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rascal only hates Bowen because he's on the Spurs.
rascal is an admitted Bowen hater who has picked against the Spurs every season. His credibility about anything regarding if or why or when the Spurs will win is zero.
rascal only hates Bowen because he's on the Spurs.
Other than the fact that Bowen has declined some, the more troubling issue is there is no heir apparent on the roster.
Is there an heir apparent in the NBA? Bruce Bowens don't grow on trees.
What players are available that can defend four positions, bring it every night, are durable and then won't get in the way on the other end?
Ronnie Brewer.
Fixed. The guy who got benched in place of Giricek when the Jazz needed to stop Ginobili need not apply
And it's hard to ever see that rascal knows what he's talking about.
Ronnie Brewer is not a below average defender, he is young and has a lot of defensive abilities, who cares if he got benched in favor of Giricek. That is like saying: Bruce Bowen, the same guy who has been bounced around the Heat, Celtics and all over France.
Brewer has the athletic abilities that Bowen never possessed and he focuses on defense. He could be something special on that end imo.
Brewer is certainly a below average defender. The Jazz gave up 110.4 per 100 possessions when Brewer was on the court, 104.6 when he was off the court. And his numbers have been similar since he came into the league.
When Kyle Korver and CJ Miles have better defensive numbers, that's a sign that person shouldn't be the first player named as the Bowen replacement.
So are you trying to say Kyle Korver is a better defender? Those number do not tell the entire story.
Is Kobe a below average defender, because he gets burned by Ginobili often as well.
Where did you find the number per possession with him on/off the court?
Of course not. The skills and prowess of Bowen, like Manu, cannot be fully replaced. However, the defensive skills of the perimeter guys they're throwing out there isn't just subpar, it's a dramatic cliff dive.
Even if it were an average defender, it would've behooved the Spurs at least have a young, long, defensive-minded, SF on the roster or in the pipeline. I know Pop has traded defense for offense, but that absence of such a player is inexcusable.
Besides, we all know that Bowen didn't just walk into this league as an ELITE defender. In addition to having the proper mindset and desire, he worked at it tirelessly.
To get the thread back on topic ... I wonder if the Spurs will even try to replace Bowen or if they will work with what is available. Instead of replacing Robinson, they shifted the focus. The almost trade for Camby tells me that the Spurs will likely try to alter their entire philosophy.
The Spurs may think that even if they can find a Bowen-replacement, Duncan can no longer be counted on to patrol the entire paint.
The Spurs have been trying for about five years to add that player the pipeline. The problem is that unless you have a lottery pick or more than the MLE to spend, finding a decent player with those attributes is very difficult. 99% of them in the Spurs' attainability range have those attributes but don't have an all-around game ... or have an all-around game but don't have the needed attributes.
If that part is true, then re-signing Gooden is probably out the window.
It's not just Bowen. I think it's the need for a defensive reliable Center. When opposing guards attacked they knew there was going to be Tim and another big who could defend. After Robinson it was the need for an offensive/defensive big who could fill his void. We had Rasho for the D and Nazr somewhat for the O, also let's not forget about Horry another player who was solid on O and could play good D in spurts. Which is primairly why the Spurs had such good D in 2004, 2005, and 2006 and were able to win another ring.
With that extra big who could put pressure not only on the opposing teams big, but attacking guards it made indivdual defensive assignements for the perimeter players easier. 2007, was a different case, there was no real big team to threaten the Spurs for a championship (Dallas maybe, but GS took care of them). 2008 came along and the Spurs were exposed against the Lakers for the lack of D against an elite team. Here we are in 09 and well our D is average, if not below.
Tim just cannot anchor the paint by himself, unfourtanely Gooden, Thomas, and Bonner are not defensive stalwarts. Thomas is decent, however more often than not slashing guards will find it easy to penetrate the paint and create.
Good point.
Wow I did not read that timvp talked about Tim not controlling the whole paint so I basically reiterated what he said. lol
You do not have to find someone who is just as good as Bruce. You say that the players they are looking for either can defend but don't have enough all around game, or vice-versa. What does Bruce do? Essentially, if the Spurs were going to look for someone similar they would be looking for a defensive minded 3 who can hit 3 pointers from limited spots. :
Who in this league does that:
AK47
Ron Artest
Ariza
are some of the bigger names.
I once thought Korver was a bad defender, but Korver within the system of a good defensive coach is a damn good defender.
In the Spurs' system, Andre Igoudala would probably be an elite defensive player (guarding primarily wings 2's and 3's... and probably less versatility guarding 1's and 4's).
Having said that, Iggy has a bigger upside on offense...
But you're right... Bruce is a one-of-a-kind player... one who has thrived in his unique specialist role.
Lesser guys that may be able to fill the void:
Dorell Wright (lacks the 3 ball though)
Maurice Evans
Gerald Wallace
Raja Bell
Jamario Moon
There are others obviously that are hovering around. The question is are the Spurs looking for more well rounded offense from their 3 along with the good defense, or will they be looking for just the nastiest defender regardless of offensive prowess?
Also, keep in mind, that if the rumors were true, that the Spurs were targeting Hill, whom they believe can be an excellent defender and got him along with Batum, who looked pretty impressive on that end of the floor as well.
So that might lead you to believe that the Spurs are thinking 3.
I'd love to see the Spurs take a shot at Luc Richard Mbah A Moute
http://www.realgm.com/src_playerfile..._mbah_a_moute/
Gist!
I love Bo-bo, and don't mean to minimize his contribution to the team D but... to me the decline in the spurs D has more to do with Duncan and the lack of help he has inside. funneling dudes to the rim isnt a good srategy without someone that contest in there. seeing bonner or gooden in there makes me pine for rasho.
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