Kings' Udrih nearly landed in Denver

[Bruno]

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2007/dec/08/kings-udrih-nearly-landed-denver/

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 08:27 p.m., Décembre 8, 2007
Updated 08:27 p.m., Décembre 8, 2007

For two years, the Nuggets have had their eyes on point guard Beno Udrih. Now, he’s showing why they have been so intrigued.

Udrih was averaging 14.2 points for Sacramento entering Saturday night’s game at the Pepsi Center. Before the game, coach George Karl talked about his Nuggets having come close to acquiring Udrih.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in Beno,’’ Karl said. “For two years, we’ve almost pulled the trigger. And circumstances, situations, lack of playing time, falling out of love a little bit. But I think there’s a lot of people (within the Nuggets) who thought he was a good NBA player that had just lost his direction in San Antonio.’

Karl said the Nuggets considering trading for Udrih when he was with the Spurs last season and playing sparingly. Denver ended up picking up point guard Steve Blake last January.’

Karl said the Nuggets also looked at Udrih during training camp last October before signing free agent Mike Wilks. Udrih eventually was traded to Minnesota just before the start of the season, and the Timberwolves waived him.

The Nuggets then made calls to Udrih’s agent, Marc Cornstein, about the possibility of signing Udrih. But they were unwilling to offer a guaranteed contract, and he signed such a deal with Sacramento.

“My agent was talking to (the Nuggets),’’ Udrih said. “But Sacramento was the only team that offered me the guaranteed contract on the table. Other teams said, ‘We don’t know yet. We’re interested, but not right now. Maybe in two weeks.’ I didn’t want to wait.’’

Uhrih, needed by the Kings when Mike Bibby was lost near the end of the preseason for the season’s first two months with a torn thumb ligament, signed a one year deal for the minimum of $798,328.

Uhrih said he might have joined the Nuggets had they offered a guaranteed deal.

“We went the conservative financial route rather than to take on a guaranteed contract,’’ Karl said of bringing in Wilks and holding on to him before he was waived Nov. 28.

Uhrih still could be in Denver’s future. He becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

[angel_luv]

Against the Nuggets last night Beno had 24 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.

Was + 8 for the game.

:fro

[SAGambler]

It's just too damn bad all that talent never came to fruition as a Spur. Man what a PG tandem we could have had.

[Kobayagi]

It could never have worked. We have all seen that. The only regret the Spurs should however have is that they didn't get anything in return for Beno.

Beno with the nuggets? No, he's way better off with a team like the Kings than having to share his minutes with ballhogs like AI and Melo.

[manustarting2gd]

Beno's nuts shriveled up with the pressure of being a backup pg on a title contending team. Sac (fitting name, funny how shit happens) was his best bet, they needed him and he needed them badly and in more ways than one.

Bottomline, the Spurs arent known to baby anyone along, when you get your minutes you better make the best of them. Unfortunately, Beno needed babying and time . However, I think just the mere fact we dealt him snapped him back into reality and hence were seeing the results in his game stats now. So he's making more of his minutes and LESS PRESSURE
It's the old saying, everything happens for a reason, Beno got fuckin lucky as part of Tim's teams and his gravy train ran out. BEST OF LUCK BEANO! I HOPE WE KILL YA"LLS ASSES NEXT TIME WE PLAY. FUCK Beno, Artest, Salmons and bitch ass Brad Miller! :ihit

[ploto]

I could have sworn people claimed that NO team wanted Beno.. Now publicly at least 4 are known.


However, I think just the mere fact we dealt him snapped him back into reality and hence were seeing the results in his game stats now.
Repeating this over and over is not going to make it true. Beno for all intents and purposes asked to be traded. Once the Spurs found a third PG they were comfortable with, they traded him.

[Dre_7]

Beno sucked plain and simple.

[TDMVPDPOY]

beno wanted starters minutes....

this is what i expected from him....

those kind of stats

then to bum on the bench when he gets that extention

[K-State Spur]

Beno never got the Beno Time he should have in San Antonio

The Spurs never got anything from Beno because Pops refused to play him

that's a convenient argument, however, it's just not true.

yes, he got the shaft during the 2005-2006 season when the Spurs signed NVE.

but he was the top back up point on the 2005 Finals team until he literally could not get the ball across midcourt against lindsey hunter. getting the ball past halfcourt is mildly a requirement for an NBA point guard.

then, more to the point, last season he began the year again as the top back-up point (many people seem to forget this). he was getting 10+ minutes per game and just playing awful. It wasn't until towards the end of December when Pop finally gave Vaughn a chance. And despite his flaws, Vaughn provided a huge upgrade and a steady hand at that spot.

did the spurs provide the absolute best situation for beno - obviously not (they couldn't). but to say that Pop "refused" to play him or that he never got a chance is completely inaccurate. 2 out of the past 3 years, they gave him every opportunity to win (and hold onto) the 2nd string job.

[Harry Callahan]

When Beno realized after his first season or so in SA that he was never going to beat out Tony Parker, he shut it down and never put out the effort necessary to play here. He never put in the necessary time in training camp because he was always "hurt". Then he gets traded, cut and realizes he better get off his lazy ass and play basketball.

His fragile psyche could not take the pressure and expectations of Popovich. The silly excuses about the Spurs discriminating against him because he was European was just sickening. As a Spur, he was not a reliable player after the 2005 playoffs. The only way Beno would have been happy in SA was if the FO traded Tony Parker and set up a coronation of Beno as the starter.

To me, Beno showed his stripes in SA as a loser who did not appreciate that the Spurs paid him several million dollars guaranteed by making him a 1st Rd draft pick. They got one year out of him and he absolutely quit.

This guy is one of the most disappointing people to pass through SA in the last ten years because it is clear the guy has talent and never put in the time or cared enough to show dedication to his organization or his teammates. Bottom line, this type of player is just good enough to get you beat.

[Kibic]

Then he gets traded, cut and realizes he better get off his lazy ass and play basketball.
Wrong.
:wakeup

[manustarting2gd]

Opinions are great aren't they... lol

[ploto]

Nice first quarter tonight.

[exstatic]

I could have sworn people claimed that NO team wanted Beno.. Now publicly at least 4 are known.
And yet none of them stepped up with a credible offer. They thought about it, then thought again. Only after he was traded for nothing, cut and available to the lowest bidder did he start getting "interest" calls.

[NBA Junkie]

The Nuggets would have better off keeping Steve Blake.

I mean, come on, he's a significant upgrade over Anthony Carter.

As far as Beno goes, anybody can amass good stats on a lousy team. Don't think so? Look at Mike James in '05-'06 with the Raptors as opposed to the rest of his well travelled career.

[ploto]

And yet none of them stepped up with a credible offer.
Not true. Sorry.

[mardigan]

Not true. Sorry.
Link?

[velik_m]

Link?

http://www.liquilife.com/anjoart_gallery/animecartoon/link(zelda)_mini_copy_medium.jpg

[nkdlunch]

Beno sucked plain and simple.

I'm glad some ppl didn't forget

[ducks]

only interest nuggets had in beno was to get the indside scoop of spurs