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Why am I not surprised?
TY spurs not calln dat POS
Why am I not surprised?
Darren Wolfson @DarrenWolfson Sounds like Rodney W. will ink a multi-year deal w/ 76ers tomorrow. Prob. be structured like Lockett'
http://www.hoopsrumors.com/2013/09/s...medium=twitter
derrick williams article - http://www.prosportsdaily.com/Headli...ticleId=265371
..."The downside of playing Williams at power forward: He’s too small, at 6-foot-8 with a 7-1 wingspan, to defend the rim. Williams isn’t really a bad defender; he understands team schemes and help responsibilities, and he’s shown good balance in being able to rush out a shooter, stop on a dime if that shooter pump-fakes, and stay shoulder-to-shoulder with that shooter on a drive to the rim. But he has no shot in the post against the league’s back-to-the-basket behemoths, and he provides zero deterrent as a help defender at the basket.
These problems aren’t as serious if Williams settles into a role as a heavy-minutes backup power forward, spotting up and defending less threatening backups. But that’s not the ideal outcome for a no. 2 pick, and it might not be worth $6.3 million to Minnesota. Saunders wouldn’t comment on Minnesota’s plans for Williams’s fourth year, but he knows teams are eyeing Williams as a potential buy-low trade candidate."
The issue with Williams is that Minny keep trying to turn him into a SF while he should clearly play PF.
From yesterday's David Aldridge article:
http://www.nba.com/2013/news/feature...ion/index.html
The jury is still out on Williams, but it's getting close to telling the judge it's ready to come back into the courtroom. Minnesota hoped Williams could play the four; he couldn't, at least not consistently -- and it doesn't matter if he could, with Love around (although Williams could play some at the four if the Wolves go small, but he'd need to improve his 3-point shooting). Williams' best hope at sticking in Minnesota is to be able to be more productive at the three.
"He's made a big push this summer to lose weight and be quicker, and hopefully be able to play some three," Saunders said. "We'll see over the next three weeks, and into training camp, that month, what this offseason has done with him, and what losing weight and being a little quicker has done for him. His biggest thing is, can he guard threes? The way Coach Adelman plays, he'll be able to fit him in offensively."
Yeah. Williams is plenty big to play the four. Articles that say he's not are stuck in an older time. With his range and athleticism, he'd be fine there in all match-ups that don't include the Grizzlies or Spurs. What he is is too slow to play the three in the new three-guard age. Sure, he can play there in spots, but that's not his game.
As I said, I'd love for the Spurs to trade for him. But there's not way that makes sense now. He'd be in line for no minutes most of the time, and he'd be the fifth-highest paid player on the team.
How would he be in line for no minutes most of the time? He's more proven than Pendergraph and a better inside presence than Bonner and is actually quite adept at playing the pick and roll. He'd also be the most athletic player on the team outside of Kawhi.
So? The Spurs didn't sign Pendergraph (who's just as "proven" as Williams even though he obviously has a lower ceiling) to make him the fifth or sixth big. Say what you want about Bonner, but Williams hasn't proven to be better than him yet. Even if what you say is true, Williams would be the fourth big on a team that runs a lot of small ball (as they have four good wings who all deserve playing time). I'd love to Williams to be able to come in and start next to Duncan and lock down the four position for the foreseeable future. But that's not going to happen. And if it doesn't, then the Spurs would be paying him a whole lot of money to do at best what Pendergraph is in line to do.
Uh no, Pendergraph isn't as "proven" since he's only averaged 9.2 minutes in his career of 96 games while Williams has averaged 23.2 minutes in 144 career games where he also averages double-figures in points...all while being a younger player.
So that's the only issue you have? That Pendergraph wasn't on a team that was injury-riddled as the Wolves were last season? Don't get me wrong, I don't think Pendergraph has shown that he should be a starter or anything. But he and Williams have similar per 36 stats (16/6 for Williams and 12/10 for Pendergraph), and Jeff has better advanced stats (equal PERs and twice as many WS/48). He's also a vet who at least has some familiarity with the coaching staff.
If you want to argue that Williams is more established than Pendergraph, then I understand. But he's not proven to be better than Pendergraph, which is really what the issue is. On an even playing field, I can totally agree with taking Williams. But it doesn't make sense to push a recent free agent to the bench to pay three times as much to a player who we don't know would be better in such a small role.
i hate when people spout off stats, but i agree with padre. williams is a #2 overall who would be beasting right now if the spurs had been able to draft him. jeff is a #... uh... google search result overall. who seems to have taken well to coaching. the same coaching the spurs now have on staff. jeff sounds good. but williams is clearly more proven or better or whatever you wanna call it.
williams would have to earn his minutes from manu(@3)/diaw/bonner. and darn well would. especially after reading brunos little post about williams putting in the work to be a better 3. also, knowing manus bound to be hurt. plus diaw and bonner are... well, simply put... diaw and bonner. pendergraph is gonna be battling baynes(@5)/diaw/bonner. i wouldn't worry about a minor minute collide behind diaw/bonner. and i wouldn't worry about a 6 mill price tag either.
i don't know what you have against williams chinook?
I think he clearly stated to the contrary but whatevs. Chinook doesn't appear to have anything against him, he just sees the big picture. Also, why would you want to spend that much $ on a player of his caliber at this point? Did you pay attention to this off-season?
i'd gladly watch the spurs take williams and make jeff a baynes challenging bencher. afterall, he is the blair replacement.
Man, I know you frequented the Think Tank last year (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...rrick+Williams). Go back to the Williams thread there and then get back on me on my "Williams hate."
But the idea that he's instantly better than Pendergraph (three times better) is unfounded, especially if it's only based on draft status. I suppose Evan Turner is better than Green, too, and he'd be a world-beater on the Spurs if only Pop and Co. had managed to draft him back in 2010. It doesn't work that way. Coachability and work ethic are traits just like shooting and vertical. They're just incredibly devalued by teams who tend to consistently pick high in the draft. The fact that Pendergraph has taken to coaching and Williams has not is not a reason to handicap Jeff at all.
Williams could get minutes if the Spurs forced him into the rotation. They could have decided to throw $3.5 Million down the drain by benching Pendergraph and Baynes. They could force Williams to play out of position at take minutes from Green, Bellinelli, Ginobili and most importantly Leonard. But they could also just play Pendergraph as the fourth big with sprinklings of Baynes and Bonner while allowing Green and Leonard to grow and letting Belinelli, Splitter and Diaw to get sufficient minutes. There's no reason to give up picks now.
Last edited by Chinook; 09-10-2013 at 10:23 PM.
okay... my bad, you're not a williams hater. i read that way wrong, it's true. but i think you're dead wrong about his ability to play 3. the guy is a perfect tweener. he's athletic as . i'm reading stuff about him being smart enough to close out, not buy fakes, and stay squared up. and dedicated enough to slim down and be that much more capable. that stuff is in this thread. i think you should drop the williams would be outta position mentality. it's alright to believe all in on the guy. he's perfect, that's the reason for the discussion. it's also the reason to just dismiss the spurs chances of acquiring him.
#2... (lol at the pun...) turner is better than green. williams is better than green. both are better than jeff. yeah coachability is under-rated. but come on man. the tragedy of the draft is turners and williams. these crappy, top 5 overall, teams draft studs that should start. then jerk them around. it botches development, confidence, and chemistry. it ends up wasting talent and forcing stars to bolt. look at iggy, and all the love rumours. furthermore, danny greens and pendergraphs end up overestimated. as much as it pains me to say.
despite having just claimed danny as over-rated. and having a history of calling danny green ray allen-esque. you're probably slightly right. the spurs are probably better to just stay put. williams would wreck a promising looking pendergraph/belli project...
but he wouldn't take anything away from bonner, bonner would be in minny. he darn sure wouldn't take anything from diaw and manu. due to injury and inconsistency, they're gonna give up minutes whether williams comes or not. baynes minutes would be unaffected too. williams wouldn't take anything away from center. and most importantly, kawhi would have a backup. williams wouldn't hinder his development at all. picks would be wasted anyway. how about the spurs use their picks for somebody with functioning knees for a change?
The NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
RT @MiamiHEAT: OFFICIAL: The @MiamiHEAT have signed Michael Beasley.
the spurs probably did miss their chance at williams. they shoulda cashed in on neal/blair with sjax and/or a 1st. while minny was injury plagued and under kahns control.
Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA
The Miami Heat have reached agreement with free agent forward Michael Beasley to join training camp, source tells Yahoo Sports.
After Oden, Miami keep making gambles on high upside players with a lot of red flags. Given their roster and their financial status, it's a smart move.
Beasley may just pan out for them. I hope we at least kicked that tire. He was the best small forward available, mostly because everything else is garbage.
I really think Spurs will try between now and the trade deadline to trade for a big whose contract expire in 2015 (like Brandon Bass, Amir Johnson, Derrick Williams or Paul Millsap).
While improving the team this year will surely be a positive, the main reason of that will be for next season. If Spurs do nothing, they will have only Splitter, Duncan and Pendergraph as bigmen for next season. It wouldn't be normally an issue with the MLE + LLE available but there is the 2015 cap space to preserve. I don't see Spurs lowering it for the mediocre bigmen you can get with a MLE. Spurs will only have to offer players one year contract. Good luck attracting players with that.
Spurs might have a good team for this year but if they do nothing before the trade deadline , they will be in a tough spot for 2014-2015.
Adrian Wojnarowski @WojYahooNBA
Yahoo Sports: The Miami Heat sign free agent Michael Beasley to a non-guaranteed one-year deal. yhoo.it/15kT84b
Or they can just re-sign Diaw to a one year deal (with maybe a partially guaranteed second season). The Spurs hold virtually all of the leverage with him because they know that . . .
- Players of similar ilk, like Jamison, Lewis and Harrington, have all been forced to take veteran's minimum contracts the past two off seasons and Odom would have had to too
- Teams that would figure to have interest are mostly capped out contenders that are close to or over the tax anyway
- Like Splitter, he knows there's no better fit/place he'd rather be and the rest of the league knows he probably wouldn't be as good anywhere else
- While important, he's not vital. Brand, Humphries, J. O'Neal, Jamison, Kaman, Lewis, Cunningham, Smith, Martin, Harrington, Gooden and Thomas, are potential one year stop gaps in free agency
Beasley had a negative win share last year and gave up 109 points per 100 possession while on the floor., in 75 games for the Suns. He might be worth a look see but hardly worth the effort from a Spurs standpoint. Miami was smart to give him a non-guaranteed contract.
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