Kings waive Gooden; Spurs next?

[Marcus Bryant]

for tat...Elson would have had to contend with Shaq, and Shaq would have had to chase Elson around.

ROFL. That's the drunken Jim Bob basketball take:

"Whut I don't git is why dey don't make, uh, that Shack chase someone 'round the kart and tire his ass out?"

[VI_Massive]

Gooden won't be pretty, but I think he's a risk we need to take if we want to beat LA. We need a big who can score and rebound inside who is not named Tim Duncan. His defense will make us shudder and might earn him a spot on Pop's list, but we need to take this chance. He's a pro who has put up good numbers for years and there's a good chance he can provide some help where we need it. And unlike PMB, Gooden could actually see some playing time in the playoffs. No way was Pop ever going to play PMB in a meaningful spot in the playoffs. With Gooden, there's a chance.

[Marcus Bryant]

Duncan
Thomas
Bonner
Oberto
Mikan-Unseld

The Spurs lack frontcourt depth. Their 3rd best big is Matt Bonner. And somehow they're supposed to pass on Gooden for the minimum?

[urunobili]

12th man = Udoka.

[MaNu4Tres]

Purely your opinion and not backed up by any stats or the W-L record.




And there is absolutely no evidence that statement is true.

Lets compare the two spurs teams: If im wrong anyone please feel free to highlight and correct me

Spurs 07 vs. Spurs 09

Spurs 07 Spurs 09
Duncan < Duncan
Elson < Thomas
Manu = Manu
Parker = Parker
Barry < Mason
Finley < Finley
Vaughn < Hill
Horry = Bonner
Oberto > Oberto
Beno = Vaughn
Bonner = Udoka
Ely = Pops/Tolliver


In my opinion This Spurs team is more talented than the 07' team. And yes replacing Elson for Thomas made us better even last year. We just weren't as healthy as we were in 07 plus other contenders made significant upgrades.

[Oink Oink]

Lets compare the two spurs teams: If im wrong anyone please feel free to highlight and correct me

Spurs 07 vs. Spurs 09

Spurs 07 Spurs 09
Duncan < Duncan
Elson < Thomas
Manu = Manu
Parker = Parker
Barry < Mason
Finley < Finley
Vaughn < Hill
Horry = Bonner
Oberto > Oberto
Beno = Vaughn
Bonner = Udoka
Ely = Pops/Tolliver


In my opinion This Spurs team is more talented than the 07' team. And yes replacing Elson for Thomas made us better even last year. We just weren't as healthy as we were in 07 plus other contenders made significant upgrades.

07 Manu >> 09 Manu

[whottt]

Spurs 07 vs. Spurs 09

Spurs 07 Spurs 09
Duncan < Duncan
Elson < Thomas
Manu = Manu
Parker = Parker
Barry < Mason
Finley < Finley
Vaughn < Hill
Horry = Bonner
Oberto > Oberto
Beno = Vaughn
Bonner = Udoka
Ely = Pops/Tolliver

Ok let me see...I disagree with every single one of your evaluations except Oberto > Oberto and Bonner = Udoka

[DPG21920]

Whott: what do you think is the best option then?

[MaNu4Tres]

07 Manu >> 09 Manu

I give 07' Manu a slight edge on this years Manu. His stats are nearly identical from 07 except he shot 40 percent from three and not 34 percent like this year. In the playoffs he wasn't nearly as efficient except in the Jazz series. Manu was actually very inconsistant that playoff run in 07'.

[whottt]

If I'd known the Scola trade was going to lead to giving up first rounders for Thomas to not win NBA les and compounding that mistake by signing Drew Gooden...I'd have been against it.

Bonner>Elson>Scola>Thomas>A turd>Gooden

[xtremesteven33]

Bonner>Elson>Scola>Thomas>A turd>Gooden

[MaNu4Tres]

Ok let me see...I disagree with every single one of your evaluations except Oberto > Oberto and Bonner = Udoka

I'm not asking you. I've realized we disagree with just about everything probably even the color of the sky. I say blue what do u think?

[DPG21920]

Is the 12th man on the Spurs better than Gooden?

[timvp]

Shocking whottt never got the link. I wonder what year he's going to be able to let go of the sacks of Barry and Elson.

If I'd known the Scola trade was going to lead to giving up first rounders for Thomas to not win NBA les and compounding that mistake by signing Drew Gooden...I'd have been against it.

Bonner>Elson>Scola>Thomas>A turd>Gooden

whottt wrong about the Scola trade. Now there's a shocker.

[Spurs Brazil]

There's a good chance that money knocks out two other teams. Orlando is a possibility given its paucity of frontcourt reserves and Gooden's previous history there, but I'm not sure how seriously people take the Magic's chances of contending since Jameer Nelson went out. At any rate, the Magic have used their midlevel and biannual exceptions this summer so they can offer him only the veteran's minimum.

Denver offers similar pros and cons for Gooden. The Nuggets have a thin frontcourt where he'd almost certainly earn minutes, but are pinned against the tax line, making it unlikely they could offer more than the minimum.

Do the math and one destination emerges as the most likely: San Antonio. The Spurs can give him a piece of their midlevel exception (about $1.5 million through the end of the season), a realistic path to a conference finals appearance at the least, and a chance to earn big chunks of minutes (Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto have been found wanting all season).

The only problem, it seems, is saying it out loud: Drew Gooden on the Spurs? Really? The guy who's known for mental errors and has a medusa beard, signing on with the league's must buttoned-down, no-nonsense outfit?

But the logic on every other level is too strong to dismiss it. The Spurs have done this dance before, remember -- think of Cap'n Jack in 2003 -- and no matter what it will be only the second-most eyebrow-raising waiver pickup this winter (take a bow, Starbury).

And in this case, the Last Chance Saloon metaphor couldn't be more fitting. For a San Antonio team trying to squeeze one more le before what will likely be a wholesale restructuring around the Duncan-Parker nucleus in 2010, there's really not much choice -- they need to belly up to the bar and drink whatever's on tap, so to speak, because this is the only way to match up in the playoffs with the L.A.s and Utahs of the West.


John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, click here.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/column...PERDiem-090302

[Marcus Bryant]

If I'd known the Scola trade was going to lead to giving up first rounders for Thomas to not win NBA les and compounding that mistake by signing Drew Gooden...I'd have been against it.

Bonner>Elson>Scola>Thomas>A turd>Gooden

The Spurs aren't the Suns.

[whottt]

I'm not asking you. I've realized we disagree with just about everything probably even the color of the sky. I say blue what do u think?

I disagree that I disagree with everything you think. And Blue's good

[xtremesteven33]

Drew Gooden as a Spur doesnt sound good but hopefully it looks good

[Marcus Bryant]

And in this case, the Last Chance Saloon metaphor couldn't be more fitting. For a San Antonio team trying to squeeze one more le before what will likely be a wholesale restructuring around the Duncan-Parker nucleus in 2010, there's really not much choice -- they need to belly up to the bar and drink whatever's on tap, so to speak, because this is the only way to match up in the playoffs with the L.A.s and Utahs of the West.

Even Hollinger can figure it out.

[whottt]

Elson will pay for that owning he gave me, if it's the last thing I ever do.

[FromWayDowntown]

Whott: what do you think is the best option then?

In general, this sums up my sentiment.

I don't, by any means, think that Drew Gooden is the preferable option to any number of other big men in the NBA as a whole. But at this point, there's a market of, what, 3 guys: Gooden, Smith, and Swift; and Smith appears to have already committed to Cleveland.

The Spurs have a need for a big guy. Gooden rebounds better than any big man the Spurs have (other than the no-brainer Hall of Famer) and he would give the Spurs something they've lacked for a while -- a guy who is a beast on the offensive glass and can make something happen immediately with a rebound.

Is he ideal? no. Is he better than nothing? Absolutely.

I see the point about an elevated opponent's shooting percentage, but I'd be curious about a few things that go along with that:

1. Does Duncan's shot blocking and interior defense improve if he's not being made to worry about every defensive board because he's the only guy who can board?

2. I'm not aware of where the Spurs rank in 2nd chance points allowed this season; while their defensive rebounding rate leads the league, it certainly wouldn't hurt to further limit 2nd chance opportunities by having still another guy who can rebound. If they just take away 2 or 3 second chances per game, the defensive difference (at worst) seems to come out in the wash.

I'd also agree with the concerns about Gooden's above-the-neck game and think he's a bit fragile. But, again, are the status quo Spurs good enough to win a le? If not, is taking a flier on a guy who can step right in and rebound the basketball (if nothing else) worth the risk.

I think it is at this point.

[DAF86]

The Spurs defenitely need to sign Gooden. Maybe in a well coached contender with three hall of famers at his side he may give a damn about defense. If not, his athletic and rebounding ability plus Spurs team defense may help hide Drew's defensive flaws. And if that doesn't work either just sit him. Really a no risk situation IMO.

[picnroll]

Roll the dice.

One area that has hurt the Spurs badly in many games is giving up offensive rebounds. Gooden can turn the tables on that. I was even started to warm up to Bonzai hoping to start seeing a few O boards.

[whottt]

Look at that gorgeous green grass!

[timvp]

The Spurs lost the championship last year because they didn't have Elson. They will lose it this year because they don't have Barry. timvp won't get his link. MB has returned to commence my owning. Let's see if I can steer threads towards Barry and then pretend I don't like Barry anymore. I hate Kurt Thomas. I love Kurt Thomas! I hate Kurt Thomas.