He isn't CM that bas who didn't want to take less money to play with the Spurs, or that RFA JR Smith who we could have gotten because there's no way the Nuggets would have matched.
We will never know which team WAS truly better. True that Spurs did not prove they were better. But with same logic, Lakers did not prove they could beat a SPurs at full strength(Manu)
and with same logic... IF spurs had been at full strength, lakers were still missing Bynum
Here's the thing....this was not a great free agent class to begin with. It took Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, and Baron Davis to opt-out of their contracts to become free agents. Yikes!
Secondly, The Spurs went after Corey Maggette with what they could offer...the MLE. Maggette decided to take the money with Golden State...so be it. Some Spurs fans thought this year FA's class was going to solve all of their supposed problems...weren't seeing it correctly.
The only way they were going to get one of the big names in this year FA.....they would have to trade one of the big three and that wasn't happening!!
I will admit I was disappointed they didn't Maggette. But...they moved on and got Roger Mason Jr. Also, they drafted three American born players and Ian has been waiting in the wings for the past couple of years.
The Spurs are going through a transition period...like all championship contenders do. Still...this team needed tweaking not a major overhaul. Also, the FO has remained financially flexible for 2010 and that is their plan all along.
I know that will never be good enough from some Spurs fans. They expect to get a big name free agent..so they can tell other teams fans look who we got in FA. That's never been the Spurs' MO.
Moreover, if you look back over the last 15-20 years...the championship teams always had a core of two-three players (80's Celtics:Bird-Parrish-Mchale, 80's Lakers:Magic-Kareem-Worthy, 90's Bulls: Jordan-Pippen, 2000-2002's Lakers: Shaq-Kobe, Mid 2000s Spurs-Duncan-Ginobili-Parker) and role players surrounding them. You can include this year Celtics: Pierce-Garnett-Allen & 2006 Miami Heat: Shaq-Wade into the formula.
The Spurs are one of the few teams at that level and it will be this way ( and has been) until the Duncan era (3-4 years) is over.
I will agree I wanted to keep Barry. But it happens...I wish him well and I will miss his 3pt. shooting.
We have to be realistic as Spurs fans and lets give Hill, Ian, Hairston, Mason and hopefully Gist (if he makes the team) a chance.
The Pistons went to the youth movement last season with Rodney Stuckey, Amir Johnston, & Jason Maxiell and they are still contenders as well.
It can happen to the Spurs as well
I posted this in another thread.....
1991, 1995, 2001, and 2006 were much more disappointing than 2008.
great post, i couldnt have said it better myself.
You attained youth in some way, and signed possible players who could contribute. You still have your core intact who could still keep this team cohesive enough.
We are in a position to develop youthful players who may or may not turn out to be a good addition, but that is just the way teams tend to do when trying to maintain our compe iveness without having to gamble on our future.
All in all, have we really lost out so much to the other teams during this FA signing, for us to be really banging our heads and saying that the Spurs are not going to contend anymore?
Hmm, the best threat out there would be the Lakers, NO, and Celtics. Aside from the Lakers being said to be stronger next season with Bynum coming back, have these three really become invincible already?
Seems, it's easy to forget what the Spurs have done in the past when the FO couldn't get the personnel we want now. We really are a spoiled bunch.
if bynum and manu were heallthy( i dont include ariza cause his impact doesnt decide a playoff series) i still see lakers as winners possibly in 7. atleast manu played. no bynum on floor. and having gasol vs oberto
anyways mason jr is a great signing. he is better than stevenson. washington is stupid. magette was in it for the money and thats what he got
The lakers will not be a strong next year as the roster stands now....Bynum will clog up the paint, force Lamar to move back to SF and Gasol Back to pf were both players will not be as much a mismatch......Thats why they are tryn to unload Lamar now again.....They will not score as much but thier d will be improved in the post........But Bynum is so overated.....his points come off putbacks and he had the benefit of playing with 4 wing players which allowed him to roam the paint .....next year Gasol will not be on the wings....he will also have to share the paint and his scoring will fall off.......we that happens he tends to salk and fade out of the game......
John_C,
I agree with your post!!
I have been saying the Spurs fans have been spoiled for years. This team has done everything possible to stay a championship contender since they got TD. They have done an incredible job....in that regard. Since 1999, they have reached the Western Conference Semis (except 2000) and won 4 rings in that time span.
Also, the Pistons went younger last season with Stuckey, Maxiell, & Amir Johnson and they played well and are still a championship contender.
The Spurs can do same thing....next season.
Dont forget we lost Splitter and now Barry is leaving us (is it necessary I mention about Scola too?). I hope Mason,Mahinmi and Hill will step up next season,they are our young gun and energy guy. For now, SPURS FO!!!!!
YOU RC BUFFORD !!!!! where's Presti? Chillin on Starbucks seattle??
And if you look at it in context of the other teams that have fought for the Championship since 2003, Miami have began rebuilding, Detroit is suddenly having Coaching and players issues, the Mavs have become suddenly a mediocre team, Lakers and Celtics just emerged to become contenders, and the Cavs are still lacking the pieces it needs. The Spurs have remained consistent in their campaign. They may have been maligned and many times told to be done for (even by their own fans) yet they remain as one of the top teams in the NBA.
I must admit that I'm a little disappointment. To be fair, I'm almost always a little disappointment by the offseason, but I expect the rookies to be surprise.
Lakers were not better than the Spurs when everyone is healthy, imo. They were better then the Spurs when they were at the strength they were, but just as the Suns series in round 1, people are jaded by the 4-1. It was a of a lot closer of a series and as mentioned before, the Spurs blew massive leads in 2 games that they should of closed.
Last edited by DPG21920; 07-10-2008 at 10:09 PM.
Well if Hill turns out to become another Tony Parker in his first season, I wonder if many of us will still remember we wanted CM.
Huge difference, they had lost Bynum months ago, and had time to get used to playing without him. They also had the luxury of filling in his injury with PAU GASOL.......... if the Spurs could of replaced Manu with Maggette or someone better, they would have done much better. GTFO....The Spurs had no time to adjust and did not have an all-star to fill in the gap.
That is not to discredit the Lakers, it is just part of the game. I think people are disappointed because the Spurs can still compete for a le, but the gap has shrunk. There is no difference between the Spurs and any other major contender now and no one we signed will push the gap further. It will keep us in the hunt, but not separate us from the pack. I am ok with everything, as long as we have our Big 3 healthy, we have a great chance. We need our D to get back to the championship level however, I hope these young guys can do that, which I think they can!
This offseason is going to be about the draft picks. How will they do? I am disappointed right now, but this could all turn around and we could have a bunch of young studs on our team.
1. because the spurs did nothing to improve in the offseason.
2. they targeted the wrong ing player and passed on better ones.
3. and 4. they're idiots. roger mason brings nothing the spurs need.
5. you're just a homer. this team is giving away championships.
But for some reason I think if Alexis Ajinca or Nikolas Batum were still there, they would've most likely picked them ahead?
This off-season is quite disappointing considering the Spurs did not address what they needed in order to stay in contention. Whether the players that could have fixed the Spurs this off-season were available is debatable but I think they are pretty much treading water in a conference that will be much better next year...
i just meant to say that this season we have very very bad luck: loosing Scola, Maggette and Splitter, the Manu injury, waste a 24 and a 17 point leads against the lakers, loosing the player that most of the fan wanted in the draft by one spot... for me, i had a feelin thet this season was cursed
Last edited by kobyz; 07-11-2008 at 06:41 AM.
When you don't successfully defend your le and you go through ridiculous offensive droughts you've got some problems. We weren't one healthy ankle away from making the finals, LA didn’t have Bynum. I know he's no Manu but hes important to them as well. Mason isn’t the solution. We needed to sign a scorer like JR to relieve the pressure off our big 3 on the offensive end. The Spurs have failed dramatically this off season so far and it will haunt them big time next season. FIRE RC DUMBFORD!
Last edited by AC#21_TD ERA; 07-11-2008 at 06:31 AM.
When you don't successfully defend your le and you go through ridiculous offensive droughts you've got some problems. We weren't one healthy ankle away from making the finals, LA didn’t have Bynum. I know he's no Manu but hes important to them as well. Mason isn’t the solution. We needed to sign a scorer like JR to relieve the pressure off our big 3 on the offensive end. The Spurs have failed dramatically this off season so far and it will haunt them big time next season. FIRE RC DUMBFORD!
How can you write that Roger Mason is a bad sign? This was not a great FA class this year...anyway. If you didn't have Maggette, Brand, and Davis opt-out of their contracts....this FA class wouldn't been talked about.
Also, JR Smith is a RFA and Denver can match any Spurs offer. So there was no guarantee we were going to get him.
The Spurs went after Maggette and he wanted more money from GSW. You can't fault the FO for going after him. Also, they drafted three young players who the coaching staff believes two of them will make the team.
So...they decided to go young. And the Pistons showed last year with Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, and Amir Johnson you can play young guys with a solid group of veterans and still be a championship contender. Those guys are more pieces to their puzzle.
The Spurs can do the same thing with their guys. Some Spurs Fans....seem to forget they only way we are going to get a big name FA is if they traded one of the big three (that's not happening) or 2010 when most of the contracts will come off the books. That was their plan anyway.
Moreover, it's not like the Spurs went into some great decline like the Miami Heat after their championship. This team (yes....with their offensive drought problems) made it to the WCF and I believe if Manu was healthy it would have made the difference. They held the Lakers to 93 ppg in that series....don't forget that.
I'm not saying...the Spurs FO doesn't make mistakes. They're human. But they have earned my trust because they have brought the players in here to take 3 of the last 6 championships. No other team in the NBA can say that!!!
This isn't Dallas who choked their finals appearance away and traded most of their team to get an aging Jason Kidd. Or the Phoenix Suns...who traded their best defensive player for an aging Shaq. They've never made to the finals.
And the last year...when everybody in the media was ready to anoint the Jazz, Hornets, and Blazers (as the next ones to come take the Western Conference)...who was standing in their way. The Spurs!!! The old, boring Spurs!!!
Anyway....I'm saying we have to see how every is going to play out. But if you thought...that this off-season was going to bring some big-splash...then you aren't looking at the big picture.
I want to give Hill, Ian, Hairston, and Gist (if he makes the team a chance)...before I decide to say this off-season was a failure.
Yep...Spurs fans are spoiled. Yikes!!!!
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