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I'm really pulling for Tolliver. The better he looks the closer Bonner is to the exit.
Spurs: Facing the reality of basketball life
Bryan Chu - Express-News
During NBA training camp, players are shuffled from city to city and from camp to camp.
Invitees have the slimmest chance of making a roster. That's no different for the handful of players in Spurs camp, which ends Wednesday this season. With 14 signed and one spot open, players are playing for their beds, literally.
“See those gray hairs?” said Spurs guard Devin Green, who has bounced around from the Lakers to the NBA Developmental League to overseas since going undrafted in 2005. “I'm 25 years old, man.”
Players like Green, who have had a sniff at the NBA level, can't help but compare the lifestyle away from the pros:
Playing in front of sold-out crowds instead of a scattered fan base. Private planes and catered food versus crack-of-dawn flights with two or three layovers and eating at Subway and Denny's.
Spurs forward Anthony Tolliver, 23, who played for the D-League's Iowa Energy last season, points out the $115 per diem in the NBA versus $25 in the D-league. Living arrangements are a huge difference.
“Super 8 versus the Omni that's all I gotta say,” said Spurs guard Desmon Farmer, 26, who added back when he played for the D-League's Tulsa 66ers, players had their stuff broken into all the time.
Added Tolliver: “We're spoiled. You walk into hotels and you think, ‘Man, this is unnecessary.'
“One difference I did find is the cheaper hotels have free Internet. The more expensive hotels charge, which makes no sense.”
Invitees come and go, like guard Brian Morrison, who made a cameo appearance in one Spurs practice last week and was gone the next day.
Players have gotten an opportunity this camp, however. With injuries to Manu Ginobili, Salim Stoudamire, Kurt Thomas and Ian Mahinmi, many have made an impression on the Spurs' coaching staff.
Farmer, who called his playing days in Greece and Poland “really uncomfortable” and “demanding because I was always being watched,” has been one of those.
After one morning practice, Farmer, who led the D-League with 24.7 points per game last year, stayed late to work on his jump shot with an assistant. He swished seven in a row. The eighth. Expletive. In and out.
Looking on were both Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and Dell Demps, the team's director of pro player personnel.
“He has a chance,” Demps said. “He needs to find his niche and use his skill level — shooting the three ball, going to the rim hard and bringing good energy — to help a team win.
“Sometimes it's about timing. A situation might come up where they are planting the seed a year from now or the middle of the season.”
For Green, the hardest part was staying in the NBA. He played for the Lakers in the 2005-06 season before splitting time with the D-League's L.A. Defenders. He eventually went to play in Italy and Germany.
“It was almost like I was going backwards,” he said. “But, I'm here now and I'm taking this experience — playing with and learning from coaches and guys who are champions — as a great learning opportunity towards my development.
“You want to leave a good impression on the coaching staff because you never know what coaches are going to be where.”
Even Tolliver, who signed a partially-guaranteed contract with the Spurs on July 23, is worried about not making the team.
“I still have a lot to prove,” he said. “Going from the D-League and then to Germany, it made me appreciate what I have here and makes me want to work even harder so I don't have to go back overseas or to the D-League.”
I'm really pulling for Tolliver. The better he looks the closer Bonner is to the exit.
Farmer sounds like he has the best chance among players not named Tolliver to make the team.
Brandon Jennings is going to be really uncomfortable playing in Italy if Farmer had a tough go of it in Greece.
Yeah if they keep Tolliver and get rid of Bonner it will give everyone a new guy to hate.
Based on watching both tolliver and bonner play, easily tolliver>bonner by miles. The worst thing that could happen is both of them sitting next to each other because we brought back big brick bob.
We have 13 guaranteed contracts. I think he added Tolliver to that groupWith 14 signed and one spot open, players are playing for their beds, literally.
How is Tolliver better than Bonner? Bonner has played a lot in the NBA and actually done ok. His time on the Raptors was well spent.
How did Farmer do in Greece? Did he struggle a lot or just couldn't adapt his game?
I hope Farmer makes it. It sounds like he has skills the Spurs really could use. If he can just integrate his game into the Spurs game and play team ball he could be a great addition for us. You think Dell Demps was saying he can make our team or was he saying he could make the NBA, but on another team? The Spurs better be considering Farmer for a spot on the team.
Tolliver and Stoudamire are the other two I'd like the Spurs to look hard at getting on the team, even if the have to cut someone to get all the guys on board.
Cuz he can tie his shoes?
WTF does that have to do with it? He didn't do in Toronto but sat in a chair and lost games...
Yeah but he hammered KG when playing for the Raps
He played over 20 mpg on average in his time in Toronto. He also averaged 7 points and 4 rebounds while shooting over 42% from 3 and almost 48% from the field along with 80% from the line. So it has plenty to do with him being far better than Tolliver right now and more proven. Enough to get a guaranteed, multi-year contract from the Spurs.
Yeah becauseBased on watching both tolliver and bonner play, easily tolliver>bonner by miles. The worst thing that could happen is both of them sitting next to each other because we brought back big brick bob.
Summer league = greatness
Spoken like a true Vince Carter esque fan.
matt bonner, is that you? we are still waiting for your game to develop. hope this year would be it
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