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The Spurs are set at the 1 for the next 10 seasons and Spurs fans want to trade. WTF?
Let's keep this kid. He's only 22 and his ball handling will improve. he's already a pretty good shooter and passer.
The Spurs are set at the 1 for the next 10 seasons and Spurs fans want to trade. WTF?
Spurs fans are amazing. When the season ends, they only remember the last game of the season. After 2003, everyone said Parker sucked and Speedy was better because of the last game of the season. In 2004, everyone said Hedo sucked (even though he might have [and they were probably right]) because of the last game of the season. In 2005, Spurs fans say Beno AND Parker suck because they didn't play great basketball against the two best defensive point guards in the league.
Come to grips, Spurs fans. Billups and Hunter are the two best defensive point guards in the league. Billups was on the all-defense second team (no point guard was on the first team) and Hunter is probably an even better defender. Going into the series, any basketball fan could tell you that the Spurs' point guards weren't going to shine.
One thing Beno did was take Carlos Arroyo out of the series. In the early games, Beno absolutely owned Arroyo. People forget how key Arroyo was against the Heat. Because Arroyo was getting owned, Brown had to take him out of the rotation and limit his bench even further. When that happened, Hunter switched from guarding Manu to guarding Beno and that's when Beno struggled. Pop matched Brown's shortening of the rotation, but the advantage went the Spurs way because Barry > Hunter and Horry > McDyess.
No doubt Beno needs to improve his ballhandling -- especially against pressure -- but he has a future in the league. He's a great shooter and a very good passer. His defense was pretty good by the end of the year too. Now he just needs to lose about 15-20 pounds so he can get faster (just like Nash needed to lose weight to reach his full potential), and the Spurs will have a top five backup PG.
P.S.
That said, I'd like to send a shout out to the brains such as IceColdBrewski who said Beno was better than Parker. If Beno was the starting point guard on this team, the Pistons would have swept the Spurs by a total of 200 points.
only a moron would want beno gone, he is solid.
Guys, it looks like this thread has gotten somewhat off track. Let me reset. No one on this forum proposed the idea of trading or getting rid of Beno. This notion was brought up in an article I read in the Express-News.
I think we're all in agreement that Beno is a young and promising player for this team. I raised the issue because I wanted to know if the Spurs were truly down on him because of this play during the Pistons series. If so, I trust "cooler heads" will prevail and the organization will allow this youngster to develop.
I like Beno. We knew he had trouble bringing the ball up under a press from very early in the season. Larry Brown knew it and exposed it with Lindsey from the get-go in the Finals. He knew when Pop subs uted Beno in for TP, he would bring the pressure. Larry immediatedly went to a trap on Beno and Udrih coughed it up.
Beno has something to work on over the summer.
On the positive side, Beno sees the floor well, he is an excellent shooter, and only Manu gets the ball up the floor from Point A to Point B on the break better than Beno.
It was the addition of Beno and Brent that turned the Spurs into the best passing team the Spurs have ever had. They were the difference makers.
The Spurs still need a third guy to play the point, so whether it's Wilks or another quick playmaker with an outside shot, that role player is still needed. That player is needed for matchups and for injury insurance.
If you've watched the league for a few years, you will remember that Kevin Johnson, Steve Kerr, John Stockton and Steve Nash didn't have impressive Rookie seasons.
Steve Nash averaged 3.3 ppg and 2.1 apg in 10 min/gm of action.
Beno will develop and learn and make a fine PG in this league, whether he's a Spur or not.
Beno will be back. How many guys are content to develop like he is to become a backup PG for the Spurs in the future. We don't need another Speedy or Antonio Daniels that aspires to be a starter after 1 decent season.
If he can improve his ball handling skills against the press defense, he will be a great backup to Tony for a long time to come.
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