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I always enjoy reading the enemies impressions of our team. Thanks for posting.
Spurs have too much time on their hands
http://www.examiner.com/x-14479-San-Antonio-Spurs-Examiner~y2009m11d5-Spurs-have-too-much-time-on-their-hands
San Antonio is set to begin their second back-to-back set of games this season with a visit to Utah and Portland starting today. Both nationally televised games, TNT and ESPN respectively, the Spurs will have had four days between games after their home thumping of Sacramento on Saturday.
Only three games into the 82-game schedule, head coach Gregg Popovich wasn’t too excited about having so many days off this early in the season.
“The time you don’t want those breaks is now,” Popovich told reporters at practice on Tuesday. “You want to have them in March, in April.”
Through Wednesday, only Golden State and Milwaukee had played as few games as the Spurs (2-1). In addition, San Antonio’s two home blowout wins have minimized the minutes of veteran All-Stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.
“At least we have practice time.”
Spoken like a true coach.
The Bat Man
With over 1.5 million You Tube hits alone, Manu Ginobili’s legend grew with his Halloween night bat encounter.
“When you can’t dunk anymore, you got to find some way to make it to the news,” Ginobili joked after the game.
Things weren’t so funny, however, when the bat could not be found after the game and no rabies tests could be conducted. Manu is now facing a month-long session of shots for preventative treatment.
“He’s a little sore right now, but better safe than sorry,” Popovich said.
Unless he’s a fan of needles, my guess is Manu is feeling sorry, too.
Eating Crow
While San Antonio declined to pick up the club option on Ian Mahinmi’s rookie deal, the club didn’t hesitate to decide on George Hill. The second year guard out of IUPUI is seeing an expansion of his role and an extension to his contract.
Hill is ninth on the team in minutes played but fourth in field goals attempted and is averaging nearly 12 points off the bench.
Most notably, however, has been Hill’s defense through the first three games. Hill seemed to bother both Chris Paul and Derrick Rose with his quickness and wingspan. His four steals are tied for tops on the team and his three blocks trails only Tim Duncan and Theo Ratliff, who have four apiece.
Hill’s improvement and confidence from year one to year two has this reporter rethinking an earlier assessment.
Based purely on watching the 2007-08 college basketball season, my target was Chris Douglas-Roberts. If Derrick Rose was good enough to be the first overall selection in the 2008 Draft, there was no way CDR should have slipped to the tenth pick of the second round.
I also liked Dallas native Darrell Arthur and Texas A&M center DeAndre Jordan. Both would have brought youth, size, and athleticism to a frontcourt devoid of it.
Point guard? Wasn’t that the team’s youngest, most durable talent?
And wasn’t Mario Chalmers, fresh off helping Kansas win the National Championship, a real one?
Don’t get me wrong, I still think I’m right. Those kids can play and will contribute in the NBA.
But George Hill is beginning to flash some special talent, especially on defense where he is far superior to Tony Parker. His shooting stroke looks smooth and only Richard Jefferson rivals Hill in explosiveness among Spurs who have seen action this year.
I will always measure Hill’s career with the four mentioned previously, and I’m certainly not calling for him to replace Parker, but right now, Hill is looking and playing just fine in a Spurs’ uniform.
Miller Time
During the Los Angeles Lakers’ season opening victory over the cross-town rival Clippers, TNT analyst and former NBA star Reggie Miller declared the Lakers would go 20-1 in their first 21 games.
How’s that going, you ask?
The Lakers proceeded to drop a 94-80 decision to the visiting Mavericks three nights later and have been taken to overtime in their last two contests, at Oklahoma City and at Houston.
However, Miller isn’t wrong yet. Needing to win 19 straight after the Dallas loss, the Lakers (4-1) have reeled off three wins in a row.
I always enjoy reading the enemies impressions of our team. Thanks for posting.
To me, George Hill looks even more lightning fast this year, with an explosiveness that is off the charts.
With this kid's development and potential growing bigger by the day, maybe its time to start thinking of a Tony Parker trade?
I know that idea is not going to met by much approval, but it does two things... propels Hill into a starting job and probably brings in a whale of new talent in trade.
Parker's trade value is probably at its peak right now. The spurs could potentially fill many needs (big time pf/center, athletic wing).
The alternative to getting Hill more minutes is to get him some time at shooting guard, but he wouldn't be as effective that way. He would be too small to take on guys like Kobe Bryant.
Bottom line is this kid has the potential to be an all star, and even better than Parker because of his superior defense. He could be ready to break out as early as this year.
I thought the same even last year, when I proposed the spurs deal Parker for Biedrins and Azuibuke. Biedrins would look pretty good starting alongside Duncan, aye? Azubuike would give them that gritty tough nosed defender on the wing they're lacking.
That is just 1 example of a potential trade. I'm sure there are better ideas out there.
I like needles
Hill was always this fast and explosive..just needed confidence. He has that now.
Just kill me now...please...I thought the same even last year, when I proposed the spurs deal Parker for Biedrins and Azuibuke. Biedrins would look pretty good starting alongside Duncan, aye? Azubuike would give them that gritty tough nosed defender on the wing they're lacking.
Bonner-Hate Intact? Check
Parker-Hate Intact? Check
Trade, Trade, Trade.
Double-Post
Okay if you insist.
Biedrins is one of the best rebounding bigs in the game. Think of much more polished version of Jeff Foster, a guy that ppl have been clamoring to get lately.
Azubuke is a heckuva wing defender and offensive rebounder / clean up man.
Laugh all you want, but fact is, in the in the spurs system these guys could flourish.
Look at what happened to Michael "Peaches" Pietrus once he left Golden State, he's been doing pretty good once he got out of dodge.
you cannot be serious. Why do some people, such as yourself, want to trade away our best players? Don't you guys understand that we already have a lot of talent? You guys want to go younger and whatever the else, but look at a team like OKC, they've got talent and they're real young. That doesn't mean nothing in this league, just that they can run faster while losing.
Trading Parker is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You say that right now Parker is probably at his prime. Oh, ok then, let's trade a superstar in his prime for a couple of good players, and as soon as any of our other prospects turn into superstars, we'll trade them away immediately for some more decent players. Then, we can join the rest of the league in an endless cycle of "buy low, sell high" and never actually win anything. Holy crap, how ridiculous.
i feel the same about hill-he no longer makes me wonder about the others that may have gotten away.
I don't think its too outlandish of a concept. The spurs are loaded with offensive minded players, too many in fact as was mentioned already (by Bruno I believe). The one real "great" defensive player they have (George Hill) is getting limited minutes in backup duty. As the bulls game showed, they are getting murdered on the offensive glass and they have no wings outside of Jefferson who can pay a lick of defense.
This move allows Hill to move into a starting role and get double his minutes a starter and plugs in a strong shotblocking/rebounding center and wing players to help keep the other teams' offensive rebounding to a minimum.
For Finley and Bonner, not for our All-NBA point guard.
Just tried on ESPN trade
A. Biedrins, K. Azubuike, & Acie Law
for
T. Parker and M. Bonner -- SUCCESSFUL
This one works too:
Parker, Bonner, Finley
for
Biedrins, Law, and Jackson
I don't get it, trading a top 3 at best, top 5 at worst, PG for two role players who was most definitely a product of a fast-paced system?
Biedrins has very little post game, gets most of his rebounds through quickness and athleticism, can't shoot from more than 10 feet out (3/10 from outside that range the WHOLE season), and very overpaid. He is basically overrated based on the stats he puts up. Rumours about him being traded for Stoudemire or Bosh speaks either to how bad the Suns and Raptors GMs are, or how out of touch GS fans are (like Spurs fans)
Azubuke is a good defender, can shoot well from outside, but lacks control and restraint on the offensive end, is essentially a volume shooter, and not particularly intelligent or productive without the ball.
Biedrins is a don't touch with a ten foot pole sort of player with his salary, and Azubuke, at best, is a Trevor Ariza level talent.
This is a CLEAR dollar for two quarters trade. Unless Parker demands a trade and become extremely destructive, you don't do anything like this.
congratulations. I am glad to hear you can succesfully use the trade machine.
With the Parker & Stephen Jackson trade Hollinger's "system" even predicts 6 less wins for the warriors.
Not that I'm taking that seriously... just saying
I think it's clear you get Biedrins for his shotblocking and defense. Which he excels at. He still gives you 7-10 points a game same as Bonner. He's going to give you some offensive rebouding too.
As for Azubuike.. you could have said the same about Pietrus on the warriors too... its amazing how Michael's doing once he left there isn't it?
In the spurs system these two players could thrive and fill glaring deficiencies in the spurs lineup.
I'm not saying this is the end all be all trade. Just trying to get people to think outside the box.
One thing is for sure.. having Bonner starting and Finley getting "extended minutes" as Pop "experiments" with lineups will end up with Duncan burned out or injured by the end of season. He cannot make up defensively for these two players' deficiencies.
This is what the spurs would look like after that Parker/Fin/Bonner for Jackson/Biedrins/Law
C Biedrins / McDyess
PF Duncan / Blair
SF Jefferson / Ginobili
SG Jackson / Mason Jr
PG Hill / Acie Law
Fillers: Hairston / Bogans / Ratliff
Now that looks like a team that can suffocate teams defensively, as well as still score alot of points. Duncan won't be relied on to make up for so much deficiency by Bonner and Finley so that will ease the burden on his shoulders.
I know everyone loves Tony Parker and all, but I would do this trade in a heartbeat.
Bookmarked for future reference.
Me too. I'll have nice dreams thinking about that lineup. And then I'll wake up to the reality of Bonner and Finley in the starting lineup.
Didn't get to watch the last game, can anyone tell me if Hairston or mahinimi were in street clothes? Thanks
Hairston, Haislip, and Mahinmi have been in street clothes for all three games.
This is the same garbage spewed by pundits who said we should have traded our #1 pick (Duncan) for I believe the Celtics 2 top 10 picks.
No thanks. You don't trade a Finals MVP. Period. This is the kind of crap the Clippers do, not the SPURS. You don't change horses mid-stream. You build around the nucleus!
This is so rediculous. Some people aren't tradeable in this league, and right now TP is one of them. Ditto that for Tim & Manu.
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