LUDDEN: Spurs will make changes to keep pace in West

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Originally Posted by Aggie Hoopsfan

Typical Tpark. Everyone knew Jax would be a stud, and he'd still be a Spur if Holt hadn't been cheap about it.

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but then would manu?

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Originally Posted by Aggie Hoopsfan

Vujacic? I hope this is CIA in full effect.

If not, I hate our front office. There are way better prospects on the market than that Euro scrub (i.e., Kelenna). Front office needs to take off its foreign player blinders for once.
Vujacic can't even put up consistent double figures for LA, but we're going to start him ahead of Manu? Gimme a break...

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Finally! Somebody says it besides me. This FO has an annual hard-on for foreign players. When is the last time they drafted and developed a domestic player? They sometimes act as though American college players can't play or can't be coached.

Like every other strategy they employ, there is proven success there. My issues with Pop and R.C. is they put all their eggs into a single basket. Look at this potential fiasco with Splitter and previously Scola. They marry themselves to a formula (signing vets over the age of 34, or burning 1st round picks on primarily drafting Euro talent)and sometimes cannot see past it.

Can someone tell me if Ryan Gomes is available and if so, his chances of leaving Minny?

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Originally Posted by SenorSpur

Finally! Somebody says it besides me. This FO has an annual hard-on for foreign players. When is the last time they drafted and developed a domestic player? They sometimes act as though American college players can't play or can't be coached.

Like every other strategy they employ, there is proven success there. My issues with Pop and R.C. is they put all their eggs into a single basket. Look at this potential fiasco with Splitter and previously Scola. They marry themselves to a formula (signing vets over the age of 34, or burning 1st round picks on primarily drafting Euro talent)and sometimes cannot see past it.

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??

Alot of people have said they need to draft and focus more domestically...

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Originally Posted by SenorSpur

Finally! Somebody says it besides me. This FO has an annual hard-on for foreign players. When is the last time they drafted and developed a domestic player? They sometimes act as though American college players can't play or can't be coached.

Like every other strategy they employ, there is proven success there. My issues with Pop and R.C. is they put all their eggs into a single basket. Look at this potential fiasco with Splitter and previously Scola. They marry themselves to a formula (signing vets over the age of 34, or burning 1st round picks on primarily drafting Euro talent)and sometimes cannot see past it.

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They might go for the local talent once TD retires and we need to rebuild.
Right now, if they take a rookie and develop him and he turns out to be any good, they can't offer him a competitive contract after his rookie contract is over (considering they don't ever go over the luxury tax). The only reason they go for the Euros is that they're somewhat already developed.
If you expect Pop at this stage to take a youngster and do anything other than sit him at the end of the bench or send him back and forth between the Toros and the injured list, you're fooling yourself.

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Originally Posted by ElNono

They might go for the local talent once TD retires and we need to rebuild.
Right now, if they take a rookie and develop him and he turns out to be any good, they can't offer him a competitive contract after his rookie contract is over (considering they don't ever go over the luxury tax). The only reason they go for the Euros is that they're somewhat already developed.
If you expect Pop at this stage to take a youngster and do anything other than sit him at the end of the bench or send him back and forth between the Toros and the injured list, you're fooling yourself.

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I'm not suggesting they take some 18 year-old kid out of high school. There are numerous college juniors and seniors that have the proper talent, maturity and initiative needed to fit into the Spurs system. For them or anyone else to think otherwise is a shortsighted approach.

The recent fiascos with both Splitter and Scola alone should make them rethink this strategy. And staffing a roster full of 34+ year old veterans isn't the way to go either.

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Originally Posted by SenorSpur

I'm not suggesting they take some 18 year-old kid out of high school. There are numerous college juniors and seniors that have the proper talent, maturity and initiative needed to fit into the Spurs system. For them or anyone else to think otherwise is a shortsighted approach.

The recent fiascos with both Splitter and Scola alone should make them rethink this strategy. And staffing a roster full of 34+ year old veterans isn't the way to go either.

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I'm not disagreeing with you. But looking at previous seasons and what this FO have been doing and saying for the last few years makes me think they're going to stick to what they've been doing. What you mention is a drastic change from what this FO has done the last 5 or 6 years. I think you're only going to see that if we don't make the playoffs somehow in the next few seasons.

Um... didn't we just get beat by a team that was a bunch of "foreign players?"

Hell, even Kobe grew up in Europe. Get a grip!

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Originally Posted by MadDog73

Um... didn't we just get beat by a team that was a bunch of "foreign players?"

Hell, even Kobe grew up in Europe. Get a grip!

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Odom, Fisher, Bryant, Farmar, Walton, I don't think are foreign

Tiago is gone,....forget it.

SPURS need to fill the hole for mobile big so that TD has less loads to carry.

Sign Diop or Turiaf....

Then trade/draft for a SG with good 3pt shot.

Sasha...? come on..... Pop must be trying to fool Lakers to try to sign Turiaf

Alternatively, sign the best Europe player playing for the Russian team....he is a wild card

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Originally Posted by T Park

Josh Howard while good has also appeared to be a choking cancerous ball hog....Keep the genius takes coming :rolleyes

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TPark ASSumes he'd be the same in a different environment. But Howard on a veteran laden title-holding team, like Stephen Jackson was, would have been a great fit. No doubt the FO screwed up on that one big time.

Ludden always a step ahed of McDonald/Monroe

Too bad he can't follow the Spurs in the offseason. We'll get no updates with McDonald/Monroe

I tried to make this as realistic as possible. The guys who I mentioned that are restricted could possibly be nabbed from their teams if enough money is thrown at them...especially if they offer is loaded in the first year.

Half the MLE between any combination of or could sign them with the LLE:
Diop
Pietrus
C.J. Miles - Restricted
Quinton Ross
Royal Ivey
Keyon Dooling
Dorell Wright

Worth Majority of Full MLE:
Jamairo Moon
Kelenna Azubuike - Restricted
J.R. Smith - Restricted
Devin Brown
Josh Childress - Restricted

Internationals:
Dimitris Diamantidis; 28 Yrs old; PG; Greece
Ramunas Siskauskas; 29 Yrs old; SG; Lithuania (Terrific Shooter)

Good list. I don't think Jamario Moon is available; has one more year (very cheap tho'). Siskauskas makes more than the MLE and would expect that, which is pretty rich.

I like Diop. Go after him, but his services may get bid up.

Many of the others are extremely underwhelming (or unavailable). What a year to need players.

We absolutely need wing help, but I would like to see us avoid chuckers who are not likely to change their ways.

So, no matter how many unbelievable shots he hits, I would be against JR Smith. I think he could have a negative impact.