What grade do u give Spurs offseason so far?

[therealtruth]

You could have let splitter go and play Pendergraph instead, you wouldn't feel much different there... Neal is not that horrible on D, he is "so so", and for his bench role he is perfect, he is giving you what you need and heart, Beli may able to do more stuf with the ball, but not stuf useful for us and not at all in effective way, Neal is better player cause he is more solid.

Let Splitter Go and play Pendegraph? Huh? Pendy was at the end of the bench alot of times, Splitter a starter on a very good team. Neal is that horrible on D, a few plays in the finals emphasized that. I would hardly call him so-so on D, are you serious? Beli can do more with the ball, you said enough there for me to want him on the team over Neal who was just a spot up shooter who POP thought could run the PG, big mistake. He has not played a single game yet and you deem Beli not useful for us and not in an effective way? On what basis?

Neal being more solid to me, what points did you put up that made him more solid? Nobody was really knocking down the door to sign him as I said, thats why he ended up in Milwaukee. I would love to see you make points then just heresay or hindsight and actually see how Beli plays here first. I still don't see how Neal is more solid either, he is very one dimensional and a volume shooter like I said.

I think you could argue if Neal plays average defense the Spurs win it all. Most of his defensive breakdowns came at key moments. I also think Neal may be in for a bit of a surprise if he thinks a defensive minded coach like Larry Drew won't care about his defensive shortcomings.

[Bruno]

For the record Chad Ford offseason grade and analysis:

SAN ANTONIO SPURS | GRADE: B

Additions: Manu Ginobili (re-sign), Tiago Splitter (re-sign), Marco Belinelli (FA), Jeff Pendergraph (FA), Deshaun Thomas (draft)

Subtractions: Gary Neal (Bucks), DeJuan Blair (Mavericks)

The Spurs came about as close as you can come to winning a NBA le without actually winning it. If a team ever deserved a trophy for coming in second place, it's them.

To that end, the team decided to bring back the same crew. They got the rapidly fading Manu to sign a reasonable, two-year, $14 million deal. Their offer to Splitter (four years, $36 million) was considerably larger, but it decreases each year, and there aren't 15 centers in the league better than he is.

Their other additions probably won't excite anyone, but maybe they should. Every year the Spurs pull a player of two from the proverbial NBA trash heap and turn them into valuable role players. This year, Belinelli and Pendergraph might be those guys. Belinelli can really shoot the basketball, and Pendergraph can rebound and score around the basket. Both have talent well-suited to the team's style of play and are better than the contracts they received -- a hallmark of Spurs summers.

And don't sleep on Thomas, the Spurs' second-round draft prospect. He was one of the two or three best scorers in the draft this year, but slid because people questioned his work ethic and defense. He couldn't have landed on a better team than San Antonio or with a better coach than Gregg Popovich. If he's willing to do what Pop says, in two years everyone will be asking why in the world Thomas wasn't a lottery pick.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Doesn't deserve anything above a G+. Can't even give them an E for effort.

[Skull-1]

I just have a feeling that Belinelli will be more of an asset than Neal was in the long run, and I've learned over the years to trust my inner hunches.

[Skull-1]

It was either overpay Splitter or let him walk though for nothing! That would have been bad.Neal is not exactly that great. He plays horrible D, is very limited on O and his shot selection at times is horrible. Nobody was knocking the doors down to come get him. He could light it up if he got hot and was a volume shooter, that was his ceiling.

Never liked Neal. Couldn't bring the ball up without being pressured into a turnover...

[GrandeDavid]

B

Getting Splitter and Ginobili back at a reasonable price was good, but they really needed a backup point guard and didn't get it done

I think having Corey Joseph, Mills and Even Bellineku will get the job done. However, the Spurs will probably pick someone up.

[GrandeDavid]

B+.

[BackHome]

To many SG's someone had to go and still pissed the Spurs haven't signed a vet backup PG come on RC get your together!

[Sean Cagney]

Never liked Neal. Couldn't bring the ball up without being pressured into a turnover...

I agree fully!

[Sean Cagney]

I think you could argue if Neal plays average defense the Spurs win it all. Most of his defensive breakdowns came at key moments. I also think Neal may be in for a bit of a surprise if he thinks a defensive minded coach like Larry Drew won't care about his defensive shortcomings.

You are correct.

[ace3g]

End of the day Spurs got better rebounding at PF/C spot with Pendergraph and seasoning of Baynes; Plus more all around skills at SG , won't have to yell at the screen during a 3 on 1 break with Belinelli (Neal with his 3 on 1 step back for 3).

Spurs needed a change (rotations shortened to about 4-5 players past 2 playoff runs in final rounds) from 3 spots: Blair, Neal, and Bonner; Got 2 of 3 (so far) which isn't bad.

[kobyz]

Never liked Neal. Couldn't bring the ball up without being pressured into a turnover...

But it wasn't his role, his role was to be hot of the bench and to hit shots, you could not find more cold blooded player at that role than him, and Beli is a decrease from "the Neal with it" at that role, if you gonna let Beli to handle the ball too much or be a creator he will ruin your Chemistry on offense, and on defense he is also suck...

[eDizzle20]

For those of you that gave the Spurs a bad offseason grade what changes/different players would you want based on the contracts they signed (exclude Kirilenko)? i.e. would O.J. Mayo have been a better value at 3 yrs/$24 mm that he signed with Milwaukee than Manu was at 2 yrs/$15 mm. Please discuss.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

Probably a C. They kept Splitter at a realistic price, they signed Old Manu. We signed Marco, and Pendergraph. We didn't really get any better, just the same. It seems we are depending a of a lot on Kawhi.

[TheGreatYacht]

For those of you that gave the Spurs a bad offseason grade what changes/different players would you want based on the contracts they signed (exclude Kirilenko)? i.e. would O.J. Mayo have been a better value at 3 yrs/$24 mm that he signed with Milwaukee than Manu was at 2 yrs/$15 mm. Please discuss.

I would have used Manu's $14.5M to sign Jarrett Jack. Then I would have amnestied Matt Bonner and use that $$$ to sign Marco Belinelli or Mike Dunleavy Jr. I then would have used the MLE on AK47. I would of let Manu become a FA and then resign him for $3.5M for 1 year or $7M for 2 years, otherwise he can retire or take the veteran's minimum.

I'm not sure if the numbers or math would've worked out for this scenario, I would need Bruno to figure this out but that's what I would have done.

The casualties would have been Gary Neal, Dejuan Blair, Matt Bonner, and possibly Manu Ginobili if he wasn't willing to take the $7M for 2 years which I highly doubt that he would have opposed.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

I don't understand everyone's Jarrett Jack love around here.

[ElNono]

I don't understand everyone's Jarrett Jack love around here.

It's not everyone, tbh

[kobyz]

For those of you that gave the Spurs a bad offseason grade what changes/different players would you want based on the contracts they signed (exclude Kirilenko)? i.e. would O.J. Mayo have been a better value at 3 yrs/$24 mm that he signed with Milwaukee than Manu was at 2 yrs/$15 mm. Please discuss.

it's not about that... Spurs should have played hard ball with "so so", "so so" wasn't going to get this type of money elsewhere and also "so so" only wanted to keep playing for the Spurs and not for some rebuilding team...

[ThaBigFundamental21]

It's not everyone, tbh

Good. I'm not saying I don't think he is a decent player. But the Spurs need a true backup PG. What I mean by that is a good facilitator, it would be nice to have a guy who can get other players on the team good/easier shots. Timmy would really benefit, so would our spot up jump shooters who can't create for themselves. Jack cannot do what we need. I do think the Spurs could have spent money differently to fill some needs, but that is a different conversation.

[therealtruth]

Good. I'm not saying I don't think he is a decent player. But the Spurs need a true backup PG. What I mean by that is a good facilitator, it would be nice to have a guy who can get other players on the team good/easier shots. Timmy would really benefit, so would our spot up jump shooters who can't create for themselves. Jack cannot do what we need. I do think the Spurs could have spent money differently to fill some needs, but that is a different conversation.

I agree they really need a guy like TJ Ford.

[Vito]

Cgood: - charged Manu and Tiago - released Blair and Neal. Neal is a good player, but SG position is overloaded in spurs roadster - Belinelli - draftbad: - Bonner - money for Manu and Tiago. Compare to Duncan contract Manu and Tiago get to much - saved Cory, Nando, Patty.... We need a good pass-first PG in the bench, and now situation with three young and raw pg continues. And tru pg in this company is Cory Joseph only. Nando can improve next season, but Patrick... He is undersized sg. Just another SG. I like Neal more in SG position. I think Andre Miller is the best choise fo SA. - Pendegragh instead of Kirilenko. But it is a dark story(someone talks about his wife. she just wants live in NY) - Where is good string center along to Duncan? Splitter sometimes so soft, and Baynes is too raw now. We need big and strong guy. Where was SA manegment where Birdman was free agent?

[ThaBigFundamental21]

I agree they really need a guy like TJ Ford.

That was a damn shame.

[look_at_g_shred]

Still hoping for one underrated move from PATFO.