Van Exel a Rocket?

Van Exel is one of those veterans who is losing his quickness and skills as each season goes by, yet can still be an occasional explosive scorer. Very explosive...but it's sporadic.

He does have the knack for knocking down big-time shots though.

An example last year, Portland was playing Charlotte and Nicky V. had made only 7 shots out of his last 40. With the score tied and the clock running down, Charlotte doubled the ball in the corner - much like Detroit did Manu in Game 5 before he passed it to Horry. The ball went to Nick 5 feet behind the arc and he nailed the dagger three to win it. That's Nick in a nutshell.

come on down Nicky.

More than welcome to play for the Spurs :)

It seems Van Exel's decision will come after Anderson's decision.

If Anderson decides to go to Houston which is very likely as he already expressed a lot of interest then i guess Van Exel will be a spur.

"Months after he thought he would become a member of the Rockets, Derek Anderson finally made it to Toyota Center on Thursday with a chance to make it home. Anderson, a free agent who wanted and expected to be sent to the Rockets in a February trade with Portland, visited with coach Jeff Van Gundy and other club officials Thursday as the Rockets sought the versatile guard for their last roster spot." Houston Chronicle

"Free agent point guard Derek Anderson says the Houston Rockets may be the best fit for him at this point in his career. The former Portland Trail Blazer tells says his meeting in Houston yesterday with Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy went well. Portland waived Anderson on August Third under the N-B-A's one-time amnesty program. The Blazers owe him almost 19 (M) million dollars. Anderson agent Tony Dutt says Anderson plans to make a decision by Monday." KLTV.com

"One team might as well be heads. The other might as well be tails. That's the difficulty of the decision free-agent guard Derek Anderson faces this weekend. Anderson will choose in the next 48 hours whether to sign with the Lakers or Houston Rockets, agent Tony Dutt said Friday. Anderson, the NBA's first luxury-tax-amnesty casualty, is seeking a one-year deal with a player option for a second season. "He's decided he's not going to base it on money, he's going to base it on opportunity," Dutt said. "He wants to go somewhere he can have a big year this year and then see what happens." Los Angeles Daily News

"7 shots out of his last 40"

As with Glenn, Nick won't get many minutes and less shots, nor will he be on the floor in crunch time to try to duplicate his amazing heroics with DAL '03.

As with Glenn, if Nick comes, he will be way down the bench, waving towels (I don't get the impression Nick is much of a towel waver). Pop will want to play Beno first to see if Beno improves as a sophomore.

These two guys, even they are Spurs, will be marginal in the season, and invisible in playoff rotation.

Van Exel can bring leadership and that is good.

If he would have been with us during the serie against Detroit i am sure he would have absorbed all Udrih's minutes and done much better.