are the spurs too old?

[honestfool84]

sometimes i do wonder, and i think, 'man, those spurs sure are getting old'; but do we honestly think the spurs' front office would put out a team they don't truly believe can still compete, and have a good shot at winning a fifth title?

i mean, i think once they've realized that they've sucked out as much as they possibly can out of this team, then they will turn around and revamp this roster into another championship caliber team.




i know a lot of us have doubts, but obviously this spurs team is still proving us wrong, just as they have proved the "too old" claims over the past 2-3 years already; and i still stand on the fact i think the spurs' front office knows that they are doing. four nba championships can vouch for that.

[WalterBenitez]

we are an old team period. wise yeah ... it is enough? not sure, let's playoffs talk.

[ancestron]

When they lose they are too old. when they win, they are experienced.

[midgetonadonkey]

Excellent thread

[SenorSpur]

I thought they were too old last year, yet they wound up winning the title. The point is even if a team wins a championship, very seldom does it mean that a team is flawless. Despite winning the title, that Spurs team was in no way a flawless one.

As other teams get better and improve, a championship teams needs to improve as well. Charles Barkley said it best, "any team that makes deep annual runs in the playoffs and is comprised of older, veteran players, their bodies wear down faster and they tend to get injured more. Eventually it catches up."

That said, I think PoP and R.C tend to rely a bit too much on age and experience, at the expense of younger players. Such is the mantra when you are gunning for a title. It's hard to argue the forumla.

However, we all know the Spurs struggle during various stretches of the regular season - especially during the B2B and 4-in-5 scenarios. My belief is that having at least 2-3 younger or mid-career players could serve this team well and give them the energy boost that it seemingly lacks during the dog days of the season. Plus it would give them a nice core of developing players to step in as the older players leave.

I love what the Pistons have done in committing to their so-called "Zoo Crew" of Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Aaron Affalo, Jarvis Hayes, and Amir Johnson. This developing core of second-team players come in, play hard, provide energy and more importantly allows the coaching staff to better manager minutes and preserver the health of their aging starters. Joe Dumars learned this lesson last season when his short, inefficient bench of aging veterans couldn't support the production of his starters. So far, it's been a good strategy. I love their balance between age and youth.

[BonnerDynasty]

They have a few months ahead of them that will make or break their "dynasty".

A few MONTHS out of the rest of their lives.

[honestfool84]

by all means, i don't think we should stay 'old' for very much longer - i think its extremely imperative that the spurs do revamp either this summer, or, if we're lucky, next summer; however, i don't think we should start this process too soon if the spurs are STILL winning titles.

[WildcardManu]

I wonder who will get signed after this season is over, now that a couple of Spurs contracts are expiring. Agent zero anyone? or The Matrix? Just a pipe dream. Like it'll happen.

[honestfool84]

I wonder who will get signed after this season is over, now that a couple of Spurs contracts are expiring. Agent zero anyone? or The Matrix? Just a pipe dream. Like it'll happen.


not agent zero, more mr matrix, i don't think; i say, superman, otherwise known as, mr howard.

i would LOVE for him to become a spur.

fat chance, probably.

[WildcardManu]

not agent zero, more mr matrix, i don't think; i say, superman, otherwise known as, mr howard.

i would LOVE for him to become a spur.

fat chance, probably.


Yeah i like marion's versatile style of defending multiple positions, he's no bruce but can do the job, plus he's a damn good rebounder.

[xtremesteven33]

-Ron Artest
-Andres Nocioni
-Mickael Pietrus
-Draft a backup PG

[honestfool84]

-Ron Artest
-Andres Nocioni
-Mickael Pietrus
-Draft a backup PG


ron artest's demeanor alone doesn't fit into the spurs' 'classy system'.

[Southwest Texas Fan]

Did we really need another are the Spurs to old thread? :rolleyes

[O-Factor]

He's not a free agent, but I'd like to see Steven Jackson back on the team

I'd also like to see Splitter on the team next year and possibly Mahinmi and Marcus Williams(both of the D-League). I just don't know much of those two and how they are progressing. Sounds like Mahinmi is though. He was actually on NBA inside stuff yesterday and I've heard some good things about his progress in the Spurs forurm.

[xtremesteven33]

Who though that Dennis Rodman and DROB could have a great season 13 years ago?

but they did, Ron Artest will put his bad behavior aside and will submit to the system and submit himself to Duncan Power.....muahahaha

[WildcardManu]

I'd like to see Steven Jackson back on the team


I'd like that too.

[twincam]

sometimes i do wonder, and i think, 'man, those spurs sure are getting old'; but do we honestly think the spurs' front office would put out a team they don't truly believe can still compete, and have a good shot at winning a fifth title?

i mean, i think once they've realized that they've sucked out as much as they possibly can out of this team, then they will turn around and revamp this roster into another championship caliber team.




i know a lot of us have doubts, but obviously this spurs team is still proving us wrong, just as they have proved the "too old" claims over the past 2-3 years already; and i still stand on the fact i think the spurs' front office knows that they are doing. four nba championships can vouch for that.

They are not old if they can still play the game and win championships. They are wiser. If you don't believe it, you need a reality check.

[WildcardManu]

They are not old if they can still play the game and win championships. They are wiser. If you don't believe it, you need a reality check.


Plus, there are days of rest between games during the playoffs, and that's what this team was built for; the post season.

[DazedAndConfused]

I really wonder if any team in the WC will have enough left in the tank by the time they get to the Finals.

[honestfool84]

They are not old if they can still play the game and win championships. They are wiser. If you don't believe it, you need a reality check.


this thread is not meant to question the spurs' ages; its just meant to say, 'hey, maybe there is a reason why the front office keeps these guys around, still, despite all the 'too old claims' they've bound to have been hearing for the past couple of years - and maybe that reason has to do with winning titles'

that's the sole reason of this thread.

[WildcardManu]

I really wonder if any team in the WC will have enough left in the tank by the time they get to the Finals.

That's one of the downside perks of being in the west and probably Detroit or Boston will get to the finals less banged up than their west opponent.

[Indazone]

Nah, Mutumbo is too old. Duncan is just a kid.

[JPB]

I really wonder if any team in the WC will have enough left in the tank by the time they get to the Finals.

Yes and in fact, it looks loke the PO have alredy started in the West with every game counting.

[honestfool84]

Yes and in fact, it looks loke the PO have alredy started in the West with every game counting.


i wonder if there will be an asterisk next to this year's championship if its won by an eastern team, because they had a relatively easy road to the finals..

on the same note, whoever wins it out of the west will sure as heck deserved it.

ahem, spurs, y'all gotta win. :clap

[G-Nob]

This is a July conversation. Not a March conversation.

[K-State Spur]

age-wise, I'd rather be the Spurs than the Suns. Where the Big 3 are all under 32 with a bunch of aged role players. As opposed to PHX where they have younger role players, but Nash & Shaq are running out time fast.

[ClingingMars]

-Draft a backup PG

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Sean-Singletary-448/

;)

-Mars

[SenorSpur]

They're not too old considering the style of ball they play. The Spurs deliberate, predictable style caters to the age of this team. It's not like they're the Warriors, Nuggets, or Suns. They generally look old on B2B games against young, athletic teams. I'll say it again. The Spurs could stand to infuse the team with 2-3 core younger or mid-age range type players. It would balance out the roster and the skill sets.

[BuzzerBeater]

There might be a formula somewhere that shows how experience balances age: exp2 - age = efficiency + (execution)

[WalterBenitez]

-Ron Artest
-Andres Nocioni
-Mickael Pietrus
-Draft a backup PG

Nocion + Artest + Bowen!!!?? we will be upgraded from dirty to terrorists!
:blah

[hater]

damn, imagine the lineup of Manu, Bowen, Artest, Nocioni and Duncan!!!

bringing Udoka and Bonner off the bench

opponent teams would piss on their panties

[Galileo]

Dallas and Phoenix are too old. This opens the door for the Spurs not only for this year, but next year as well.

The Spurs are not too old.

Boston has an older core than SA as well.

[himat]

Too old for what? They are not too old to win a championship this year.

[Galileo]

Outside on Tim Duncan, the Spurs have not had a lottery pick since 1989 when they picked Willie Anderson. The Spurs are in great shape to win this year and don't need the draft to keep young.

Then, next year, they can dump their old players as their contracts expire. At some point in the future, after Duncan starts to slow down, the Spurs will have the cap room to bring in a young free agent superstar who wants to win a championship with Tim Duncan.

[nfg3]

Age is relative and as SenorSpur aptly pointed out the style of play is an important factor, too. No b2b with time to set up a game plan in a 7 game series. Having been there does count also. All of these factors will play out in the playoffs. So we'll see what happens.

I personally don't think their are too old this year and considering the discussions as to who were the Spurs going after in the summer of '07 - the salary cap issue in 2010, Ian vs Tiago, Marcus's developement, and of course who can ever forget "THE SCOLA ORDEAL"...etc...it difficult to really to say who could have been had and at what price. The FO pays (no pun intended) particular attention to the "price" issue - see Scola/Butler/V-span salary cap dump.

Next year we will be much younger if all goes according to plan - Taigo, Ian and maybe Marcus coming on board.

[2Cleva]

Its not the age that should be a discern, its the diminished skills.

SA's Big 3 is fine age/skill wise. No questions there at all. Its whether or not the role players can hang is the big question.

The playoffs are about matchups. Teams find what they can exploit and go to it. The teams that win rings are the one's whose role players can step up consistently when teams take away one of the first 3 options.

Finley. Barry. Vaughn. Oberto. Thomas. Horry. Udoka.

Those are the guys you should worry about. Do they have the legs to defend? The quickness left to get off their shots? The guile in the clutch (most of them do for this)?

[JamStone]

It's one of those crucial questions that all successful NBA GMs face at some point or another when trying to maintain an elite level.

When is it time to let some of the older players with diminishing skill go? When is it vital to inject youth and athleticism around the core players instead of wiley, crafty veterans? Can you weigh loyalty versus improvement, trust with veteran familiarity versus boundless energy from youth and athleticism?

It's easy for us fans to discuss and state our own opinions one way or another. But, it's not so easy for the true decision makers. I would have told you that Robert Horry was past his prime and was no longer effective about 4 years ago. But, like clockwork, Horry does something critical or has a big game or two at some point in the playoffs to have proven that notion inaccurate. At different times this year (mostly from reading what Spurs fans write because I don't catch all the Spurs games), Bowen, Horry, and Finley have shown to be on the steep decline in terms of contributing to team success. Then each will have a decent to very good game every now and then to make you wonder if they're just saving themselves.

Again, it's really not a very easy question to answer if you're RC and Pop because for the last three to five years, those veteran role players proved invaluable even if they weren't the main reason for success.

Based on this year, I would answer the question whether the Spurs are tool old with a "yes." I think they are too old, at least the role players like Horry, Bowen, and Finley. I do think they need to get younger and more athletic, especially now with the Western Conference teams all getting stronger and with the style of the NBA, including its rules, benefitting athleticism more and more.

But, that's not to say the Spurs can't go deep in the playoffs this year or even win it all. Doubting them just because of their age could prove very foolish when it comes down to the playoffs. They could easily go for #5 this year, despite lacking much youth and elite athleticism up and down the roster.

However, regardless of how the season ends for the Spurs, I would definitely still look to add youth and athleticism to the roster, especially in the front court. Whether Splitter alone can address that need, who knows? But, Duncan definitely needs some help banging down low especially defensively. And, getting an athletic back-up wing player would really help defensively as well.

[ChumpDumper]

It's not a super big deal -- the young big men seem to be already in the pipeline. Getting a couple of swingmen and a younger point guard project isn't the most difficult proposition going into the summer.

[DAINTX]

This could be a chance to get younger:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/paul_forrester/03/26/green/index.html

Anybody think the Spurs should take a look at the kid?

[SenorSpur]

Age is relative and as SenorSpur aptly pointed out the style of play is an important factor, too. No b2b with time to set up a game plan in a 7 game series. Having been there does count also. All of these factors will play out in the playoffs. So we'll see what happens.

I personally don't think their are too old this year and considering the discussions as to who were the Spurs going after in the summer of '07 - the salary cap issue in 2010, Ian vs Tiago, Marcus's developement, and of course who can ever forget "THE SCOLA ORDEAL"...etc...it difficult to really to say who could have been had and at what price. The FO pays (no pun intended) particular attention to the "price" issue - see Scola/Butler/V-span salary cap dump.

Next year we will be much younger if all goes according to plan - Taigo, Ian and maybe Marcus coming on board.

I hope Darius Washington makes it back too. I've seen enough of the Mouse experiment. Or should I say, NVE 2.0

[jag]

damn, imagine the lineup of Manu, Bowen, Artest, Nocioni and Duncan!!!

bringing Udoka and Bonner off the bench

opponent teams would piss on their panties

ya...who needs a point guard anyway...

[GSH]

not agent zero, more mr matrix, i don't think; i say, superman, otherwise known as, mr howard.

i would LOVE for him to become a spur.

fat chance, probably.

Lets see... if Peter Holt puts on his jeans one morning and finds $40 million that he forgot to take out of one of the pockets. Then all the planets line up, and a strange television transmission comes from space telling us that Santa Clause is real.

Yeah, it could happen. :toast

[honestfool84]

Lets see... if Peter Holt puts on his jeans one morning and finds $40 million that he forgot to take out of one of the pockets. Then all the planets line up, and a strange television transmission comes from space telling us that Santa Clause is real.

Yeah, it could happen. :toast

isn't that part of the '2010 revamp plan', or something like that?

for all the old veterans' contracts to expire, and we get a good superstar, ie, lebron, dwade, howard?


i can still dream.



:spin :spin