Can't quite figure this out...

[benefactor]

So we start off our season knowing we are going to be short handed in the back court with Manu out. Enter Desmond Farmer. We keep him around because he shows some scoring ability and we will need that with Manu gone. Then Tony gets hurt. We drop Farmer and bring in Ahearn to try to get a little bit of help at PG. Ahearn heads to the Toros when Tony comes back.

I say all that to say this...we have been without Ian from day one. Pop had said he wanted him to play major minutes during the preseason so obviously he was going to/will play a big role in our front line rotation. Not ONCE have we brought in any help on the front line to replace him when we were quick to do it in the back court. None of our other front line players are like Ian, so why wouldn't we bring in SOMEONE and give them some stopgap time a la Farmer and Ahearn?

[m33p0]

my theory:

Pop values perimeter players, particularly those with 3 point shooting ability.
reason: Duncan is a force inside. Players who can open up the post for Timmy are an asset to the Spurs. People say we need big men with rebounding skills to complement Duncan. And yet, in spite of the lack of big man help, Spurs rank very high on the defensive rebounding category, a stat Pop values highly, probably second only to opponent FG%.

besides, it's really difficult to find big man help at the cheap. And those that the FO did find, they deemed still needs development.

[MrChug]

my theory:

Pop values perimeter players, particularly those with 3 point shooting ability.
reason: Duncan is a force inside. Players who can open up the post for Timmy are an asset to the Spurs. People say we need big men with rebounding skills to complement Duncan. And yet, in spite of the lack of big man help, Spurs rank very high on the defensive rebounding category, a stat Pop values highly, probably second only to opponent FG%.

besides, it's really difficult to find big man help at the cheap. And those that the FO did find, they deemed still needs development.

I have to 2nd this. Tim Duncan value-wise is worth the paint force of 3 bigs. You have your Dwight Howard's, your Amare's, Yao's, your Bosh's, and Jefferson's and (to pacify the LakerFans, Pao or Bynum) really: how many of you feel that comfortable in the low post to run your ENTIRE offense on any given play. Duncan does that with my full confidence every play and has for a decade. We simply don't need that kind of high dollar support.

IT'D BE NICE, but we don't "need" it.

[K-State Spur]

So we start off our season knowing we are going to be short handed in the back court with Manu out. Enter Desmond Farmer. We keep him around because he shows some scoring ability and we will need that with Manu gone. Then Tony gets hurt. We drop Farmer and bring in Ahearn to try to get a little bit of help at PG. Ahearn heads to the Toros when Tony comes back.

I say all that to say this...we have been without Ian from day one. Pop had said he wanted him to play major minutes during the preseason so obviously he was going to/will play a big role in our front line rotation. Not ONCE have we brought in any help on the front line to replace him when we were quick to do it in the back court. None of our other front line players are like Ian, so why wouldn't we bring in SOMEONE and give them some stopgap time a la Farmer and Ahearn?

Really easy answer - Pop believes that the guys we have are better than the guys available.

[MoSpur]

Go out and get Chris Wilcox.

[wijayas]

I have to 2nd this. Tim Duncan value-wise is worth the paint force of 3 bigs. You have your Dwight Howard's, your Amare's, Yao's, your Bosh's, and Jefferson's and (to pacify the LakerFans, Pao or Bynum) really: how many of you feel that comfortable in the low post to run your ENTIRE offense on any given play. Duncan does that with my full confidence every play and has for a decade. We simply don't need that kind of high dollar support.

IT'D BE NICE, but we don't "need" it.

There is no question about Duncan skills. But you are rushing to judgment to say we don't need quality BIG.

We need quality BIG if only to spare DUncan from playing 40 minutes a game.

[Dex]

[MrChug]

There is no question about Duncan skills. But you are rushing to judgment to say we don't need quality BIG.

We need quality BIG if only to spare DUncan from playing 40 minutes a game.

Once again, IT'D BE NICE...but to jeopardize anything we're doing to completely overhaul our FO financial situation (not to mention our focus on offense/defense) is a bit thick of a risk.

[mrspurs]

There is no question about Duncan skills. But you are rushing to judgment to say we don't need quality BIG.

We need quality BIG if only to spare DUncan from playing 40 minutes a game.

Agreed. Just look the records of those other teams. 17-2, 14-1, 13-5 just to name a few. Duncan isnt gonna get it done alone. Anyone who thinks it might as well look at last season PO tapes. Duncan got schooled in the paint. If not for 3 point shooting we would have never gotten past the Suns. And it was Duncans 3 that took us to that level. Not a Duncan block or off the glass shot. Manu was playing hurt, TP was playing lights out. It was Timmy who failed us in the POs. And Im not blaming Timmy. Look at who Timmy has next to him and thats easily why last season and this season Timmys job just gets harder and harder. While those other teams seem to get better easier and easier.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Agreed. Just look the records of those other teams. 17-2, 14-1, 13-5 just to name a few. Duncan isnt gonna get it done alone. Anyone who thinks it might as well look at last season PO tapes. Duncan got schooled in the paint. If not for 3 point shooting we would have never gotten past the Suns. And it was Duncans 3 that took us to that level. Not a Duncan block or off the glass shot. Manu was playing hurt, TP was playing lights out. It was Timmy who failed us in the POs. And Im not blaming Timmy. Look at who Timmy has next to him and thats easily why last season and this season Timmys job just gets harder and harder. While those other teams seem to get better easier and easier.

OMFG! Did you even watch the games? At least one? You couldn't be farther from the truth.

[Bruno]

Spurs "brought" Tolliver. He has taken Ian's minutes during the first month of the season as "quick" big. Tolliver was Mahinmi's stopgap.

[dbestpro]

Spurs "brought" Tolliver. He has taken Ian's minutes during the first month of the season as "quick" big. Tolliver was Mahinmi's stopgap.

Except Ian doesn't clang three point shot after three point shot. Tolliver would be useful if he would just stop shooting.

[FromWayDowntown]

I think the Spurs should just go shake the Quality Big Man tree and get one of the many quality big men who are just hanging out and not playing for NBA teams these days.

[Solid D]

I think the Spurs should just go shake the Quality Big Man tree and get one of the many quality big men who are just hanging out and not playing for NBA teams these days.

chaching

[FromWayDowntown]

The Spurs should trade Manu Ginobili for Paul Millsap or Craig Smith. Pronto.

No, no -- muy pronto!

[benefactor]

Spurs "brought" Tolliver. He has taken Ian's minutes during the first month of the season as "quick" big. Tolliver was Mahinmi's stopgap.

Really? Because I was under the impression that Tolliver was brought in because Pop was looking for the next Horry and Bonner looked like garbage during the preseason.

As for what else has been said, I am fully aware that "quality" big men are not just lying around...but it feel like we are not even attempting to comb the rough in search of a diamond. Even now we hang on to a PG we don't need while one of our bigs sits injured on the Toros.

One more thing...I have seen people throw around this statistic about us being a leading team in defensive rebounding percentage. That is all well and good...but our total rebounds per game is not. We are 25th in league in total RPG and we are second to last in offensive rebounds. We are also second to last in blocks per game. For me, all those things point to one problem.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

The problem is that even NBA-bench-quality big men are expensive and come with long term contracts. And those that don't, don't for a reason. The Spurs have been burned on several big men in the recent past who they had to ditch at some cost because they just didn't fit. So, the Spurs seem to be trying to get by with what they have besides Tim up front -- Oberto, Thomas, Bonner, and Tolliver.

And, as I write, this, I check spurs.com, and lo and behold:

Tolliver Sent To Austin
Spurs Recall Ian Mahinmi

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 2, 2008) – The San Antonio Spurs announced today that they have recalled Ian Mahinmi from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League (D-League). At the same time, the Spurs announced that they have sent forward Anthony Tolliver to the Toros.

Mahinmi appeared in one game for the Toros this season where he scored 4 points and grabbed 1 rebound in 20:46 minutes. He was assigned to the Toros on 11/14 to recover from a sprained ankle. The injury caused him to miss San Antonio’s entire preseason.

The 6-8, 240-pound Tolliver appeared in 11 games for the Spurs this season, averaging 3.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per contest. He spent last season in the D-League with the Iowa Energy where he averaged 11.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 27.4 minutes.

[benefactor]

Wow...outstanding development. Now we lose yet another front line player so Ian can come up here and sit on IR. I know Tolliver wasn't great but damn, at least he could play. We don't even know when Ian will be ready and when he is ready we don't have any idea what to expect. This guy is really starting to feel like wasted time and effort.

[024]

i forgot about tolliver. i think he's pretty much squandered away his chance at playing in the NBA by bricking so many three point shots. either waive him or ahearn and use the roster spot to give another player a try.

[benefactor]

i forgot about tolliver. i think he's pretty much squandered away his chance at playing in the NBA by bricking so many three point shots. either waive him or ahearn and use the roster spot to give another player a try.

I am all for this idea...but I think we need to stop dragging our feet and A. Waive the players we don't need and/or B. Get rid of the players that are looking like they won't be worth a damn.

I am starting to wonding if Mr. Savior is moving closer and closer to that B. category.

[Manufan909]

I think the Spurs should just go shake the Quality Big Man tree and get one of the many quality big men who are just hanging out and not playing for NBA teams these days.

+1

And for whoever said toll was Ian's stopgap is wrong for reasons already stated, so I won't say it again. But I think Gist should've been kept, instead of sent off to Italy. I think he could've provided as mush of a boost at PF/C as Hill did at PG. Might as well have sent Ian to Italy, Gist is the true savior. But if Gist stays because of a better deal, Idk what I'll do.

[benefactor]

I just love watching us get owned at the rim when Tim goes to the bench. Perhaps our wounded savior will find the court sometime before 2010 and give him a hand.

[m33p0]

i miss Elson.