Problem : Pietrus is too dumb (low B-ball IQ)
Response: Between Don Nelson and the GS menagerie of players anyone would be confused about what he should be doing at any given moment. He needs a system and supporting persons around him. Pop will provide the system and TP the support.
Problem: He can't shoot from the outside.
Response: He's probably had little coaching given his background. Shooting is one of the few skills that can be improved by most players and the Spurs have a good shooting coach. Also, with his driving ability and TD's presence, Pietrus should get great mid-range looks in a non-firedrill (non-GS) offense. In fact, he made 286 three-pointers the season before last at a .388 clip from long range.
Positive Factor: He's attainable. As an unrestricted FA, the Spurs can know (on their own timetable) whether they can get him and still have time to adjust the rest of their roster accordingly. Also, they won't have to "overpay" in order to be confident that his old team won't match. They don't have to negotiate against two parties at once --if they can convince Pietrus to sign at a relative bargain price, they don't have to worry that the same bargain price will convince GS to snap him up. That could be the difference beween getting a FA wing at 3 million vs. 4 million (or more) a year.
Bottom line: He's athletic, physical and can go to the basket. Those are qualities that can't be taught -- the rest can be.
Pietrus has had big pressure on him since he entered the league. He was touted as the French Michael Jordan.
All the talk is how he is dumb etc. Well, he has many many positives especially to a team like the Spurs. He is long and extremely athletic. An amazing dunker and high flyer.
Id love to get him. Then we would be more justified if we wanted Manu to be our sixth man.
I think that Pietrus would be a good fit on the Spurs. I don't support using the full MLE on him; if we can get him for maybe half fo the MLE then it would be good.
I like him. He's a good defender,not afraid to guard big man in GS and sometimes hit 3...I see him as a defender more than offense player. And what we need is OFFENSE!!!! Remember how we got COLD AS in the playoffs. Blame it one the crappy schedule,blame it on the plane maintenance problem. Bottom line: EVERYBODY DONT MAKE SHOTS WHEN BIG 3 WERE EXHAUSTED OR JUST NOT CLICKING. In that case...sign JR Smith instead (If we cant get him than Pietrus is fine)
I like him. He's a good defender,not afraid to guard big man in GS and sometimes hit 3...I see him as a defender more than offense player. And what we need is OFFENSE!!!! Remember how we got COLD AS in the playoffs. Blame it one the crappy schedule,blame it on the plane maintenance problem. Bottom line: EVERYBODY DONT MAKE SHOTS WHEN BIG 3 WERE EXHAUSTED OR JUST NOT CLICKING. In that case...sign JR Smith instead (If we cant get him than Pietrus is fine)
All are excellent points. I completely forgot about his UFA status. That surely would bode well in the Spurs favor. They don't have to worry about a 15-day pending offer if he were a RFA.
I know JR Smith is the more exceptional talent and if they land him, I'm fine with that. I just feel that Pietrus would be the better overall fit and without the knucklehead factor. After all, chemistry, peronsality and at ude are every bit as important to Pop as talent - and they should be.
He should be way down on the list. The Spurs should go for JR Smith, Kelenna Azubuike, James Jones, Matt Barnes, or maybe even Dorrel Wright before they even think about Pietrus.
After looking at the forums of other teams last night-- the Nets, Heat, Knicks, Cavs, Hornets-- it seems like every hoops fan in America is debating Pietrus & JR Smith regarding their relative merits, and I imagine most GMs are also. My fear is with the not-so-numerous options available, the Spurs could wind up with nothing, which would really be bad. I think Bowen needs more help than Ginobili, which makes me lean towards Pietrus more than Smith... again, not because Pietrus is better than Smith (though he might be, considering rebounding & defense), but because he could be a better piece. He can occasionally guard the 4 spot in addition to wings, which would be valuable against some line-ups, and he could even give some defensive minutes against the Chris Pauls/ Kobes-- guys we are going to have to deal with again come playoff time.
The demand for those two (Smith and Pietrus) could be high. I can see the Spurs getting outbid for Smith. I can't see GS allowing Azibuke to walk. However, I wouldn't be surprised if Pietrus would welcome an opportunity to maximize his talents in a Spur uniform - so long as the $$$ are comparable.
I don't see it that way.
Sure Smith should be the first choice. He is the most prolific scorer out of the bunch. Either from downtown or at the rim. However because he's restricted, the "rich-n-creamies" could decide to match any offer for him. Or perhaps another team may decide to simply outbid them.
Azibuke strikes me as a guy GS would be willing to retain. Besides, I believe he's a RFA too. If so, GS could match.
Barnes isn't a prolific enough of a scorer.
Jones is an UFA, yet merely a spot-up shooter.
Dorell Wright is a talented player, but more of a defensive player at this point in his career. He simply doesn't score enough.
I've completed forgot about Artest as a possible option. He may be in demand as much as Smith. If his salary demands are in line, I'd be OK with him. Even though he's a potential loose cannon. If the Spurs were to indeed land Artest, the West would easily be won.
The second best option is Pietrus. He has all the components and skill that the Spurs need in a potential starting or subs ute 2-guard. Scoring, rebounding, defense, athleticism. I believe with the infrastructure the Spurs have in place, along with the the instructional coaching, he'd be an ideal fit.
Last edited by SenorSpur; 06-29-2008 at 05:49 PM.
Heck ya, SenorSpur. You are a wise voice around here.
Would love to see this lineup this year
C Mahinmi, Oberto
PF Duncan, Bonner, Thomas
SF Bowen, Udoka, Pietrus
SG Ginobili, Barry
PG Parker, Hill, Vaughn
Gone: Finley, Horry, Stoud
last week when TJ Parker win the french championship Mike was with TP and say to the journalist he want to be a spur
Wisdom abounds, my friend.Heck ya, SenorSpur. You are a wise voice around here.
Would love to see this lineup this year
C Mahinmi, Oberto
PF Duncan, Bonner, Thomas
SF Bowen, Udoka, Pietrus
SG Ginobili, Barry
PG Parker, Hill, Vaughn
Gone: Finley, Horry, Stoud
I like that lineup very much, too. How about we get greedy and even add in Gist as a 14th man and possible defensive stopper for spot minutes?
I can agree with you on this. He would be my #1 option if I thought it was possible.
The problem for the Spurs will obviously lie in the waiting period between when the Spurs present an offer and the Nuggets/Warriors match. This could potentially cost them alternate solutions so they will have to make up their mind.
I think Smith is the number one guy on RC's mind given they tries to trade for him when he was a struggling soph... im not even sure if theyr high on Pietrus but that may be the safest option.
Iv stated numerous times i would like Smith... but i could live with Azubuike and Pietrus.
Oh.... and Artest would actually be my number one option... but im not cnosidering him until he opts out.
And do you think we could start with Artest at the 3 and Bowen at the 2? I think Artest has enough shot making ability to make that happen.
We already have JR Smith, albeit a shorter version.
With the new addition of George Hill to this lineup, I'm not even thinking about JR Smith anymore. He is not needed, I believe Hill will provide the offensive spark this team has been looking for.
Hill's going to play maybe 10 minutes per game. We need someone to come in and eat Finley's minutes, and probably some of Manu's in the early season. Hill Can NOT play that many minutes out of position. He's only 6'2". Having a 6'9" wingspan does NOT make you 6'5". You're just a 6'2" guy with long arms.
I will give you the rebounding, defense, and athleticism, but scoring as of right now is not a strength for him. Regardless, my problem with MP is not his abilities, I think he is an ok player. The problem is his decision making on the court, which I think would give Pop fits and probably cause him to get sent to the dog house. Even with that said, I have to admit I would be ok with signing him if other options are not available.
Last edited by Sway; 06-29-2008 at 10:45 PM.
Es verdad, SenorSpur, es Verdad!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mfze2w5Q1T8
(btw how do you insert a video on this site?)
i think pietrus could be a good addition
as a frenchman i didn't like pietrus in the past as he was a little bit arrogant , shows no passion... but he's more mature now and seems to be a better basketball player
the important thing with pietrus is that he will probably make less money than guys like smith or artest
i guess he has some interest to coming , parker invite him to be a spurs while joking during french final two weeks ago
http://youtube.com/watch?v=F_qJOhFmDoE
Really LadyM....very interesting..thanks.
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