Gooden hopes Spurs are long-term fit
Mike Monroe
As happy as the Spurs are to have Drew Gooden on their roster, they are equally thrilled about the team he didn’t join on Thursday afternoon.
“I got calls from (the Lakers) trying to get me,” said Gooden, the 6-foot-10 power forward who officially became a Spur when he signed a contract for a pro-rated portion of the $1.5 million that remained of the Spurs’ mid-level salary cap exception.
“It was a game of chess probably. (The Lakers) probably knew San Antonio was the team they had to get past in the West.”
Gooden, who has battled a groin strain and a lower abdominal strain this season, declared himself fit, and ready to play immediately. If Spurs coach Gregg Popovich wants him to suit up in Friday’s game against the Washington Wizards at AT&T Center, it will be his first game in silver and black.
Gooden was available to the Spurs, Lakers and several other teams with championship potential after the Sacramento Kings waived him late Sunday night, making him a free agent.
He chose the Spurs as the place to continue his career, he said, because he believes San Antonio could be the basketball home he has been trying to find since he was the fourth overall pick of the 2002 draft after a standout career at the University of Kansas. The Spurs will be the sixth team for which he has played in six-plus seasons, an odyssey he compared to being a player in a fantasy league.
“I’m ready to find a home,” he said.
Spurs general manager R.C. Buford was the first basketball executive to contact Gooden when the Kings negotiated a buyout of what remained of his contract, which was to pay him $7.151 million this season,
“R. C. kind of made this thing happen,” Gooden said. “When he learned about me having a possible buyout from Sacramento, he was the first one on it. That kind of lets you know there is a need for you, rather than having a luxury.
“A lot of teams were calling as soon as they found out I was bought out, but San Antonio was the best fit for me, and not only for the rest of the year. I think there might be a future here for me.”
Buford, too, believes Gooden could wind up being more than a short-term Spur if he fits as well with the team’s way of playing as he believes he can.
“He brings some youth and athleticism to the program,” Buford said. “We need to get him healthy and see how he fits. You never now until you get people how he fits.”
Having played four seasons in Cleveland, under former Spurs assistant coach Mike Brown, should ease Gooden’s transition to the Spurs way of playing, especially at the defensive end of the court.
Gooden heard plenty about Popovich during his time as a Cavalier.
“During my four years at Cleveland he raved about Pop,” Gooden said. “I think I heard enough about Pop from Mike Brown, but Pop’s reputation speaks for itself. In this league you hear only good things about Pop, and how he wants to win.”
Popovich spoke at length with Gooden during the courtship process that followed his release by the Kings.
“Pop and Drew had some great conversations through this whole process, from both perspectives,” Buford said. “The feedback I got is that they both felt really comfortable with each other.”
Popovich told Gooden the Spurs not only wanted him on their roster, they needed him to have their best shot at winning another championship.
“It was knowing there is want for me here,” Gooden said of his talks with his new head coach. “Not just ‘We’re glad you’re here.’ It was more like, ‘We need you here, and not just for this season.’
“Hearing that was something I was looking for. It wasn’t just ‘Help us try to win a championship this year and then we’ll see what happens in the summer.’.”
Gooden gave up roughly $1.8 million, plus this summer’s Larry Bird free-agent rights, to secure his freedom, but said making up that lost money won’t be as important as winning.
“Opportunity is worth that ($1.8 million),” he said. “The opportunity to make that up is not what it is. It’s more than the money right now for me. It’s about playing and winning and helping this team.”
Certainly sounds as though the Spurs are thinking of the potential to make this a long-term relationship. Perhaps that's informing Gooden's interest in the same outcome to some extent.
Interesting, no matter what.
Gooden certainly is saying all of the right things.
2010 long term fit?
He's saying all the right things. Let's hope he can surpass expectations and be the bigman the Spurs have needed since Robinson's retirement.
For all the criticism (and yes they have deserved some of it) the Spurs FO' gets from the ST posters...it's nice to read from an incoming player how RC was the first to reach out to him and Pop told him they needed his help to win a championship!
It looks like the FO knows what they are doing!
Can you imagine a starting lineup of Bonner, Oberto, Thomas, Gooden and Duncan? A big matchup nightmare for the rest of the league.
A guy that gave up money to win. Not many of those.
Interesting how Gooden declares himself fit and ready to play as early as tomorrow yet Buford is quoting as saying "we need to get him healthy".
Groin injuries are the worst, let's hope he can contribute and soon.
Insightful, gave me goosebumps.
Spurs can bring out the best in players as we have seen from our below the radar players. Gooden can only get better and right now he is already good.
Sounds like he is excited, best of luck to the chemistry.
Good at ude. Hope he can help us
I have nothing but respect for the guy. He put his money where his mouth was and said "It's not about the money with me, its about winning." His actions backed that up. I hope he really does turn out to be a long term solution.
let him rest his groin and come in 100%.
We need to trade parker for henrich, and ginobili for JR giddens, then sign Raef LaFrentz as a free agent next summer, and trade kurt thomas for nick collison.
from the interview, he seems like a great guy. smart, confident, respectful, eager to win, eager to learn.
Well I hope he and a healthy Manu can make the difference. My only concern in the West is the Lakers. We can get pass anyone else.
Gooden!
If the salary cap shrinks by a substantial amount, Gooden might be as good as anything the Spurs could get in 2010.
didnt that team lose to maryland?
Not to mention a clean-ass beard!
from the interview, he seems like a great guy. smart, confident, respectful, eager to win, eager to learn.
Can't wait to see him play, always liked his jump shooting ability.
Side question, will he be the first Spur to don number 90?
Those guys minus raef lost to the caramello orangemen in the champ. game.
Looks like mutual respect and trust all around and it could be the start of a beautiful friendship. Gooden never had a rep as a troublemaker or malcontent and I'm pretty sure the guys will do everything to make him feel welcome and appreciated. Pop is the best coach in the NBA at explaining what he expects from his playersand its safe to say he and Gooden see eye-to-eye re the latter's role on the team.
Um didn't the Spurs have more to offer in terms of playing time and money with a good portion of the mid level exception left than any other suitor? I want to think it's all about winning, but I do think the Spurs had the most green to offer.
That said Gooden has all of the tools the Spurs need to be an our best 2nd big since Robinson. If he can take his pointers from Robinson and Camby and just focus on the little things he will be instrumental to the Spurs future 'chip hopes, and he can stay as long as he wants.
He looked genuinely happy to be here and Pop likes guys who have something to prove. I'm looking forward to his first game. I really hope the reports about his defensive lack of rotations and knowledge is an exaggeration. Gooden has something to prove and needs the Spurs as much as we need him right now.
The guy hasn't played a single game in a spur uniform, but his future with the team will be solely based on his performance in the upcoming months.
That and the salary cap, of course.
Gotta love that at ude.
The way its building up, if he busts his ass, plays good D, he is definately a big man worth keeping. Whether he can do it is the big question.
Good luck DG.
Bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!
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