Getting swept out the playoffs by a good Phoenix Suns team, with whom the Spurs struggled to match up with, doesn't instill any confidence that this Spurs team had any real chance of compe ing with the Fakers. Currently, I believe the gap between Spurs and Fakers is wide. How much that gap is closed is dependent upon how the Spurs fare this summer.
Yes, Gasol IS the best big man on both teams. Bynum has been oft-injured, however he still is a commanding presence when he's in the game. Remember, he's a legit 7'1", takes up a lot of space, and is only 23 years old. If he can get on track with good health, he'll be more than serviceable for years to come. As for Odom, even though he plays SF and has PG skills, he's still 6'10", which makes him a very versatile frontline player. He's a mental midget, but his size and length causes most teams all sorts of matchup nightmares.
The calling card of the Spurs front office is they prefer to draft intelligent, mature players, with demonstrated good character. That said, and all other things being equal, it would be interesting to know how the FO has ranked the SFs in this draft, regardless of classification. My guess is the Spurs probably like the triumverate of Paul George, Xavier Henry, and Luke Babbitt. They probably have all these guys on their radar. I would guess that if they are all gone by #20, I could see the Spurs taking Damion James.
It's fairly obvious that the Spurs are in need of perimeter shooting. To date, the RJ experiment hasn't paid the expected dividends - on either end of the court. One of the reasons RJ failed, besides him being uncomfortable in half-court offense, is he can't space the floor with 3-pt shooting. That's just not his forte. That weapon is desparately needed to open up driving lanes for TP and Manu. A suitable and sizable backup for RJ is needed - especially since none of us knows how much longer the Spurs will be willing to continue the RJ experiment. Therefore, it would be prudent to begin grooming his replacement NOW. The mid-round pick in this draft would afford the Spurs that opportunity.
The Splitter acquisition will certainly help their pick-n-roll offense and interior defense, but I wouldn't go as far as to proclaim him as an instant infusion of athleticism along the frontline. I still believe that is where more minutes for Ian will help in that area. I've seen enough out of him to believe he can provide the additional rebounding, shotblocking, along with some additional low-post scoring and defense.
The Splitter acquisition notwithstanding, the Spurs STILL need to get quicker and more athletic on the wings. In addition to exposing the Spurs inability to defend the pick-n-roll, the Suns also clearly exposed the Spurs overall lack of quickness on the perimeter. Remember, the Spurs have been in gradual defensive decline for the past 3 seasons, as defensive-minded players have been sacrificed for players, who could generate more offense. Time to focus on acquiring players that can help at both ends.
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