Pop Has Been Amazing This Year

[KingKev]

Rod/Willie/Sean/Terry/David was such a fun starting lineup. I still think we could have made some noise in DRob/Sean's rookie year if not for Strickland's bonehead meltdown in game 7 versus Portland.

I became a fan in 92’ at age 7 in Toronto of all places but man if Strick was all there or if they packaged TC plus one of those guys the 90’s would have been didferent for the NBA. We also would have lost out on the Tim Duncan era sp not all that bad!

[scott]

I became a fan in 92’ at age 7 in Toronto of all places but man if Strick was all there or if they packaged TC plus one of those guys the 90’s would have been didferent for the NBA. We also would have lost out on the Tim Duncan era sp not all that bad!

Strickland was solid and one of the most exciting Spurs during the Fast-Breakin' Fiesta era, but he cost us Game 7 in the Semis with this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=895OJ4sAXhw

We were able to forgive him for that, but they he broken his hand in a fight outside of a nightclub that cost him time... then he was charged with indecent exposure in a Seattle hotel room (the original Primo) and then held out in a contract dispute. Then it was Vinny D and Avery time after that.

TC was super solid for us for - we basically go an all-star close to his prime, then before DRob's 4th year he blew out his knee playing pickup ball in the offseason and was just a bench guy for the rest of his career after that.

[scott]

^What the comments don't explain is that after that bonehead pass, Rod then was called for a flagrant foul on Clyde. Two shots + ball for Portland, they go on to win.

[KingKev]

Strickland was solid and one of the most exciting Spurs during the Fast-Breakin' Fiesta era, but he cost us Game 7 in the Semis with this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=895OJ4sAXhw

We were able to forgive him for that, but they he broken his hand in a fight outside of a nightclub that cost him time... then he was charged with indecent exposure in a Seattle hotel room (the original Primo) and then held out in a contract dispute. Then it was Vinny D and Avery time after that.

TC was super solid for us for - we basically go an all-star close to his prime, then before DRob's 4th year he blew out his knee playing pickup ball in the offseason and was just a bench guy for the rest of his career after that.

Robinson and Strick were never going to gel unfortunately. We couldn’t
replace TC till TD tbh. JR Reid, Charles Smith, Rodman etc etc

The Avery Johnson//Vinny Del Negro back court days were so pathetic.

[slick'81]

Robinson and Strick were never going to gel unfortunately. We couldn’t
replace TC till TD tbh. JR Reid, Charles Smith, Rodman etc etc

The Avery Johnson//Vinny Del Negro back court days were so pathetic.

My grandma thought he was cute

[KingKev]

^ I wonder how many unlicensed Spurs hats his wife sold outside of the Alamo Dome that night. Will she be working the Warriors game lol

[exstatic]

Rod/Willie/Sean/Terry/David was such a fun starting lineup. I still think we could have made some noise in DRob/Sean's rookie year if not for Strickland's bonehead meltdown in game 7 versus Portland.

I think we win the LoB if Mo Cheeks wasn’t such a head, living in the airport hotel, and basically forcing a trade.

[scott]

Couldn't find the video, but I remember watching live when Vinny went ball behind the back and then slammed it home. Homeboy is a dad slam dunk champ.

Avery had that fun behind the back fake layup he used to do.

They were fun Spurs...

[Seventyniner]

I think the whole "core" versus "not core" argument (re: Keldon and Devin) isn't nuanced enough.

Let's put it this way. Fill in the blank: Keldon's/Devin's ceiling is the ____ best player on a real contender.

When the Bucks won the le, Khris Middleton was 29 and Jrue Holiday was 30. They are widely considered to have been the 2nd and 3rd best players on that team. Can Keldon or Devin reach that level by their late 20s? I don't think it's an immediate "yes" but I don't think it's an immediate "no" either. I think "3rd" is a reasonable ceiling for both Keldon and Devin. That would probably mean one or two career All-Star appearances. Probably too high as a base case but defensible as a ceiling imo.

Not that they are certain to reach that ceiling, but they are both still young and have lots of room for improvement. Sochan even more so.

I can't bring myself to put "2nd" in the blank for either one, because it would take a very stacked team with a megastar to get a le in that case. I also think "4th" is too low as a measure of their ceiling; a team with three players better than prime Keldon or Devin is likely to be heavily stacked.

[scott]

I think the whole "core" versus "not core" argument (re: Keldon and Devin) isn't nuanced enough.

Let's put it this way. Fill in the blank: Keldon's/Devin's ceiling is the ____ best player on a real contender.

When the Bucks won the le, Khris Middleton was 29 and Jrue Holiday was 30. They are widely considered to have been the 2nd and 3rd best players on that team. Can Keldon or Devin reach that level by their late 20s? I don't think it's an immediate "yes" but I don't think it's an immediate "no" either. I think "3rd" is a reasonable ceiling for both Keldon and Devin. That would probably mean one or two career All-Star appearances. Probably too high as a base case but defensible as a ceiling imo.

Not that they are certain to reach that ceiling, but they are both still young and have lots of room for improvement. Sochan even more so.

I can't bring myself to put "2nd" in the blank for either one, because it would take a very stacked team with a megastar to get a le in that case. I also think "4th" is too low as a measure of their ceiling; a team with three players better than prime Keldon or Devin is likely to be heavily stacked.

I'd agree with this, with maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe 2nd as a high end potential for Devin IF paired with a Giannis-like dominant star.

[DPG21920]

They are high end starters that need a true offensive engine around them. For example, if you simply take Luka off the Mavs and place him on the Spurs, Spurs are wayyyyyyyy better than the Mavs currently.

Spurs need a centerpiece. Just one. And they will be a playoff core with Keldon/Vassell/Sochan IMO. They have all star potential but not superstar potential. They can be Middleton type where they aren’t as lauded but they really impact winning.

[offset formation]

Don't necessarily disagree DPG given when I recommended trading neph to the Bucks years ago for Brogdon, Middleton, a third player, and picks, I was ruthlessly mocked on this site.


Seems to me that would have been a better option. Certainly more Spurs type players than Demar was who evidently craves the big city and bright lights.

So are we on that early arc for our role players and people just aren't seeing their ability to contribute to a winner?

Possibly. But they also have a back to back MVP. So that piece is still lacking. Could Wembanyama be that guy? Absolutely. It's why we better be losing every single last game we can.

[XDT76]

Is all stars players really good? There is currently a team which might have 2 all stars starters this year but is in the bottom third of NBA.

[couchman]

Link in case I did the tweet embed wrong: https://twitter.com/kirkgoldsberry/status/1611415103680692244?s=20&t=3QWmxlOc-bY4OwS72onXIQ

This chart is the Rockets masterclass in tanking. It's not enough to be the worst defense like the Spurs, you've got to combine it with putrid offense!

Can we talk more about why we’re so bad on defense?

[exstatic]

Is all stars players really good? There is currently a team which might have 2 all stars starters this year but is in the bottom third of NBA.

All Star is a lower level than All NBA. In any year, there are 24 players selected or elected to the ASG. Then, there can, and usually are, injury replacements. Let’s call it 26.

All NBA is 15 players spread over 3 teams.

[baseline bum]

Robinson and Strick were never going to gel unfortunately. We couldn’t
replace TC till TD tbh. JR Reid, Charles Smith, Rodman etc etc

The Avery Johnson//Vinny Del Negro back court days were so pathetic.

I remember hearing David and Strick were actually pretty good friends. Surprised the out of me when I heard it.

[baseline bum]

My grandma thought he was cute

Every woman in San Antonio loved Del Negro, every man hated him. ing Red McCombs getting cheap with Strickland and bringing that loser to be his replacement.

[KingKev]

I remember hearing David and Strick were actually pretty good friends. Surprised the out of me when I heard it.

I may have spoken out of turn. He was one of my favourite PGs of that era I just assumed he was partying in those early days but I was about 7 at the time lol

[The Truth #6]

To be fair, I think 5-0 was partying some his rookie year. Lots of rumors of him at Sugars politely and respectfully making it rain. TC may have taken him under his wing at that point and channeled his energy into their saxophone/keyboard musical jam sessions. I’m not joking.

[baseline bum]

I may have spoken out of turn. He was one of my favourite PGs of that era I just assumed he was partying in those early days but I was about 7 at the time lol

He was and I remember a story about how diet was so bad he puked on the bench one time because he had just eaten candy all day or something.

God it sucked losing him for nothing.

[slick'81]

He was and I remember a story about how diet was so bad he puked on the bench one time because he had just eaten candy all day or something.

God it sucked losing him for nothing.

especially because he had a very good nba career. Dude was a wizard

[baseline bum]

especially because he had a very good nba career. Dude was a wizard

Worst part was not only did McCombs' cheapness cost the Spurs Strickland for nothing, it allegedly kept the Spurs from trading Terry mings and Willie Anderson for Barkley right before TC blew out his knee and went from allstar to scrub. Of course it worked out in the end getting Tim in 97, but god could you imagine a lineup of

G Rod Strickland
G Dale Ellis
F Sean Elliott
F Charles Barkley
C David Robinson

with Brickowski off the bench?

[slick'81]

Worst part was not only did McCombs' cheapness cost the Spurs Strickland for nothing, it allegedly kept the Spurs from trading Terry mings and Willie Anderson for Barkley right before TC blew out his knee and went from allstar to scrub. Of course it worked out in the end getting Tim in 97, but god could you imagine a lineup of



G Rod Strickland
G Dale Ellis
F Sean Elliott
F Charles Barkley
C David Robinson

with Brickowski off the bench?

my dad told me about that rumor. If it was true mccombs was an idiot

[baseline bum]

my dad told me about that rumor. If it was true mccombs was an idiot

He's not an idiot, he's cheap

[slick'81]

He's not an idiot, he's cheap

vikings fans hated him too