Loyalty

[MosesGuthrie]

I'm all for loyalty as well but my loyalty is to the name on the front of the jersey not the back. Trading Bowen made this team better and that is most important.

[Drachen]

We hear a lot about how the Spurs FO and Coaching dictator -i mean coach and staff are loyal.

Q. Why was Bowen let go and Finley retained?

I know Bowens 4 mill might be considered too much, but matador D Finley will be getting 2.5 so its only a 1.5 difference.

Bowen:
With the team for all 3 2000+ decade championships.
Does whatever the team asked of him. Played almost every game for every year he was here.

Coatails Fin was superb in 2007, otherwise all he has done is stole minutes, gone 1-4 including two lost playoff series to the team that paid him $20 million a year to go away. All the blather about Fins shooting, Bowen matched him in the reg season and outshot him in last years playoffs. Now lets talk defense. No lets not.
"Spurs are a defense first team and military Pop demands defense." Save that b.s. Was true 2005 and back. Since then its a joke.

So i know Milwaukee can buy out Bowen and we can get him back and I'd welcome Bruce back.
If we don't, and Finley stays,

What loyalty?

When people ask about our defense last year, I have to ask, did you even pay attention to where we ended up ranked defensively last year??

[venitian navigator]

Bowen, when asked if he would come back to spurs if there was the chance to come back said : absolutely.
I don't know if for the spurs he's still an option, in case he get cut, but he could be...and given the gueranteed salary plus the veteran's minimum for the lot of years he played in the league, he would not lose a lot of the 4 millions money of his contract.
However, the point is tha before that Spurs have to move again trading some other pieces (Bonner, Finley, M. Williams for example) just to free some spots.....

[Fabbs]

When people ask about our defense last year, I have to ask, did you even pay attention to where we ended up ranked defensively last year??

Yes. Dallas cleaned our clock 4-1
Twice Dallas went over 100 points, once 99.

In critical game 3 the Spurs Poppy Defense *held* them to 88 while the Poppy Offense put up 67 points.

[Fabbs]

Bowen, when asked if he would come back to spurs if there was the chance to come back said : absolutely.
I don't know if for the spurs he's still an option, in case he get cut, but he could be...and given the gueranteed salary plus the veteran's minimum for the lot of years he played in the league, he would not lose a lot of the 4 millions money of his contract.
However, the point is tha before that Spurs have to move again trading some other pieces (Bonner, Finley, M. Williams for example) just to free some spots.....

Bruce coming back and Finley shipped out would indeed be loyalty.

For the legit posters (and also the trolls) who point out Finley was not yet on the roster when Bruce was sent, again, why was Finley even given this option back when his contract was gifted him? Again, loyalty. If he had an ounce of it he would have retired.

[purist]

Bruce coming back and Finley shipped out would indeed be loyalty.

For the legit posters (and also the trolls) who point out Finley was not yet on the roster when Bruce was sent, again, why was Finley even given this option back when his contract was gifted him? Again, loyalty. If he had an ounce of it he would have retired.

this is an irrational arguement, as many on this forum tend to be.

[FromWayDowntown]

Bruce coming back and Finley shipped out would indeed be loyalty.

For the legit posters (and also the trolls) who point out Finley was not yet on the roster when Bruce was sent, again, why was Finley even given this option back when his contract was gifted him? Again, loyalty. If he had an ounce of it he would have retired.

By that sort of logic, one wonders why Michael Finley was given that option when David Robinson and George Gervin didn't have such an option in the same year.

If you stop to think about it, though, the Spurs "loyalty" to Bruce Bowen for the 2009-10 season was manifested by the fact that they partially guaranteed his deal for the coming season when they worked out his current contract; Finley got no such assurances.

More than that, the whole "loyalty" nonsense manufactured to continue grinding this axe has yet to fully play itself out. Suppose that Bowen is bought out by the Bucks and returns to San Antonio while Finley's exercise of his option means that he's included in a deal that exiles him to Minnesota or some such. If that happens -- and it's not unrealistic -- Bowen will have gotten the portion of his contract that was guaranteed plus a salary for 2009-10 (more than he thought he would get) AND will be back with the Spurs, while Finley will be playing out the string with a team that has no chance.

Should something like that happen, this thread will look pretty silly.

[Fabbs]

this is an irrational arguement, as many on this forum tend to be.

Yeah, Finley comes over and gets the first le of his career. Showing some appreciation to the Spurs would be irrational.

Instead he has to stay on for two more (three?!) years and rob minutes while losing to Dallas again. And the idiotic Spurs FO and Poop had to offer him that. Get real.

I'm gonna put some air and Riverwalk water in a bottle and call it "Pops Magical Formula". "Drink some of this, and you'll be a Pops Popper for life." $19.95 a bottle. Hump Dumpers Austin address has already ordered a 100 cases.

[Fabbs]

More than that, the whole "loyalty" nonsense manufactured to continue grinding this axe has yet to fully play itself out. Suppose that Bowen is bought out by the Bucks and returns to San Antonio while Finley's exercise of his option means that he's included in a deal that exiles him to Minnesota or some such. If that happens -- and it's not unrealistic -- Bowen will have gotten the portion of his contract that was guaranteed plus a salary for 2009-10 (more than he thought he would get) AND will be back with the Spurs, while Finley will be playing out the string with a team that has no chance.

Should something like that happen, this thread will look pretty silly.

You'll still look silly.

op by Fabbs

So i know Milwaukee can buy out Bowen and we can get him back and I'd welcome Bruce back.
If we don't, and Finley stays,

[L.I.T]

Ah, I see now. You've glommed onto the Bruce Bowen situation to further your irrational hatred of Pop, Finley and the Spurs FO (in the midst of one of the Spurs best offseasons, which gives you little fodder on its own).

Bravo.

[tmtcsc]

I was like many of the people in here who were wondering why Bruce wasn't getting more minutes. I still maintain that they pulled the rug from underneath him a little too soon but hey, I'm not a coach.

The truth is, Bruce was an exceptional athlete who relied on his conditioning, technique and speed to play defense.

2 seasons ago, the Spurs began to notice that Bruce was reaching out and holding his opponents a lot more. That's the first sign that your losing the ability to stay in front of your opponent. That and watching people blow by you.

I guess they decided last year to move away from Bruce and try to win with a different philosophy. I would have liked to have seen Bruce be given more minutes but it wasn't meant to be.

I re-watched some old games and noticed that Bruce was being called for more fouls and that they were coming fast and in bunches. Maybe that's what the coaches saw too.

FWIW

[ChumpDumper]

Has he figured out why Bowen was traded yet?

[Fabbs]

I was like many of the people in here who were wondering why Bruce wasn't getting more minutes. I still maintain that they pulled the rug from underneath him a little too soon but hey, I'm not a coach.

The truth is, Bruce was an exceptional athlete who relied on his conditioning, technique and speed to play defense.

2 seasons ago, the Spurs began to notice that Bruce was reaching out and holding his opponents a lot more. That's the first sign that your losing the ability to stay in front of your opponent. That and watching people blow by you.

I guess they decided last year to move away from Bruce and try to win with a different philosophy. I would have liked to have seen Bruce be given more minutes but it wasn't meant to be.

I re-watched some old games and noticed that Bruce was being called for more fouls and that they were coming fast and in bunches. Maybe that's what the coaches saw too.

FWIW

and the leagues SFs have gotten more athletic and faster, which combined with your posts points could "make" Bruce look slower.

He still outplayed Finley in dimes in the 2009 playoffs.
We'll see if he comes back.

[tmtcsc]

and the leagues SFs have gotten more athletic and faster, which combined with your posts points could "make" Bruce look slower.

He still outplayed Finley in dimes in the 2009 playoffs.
We'll see if he comes back.

I agree, I thought he did outplay Finley. What's worse ? I'm not so sure Finley fouled very much. He wasn't even close enough to the guy he was guarding to do so.

Like I mentioned, I wish Bruce would have gotten more minutes. Maybe he would have found a way to adjust his game. I think the Spurs have decided to move on. Besides, how many players do we have now ? 15 ?

1.Duncan
2.Parker
3.Ginobili
4.Jefferson
5.Dice
6.Hill
7.Finley
8.Mason
9.Mahinmi
10.Bonner
11.Blair
12.McClinton
13.Haislip
14.Hairston
15.Gist

Out:

Udoka
Vaughn
Bowen
Thomas
Williams
Gooden

How much can Gooden expect to make this year from an NBA team ? Is it feasible to bring him in for a vet min ?

Is Splitter going to miraculously be available somehow ?

I think this may be a make or break year for Ian.

[purist]

Yeah, Finley comes over and gets the first le of his career. Showing some appreciation to the Spurs would be irrational.

Instead he has to stay on for two more (three?!) years and rob minutes while losing to Dallas again. And the idiotic Spurs FO and Poop had to offer him that. Get real.

I'm gonna put some air and Riverwalk water in a bottle and call it "Pops Magical Formula". "Drink some of this, and you'll be a Pops Popper for life." $19.95 a bottle. Hump Dumpers Austin address has already ordered a 100 cases.

I presume then that you value "loyalty" enough to would walk away from your job if you were guaranteed $2.5 million.

[Fabbs]

I agree, I thought he did outplay Finley. What's worse ? I'm not so sure Finley fouled very much. He wasn't even close enough to the guy he was guarding to do so.

Like I mentioned, I wish Bruce would have gotten more minutes. Maybe he would have found a way to adjust his game. I think the Spurs have decided to move on. Besides, how many players do we have now ? 15 ?

Is Splitter going to miraculously be available somehow ?

I took McDs' signing as no chance for Splitter this year.
I thought Bruce adjusted his O game as his kick ass fga% reflected. Didn't wipe out his D half step but certainly balanced it out. Better then Finleys not being close enough to foul. Good one.

Another case of "Pops Popper" sent to Humpy in Austin.

[ChumpDumper]

So you still haven't figured out why Bowen was traded?

I guess lame puns and ignorance are all you have.

Cling to them.

[hater]

stop this melodrama.

It's time to nut up and go for another championship

[Trimble87]

Maybe it had to do with the fact the Bruce is going to be 39 years old at the start of next season.

+1

I dont understand this, for years the Spurs faithful have been saying we need to get younger. This offseason the Spurs trade 3 of our oldest players to get Jefferson and yet people still about it.

I love Bruce and would love for him to fill out the roster, even in street clothes, just to have him with the team. But he is 39 years old people. he isnt the same Bruce that shut down Lebron in 07. Let it go.

As for Finley, he had a player option. The team did not choose to let him come back. So im not sure what the complaint is...

[Fabbs]

SA210 and all supporters of Bruce the Spur,

Not sure if the loyal Fin Sniffers/Humpers club has figured it out yet, but Bowen was released from the Bucks and thus is available for minimal. Meanwhile FinHawg is still occupying a roster spot.

We gonna see some loyalty?

[angelbelow]

Take some time to read through the thread, there are a FEW straight answers that are correct.

But pretty much Finley wasn't even under contract when we traded Bowen.

Bucks would save 2 million with Bowen, and 1.5 million with Finley even if they went that direction. Remember, the name of the game for the Bucks was to save money so half a million dollars will make a difference.

I don't see this as a question of loyalty, the FO is paid to make good business decisions and this was a no brainer.

[SonOfAGun]

Spurs being DEFENSE FIRST is modern day rah rah bull .

Maybe now that they have muscle they can get back to it.

[ChumpDumper]

SA210 and all supporters of Bruce the Spur,

Not sure if the loyal Fin Sniffers/Humpers club has figured it out yet, but Bowen was released from the Bucks and thus is available for minimal. Meanwhile FinHawg is still occupying a roster spot.

We gonna see some loyalty?

Probably not.

Since you support the idea so strongly, I have to reconsider my earlier support for bringing Bruce back.

[Fabbs]

Take some time to read through the thread, there are a FEW straight answers that are correct.

But pretty much Finley wasn't even under contract when we traded Bowen.

Bucks would save 2 million with Bowen, and 1.5 million with Finley even if they went that direction. Remember, the name of the game for the Bucks was to save money so half a million dollars will make a difference.

I don't see this as a question of loyalty, the FO is paid to make good business decisions and this was a no brainer.

original post:

So i know Milwaukee can buy out Bowen and we can get him back and I'd welcome Bruce back.
If we don't, and Finley stays,

What loyalty?

It's happened. Now for the waiver process. No team claims him by next Friday and he's free to negotieate for vet mimimum i believe.
So Findawg traded, waived, whatever and Bruce signed?

[Fabbs]

Probably not.

Since you support the idea so strongly, I have to reconsider my earlier support for bringing Bruce back.

What a pathetic backpedal.
You're probably having bake sales to raise money for another team to claim Bowen off waivers.