Ticket 760: Richard Jefferson to re-sign next week.

[4>0rings]

I don't mind RJ... he can only improve from last year it was so bad. Bonner??? Really??? A couple mil more and they could of landed Shaq?

[Muser]

seriously? a bad fit KILLS your team...like it did last year.

Starting RJ >> Starting Devin Brown/Keith Bogans.

[bigzak25]

good news then.

Duncan
Splitter
Jefferson (The man better find his 3 pt touch)
Hill
Parker


Manu
McDyess
Blair
Bonner
Anderson

LLE
Vet Min.

Roster is just about set.

Sure would love Shaq with the LLE since RJ will seemingly be back.

Otherwise, get the best SF or big available for the LLE and use the last roster spot for the backup backup PG.

[Muser]

So did Juan Carlos Navarro and Walter Hermann...

So did Manu Ginobili.

[DPG21920]

DPG I'm with you mostly on this topic but I disagree with you here. I don't really see any attainable UFA options that would benefit the Spurs now more than Jefferson. I agree he's a terrible fit but I don't see too many guys left that are a better fit for this season.

I maintain the ideal scenario was to trade RJ for a TE and then turn that TE into Morrow or Matthews. However since that seems terribly unlikely at this point, I think RJ is the best SF option for next year.

Still we are in agreement that he will kill them in years 2 through whatever, and the Spurs should have (and hopefully did) exhaust every possible avenue to getting something of value for him.

So there are no UFA's that are either better 3 PT shooters or better perimeter defenders than RJ? If one of those is out there, then imo that is better. If there is one who is better at both, then that is more than enough to get what you need imo.

Now, we don't know who can actually be had for the LLE or what ever portion of the MLE will be left after Tiago (if any), but I just don't think the impact and production will be that hard to replace with very little money because RJ was such a bad fit.

I very well could be wrong. We will see. I just don't think, even if it is true that RJ is the best option, that it is worth a long-term deal to keep him.

[tuncaboylu]

So now you believe me. I wasn't just making stuff up.

Ok then.

[DPG21920]

DUDE SERIOUSLY.. I NOW CLAIM DPG21920 is as sourpuss and annoying as his avatar in this site!!!!!.

Man Definetely he ok last season and yes you will eat your words. As much i didnt like Jefferson last season he will do ok!! He will not average 19-20 points because we have a lot of option to score next season!! Pay attention to the intangible that he will do next season!! He will improve and many years to come.

Well, I dig your style to man. Got the whole foreign poster thing going.

[Kori Ellis]

I don't think we can make that conclusion until we see the details of the contracts. Spurs had 6 guys guaranteed at $51 million, which gave them $19 million to play with. If Splitter got $5 mil, Bonner $3 mil, and Jefferson $7 mil, that's still $4 million to play with to get 4 roster spots. Considering the Gee/Temple/Hairston/Jerrells in the pipeline, as well as Anderson and maybe Richards, $1 mil per spot for 4 spots is very do-able.

I assume Splitter gets the full MLE ($5.8M?) and Bonner about $3.2M. So if Jefferson gets $7M, that leaves four spots for $3M. Doable? Sure, but I was hoping they'd spend the LLE on someone. Either way.. they are very close to luxury tax with keeping Bonner.

[Obstructed_View]

I assume Splitter gets the full MLE ($5.8M?) and Bonner about $3.2M. So if Jefferson gets $7M, that leaves four spots for $3M. Doable? Sure, but I was hoping they'd spend the LLE on someone. Either way.. they are very close to luxury tax with keeping Bonner.

But Bonner spreads the floor. There's nothing more important for the Spurs than to have at least two people throwing the ball at the hoop from 24 feet away.

[TD 21]

Bonner is said to be getting a slight raise. My guess is $3.5 million. No more than $4 million.

They'll either trade McDyess for an SF or combo forward or forgo acquiring an SF, keep McDyess, have quality big man depth and have Pop mess it up by playing mad scientist with the rotation.

My guess is they go with the latter. It's clear they hold Hairston in higher esteem than many and as such, I expect a combination of him, Anderson and Ginobili to play backup SF.

[ElNono]

Hill will be better because that's what good players do, they get better. Like how he got better from his rookie year to his second year.

I don't disagree, but at the same time we already know he's no superstar. He played a great series against Dallas, but disappeared against the Suns. I'm not sure what certainty you have it's not going to happen again.

Blair will be better because he'll know the system and have a years worth of experience.

I love Blair, but his minutes went to Bonner. Now we resigned Bonner for a good chunk of change (or so they say), so I don't see that changing either.
Plus Blair doesn't help you against the tall teams in this league (like the Lakers).

I said hopefully Jefferson is better because it'll be his second year with the Spurs and historically players take a year to get with it.

A smaller contract is not going to give him his lateral quickness back, or teach him how to give a crap defending. It might stop him from ill advised cuts to the basket though. Then again, like many people said, I don't think there was a clear cut better option out there (short of a S&T), so you live with it.

Because Dice has produced throughout his NBA career while Ian, for whatever reason, hasn't.

I like Dice, but he's getting long in the tooth. Against some teams Dice will suffice, but teams are getting younger and more athletic, and at some point the bottom will fall off.

Ian never had an NBA career per se, so it's hard to say how he would perform. He's no a Spur anymore, so I don't really care where he goes from here.

Yes, it's a stretch for me to proclaim someone regarded as the best big man overseas who just won a championship and MVP to be better than Dice. Come on now.

Scola was all that and it took him at least a season to fit into the NBA game. Some of those same guys (Navarro and Hermann, that I listed earlier) never did end up fitting at all. So yeah, it's a stretch. I sincerely hope he does play awesome, but I'm a little more realistic in that is going to take a while to get there.

[ElNono]

So did Manu Ginobili.

And Manu was great in his first season, but he couldn't crack the starting lineup. It takes a while to adapt to the NBA game.

[EricB]

And Manu was great in his first season, but he couldn't crack the starting lineup. It takes a while to adapt to the NBA game.

Only because he had Stephen Jackson and Bruce Bowen in front of him..

[Muser]

And Manu was great in his first season, but he couldn't crack the starting lineup. It takes a while to adapt to the NBA game.

I agree, but i'd put my house on Splitter being >>>>>>>>>> Walter Hermann.

[Nathan89]

Damn, it's like the FO decided to release all this information in a bundle.

They do not want to make the fans suffer. All at once and real quick like a band-aid.

[Buddy Holly]

Scola was all that and it took him at least a season to fit into the NBA game. Some of those same guys (Navarro and Hermann, that I listed earlier) never did end up fitting at all. So yeah, it's a stretch. I sincerely hope he does play awesome, but I'm a little more realistic in that is going to take a while to get there.

Scola averaged 10/6 his rookie year.

That's better than what Dice gave us last season.

[Buddy Holly]

Only because he had Stephen Jackson and Bruce Bowen in front of him..

Jackson yes, Bowen, no. Bowen was a three not a shooting guard.

[ElNono]

Scola averaged 10/6 his rookie year.

That's better than what Dice gave us last season.

Yeah, Dice also played 3 less minutes, and was not the focal offense in the frontcourt. Scola took almost 200 more shots in his rookie season than Dice did for us last year. If you think we're going to make Splitter the focal point of our frontcourt offense, I want you to pass me what you're smoking.

[ElNono]

Only because he had Stephen Jackson and Bruce Bowen in front of him..

You mean Jax... Bruce was the 3 on that team.

[ElNono]

I agree, but i'd put my house on Splitter being >>>>>>>>>> Walter Hermann.

I really hope so. However, claiming his impact before playing a single minute of NBA action is jumping the gun a little.

[Muser]

Hermann and Splitters games are so different, Splitters game should translate much better to the NBA.

Here's praying anyway.

[ElNono]

Anyways, to round up what we were talking about, the only real unknown with potential to really excel is Splitter. We know what everybody else bring to the team. I don't know you could say we 'improved a lot' this offseason with just that.

[angelbelow]

I don't think RJ fits that well with the Spurs (on or off the court) nor do I think he likes it in SA much. However, he's probably the best the Spurs can do for the money. So I don't mind him staying. However, he needs to really work on buying into the system and not destroying the spacing.

I'm just surprised about one thing...with re-signing RJ, signing Splitter, and re-signing Bonner, they put themselves back in luxury tax territory. I'm just kind of shocked that Holt would want to play the luxury tax just to keep Bonner...Matt must be really good friends with Duncan

Well im still hoping the numbers for Bonner are wrong. I dont see how they can justify giving him that kind of money.. esp since i dont think hes worth on the market.

[Russ]

I think RJ is redeemable. Like a kid from a bad background who finally sees the light.

RJ is humbled and redeemable.

Splitter will be significant. Upside, Gasol-light. Downside, Scola.

And that ain't bad.

And Bonner. . .

Bonner. . .

Well, you can't have everything.

[MaNu4Tres]

I love it