Ok let's cut the pipe dreams and discuss what we believe will really happen this offseason.
Let's here some predictions, good or bad
Tim Duncan and Pop retire. Manu demands a trade. Tony Parker tears his ACL in training camp and misses the season. Spurs go 13-69 and get the #1 pick in the lottery draft for 2007. Spurs draft Greg Oden, who leads them to a 66-16 record, the biggest turnaround in league history, and an NBA le, sweeping the playoffs.
Tell me this doesn't sound familiar
continuing onslaught of Mavs jerks.
Spurs bring in Javtokas
Spurs bring in Scola
Spurs trade Brent Barry for J.R. Smith and Arvydas Macijauskas
Spurs let Nazr Mohammed sign elsewhere
Spurs sign Speedy Claxton
This doesn't sound too far-fetched, though I kinda believe the Spurs will trade for a first round pick.
is there any chance scola gets traded in an attempt to get higher in the draft
Spurs Discover Loophole in Lease Allowing Them to Relocate to Las Vegas
Gregg Popovich Retires, Becomes Editor of Wine Enthusiast
Tim Duncan Retires, Opens Steel Drum/Dungeons & Dragons Shop in Christiansted
Tony Parker Becomes Pimp
Manu Ginobili Wins World Series of Poker With Demonstrative Play on Each Flop
It can happen, but to whom would they trade him to?
Nazr, Barry, Van Exel, Beno, and Marks all will be gone for whatever reason. Who knows who Spurs will bring in at this point; but, I'll go out on a limb and say Rasho stays, to welcome Javtokas, Scola, J. R. Smith, Speedy Claxton, and surprise newcomer, Ian Mahinmi.
Conventional wisdom says, if Rasho stays and Javtokas is on the team then why Mahianmi, well, I have no answer for that, it's my prediction. Stay tuned, . . .
Spurs bring in Javtokas
Spurs bring in Scola
Spurs trade Brent Barry for J.R. Smith and Arvydas Macijauskas
Spurs let Nazr Mohammed sign elsewhere
Spurs sign Speedy Claxton
All these are realistic possibilities, except Speedy. No way he comes back.
I would like to see both Scola and Javtokas.
I have a few minutes so....
Spurs bring in Javtokas
Spurs deal Scola for a middle first round pick
Spurs draft a three, preferably long athletic with a jumpshot
Trade Brent Barry for JR Smith and Macijauskas
Try and S+T Nazr... for anything, else let him walk.
Rotation
PG Parker / Udrih
SG Manu / Smith / Macijauskas
SF Bowen / Finley / Long 3
PF Duncan / Horry / Long 3
Cc Javtokas / Duncan / Rasho
IR: Marks, second rnd pick, undrafted player to develop.
I like that team a lot, we get younger on the perimetre and get a ridiculous athlete in JR Smith. A long three to groom. We give up Scola but I'm skeptical of his NBA game anyway. Javtokas comes in to bang, rebound and erase shots at the 5. Macijauskas on the other hand can at least shoot the ball.
Parker will be backed up by Udrih, I think he's going to finally be ready next season. In any event Parker can play 35-38mpg so we won't have to really on him that much.
I actually think Mahimni will be with us next year for whatever reason. Marks will still be here. I think he'll be here for a long time.Nazr, Barry, Van Exel, Beno, and Marks all will be gone for whatever reason. Who knows who Spurs will bring in at this point; but, I'll go out on a limb and say Rasho stays, to welcome Javtokas, Scola, J. R. Smith, Speedy Claxton, and surprise newcomer, Ian Mahinmi.
Conventional wisdom says, if Rasho stays and Javtokas is on the team then why Mahianmi, well, I have no answer for that, it's my prediction. Stay tuned, . . .
A realistic expectation for the spurs is to hire trained huge gorillas for.... you guessed it.....gang raping Mark Cuban
what's Robertas' Euro contract?
is he free, no buy-out?
"Spurs Discover Loophole in Lease Allowing Them to Relocate to ..."
.... Pop's choice, Sonoma CA, renamed the Sonoma Vintners.
Is Al Harrington a pipe dream?
My take:
Nazr will sign somewhere else.
Barry and Rasho will be traded.
Van Exel and Marks will retire.
Beno is staying…we can’t afford anything better.
Speedy gets more money somewhere else.
Spurs trade for a late 1st or early 2nd round pick (giving them a total of 2 for this year).
Spurs don’t have a lot of money to go around so they will do most of their upgrades with players they have already drafted and players they draft in this year’s draft.
I also see the Spurs transitioning primarily to a 2 PF lineup to better compete with the small ball teams. You will have one PF that primarily takes on the C responsibilities i.e. Duncan. The other PF will hopefully be fast enough to keep up with Dirk/Diaw, athletic enough to contest shots, and be able to rebound.
With that being said:
Spurs bring in Scola and Javtokas.
Spurs draft a long 3 i.e. Marcus Souza, Steve Novak, Shawne Williams, Steven Smith.
Spurs draft a quick PF i.e. Oleksiy Pecherov, James Augustine, Damir Markota, Solomon Jones, Paul Millsap, Taj Gray, Justin Williams, Josh Boone, Ryan Hollins
So the changes would look something like this:
PG Parker / Udrih
SG Manu / Finley
SF Bowen / Long 3 (Draft)
PF Scola / Horry / PF (Draft)
PF Duncan / Javtokas
* I know I’m a couple players short on this rotation, but I am too tired to guess on what players we would add via the Barry/Rasho trade and free agency.
Keepers:
Duncan
Parker
Ginobili
Bowen
Finley
Horry
Bubble:
Rasho -- Overpaid, but a guy like him is necessary as long as Yao is in the league (in our conference). Attempt to trade to Toronto for Rafeal Araujo and Eric Williams. We could keep either or both if we find them useful or simply waive them otherwise since they are in the last years of their contracts. If Rasho is gone without a replacement coming back, sign Albuquerque's Andreas Glyniadakis. Moves his 280 pound frame well and was really beginning to dominate the D-League late in the season.
Oberto -- Possible throw in or outright trade to some slowdown team (Memphis for Lorenzen Wright maybe?)
Gonzo:
Barry -- Beg NOLA to revisit the JR Smith/Macijauskas trade. Throw in Beno if necessary.
Nazr -- Sign and trade to Chitown for Chris Duhon (pending the latter's succesful recovery from surgery). Yeah it's big for small, but it's Nazr Mohammed and we'll get a trade exception. Sign Javtokas to replace him.
Beno -- Doesn't look like Pop will , so get off the pot. Get what you can.
Van Exel -- Retiring. If a Duhon deal goes through, pick up a project. Guys from the D-League like Aaron Miles (classic system guy who found his aggro side late in the season), Ramel Curry (broken-play scoring specialist with PG potential) or Derrick Zimmerman (crazy athletic defender and assist man with no perimeter game, available if NJ doesn't keep him) would be fine as a third point.
Marks -- If he's never going to be in the rotation, why is he here? Pick up Scola if he doesn't cost a billion dollars. Otherwise throw and offer at Chuck Hayes and see if Houston blinks. Or offer Scola to Rod " blocker" Thorn for #22 or 23 and pick up some PF who might help in a couple of years like Shawne Williams, Josh Boone or Paul Milsap. Marcus Fizer has more range than any of these guys too, if he's not going back to NOLA.
Melvin Sanders - I think he has a fair amount of potential, but there are others out there as well. Erik Daniels ranked third in rebounds per game in the D-League playing the three, for example. Antwain Barbour and Roger Powell were near the top of the CBA in scoring. Plenty of options.
Lineups, then and now (of course the slashes denote possibilities, I'm not saying the Spur can cary 24 players):
Duncan - Duncan
Parker - Parker
Ginobili - Ginobili
Bowen - Bowen
Finley - Finley
Horry - Horry
Nazr - Javtokas
Barry - JR Smith
Beno - Chris Duhon
Rasho - Rasho/Andreas Glyniadakis/Rafael Araujo
Marks - Chuck Hayes/Luis Scola/NJ pick
Oberto - Oberto/Lorenzen Wright
Sanders - Erik Daniels/Roger Powell/Antwain Barbour/Eric Williams/Tommy Smith (can he still walk?)
NVE - Macijauskas/Ramel Curry/Aaron Miles
For that 15th spot, I'm all for bringing over Ian or Viktor early if we really think they are such hot and small ball is the future and the future is round two vs. Dallas. Start the clock on the rookie deals early, train them in Austin if necessary and re-sign them before they really blow up. Otherwise get another hustling forward from the #59 pick (Marcus Slaughter) or the D-League (TJ mings, Jamar Smith, Sharrod Ford).
This stuff seams realistic enough, and won't cost too much. I'm not going to try to do the numbers right now -- too much Shiner. There isn't a whole lot that needs to be done anyway.
My offseason :
- Trade Rasho+Scola to Chicago for a trade exception
- Trade the TE+2007 first round pick to Atlanta for Al Harrington (S&T $50M/6 years).
- Trade Barry to a team under the cap like Hornets/Raptors/Bobcats/Jazz for a trade exception.
- Draft with the 59th pick Bobby Jones or a raw euro with some upside if Jones isn't available.
- Split the MLE between Jumaine Jones ($10M/3years) and Javtokas ($7M/3years).
- Sign Milt Palacio for the min. Palacio is a solid backup PG/SG that can play if Beno chokes.
- Sign Andreas Glyniadakis for the min. I don't know him but he is a big body and if he can play, he will be usefull against Yao&Shaq.
- Sign Bobby Jones or Sanikidze or a D-League guy as 14th player.
Roster :
PG : Parker/Udrih/Palacio
SG : Ginobili/Finley
SF : Bowen/Jones
PF : Harrington/Horry
C : Duncan/Javtokas/Oberto
IL : Glyniadakis/14th guy.
Money-wise, it's realistic : Spurs will be under the Luxury Tax.
Most of you will find it not realistic but to me it's realistic.
If Al Harrington is a Spur next year, I'll change my le and my legal name to BrunoIsGod.
No way in because he isn't that good and the Chicago isn't doing that trade.
I will throw David Wesley's name in the ring if we are going the vet backup PG route.
Quoted
Your dream is Theron Smith, my dream is Al Harrington.
I've read that he has played with an injury for the last part of the season.
36 years old guy with an injury isn't my first choice as backup PG (cough... NVE ...cough)
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