Woj: Free agent guard Marco Belinelli has agreed to a two-year, $12M deal with Spurs

[MultiTroll]

but but but we couldn't sign Boban for 3Xs 7.

Go Belli

[ElNono]

Who is asking Marco to save anything? He's playing his role horribly

He's playing 20 MPG, all he's asked to do is provide an offensive burst off the bench..he's shooting 32% from 3 and takes some of the worst shot attempts you'll ever see in an NBA game..

I would understand and agree with your argument if you were referring to Forbes, since he's being asked to play a much more prominent role than he's suited for, but Marco? Nah..

Also, Bertans and Belinelli are out there for the same thing: three pts shooting. One is averaging 32% and the other 44%, but you don't know who you would rank first?

I was fishing, but didn't think I would catch you my niglets...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I actually thought Belinelli would be a decent pickup. Not a major role player but a great second unit piece. Not so far.

[spurraider21]

marco for 2/12 isn't awful in a vacuum. its just awful to have patty+forbes+marco all on the same roster.

[koriwhat]

I actually thought Belinelli would be a decent pickup. Not a major role player but a great second unit piece. Not so far.

so did i. i was actually stoked we got belli back but up to this point it was all delusion. i hadn't seen belli in a couple yrs since he left the spurs and figured he was about the same as he was with us. well, i was wrong!

[r0drig0lac]

I went in favor of his arrival because I thought this would mean Forbes and Mills would not be here anymore, I was wrong (for several reasons)

[kaji157]

Marco made a lot of sense because he made mills and Forbes expendable. The problem is both are still here.
Spurs fans need to understand that no analysis has meaning while mills is here. Having an undersized guard who can't pass, rebound or defend, whose only skill is shooting and is unable to shoot is a big disadvantage in today's nba.
Once we get rid of him we'll see what this team can do.

[kaji157]

Marco made a lot of sense because he made mills and Forbes expendable. The problem is both are still here.
Spurs fans need to understand that no analysis has meaning while mills is here. Having an undersized guard who can't pass, rebound or defend, whose only skill is shooting and is unable to shoot is a big disadvantage in today's nba.
Once we get rid of him we'll see what this team can do.

[DPG21920]

If George Hill and his contract can net a first and second round pick, I am confident many of SA’s contracts can be moved as well.

[DPG21920]

I forgot the Hill’s deal next year is only 1M guaranteed. Point remains, Rudy has no money next year. Pau has 6.7M. If SA found a contract that was fully guaranteed around Pau’s deal they could do what CLE did with Hill and net a pick maybe. Just an option.

[Coach X]

I actually thought Belinelli would be a decent pickup. Not a major role player but a great second unit piece. Not so far.

Me too.

I thought Aldridge would play last year defense, Poelt would be more solid protecting the rim, Rudy and DeRozan would work hard to become average defenders and White would have Forbes position on rotation, becoming the primary guard defender in the second unit, next to Mills. I also expected an improvement in D from Bertans, a player I trusted. Obviously, I wasn't expecting Murray to miss the entire season. On the paper, in the preseason, Marco's signing made sense, considering him to be a bad defender into a more balanced roster where he added offense off the ball and his defensive weakness could be compensated by others.

We were expecting the defense to regress but at least to be decent. After Murray's injury, White's injury and the first games we observed we were wrong. Nor the system or our players are performing well and the hope of having a good defense is gone. Currently, Spurs defense couldn't be worst so it will improve inevitably, but given the current cir stances, I don't think this team can even be above the lower third defenses of the NBA.

There are too many offensive players and not enough defensive players in the roster so there is a clear direction to take for PATFO. Marco had a value for his experience in San Antonio but he hasn't been that helpful at the beginning of this season. His reputation as a shooter is hurt now due to his low %s and bad shot selection and he's missing Gasol more than anybody as the lack of good passers has killed his off the ball game. Belinelli isn't a valuable piece for the Spurs now but the question is: Is he for any other franchise?

[spurraider21]

31% from 3 now and still has a Kobe green light

31%!!!

climbed his way up to 39

marco's shot selection is always going to be stupid. marco gonna marco tbh

[Seventyniner]

climbed his way up to 39

marco's shot selection is always going to be stupid. marco gonna marco tbh

He would easily be in the mid-40s if he took more sane shots. Well maybe not, he might be better at those leaning shots than set ones by now.

[DPG21920]

Marcos value has done a complete 180 IMO. He was really bad and struggling early, but he’s someone that have been proving his value off the ball and in general and with his shot going in? He’s definitely in that Korver value mode. He is an asset if SA wanted to move him.

[BillMc]

Marcos value has done a complete 180 IMO. He was really bad and struggling early, but he’s someone that have been proving his value off the ball and in general and with his shot going in? He’s definitely in that Korver value mode. He is an asset if SA wanted to move him.

Yep. I can't believe I even considered discussing a Fultz for Marco trade. Fults would love to have Marco's career at this point.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

This version of Beli is what I was expecting. Balls of steel on offense, and mediocre defense, but smarter than the average player out there. Glad to see him come around.

[Dex]

This version of Beli is what I was expecting. Balls of steel on offense, and mediocre defense, but smarter than the average player out there. Glad to see him come around.

He was the Spurs wild card in 2014. He filled big, valuable minutes in the regular season to help the team to the #1 seed and home-court throughout, and had a few big moments in the playoffs which definitely made an impact.

Most importantly, he loved and was loved on those teams. It's good to have another one of those guys in our locker room.

Beli will always have his warts, but he is still one of those guys you want on your side.

[ceperez]

He was the Spurs wild card in 2014. He filled big, valuable minutes in the regular season to help the team to the #1 seed and home-court throughout, and had a few big moments in the playoffs which definitely made an impact.

Most importantly, he loved and was loved on those teams. It's good to have another one of those guys in our locker room.

Beli will always have his warts, but he is still one of those guys you want on your side.

He did very well in the playoffs 2014-15. .467 on 4.3 attempts from 3. Honestly, Spurs should have paid him the money to stay.

[Gagnrath]

He did very well in the playoffs 2014-15. .467 on 4.3 attempts from 3. Honestly, Spurs should have paid him the money to stay.

He's one of those players where him being streakey as a shooter, and questionable at times on defense and decision making means that his value has a definite upper limit as a complimentary player. Also much like most other players on this team his involvement level on offense goes a long way to determine his engagement level on defense. Never a great defender when he's not engaged on that end he is a liability. Personally I don't think he's a 6 million a year player... I would do fun things with his contract start him at say 4,800,000 give him a 500,000 bonus if he scores 1000 points for the season. Give him an extra 100000 if he shoots over 33% for the season and extra 250000 if he gets named to an all defense team. 75k for averaging 3 assists per game for the year. An extra 10k for every 10 steals for the year and an extra 5k for every 10 blocks. Figure 10k for each triple double. If he's named an all star he gets a 25k bonus and a new car. Then give him something like a Spark.

[Gagnrath]

He did very well in the playoffs 2014-15. .467 on 4.3 attempts from 3. Honestly, Spurs should have paid him the money to stay.

He's one of those players where him being streakey as a shooter, and questionable at times on defense and decision making means that his value has a definite upper limit as a complimentary player. Also much like most other players on this team his involvement level on offense goes a long way to determine his engagement level on defense. Never a great defender when he's not engaged on that end he is a liability. Personally I don't think he's a 6 million a year player... I would do fun things with his contract start him at say 4,800,000 give him a 500,000 bonus if he scores 1000 points for the season. Give him an extra 100000 if he shoots over 33% for the season and extra 250000 if he gets named to an all defense team. 75k for averaging 3 assists per game for the year. An extra 10k for every 10 steals for the year and an extra 5k for every 10 blocks. Figure 10k for each triple double. If he's named an all star he gets a 25k bonus and a new car. Then give him something like a Spark.

[exstatic]

He's one of those players where him being streakey as a shooter, and questionable at times on defense and decision making means that his value has a definite upper limit as a complimentary player. Also much like most other players on this team his involvement level on offense goes a long way to determine his engagement level on defense. Never a great defender when he's not engaged on that end he is a liability. Personally I don't think he's a 6 million a year player... I would do fun things with his contract start him at say 4,800,000 give him a 500,000 bonus if he scores 1000 points for the season. Give him an extra 100000 if he shoots over 33% for the season and extra 250000 if he gets named to an all defense team. 75k for averaging 3 assists per game for the year. An extra 10k for every 10 steals for the year and an extra 5k for every 10 blocks. Figure 10k for each triple double. If he's named an all star he gets a 25k bonus and a new car. Then give him something like a Spark.

Six million is about 2/3s of the mid level exception. To say that a player with one EXTREMELY outstanding NBA skill, in his case shooting, isn't worth $6M is beyond ridiculous.

[monty4329]

Six million is about 2/3s of the mid level exception. To say that a player with one EXTREMELY outstanding NBA skill, in his case shooting, isn't worth $6M is beyond ridiculous.

Second to that. He has a stigma of being a bad defender, which was true in the past but now he is quite serviceable in defense too. For the production and the efficiency with whichhe performs, he is grossly underpaid. Just look at the offense flow when he is playing and when not. Philly misses him badly.

[UncleDennis]

Second to that. He has a stigma of being a bad defender, which was true in the past but now he is quite serviceable in defense too. For the production and the efficiency with whichhe performs, he is grossly underpaid. Just look at the offense flow when he is playing and when not. Philly misses him badly.

I don't know a team which wouldn't benefit from having him around. I'm glad the Spurs got him again.

[TheGreatYacht]

The FkLA meltdown in the first 5 pages also called everyone that didn't want Fathead a re

[Coach X]

Nice bump.

Team's defense has improved since December to the point of becoming the 19th of the league (Def Rtg 111.3). There are more and more teams losing the playoffs train and starting to tank, which helps statistically the teams still in the fight. Anyway, Spurs got better in D and the team started winning more games. Marco's defense looks better as it does everybody's.

Belinelli has found his shot and he's scoring some of the most unorthodox shots we've seen, despite the degree of difficulty. In the past, Belinelli used to score tough lay-ups, short shots, and even mid jumpers but he didn't take so many unbalanced threes. He's making them now but I'm not sure how sustainable is this in the mid-long term.

Marco is a serviceable player this season but he's a Shooting Guard, not a SF. The guard rotation for next year is already packed so I'm not sure what could be his role next season. During the Rodeo Road Trip, the team will face continuously good teams for some weeks. I think those games will give us the measure of the team and the players.