-I like the Pau Gasol signing. Given the contracts that were handed out this summer, getting him on a two-year deal for $30 million is more than reasonable. And I believe that he fits what the Spurs needed most: another player who can create easy offense. Gasol's exemplary passing ability will be a seamless fit into the offensive scheme. The fact that he can knock down an open shot is also important for a starting lineup that tended to have spacing issues last season. Add in his quality hands and soft touch around the rim and it's safe to say he'll be a successful fit for San Antonio – as long as the 36-year-old can keep Father Time at bay, of course.
-I also like the signing of Dewayne Dedmon. The bigman rotation last year obviously lacked athleticism, which ultimately became a leading cause of the downfall against the Thunder. Dedmon is raw (while he's turning 27 over the summer, he started playing basketball at 18 – so his basketball maturity is closer to that of a 22- or 23-year-old) but he could really help if he pans out. A bigman who can run and jump who plays with a lot of energy to play next to LaMarcus Aldridge or Gasol? Yes, please. However, it's important to realize he's far from a guaranteed fit; there are reasons (mostly revolving around the aforementioned rawness) why he got less than 10% of the guaranteed money that bigmen like Mozgov and Mahinmi got. Dedmon could be the next failed bigman gamble in the vein of Jackie Butler, but let us hope he'll be another success story to put alongside Baynes and Boban.
-Speaking of Boban, it was disappointing to see the Spurs lose him. I'm not sure how much he would have helped the Spurs next season but he was definitely intriguing. Perhaps his flaws would have ultimately led him to never evolving to anything more than a situational player ... but it sure would have been fun to watch him try. Ah well. The Pistons offer ended up being something the Spurs couldn't match even if they wanted to.
-The End. I apologize for burying the lede but it's difficult to actually type it out. From the latest I heard, the plan is for Tim Duncan to retire today.
If today is indeed the end, there's only one thing I can say: Thanks. It was a damn fun ride.
-From what I was told, about three weeks ago Duncan started working out on his own to see how his body reacted. Unfortunately, the knee that used to be his good knee didn't improve at all despite the rest. He has played a long time on one leg but losing his good knee has simply made it impossible for Duncan to keep going.
-The Spurs have been telling Duncan to take his time in making his decision in hopes that he changes his mind. The front office didn't expect to lose both Boris Diaw and David West this offseason – and they had previously projected that they'd be able to keep Boban. After losing all three, the Spurs prefer for Duncan to return – but they obviously will let him make the final call.
-If nothing is announced today, I would take it as good news in the Duncan-returning front. But from everything I've heard, it's the end. And knowing Duncan, he'd like nothing more than to be able to covertly disappear rather than ever even announcing anything.
-The Spurs knew that if the bidding for Gasol went beyond a certain number that they'd lose Diaw. And considering that Pop gave up on him at the end of last season, everyone was fine with that. Losing West was surprising to the front office but apparently he felt disrespected. By what? They don't really know. As for Boban, he was lost when Manu Ginobili demanded a raise.
-Ginobili went to the Spurs with a one-year, $18-19 million offer in hand from another team. Was he serious about taking the offer? I don't think anyone believed he would have actually left but Ginobili was able to create enough leverage to get somewhere in the neighborhood of $10 million from the Spurs.
-Is Ginobili worth that? yes. I'm thrilled to have him back for another season. In my eyes, he's still the most impactful bench player in the league. Sure, he doesn't score like Jamal Crawford or defend like Andre Iguodala, but Ginobili remains the ultimate difference-maker off the bench. Besides, it would have been too painful to see both Duncan and Ginobili retire in the same summer.
-All in all, I think the front office has done a really good job. I don't think there is a bad contract on the books, especially after the rise of the salary cap. Danny Green is suddenly a bargain. I know Spurs fans aren't in love with Tony Parker's salary but I'm confident he would have gotten Gasol money in free agency if made available. A four-time champion, former Finals MVP coming off of a bounce-back season would have been paid big bucks in this market.
-With how things turned out this summer, Kyle Anderson now has a path to be a full-time stretch power forward – and I think that will suite him well. He's playing PF in summer league, which is likely a sign of things to come. If he can rebound (he already rebounds better than Diaw), I don't see why it won't work. (And while it's a bit scary to think about [especially since it's so far away], any hope of the Spurs beating the Warriors probably includes a lot of small ball with Anderson at power forward.)
-I'm still intrigued by Jonathon Simmons. His game still needs some taming and refining but he's a plus athlete who can create off the dribble and finish, while also being equipped with above average court vision. If he uses his athleticism to become anything close to a lockdown defender, I could easily imagine Pop falling in love with him.
-Dejounte Murray has a pretty high ceiling for being selected 29th. He didn't really play that well as a freshman at Washington (especially if you dive into his advanced stats) but I found it interesting that Spurs actually relied more on their scouting of him from back when he was in high school. They were able to ignore the question marks that scared other teams off because they were confident in their scouting reports from a couple years ago. The same type of long-term scouting led them to George Hill and Cory Joseph, so hopefully it works again.
-Kawhi Leonard. MVP runner-up. Not bad, kid. Couldn't finish these disjointed Random Thoughts without at least mentioning his name.
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