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Sign AI to the vet minimum. Problem solved.
/lock thread
uh oh, converting a SG into PG?
Sign AI to the vet minimum. Problem solved.
/lock thread
I could easily be wrong, but I'm not sold on Anderson yet. And I much rather Neal get the backup minutes behind Manu than him.
Heck, I wouldn't mind trading Anderson and Dice expiring for a serviceable big.
Rather get rid of Blair than Anderson IMO.
You're basically saying you'd rather give a Chris Quinn/Jacque Vaughn type 12-15 minutes a night over Anderson or Leonard.
I don't agree with that.
If they can't alleviate the logjam on the wings by trading Jefferson, then Neal should be the backup PG. Playing a minimal type over Anderson or Leonard is foolish.
But not alleviating the logjam on the wings and going with Neal as a full time backup with a minimal type behind him, is a recipe for disaster. To have any chance of going on a deep run, they're going to need a top three seed. When Parker inevitably get's injured for a few weeks, they would likely be in serious trouble if they were down to Neal/minimum type at PG. Maybe Ginobili plays out of his mind and they don't lose ground, but that will only further wear him out in the process.
This is the exact mentality they've had with the front line in recent seasons, regularly playing guys out of their natural position in order to get their best talent on the floor. The roster needs to be constructed in a way that their best talent is playing their natural position and they're not forcing it, just to get them all on the floor.
Not a Quinn type, but maybe a Vaughn type (sounds much better when you say maybe Earl Watson, IMO). I don't think Leonard will be fighting for minutes with the guards. Under that situation, one of Neal or Anderson will get the backup minutes at SG, and I rather it be Neal right now. I still don't know what Anderson brings to the table at the NBA level.
Wouldn't have a problem with that. Anderson could stay as Manu mid-season injury insurance.
How many 2's do we need to destroy before we just get a real "1"........
lmfao.. neal @ pg..
this .. ive been thru enough pain already
Bruno gets it.
As others have already said, you've made a very compelling argument. On the surface, I STILL don't like it, but considering the factors you've touched on, I see how it's necessary.
I'm still in the camp of those who suggest the Spurs eliminate the roster imbalance by getting rid of RJ + another player (possibly Blair) in exchange for say, Outlaw + Petro or even a true backup PG.
Neal played at a high level all season and has experience as a creator from his college/Europe days. He's not just a 3 point shooter like Mason was, he has decent handles and a nice midrange J/drive to the basket game. That floater was pretty much automatic towards the end of the season.
Give him a chance and we might just be surprised with his passing/decision-making as well.
Sad right.
Roger Mason JR all over again.
More minutes for Neal is fine with me. It's not like Hill was that great as a point guard. In fact, he was horrible in regards to running the team. Neal at least has some BBIQ to make the right pass and read the defense. Without Hill we're worse defensively at that position, but if Leonard plays then maybe the team defense gets better?
Everyone freaking out about RMJ II: The Revenge needs to relax. Basically, this is insulting to Neal. Do people think he's that thin-skinned? He hit one of the most pressure shots of all last season in the playoffs...and we're worried about him choking? Get real. He'll do fine. He'll struggle defensively at times, but he was doing that already and I don't recall any massive protest from the fanbase last year regarding Neal's defense. If anything, people thought the refs weren't giving him a fair shake because he was a rookie.
Another way to look at this: Pop is deciding not to sign some lame over-the-hill backup player so that he can play a younger, better player. Haven't we gone through that too many times in the past? Who wants some useless scrub to play? This is a good sign from Pop! If anything, it makes me think he's coming to his senses rather than his brain is getting filled with ammonia from drinking too much pinot noir.
So far, Neal has made the most out of every earned opportunity. I'd say he's earned this new opportunity. Defense is a concern, but more Neal is a + from this fan's perspective.
Having Neal play some PG isn't ideal but is right in line w/ just about every franchise out there. Detroit w/ Stuckey, GS w/ Stephen Curry, etc. , even OKC w/ Westbrook (he was a 2 guard in college). There are just THAT few true PGs out there. So, using him as a backup isn't bad.
However, I for one advocate Cory Joseph as the primary backup to TP - not Neal. Why? Because the Spurs need a PG not a SG convert to run the offense correctly - someone who can make the correct decisions (which is what being a PG is all about). And Joseph is more of a PG and because he's better defensively than Neal. The Spurs had to see something in him drafting him in the 1st round . . .
We were all saying the same things about TP when he was drafted that we say now about Joseph.
I'll happily subscribe to giving Joseph a try. Unfortunately, inexperienced rookies just don't seem to get much play in their first season under Pop, barring some rare exceptions.
One thing i do like about Neal playing point is that i get the impression that he is a good leader of men. When he would be put in at garbage time with the romper room, you could clearly see him trying to include them in the offense.
when the guard from UNC came in and was on a ten day contract, i remember Neal looking for him in garbage time trying to give him an opportunity.
If i noticed then you can bet the other players do too. People like to play for guys like that.
That being said its still going to be a nightmare watching him have to cover even scrub PG. Really athletic defenders like Memphis shut him down at the SG spot last year and Pop benched him. I hope I am wrong on this but I do not forsee good things overall.
While I see Neil playing some backup pg could be good for Anderson's pt, I'm not so sure about Leonard, as I see him playing the 3 more than anything. I also wonder if getting Leonard didn't heavily influence their pick of Joseph in the 1st round. I believe RC said Joseph was their pick at 29 either way, but I know many people were surprised by this.
Also, if we are able to trade RJ for a starting 4, is Leonard our starting 3, with Butler and/or Green as his backup? I know I have high hopes for Leonard, though it's mostly based on what I've read and the NBA is a brand new world for him.
I'd rather just throw Cory Joseph in the fire and have him develop his PG skills while he's young.
I don't know if asking a 26 year old pure scoring/shooting guard most of his basketball life to play PG on the NBA level, even if it's for 10-15 minutes is a good idea, imo.
lol at all who panic when they hear Neal could play some minutes at PG and claim he could never do this despite not have any clue if he can or can't.
btw. he does have a history playing the point.
he came to college as a PG, but was moved to SG because La Salle had 2 PGs and ahole at SG.
for Treviso he played a combo role, often asked to orchestrate the offense and he did quite well in that role. especially running the P&R. Neals "experience" as PG can be ranked higher than the lone season of Joseph with Texas.
however, Spurs don't have the option to sign a quality back up PG anyhow, what they can do is signing a typical vet. 3rd stringer and I highly doubt that player would be better at running the point than Neal could be.
and about defense: wait and watch what he can do before predicting how 2nd and 3rd string PGs will destroy him with their speed. there are always several options how to defend and depending on match ups there are enough scenarios how to react to such issues. (for example, let's see what Leonard can do in this department. it's sometimes a better strategy to defend speed with length, than speed with speed)
I don't see how having just one PG on our team would be a good thing. Imagine if Parker goes down with an injury late in the season or in the POs. Last season we had only one SF and I didn't like that either. If there is a logjam at one position (SG), then maybe make a trade. On the other hand having Neal and Anderson as SGs is a good thing. Let Manu rest some games, let Neal or Anderson rest some games. It's a long season. If Joseph isn't ready then bring in a cheap backup PG. If Neal is a better PG than him then he should have the minutes there.
But Neal isn't truly a backup PG. He is a natural SG who will likely never have the skillset to be a true PG.
The reason why Spurs think at playing Neal at PG is because he should be paired with Manu at SG. Manu has been a damn great playmaker this past couple of years and he will take a lot of the load in that area of Neal's shoulders.
Like it or not, Manu is a huge part of the equation. The true question to wonder isn't "Can Neal be a PG?", it's "Can a Neal/Ginobili backcourt work?".
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