Spurs Mailbag: Beno still misfiring

[pad300]

@ Ludden!

I'm very perplexed with Beno though. How can an NBA player not work on his shot constantly? Kerr ALWAYS worked on his shot. That is a flat out admission from his own mouth that he doesn't work nearly as much as he should on his game. Thats just flat out horrible.

Look on the bright side Manny - If he's never had to work on his shot before, then it means he's ungodly naturally talented... If we can get him to work, he might yet be a thing of beauty. The good news is that he's going to become a minimum wage vet - a 3 year minimum wage deal after his rookie deal expires might look decent. I would do that deal - particularly because he might get it together one day. Point guards tend to mature late - look at Nash; he only started to get it together when he went to Dallas at ?27? (I think). Now he's a 2 time MVP.

[Bruno]

yes he is way way back

Hater.

[angel_luv]

I don't know if Beno meant that he's never had to make adjustments to his shooting stroke? That might make sense and be better than saying he's never worked on his shot.

That is what I understood him to mean.

[MannyIsGod]

Please don't compare Nash and Beno ever again.

[VaSpursFan]

Look on the bright side Manny - If he's never had to work on his shot before, then it means he's ungodly naturally talented... If we can get him to work, he might yet be a thing of beauty. The good news is that he's going to become a minimum wage vet - a 3 year minimum wage deal after his rookie deal expires might look decent. I would do that deal - particularly because he might get it together one day. Point guards tend to mature late - look at Nash; he only started to get it together when he went to Dallas at ?27? (I think). Now he's a 2 time MVP.

beno...is that you??

it's insane to compare beno's situation to nash's. nash was always brilliant, he just needed some maturing. beno...man, we could spend all day with this one, so i'll just leave it alone.

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

If Beno Udrih ever becomes the Most Valuable Player of the National Basketball Association, I will shoot myself in the foot.

[Slomo]

If Beno Udrih ever becomes the Most Valuable Player of the National Basketball Association, I will shoot myself in the foot.

You wussed out at the last word, didn't you?

Pussy!

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

You wussed out at the last word, didn't you?

Pussy!

Yes - but I also didn't say what I'd shoot myself with.

[Pero]

MY lazy ass? I'm sorry did you confuse me with Beno?

Yes - but I also didn't say what I'd shoot myself with.

[Slomo]

Yes - but I also didn't say what I'd shoot myself with.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The only time Beno and Nash should ever be in the same sentence is when someone says "Beno and Nash should never be mentioned in the same sentence."

[AFBlue]

The only time Beno and Nash should ever be in the same sentence is when someone says "Beno and Nash should never be mentioned in the same sentence."

Man I love it when you post. Always so witty, insightful, and downright enjoyable.

I promise I'm not being swayed at all by the unbelievable Selma Hayek signature.

[T Park]

How? Jermaine O'Neal wanted to remain loyal and stay in Indy.

Well the only reason he stayed, was because Isaih was the coach.

Hes mentioned many times had he known he was gonna get fired he would've signed with San Antonio.

Its hard to believe that the Spurs down the grapevine couldn't have heard something to that affect, and told him that.

IMO, RC didn't go after him hard enough.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Beno sucks.

[Kori Ellis]

Well the only reason he stayed, was because Isaih was the coach.

Hes mentioned many times had he known he was gonna get fired he would've signed with San Antonio.

Its hard to believe that the Spurs down the grapevine couldn't have heard something to that affect, and told him that.

IMO, RC didn't go after him hard enough.

That's a huge reach. The Spurs wouldn't have had any information about Isiah getting fired in the future. When a guy calls you and tells you point blank, thanks but no thanks, my decision is made - there's not much harder you can go after him.

[zeleni]

MY lazy ass? I'm sorry did you confuse me with Beno?

No. That wouldn't happen. Then I would speak Slovenian to you.

Fact is, he is on his rookie contract and was never invested in. What did HE benefited after he got his ring from nowhere?

But seriously... Beno made the most progress in his rookie season. From then on..he is not to be called an investment. He could be called a lay-away, perhaps. But I would've called him probably a treasure lost.

[pad300]

beno...is that you??

it's insane to compare beno's situation to nash's. nash was always brilliant, he just needed some maturing. beno...man, we could spend all day with this one, so i'll just leave it alone.

No, this is not Beno.
While I don't expect Beno to evolve into a 2 time MVP, at the time not much useful was expected from Nash either. Nash was drafted by Phoenix (in the 1996 draft) at the age of 22. He was trade in the offseason to Dallas at the age of 24. In Pheonix he never was the starting PG, averaging 10.5 mpg in his 1st season, and 21.9 mpg in his second season. With efficiencies of 4.02 and 9.92 respectively. His efficiency only took a spectacular leap in his 5th year in the league (to 18+) - his 3ed year in Dallas. His MVP years had efficiencies of 22 and 24 respectively (Data from Basketballreference.com). He played in 2 playoff series (1 each season), with worse performance than his regular seasons. Nash was traded for Pat Garrity's Draft rights (19th pick), Martin Murrsep, Bubba Wells, and a First round Draft Pick (1st round, paid in 1999 - turned out to be 9th - Shawn Marion). Wells and Murrsep were scrubs. Garrity is a scrub. I will say the draft pick turned out well (it was a very solid draft class). If Nash was "brilliant ... just needed maturing" they wouldn't have made that trade.
He's not the only example of a PG developing slowly. Take Billups. He didn't get it together until 25 or 26 - his last year in Minnesota & his 1st year in Detroit. He also bounced around a lot. An example of a less accomplished player - Jamaal Tinsley - whose efficiency jumped from the 12-13 range to 16 last season - at age 26. Beno's 24 this year, and was a foreigner who needed to adjust to US culture & another language (english).
While I'm NOT going to tell you Beno will reach anything close to those heights, he has still got a couple of years to get it together before he becomes a complete bust. He's shown flashes of talent enough to make a decent backup & maybe even a starting level PG. I won't tell you I love his at ude, but he's not a write-off yet. If he didn't have some maturity, he would have tried to force a trade last season with the NVE garbage going on.

[bigdog]

Well the only reason he stayed, was because Isaih was the coach.

Hes mentioned many times had he known he was gonna get fired he would've signed with San Antonio.

Its hard to believe that the Spurs down the grapevine couldn't have heard something to that affect, and told him that.

IMO, RC didn't go after him hard enough.

its not that RC didn't go after him, Jermaine was gonna meet with the Spurs,in fact his flight was already scheduled, but the day before he was scheduled to come and emet with RC and the guys, Indy offered him that contract.

[itzsoweezee]

Here’s what I was told (and, remember, I’m just the messenger): With Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop on the bench because of foul trouble, the Mavericks went small for about 11 minutes of the second half, including much of the fourth quarter. That would have forced the Spurs to put one of their bigs on Dirk and the other on Devean George or Josh Howard, so Pop matched down.

great coaching by popovich once again.
spurs played the bigs and had a lead in the first half. then popovich went small and the team collapsed (predictably).
if a strategy doesn't work, do it again and again and again. makes complete sense. i hope avery isn't reading this, or else the spurs won't be seeing much of diop or dampier in the playoffs and spurs fans will be seeing a lot of scoring by the mavs.

[BeerIsGood!]

No. That wouldn't happen. Then I would speak Slovenian to you.

Fact is, he is on his rookie contract and was never invested in. What did HE benefited after he got his ring from nowhere?

But seriously... Beno made the most progress in his rookie season. From then on..he is not to be called an investment. He could be called a lay-away, perhaps. But I would've called him probably a treasure lost.

I think this post is the absolute definition of Non-objectivity. Anyone who calls this lazy bum a "treasure lost" should be shot in the foot.

[nkdlunch]

No, this is not Beno.
While I don't expect Beno to evolve into a 2 time MVP, at the time not much useful was expected from Nash either. Nash was drafted by Phoenix (in the 1996 draft) at the age of 22. He was trade in the offseason to Dallas at the age of 24. In Pheonix he never was the starting PG, averaging 10.5 mpg in his 1st season, and 21.9 mpg in his second season. With efficiencies of 4.02 and 9.92 respectively. His efficiency only took a spectacular leap in his 5th year in the league (to 18+) - his 3ed year in Dallas. His MVP years had efficiencies of 22 and 24 respectively (Data from Basketballreference.com). He played in 2 playoff series (1 each season), with worse performance than his regular seasons. Nash was traded for Pat Garrity's Draft rights (19th pick), Martin Murrsep, Bubba Wells, and a First round Draft Pick (1st round, paid in 1999 - turned out to be 9th - Shawn Marion). Wells and Murrsep were scrubs. Garrity is a scrub. I will say the draft pick turned out well (it was a very solid draft class). If Nash was "brilliant ... just needed maturing" they wouldn't have made that trade.
He's not the only example of a PG developing slowly. Take Billups. He didn't get it together until 25 or 26 - his last year in Minnesota & his 1st year in Detroit. He also bounced around a lot. An example of a less accomplished player - Jamaal Tinsley - whose efficiency jumped from the 12-13 range to 16 last season - at age 26. Beno's 24 this year, and was a foreigner who needed to adjust to US culture & another language (english).
While I'm NOT going to tell you Beno will reach anything close to those heights, he has still got a couple of years to get it together before he becomes a complete bust. He's shown flashes of talent enough to make a decent backup & maybe even a starting level PG. I won't tell you I love his at ude, but he's not a write-off yet. If he didn't have some maturity, he would have tried to force a trade last season with the NVE garbage going on.

Only difference between all the other PGs you mentioned and Beno is that all the other PGs were at least decent to start with, Benos is and actually got worse from his rookie year.

Sorry to break it to you but Beno will not last more than a few months in the NBA if he keeps playing like he is.

[pad300]

Only difference between all the other PGs you mentioned and Beno is that all the other PGs were at least decent to start with, Benos is and actually got worse from his rookie year.

Sorry to break it to you but Beno will not last more than a few months in the NBA if he keeps playing like he is.

Really? Billups - at least in terms of statistical efficiency got worse before he got better.

Age Efficiency
21 10.31
22 12.18
23 7.62 (injury this season IIRC)
24 9.30
25 13.98
26 15.61

Peak efficiency to date - at age 29, 21.12
Beno will last at least 1 more year - his 4th year option was picked up. Somebody will be willing to experiment if the Spurs waive him. As far as more than that - lets consider the career progression of an 8 year veteran backup - Jaques Vaughn Beno Udrih
Age Efficiency Age Efficiency
22 2.60 22 5.49
23 1.84 23 4.60
24 3.31
25 7.73
26 9.24
27 6.71
28 5.04
29 5.65
30 3.99

Note, that jump in efficiency at 25 and again at 26. While efficiency is a lousy measure of defense (half the game), Udrih looks a decent bet to stick as a backup.

[SenorSpur]

Spurs Mailbag: Beno still misfiring

Web Posted: 01/08/2007 11:53 PM CST

Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....205d8ef4.html



At the tail end of the Lebron-Wade-Carmelo draft, with San Antonio on the clock, I watched the Spurs draft a Brazilian speedster with the 28th overall pick and promptly dump him for future considerations. The next pick went to Dallas, who scooped up the reigning ACC player of the year, an athletic small forward that seemed like a perfect fit for the Spurs.

Watching Josh Howard’s breakout performance this season makes me shudder to imagine the Mavericks swingman in Spurs’ silver and black. Under the defensive tutelage of Bruce Bowen, Howard may have been even more effective with San Antonio than he is for Dallas. Call me an optimist, but it seems conceivable that Leandro Barbosa may have found a minute or two in the Spurs’ rotation as well.

Passing on Howard and trading Barbosa to Phoenix in 2003 has to rank as one of the worst picks the Spurs never made. I know that the Spurs were angling for the extra cap room to lure Jason Kidd at the time, but that was a tough draft to come up empty in.

The Spurs passing on Howard, to me, ranks as the single biggest personnel blunder in tthe history of the franchise.

Here was the perfect understudy for Bowen and what does this franchise do: spend the better part of the 2003 offseason clearing cap space, passing on younger, cheaper talent like Howard in order to court Jason Kidd.

There's no question in my mind this blunder has been one of the single, biggest factors in the current rise of the Mavericks and the balance of power shifting within the conference from Spurs to Mavs.

I get sick everytime I see him play knowing that he should have been a Spur. I said it in this forum when it happened and I'll say it again. This is one move that will haunt this franchise for the rest of Howard's career. For all the championships and other good things R.C and Pop have done in their tenure, they screwed the pooch on this one and I curse them for it.

[zeleni]

I think this post is the absolute definition of Non-objectivity. Anyone who calls this lazy bum a "treasure lost" should be shot in the foot.

Let me guess: Like the one who thinks Beno can be a MVP some day?

I was answering to "Beno sucks and is a bust"...and I am not objective??

Manny tried to sell Udrih as a bust and was pretty much an idiot for it. I am however trying to be nice and say:
1.Udrih was left almost off the roster now the second time in the row.
2.Beno was never quite used.

I am a fan of his and I know what is a treasure. But even if I am not a fan, I know when people are investing in something. And they didn't invest in Beno nor they took interest in his progress as a sophmore. The whole Slovenian lot of s is trying to be objective, but this is just absurd.

BeerIsGood! you are a smart guy. Tell me...are you really behind those words?

PS. Let no one compare the trash of Tinsley with Beno.

[zeleni]

Only difference between all the other PGs you mentioned and Beno is that all the other PGs were at least decent to start with, Benos is and actually got worse from his rookie year.

Sorry to break it to you but Beno will not last more than a few months in the NBA if he keeps playing like he is.

You are one stupid guy, which you already know... so dance!