Gauge the Spur's success

[Roger Freemason Jr.]

for this coming season (if at all)

I want to know how the far the fans think the Spurs will go.
Don't be pessimistic either, just look at what the Spurs have at hand.

Also, I'd like to hear the fans' thoughts on our new players,
such as, how good will Kawhi be for us?
how good will a post-injury Dasean Butler be for us?
how good will Splitter be with training camp and more experience?
how much better will Neal do this season?

I understand this is troll bait, but if we could ignore the trolls and talk basketball in this thread, it would be much appreciated.

[Hooks]

for this coming season (if at all)

I want to know how the far the fans think the Spurs will go.
Don't be pessimistic either, just look at what the Spurs have at hand.

Also, I'd like to hear the fans' thoughts on our new players,
such as, how good will Kawhi be for us?
how good will a post-injury Dasean Butler be for us?
how good will Splitter be with training camp and more experience?
how much better will Neal do this season?

I understand this is troll bait, but if we could ignore the trolls and talk basketball in this thread, it would be much appreciated.

I'm pretty excited about this upcoming season. I honestly think we got better by trading Hill since it gives us more size with Anderson who I think has a much higher ceiling than Hill. It was clear Hill couldn't really run the point last year, he was also pretty overrated defensively, Neal/Leonard/JA will easily replace his scoring.


Splitter should definitely get more playing time as well, we've got a very good bench now, one of the best in the NBA.


I think Leonard is going to make a pretty big impact next year, just because RJ was soooo ty last year, Leonard is an INSTANT upgrade defensively and he's probably just as good offensively as RJ. RJ brought almost nothing to the team, his passing was crap, his defense etc. Kawhi on the other hand is actually a very good passer and play maker. I think him and JA who is also a pretty good passer (We saw a bit of his passing ability last year) are going to complement each other perfectly.

Leonard also said he gained 15lbs of muscle meaning he's now around 6'7 240lbs which will help him guard big SF's/SG's and even some PF's. He's a very versatile player.



I think we got better in the off season, we FINALLY got a long, defensive minded SF that the Spurs haven't had since Bowen.

If we had Leonard/Anderson playing in the Memphis series I think the Spurs would've taken the Grizz out in 6, just because the added size of JA and KL wouldn't allow Memphis' G/F's to post up on them at will.

The Spurs still need to get a C that can block some damn shots though, that is a must if the Spurs ever hope to win another 'ship.

[Giuseppe]

I think Duncan will take Manu and they'll car pool to the bag store and have Manu fitted for one.

[Ditty]

I think Duncan will take Manu and they'll car pool to the bag store and have Manu fitted for one.

yeah but anyways I think if the NBA agrees on a soft salary cap, and from reports there will still be a MLE around the $3 million mark, then I think we should go after maybe Dalembert or Joel Pryzbilla and Kwame Brown. It would be nice if the Spurs made a hard push for Chandler but Cuban is going to overpay him for whatever he wants, and unless Cuban pisses him off during negotiations I don't think Chandler will end up leaving. I would use Mcdyess and Blair to trade away for another scoring big man, Paul Milsap would be nice, and Utah is intersted in trading him, and they get back Blair who is a less version then him, but has room for improvement, and cheaper contract.

As mentioned above I'm excited about Anderson and Leonard this upcoming season, there defintley going to fill or exceed what George Hill did with the Spurs, and really hope Neal worked on his point guard skills this summer. I don't see RJ getting traded away or being cut by that amnesty clause if it's true until the season is over. I don't think Holt is going to cut RJ a $30 million check unless he knows one of the SF free agents are willing to come to San Antonio.

[DMC]

You cannot gauge it until it's happened or is happening. You can predict, but gauging means getting a feedback.

[Calispursfan11]

Kawhi is going to have a Josh Howard type impact rookie campaign, better than expected but not close to ROY. He's clearly not the same type of player as Howard either - just a similar impact in my opinion. He may work his way up to 20 plus minutes.

Tiago's role will be expanded per Pop's own predictions and promises provided he can get healthy and will likely be an 9 ppg and 8-9 RB guy if he is worked into the offense and stays unhurt. Tony will either redeem himself or start a slow decline in effectiveness. Manu will still be great but more injury prone but he will not be able to hold back because that is the key to his success. Tim will decline another couple of ppg but stay around 8-10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. The Spurs will again win 50 plus games, make the playoffs and it is uncertain but I predict they at least make it to the second round this year, which will be a dogfight that they then have about a 50/50 shot of winning. They win round 2 if the big three are relatively healthy and lose if any one of them is banged up. What happens from there is anybody's guess.

[DPG21920]

You cannot gauge it until it's happened or is happening. You can predict, but gauging means getting a feedback.

So you obviously knew what he meant, so instead of arguing semantics, why not contribute to thread if you are going to take the time to respond?

[DMC]

So you obviously knew what he meant, so instead of arguing semantics, why not contribute to thread if you are going to take the time to respond?

That doesn't make any sense.

[MR.SILVER&BLack]

just gonna have to see what trades or free agent signings happen but as of now no further than the 2nd round. maybe WCF IF they get lucky and face teams with injurys to key players. one thing to look forward too........Duncan breaking magic and the lakers record for most consecutive 50 or more win seasons.

Kawhi is going to have a Josh Howard type impact rookie campaign, better than expected but not close to ROY. He's clearly not the same type of player as Howard either - just a similar impact in my opinion. He may work his way up to 20 plus minutes.

Tiago's role will be expanded per Pop's own predictions and promises provided he can get healthy and will likely be an 9 ppg and 8-9 RB guy if he is worked into the offense and stays unhurt. Tony will either redeem himself or start a slow decline in effectiveness. Manu will still be great but more injury prone but he will not be able to hold back because that is the key to his success. Tim will decline another couple of ppg but stay around 8-10 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. The Spurs will again win 50 plus games, make the playoffs and it is uncertain but I predict they at least make it to the second round this year, which will be a dogfight that they then have about a 50/50 shot of winning. They win round 2 if the big three are relatively healthy and lose if any one of them is banged up. What happens from there is anybody's guess.

ROY is pretty much up in the air this year. cavs, pistons, & bobcats are crowded at the PG position so count out Irving, Knight, & Walker. williams will have trouble as long as beasleys still in minni, lol same for Kanter with utah having 4 other bigs that demand big minutes. If kawhi starts for most of the season & puts up respectable #'s then he has just as good a chance as any lottery pick this year.

[ElNono]

That doesn't make any sense.

[Calispursfan11]

just gonna have to see what trades or free agent signings happen but as of now no further than the 2nd round. maybe WCF IF they get lucky and face teams with injurys to key players. one thing to look forward too........Duncan breaking magic and the lakers record for most consecutive 50 or more win seasons.




ROY is pretty much up in the air this year. cavs, pistons, & bobcats are crowded at the PG position so count out Irving, Knight, & Walker. williams will have trouble as long as beasleys still in minni, lol same for Kanter with utah having 4 other bigs that demand big minutes. If kawhi starts for most of the season & puts up respectable #'s then he has just as good a chance as any lottery pick this year.

I agree Kawhi has an outside shot if he can get good minutes, but I think the Spurs' rotation is going to limit him. So if he can get some playing time, possibly, but I think he'll be at a disadvantage to some of the guys who are write in starters on bad teams. Good post though - insightful. Thanks.

[DPG21920]

That doesn't make any sense.

You are a valued member of this board and probably handsome as well.

[G-Dawgg]

I think Kawhi will help immensly with his defense, rebounding, versatiliy and compe ivness. The things he will bring to the table will not necessarily show up on the boxscore, but he will easily help the Spurs just by being on the court because he is just such a compe or and he can do so many things that that the Spurs have been sorely lacking.

[therealtruth]

I don't think the Spurs are that far off. They were on pace for 70 wins before January. They were #1 in offensive efficiency last season. On offense they have to go back to pushing the ball and getting RJ easy transition opportunities. They have a core of a team that beat the Mavs a season ago. The Mavs made the right moves and got better defensively and won a championship. The Spurs have to do the same thing. They need to get better defensively. Playing Splitter alongside Duncan is going to improve the post and team defense. And playing guys like Leonard and Anderson will improve the wing defense. They still need a defensive big to replace Dice. Bonner should get spot minutes and Blair needs to be able to provide rebounding and energy of the bench.

The coaching has to improve. Pop has to focus more on defense even using zone more if it makes sense. He's got to be more dynamic and can't keep sticking to the same things if they're not working. He's got to insist they keep pushing the ball. He's got to make sure he takes those late game timeouts and makes sure everyone understands what to do.

[DMC]

You are a valued member of this board and probably handsome as well.

This isn't about me.

I'm just here to talk basketball.

[acoelho1]

Well, the big three are a year older so the supporting cast will have to show enough improvement to put us in the top tier of the western conference. I believe Anderson/Splitter will be the keys to our success and their development will dictate how well we do. As far as Leonard, I don't expect much simply because Coach Pop hates playing rookies.

Also, I still think we need another big and a back up point guard to round out the roster. I just don't see Neal playing point even if it's for a limited basis.

Having said all that I believe we will make the playoffs and be in the top 4 teams in the western conference and maybe even as high as 2 or 3.

[SA210]

we go nowhere without defense

[portnoy1]

we go nowhere without defense

Exactly, Spurs need to do whatever to upgrade at the starting PG position then put defensive role players in the system. Theirs an insane amount of athletic SF/PF and C's available, and not very expensive either. The problem is, they need to hit that 16-17ft jumper with consistency. Something that wasn't a requirement when the Spurs were playing D back 4-5yrs ago.

Oberto wasn't consistent, Mohammed couldn't shoot at all and Rasho was up and down when it came to his jumpshot. Thats when the Spurs were shutting teams down and beating them by suprise.

[therealtruth]

Well, the big three are a year older so the supporting cast will have to show enough improvement to put us in the top tier of the western conference. I believe Anderson/Splitter will be the keys to our success and their development will dictate how well we do. As far as Leonard, I don't expect much simply because Coach Pop hates playing rookies.

Also, I still think we need another big and a back up point guard to round out the roster. I just don't see Neal playing point even if it's for a limited basis.

Having said all that I believe we will make the playoffs and be in the top 4 teams in the western conference and maybe even as high as 2 or 3.

Neal and Manu can probably alternate playing point like Hill and Manu did in 2010. Neal's passing is actually better than Hill. He can be an actual playmaker. He started doing it last season when team tried running him off his spots.

[acoelho1]

Neal and Manu can probably alternate playing point like Hill and Manu did in 2010. Neal's passing is actually better than Hill. He can be an actual playmaker. He started doing it last season when team tried running him off his spots.

I was not overly impressed with Neal's playmaking ability and his handles are not the strongest. However, I do agree that Manu could play that role but I would prefer to lessen his time at the postion with all the bumps and bruises that come along when going through the lane.

I haven't been following free agency so I don't know who out there is worth getting so perhaps the Neal/Manu combination will be our best option.

[DMC]

There's no reason the Spurs cannot be a good regular season team again. I don't see them doing anything noteworthy in the playoffs without some changes to their recent philosophy however (and probably to their lineup as well). If they decide early on to focus on defense, they probably will finish middle of the playoff pack in the West, maybe lower, however they will have a better shot at actually doing something once they get there, injuries notwithstanding of course.

This doesn't factor in the obvious intangibles like how good the new acquisitions will be, or how players like Blair and Splitter develop as the season progresses.

[therealtruth]

That's exactly what they should have done this season. They should have sacrificed regular season wins if necessary to make sure they improved their defense and Splitter got integrated. There's no reason game 4 was one of the few times Splitter and Duncan were playing together. You can see the defensive potential of that frontline. But Pop didn't want to play him because he felt it was unfair to everyone else. Alot of people saw they weren't improving like the Spurs usually do and their defense was bad. Pop refused to do anything about instead going for the fool's gold of the best regular season record. There has to be balance there. Pop likes to use injuries as an excuse but since January the Spurs play had started to drop.

[Kool Bob Love]

Playoffs.
Oh and nice avy OP. I want that shirt.

[DeadlyDynasty]

We probably won't see another fool's gold regular season out of the Spurs again for quite some time. Lakers, Mavs, Thunder, Grizzlies, and maybe even the Nuggets and Blazers are all better teams with younger or more productive cores. As for the playoffs, they are clearly a one-and-done team as they stand now--unless their rookies make a huge splash.