if the spurs can have any player who would it be

[tlongII]

I love a big man who wants to dunk everything!

[wisnub]

Dwight Howard for sure!!! Spurs like a dominant big man and this guy is a total package except for 3 points.He also always sincere and doesnt have emotional problem like Amare and stronger and more muscular than Bosh.

Lebron James will be perfect too..but i doubt Spurs can afford him.

iF WE CAN GET EITHER OF THEM IT DOESNT MATTER LBJ OR DH, WE WILL GET CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SURE AND THERE WILL BE A FANTASTIC FOUR TEAM IN NBA!!!

If I was RC, I will prepare the salary cap so we can offer these guys maximum offer allowed in NBA. Get rid unnecesary bench if their contracts expired (keep Big 3 and Ian but everyone else can go or changed).

[peskypesky]

We need a dominant center. There aren't many in the NBA anymore, are there? Shaq's worn out, Yao's iffy, Dwight Howard is not a great defender. I'm gonna roll the dice and say "Greg Oden".

[Allanon]

You're not serious.

Give me a break.

The better question is...are they that far apart, even right now?

Dwight Howard is very limited offensively, Amare doesn't play defense.

Bynum dominated the out of Amare when they played against each other...you must have seen that game Xylus. Bynum doesn't have the range of offense Amare has yet, but on the defensive end, Bynum's 100x better so that makes up for it. Bynum is also a much better rebounder...he'd average 15+ rebounds in 40 minutes.

Dwight Howard against Bynum had 17 points, 5 blocks and 8 rebounds in 36 minutes, Bynum had 10 points, 7 blocks, 6 rebounds in 28 minutes...minute for minute they were virtually identical.

Oden reminds me of Shaq, once he gets the ball in the low post, forget about stopping him.

Feel free to be skeptical but within 2 years, you'll see Oden and Bynum emerge as the best 2 centers. And, either Oden or Bynum will make the All-Star game this year as long as they don't list Duncan at Center.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Both Oden and Bynum will be better than Amare and DHo as early as this year and at latest next year.

I understand Amare, but I think they will be a step behind Dwight for quite a while.

[wisnub]

Good choice.

Oden will be better than Dwight Howard in the long run. And he doesn't have the emotional baggage of Amare. And y'all know I think Bynum's the best thing since sliced bread.

As good as DHo is, he lacks alot of fundamentals. Amare has good fundamentals but worries too much about his "aura"

Both Oden and Bynum will be better than Amare and DHo as early as this year and at latest next year.

You just got to be joking. I understand as an LA Fan you must be rooting for Bynum, I will too believe me...but realistically Bynum is a solid and tall young player but he was inconsistent all this time. He will be really good in the beginning and suddenly either sucks or injured. Moreover his injury will have an effect on him HE WILL NEED MORE TIME TO GAIN HIS GAME AND IT WILL NOT HAPPEN THIS YEAR BOOK IT.
Oden is a monster in college no doubt about it. But he actually get tired easily in Portland draft workout,at first I thought that its just his one bad day but after seeing his performance in preaseason he get tired easily and it also reflect if you watch Protland training camp live. DUDE GET TIRED EASILY AND WE HAVENT GET PAST 82 GAMES and HE SUPPOSED TO LOG IN BIG TIME MINUTES. He also just recover from nasty surgery.

I am going to bet money these guys will not have an impact this year!!!! They are both can be a promising athletes but it will take time I dont know how long if ever...Howard is better athlete than those two and if Amare doesnt have emotional problem and knee problem he will be better than them too ( I hate Amare but he is a solid player).

[Allanon]

You just got to be joking. I understand as an LA Fan you must be rooting for Bynum, I will too believe me...but realistically Bynum is a solid and tall young player but he was inconsistent all this time. He will be really good in the beginning and suddenly either sucks or injured. Moreover his injury will have an effect on him HE WILL NEED MORE TIME TO GAIN HIS GAME AND IT WILL NOT HAPPEN THIS YEAR BOOK IT.

I can't argue this as neither have played a full NBA season.

Bynum's inconsistency was due to being a bencher then a starter. Kwame Brown was the starter for the early part of the season. Once Bynum was a starter, he improved dramatically. From the 2 pre-season games Bynum does look in shape to play big minutes (he looked bored but not tired). The other night, against the Jazz, he had 15 points and 8 rebounds without even trying hard...he's just too big to defend 1 on 1. But I agree we will have to see over the course of the season.

But he actually get tired easily in Portland draft workout,at first I thought that its just his one bad day but after seeing his performance in preaseason he get tired easily and it also reflect if you watch Protland training camp live. DUDE GET TIRED EASILY AND WE HAVENT GET PAST 82 GAMES and HE SUPPOSED TO LOG IN BIG TIME MINUTES.

I agree on this, Oden looks tired and not ready for big minutes. But it seems to be a conditioning issue and not related to his surgury. But he is an athletic guy and he should be able to get in condition before December.

I am going to bet money these guys will not have an impact this year!!!! They are both can be a promising athletes but it will take time I dont know how long if ever...

I would take this bet against you. They will both have a big impact this year, I'm just not sure if they'll be better than DHo & Amare THIS year.

Here's a video of Bynum in that Jazz preseason game if you haven't seen it...he scores easily inside and out, only 1 dunk in 15 points.

[freemeat]

Got a good PG -- great SG -- need a Bowen -- legendary PF -- and need a C --

So, no money involved....we want to upgrade at 3 and 5.

Gotta go with LBJ.

Surprised no one has said Kobe, but I am in the same boat....Manu is a tier player at 2, so go with LBJ at 3, hands down!

[Xylus]

Bynum dominated the out of Amare when they played against each other...you must have seen that game Xylus. Bynum doesn't have the range of offense Amare has yet, but on the defensive end, Bynum's 100x better so that makes up for it. Bynum is also a much better rebounder...he'd average 15+ rebounds in 40 minutes.

Couple things wrong with using that one game (Dec. 25, 2007) as your argument:

1. It was one game. That's a small sample of evidence to back up your argument, especially when you consider that guys like Nick Collison and Al Jefferson have had stellar games against Amare, as well. Doesn't make them better players in comparison. Amare dropped an average of 37 points against Tim Duncan in 5 straight games in the 2005 WCF, but we all know who the better player is. To Bynum's credit, he kept Amare in foul trouble the whole game, which limited Amare's productivity and playing time.

2. Andrew Bynum is a natural Center. 7'0", 285 lbs, he's a very big boy. Amare Stoudemire is a natural PF. 6'10", 249 lbs, considerably smaller than Bynum. They play two different positions and they shouldn't be guarding each other. We didn't have a center on our roster at the time, so it was either Amare or Diaw. When the Lakers and Suns match up this year, Shaq will guard Bynum and Amare will guard Pau. Don't expect Bynum to perform nearly as well as that Christmas game. Meanwhile, you can expect Amare to run circles around Pau.

Bynum will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, have the range of offense that Amare does. Bynum's decent defensively, but he's not an elite defender yet. There's still hope for Amare's defense to improve now that he's being coached by someone other than Mike D'Antoni.

I'm of the belief that Amare is one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league, particularly at the PF or C position. He's putting up MVP-like numbers on a team with several other competent scorers. Until Bynum rises to a Tim Duncan-type level or becomes a younger version of Shaq, he won't be better than Amare, or Dwight Howard for that matter.

[ambchang]

I am surprised there is so much love for Amare. He is a great finisher, but not particularly great at creating offense for himself or his teammates, he can't defend, he is prone to stupid mistakes, he fouls easily, he has a shaken medical history, and he is not bright.

Lebron James, Kobe and Dwight Howard are three obvious choices over him, but even guys like Bynum, Oden, Wade, Bosh, Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Garnett would be better choices. , I would take Yao Ming over Amare if it was strictly about fitting the player with the Spurs system.

[Allanon]

Couple things wrong with using that one game (Dec. 25, 2007) as your argument:

1. It was one game. That's a small sample of evidence to back up your argument, especially when you consider that guys like Nick Collison and Al Jefferson have had stellar games against Amare, as well. Doesn't make them better players in comparison. Amare dropped an average of 37 points against Tim Duncan in 5 straight games in the 2005 WCF, but we all know who the better player is. To Bynum's credit, he kept Amare in foul trouble the whole game, which limited Amare's productivity and playing time.

It is a small sample but everything about Bynum is a small sample so I don't have much to work with. Amare dropping 37 on Duncan is credible, and it's similar in the sense that Amare is not far behind Duncan in terms of offense just like Bynum is not far behind Amare. In fact, I could almost say Amare is a better offensive player than Duncan at this minute except that Duncan has more moves and can create his own shot. Amare needs help in creating a shot but not as much as DHo does.

2. Andrew Bynum is a natural Center. 7'0", 285 lbs, he's a very big boy. Amare Stoudemire is a natural PF. 6'10", 249 lbs, considerably smaller than Bynum. They play two different positions and they shouldn't be guarding each other. We didn't have a center on our roster at the time, so it was either Amare or Diaw. When the Lakers and Suns match up this year, Shaq will guard Bynum and Amare will guard Pau. Don't expect Bynum to perform nearly as well as that Christmas game. Meanwhile, you can expect Amare to run circles around Pau.

Yeah, it's not a fair assessment because Amare's not really a Center. I think Bynum will outplay Shaq. Pau will get his 20-25 points, Amare will get his 30 points which is fine, neither of them can play much defense.

Bynum will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, have the range of offense that Amare does.

I'm not too sure of that...Bynum's jumper and fadeaway shot look very good. In fact, I think he has a wider range of moves than Amare and better footwork. Amare has better long range accuracy ... probably 20 feet compared to Bynum's 12-15 foot range. Bynum will never be as accurate as Amare outside of 12 feet but his accuracy within 12 feet can be. Both can finish inside.

What makes Bynum particularly good is that he can create his own shot. Amare is more of a pop and shoot kind of guy or assist-dunk style. You rarely see Amare initiating his own offense.

Bynum's decent defensively, but he's not an elite defender yet. There's still hope for Amare's defense to improve now that he's being coached by someone other than Mike D'Antoni.

Bynum is an elite defender because of his physical attributes and natural tendencies...he's long, coordinated and athletic. On top of this, he just knows when to try and block a shot. Amare just doesn't seem interested in it even though he also could be good.

I'm of the belief that Amare is one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league, particularly at the PF or C position. He's putting up MVP-like numbers on a team with several other competent scorers. Until Bynum rises to a Tim Duncan-type level or becomes a younger version of Shaq, he won't be better than Amare, or Dwight Howard for that matter.

Bynum's neither like Duncan or Shaq, I'd say he's more of a Hakeem type player...extremely skilled. He's already a better defender than Amare and possibly DHo. Offensively, he's got work to do to catch up to them but but just being a skilled, long, athletic 7'2 guy will get him at least 15 points and 15 rebounds.

[Biernutz]

Past player -Bill Russell --today's player--Lebron James.

[DPG21920]

Dwight Howard is one of 5 people to average 20 and 10 in THE ENTIRE LEAGUE. He has never missed a game. Amare is the best offensive big in the game and finishes better than Bynum can dream of. Bynum is not light years better on d than Amare, he just focuses on it more. Dwight is a better defender now. It is not even close right now and I doubt Bynum or Oden will have better careers than Dwight or Amare statistically.

There is a problem with per minute stats that you use. Yes it is a lot easier to keep up that rate if you don't have to play the minutes. Just like Ginobili's per minutes are out of this world, but if he actually played 40 minutes a game he would be no where near that projected number. Just like Bynum. He is only good per minute because he can go full out for a shorter time.

[Xylus]

I understand the excitement about Bynum in Lakerland, I do. It's very difficult to find players with the right combination of size, strength, and athleticism like Bynum has. But like you said, Allanon, everything with Bynum is a small sample, including the amount of time he's actually played well. He had a successful month and a half in 2007-2008, and has performed adequately in two preseason games this year.

Bynum could very well be a great player in the future, but I don't think he's close to being an elite player, not for a couple of years, at least. I won't argue that Bynum is a better defender than Amare... but Amare's offense is light years ahead of just about every player in the league. The only two players who are more skilled offensively in this league are Lebron and Kobe.

And did someone say that Amare can't create his own shot? Did you actually watch him play last year, particularly after Shaq arrived?

[Allanon]

Dwight Howard is one of 5 people to average 20 and 10 in THE ENTIRE LEAGUE. He has never missed a game.

This is impressive. Bynum's success will depend on his health.

Amare is the best offensive big in the game and finishes better than Bynum can dream of.

This part is not true. If you give Bynum a sniff of the ball anywhere near the basket, he will finish. Before his injury he was #1 in the NBA in FG%. Bynum can finish around the rim like nobody's business... This video's been passed around but you can see his finishing skills on full display...I don't know if there is a better finisher in the NBA.

Bynum is not light years better on d than Amare, he just focuses on it more. Dwight is a better defender now. It is not even close right now and I doubt Bynum or Oden will have better careers than Dwight or Amare statistically.

Skillwise he's not better, he's just longer coupled with him trying harder makes him much better on D. Dho is probably a better defender but not by a whole lot as DHo has some major lapses on D at times.

There is a problem with per minute stats that you use. Yes it is a lot easier to keep up that rate if you don't have to play the minutes. Just like Ginobili's per minutes are out of this world, but if he actually played 40 minutes a game he would be no where near that projected number. Just like Bynum. He is only good per minute because he can go full out for a shorter time.

I think if Pop gave Manu 40 minutes, he could average 30 pionts a game. I think the skill level and conditioning is there. I just think Pop doesn't want to wear him out.

Bynum, given more minutes is actually a better player. If you only take his 30 minute+ games, Bynum averages 20 points and 12 rebounds.

[DPG21920]

Manu would not average 30 a game given the minutes. He is not built to play that long over a season. He would break down and be less effective. That is why Pop rest him. He knows that you won't get the returns on investment in time, so why waste it.

This is not to say Oden and Bynum cannot be fantastic players in this league if healthy. They could even give Amare and Howard a run for their money, but Amare and Dwight are the cream of the crop and they are still young as well. But with how dominate Amare is offensively and skilled along with how Dwight commands the board, blocks and help defense to go along with his power Bynum and Oden have a long way to go just to catch up. Statistically I think Amare and Dwight will always have the better. I think both Oden and Bynum can grow to be better defenders than both of them. I think that they will not be able to match the offensive output either from Amare's skill or Dwight's power.

No one finishes better than Amare, especially bigs. Maybe Lebron is a better finisher. Amare has touch and power. Bynum is incredibly efficient, but not as fierce around the rim or off the dribble as Amare or Lebron.

[Allanon]

I don't really have any proof so it's hard to argue now....I'm just speculating from what I've seen.

The great thing is the season's only 17 days away so we should find out soon.

[DPG21920]

I don't really have any proof so it's hard to argue now....I'm just speculating from what I've seen.

The great thing is the season's only 17 days away so we should find out soon.

So you think Bynum is a better finisher than Lebron or Amare? Biedrins led the league in FG% for a while, does that make him better?

[Darkwaters]

Why would someone even suggest Amare?

Dwight Howard or Greg Oden probably makes the most sense. LeBron is a solid pick also.

[Allanon]

So you think Bynum is a better finisher than Lebron or Amare?

LeBron's a pretty good finisher, I think Bynum is still better at finishing at the rim.

Biedrins led the league in FG% for a while, does that make him better?

Biedrins is actually a pretty good finisher at the rim, but I like Amare & LeBron better.

[manufor3]

brent barry

[angelbelow]

david robinson please.

[Obstructed_View]

A Manu who believes in God.

[DPG21920]

A Manu who believes in God.

You are so funny.

[tp2021]

A Manu who believes in God.