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I'm just ready to hear that he is healthy and ready to play.
Gooden should be plenty good enough to help San Antonio
By Art Garcia, NBA.com
Drew Gooden isn't a difference-maker on a large scale, but he can make a difference. That's all the Spurs are looking for.
The athletic and enigmatic 6-foot-10 forward, released Sunday by Sacramento, will join San Antonio and its quest for another le this week. The Spurs and Gooden already have agreed to a contract after he considered offers from several other Western Conference playoff contenders, including Dallas and New Orleans. San Antonio opened up a roster spot Wednesday by waiving a recent NBA Development League call-up, Pops Mensah-Bonsu.
"Intuitive people would reasonably read into that move in some way, shape or form," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich quipped Wednesday night.
Gooden has been plagued by injuries this season, the most recent a groin strain, but when healthy he's shown remarkable consistency. The Kansas-ex has averaged about 12 points and eight rebounds a game in his seven-year career. Each season, he's in the ballpark of those numbers.
He's never had the breakout season some forecasted when he was taken fourth in the 2002 draft. Instead, Gooden's career numbers have flat-lined, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Still, the Spurs will be his sixth team in seven years.
In his first four stops -- Memphis, Orlando, Cleveland and Chicago -- Gooden was expected to be the answer at power forward. The Spurs have no such illusions. Gooden provides depth in San Antonio, giving the team another option behind Tim Duncan and Matt Bonner.
"He's got a big body, athletic, strong, great rebounder," Bonner said. "Definitely adds something to our team."
Steady and heady veteran Kurt Thomas is filling that backup role now, but Gooden brings a lively presence to a frontcourt in need of athleticism. And Gooden is no stranger to playoff battles or the Spurs, having started against San Antonio in the 2007 Finals while with Cleveland and averaging 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds.
He's not going to put up anything close to those numbers in San Antonio, either in the last 20 or so games of the regular season or the playoffs. And he won't have to. Where Gooden can make a difference is in an individual game somewhere along the way.
He may get a big basket or rebound or block in crunch time. He may eat up valuable minutes against a Dirk Nowitzki or David West or Pau Gasol.
Gooden won't win a series. But he could help win a game that goes a long way toward winning a series.
"We're a team in every sense of the word, and we know when someone new comes in it's up to us to make him feel welcome," Bonner said. "It's for the good of the team to help him fit in as quick as possible."
Blurb at bottom of article:
Not There Yet
Just because the Spurs are leading the Southwest Division and own the West's second-best record doesn't mean they're satisfied. Popovich sees room for improvement.
"You always want to be playing better," he said. "Coaches are sick puppies. You could be winning every game and coaches say you can play better. We're not winning every game, so we're hoping we can play better."
He shrugged when asked if he's happy with where his team is right now.
"It doesn't really matter, does it? We are where we are, and whether I'm thrilled or pleased is irrelevant," he said. "Here we are and we just keep trying to get better, and we'll see if we're good enough to play with everybody come playoff time."
I'm just ready to hear that he is healthy and ready to play.
A difference is all we need.
What's taking so longgggg?
Maybe they are contemplating the surgery for his sports hernia. If he has to undergo surgery at all, it should be laproscopic. It's a very minimally invasive surgery that allows you to recover in one week versus the normal surgery time of 6-8 weeks for recovery.
They must be sizing this sports hernia up, otherwise wtf is it taking so long. And notice, not very many reports have leaked out about him since reports confirmed he's coming to SA.
Great read. Good points.
Damn Pop
Where is the official press release on Spurs.com? There is absolutely nothing yet. Don Harris had reported last night that they were going to introduce him to the media today..yet...nothing..
Chris Duel and Jason Minnix just reported that they expect the Spurs to make the official announcement before the day/night is over.
No barber.
This was from last night.
Mike Monroe: Holding Pattern at DFW
By Mike Monroe
If you were one of the Spurs fans expecting to see Drew Gooden in uniform for Wednesday's game against the Mavericks, be patient. As of 6 p.m., Gooden had not yet signed with the Spurs.
Don't worry, he'll be a Spur soon enough. There's a roster spot for him now that Pops Mensah-Bonsu has been released. It will be a surprise if he is not in silver and black for Friday's game at AT&T Center against the Wizards.
I chatted up former Knicks and Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy a few minutes ago and asked him what Gooden can do for the Spurs. He calls him an upgrade on the front line, a physical guy who can rebound and score out to 17 feet and somebody the Spurs must have felt they needed to match up against the Lakers in a playoff series.
Where is rappin' goody? I have a pic for him if he needs it.
Amen to that!!
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