Spurs finish subtle changes: Team puts focus on saving money

[ChumpDumper]

Goddam fluff piece.

[furry_spurry]

Don't claim that getting an athletic perimeter player is not a significant need. They themselves said it was 2 months ago.

Don't act as if the signings you made were to meet the needs of rebounding when they obviously were not.

And for Pete's sake, don't spew a bunch of crap about draft picks and remaking the roster in 2 years when NOW is the time. The Spurs should be talking championships - not merely being content to be called a contender. They know these primarily financially- based moves have not put them over the top- if anything, they have taken a step backward- their only real hope being the development of Jackie Butler.

And, yes I get to complain, because tickets are like any "product"-- and the costs are going up but the quality of the product is going down.

[Walton Buys Off Me]

Amazing- Buford says they lost because the couldn't get rebounds, yet Pop had two seven footers sitting on the bench all series.

That's intelligent

[spurster]

"We didn't lose games in those playoffs because guys ran around us," Buford said. "We lost games because we couldn't get rebounds."

Exactly.

The problem I have is the Spurs really didn't do much to correct that. If anything, they've become an even worse rebounding team.

I guess we can hope that small ball won't be as small this season or something like that.

I agree. All the moves are moving sideways rather than moving forward. The problem with that is:

The Spurs also still have a graying roster: Of the 14 players with guaranteed contracts, only five are under 30. By the end of next month, Horry, Bruce Bowen, Brent Barry, Williams and Michael Finley will average almost 35 years.

I guess our hopes are that Bonner and Williams are more than what they seem.

[Bruno]

It looks like both Nocioni and Varejao are UFAs after next season.

Both will be restricted.

[T Park]

yet Pop had two seven footers sitting on the bench all series.

That's intelligent

Yeah that couldn't rebound.


So you say all year dont play Rasho, but when it fits your stupidity, play him?

Strange.

And, yes I get to complain, because tickets are like any "product"-- and the costs are going up but the quality of the product is going down

ALL YOU ING DO IS !!!


OFFER SOME ING ALTERNATIVES!!!!!!!!!!


Jesus h ing christ.

[Big P]

Free agent fun for '08.

Unrestricted Free Agents
Baron Davis - pass
Cory Maggete - pass
Elton Brand - Spurs went after him once and nearly got a signature when he was restricted, things in Clip land have changed though
Gilbert Arenas - Another shot at my '03 favorite. Said he wants a team with a le shot. A 27 year olds Parker and Arenas in the backcourt
Jason Kidd - Pop couldn't make that mistake agan, could he?
Jermaine O'Neal - possible if he isn't broken down by then. But a long term exensive deal? Pass
Marion -
Richard Hamilton - Not for near max
And
Tim Duncan - :eek

Team Option to date
Al Jefferson
Iguodala
Biendrins
Dwight Howard - dreaming
Okafor
Jameer Nelson
Josh Childress
Josh Smith
Kevin Martin
Deng
Krstic
Quinton Ross
Telfair
Livingston
Bruce Bowen - who could help the Spurs with a renegotiated contract

Many lesser players, i.e.,
Tony Allen
Khryyapa

We didn't really almost get a signature from Brand, he actually blew us off & signed an offer sheet with Miami.

[picnroll]

We didn't really almost get a signature from Brand, he actually blew us off & signed an offer sheet with Miami.

He liked the deal and the Spurs. He blew the Spurs off because Nike came in and offered him more endorsement money if he signed with the larger market Miami. Heat turned around and took the same deal that Presti fashioned and Brand suigned it.

[itzsoweezee]

"We didn't lose games in those playoffs because guys ran around us," Buford said. "We lost games because we couldn't get rebounds and we had a difficult matchup with Dirk."

well that statement couldn't be more wrong

[Mavs_man_41]

They couldn't rebound because they didn't have anyone taller than Tim in the game.

neither did the mavs......

[T Park]

well that statement couldn't be more wrong

Well how did they lose?

Uh, they lost the rebounding battles big time in all 7 games.

[JUUOT]

i know of at least one big name that could be on the market in 1008 to join his best friend and be the most dominant franchise for the next 5 years and be the french dinasty:

BORIS DIAW in 2008!

Butler ian
td
boris
manu
tp

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

What long 3 was available they should have gotten?

Names please genius........

Jumaine Jones and Trevor Ariza are still out there, Qyntel Woods too.

[T Park]

Obviously the FO knows more about them and feels way differently about them than you.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Obviously so, doesn't mean they're right though.

Look, I know you will stubbornly defend the front office until the day you die, but Pop even said, straight out of his mouth, that he felt they needed to go out and find an Aaron McKie type player to stick out at small forward to deal with guys like Dirk.

And spare me the Eric Williams talk, guy is done. So they admitted they needed a small forward, but went out and got two centers, a PF, and an 86 year old point guard.

Yay team.

[Sway]

What long 3 was available they should have gotten?

Names please genius........

Name me one FA out there that would have.

TPark since you asked here are some names:

PF/C: Melvin Ely or Reggie Evans

I really like the Butler signing, but I would have preferred Ely or Evans over Elson. And for the record, I was in favor of letting go of Nazr and Rasho.

SF: Trevor Ariza, Qyntel Woods, Jumaine Jones, DerMarr Johnson or Ronald Dupree

I think not having a long three on the roster is just plain stupid. You can’t tell me that not one of these SFs was worth a shot. At worse we would have gotten a stopgap until something better came along.

[Big P]

The Suns will not let Boris become an unrestricted FA..they will resign him to a nice contract before we have a chance at him.

[Bruno]

Just because you need athleticism, you don't want to sign a jackrabbit if he can't play."

cough....Ariza...cough

I think too that if Spurs were interested by Ariza, they would have called Brown (like they did for Butler) and Larry Brown didn't like Ariza.

[Kori Ellis]

cough....Ariza...cough

I think too that if Spurs were interested by Ariza, they would have called Brown (like they did for Butler) and Larry Brown didn't like Ariza.

Well I know Pop likes Ariza.

[ShoogarBear]

Kinda funny how Ludden only mentions the Spurs going after Alonzo.

I guess it wouldn't look good to say that Pryzbilla (and maybe even Wallace) also turned the Spurs down.

[ChumpDumper]

I'll ask this again: how much time do you expect a free agent long three to get in the swing rotation that already has Bowen, Manu and Finley and even Barry? To say nothing of all the power forwards on the roster if they have the ability to play that position.

Is the number you come up with very attractive to a young player who is already established in the league and wants to play more?

It's kind of a hard sell to a young vet. There will have to be trades.

[Bruno]

I'll ask this again: how much time do you expect a free agent long three to get in the swing rotation that already has Bowen, Manu and Finley and even Barry?

Agree with that, we need to trade Barry if we want to use a long SF. The long SF should too be able to play some PF.

[timvp]

@ timvp who cuts Buford's quotes just to serve his Reggie Scrubans love.

I gave up on the Reggie Evans idea a long time ago when the Spurs started going after centers rather than power forwards. Doesn't really make sense to me unless Pop is going to change his small ball strategy, but we'll see.

Your big offseason trade idea was getting Al Harrington. How did that go? Did Chicago do that Rasho for cap space trade you were pimping?

[spurster]

Wooo hooo! The Spurs are saving money while TD and Manu in their primes. Go Spurs Go!

[timvp]

Regarding the future of this team, I'm hoping the Spurs still have a trade or two in them. This team as it is now isn't good enough I don't think. They'd need Butler and Bonner to come in and play at very high levels.

Dallas is a younger team who now knows they can beat the Spurs. Another year of experience is just going to make them better. Plus you also have Phoenix and Miami to deal with.

The Spurs need an athlete on the perimeter. I don't care if it's a jackrabbit or whatever, the Spurs need a guy who can come in and guard multiple positions and rebound. Without that I think Dallas is just going to run right by them again.