Kawhi 2018/2019

[spurs10]

If there no timeline by now then i reckon Kawai's season is over. You would of thought after allstar break would of been the ideal time to comeback. Seriously bad luck for all parties involved.

Yeah it’s hard not to think if he’s not good to go after the ASB that he’ll be back this season. “Seriously bad luck” is right.

I was absolutely dejected when I heard that during the game. If there is still no timeline, it looks like his season is close to over.

I can't believe he might miss the whole season with a ing quad injury that isn't ruptured or torn. I really would think twice about paying the supermax. I'm glad I'm not the one making the call on that.

Man maybe we’ll be happily surprised and he makes a big comeback. Otherwise I can’t believe this is happening either!

[MoSpur02]

I think the decision is his. To me it’s a mental thing as to why he hasn’t returned yet. The coaching staff isn’t going to force him to play. It’s kinda like the Markelle Fultz injury/issue.

[weeks]

But I'm not sure that really matters, honestly. If KL is done as a top 5 player in the league, then so are the Spurs as far as being contenders in the near future goes. The Spurs have gotten to this point by training 3 franchise players into each other (Drob -> Duncan -> KL) while also drafting two other hall of famers to play by their sides. If that chain is broken, then they're going to have to rebuild just like every other team in this league has to. They'll have to draft another franchise player because the odds of getting a top 5 player to come here are going to be slim under the best of cir stances. If the scenario is multiple years of a tanking and a youth movement, then it really does't matter if you have a supermax who isn't worth it on the books as you're going to want to fill the roster with cheap you players and draft picks anyway and you have to pay someone. So there isn't all that much risk in giving him a big deal and him flaming out, honestly.

The risk is that you try to lowball him, piss him off, and then ruin the relationship and he comes back at full strength and is able to be the best two way player in this league for another 3,4,5 years but you've had to trade him or he walks in free agency. You'll never get back equal value, you'll have to rebuild anyway, and you'll have blown the chance at remaining a contender. THe Spurs really shouldn't balk at paying him the Supermax if they have to and they honestly don't have that much leverage here.

this.

you offer Kawhi the supermax, period. if patty mills can get paid for the past, more than anyone it should be kawhi.

[spurs10]

On another note, I’ve got a couple days to decide if I want to write a check for several thousand dollars on my seats for next season. Watching us get our asses kicked by the Hawks and the new Lakers is uncharted territory for us spoiled Spurs fans.

[spurs10]

this.

you offer Kawhi the supermax, period. if patty mills can get paid for the past, more than anyone it should be kawhi.

I think this is what the Spurs will be inclined to do.

[Das Texan]

Kawhi is a ing glass china doll.

[sasaint]

He's worth the money to me when he's healthy, but if he's going to miss a whole season with a quad injury that isn't a tear or a rupture, then it'd be very hard to give someone that much money under those cir stances.

I'm glad I'm not the one that has to make that decision.

I am kind of bracing myself for Kawhi's departure. To me all the tea leaves we have been reading indicate something ominous is happening. I would not be surprised if we have seen Kawhi for the last time in a Spurs uniform. If he doesn't play this season, I doubt that the Holts are gonna throw a supermax at him. I could see them getting traded at the draft.

[tholdren]

I am kind of bracing myself for Kawhi's departure. To me all the tea leaves we have been reading indicate something ominous is happening. I would not be surprised if we have seen Kawhi for the last time in a Spurs uniform. If he doesn't play this season, I doubt that the Holts are gonna throw a supermax at him. I could see them getting traded at the draft.

Bracing for what? Injury prone player to get out? What has he done for sa as the alpha? Nothing. Bye

[sasaint]

Bracing for what? Injury prone player to get out? What has he done for sa as the alpha? Nothing. Bye

Bracing for the loss of an immense talent. Tbh, I think the problem with the Spurs since Tim's retirement has been the lack of a true alpha. I know almost everybody here regards Kawhi as an alpha, but he has never checked all the boxes for me to see him as a true alpha - at least not in the Spurs context. He is an immense talent, and he is a team-oriented player. He just doesn't seem to do the leadership things that define a true alpha in my book.

[phxspurfan]

Let him go and rebuild. He is not mentally or physically tough enough to lead the way TD did, that much is obvious. Go after a big name FA and rebuild like everyone else does.

[Ice009]

this.

you offer Kawhi the supermax, period. if patty mills can get paid for the past, more than anyone it should be kawhi.

No, you don't. Not even Tim Duncan got that type of money for the past. The Supermax is more than Tim Duncan ever got and Kawhi's past is nowhere near as good as TDs.

It's a ing hard decision and you shouldn't hand out the Supermax just because. Mills was an egregious up. You don't follow that up with a Supermax up.

If he doesn't come back this season and prove he can still play at his top level, then he's putting the Spurs in a really tough situation to offer that kind of money not knowing how he will return. I've thought about it, and if it was my choice, I would tell him he needs to come back and play so I can see for myself if he's the same player. The Spurs can't offer that without knowing if he's done or won't be the same player again.

[phxspurfan]

He is an immense talent, and he is a team-oriented player. He just doesn't seem to do the leadership things that define a true alpha in my book.

like...talk.

[Play Boban]

Let him go and rebuild. He is not mentally or physically tough enough to lead the way TD did, that much is obvious. Go after a big name FA and rebuild like everyone else does.

[SAGirl]

Bracing for the loss of an immense talent. Tbh, I think the problem with the Spurs since Tim's retirement has been the lack of a true alpha. I know almost everybody here regards Kawhi as an alpha, but he has never checked all the boxes for me to see him as a true alpha - at least not in the Spurs context. He is an immense talent, and he is a team-oriented player. He just doesn't seem to do the leadership things that define a true alpha in my book.

I frankly think that him being as aloof as he is and disconnected from teammates is at least part of the reason Pop values the "culture" guys so much. Guys have said, specially young guys that Patty is like the team's leader. He also is a link between the two generations that coexist in the team... Kiwi should be that, but that is not (and has never been) his personality. Lamarcus is not it either.

[venitian navigator]

I frankly think that him being as aloof as he is and disconnected from teammates is at least part of the reason Pop values the "culture" guys so much. Guys have said, specially young guys that Patty is like the team's leader. He also is a link between the two generations that coexist in the team... Kiwi should be that, but that is not (and has never been) his personality. Lamarcus is not it either.

the problem is that this team leader is also one of the worst players of the team...and, at the end of the day, his leadership is gonna be weakened by his lack of talent...and that's dangerous for our team's future.

[BatManu20]

Come back Kiwi

[ceds]

He a true alpha.....He doesnt talk like a leader but he has that TD style of being a silent assassin that leads by example.

His block on westbrook in G6 is one of the best defensive plays i've ever seen (given the context) and then he follows it up by slaying the King for a FMVP.

supermax is a no brainier....if we lose him then our days of contending are over.

[sasaint]

I frankly think that him being as aloof as he is and disconnected from teammates is at least part of the reason Pop values the "culture" guys so much. Guys have said, specially young guys that Patty is like the team's leader. He also is a link between the two generations that coexist in the team... Kiwi should be that, but that is not (and has never been) his personality. Lamarcus is not it either.

Precisely. We have two guys who are dominant players on the court, each more or less in his own sphere. But your team leader cannot possibly be a back-up and stop-gap starter who could possibly be moved because he is on a contract he does not merit.

[tholdren]

Precisely. We have two guys who are dominant players on the court, each more or less in his own sphere. But your team leader cannot possibly be a back-up and stop-gap starter who could possibly be moved because he is on a contract he does not merit.

Adv stats signed patty....

[SAGirl]

the problem is that this team leader is also one of the worst players of the team...and, at the end of the day, his leadership is gonna be weakened by his lack of talent...and that's dangerous for our team's future.

absolutely... specially as Pop lets him get away with things he's tough on others about...
Eventually the team needs to move on from him. It will happen naturally... in fact it's already under way. The better other guards play, the less you "need" him on the floor. How many games against elite teams will it take for Pop to realize it? Not sure. He should at least hit his shots. But eventually and hopefully soon, someone will over take him.

[weeks]

Come back Kiwi

legend

he went through WB and KD to slam that dunk on Abaka

[Ice009]

the problem is that this team leader is also one of the worst players of the team...and, at the end of the day, his leadership is gonna be weakened by his lack of talent...and that's dangerous for our team's future.

Yep, I don't care how good of a leader you are off the court or how much your teammates like you off the court, but if you suck on the court, I'm not going to listen to that guy at all, especially if I thought I was a better player than him (not saying I am, just meant that if I was on an NBA team and I thought I was better, I wouldn't listen to him at all). I'd be saying, how about you shut the up and do something on the court to help us win games. It would turn ugly real quick in the locker room if I was on a team that he was the supposed leader of.

What the Spurs did is re ed.

[spurs10]

Come back Kiwi

Yes!

.....if we lose him then our days of contending are over.

I’m sure the Spurs are anxious to have him back and are willing to pay him wheelbarrows full of money, but he’s going to have to be able to show them he can play. The team, as is, isn’t contenders without him.

[weeks]

No, you don't. Not even Tim Duncan got that type of money for the past. The Supermax is more than Tim Duncan ever got and Kawhi's past is nowhere near as good as TDs.

It's a ing hard decision and you shouldn't hand out the Supermax just because. Mills was an egregious up. You don't follow that up with a Supermax up.

If he doesn't come back this season and prove he can still play at his top level, then he's putting the Spurs in a really tough situation to offer that kind of money not knowing how he will return. I've thought about it, and if it was my choice, I would tell him he needs to come back and play so I can see for myself if he's the same player. The Spurs can't offer that without knowing if he's done or won't be the same player again.

Unless you've got serious reason to think Kawhi can't return to form, you offer it to him. You can't ask him to bet on this franchise in his prime unless you're willing to bet on him.

[Ice009]

I stand by my stance. Right now, I don't trust Kawhi at all. If they give him Supermax and if he's never able to get back to where he was, the Spurs would be ed. It's such a big gamble without seeing him play, and not only play, but seeing him return to form while playing.

I was all for paying him a few days ago because I really believed he would be back this season, but since it was announced that there is still no timeline for his return I'm starting to waiver. I've thought about it a lot the past few days, and if it was me, I don't think I would pay him until seeing if he can return, and not only return, but return to form.

This could get real ugly between the Spurs and Kawhi if he doesn't come back this season. If that happens, the upcoming off-season could be the wildest/toughest the Spurs have ever had.

I hope he does come back this season and plays well.