Reply With Quote
Nice article.Kick some ass Gooden!
Gooden plenty for Spurs?
Jeff McDonald
OKLAHOMA CITY — Drew Gooden still has a lasting souvenir from the 15 whirlwind days he spent employed by the Sacramento Kings.
“I've still got a couple of playbooks left I ain't never returned,” Gooden said.
He could use them for bathroom reading. Or, had he recently moved to climes colder than South Texas, kindling. He could sell them on eBay to other Western Conference teams, but it's not like anybody needs a crib sheet to beat the Kings these days.
Gooden has no use for his Sacramento mementos anymore. Now that he's joined the Spurs, and is living out of a suitcase, they are extra baggage he doesn't need.
Signed March 5 after the Kings bought out his contract — which came barely two weeks after he was traded to Sacramento from Chicago — Gooden is just trying to figure out which end of his newest new playbook is up. Tonight's game at Oklahoma City will mark just his third in a Spurs uniform.
“I feel comfortable, considering I had to learn two systems in a week and a half,” Gooden said.
The Spurs signed the 6-foot-10 Gooden, and gave him every penny left in their budget — roughly $1.41 million for the rest of the season — in hopes that he could be the missing piece to catapult them past the Lakers in the Western Conference playoffs.
It is too early to tell if that money was well-spent, but so far Gooden has provided the Spurs with some positive signs.
In Saturday night's victory at Houston, his second with the Spurs, Gooden played a shade over 15 minutes in reserve and scored 13 points. His presence in that game afforded the Spurs something they haven't had in a long while: A post-up threat when Tim Duncan goes to the bench.
“This is probably the first time we've called a post-up play for someone other than myself,” Duncan said.
Duncan doesn't hesitate when asked how long it's been since the Spurs have had another player with that capability.
“Not since David, probably,” Duncan said.
Let the record show that David Robinson retired in 2003.
Unlike Robinson, Gooden is not on his way to the Hall of Fame any time soon. He does, however, provide something that the Rasho Nesterovics, Nazr Mohammeds and Francisco Elsons of the world could not.
Scouts have wondered about Gooden's basketball IQ, a reason he has played for six teams in seven years. Had he kept all his playbooks from his previous stops, Gooden could start a Time-Life series.
And he continues to be injury prone, as the giant bag of ice resting on his sore groin after Saturday's game will attest.
Still, the Spurs believe Gooden, once comfortable in his new surroundings, can fill a long-standing void in terms of rebounding and low-post scoring.
“He adds some girth and some meat out there,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He's going to be a good addition for us.”
For now, Gooden could use some time to catch his breath. It has been a bizarre season and a head-spinning month.
“Fortunately, I'm not married, and I don't have any kids,” Gooden said. “I'm like a vagabond. I can just pick up my stuff and go to the next city.”
As he begins to get settled in San Antonio, Gooden is hoping he won't have to move again for some time. At 28, his goal with the Spurs is to be more than just a stretch-run mercenary.
The last thing Gooden wants is to add another unnecessary NBA playbook to his growing collection.
“I was looking for something long-term,” Gooden said. “It's not where I just wanted to get in a winning situation and leave during the offseason. I wanted to find a home.”
Nice article.
I can not and you can not but spurs can
that is also why manu will get a paycut when if he resigns with spurs!
I wonder if he'd be willing to take a pay cut if it meant finding a home like he says he wants? Especially if he's as a good a fit as he looks so far.
Bruce and Fab are only partially guaranteed next year. I can easily see them being waived, and maybe re-signing Bruce for vet min. JV rolls off, too.
Alternately, if the Spurs determine that they can't pop for an MLE deal, they should be able to re-sign him to a raise from the $1.4 or whatever they're paying him now, 2 years guaranteed, opt out in 2010 after one year when we WILL have money.
Yeah, pretty much. And he did well. When was the last time we've seen that?
Can't you only give no trade clauses to players with several years with the team?
Solid D needs to start copyrighting his workGooden Plenty For Spurs?
gasp pop must have read ducks take about not mentioning that spurs must have manu
I'm surprised the le wasnt So Far So Good(en)
He should get at least MLE offers elsewhere. If the Spurs go cheap on him and offer 3.5 million like on of the posters said, say goodbye to Gooden. Heck, the Clippers might be able to offer him a long-term deal better than that...
If he's dumb enough to leave and not accept what the Spurs offer, then he deserves whatever fate he acquires.
Giggity.
If he has a strong playoffs, his stock will rise and hopefully he doesn't become unaffordable.
These are 2 adjectives I would never use together in the same sentence.“He adds some girth and some meat out there,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He's going to be a good addition for us.”
“This is probably the first time we've called a post-up play for someone other than myself,” Duncan said.
Duncan doesn't hesitate when asked how long it's been since the Spurs have had another player with that capability.
“Not since David, probably,” Duncan said.
If we re-sign Gooden, then the "2010 plan" basically becomes money to retain Gooden, Ginobili, and Mason. If this plan gets the Spurs a ring or three, then I have no problem with it.
4 years with the team before new contracts and 8 years with the NBA. With extensions, you cannot add no trade clauses.
we're talking about a Gooden contract after 1 game? LOL damn, I guess it has been that long since we've had another big man posting up for the Spurs..it has everybody ejaculating prematurely..
if Gooden helps us get to the finals, I'll be all for it..until then, I won't be thinking about it..
Gooden > Scola
“This is probably the first time we've called a post-up play for someone other than myself,” Duncan said.
The Spurs cannot sign him to anything more than the MLE this summer. They have no Bird Rights and no capspace.I can not and you can not but spurs can
that is also why manu will get a paycut when if he resigns with spurs!
you gotta be kidding me
Give 'em , Drew.
Nice le to the article, too.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
