Mike Monroe: If healthy, Udoka will sign this week

[Streakyshooter08]

I hope this really is official! Will there be a press conference?

Edit: It is!

http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/udoka_070816.html

[koopa]

it's also on spurs.com that he has been signed

http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/udoka_070816.html

[romsho]

"Udoka's family is excited for him to join the Spurs," Cowan said. "They're on TV 25 times this season, so they will get to see him play a lot."
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[email protected][/QUOTE]

Or, you could just go buckwild crazy and get DIRECTV with the NBA Ticket...just a suggestion.

[TheAuthority]

A lot of the Portland fans were bummed that he left. And not just that he left...but that he came here. Hes a solid player. Don't hate on him because you don't know him.

I know who he is. I fail to see how it's such a great signing, except in the financial aspect. He can play defense? Cool. Is he better than Barry? No. Is he a better defender? Most people in the NBA are. Not everything is predicated on defense. Barry has much more to his game then Udoka does. Barry's basketball IQ is higher, I guarantee it. Which is the most important part of a basketball player at the NBA level. Way more versatile.

No way in am I letting the Spurs front office off the hook for signing some scrub like Udoka this offseason after that debacle with Houston. And I'm sure all the Spurs homers are going to be all over his just because he tries to play defense. It's real easy to play good D when Tim's back there. Bowen's a good defender, but let's not kid ourselves... he's allowed to play that kind of defense because #21 is back there to correct his mistakes.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

quote=theauthority]Barry's basketball IQ is higher, I guarantee it. Which is the most important part of a basketball player at the NBA level. [/quote]

Right. Barry has a higher bball IQ than guys like Shaq, Stephen Jackson, Shawn Marion, Josh Howard, etc.

But I'd sure as take any of them before him.

Howabout waiting to see what the guy does before you condemn him to the trash pile? Everyone thought Stephen Jackson was a scrub and practice squad when we signed him, and all he did was help us win a ring as a starter.

And please, get over yourself and this whole 'I won't let them off the hook for the Houston trade' crap. It's not about this signing 'making up' for that decision, this signing wasn't damage control to appease fans angry at the Houston trade, it was to address a need and make our team better.

We were after Udoka from day 1 of free agency, I think I'll trust Pop's talent evaluation skills over yours.

[TheAuthority]

quote=theauthority]We were after Udoka from day 1 of free agency, I think I'll trust Pop's talent evaluation skills over yours.

Popovich doesn't evaluate . If you recall, Popovich thought Parker was garbage when he used his great 'evaluation skills'. Buford had to convince the guy that Parker was worth taking. Wow, he drafted Tim Duncan, though... right? That was some great scouting there! First class. The only brilliant move he's ever made was giving Tim all of the credit for his success, because that's who deserves it. He sure as doesn't. If anything, Popovich has cost the Spurs championships. See: Dallas/San Antonio, 2006

And yes, they sure as do need a damage control move after that debacle. That was unfathomably stupid.. any way you spin it. Udoka is nice for the price, just like Vaughn. Both are scrubs. Let's bring in some real talent, please.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

[Darkwaters]

Popovich doesn't evaluate . If you recall, Popovich thought Parker was garbage when he used his great 'evaluation skills'. Buford had to convince the guy that Parker was worth taking.

Thats because Parker WAS in his first workout. The first team he met with the the Spurs and he was obviously tense and didn't do a good job at all. It wasn't until Parker starting lighting it up in his later workouts that the Spurs saw fit to bring him back in. But its hardly like Pop saw Tony's A game and still passed on him. He saw his C or D game and still was willing to take a second look.

And yes, they sure as do need a damage control move after that debacle. That was unfathomably stupid.. any way you spin it. Udoka is nice for the price, just like Vaughn. Both are scrubs. Let's bring in some real talent, please.

Yea, I agree. Undrafted FAs are garbage. Theres a reason why they didn't get drafted. Obviously all of our other ventures with undrated FAs like Bruce Bowen and Fabricio Oberto were complete busts. So it's plain and simple to see that Udoka will just be more of the same.

[Switchman]

I know who he is. I fail to see how it's such a great signing, except in the financial aspect. He can play defense? Cool. Is he better than Barry? No. Is he a better defender? Most people in the NBA are. Not everything is predicated on defense. Barry has much more to his game then Udoka does. Barry's basketball IQ is higher, I guarantee it. Which is the most important part of a basketball player at the NBA level. Way more versatile.

No way in am I letting the Spurs front office off the hook for signing some scrub like Udoka this offseason after that debacle with Houston. And I'm sure all the Spurs homers are going to be all over his just because he tries to play defense. It's real easy to play good D when Tim's back there. Bowen's a good defender, but let's not kid ourselves... he's allowed to play that kind of defense because #21 is back there to correct his mistakes.

I'll take lockdown defense (hopefully) EVERY NIGHT, over good performance every 5 games.

[Obstructed_View]

Barry's basketball IQ is higher, I guarantee it. Which is the most important part of a basketball player at the NBA level.

Since you just said this about a guy who averaged three points and one assist per game in the most recent playoff run, I'm going to conclude that your point is stupid.

[TheAuthority]

Since you just said this about a guy who averaged three points and one assist per game in the most recent playoff run, I'm going to conclude that your point is stupid.

How is one season's playoff statistics an indicator of their basketball IQ? Sorry, I fail to understand that. According to this theory, I'm going to assume Tony Parker sucked major ass before this season... considering he regularly disappeared in the playoffs and had to ride the bench during crunch time, while a back-up point guard was brought in to run the team, during the most important minutes of the season.

[some_user86]

How is one season's playoff statistics an indicator of their basketball IQ? Sorry, I fail to understand that. According to this theory, I'm going to assume Tony Parker sucked major ass before this season... considering he regularly disappeared in the playoffs and had to ride the bench during crunch time, while a back-up point guard was brought in to run the team, during the most important minutes of the season.

Well... Yes.

We were always banking on TP's potential. But if you don't show up to use your talent, what good are you?

Barry's stats indicate his usefulness to the team, especially in the fact that the areas in which he is most useful to the team should and would show up in some manner at the stat line. It's not like he is Bowen, whose defense prowess can't be counted on the stat line. I can't understand how you can so severely underestimate Bowen.

When Bowen doesn't do his job, the whole team feels it. You can sense when the team is getting abused by The Guy from the other team. And not one person, not even TD's great D, can stop The Guy from the other team if it has come to that point. (I believe this can most efficiently be demonstrated when Bowen properly defends a perimeter guard who relies less on slashing. There shooting percentage generally drops, especially even when TD isn't a factor.)

[TheAuthority]

We were always banking on TP's potential. But if you don't show up to use your talent, what good are you?

Barry's stats indicate his usefulness to the team, especially in the fact that the areas in which he is most useful to the team should and would show up in some manner at the stat line.

It's hard to put up numbers when you don't get any run. Finley takes all of his minutes. I'd like to see Barry get more run at point, instead of that scrub Vaughn. Unless Barry is really getting burnt on D, it's a much better solution to the backup point guard situation. Vaughn brings NOTHING on offense, and I mean nothing. Hopefully Popovich actually gives Beno some run next year, during the regular season. Beno is getting the wrap around the Spurs community that Rasho used to have, and I think it's totally unwarranted to both players. Rasho did a fine job. Beno is a good player, Popovich is just ing up and has ed up his development.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Popovich doesn't evaluate . If you recall, Popovich thought Parker was garbage when he used his great 'evaluation skills'. Buford had to convince the guy that Parker was worth taking. Wow, he drafted Tim Duncan, though... right? That was some great scouting there! First class. The only brilliant move he's ever made was giving Tim all of the credit for his success, because that's who deserves it. He sure as doesn't. If anything, Popovich has cost the Spurs championships. See: Dallas/San Antonio, 2006

And yes, they sure as do need a damage control move after that debacle. That was unfathomably stupid.. any way you spin it. Udoka is nice for the price, just like Vaughn. Both are scrubs. .

You're right, Pop is a scrub. He had nothing to do with us picking up Bowen, Finley, Stephen Jackson, etc.

Let's bring in some real talent, please

I'd like to see the same out of your posts, instead of your whining. You sound like a Mavs fan wondering why they didn't get KG.

[AFBlue]

Marc Stein's take on the signing of Udoka. He also highlights the pursuit of Amir Johnson, which I never linked to the Butler salary dump before...but he does.

Just FYI.

Robby (San Antonio, TX): Whats your take on Ime Udoka? Is he really a second coming of Bruce Bowen? Because Bruce is really gettin' old, so we're gonna need someone to fill in in a few years.

Marc Stein: WAY premature to start comparing Udoka to Bowen. But a lot of teams liked him and he's a very nice acquisition for the Spurs, especially at a reasonable price. When they made the Scola trade, they were hoping to come out of it with enough financial wiggle room to prise Amir Johnson from the Pistons. Provided his knee troubles don't resurface, Udoka is a very nice fallback.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=16883

[Mr. Body]

I'm still stunned the Spurs would rather overpay for Amir Johnson than find any worth for Luis Scola (or sign him themselves).

[ChumpDumper]

I'm not. Amir is the kind of player we need. He does everything Scola doesn't.

[Holt's Cat]

The Spurs may be better off with Udoka.

[Solid D]

I wonder if Pop called Udoka first or Johnson first on Day 1. I doubt he used alphabetical order for his criteria.