While looking 80 years younger, lol. Seriously, I don't care if we sign Oden or not but it cracks me up reading some people saying we're already loaded with bigs. That's like a bum saying he won't take $200 worth of a pair of shoes because he's loaded with shoes already despite the fact that they have holes in them and rotten as . Yes, I'm talking about Bonner and Blair.
read that today about oden. suggests he was getting some work done on the court. also suggests his knees did not respond well. team that gets him will have to give him about 12- 15 minutes per game and multiple games off. maybe. maybe his knees hold up. unlikely though.. He also reportedly needed injections in both knees last spring.
Blair is gone and Bonner is fine as a fifth big or fourth in special situations. I'm with the group who'd be up for taking a gamble on Oden, but big man depth is not a concern for the Spurs these days.
Hoops Rumors@HoopsRumors
Bulls Won't Be Able To Retain Malcolm Thomas dlvr.it/3hXJ2P
wasn't he with the toros for a while ?
He played for the Spurs for a few games with a 10 day contract in Jan
This makes no sense. Even if there is only a 1% chance he can even become a 15-20 mpg backup for 60-70 games a season, it's still worth it, especially when you consider how little it'll cost them.
We're talking about an elite rim protector/rebounder. Once Duncan retires, this team won't have anything close to that and suffice it to say, they don't exactly grow on trees. However unlikely it is, I'll take that potential over a fringe player like Baynes.
What you're betting on is that either (1) these are freak accidents that Oden isn't actually especially prone to despite their recurrence, (2) Portland really did cause his injuries to recur by pressuring him to return before he was 100%, or (3), he's prone to injury, but much less so if we keep a lid on his minutes and make him a monster sub off the bench.
(1) doesn't seem all that likely, but there are at least some rumors that credit (2) as the problem, which might mean we could strike gold. And if #3 is true, we potentially get a superior backup for Duncan who is a legit post scorer, defender, and rebounder, and we get him at a bargain rate. Worst case: he's hopelessly fragile or he's lost too much to be an impact NBA player, and we waste a spot on the IR for the season on him -- this is pretty likely, but if the worst thing that happens this year is that we waste a dirt-cheap contract on a guy who doesn't play, I don't exactly think it would ruin our season.
I don't hate the risk analysis involved, personally.
I don't agree with the wasted roster spot, because if Oden is healthy, he is far more dominant than any big other than Tim. You start Oden, move Tiago to the bench and just have more depth (which you can trade or use in the event of injury and managing minutes).
No. You don't waste a roster spot hoping that in a few years he becomes a player who'll never be able to start and who's almost certainly going to deal with injuries in some fashion for the rest of his career. Even if he's healthy, he still hasn't played in three years. Who knows how far his skills have declined since then? Plus, he's not getting 15-20 minutes on the Spurs, at least not when it matters. Duncan will get his, Splitter will take the rest, and the other three bigs who aren't Bonner will get whatever minutes are left next to small-ball.
Oden doesn't help the Spurs; he just doesn't. An "elite" rim-protecting big who can't defend the pick-and-roll is right above two-guard on the list of things the Spurs need.
It doesn't even make sense in the best-case scenario. If in two years Oden blows up and the Spurs want him, they can get him for the eight figures he'll command. There's no reason to be his rehab team.
Oden and Duncan can't play together on defense. If Oden gets into the rotation, he'd be strictly Duncan's backup while Splitter plays the four exclusively and Diaw is strictly Splitter's backup.
Well, I disagree with that overall, but mainly because with the 15th roster spot you should mainly be concerned with getting someone who is an NBA level player. Oden if healthy is more talented than just about everyone on the roster outside of TP/Tim.
You act like a 15th roster spot has incredible value. We're talking about a spot reserved for fringe players. Why wouldn't you give it to someone who, if he can somehow stay healthy, is far superior to that? It doesn't even matter how little a chance that has at happening, considering how little it'll cost. It's common sense.
I'm not talking about next season. Their interest in him is obviously primarily for the post Duncan era, when Duncan isn't around to singlehandedly protect the rim and clean the defensive glass.Plus, he's not getting 15-20 minutes on the Spurs, at least not when it matters. Duncan will get his, Splitter will take the rest, and the other three bigs who aren't Bonner will get whatever minutes are left next to small-ball.
Oden doesn't help the Spurs; he just doesn't. An "elite" rim-protecting big who can't defend the pick-and-roll is right above two-guard on the list of things the Spurs need.
Again, you're not making sense. Let's say, in 14-15, he stays mostly healthy, becomes the fourth big, plays well and is due to cash in . . . don't you think the odds of him signing with the Spurs are much better if he'd had two years in the organization already? This isn't a prime free agent destination; they need any leg up they can get on those that are.It doesn't even make sense in the best-case scenario. If in two years Oden blows up and the Spurs want him, they can get him for the eight figures he'll command. There's no reason to be his rehab team.
Camby's situation might have an impact on Oden. Bulls, Rockets and heat are said to be favorites to sign Camby. If Heat got him, they might be out of the picture for Oden like Cavs were once they signed Bynum.
Miami still have the $3.18M taxpayer MLE to offer at Oden but, because of the luxury tax, it will cost them $11M to do so. I'm skeptical they are willing to spend that much on him. Pelicans and Kings could offer him the room exception of $2.65M which will be more money that Spurs min salary offer.
Oden will go where the money is in two years. Whether that team was his rehab team is likely not going to make a difference. They'll only have his Early Bird Rights and wouldnt' be able to give him more than the MLE unless they have cap space. Therefore a team like the Spurs with all of their projected cap room has a leg up over most of his potential rehab teams.
If the Spurs had the money to give Oden a three- or four-year deal with the expectation that he could come in eventually and contribute, that'd be one thing. But that's not what's going to happen. They'd be giving him a contract hoping that he becomes good enough to re-sign him to a huge deal in a couple of years. And in the process, they'll be either cutting Baynes (whom I'm not that high on anyway) or taking away a roster spot that Neal or Leonard's backup would get. The 15th spot on the Spurs (as we're calling it; Mills is really the 15th man and De Colo is 14th) is more valuable than it is on most teams. It's not something you waste on a player like Oden just because he flashed potential four years ago.
^^ unless an oden signing is the catalyst for other moves
Oden, if healthy, in shape, mentally sound and up on the playbook with no lingering effects may be more talented than most of the Spurs' players, but that's too many ifs for a guy who's been functionally out of the league for four years.
Sure, which is why he would be whatever the league min is for a guy with his experience.
Yeah, but the Spurs will have plenty of money in two years and given how highly regarded they are as an organization, especially for taking care of players physically (which is obviously a big priority for him), I can't see him leaving.
I seriously doubt he ever works his way up to a "huge deal". He's not going to miraculously become physically capable of 30 mpg for 75 games a season. The absolute best that can probably be hoped for is what I described.
His roster spot wouldn't come at the expense of bringing in a depth SF (and that's all it's going to be; the Belinelli signing cliched them going without a true backup SF in the rotation), it would inevitably come at the expense of Baynes, who should be easily trade able. With Duncan, Splitter, Diaw, Bonner and Pendergraph, plus Leonard (and potentially whatever depth SF they bring in, depending on their size) for small ball, they wouldn't need to rely on him at all. His only opportunity for minutes would be if Duncan or Splitter were injured or if they were giving Duncan a game off.
As I said, as the third center, that's one thing. As the 15th man (meaning the last roster spot), I think it'd be a huge waste. Moving Baynes would mean the Spurs have enough confidence in Oden to believe he could handle at least a little playing time. I'd obviously much rather have Oden over Baynes.
But it wouldn't take much production from Oden to get more than the MLE. If he shows he's healthy (let alone productive) over the next two seasons, his market value will be in the $7-12 Million annual range.
You're over thinking this.
He'd be the fourth center, behind Duncan, Splitter and Pendergraph. Again, if one of Duncan or Splitter are out, he'd have an opportunity to play. But even then, presuming Diaw, Bonner and Pendergraph aren't, he'd still probably be the fifth big. I'm sure they'd want to take a look at him in that scenario though, especially if they're matched up against a Howard, Bynum, Lopez, Hibbert, Pekovic, etc. That's enough to let him get his feet wet again, but it's far from "relying" on him.
Oden is DONE.......
I'm not overthinking this at all. Pendergraph wasn't brought in to be the third center. I'm sure he'll get some minutes there, but I don't think he's there on the depth chart right now. Oden would be taking Baynes' spot from last season, while Pendergraph would be taking Blair's.
He was pretty damn good in the Summer League.
I'd take Thomas on the team over Oden, and even Pendergraph. I like his game. I thought to Bulls had a real steal with his contract. He'll probably get claimed off waivers pretty soon.
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