Spurs looking good.

[coachmac87]

Everybody is going to underestimate this offseason.

I think we have improved greatly and still have the chance to improve in our future.

seriously think about it. Maggette would have been nice but he obviously is not a winner and his at ude just doesnt fit with us. He doesnt care about winning he justs wants to get paid because this was his last chance for big money.

Roger Mason Jr is a replacement of Michael Finley or Brent Barry.

Unlike Finley or Barry, is a way better scorer and could erupt for 20 almost any given night. Finley and Barry combined to score 20pts in a game maybe like 10 times all year, just a wild guess.

But i can see Mason moving into the starting lineup during the season and become a reliable shooter/scorer off the penetration and double teams his the big 3 creates.

Dont sleep on George Hill either.......

This kid can easily be the big sleeper in the draft. You could not find this guy on ESPN top draft prospects before the draft. Now he is ranked top 20. Still a little high but hey this cat was nowhere close to lottery and played at IUPUI!!!!!!!!

He will improve our bench scoring as well, and he seems like a player who can get hot and score maybe 25. I like bringing in players that can get hot any night and just score the basketball like Hill and Mason do,it takes so much pressure off Manu.

I think we have improved as a team. Seriously we were at the WCF, the oldest team and had our best player all year play on one foot.

Spurs are going to be fine fellas...im getting excited thinking about it.

Last Years Rotation

PF-Tim Duncan 34 mpg
PG-Tony Parker 33mpg
SG-Manu Ginobili 31.1 mpg
SF-Bruce Bowen 30.3 mpg
SG- Michael Finley 27 mpg
C-Kurt Thomas 22 mpg

BENCH MINUTES
C-Fab Oberto 20 mpg
SF- Ime Udoka 18 mpg
SG-Brent Barry 17 mpg
PG- Jacque Vaughn 15 mpg
PF- Robert Horry 12.9 mpg
PF-Matt Bonner 12 mpg
PG-Mighty Mouse

Next Year
PG-Tony Parker 35 mpg
PF- Tim Duncan 33 mpg
SG- Manu Ginobili 28 mpg
SF-Bruce Bowen 22 mpg
C- Kurt Thomas 22 mpg

BENCH MINUTES
SG- Roger Mason jr 18-20 mpg
SF- Ime Udoka 20 mpg
PG- George Hill 15 mpg
C- Fab Oberto 15 mpg
C- Ian Mahimi 12 mpg

Not sexy but we are a better team....

[brettn]

Well Hill and Mason are obviously the big question marks going into next season, Ian to a lesser extent. You're a little optimistic about how productive they'll be I think, especially with Hill being a rookie, but I guess we'll see. Not a bad assessment of how good we COULD be next year. If Hill and Mason both prove to be reliable scorers, then this offseason will turn out to be a success for sure. Whether it actually plays out like you described it is a different story though. I'd feel alot better if we found a way to re-sign barry to be honest. Good post though.

[InRareForm]

^(optimistic)

I agree tho but not sure it will be enough.

[T Park]

Azubuike, guys like that I could see starting.

A guy like Roger Mason Jr I just CAN'T see starting.

[Kori Ellis]

Azubuike, guys like that I could see starting.

A guy like Roger Mason Jr I just CAN'T see starting.

Why?

I'm just curious. To me they are pretty much the same level. They both averaged 21.4 mpg this past year and both averaged about 9 points. Same size. Azubuike rebounds more, Mason shoots better from 3.

To me, it's a wash.

[T Park]

We shall see.

I think the Spurs needed a guy who could create some offense at times, and a guy like Azubuike or someone else of that ilk was more adept to doing it than Roger Mason.

If he does, I'll be more than glad to eat crow.

[Kori Ellis]

We shall see.

I think the Spurs needed a guy who could create some offense at times, and a guy like Azubuike or someone else of that ilk was more adept to doing it than Roger Mason.

If he does, I'll be more than glad to eat crow.

Well I'm not a fan of Azubuike at all, so it's all the same to me.

In his games as a starter last season, Mason scored more than Azubuike did in his games as a starter (if that means anything ).

[T Park]

Two semi comparable offenses so yeah that could.

I dunno, I just was hoping for a "create his own offense" or more of a proven offensive guy, not just someone who all of a sudden discovered scoring in basketball was a good thing.

[TJastal]

Why?

I'm just curious. To me they are pretty much the same level. They both averaged 21.4 mpg this past year and both averaged about 9 points. Same size. Azubuike rebounds more, Mason shoots better from 3.

To me, it's a wash.

You are serious?

These two do not even remotely play the same type of game. Azu is a penetrator, and looks to have great ability to get into the paint and get shots off where he has no business being. Great rebounding guard, with the size to matchup at small forward. Good wingspan and defender, has ability to get up and bother shots. More athletic.

Mason looks more like what the spurs drafted George Hill for.. a smaller combo guard that likes to spot up from 3pt range or just inside the arc. He's gonna be the new Michael Finley, 1 dimensional player that when hot, will help spread the floor for Duncan... and if he's not, well .... the spurs are going to struggle.

[Kori Ellis]

You are serious?

These two do not even remotely play the same type of game. Azu is a penetrator, and looks to have great ability to get into the paint and get shots off where he has no business being. Great rebounding guard, with the size to matchup at small forward. Good wingspan and defender, has ability to get up and bother shots. More athletic.

Mason looks more like what the spurs drafted George Hill for.. a smaller combo guard that likes to spot up from 3pt range or just inside the arc. He's gonna be the new Michael Finley, 1 dimensional player that when hot, will help spread the floor for Duncan... and if he's not, well .... the spurs are going to struggle.

I didn't say they had similar skillset or play the same game at all. I said to me it's a wash because they are about the same level (not great/not horrible). Their production would be the same on the Spurs ... about 8-10 points if they get a decent amount of minutes.

The Spurs like Mason's D - that's why they were after him last offseason. Azubuike is much more athletic but he's also too short to play the 3. So basically they are both just shooting guards. They get the job done differently, but the results would probably be relatively the same on the Spurs team.

[50 cent]

Not thrilled. Kori is right.

[Mr. Body]

This signing shows how little confidence they actually have in George Hill, who should have been a 2nd round pick.

[timvp]

This signing shows how little confidence they actually have in George Hill, who should have been a 2nd round pick.

Hill is going to play point guard. Mason is going to play shooting guard. Hill might be like the fifth option at shooting guard and Mason might be the third or fourth option at point guard but it's a stretch to say the Spurs went after Mason because they lack confidence in Hill.

[Bruno]

Spurs biggest need after the Mason signing is a long SF/mobile PF.
It has been Spurs biggest need for years and it still hasn't been addressed.

[ChumpDumper]

Hill is going to play point guard. Mason is going to play shooting guard. Hill might be like the fifth option at shooting guard and Mason might be the third or fourth option at point guard but it's a stretch to say the Spurs went after Mason because they lack confidence in Hill.

It shows how little confidence they have in Duncan, since he also plays a different position.

[TDMVPDPOY]

if barry is leaving

i recommend the spurs use the TE on JJ RE whose doing jack on the magic

[TJastal]

Anyone who thinks Roger Mason is a great signing.. is in for a rude awakening.

The last thing this team needed was another one dimensional combo guard spot up shooter type with no athletic skills to create shots... now just watch the spurs will resign Finley too....

Azubuike would have been awesome as a Spur.. he has a special talent of penetrating and scoring around the rim, getting put-backs and alley oop baskets.. *and* he can shoot from downtown just like Mason and has a good midrange game. With all the easy shots TD and Fab miss around the rim, this kid would have had a field day cleaning up the mess.

Defensively, I don't see how Roger Mason is going to help there either, he looks way too short and stocky to guard anyone ... smaller quick guys are going to beat him off the dribble, and taller 2 guards are going to post him up. Kelenna looks to me head and shoulders (literally) above Mason in that category as well. Please find me a youtube video of Mason stuffing JR Smith, or even anyone for that matter. All I see the guy do in any video I watch of him is park his lead ass out on the perimeter and chuck up set shots.

This offseason I would give a rate a C- so far, the only bright spot being the drafting of Hill, and the way Chalmers is playing so far in the summer leagues, looks like that might have been a mistake, too.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ma1muMt3Q-k

[timvp]

^^ The YouTube Scout has spoken

[Sissiborgo]

I want to keep barry for 1 more year

[Kori Ellis]

Defensively, I don't see how Roger Mason is going to help there either, he looks way too short and stocky to guard anyone ... smaller quick guys are going to beat him off the dribble, and taller 2 guards are going to post him up. Kelenna looks to me head and shoulders (literally) above Mason in that category as well.

Kelenna is about 6'4. I don't think Roger Mason is any shorter than that.

[kobyz]

Kelenna is about 6'4. I don't think Roger Mason is any shorter than that.

but Kelenna has super athleticism to make it up for that

[Kori Ellis]

but Kelenna has super athleticism to make it up for that

I'm not arguing that.

But this guy is trying to say that Kelenna is tall compared to Roger Mason being short and stocky. That's simply not the case. They are both about 6'4, 220.

[TJastal]

^^ The YouTube Scout has spoken

Well since I don't have an extensive library of last year's games...youtube is all we have right now.. but there are enough videos out there to understand what type of game somebody has, and its clear Mason's game is 1 dimensional and its easy to see that Mason is short, stocky, and looks like he's dragging a chunk of lead in his shorts as he runs.

[timvp]

Well since I don't have an extensive library of last year's games...youtube is all we have right now.. but there are enough videos out there to understand what type of game somebody has, and its clear Mason's game is 1 dimensional and its easy to see that Mason is short, stocky, and looks like he's dragging a chunk of lead in his shorts as he runs.

Post the videos you are basing your YouTube scouting of Mason off of.

[TJastal]

I'm not arguing that.

But this guy is trying to say that Kelenna is tall compared to Roger Mason being short and stocky. That's simply not the case. They are both about 6'4, 220.

Azu to me looks about 6'5-6'6 and has a way longer reach and springs.. which translates to a much bigger player.