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Hmmm... doesn't mention that they guy played a lot of pick and roll basketball in Germany. Maybe that's why the Spurs like him.
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...nald_a_12.html
Jeff McDonald: Another day, another signing
The Spurs' roster is filling out fast and furious now, although Wednesday's news wasn't nearly as earth-shaking as Tuesday's.
A day after the Spurs re-signed Kurt Thomas, the Spurs have announced the signing of Anthony Tolliver, a 6-foot-8 forward who spent almost all of last season in the NBA's Developmental League. Tolliver played on the Spurs' summer league team in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City earlier this month, and apparently impressed team brass enough to earn a contract.
Terms of the deal were not released, but it is assumed Tolliver's deal is non-guaranteed.
Tolliver, 23, averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 25 games with the D-League's Iowa Energy last season. He began the year in training camp with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and appeared in three NBA games before being waived.
Meanwhile, the contract numbers have come out on Thomas, who re-upped with the Spurs on Tuesday. According to a league source, Thomas' deal calls for him to be paid $8 million over the next two years. He will earn $4.2 million next season, and $3.8 million in 2009-10.
Hmmm... doesn't mention that they guy played a lot of pick and roll basketball in Germany. Maybe that's why the Spurs like him.
huh? you think they signed him to cut him in camp
That is what I meant. People were saying trade Bonner now and I do not think that would be wise unless the Spurs really thought he could do what Bonner could (or better) right now.
So it's pretty much a training camp invitation. Good to know he took the offer.
What's with all the Bonner hate.
At this point, Bonner > Ian.
Granted, the season hasn't even started.
Woo hoo!
Only time will tell what the F.O. is thinking on this one.
Do you remember Anthony Lever-Pedroza? Signed before camp. Cut in camp 2007.huh? you think they signed him to cut him in camp
In fact we signed Kris Lang, Keith Langford, Anthony Lever-Pedroza and Darius Washington prior to last year's camp.
Let me see where are these guys now? hmmmmm.
What's to think about?
Only part of the minimum contract, if anything, is guaranteed. The Spurs are just making sure he shows up to camp. His performance will largely make their decision for them.
valid point...if you would have said devin green or jameel watkins, i would agree with you. tolliver, i'm thinking he makes the squad. but hey, i could be wrong.
This is really interesting. I can't remember a time when the Spurs signed a player so quickly after summer league. I'm assuming there was another team interested and the Spurs had to move fast before they lost Tolliver. If no one else was interested, they would have waited a couple months before giving him the standard training camp invite. For that reason, I'm guessing some (or maybe all) of the contract is guaranteed.
Tolliver is a smart kid and he tries hard. I'm not convinced about the rest of his game on the basketball court. The most glaring aspect I'm concerned about is his three-point shooting. He was on fire during summer league and when everyone else was bricking, Tolliver was the one who kept hitting threes repeatedly. But outside of this summer league, I see no evidence of him being a good three-point shooter. In his senior year of college, he shot 21% on three. Last year in the D-League, he shot only 50 threes (hitting 18 of his threes). You take away his three-point shooting and Tolliver isn't anywhere close to an NBA player. Hopefully he's a legit three-point shooter ... but it's rare to suddenly become a shooter overnight.
Assuming his three-point shooting isn't a fluke and he can shoot 38-40% consistently against NBA players, the rest of his game might fit what the Spurs are looking for in a big. He runs the court hard. He plays smart offensively in terms of making the right pass and setting good picks. Defense he's never going to be great because he's undersized but he's a scrapper who will take charges, commit a couple hard fouls and dive on the ground. He's not too fast or athletic but he runs up and down the court hard and is pretty intense.
Last year in training camp and preseason he was with the Cavs and I just happened to watch every Cavs preseason game because I was interested in a few of the other players they had trying to make the team. He beat out a lot of borderline NBA players until he was the very last cut. I didn't think he was NBA caliber ... but then again, he wasn't a three-point shooter last year. I don't think he even attempted one three-pointer during all of preseason. Add in a three-point shot to his already decent game and suddenly he has a legit shot of making the league.
If the Spurs gave Tolliver a largely guaranteed contract, it'd make sense to try to move Bonner ASAP. Tolliver and Bonner are very comparable players. Both need the three-point shot to survive in the NBA. Both hustle to compensate for being undersized. Bonner has to be considered the better shooter, however Tolliver has a better basketball IQ ... which is a pretty damn important aspect when it comes to surviving in Pop's system.
Overall I think the Tolliver signing is a positive. As long as the Spurs follow this up by also signing Gist, I'm fine with giving Tolliver a shot. If the Spurs chose Tolliver over Gist, I wouldn't like this move.
Sounds ok.tolliver's ceiling is probably closer to a better version of bonner.
So should we consider his SL shooting spree just that....a shooting spree or an aberration?
Damn it, we are talking about the same thing, that is what I meant. It is just a training camp invite essentially. People keep saying trade Bonner, but that is not what this signing is for (yet, unless he shows something they really like that they could feel comfortable letting Bonner walk). When I say lets wait to see what the F.O. is thinking about, I mean that do they want Tolliver as more depth to add or to possibly move Bonner. It could very well mean they just want him for the Toros.
Black Bonner > White Bonner
Tolliver played in Germany last year and shot 32/85 from Euro 3 point line.
Thanks. That's what I was looking for and didn't know where to look.
bring gist!
Despite i called this signing and posters like Bottomtooth, ducks and Brutalis laughed at me... i am guessing the Spurs didn't sign Gist to a contract yet because no one can take him away from them... Tolliver... they had to make a move before someone else takes him away... sign of a bye bye Bonner approaching fast.... he'll be salary dump fodder soon...
Good move. Tolliver must have been drawing a lot of interest for us to jump on him so quickly. What are the signing rules for second round draft picks? Tolliver and Gist could provide a Mr. Outside/Mr. Inside tandem to replace Horry who could do both which is why he will be missed. If we add Gist to Mason, Hill and Tolliver we will be younger and more athletic BUT will we be better than last year's team? I don't think so--yet.
his mechanics are great. his 3 point shooting may cool off but if he takes 2 steps in and can hit the 17 to 20 footer with consistency, he is still valuable. as long as he can keep the d honest with his jumper, be it a 2 or 3 point shot, it's good for us because team's can't pack the paint on timmy.
As I recall, the Spurs signed Predator and Buckets fairly quickly.
This guy is very intriguing. He has no real history of being a 3 point shooter. Check his college state, he barely took the 3 and if he did rarely connected. He's listed every in college and elsewhere as playing the center position.
If he was the last player cut by the Cavs and he wasn't a 3 point shooter, what in Sam's name was he good at? Is he a good center a 6'8"??!
He apparently is one of those rare guys who can re-invent their game entirely. To sum it up, he's a center in a small forward's body that recently discovered that he can shoot with uncanning accuracy. Note: He just doesn't only hit the 3 like Bowen, his free throw percentage are up there too!
this is a great signing, and I'm sure somebody else would have taken him if we didn't. Tolliver has the most polished game of all the front court prospects right now. Not only does he make 3s, but he makes the corner 3, which is huge in the Spurs offense, as well as the midrange baseline shot......and he can score on the block. Tolliver instantly becomes the 2nd best low post scorer on the roster.
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