetic game and he's more skilled. Elson was just clueless for most of the season when it came to the Spurs' defensive rotations. Plus he's not exactly that young.

[Mr. Body]

How many low post scorers do the Spurs have? Duncan & Butler.

Can we really call Butler a low-post scorer when he's not game-worthy? I'd advocate Scola over Butler in a heartbeat.

[Ariel]

It's not Spurs fans you need to convince. It's the FO.

[AFBlue]

I'm trying to decide if I'd rather the Spurs trade his rights for a late first-rounder (like the Bulls') or just leave him overseas, so he won't be successful for another team.

Based on the number of holes the Spurs could have next season, I'd say it might be best to trade him to the Bulls for their 2008 1st rounder...if they'll do that deal.

[Marcus Bryant]

Can we really call Butler a low-post scorer when he's not game-worthy?

That's the point.

[Ariel]

I'm trying to decide if I'd rather the Spurs trade his rights for a late first-rounder (like the Bulls') or just leave him overseas, so he won't be successful for another team.
They've tried to get a first rounder for him for the past two years, and to no avail. Chances are, the FO is with you on the latter scenario.

[timvp]

I kinda like the idea of bringing in Scola and selling high on Elson this summer. Elson has an expiring contract and there are teams with worse bigman options in their rotation. Trading him for a future pick and bringing in Scola sounds like a decent plan.

The main reason why I'd consider trading high on Elson this summer is because the Spurs drafted Splitter. Splitter is almost the exact same player as Elson. Splitter is a little thicker and a better offensive player while Elson is a little faster. But come next summer, the Spurs have to bring in Splitter and Elson will be a free agent. Having both Elson and Splitter on the same team would be redundant.

I agree with Scola in principal but I think the Spurs would need to make another move before they do that. I don't think the answer would be trading away Butler because then you'd still be stuck with too many bigs who expect to play decent minutes.

[Lucky Day]

bring scola in!!!! he's a beast!!!

[AFBlue]

They've tried to get a first rounder for him for the past two years, and to no avail. Chances are, the FO is with you on the latter scenario.

Not sure the "atmosphere" was right for Scola to be dealt for a pick that high....

But now, the Bulls have ZERO players that are good in the offensive post, Scola has been mentioned several times related to them, and the Bulls have plenty of young players with no need for more picks.

Seems like a logical fit, now more than ever.

[Mr. Body]

I agree with timvp's idea, but my guess is the FO truly intends to stand pat. They'd rather have Elson this year than Scola - the switch from Elson next summer to Splitter will be painless and there's no need to get rid of Elson this year. The signing of Bonner is daft if it prevents Scola from getting that money. I hope the article saying they might trade off Butler after the summer league is true - with the intention of replacing his roster spot with Scola.

An added bonus of bringing Scola this year, then Splitter next, is that those two players should know one another's games very well by now.

[timvp]

I hope the article saying they might trade off Butler after the summer league is true - with the intention of replacing his roster spot with Scola.

Well first of all, Scola needs to present Tau with a buyout proposal before July 15th. Summer league will still be going on by that point, so the Spurs' read on Butler probably won't be complete.

Secondly, I don't know how you find the minutes for Oberto, Bonner, Horry, Elson and Scola next to Duncan. Scola is a bit of a hot head and won't be cool with going into the Stephen Jackson plan. Horry doesn't have to play much, but he still needs his playing time. The Spurs are invested in Bonner. I don't know if Elson would liked to be Butler'ed over night and become IR fodder.

If Scola is added, you have to get rid of a big who plays ... and the only one that makes sense is Elson. And he makes even more sense because I doubt the Spurs are re-signing him after drafting his Brazilian twin.

[Marcus Bryant]

I'd rather see the Spurs bring in Scola than give him away for nothing. Elson never seemed to be a part of the Spurs' long term plans, but rather a stop gap. TD's now down to about 34 minutes a night in the regular season. So that's 14 minutes you can give to Scola. Take 6 from the center spot and you have 20 a night for him. I think he could do very well as a Spur and add a new wrinkle to the offense.

[Marcus Bryant]

An added bonus of bringing Scola this year, then Splitter next, is that those two players should know one another's games very well by now.

That would be a nice aspect if both were to play for the Spurs.

[Mr. Body]

For the record, I'd advocate giving up any non-starting big to make room for Scola - Butler, Elson, Bonner, etc. - with the exception of Horry. If the Bonner signing fucked this up, I'd have to laugh. More likely it shows they don't intend on bringing him over.

[AFBlue]

Well first of all, Scola needs to present Tau with a buyout proposal before July 15th. Summer league will still be going on by that point, so the Spurs' read on Butler probably won't be complete.

Secondly, I don't know how you find the minutes for Oberto, Bonner, Horry, Elson and Scola next to Duncan. Scola is a bit of a hot head and won't be cool with going into the Stephen Jackson plan. Horry doesn't have to play much, but he still needs his playing time. The Spurs are invested in Bonner. I don't know if Elson would liked to be Butler'ed over night and become IR fodder.

If Scola is added, you have to get rid of a big who plays ... and the only one that makes sense is Elson. And he makes even more sense because I doubt the Spurs are re-signing him after drafting his Brazilian twin.

If the Spurs get rid of Elson and give Scola his minutes, I have no problem with this.

If the Spurs get rid of Butler and sit Scola on the bench, I have a problem...

[Marcus Bryant]

Knowing the Spurs, they'd dump Butler even with a willing trade partner for Elson.

[picnroll]

At this point it kind of sucks that the Spurs are basically holding Scola hostage. If they don't want him trade him for a second round if that's all they can get.

[AFBlue]

For the record, I'd advocate giving up any non-starting big to make room for Scola - Butler, Elson, Bonner, etc. - with the exception of Horry. If the Bonner signing fucked this up, I'd have to laugh. More likely it shows they don't intend on bringing him over.

To me, the probability of Scola ever being a Spur has been chipped away at slowly....

First, they draft his teammate Splitter with the intention of bringing him over to be a F/C in the system in '08.

Then, they sign Oberto to a multi-year extension, further clogging the "big" rotation.

Finally, they sign Bonner to a multi-year deal, making it almost impossible for Scola to make the roster, let alone compete for minutes.

Oh..and somewhere in there they fully guaranteed the contract of Robert Horry.

Only way I see this going down is if some other big gets shipped out the door...but it seems that the Spurs had ample opportunity to create space for Scola this off-season and instead, they've gone in the opposite direction.

[CosmicCowboy]

Obviously another option if they brought Scola in could be to further limit Tim Duncans regular season minutes...less chance of injury, fewer miles on the odometer, possibly add a year to TD's career, and build real trade value with Scola if it's a card they choose to play in the future....

[Ariel]

That's correct, but it only accounts for this offseason. That's also been the case for the past two seasons as well, when they chose Oberto over Scola, and then Elson and Butler. At some point, one's got to consider the possibility it's not just a series of random cosmic coincidences.

[Mr. Body]

...but it seems that the Spurs had ample opportunity to create space for Scola this off-season and instead, they've gone in the opposite direction.

I agree, but it's to bad they couldn't find a way to put him on the roster or get some value for him. It seems the Scola saga comes to an end very shortly and the Spurs couldn't manage to turn him into value.

[coopdogg3]

To me, the probability of Scola ever being a Spur has been chipped away at slowly....

First, they draft his teammate Splitter with the intention of bringing him over to be a F/C in the system in '08.

Then, they sign Oberto to a multi-year extension, further clogging the "big" rotation.

Finally, they sign Bonner to a multi-year deal, making it almost impossible for Scola to make the roster, let alone compete for minutes.

Oh..and somewhere in there they fully guaranteed the contract of Robert Horry.

Only way I see this going down is if some other big gets shipped out the door...but it seems that the Spurs had ample opportunity to create space for Scola this off-season and instead, they've gone in the opposite direction.

For me the key was resigning Bonner. Drafting Splitter was just BPA. Resigning Oberto and Horry were no-brainers - they got us through the Finals. But Bonner meant we had another PF and no roster spot for Scola. Maybe they're hoping that they can bring Scola over next year, maybe with Elson and Horry off the books. But I doubt it.

[Marcus Bryant]

To me, the probability of Scola ever being a Spur has been chipped away at slowly....

First, they draft his teammate Splitter with the intention of bringing him over to be a F/C in the system in '08.

Then, they sign Oberto to a multi-year extension, further clogging the "big" rotation.

Finally, they sign Bonner to a multi-year deal, making it almost impossible for Scola to make the roster, let alone compete for minutes.

Oh..and somewhere in there they fully guaranteed the contract of Robert Horry.

Only way I see this going down is if some other big gets shipped out the door...but it seems that the Spurs had ample opportunity to create space for Scola this off-season and instead, they've gone in the opposite direction.

What happens next summer? Horry's gone. Elson and Butler can be gone.

Spurs could have...

4 Duncan/Scola/Bonner
5 Oberto/Splitter

That's a damn good 4/5 rotation and likely the four other than Duncan would be on cheap contracts (by NBA bigman contract standards).

[AFBlue]

Obviously another option if they brought Scola in could be to further limit Tim Duncans regular season minutes...less chance of injury, fewer miles on the odometer, possibly add a year to TD's career, and build real trade value with Scola if it's a card they choose to play in the future....

If you're implying that they open up the rotation to include an 11th or 12th player, I just don't see it happening.

[Marcus Bryant]

If you're implying that they open up the rotation to include an 11th or 12th player, I just don't see it happening.

Oberto would be in the 9-10 man rotation the season after.

[AFBlue]

What happens next summer? Horry's gone. Elson and Butler can be gone.

Spurs could have...

4 Duncan/Scola/Bonner
5 Oberto/Splitter

That's a damn good 4/5 rotation and likely the four other than Duncan could be signed on the cheap (by NBA bigman contract standards).

And this year you carry seven bigs for the entire season, with roster regular Elson joining Butler on the IL for basically every game?

I understand what sense it makes for the long-term, and again, I am for the Spurs bringing in Scola if the situation is right (Elson shipped out, etc.), but based on the recent pattern of behavior for this Spurs FO, it just doesn't seem like a likely occurence.

[Mr. Body]

What happens next summer? Horry's gone. Elson and Butler can be gone.

Spurs could have...

4 Duncan/Scola/Bonner
5 Oberto/Splitter

That's a damn good 4/5 rotation and likely the four other than Duncan would be on cheap contracts (by NBA bigman contract standards).

Conventional wisdom has Scola signing a long-term contract with Tau if he doesn't come over this year. Perhaps that is a bluff, perhaps the Spurs have told him he's 'definitely over' next year, but I don't know why he'd believe them.

[Marcus Bryant]

Obviously another option if they brought Scola in could be to further limit Tim Duncans regular season minutes...less chance of injury, fewer miles on the odometer, possibly add a year to TD's career, and build real trade value with Scola if it's a card they choose to play in the future....

Keeps TD's minutes down and gives you another low post scoring option. Makes too much sense to happen.

[Mr. Body]

The question remains whether Bonner was worth passing on Scola.

[Marcus Bryant]

The question remains whether Bonner was worth passing on Scola.

Bonner does give you the 4 with 3 point range. Elson is the one who is truly superfluous.

[Bruno]

If Spurs thinks that Scola can't play well with Duncan, they are right not to give him a contract.

[Marcus Bryant]

And this year you carry seven bigs for the entire season, with roster regular Elson joining Butler on the IL for basically every game?

I understand what sense it makes for the long-term, and again, I am for the Spurs bringing in Scola if the situation is right (Elson shipped out, etc.), but based on the recent pattern of behavior for this Spurs FO, it just doesn't seem like a likely occurence.

No, you move Elson or Butler (preferably Elson).

[Marcus Bryant]

If Spurs thinks that Scola can't play well with Duncan, they are right not to give him a contract.

That's a concern for perhaps 5 minutes a night. If Oberto can play with TD I think Scola can.

[AFBlue]

Keeps TD's minutes down and gives you another low post scoring option. Makes too much sense to happen.

1. Parker
2. Finley
3. Bowen
4. Duncan
5. Oberto
6. Ginobili
7. Horry
8. Elson
9. Barry
10. Vaughn

There's your 10 from last year. That list doesn't include Bonner already, and now you want to add Scola?

Again, I don't see it unless Elson gets completely taken out of the rotation...and then you still have to justify not playing Bonner, to whom you just gave a new contract.

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs are paying Bonner under $3 mil next season. No biggie.

[AFBlue]

No, you move Elson or Butler (preferably Elson).

Moving Elson makes great sense.

But what makes you think it'll happen?

And unless the Spurs send him, or Butler for that matter, to a team over the cap, they'll have to receive a player in return....

Is that player waived? Because, if not, the Spurs will have to make a decision regarding a lost roster spot...do they keep White or Williams?

[CosmicCowboy]

I honestly never though I would see Pop going 10 deep. Spurs have clearly proven that they aren't gonna give 100% on short rotations trying to win the most regular season games. With 20+ back to backs in the regular season I could really see Elson in a suit most of the time and Scola getting some burn, while Tim and Horry get nights off. The new IR rules really give a team more flexibility.

[Marcus Bryant]

The reason the Spurs pass on Scola is if they have truly bought into the 'league is moving towards superior athleticism at all spots' view. That could be why Butler was viewed as expendable by the Spurs earlier this year. Elson's athletic as hell, but that hasn't prevented him from sucking and watching the Spurs win a title from the bench as the somewhat less athletic Oberto was playing alongside TD.

[Marcus Bryant]

Moving Elson makes great sense.

But what makes you think it'll happen?

And unless the Spurs send him, or Butler for that matter, to a team over the cap, they'll have to receive a player in return....

Is that player waived? Because, if not, the Spurs will have to make a decision regarding a lost roster spot...do they keep White or Williams?

There are a large number of teams with trade exceptions (something like 10 to 12). Surely one of those may be interested in an athletic big on a small contract with one guaranteed season remaining.

[timvp]

Bonner fits a longterm need. Against certain defenses, you have to have a power forward next to Duncan who can shoot the ball. In Bonner, the Spurs found one who can do that plus rebound the ball and knock a few heads. He was too good of a fit to let go. Perhaps he still won't be needed next season because Horry will be around, but eventually he'll be needed.

[Marcus Bryant]

Bonner fits a longterm need. Against certain defenses, you have to have a power forward next to Duncan who can shoot the ball. In Bonner, the Spurs found one who can do that plus rebound the ball and knock a few heads. He was too good of a fit to let go. Perhaps he still won't be needed next season because Horry will be around, but eventually he'll be needed.

Yeah, having a 4 with 3 point range to spread the floor and give TD room to operate is a significant plus for the team. Scola's value would be in what he can bring when TD is off the floor.

[CosmicCowboy]

If you are gonna stockpile talent at the 11-15 theres no better way to do it than with affordable, functional bigs...you can afford to break the cardinal rule of "never trade a big for a small" if you really have to...There are at least 25 teams in the league that would love to have the Spurs "problem".

[Bruno]

That's a concern for perhaps 5 minutes a night. If Oberto can play with TD I think Scola can.

TD off the floor is a 10 minutes a night concern when it matters.

Unless you want to play Scola 15 mpg, He will play more than 5mpg with Duncan.

[timvp]

Splitter was a pick that changed a lot of things. Splitter will step right in for Elson after this season. Splitter will make like 1/4th as much money as Elson makes this year and will be able to do the same things on both ends of the court. Then I think that it's safe to say Splitter backs up Oberto until Splitter is ready to take the reigns as the starting center.

What's hard to figure out is where Butler and Scola fit in the mix. I think Butler has better potential than any big outside of Duncan. However, he's probably still a year or two from being ready to be championship caliber. Scola I think might even be better than Nocioni, but he doesn't exactly fit the current mold of the bigman rotation.

Where Oberto, Splitter and Bonner have the advantage is they are system players. They each have a role that they can do well. Scola and Butler are more multi-purpose players, but sometimes that works against you in the Spurs' system. Pop loved Malik until Malik had the audacity to look to shoot the ball.

I think Scola and Butler are too good to give away for nothing. It'd be great to work them into the system. Hopefully the Spurs can find a way to do that.

[bigfan]

Dump Butler and bring him over. Id keep Elson because I still think he can be pretty good at times. Butler is young and has an upside, but I think Scola will be better than Butler in the long run.

[Marcus Bryant]

TD off the floor is a 10 minutes a night concern when it matters.

Unless you want to play Scola 15 mpg, He will paly more than 5mpg with Duncan.

TD played 34 minutes a night last season, so there's 14 for Scola right there.

[Bruno]

TD played 34 minutes a night last season, so there's 14 for Scola right there.

"when it matters" = playoffs.

[Fabbs]

Dumping Elson lvs us in small balls territory again should the need arise.
Are you Elson Dumpers counting on Butler to be the other big?

[timvp]

Dumping Elson lvs us in small balls territory again should the need arise.
Are you Elson Dumpers counting on Butler to be the other big?

Scola/Horry/Oberto/Butler next to Tim should be enough.

[Marcus Bryant]

"when it matters" = playoffs.

Sure, the Big 3 all see increased minutes in the postseason. It'd be nice to add a player who can help keep the Franchise's minutes down during the regular season.

[Marcus Bryant]

I'm also not sure why Scola couldn't play with TD, especially for a limited amount of minutes a night. All Scola would have to do is cut to the rim occasionally, seal his man, and hit the offensive glass.

[Bruno]

I'm also not sure why Scola couldn't play with TD, especially for a limited amount of minutes a night. All Scola would have to do is cut to the rim occasionally, seal his man, and hit the offensive glass.

He can play with Duncan but what makes Scola a good player is his offensive game. Remove it and he is a bellow average player.

[Marcus Bryant]

And all other Spurs are above average defensively? He can't be worse than Elson, that's for certain.

[Mitch Cumsteen]

Scola and Butler are more multi-purpose players, but sometimes that works against you in the Spurs' system. Pop loved Malik until Malik had the audacity to look to shoot the ball.
Not to get off subject, but it wasn't that Malik had the audacity to shoot. It's that he had the audacity to forget why he was valuable to the team and somehow felt compelled to live up to his ridiculous contract by doing the opposite of what earned him that ridiculous contract.

But I digress.... I don't see that Bonner has anything to do with Scola's playing time. It's not like Matt Bonner is a 40 minute a night player. He sat on the bench all of last season, I don't see why they would hesitate to sit his ass on the bench in favor of a better player (i.e., Scola). They gave him a $3M deal. Big whoop. That says to me, we like you, but if you do anything positive on the basketball court it's all gravy.

While it appears there is a logjam in the front court, who besides Duncan really has his minutes guaranteed?

Horry -- he's a thousand years old and going to hibernate until the playoffs anyway.
Oberto -- he had a nice playoff run, but let's not get carried away here. There's a reason that a free agent center who started on a NBA champion wasn't flooded with free agent offers. He's also foul prone.
Elson -- could he have been any less of a factor in the playoffs? He is fast though. If we ever have to run the hundred yard dash against the Mavericks, I like the way he matches up with Erick Dampier.
Bonner -- what can you say about him? He's white. Kind of like a red headed Larry Bird minus the cheesy stache, tight shorts and basketball skill.
Butler -- do we know anything about his abilities other than his ability to grow a really freaky looking beard?

Am I missing something here? How the fuck could Scola not find minutes on this team?

[Bruno]

And dumping Elson to sign Scola isn't a good idea.

Spurs biggest opponent is Dallas. Oberto can do a decent job on Dirk 20 mpg. Who do you want to play on Dirk the other 20 mpg : Duncan ? Bonner ? Old Horry ? Scola ? Small ball ?

Playoffs are all about matchup and Spurs need a player like Elson against Mavs.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

The Spurs might as well bring him in this summer. I believe he could elect to opt out and sign a new long term deal with Tau or another European club. If he does so, that could very well close the door on him being of any value to the Spurs.



Spurs aren't in it to repeat




or have you figure that out already

[AFBlue]

There are a large number of teams with trade exceptions (something like 10 to 12). Surely one of those may be interested in an athletic big on a small contract with one guaranteed season remaining.

I'm all for that.

But I'll believe it when I see it...

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

How much is the Cavs trade exception?

[objective]

the need for a PF to shoot 3s is pretty much overstated imo.

#1, Spurs had PFs to shoot 3s in the years past (Ferry, even Lohaus). They weren't the difference maker, guys who could penetrate and create shots were like Manu and Parker.

#2, I think people are too readily confusing Horry the player with the idea of the PF position. You can get PFs who shoot 3s on the cheap. Austin Croshere. Keith Van Horn. Cliff Robinson. Sean Marks was good out to a long two-pointer easily, and he was a vet-minimum guy. Hell, if the Spurs wanted, they could have drafted Nick Fazekas and had him for cheap.

#3, as a result, just because Bonner can shoot 3s, doesn't make him a legit Horry replacement. Bonner will never get 5 blocks in a finals game. Bonner will never grab 9 rebounds in the first half of a finals game. Bonner will never be dependable to force multiple turnovers on inbounds passes with his crafty plays.

The only thing Bonner does even close to Horry is shoot from long range, and he's never done that in the clutch, ever.

Signing him to a contract nearly identical to the one Scola was asking for last summer is highly dubious.

[AFBlue]

How much is the Cavs trade exception?

$2.1M I think...

[Marcus Bryant]

the need for a PF to shoot 3s is pretty much overstated imo.

#1, Spurs had PFs to shoot 3s in the years past (Ferry, even Lohaus). They weren't the difference maker, guys who could penetrate and create shots were like Manu and Parker.

#2, I think people are too readily confusing Horry the player with the idea of the PF position. You can get PFs who shoot 3s on the cheap. Austin Croshere. Keith Van Horn. Cliff Robinson. Sean Marks was good out to a long two-pointer easily, and he was a vet-minimum guy. Hell, if the Spurs wanted, they could have drafted Nick Fazekas and had him for cheap.

#3, as a result, just because Bonner can shoot 3s, doesn't make him a legit Horry replacement. Bonner will never get 5 blocks in a finals game. Bonner will never grab 9 rebounds in the first half of a finals game. Bonner will never be dependable to force multiple turnovers on inbounds passes with his crafty plays.

The only thing Bonner does even close to Horry is shoot from long range, and he's never done that in the clutch, ever.

Signing him to a contract nearly identical to the one Scola was asking for last summer is highly dubious.

The primary reason for having a big with a J is that it opens up space inside for TD and to a lesser extent the perimeter players.

[AFBlue]

The primary reason for having a big with a J is that it opens up space inside for TD and to a lesser extent the perimeter players.

Then why is it Fabricio Oberto that plays the best off of Duncan?

I agree with most everything Objective said about the Bonner signing.

[Marcus Bryant]

Then why is it Fabricio Oberto that plays the best off of Duncan?

I agree with most everything Objective said about the Bonner signing.

Because Oberto's man is providing help on TD. Horry/Bonner's man has much more ground to cover.

[AFBlue]

Because Oberto's man is providing help on TD. Horry/Bonner's man has much more ground to cover.

Tim Duncan doesn't always catch the ball 2ft from the basket in the low post. Sometimes he catches it 12-15 off and starts the backdown.

My point was to say that the player alongside Duncan doesn't necessarily have to be a shooter.

[Marcus Bryant]

Tim Duncan doesn't always catch the ball 2ft from the basket in the low post. Sometimes he catches it 12-15 off and starts the backdown.

My point was to say that the player alongside Duncan doesn't necessarily have to be a shooter.

I'd rather have the league's best low post player in the post, wouldn't you?

[AFBlue]

I'd rather have the league's best low post player in the post, wouldn't you?

Rediculous....way to distort my intention.

Are you telling me that you would rather play Bonner or Horry with Duncan rather than Oberto, because both of those players do their damage on the outside?

Answer this...which player on this Spurs roster plays best with Duncan? Does that player shoot the three?

[Mark in Austin]

The reason the Spurs pass on Scola is if they have truly bought into the 'league is moving towards superior athleticism at all spots' view. That could be why Butler was viewed as expendable by the Spurs earlier this year.


I would think that this would be more likely if the Spurs didn't have players like Duncan and to a lesser extent Oberto who aren't in that extremely athletic category and seem to do okay in the league...

[Marcus Bryant]

Eh, my assertion was that having a 4 with an outside shot is best for TD's game. Now you have attempted to change the subject by raising the concern of who does best playing with TD. The surest sign of a lost argument.

[Marcus Bryant]

I would think that this would be more likely if the Spurs didn't have players like Duncan and to a lesser extent Oberto who aren't in that extremely athletic category and seem to do okay in the league...

Sure, they are looking for athleticism somewhere in the rotation.

[AFBlue]

Eh, my assertion was that having a 4 with an outside shot is best for TD's game. Now you have attempted to change the subject by raising the concern of who does best playing with TD. The surest sign of a lost argument.

Fine....your argument holds true in theory.

In theory, it's the most efficient way to operate alongside Tim Duncan.

But reality has not reflected theory....

[objective]

Spurs did just fine in 03 with Robinson, Rose, and Willis next to Duncan.

Besides, just because Bonner can hit threes doesn't make him like Horry at all.

There is no equality between the Duncan/Horry combo and Duncan/Bonner combo.

[diego]

I realize this will come off as non-spurs-fan material, but if the spurs arent going to bring scola over, they should trade him for a 2nd rounder or just release his rights, he deserves a chance to play in this league!!!

I still wont give up hope they will make a trade and bring him over now or at worst next season... but somebody in the FO has to have a plan and if it doesnt include him they should let him go.

[AFBlue]

Do the Spurs hold his rights in perpetuity, or do his rights get relinquished after a certain period of time?

[Marcus Bryant]

Fine....your argument holds true in theory.

In theory, it's the most efficient way to operate alongside Tim Duncan.

But reality has not reflected theory....

Actually, it has. Horry. DRob.

[AFBlue]

Actually, it has. Horry. DRob.

Did you just say that D-Rob was a three-point shooter?

[objective]

lol, Robinson wasn't even reliable on a jumper his last 3 seasons.

[Marcus Bryant]

Did you just say that D-Rob was a three-point shooter?

No.

[Marcus Bryant]

lol, Robinson wasn't even reliable on a jumper his last 3 seasons.


Where was he on offense?

[objective]

close to the basket on cuts, like the 4-5 alley-oop.

[objective]

Besides, the reason the Horry-TD combo worked is not because Horry stood around drawing defenses out.

The reason Horry finished so many games in the playoffs is because of all the other things he did. The rebounds. The blocks. The cuts. The defense. The savvy.

Horry was a big time player who made big time plays. The simplistic view of Horry just being a three point shooter and that is why a long range threat is best next to Duncan is doing a disservice to how good Horry plays (when he's interested in playing that is).

[Marcus Bryant]

close to the basket on cuts, like the 4-5 alley-oop.

Usually top of the key/right elbow to provide space for TD down low.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

who cares about Scola when we have BONNER

[Marcus Bryant]

Besides, the reason the Horry-TD combo worked is not because Horry stood around drawing defenses out.

The reason Horry finished so many games in the playoffs is because of all the other things he did. The rebounds. The blocks. The cuts. The defense. The savvy.

Horry was a big time player who made big time plays. The simplistic view of Horry just being a three point shooter and that is why a long range threat is best next to Duncan is doing a disservice to how good Horry plays (when he's interested in playing that is).

Horry's value lies primarily in his threat beyond the arc. That doesn't diminish the value of his savvy play at all.

[CaptainLate]

I'm not sure why Spurs fans are sold on Elson. Scola can bring the same energetic game and he's more skilled. Elson was just clueless for most of the season when it came to the Spurs' defensive rotations. Plus he's not exactly that young.

And you don't think Scola is going to have the same learning "disability" his first year? :wtf

[pad300]

Fine....your argument holds true in theory.

In theory, it's the most efficient way to operate alongside Tim Duncan.

But reality has not reflected theory....

Really, check out the 5 man unit stats on 82games.com
http://www.82games.com/0607/0607SAS2.HTM

Playing with the starters & variation with Barry in place of Gino (just to show the weird stuff that happens with Elson)

# Unit Min Off Def +/- W L Win%
Parker-Ginobili-Bowen-Bonner-Duncan 46 116 78 +38 12 1 92.3
Parker-Barry-Bowen-Bonner-Duncan 38 66 78 -12 4 9 30.7
Bonner goes to the perimeter and Gino penetrates - works great. However, With Barry in place of Gino, it goes to hell.


Parker-Ginobili-Bowen-Oberto-Duncan 290 571 503 +68 22 12 64.7
Parker-Barry-Bowen-Oberto-Duncan 109 211 182 +29 15 11 57.6

Parker-Ginobili-Bowen-Duncan-Elson 173 391 302 +89 15 13 53.5
Parker-Barry-Bowen-Duncan-Elson 245 469 438 +31 21 9 70.0
This pair of 5 man units is weird. It appears that Elson works a LOT better with Barry's perimeter shooting vs. Gino's peneration

Parker-Ginobili-Bowen-Horry-Duncan 172 328 295 +33 21 13 61.7
Parker-Barry-Bowen-Horry-Duncan 81 170 124 +46 21 11 65.6
It's weird that Bonner is so much more succesful when working with Parker, Gino, Bowen and TD. On the other hand, compare Horry and Bonner EFG% .458 vs .523 (Bonner wins), RB Rating 21.3 vs. 25.7 (Bonner Wins).

Although the samples for Bonner's play are small, it appears he works rather well as a perimeter shooting big besides TD.

[wildbill2u]

Scola's value would be in what he can bring when TD is off the floor.
yeah, but the problem is, if you trade Elson to get him, you don't have any depth at center. For some lineups/matchups Elson's 7' size is effective.

So you'd be playing Oberto next to Scola.

I'd like to see him in a Spurs uni, just to see what the best big in Europe can do in the NBA, but I don't see it happening this year because of all the contracts we just signed.

I think the Spurs are willing to wait on his contract with Tau to expire. I know Tau would like to sign him now to an extension, but his leverage would be better next year after he is free.

[michaelwcho]

[QUOTE=objective]
#2, I think people are too readily confusing Horry the player with the idea of the PF position. QUOTE]

Great post. People are forgetting that Horry was once compared to a Scottie Pippen. He didn't grow into that role, but he consistently shows the athleticism, length, and BB IQ that spurred those comparisons. Horry is a wonderful player. In a way, Horry is an older version of the proverbial "long 3" we are looking for...

[raspsa]

Wouldn't Scola provide some interior scoring when TD is on the bench. That's his reputation as one of the best post players not in the NBA. It's so easy to dismiss him as not athletic or big enough but he's skilled and fundamentally sound and if he plays with any sort of Argentine passion, these more than make up for an inch or two of missing height in my book. If he can keep the defense honest to any extent, then he will be able to help the team's perimeter game.

[BeerIsGood!]

I'm torn about bringing in Scola since it means releasing a big - that will most likely be Elson. Elson's mobility may just be what the Spurs need next season in certain matchups, and Scola isn't quick enough or defensively minded enough.

If the Spurs aren't going to bring him over, then I say trade him ONLY if they can get what would look to be a good 1st round pick. If they can't, then just leave him in Europe to finish his career. It is more valuable for the Spurs to eliminate him as potential competition if they won't sign him or get a good 1st rounder for him.

[timvp]

the need for a PF to shoot 3s is pretty much overstated imo.I disagree. Come playoff time, teams collapse on Duncan if they can get away with it. Having a power forward who can shoot doesn't allow teams to get away with it.

For an example, just look at the Denver series this year. They put Nene on him and had Camby coming from the weakside. It was a very effective defense against the Spurs . . . until Horry began to spread the court with his three point shooting. If the Spurs didn't have a three-point shooter at the four who could draw Camby out of the lane, he would have had an even bigger impact than he did.

You can also look at the 2005 Pistons. It was almost impossible for Duncan to consistently score without Horry on the court. With Ben Wallace on him and Rasheed free to double team, even Duncan can't consistently overcome that. But if you make Rasheed guard a shooter, then suddenly he can't be so eager to help.


#1, Spurs had PFs to shoot 3s in the years past (Ferry, even Lohaus). They weren't the difference maker, guys who could penetrate and create shots were like Manu and Parker.When Ferry was on the team, so was that guy named David Robinson. Lohaus was before Duncan.

And no one is comparing Bonner to Manu and Parker. Bonner fits the role of a power forward who can spread the court. No one is saying he's a superstar.


#2, I think people are too readily confusing Horry the player with the idea of the PF position. You can get PFs who shoot 3s on the cheap. Austin Croshere. Keith Van Horn. Cliff Robinson. Sean Marks was good out to a long two-pointer easily, and he was a vet-minimum guy. Hell, if the Spurs wanted, they could have drafted Nick Fazekas and had him for cheap.Croshere sucks and will still probably get a decent contract this summer. Van Horn is retired. Cliff Robinson is five years older than Robert Horry. Sean Marks is an oft-injured player who sucks even when he's healthy.

Fazekas could be decent, but who knows. There's just as big of a chance that he's a bust. You don't let a known commodity walk for a flier on a second round draft pick. Especially when the known commodity is only going to make $3M a year over three seasons.



#3, as a result, just because Bonner can shoot 3s, doesn't make him a legit Horry replacement. Bonner will never get 5 blocks in a finals game. Bonner will never grab 9 rebounds in the first half of a finals game. Bonner will never be dependable to force multiple turnovers on inbounds passes with his crafty plays.

The only thing Bonner does even close to Horry is shoot from long range, and he's never done that in the clutch, ever. Who is going to replace all the small things that Horry does? He's one of the best role players of all-time. Robert Horries just don't grow on trees.

To replace him, you have to find a guy who does what Horry does best ... and that's spread the floor. It's no mistake that teams have decided to put him next to Hakeem, Shaq and Duncan. He spreads the court offensively and on top of that does a lot of small things that helps you win games.

A young Horry would cost a whole lot more than $3M a year. But Bonner can spread the floor, he rebounds as well as Horry and he's competitive. For those three characteristics alone, he'll find his time next to Duncan.

And as far as being clutch, who is available that is as clutch as Horry? And how many "clutch" shots has Bonner missed? Two ... maybe three at most? I'd give him a little longer before figuring out whether he's clutch or not.

And did you really single out Cliff Robinson as a replacement and then just point to clutchness as a prerequisite? Uncle Cliffy is a top ten choker in NBA history.


Signing him to a contract nearly identical to the one Scola was asking for last summer is highly dubious.I don't buy that talk from the Scola camp. The Spurs have been trying to buy out Scola's contract for years now. Why believe Scola's camp when the Spurs are saying that Scola's buyout is $14M?

The thing is, there is no buyout clause in Scola's contract. Scola's agents say what they think would be enough to convince Tau to let him go, but when the Spurs talk to Tau directly, they give no indications that they'd let Scola walk for anything less than a boatload of cash.

If Scola's contract was that cut and dry, his value would be more than a second round pick. I'm not gullible enough to believe the spin job that originates from the Scola camp.

[objective]

I don't buy that talk from the Scola camp. The Spurs have been trying to buy out Scola's contract for years now. Why believe Scola's camp when the Spurs are saying that Scola's buyout is $14M?

The thing is, there is no buyout clause in Scola's contract. Scola's agents say that what they think would be enough to convince Tau to let him go, but when the Spurs talk to Tau directly, they give no indications that they'd let Scola walk for anything less than a boatload of cash.

If Scola's contract was that cut and dry, his value would be more than a second round pick. I'm not gullible enough to believe the spin job that originates from the Scola camp.

I buy it and here's why. If it was more than that the Spurs would have burned him to Ludden, easily, that they couldn't afford him. At first it was the buyout, then it was that they didn't think he could fit next to Duncan, then it was they needed someone proven in the NBA . . .

Not only that, but Ludden himself, without any contradiction from the Spurs, has written about the buyout being sub 14 million ever since the end of the 05 offseason where the buyout was the real issue and reported as that high. Furthermore, after the Spurs contribution to the buyout it's not even their concern what size loan Scola has to take out to pay off the buyout, he's the one who will pay off Tau, not them. So if Scola takes 9 and really has to pay 5 and live off ramen that's Scola's business. If Scola has to live in debt to a bank the rest of his life it doesn't matter, what matters is what the contract is he'll accept from the Spurs, and that's on the record from last summer. Maybe it's gone up, who knows.

I also don't see his current worth being only a second round pick either as some sort of validation for his having an impossible buyout either.

The entire NBA except for one horrible expansion team wanted nothing to do with Walter Hermann, and he was available free and clear and was signed for cheap. That the same NBA executives are trying to get into the Spurs for cheap on Scola is not a surprise to me considering how they all handled another Argentine from the ACB.

[objective]

I disagree. Come playoff time, teams collapse on Duncan if they can get away with it. Having a power forward who can shoot doesn't allow teams to get away with it. . . .

And did you really single out Cliff Robinson as a replacement and then just point to clutchness as a prerequisite? Uncle Cliffy is a top ten choker in NBA history.


Just to address it as a whole and to sum up.

I am unconvinced that Bonner will be able to get consistant minutes in the crunch because of the other things he doesn't do well enough to match Horry. He may get minutes here and there throughout a season post-Horry (08 and beyond). But in the big moments he can't do enough to be out there solely as a guy to draw defenders away, at least imo.

Now I am not saying that people are calling him a superstar. I'm not comparing his role to that of a penetrator. I'm not advocating Cliff Robinson as a replacement (I was comparing how tall PF shooters such as Bonner are not equal to Horry, they are just tall PF shooters).

What I am saying is that the "Oh yeah, he's the Horry replacement!" fever that surrounds Matt Bonner is over-enthusiastic, that he can't do the things Horry can do, and as a result he won't get the playing time that Horry has gotten.

And to clean up, yes, I know Lohaus played with David, once again I was comparing tall PFs. And yes, Ferry was here while David was, but don't forget who played next to Duncan at PF when Robinson was out, it was Rose and Willis. Not because Ferry was unable to hit threes (he coud) or unable to rebound (he could, 10 rebounds against PHX in round 1 03 when DR was out), or unable to defend with grit (caused Camby to attack him and nail Van Gundy). But because ultimately it was better for the game to have Rose in with Duncan or to have Willis in with Duncan.

Subsititute how Oberto has played so well next to Duncan in the last two rounds (benefitting from poor defense, for sure from Boozer), but particularly how he played late in games instead of Horry. And consider the plausible if not entirely likely possibility of improvement within the sytem from Elson, the continued presence of Horry through next year, and the marginal chances of Butler/Mahinmi/Splitter and what they could in a longshot provide post summer 08, and I have my doubts as to whether Bonner will ever truly be an 'Horry replacement', rather more of a 'Ferry replacement', a guy who on a healthy Spurs team will be slotted between 8-12 on any given night with his share of DNP-CDs. Yes, that kind of player will come in handy those nights during the bulk of the game when TD is facing heavy pressure from multiple bigs, but at the end of games, most times it will be someone else in there, unlike Horry.

Now as to whether that's worth the 3 million a year.

Sure, 3 million in the NBA is not a big deal. For a locker-room glue guy as he seems to be, for someone who at least IS an NBA caliber player, starter, bench or otherwise, it is a reasonable amount, especially for an insurance policy type should someone get injured (as Elson did last year, which led to summations of 'Bonner played himself into the rotation before he got hurt!' that have persisted ever since).

But to me, if it came down to 3/9 for Bonner or 3/9-10 for Scola, I would go with Scola every time. And considering the luxury tax/roster space issues, there's not room for both.

To me Scola would likely be in the NBA a prime Malik Rose. I don't think he'd be an all-star or anything like that, but Rose in his prime is the best comparison (though not on defense with how rose would switch onto Nash for instance). Rose got his touches on the post during games, and found other ways to score.

So to me, if Rose is to Scola as Ferry is to Bonner, I know who was more important to that 03 title. Doesn't mean that Ferry didn't step up big for a game against PHX or that Bonner couldn't do likewise in a playoff game). But if that construct is reasonable and many may think it not, then I prefer the Rose.

[Bruno]

http://www.indeonline.com/index.php?ID=18006&Category=2



Rumor mill

• If San Antonio brings forward/center Luis Scola to the NBA, it might make Jackie Butler available in a trade.


http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/story.asp?id=329367


The Bulls have also looked into acquiring the rights to Spanish league power forward Luis Scola from San Antonio, but no deal is imminent.

[50 cent]

Fuck Scola. He will never play a day in the Spurs uniform. Some of you guys need to get that through your think skulls.

I would like to see the Spurs get at least a 2nd rounder for him, but I am even doubtful they can pull that off.

[SequSpur]

I disagree. Come playoff time, teams collapse on Duncan if they can get away with it. Having a power forward who can shoot doesn't allow teams to get away with it.

For an example, just look at the Denver series this year. They put Nene on him and had Camby coming from the weakside. It was a very effective defense against the Spurs . . . until Horry began to spread the court with his three point shooting. If the Spurs didn't have a three-point shooter at the four who could draw Camby out of the lane, he would have had an even bigger impact than he did.

You can also look at the 2005 Pistons. It was almost impossible for Duncan to consistently score without Horry on the court. With Ben Wallace on him and Rasheed free to double team, even Duncan can't consistently overcome that. But if you make Rasheed guard a shooter, then suddenly he can't be so eager to help.

When Ferry was on the team, so was that guy named David Robinson. Lohaus was before Duncan.

And no one is comparing Bonner to Manu and Parker. Bonner fits the role of a power forward who can spread the court. No one is saying he's a superstar.

Croshere sucks and will still probably get a decent contract this summer. Van Horn is retired. Cliff Robinson is five years older than Robert Horry. Sean Marks is an oft-injured player who sucks even when he's healthy.

Fazekas could be decent, but who knows. There's just as big of a chance that he's a bust. You don't let a known commodity walk for a flier on a second round draft pick. Especially when the known commodity is only going to make $3M a year over three seasons.


Who is going to replace all the small things that Horry does? He's one of the best role players of all-time. Robert Horries just don't grow on trees.

To replace him, you have to find a guy who does what Horry does best ... and that's spread the floor. It's no mistake that teams have decided to put him next to Hakeem, Shaq and Duncan. He spreads the court offensively and on top of that does a lot of small things that helps you win games.

A young Horry would cost a whole lot more than $3M a year. But Bonner can spread the floor, he rebounds as well as Horry and he's competitive. For those three characteristics alone, he'll find his time next to Duncan.

And as far as being clutch, who is available that is as clutch as Horry? And how many "clutch" shots has Bonner missed? Two ... maybe three at most? I'd give him a little longer before figuring out whether he's clutch or not.

And did you really single out Cliff Robinson as a replacement and then just point to clutchness as a prerequisite? Uncle Cliffy is a top ten choker in NBA history.

I don't buy that talk from the Scola camp. The Spurs have been trying to buy out Scola's contract for years now. Why believe Scola's camp when the Spurs are saying that Scola's buyout is $14M?

The thing is, there is no buyout clause in Scola's contract. Scola's agents say what they think would be enough to convince Tau to let him go, but when the Spurs talk to Tau directly, they give no indications that they'd let Scola walk for anything less than a boatload of cash.

If Scola's contract was that cut and dry, his value would be more than a second round pick. I'm not gullible enough to believe the spin job that originates from the Scola camp.

Is this another Malik Rose is an allstar in the eastern conference story? Bro, Matt Bonner sucks. He didn't get a legit minute in the playoffs for a reason. Comparing him to any trait that horry has is dangerous.

Quit dreaming bro, Bonner was worth the minimum and was overpaid x 3.

Bonner will never amount to shit, he's slower than a handicapped turtle, he can't shoot when pressured, he collapses when defended, and his game is just plain ugly....

Wake up from the dream.

[waly.mg]

Tim Duncan plays 35 minutes per Game

So, we need a real PF/C Backup of Duncan 13 minutes each game

Tim Duncan plays the 68% of the Spurs Minutes

http://www.82games.com/0607/06SAS13C.HTM

49% of the minutes he plays Center
19% of the minutes he plays PF

so, why we need a real Center?

We need a PF/C like Oberto or better, and Scola is a better PF/C than Oberto, and a lot of better than Matt Bonner

That´s the Spurs problems to found a Center who can work, because the Spurs Don´t need a center because the 50% of the Time Tim Duncan is the Center, for that reason Nesterovic don´t work, not Nazr Mohammed, not Elson and Not any C who can´t play in the low post

[Ariel]

I don't buy that talk from the Scola camp. The Spurs have been trying to buy out Scola's contract for years now. Why believe Scola's camp when the Spurs are saying that Scola's buyout is $14M?
There's nothing to buy, things are what they are. For one, no one is even reporting the buyout is $14M anymore, not even the Spurs' FO. You'd have to go back 2 off-seasons ago to find such reference. And it was already settled by Scola and Tau that that was the case only for another European team, and that for the NBA it was $3M. The past offseason and this one, all sides (Scola to the Argentine press, Tau to the Spanish press, the Spurs to the Express News) pretty much reported the same on the buyout, that it was around $3 million. Tau said if he exercises the buyout Scola will leave, Scola has said he's willing to do it, other teams are willing to sign Scola to the contract it'd take... the sticking point comes down to the Spurs demands in return for his rights. If he were a FA or if his draft rights belonged to any other team, he would have been in the NBA a long time ago.

The thing is, there is no buyout clause in Scola's contract. Scola's agents say what they think would be enough to convince Tau to let him go, but when the Spurs talk to Tau directly, they give no indications that they'd let Scola walk for anything less than a boatload of cash.
No. Tau themselves publicly acknowledge they're willing to let him go if he pays the buyout. They'd rather cash him in this year, as opposed to maybe lose him for nothing the next. History says they've done the same thing in analogous situations, like those of Nocioni, Macijauskas and Calderón, with no additional problems.

[timvp]

I buy it and here's why. If it was more than that the Spurs would have burned him to Ludden, easily, that they couldn't afford him. At first it was the buyout, then it was that they didn't think he could fit next to Duncan, then it was they needed someone proven in the NBA . . . I've heard every excuse in the book. Even before his buyout issues, I heard how he didn't rebound well enough to play in the NBA. On any given day, the excuse will change.


Not only that, but Ludden himself, without any contradiction from the Spurs, has written about the buyout being sub 14 million ever since the end of the 05 offseason where the buyout was the real issue and reported as that high. Furthermore, after the Spurs contribution to the buyout it's not even their concern what size loan Scola has to take out to pay off the buyout, he's the one who will pay off Tau, not them. So if Scola takes 9 and really has to pay 5 and live off ramen that's Scola's business. If Scola has to live in debt to a bank the rest of his life it doesn't matter, what matters is what the contract is he'll accept from the Spurs, and that's on the record from last summer. Maybe it's gone up, who knows.Well, the buyout is going to come out of the Spurs' pocket one way or another. If he had no buyout, the Spurs could bring him over for a couple million. But since he has a large buyout, that's why they are forced to pay a lot more.

Scola is looking to become the richest second round draft pick in NBA history. That fact isn't lost on the Spurs and I believe that it's one of the reasons why they've hesitated. There's no precedence to giving a second round draft pick, in which one team holds exclusive rights, the type of money Scola has reportedly asked for. And even if the Spurs offer it, there's a pretty good chance Tau balks at letting Scola go.


I also don't see his current worth being only a second round pick either as some sort of validation for his having an impossible buyout either.

The entire NBA except for one horrible expansion team wanted nothing to do with Walter Hermann, and he was available free and clear and was signed for cheap. That the same NBA executives are trying to get into the Spurs for cheap on Scola is not a surprise to me considering how they all handled another Argentine from the ACB.Scola has been an NBA prospect for over half a decade now. He's a well known commodity. Even the most uninternational teams know all about Scola.

Herrmann's best known attribute was that he was Argentinean. Nobody expected too much from him. His last year in Europe, he averaged less than eight points and less than two rebounds in Euroleague. Scola, on the other hand, is the leading Euroleague scorer in its history.

[Rescueone]

What happens next summer? Horry's gone. Elson and Butler can be gone.

Spurs could have...

4 Duncan/Scola/Bonner
5 Oberto/Splitter

That's a damn good 4/5 rotation and likely the four other than Duncan would be on cheap contracts (by NBA bigman contract standards).

Where does Ian Mahimi fit in this picture for next year? Let's not forget about him. I don't care if Elson is gone. He reminds me too much of Mohammed.

[TheWriter]

What is Scola's buyout this summer?

[timvp]

There's nothing to buy, things are what they are. For one, no one is even reporting the buyout is $14M anymore, not even the Spurs' FO. You'd have to go back 2 off-seasons ago to find such reference. And it was already settled by Scola and Tau that that was the case only for another European team, and that for the NBA it was $3M.So you believe that the $14M floated two summers ago was wrong? From what I've heard, the Spurs have held long negotiations with Tau in the past that have gone nowhere.

Another thing to remember is Tau has to keep Scola happy too. Of course they are going to turn around and blame the Spurs after an unsuccessful buyout. That's an understandable tactic on their part. They tell the Spurs $14M and then when the Spurs scoff, they'll turn around and tell Scola a different story. I wouldn't expect anything different from a team trying to keep its star player happy.


The past offseason and this one, all sides (Scola to the Argentine press, Tau to the Spanish press, the Spurs to the Express News) pretty much reported the same on the buyout, that it was around $3 million.And that's probably all originating from the same source. No one knows if that source is accurate or trying to appease the Scola camp.

All that is known for sure is that the last time the Spurs were serious in their attempt to buy out Scola's contract, they were shot down. They've tried getting an outside negotiator to get the buyout number down. They've tried appealing to FIBA.

Of course, suddenly when the Spurs aren't trying, Tau trots at the $3M card and everyone soaks it up and plays the Spurs as the bad guy.


Tau said if he exercises the buyout Scola will leave, Scola has said he's willing to do it, other teams are willing to sign Scola to the contract it'd take... the sticking point comes down to the Spurs demands in return for his rights. If he were a FA or if his draft rights belonged to any other team, he would have been in the NBA a long time ago.If his buyout were as cut and dry as some Spurs fans make it seem, Scola would have been traded long ago. However, it's well known that Scola has a horrible contract with literally no buyout clause.

That's what people don't understand. In literally every contract in Europe, it spells out the terms of the buyout. However, in Scola's case, the buyout clause only came into effect if Scola was drafted in the first round. He wasn't and now there's no language in the existing contract that spells out a buyout.

That's why the $3M tag is bogus. People assume that if Scola give Tau $3M that Tau would voluntarily give up the rights to Scola. Perhaps there could be some truth to that, but it'd be naive to take that as gospel. Of course Tau is going to do everything in its power to make it look like they aren't keeping Scola hostage.


No. Tau themselves publicly acknowledge they're willing to let him go if he pays the buyout. They'd rather cash him in this year, as opposed to maybe lose him for nothing the next. History says they've done the same thing in analogous situations, like those of Nocioni, Macijauskas and Calderón, with no additional problems.The difference is those players had buyout language in their contract. Whoever drew up Scola's contract made it so that he could leave for the NBA if he were drafted in the first round. That's it. There's no other buyout talk in the contract.

Additionally, Scola is viewed as the team's franchise player. They'll let other players go and use the buyout to replace the players with other similarly talented players. Scola is viewed differently. He's their Tim Duncan. They don't want to lose him, as noticeable by the $14M tag they gave to the Spurs and the fact that they want to lock Scola up for a long-term, high salary contract.

Bottomline is Tau has to play both sides of the fence. They have to ward off the Spurs while keeping Scola happy. Their goal is to have Scola sign a long-term contract. If their goal was to let Scola buyout his contract, they could have done that long ago. Of course they are going to float out a "Nocioni like" buyout number to placate Scola. It's just common sense.

The Spurs, for their part, are probably tired of play the games with Tau and are more than willing to just let the contract expire. Wasting time and legal fees on Tau doesn't make much sense when the chances are good that Tau won't release him. Plus if it drags on, the Spurs could miss out on other free agents. They've played the Tau games before and it's never gone anywhere.

[Kori Ellis]

What is Scola's buyout this summer?

No set amount until he gets an offer and negotiate the buyout. But rumors are that it "could be" in the $3M range.

*see LJ's post above

[SAGambler]

And you don't think Scola is going to have the same learning "disability" his first year? :wtf

No. See. Scola already "knows" the Spurs system and will be ready to step right in and contribue.

At least that seems to be what everyone that is sure he will be the Spurs savior would have you believe.

The truth is he would be just as "clueless" his first year as Elson was.

[Bruno]

People shouldn't forget that Spurs have still Scola's right and can still trade him.

Spurs choice wasn't Bonner vs Scola but it is Bonner + what you can get for Scola vs. Scola.

If Spurs can get a first round pick for Scola, it's Bonner + first round pick vs. Scola. Maybe Scola can help Spurs more than Bonner but is it worth a first round pick ?

[Ariel]

So you believe that the $14M floated two summers ago was wrong? From what I've heard, the Spurs have held long negotiations with Tau in the past that have gone nowhere.
I don't have the time right now to spend hours debating this. So I'll make it short. One, you take that $14M figure and run with it, but you won't accept when those same sources report something different. I would like to know, outside of the boundaries of your imagination, who on Earth is claiming that $14M number stands. Is there anything, other than speculation, supporting your stance? I can point you to 10 different papers in 3 different countries, interviews of parties involved included, that support my stance. Until to you point me to credible sources supporting yours, there's nothing else to debate, really.

PS: There are a number of inaccuracies with the rest of your post, if I have the time I'll get to them later on.

[Kori Ellis]

I can point you to 10 different papers in 3 different countries, interviews of parties involved included, that support my stance.

Do you have a quote from a Tau representative or Spurs management saying a dollar amount for the buyout?

I've never seen one, so I'm curious.

[timvp]

Just to address it as a whole and to sum up.

I am unconvinced that Bonner will be able to get consistant minutes in the crunch because of the other things he doesn't do well enough to match Horry. He may get minutes here and there throughout a season post-Horry (08 and beyond). But in the big moments he can't do enough to be out there solely as a guy to draw defenders away, at least imo. I guess we'll find out. I think they'll certainly be times in the future when Pop will want to spread the floor without going small. Bonner will make that possible.


Now I am not saying that people are calling him a superstar. I'm not comparing his role to that of a penetrator. I'm not advocating Cliff Robinson as a replacement (I was comparing how tall PF shooters such as Bonner are not equal to Horry, they are just tall PF shooters).

What I am saying is that the "Oh yeah, he's the Horry replacement!" fever that surrounds Matt Bonner is over-enthusiastic, that he can't do the things Horry can do, and as a result he won't get the playing time that Horry has gotten.Horry's main attribute is his ability to spread the floor and do so in a clutch manner. Bonner's main attribute is his ability to spread the floor. Of course Bonner doesn't bring everything else to the table that Horry does. Few players in NBA history have.


And to clean up, yes, I know Lohaus played with David, once again I was comparing tall PFs. And yes, Ferry was here while David was, but don't forget who played next to Duncan at PF when Robinson was out, it was Rose and Willis. Not because Ferry was unable to hit threes (he coud) or unable to rebound (he could, 10 rebounds against PHX in round 1 03 when DR was out), or unable to defend with grit (caused Camby to attack him and nail Van Gundy). But because ultimately it was better for the game to have Rose in with Duncan or to have Willis in with Duncan. Ferry played small forward for the Spurs. That's the position he started at in 2001. That's the position he played in 2002 and 2003.

The only game I can ever remember Ferry started at power forward for the Spurs was Game 2 against PHX in '03. And the reason for that was because the Suns played small back then with Marion at power forward for much of the game. That was Pop going with a small ball unit.


Subsititute how Oberto has played so well next to Duncan in the last two rounds (benefitting from poor defense, for sure from Boozer), but particularly how he played late in games instead of Horry. And consider the plausible if not entirely likely possibility of improvement within the sytem from Elson, the continued presence of Horry through next year, and the marginal chances of Butler/Mahinmi/Splitter and what they could in a longshot provide post summer 08, and I have my doubts as to whether Bonner will ever truly be an 'Horry replacement', rather more of a 'Ferry replacement', a guy who on a healthy Spurs team will be slotted between 8-12 on any given night with his share of DNP-CDs. Yes, that kind of player will come in handy those nights during the bulk of the game when TD is facing heavy pressure from multiple bigs, but at the end of games, most times it will be someone else in there, unlike Horry.Again, Ferry was a small forward. Bonner is a power forward. And what's the one thing Oberto, Elson, Scola, Splitter, Mahinmi and Butler combined can't do? Spread the court offensively ... and that's Bonner's best attribute.

And against the Jazz and Cavs, Oberto was fantastic when he was in to close out games. But then again, those two teams have two of the weakest defending front courts in the league. They didn't have anyone to guard Duncan, much less another big to bring over to disrupt him. But the Spurs aren't always going to face teams that can't disrupt the inside-outside rhythm of the Spurs' offense.


Now as to whether that's worth the 3 million a year.

Sure, 3 million in the NBA is not a big deal. For a locker-room glue guy as he seems to be, for someone who at least IS an NBA caliber player, starter, bench or otherwise, it is a reasonable amount, especially for an insurance policy type should someone get injured (as Elson did last year, which led to summations of 'Bonner played himself into the rotation before he got hurt!' that have persisted ever since).

But to me, if it came down to 3/9 for Bonner or 3/9-10 for Scola, I would go with Scola every time. And considering the luxury tax/roster space issues, there's not room for both. Assuming that Scola could be had for that money and not paying attention to Spurs needs, I'd agree that Scola > Bonner. However, there's no guarantee that Scola would have come for that money. And Bonner is a better fit in the Spurs system than Scola.


To me Scola would likely be in the NBA a prime Malik Rose. I don't think he'd be an all-star or anything like that, but Rose in his prime is the best comparison (though not on defense with how rose would switch onto Nash for instance). Rose got his touches on the post during games, and found other ways to score.I think that's a poor comparison for Scola. First of all, Rose didn't get many touches in the post. Rose was a player who scored either off of offensive rebounds or jumpers. Very rarely did he score on the low block. And I don't remember ever Pop drawing up a play to post up Rose. Rose was also able defensively to guard both players small and bigger than he was.

Scola, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He's a guy who lives off of posting up on the low block. That's 90% of why he's such a good player. He's not much of a rebounder at all (Andres Nocioni put up better rebounding numbers in Europe). He's not a player who scores off of trash points like Rose did. He also isn't a good defender against players smaller or bigger than he is.

The only thing I can think of that is similar between the two players is that they both bring great energy to the table. Other than that, there's really no comparing the two. Rose was a garbage man style player who never had plays called for him and could make his mark defensively and on the boards. Scola is a scorer who needs the ball on the low block to succeed.

And that's nothing against Scola. I think in a system like Chicago where Scola could post up to his heart's delight, he could score 16-17 points per game. He's a very good low post scorer. Problem is the Spurs already have the best.


So to me, if Rose is to Scola as Ferry is to Bonner, I know who was more important to that 03 title. Doesn't mean that Ferry didn't step up big for a game against PHX or that Bonner couldn't do likewise in a playoff game). But if that construct is reasonable and many may think it not, then I prefer the Rose.Only thing I agree with in that paragraph is Rose > Ferry :)

Other than that, Rose isn't comparable to Scola. Bonner and Ferry don't play the same positions.

If you want to compare Scola to someone, I'd point to Antoine Carr. A low post scorer who could put up huge points on a team with a low post need. Doesn't rebound much but can still be a quality player in the right system. Carr and Scola have very similar games.

And really, Bonner is way more Malik Rose than Scola is. Bonner led the Spurs in offensive rebounds per minute. Offensive rebounding is where Rose made his living with the Spurs and that's where Bonner could find equal success. Also, neither one of them are much of a post threat. They could both space the floor (Bonner much better, obviously). They both brought infectious energy to the table. The main difference between the two right now is Rose was a much better defender.

And if you think about it, all things being equal, Antoine Carr > Malik Rose when both were in their primes. However, Rose was a much better fit for the Spurs.

[timvp]

I don't have the time right now to spend hours debating this. So I'll make it short. One, you take that $14M figure and run with it, but you won't accept when those same sources report something different. I would like to know, outside of the boundaries of your imagination, who on Earth is claiming that $14M number stands. Is there anything, other than speculation, supporting your stance?Where did I say that $14M was still the number of the buyout? I said that the last time the Spurs tried to negotiate with Tau, Tau came back with a buyout figure of $14M. I never said in my post that I think that's the current number. I'm just not going to be gullible and think that because Tau says a number publicly, that behind closed doors it's automatically going to be the same number. They have to keep their star player happy.


I can point you to 10 different papers in 3 different countries, interviews of parties involved included, that support my stance. Until to you point me to credible sources supporting yours, there's nothing else to debate, really.If you want to take Tau's word as gospel, there's not much I can do. I just realize that Tau has to play both sides of the fence. They have to keep the Spurs away while keeping Scola happy.

I'm sure that the buyout is now less than $14M since Scola's contract is about to expire. However, I'm not going to automatically believe what Tau says. They never came out and said it was going to be $14M two years ago. Why would they all of a sudden be considered a credible source now?


PS: There are a number of inaccuracies with the rest of your post, if I have the time I'll get to them later on.Fantastic.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

Rumor mill

• If San Antonio brings forward/center Luis Scola to the NBA, it might make Jackie Butler available in a trade.


what is his buyout?


does anyone know?

[timvp]

what is his buyout?


does anyone know?Read the thread.

[ploto]

I said that the last time the Spurs tried to negotiate with Tau, Tau came back with a buyout figure of $14M.
That points to the beginning of the end between Scola and the Spurs. Scola's people claim that was never the case and that the Spurs lied about it to appease those who wondered why Scola was not signed after Pop said to all the World at the Olympics that signing Scola was a priority the next summer.

Who will ever know which side is telling the truth and which is lying. Like most things, it is probably somewhere in the middle. But the final analysis is that Scola will NEVER be a Spur- and that has been apparent for 2 years.

The question is really whether the Spurs will ever trade his rights- and for what- because they do not want to look stupid when he plays really well for some other team, and I think he will if given the chance. I get the impression at times that the Spurs want him to sign a new deal in Europe so that they are not painted as the bad guys like he chose not to come, and they never have to watch him play well for another NBA team.

[drmvp]

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71453


Rumor: Scola going to Portland instead.. For whom/what I do not know.

Sorry about the cross-contamination with that other Spurs' board, but spurssheriff acts like he's an insider, so who knows. (Of course, I remember his other infamous and vacuous Scola rumor.)

Anyway, it'd be nice to flip-flop the rights to Scola for the rights to Rudy Fernandez.

...or use Scola's rights to get Outlaw.

[timvp]

spurssheriff acts like he's an insider, so who knows. (Of course, I remember his other infamous and vacuous Scola rumor.)We know who spurssheriff is and he has as many insider contacts as a dead man.

Oh and don't worry about putting an SR link. Just think of it as the kiddie pool.

[Bruno]

So Bruno posted yesterday on ST at 11:37AM that Spurs could be interested in Outlaw and spurssheriff posted yesterday on SR at 6:01PM that Scola could be traded to Portland. :rolleyes

[timvp]

So Bruno posted yesterday on ST at 11:37AM that Spurs could be interested in Outlaw and spurssheriff posted yesterday on SR at 6:01PM that Scola could be traded to Portland. :rolleyesWhat's especially funny is Portland wouldn't be interested in Scola. They've purposely surrounded Oden with post players who can hit a jump shot. Scola is instead a low post player.

Again, I realize SR has to make things up to salvage some sort of traffic, but they should really think things through a little more.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

Read the thread.



you saying less then 14mill, which is a guess on your part


so there is no answer



and that number is ridiculously high

[Kori Ellis]

so there is no answer





Exactly. No one knows. Tau probably has some guidelines about what they are willing to take, but there's no definitive answer.

[drmvp]

So Bruno posted yesterday on ST at 11:37AM that Spurs could be interested in Outlaw and spurssheriff posted yesterday on SR at 6:01PM that Scola could be traded to Portland. :rolleyes

That's hilarious if the implications of your statement are true.

He even goes so far as to add plausible deniability by adding the words "[f]or whom/what I do not know" (as if he weren't thinking about your Outlaw suggestion).

[Bruno]

What's especially funny is Portland wouldn't be interested in Scola. They've purposely surrounded Oden with post players who can hit a jump shot. Scola is instead a low post player.

Again, I realize SR has to make things up to salvage some sort of traffic, but they should really think things through a little more.

And it's even more stupid when you realize that they have tons of bigmen : Oden, Aldridge, Frye, McRoberts, Przybilla, LaFrentz and Freeland waiting in europe.

He should have starting something like : Spurs, Bulls and Blazers are working on a 3 teams trade with Scola going to Chicago, Bulls giving a pick to Blazers and Outlaw going to Spurs.

[waly.mg]

Scola is looking to become the richest second round draft pick in NBA history.

Richer than Manu?

[timvp]

Richer than Manu?I'm talking about initial NBA contract. Manu's initial NBA contract was $2.7M.

[drmvp]

Richer than Manu?

I'm sure he means the richest initial contract signed by a second rounder.

[waly.mg]

ok

But look at this

Nocioni initial contract was 3 years - 10 millions

And Scola is better than Nocioni in the FIBA World

Now Nocioni is going to sign a 38 millions contract, and everybody want Scola por 10 millions

If Noce is a 30 millions player, Scola is at least 20 millions

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

ok

But look at this

Nocioni initial contract was 3 years - 10 millions

And Scola is better than Nocioni in the FIBA World

Now Nocioni is going to sign a 38 millions contract, and everybody want Scola por 10 millions

If Noce is a 30 millions player, Scola is at least 20 millions




but the Spurs aren't willing to pay that much for a player who has never played a second in the NBA


but I know he would be great in the NBA

[waly.mg]

And are paying 9 millions to Bonner who can´t be a great player in the NBA

Angel Cabera isn´t a PGA Tour Player and won the US Open

In Europe and all over the world, the Ring and the ball is the same

The Fact is:

NBA Player is always expensive, and the FIBA players are allways cheaper

But the Best FIBA players are better than a lot of NBA Players

For Example, Luke Walton only can clean Scola´s Shoes, and he´s signing for 30 millions

[leemajors]

And are paying 9 millions to Bonner who can´t be a great player in the NBA

Angel Cabera isn´t a PGA Tour Player and won the US Open

In Europe and all over the world, the Ring and the ball is the same

The Fact is:

NBA Player is always expensive, and the FIBA players are allways cheaper

But the Best FIBA players are better than a lot of NBA Players

For Example, Luke Walton only can clean Scola´s Shoes, and he´s signing for 30 millions
then he can earn big money on his second contract like everyone else.

[waly.mg]

but the Spurs aren't willing to pay that much for a player who has never played a second in the NBA


but I know he would be great in the NBA

so the Spurs aren´t to have this players with that point, nice Job

We can pay Jackie Butler 2 million for play in the summer league but not 4 million for a player who can play all over the world (Olympics and WC)

[waly.mg]

then he can earn big money on his second contract like everyone else.

Where is that rule?

[timvp]

ok

But look at this

Nocioni initial contract was 3 years - 10 millions

Difference is Nocioni was a free agent. While Scola would likely be worth $9M, it doesn't change the fact that he'd become the highest paid second round draft pick in NBA history.

[leemajors]

Where is that rule?
if he does well, he'll get huge offers on his second contract. everyone does.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

And are paying 9 millions to Bonner who can´t be a great player in the NBA

Angel Cabera isn´t a PGA Tour Player and won the US Open

In Europe and all over the world, the Ring and the ball is the same

The Fact is:

NBA Player is always expensive, and the FIBA players are allways cheaper

But the Best FIBA players are better than a lot of NBA Players

For Example, Luke Walton only can clean Scola´s Shoes, and he´s signing for 30 millions



good point, Bonner signing was a damn joke



and I think the Spurs SHOULD bring him over ASAP, but I don't think the Spurs will


Spurs are too cheap

[SequSpur]

Where does Ian Mahimi fit in this picture for next year? Let's not forget about him. I don't care if Elson is gone. He reminds me too much of Mohammed.

Mahimi doesn't fit on the downtown Y team. The only reason they drafted him was to prevent payments to a guaranteed contract.


And, if there is an argument that Scola was a better option at 9 million then Bonner, I am all for that argument.

Bonner sucks ass and has no business getting minutes on this team.

[objective]

I guess we'll find out. I think they'll certainly be times in the future when Pop will want to spread the floor without going small. Bonner will make that possible.

I guess we will. My guess is that Bonner's next three years with the Spurs barring lengthy injuries tot he players ahead of him will be more Ferry than Horry with regards to playing time and place in rotation, in spite of his three point shooting skills and Derrick Dial-esque crashing of the offensive boards. If you disagree, then we'll have to agree to disagree.


The only game I can ever remember Ferry started at power forward for the Spurs was Game 2 against PHX in '03. And the reason for that was because the Suns played small back then with Marion at power forward for much of the game. That was Pop going with a small ball unit.

1. The Suns under Frank Johnson actually played Amare at power forward a lot with a real center, not good centers, but centers nonetheless with Scott Williams and Jake Voskuhl. They didn't play Marion at 4 as much as they have the last 3 years.


I think that's a poor comparison for Scola. First of all, Rose didn't get many touches in the post. Rose was a player who scored either off of offensive rebounds or jumpers. Very rarely did he score on the low block. And I don't remember ever Pop drawing up a play to post up Rose. Rose was also able defensively to guard both players small and bigger than he was.

I can only speak as someone who actually combed through 40+ games worth of footage of prime Rose Spurs games and concentrating only on him that Spurs fans would be surprised at how many touches he got.


If you want to compare Scola to someone, I'd point to Antoine Carr. A low post scorer who could put up huge points on a team with a low post need. Doesn't rebound much but can still be a quality player in the right system. Carr and Scola have very similar games.

I don't have a beef with a Carr comparison. I still believe that if Carr hadn't shredded his ankle the Spurs would have ended up beating the Suns that year.

[SpursIndonesia]

There's no way that the buyout value would be just 3 mil this summer, that's relatively peanuts for NBA teams considering Scola's level of player. I think TiMVP points out a lot of credible thougt in this thread, and Scola's supporters are not accepting them since they don't like common sense that goes against their fantasy.

[smeagol]

I think Scola is/will be a great player, regardless where he plays (Europe or the US).

But if the Spurs don't open up room fro him, what is the point of bringin him to SA?

I any case, I want Scola in Spurs uni because he is Argentine :p:

[ArgSpursFan]

Difference is Nocioni was a free agent. While Scola would likely be worth $9M, it doesn't change the fact that he'd become the highest paid second round draft pick in NBA history.

The fact that Scola was picked in the second round dont really means shit contract wise.He was another spurs 2nd round steal like Manu´s im 99.Eventhough Manu started making 2.7M in his first contract with the spurs,Luis now is in a very diferent Situation,considering all his personal accumplishments internationally and in both euroleague and Spanish Domestic league.
In other words,To sign Luis for 3M p/yr will be a Burgain for the spurs or any other NBA team.Period
S.A just don´t want him,that´s all,and while they don´t want/like him they pretend too much to trade his rights.
Hopefully this season He´ll finally land in the NBA and proof the Spurs F.O wrong.

[venitian navigator]

I say : GIVE HIM MLE FOR THREE YEARS!!!
He's good enough for that...and for having his Bird rights after the contract is expired.
I think he's worth the risk, and Tau won't be in the position to refuse to let him go...or, at least, continue to play the game like we don't want him.
Next year would be too late...and I think that, after the fourth title we got, we can afford to spend some money on luxury tax (in case we can't unload Butler and Beno contracts for something like a late first choice or some second ones...and take a veteran pg - like Atkins, Knight, S. Parker or a rookie pg - like, for ex. Dowdell, A. Miles or Bokolo - for the minimum).

[waly.mg]

What about this rule?

If the player is already under contract to, or signs a contract with a non-NBA team, the team retains the player's draft rights for one year after the player's obligation to the non-NBA team ends. Essentially, the clock stops as long as the player plays pro ball outside the NBA. Players are not included in the team's team salary while the player is under contract with a non-NBA team

[BeerIsGood!]

I have one question here - when does Scola's contract with Tau expire? If it's next summer, then the Spurs could work on negotiation and building rapport now with Scola if they want to bring him over next summer when he's no longer under contract with Tau. If it's longer, I suggest they shop him as a package for a player or for a 1st round pick. If they can't get anything buy a 2nd round pick for him and they don't want to bring him to the Spurs, then let him spend the rest of his career in Europe and don't give him up to become competition for a measly 2nd round pick.

[waly.mg]

At the end of the 2007/2008

[rascal]

The Spurs might as well bring him in this summer. I believe he could elect to opt out and sign a new long term deal with Tau or another European club. If he does so, that could very well close the door on him being of any value to the Spurs.

I don't believe the Spurs really believe Scola is a lock to be succesful in the nba. If they did he would be on the Spurs. They would have made it happen already.

The fans have higher expectations of Scola then the Spurs do.

If they can package him in a trade or get a 1'st round pick ship him off.

[waly.mg]

i´ve one point

The MLE is more than 5 million

Everybody say nthis money is too much for Scola

So, Scola is worse than the Mid Lvel in the NBA, is this Right?

[Kori Ellis]

i´ve one point

The MLE is more than 5 million

Everybody say nthis money is too much for Scola

So, Scola is worse than the Mid Lvel in the NBA, is this Right?

Yes, to the Spurs he's worse than mid-level. To another team, maybe not. But the Spurs don't hand out many contracts starting higher than $3M, so they wouldn't give one to a guy who has never played NBA ball, especially since it would make them pay luxury tax.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

i´ve one point

The MLE is more than 5 million

Everybody say nthis money is too much for Scola

So, Scola is worse than the Mid Lvel in the NBA, is this Right?




and these same people think Bonner's deal was ok :rolleyes

[waly.mg]

OK, Kori, but if you are ok:

We have 7 Unsigned Draft Picks, 6 of that are playing in Europe

Why we have 6 Unsigned Draft Picks from Europe, and we don´t sign the Best or 1 of the Best?

In Europe:
Ian Mahinmi
Luis Scola
Robertas Javtokas
Sergei Karaulov
Tiago Splitter
Viktor Sanikidze

In USA:
Marcus Williams


Marcus Williams

[Marcus Bryant]

The Spurs could wait until next summer to bring Scola in. Horry will be gone and Elson could be as well. The only question mark, again, is the buyout. I've heard $1 mil, but am not sure if that is hard and fast or simply another rumor. The Spurs aren't going to get fair value for him this summer.

[Solid D]

The Spurs could wait until next summer to bring Scola in. Horry will be gone and Elson could be as well. The only question mark, again, is the buyout. I've heard $1 mil, but am not sure if that is hard and fast or simply another rumor. The Spurs aren't going to get fair value for him this summer.

So, Marcus, would you say you have changed your mind since July 6th or just broadened your acceptable options?

[Marcus Bryant]

I'd rather see the Spurs retain Scola than let him go for nothing.

[Mr. Body]

What you're missing is Scola's threats to sign long-term in Europe this summer.

[Marcus Bryant]

Better that than Duhon.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Doesn't he have until Sunday to decide whether or not he will be in the NBA?