ESPN writer roundtable: What does the future hold for Spurs?

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Originally Posted by 1Parker1

:depressed

People are acting as if it's like the end of an Era or something.

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Losing Tiago hurts us in a bad way. Tiago was going to be someone they built around as Duncan declined. I don't think Ian can fill that gap, though I expect him to be pretty good. Ime is no Bruce, and he's 30 anyway, isn't he? Still no reliable back up point, Manu's health is a serious ? next season with the Olympics this summer. Our other wings consist of a guy who may retire and a guy who should retire. Our bigs consist of the corpse of Robert Horry and a heckuva nice guy who doesn't play really good basketball, despite how much we want him too.

They are going to be hard pressed to fill all the holes with not enough money.

It's definitely not over, and the Spurs have done a really good job at sustainability since drafting DRob - they've been almost perennial playoff team and been actual title contenders for many of those years. But there is no doubt that the current era is rapidly looking at a closing window. Whether or not the transition is seamlessly made to a new era (as it was from DRob to TMT) remains to be seen, and frankly, there is no way to tell. Losing Tiago is a big blow coming on the heels of trading Scola (and I wanted him traded).

Wake up! It's reality. 4 of your starters have about 3 years left in them.

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Originally Posted by Lake_show

He is 36, no offensive threat and his defense is declining. He should be a bench player NOT a starter.

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Bowen outscored Kobe in a game this season. It happened before the Gasol trade so I doubt any of the bandwagoners were paying attention.

Bowen is the one Spur who hasn't looked tired or slowed in the playoffs at all. He plays like he's the youngest guy in the rotation.

:lmao I was thinking that in Game 4. Bowen has arguably been provided the Spurs with the most consistent offense this series agains the Lakers.

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Originally Posted by Lake_show

Wake up! It's reality. 4 of your starters have about 3 years left in them.

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Probably/around that.

But they have already been cloned and are growing: Duncan 2 was the first when he doesnt even was in SA, now he has like 16 years old. What a visioners.

http://www.genetologisch-onderzoek.n...ad/cloning.jpg

The future of the Spurs: a descent into interminable mediocrity while the allegedly "die-hard" San Antonio fans drop them like cheap hookers and devote themselves instead to following dog races, boxing, and Mexican League soccer.

Go after Ryan Gomes

We have to retool fast just to keep up with the other teams in the West. I don't know how we can do it.

Splitter was a good pick--but now probably gone for good. Ian may not be ready to play extended minutes at this level for a couple of seasons. And those are our best players in the pipeline.

We desperately need to raid the FA market and much as I hate it, the best fit/pick would be Artest. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

this article is close to useless, except in proving that if you ask 4 different people their opinions you get 4 different opinions.

in summary: Duncan is declining, but he's not declining, and he has 2 or 3 more years left of elite play. Manu is declining, and injury prone, but he played the best season of his career. the Spurs are going to be chamionship contenders for at least 2-3 more years, but the Lakers are better. Riiiiiiiiiight.

Spurs will definitely have to get better and younger next year. But that is true for every team in the league, except the one that walks away with the title.

By the way, I'm not convinced the Spurs don't come in and win tonight. Manu is going to have a spectacular game, because he has a lot of pride, and he doesn't want to go out like that. Whether he can do it, and the Spurs can do it, for another 3 games in a row - that's a big if. But I don't think they lose tonight.

My biggest worry that I have brought up a million times and you homers never seem to care is that this team is getting very old before our eyes with no plan in place to retool while still winning.

At this rate of atrophy, the Spurs will be a lottery team before they win another title.

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Originally Posted by Ghost Writer

My biggest worry that I have brought up a million times and you homers never seem to care is that this team is getting very old before our eyes with no plan in place to retool while still winning.

At this rate of atrophy, the Spurs will be a lottery team before they win another title.

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I don't know what you want them to do.

They have high draft picks, no cap room.

All they can do, until a certain time, is use the MLE.

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Originally Posted by T Park

I don't know what you want them to do.

They have high draft picks, no cap room.

All they can do, until a certain time, is use the MLE.

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Make a trade for young, serviceable talent.


And you know that the Spurs will cling to the Big 3 as they continue to age towards retirement instead of biting the bullet for some draft picks, etc.

:lol we've all noted the importance of getting younger. Trouble is, there's nothing we can do about it.

Very good article.

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Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

Bowen stays. The rest can go.

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if thomas can develop some offensive chemistry with the team, which a full season can do, he could be a last-resort type option to resign if we can't get another big who can contribute immediately, which we will need if Splitter decides to stay with Tau.

Barry can stay, and he can go a long way to proving himself as deserving of a spot with a big effort tonight. i count on it. besides, didn't we sign him for next year (or 2?) when we picked him up off waivers after the elson trade?

other than these two, and of course the BIG 4, the rest don't have to go home, but they gotta get the hell up outta here.

I would start by filing a lawsuit against the Memphis Grizzlies for damaging the integrity of the league.

Next, follow Detriot's plan. They have 4 guys on the bench learning to play and getting ready to step into starting roles when need be in Afflalo, Stuckey, Maxiell, and Amir Johnson. Stuckey was a steal at the 15th pick.

We can't continue to draft players and let them sit overseas or misfire like on Marcus Williams. How much better off today would we be with Carl Landry and Glen Davis instead of the two players we drafted last season. I don't think either is great but they are serviceable. Personally, I was wishing we had moved up a couple spots and taken Morris Almond out of Rice.

With the 26th and 45th picks this year we have to get players. period. if CDR out of Memphis is really going to slide into the early 20's then move up and get him or whoever the brain trust feels will contribute the most. CDR is the kind of guy we could use off the bench and would easily be the most athletic player on the roster. Now that Utah has Korver and Brewer looks like a player, see what the want for Morris, he fits the Spurs player mold. Work out Hardin out of Cal or McGee out of Nevada and find out what they have. And scour the free agent field with a magnifying glass. How desperate are we for a Jamario Moon to come off the bench ???

This is the biggest offseason this decade for the Spurs. We still have the core pieces to win another title but players must be added and the bench has to get younger and more athletic. It starts on draft day and we can't have another disaster like 2007.

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Originally Posted by LEN BIAS 4EVER

I would start by filing a lawsuit against the Memphis Grizzlies for damaging the integrity of the league.

Next, follow Detriot's plan. They have 4 guys on the bench learning to play and getting ready to step into starting roles when need be in Afflalo, Stuckey, Maxiell, and Amir Johnson. Stuckey was a steal at the 15th pick.

We can't continue to draft players and let them sit overseas or misfire like on Marcus Williams. How much better off today would we be with Carl Landry and Glen Davis instead of the two players we drafted last season. I don't think either is great but they are serviceable. Personally, I was wishing we had moved up a couple spots and taken Morris Almond out of Rice.

With the 26th and 45th picks this year we have to get players. period. if CDR out of Memphis is really going to slide into the early 20's then move up and get him or whoever the brain trust feels will contribute the most. CDR is the kind of guy we could use off the bench and would easily be the most athletic player on the roster. Now that Utah has Korver and Brewer looks like a player, see what the want for Morris, he fits the Spurs player mold. Work out Hardin out of Cal or McGee out of Nevada and find out what they have. And scour the free agent field with a magnifying glass. How desperate are we for a Jamario Moon to come off the bench ???

This is the biggest offseason this decade for the Spurs. We still have the core pieces to win another title but players must be added and the bench has to get younger and more athletic. It starts on draft day and we can't have another disaster like 2007.

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LMAO

Bowen NEEDS to go. Seriously. As much as I love and respect (as with all the other hopeful castoffs) guy, he is not what he was two years ago. He gets LIT up by every top player. CP3 lit him up in lieu of being robbed of a spot on the Defensive 1st Team and Kobe is tearing him up as I type. He's still decent on slower, shooter types such as Peja, but we can mold plenty of younger players to do that. Ime Udoka has shown he can do Bruce's dirty work just with more offensive aptitude and a lower cap number. He will also be much more effective in his second season with the team as everyone does. He can stay, Bruce take a hike with Bobs, Finley, Vaughn, Damon and Brent Barry. I think with the Spurs in a hole with the Splitter thing (sorry, Ian Mihinnimi or however its spelled, I believe will not last long in this league. Just don't see it.) that they should keep around Kurt Thomas and Oberto as a combination to do some effective glass work and then the Spurs need to add some lowpost scoring to help Tim, who is dying out there some nights and then attack the free agent market for the much needed youth. Some things I could suggest:

Front Court (Reasonable) Top tier:
Luol Deng will be a restricted FA and with Chicago having to deal with his and Gordon's contracts and the first pick, maybe he will be expendable with Beasley possibly on the horizon. He would be a nice scoring compliment in the post and is a decent rebounder. He could be had.

Andris Biedrins-Restricted too, but man! He fits the system and is young and getting very good. I doubt Golden State lets him slip away but with Monta Ellis and Baron Davis needing to get paid, never say never and his cap number would be lower than Deng's.
Lower level : Eduardo Najera, thats all who could really fit well into the system. Najera would be a great fit.

Backcourt: This is where a closer would fit well. I know alot of people don't like Corey Magette but with all the laughable shit names people throw around here I can't see a better combination of scoring, rebounding and defense on the FA list with a good cap number. He would also be what the Spurs really need, a closer. Or Ginobili could be the closer. Either way, with a scorer of his caliber, the Spurs scoring woes would definitely soothe. His rebounding ability is great for a guy thats 6'6.

Role players: Earl Boykins would be a great offensive backup at point guard, Jarmario Moon and Kenyon Dooling would be great off the bench and could be molded into decent defenders. I dunno, but no one on the current roster outside the Big 3 are an answer with the exception of Thomas and Udoka.

Bowen is still servicable. He did as good as a job as you could do on Kobe.

Brent Barry showed me a lot this series. That boy can still play and knock down 3's.

I would like to keep Kurt Thomas (albeit undersized) because he's heady, plays D, and knocks down 15 footers.

Although Horry is my boy, he and Fin have to go.

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Originally Posted by timvp

Bowen is the one Spur who hasn't looked tired or slowed in the playoffs at all. He plays like he's the youngest guy in the rotation.

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He just can't score and "holds" Kobe to the same point total as anyone else who guards him in the NBA.