Exactly the point!
Personally, I think it was a bit overly-ambitious for Pop and the coaching staff to think that RJ would be anything more than an average defender.
The fact that there was never a true Bowen "heir apparent" identified and on the roster was made all the more apparent when the Bowen era ended suddenly this past offseason. The meant the Spurs were left exposed defensively on the perimeter. Thank goodness for Keith Bogans, as a stop-gap solution.
I hold out hope that the Spurs will continue to pursue another such defender in next year's draft.
Finley isn't the same defender, that's a stretch..
RJ has also shown he can create his own offense when given the opportunity, he can finish at the rim, he has some versatility in his offense, and is a pretty good passer..
Finley is none of those things..he's a spot-up shooter that will occasionally make a shot curling off a screen..
The hope was that RJ would regain his defensive iden y with a reduced role, which is something he didn't have the luxury of doing in Milwaukee and in his last year in New Jersey..I had this hope as well, obviously it hasn't looked like it will happen..
Before his last year in Jersey, he was a very good perimeter defender..
Jefferson is the by far the better player than Finley/Bowen but when it comes to the final 5 minutes of a game and you gave me the choice of Finley/Bowen or Jefferson.
Id probably go with Bowen/Finley.....
is RJ going to defend Melo?
I'd put Blair on him...just a minute or two...until Melo's arms fall down. Then I'd switch to RJ.is RJ going to defend Melo?
Bogans will probably cover Melo, RJ on Afflalo..
we're going to get torched either way against him, he's the best scorer in the NBA..I just don't wanna see Finley guarding him, I'm gonna pray that it doesn't happen..
Expectations were placed a little high on RJ being some type of defensive stopper. Granted I think we all expected a bit more then what we have seen so far, but at least as of late he has shown some signs of improvement. The FO needs to get off this idea that they can turn athleticism into defensive prowess. It's not working...to be good at defense takes much more then sheer athleticism as we have seen.
I still think we got all that we could really expect from RJ. He gives us versatility. Him just being out there keeps the defense honest. He is at the least decent defensively and not a liability. Yeah he is over paid for what he brings to a team, but that was the case even before we traded for him.
Finley a similar defender? PLEASE!
Finley has NEVER even been an average defender - even in his prime. Playing for a guy like Don Nelson, he never had to be. Therefore he never learned defensive priniciples or concepts.
For the past few years under Pop, he's learned those things and has made the effort and has demostrated the desire. However, his skills and footspeed have declined to a point, where it's simply pointless and laughable for Pop insert him as the starting SF. And he still has very poor defensive fundamentals. When have you ever seen him take a charge?
At this stage of his career, Finley simply cannot keep up with opposing wing players. He's nothing more than a one-trick pony - a one-dimensional, jump-shooter.
Last edited by SenorSpur; 12-02-2009 at 08:42 PM.
yep IT IS ALL TP FAULT
NO ONE BUT TP
NOT JEFFERSON NOT THE COACH NOT THE OTHER PLAYERS TP FAULT
IT IS TP FAULT LAST GAME THEY WENT TO RJ TO BEGIN WITH GOT HIM 5 points then sucked the rest of the night
I think RJ will be ok. He just needs more games as a Spur under his belt.
I always think new Spurs always try too hard to fit in that it affects their games. It's a combination of deferring to the big 3 and trying to please Pop.
Nobody is going to take on his monster contract. The spurs are going to have to eat it.
If we're still discussing RJ's lack of defensive intensity and his lack of offensive numbers simultaneously in March, then I'll worry.
Right now, meh...
hey they're posting WAY more legit stuff than some of the newbies here
i am a little disappointed at jefferson right now. i didn't believe his offense would integrate quickly but i expected him to have started playing solid defense by now. i guess with the injuries, jefferson is still pressured to score and could be focusing more on replacing ginobili/parker's offense rather than defense. it's still early but jefferson needs to gain that defensive mentality soon because the spurs can't rely on a one dimensional player like bogans in the playoffs for 30 minutes a game nor can they ask ginobili to guard the best opposing perimeter player. jefferson will have to play good enough defense to trouble the other team when he's on the court.
Really, RJ was brought in to be a defensive stopper? I'm sorry, but I don't recall RJ being a lockdown defender. I thought he was brought in to add another scoring option for this team and anything on defense was a plus. I stopped reading the article after that line.When the Spurs inked Richard Jefferson this offseason in an effort to retool a bit and make another run at a le, they hope he'd be a defensive stopper for them.
ESPN is just stirring the pot. RJ's D, IMO, isn't a huge concern because part of what got us off to a rough start was everyone trying to do too many things at once. The Spurs machine will only get tighter as the season goes on, and I'm not worried about these "insiders" saying RJ is not intense. He's got a few nice posters this season from some intense dunks.
Thanks for the ESPN post!
Bogans should not be covering Melo, in fact RJ is the only good option we've got. Bogans may be an exceptional defender but he is only 6'5'' and doesn't have the wingspan to compensate; Melo would stay down on the post all game long.
Although Richard doesn't need to be an all league defender every night, I believe he should be above average on most nights, and when the team needs it he should devote all necessary energy to that end of the floor. Maybe his motor isn't yet up for such high demands on both ends of the floor, but a balance must be struck.
Andrei Kirilenko wants out of Utah. Trade Richard Jefferson for him!
Just kiddin. Or am I?
i'd do that trade. as excited as i was about the Jefferson signing, i just don't see many signs that he's going to gel with this team. i think he still has a uva lot of game, but i don't think the Spurs are the team for him. I think Phoenix would be the perfect fit. Or maybe even the Hornets.Andrei Kirilenko wants out of Utah. Trade Richard Jefferson for him!
Just kiddin. Or am I?
Kirilenko's length would be a welcome addition to this team.
SJAX was the public option trade RJ straight up for SJAX. now.
rj=drew gooden.
hey they're posting WAY more legit stuff than some of the newbies here
On reflection that doesn't sound right. I like 48MOH; I read it everyday.
What I meant to say was, since when does 48MOH speak for the Spurs?
The BSPN "article" should have read: "Spurs fansite/blog not happy with initial defensive intensity of Jefferson"
How come Shawn Marion to Dallas for $7 million a year was such a terrible move, but Richard Jefferson and his $14 million average salary to San Antonio instantly put them on the same level as the Lakers?
lmao at the prospect of Hill, Manu and Keith ing Bogans trying to defend Kobe in a 7 game playoff series.
Seriously,
Good luck with that SA.
Yeah this reminds me of when parker was said to not be good at d becuz of this.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote