Five Step Rebuilding Plan

[DesignatedT]

What a 180 we have here

He got his 2nd chance and still didn't deliver.

[angelbelow]

Obviously, this is really, really, really early and I have kept myself from thinking about it until now ... but here is my five step rebuilding plan to turn this squad into a legit contender. Please post yours.

1. Start Tiago Splitter next to Tim Duncan and bring DeJuan Blair off the bench as the first big. Splitter needs to play big minutes in an attempt to revitalize the defense. Blair's explosiveness and energy will be great if he buys into the bench role. And his size won't be too much of an issue if he's playing mostly next to Splitter or Duncan.

2. Send Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson to the bench. Ginobili needs to conserve his body in the regular season. And I think he can be just as productive to the success of the team by giving the Spurs the best bench punch in the league. As for RJ, you'd obviously try to trade him but that won't happen. Playing him off the bench at least makes it so that anything he gives you is a bonus. He can't be relied upon, as was reinforced in this series.

3. Let George Hill, Gary Neal, James Anderson, Danny Green and Da'Sean Butler fight for starting spots. Bring in other young wings who are hungry to join the fight. To get back to a true championship level, the Spurs will need a couple swingmen to emerge.

4. Don't rely as much on three-pointers. I'll take 50 playoff-style wins over 60 fun-and-gun wins if it means the team is built for postseason success.

5. Don't panic too much. It's not time to start over. The Big 3 needs to be remained intact at all costs. Find a group of role players willing to compete. Revert to a playoff style strategy. Try again.


What would you do?

Thanks.

Not much to add here. I don't think we can trade RJ either.. so bringing him off the bench makes sense here. I would keep Manu as a starter.

At this point I don't think any significant changes to our roster is realistic. No one is gonna take RJ or Bonner and we probably won't spend the MLE (Although I hope we do if the right piece comes along.)

[celldweller]

1. Keep the big 3.

2. Keep developing Hill, Splitter, Neal and Anderson.

3. Find a perimeter Defender. Chris Singleton from Florida State would be awesome I'm a huge fan.

4. Package bad contract Richard Jefferson with great contract Dejuan Blair for a low post scorer or shot blocker. Only way to possibly get rid of Jefferson's contract and Blair is too short anyway.

5. Like timvp said ditch offensive style for defensive philosophy even if it results in less wins and lower seed.

6. Bonner has to go. If he is on the spurs Coach Pop will give him minutes and we all know how that will turn out come playoff time. He works hard. I have nothing against the guy, but he just is not a championship caliber team roll player.

7. Some luck and Health. Sucks, but it's clearly a factor.

Basically Spurs need a low post scorer and a wing defender. Probably two of the toughest players to find.

Totally Agree.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

At this point, ed if I know. Seems to me that aging players without any athleticism are being left behind in the modern NBA, so it might just be time to blow it all up (except Tim - he gets to do whatever he chooses - he has earned that right). Then again, what could we get for Manu and Tony? Depends on the offers. I'm going to have to think things over before I decide anything.

One thing is for certain though - as I said before this season even started, the RJ contract is a ing albatross and was a nightmare decision. Imagine if, as I suggested, we'd just let him play out this year for 15mil (or whatever it was)... we'd now be able to jettison his useless arse. Instead, he will hamstring our rebuilding for at least 2 more years. .

[Obstructed_View]

Duncan might not be mobile, but he is, at absolute worst, a top five defender in the league. It's not a coincidence that the one time in the last five years that the Spurs bothered to have someone beside him who was remotely capable of playing passable NBA defense, they won a le. He was clearly fresh during the playoffs, so removing him as the offensive focal point was a step in the right direction.

BTW, it might take Neal to get someone to take RJ. Would you do it?

[Stringer_Bell]

I suppose I shouldn't have been so shocked that our offensive arsenal was totally absent this series, but the fact is we need to play smarter than just great regular season offense. That means...

1) Renewed emphasis on post-game and shooting late into the shot clock. Limiting the possessions of the other team and putting ourselves in a position to grab as many boards as possible off missed shots. That means...
1a. Get rid of Bonner.
1b. Start Splitter no matter how clumsy he looks at some points in the game.
2) Preserve Manu. That means...
1a. Like Timvp said, bring him off the bench with RJ for the bench punch from .
3) Stop living and dying by the 3. That means...
1a. Be content with Neal/Anderson being our designated 3-pt shooters in the starting line-up (with TP/Manu/Splitter putting up points in the paint).
2a. Be content with Manu/RJ/Hill as our designated 3-pt shooters off the bench that can also get into the paint while Blair/Dice/Young Defensive Big to be determined focus on rebounds and tip-ins.

I dunno if all that is asking too much, maybe we really are done and I don't want to give up the ghost. But there was a total shift in tone that makes me feel like this team was sabatoged after Pop started ing with the line-up and kept playing Bonner after the injury. Ughhhhhhhhh.

[baseline bum]

I really really don't want to see Tim ever in another jersey, but I also don't want to see 2-3 years of being a 7-9 seed and drafting at 16-18 every year either, and then 3-5 years of total suckage. I really hate either option.

[200 miles]

1. Fire Pop

2. Hire Mike Brown

3. Sign Ryan Richards

4. Waive Bonner

5. Waive Bonner

[DesignatedT]

BTW, it might take Neal to get someone to take RJ. Would you do it?

Depends what we will end up getting in return. Blair could be a piece to throw in as well.

[Borosai]

I think a Reloading Plan is more accurate. And we're talking about competing for a championship right?

1) Move Duncan to center where he will split minutes with Splitter. We clearly saw in this series that the Spurs simply don't have a go-to post player. Duncan has his moments, but it's not enough. And Splitter doesn't appear to have the offensive polish to score consistently down there, especially one-on-one.

2) Get a PF that can become that post presence the Spurs need. This is the most difficult part, and possibly impossible, but if the Spurs want a championship, they must be able to hold their own offensively in the paint. Duncan and Splitter would be a great defensive duo at the 5, but the points have to come from somewhere. Blair would be great as the backup PF, and should do really well if he doesn't go into Pout Mode. I like Bonner, and I always root for him, but if the Spurs can trade his contract for a more complete player, they'd have to do it. I want to see the Spurs dominate the paint again, and they'll need to get the right players to do it. Stretch 4s aren't it. Sadly, Dice should retire at this point.

3) Bench Jefferson. He is so invisible out there, but perhaps he'll find his nuts against 2nd stringers. His contract will be impossible to move, so make the best of it and trade his expiring contract when the time comes.

4) Find a starting SF. Maybe Butler will turn into a steal. But whomever they find, please let him be tall. Enough with this small ball crap. Neal and Ginobili shouldn't be defending small forwards. , find a one-dimensional, defensive specialist with the ability to defend 1-4. The Spurs need a shutdown defender on the perimeter. They can score in other ways.

5) I agree about sending Manu to the bench once again. We all know the pros by now.

6) I would love to see Anderson take over the starting job at SG. He has great size and talent. If he stays healthy and fit, he should be able to hold his own. Every time I see him out there, I notice how long he looks. That is never a bad thing in the game of basketball. Gary Neal should be the designated shooter: come in, shoot.

7) Trade Hill if possible. Yeah, I like him too, but he's way too inconsistent. He plays so soft and passive at times it's not easy to take. He has good value at the moment, and wouldn't be difficult to move. Anderson, Ginobili and Neal can easily handle SG duties.

8) Parker is fine. He struggled recently, but he's still the Spurs' most consistent scorer. He'll be fine.

9) Backup PG. They don't have one. Instead they have 2s handling the ball, and that sucks. Get a PG --any PG-- with a decent game. This may not be as important as other things, but it would help the team's flow a lot. Quinn could be the 3rd PG if necessary.

10) Pop needs to get his together and revert back to the system that those championship teams were built upon. Don't have the players? Get them. Can't get them? Well, it then. We'll have to wait to rebuild after a few more years.

IMHO.

[stealthjbravo]

Acquire Lucas Nogueira and build this team around him and Tiago Splitter. Thats our twin towers for the next 10 years. Keep Tim around to teach and develop those two.

[HarlemHeat37]

The problem is that some of these "plans" for "ideal" players are ignoring a crucial part of the team: the coach..Pop has not given any indication that he is in favor of bringing in some of these players that play the "ideal" style of play(in the opinion of the fanbase)..

[GrandeDavid]

Good plan, TimVP, and the most realistic.

[Obstructed_View]

I don't understand the impulse to put Manu back on the bench. Up until Pop decided to play him in an utterly meaningless game, where he suffered a freak injury, he was perfectly healthy and perfectly fresh for the postseason. The only way this makes any sense is if you decide that Parker/Anderson is a better starting lineup, and you only know that after you let them play together for a while.

Duncan and Splitter do not play the same position. The absolute biggest mistake of this season was thinking that's the case. Duncan can play 12-15 feet from the basket and still be able to defend. He needs someone with length beside him.

[TDMVPDPOY]

hill + rj + bonner for granger + fillers...do it

[Mugen]

BTW, it might take Neal to get someone to take RJ. Would you do it?

If all it takes is gary neal to move RJ then you jump for ing joy.

I love Gary and he showed some balls in this series but RJ was so absolutely worthless in this series that i would send anybody outside of the big 3 to get rid of him.

It was ing disgusting to watch him play out there.

They need to take the 2002 and 2003 MVPs from Timmy and give it to Jason Kidd for making RJ appear like a decent player in NJ and not the POS vagina that he's turned into now.

O pts
1 Reb
0 asts

In a game to save your ing season. Absolute disgrace to that jersey he is wearing.

[Obstructed_View]

BTW, Mike Brown. The last thing the Spurs need is a Pop disciple. They need a young coach that focuses on defense and has ties to the team.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

I agree with many here but most importantly if the Spurs want to compete in the West they need to get bigger at all costs and I mean just with Splitter and Duncan it can't be done. The Spurs need 1 or 2 more real bigs - over 6'10 and good weight - in order to get out of the west.

I think the backup PG and big wing is secondary to getting big in 4 and 5 position.

This point guys has been the demise of the Spurs since 2007.

[Chomag]

Duncan might not be mobile, but he is, at absolute worst, a top five defender in the league. It's not a coincidence that the one time in the last five years that the Spurs bothered to have someone beside him who was remotely capable of playing passable NBA defense, they won a le. He was clearly fresh during the playoffs, so removing him as the offensive focal point was a step in the right direction.

BTW, it might take Neal to get someone to take RJ. Would you do it?

Yep, the reason why Timmy's defence has not dropped off becuase he plays defence with his brain and not his body. He blocks so many shots yet his feet hardly get off the floor. He should go down in NBA history as one of the most smart Basketball players of all time.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Bonner can't be on the roster when next season starts. Pop will go back to that scrub ass who has no business being in our rotation, let alone the first big off the bench. It's the Finley principle - as long as he's around, Pop will trot him out there to get abused.

[outmap]

1. http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMa...radeId=3kxskq9 THIS! Add the Spurs first round pick if necessary.

2. Sign a big and a long-3 for the MLE and LLE.
- Options for MLE Big: Greg Oden, Jonas Jerebko and Samuel Dalembert.
- Options for MLE 3: Wilson Chandler and Thaddeus Young.
- Options for LLE Big: Aaron Gray, Ryan Hollins and Jason Smith.
- Options for LLE 3: Al Thornton, Luc Mbah a Moute and Julian Wright.

3. Ask Duncan for an ETO and re-sign for less.

4. Draft and stash the 2nd round pick. Sign Richards and re-sign Green. Reserve the last slot for the mandatory veteran min signing or D-league developmental signing sometime in the mid-season.

5. Start TD, Splitter, Jack, Manu and TP.
Rotation:
- C Duncan, (MLE/LLE Big), , Splitter, Richards
- PF Splitter, Tyrus, Bonner
- SF SJax, (MLE/LLE 3), Butler
- SG Manu, Green, Neal (midseason vet/d-league signing)
- PG TP, Hill, Neal (midseason vet/d-league signing)

[outmap]

1. http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMa...radeId=3kxskq9 THIS! Add the Spurs first round pick if necessary.

2. Sign a big and a long-3 for the MLE and LLE.
- Options for MLE Big: Greg Oden, Jonas Jerebko and Samuel Dalembert.
- Options for MLE 3: Wilson Chandler and Thaddeus Young.
- Options for LLE Big: Aaron Gray, Ryan Hollins and Jason Smith.
- Options for LLE 3: Al Thornton, Luc Mbah a Moute and Julian Wright.

3. Ask Duncan for an ETO and re-sign for less.

4. Draft and stash the 2nd round pick. Sign Richards and re-sign Green. Reserve the last slot for the mandatory veteran min signing or D-league developmental signing sometime in the mid-season.

5. Start TD, Splitter, Jack, Manu and TP.
Rotation:
- C Duncan, (MLE/LLE Big), , Splitter, Richards
- PF Splitter, Tyrus, Bonner
- SF SJax, (MLE/LLE 3), Butler
- SG Manu, Green, Neal (midseason vet/d-league signing)
- PG TP, Hill, Neal (midseason vet/d-league signing)

[elbamba]

1. Trade Hill because we will probably have to overpay him if he stays. See if you can trade RJ. The Spurs unloaded Rasho and Rose, where there is a will, there is a way.

2. Consider trading TP if the right amount of picks come into play.

3. Move Manu to the bench and start Splitter next to TP.

4. Hire a personal trainer for Anderson so he is in shape coming into the next season.

5. Try to draft a 6' 7'' or 8'' wing that can play defense.

*Hope that Dice hangs in up so we can sign another big man.

[Crazymaddopeyo]

Do you think RJ would trade for a pure defensive guy?

[all_heart]

1. Get bigger and more athletic. Even if it means trading a combination of Hill, Blair and 1 or two other bench players.
2. Dump Bonner.. see above.
3. Dump RJ if possible, dude is too flaky for our style of play.