Seems to me the Vaughn's just an average journeyman...but look what a difference he would have made in last year's playoffs.
Pop's love affair with NVE was a disaster.
NVE was indeed a nightmare. THe Spurs FO is often lauded for their brillance - well deserved. That makes me wonder how a FO group as astute as they, could have made such a poor decision.
Everybody who watches basketball knew that NVE was finished after he left Denver. His kness simply could no longer endure the NBA grind night after night. Besides that, dude was unable to work out and stay in shape.
They were hoping Beno would be the backup, just like this season. But picking up vets after their expiration date isn't anything new for the Spurs.
Pop stuck with Nick Van Exel the way he stuck with Robert Horry in Game 5 vs. Detroit - a gut check he felt would pay off. While NVE never paid off, Horry obviously did. Win some (mightily), lose some.
Most Spurs fans have undervalued Vaughn's contributions (myself included). He didn't get that backup job by default, he clearly outplayed and outhustled Beno...he earned it.
Having said that, he's not worth more than the vet min....
I didn't like Fab in the beginning, but he has stepped up in the playoffs no doubt.
Vaughn is a lot better than Udrih, but is that really saying much?
Why would he want to leave the Spurs? Why entertain other teams offers? He says he wants to go to a team that is a le contender (if he wasn't with SA).
Ok so then why leave? Money?
Name another backup point guard on the roster who was better at the time.Pop's love affair with NVE was a disaster.
Brent Barry
Beno Udrih
Beno Udrih?
Wrong try again. Beno Udrih vs the mavericks would've lost the series in 5.
Brent Barry?
That scared ?
Rewatch that series and tell me again you wanted that frightened little girl running the offense.
Try again.
Here we go again with the "Spurs would have lost still, but sooner" defense.
are you serious? EVERYONE was loving that signing.
You are correct. Everyone was happy about it and figured he'd get saved up for the playoffs and do Horry like things. Unfortunately he had nothing, and beno played badly in a meaningless regular season game at the end of the season where everyone else played badly and wasn't given a shot. Again.
I think Vaughn has fit exactly what this team needed from that role last year. I don't think Beno was a realistic option against Dallas last season, regardless of how many people suggest to me that he has great talent -- he's got some talent, but he doesn't appear to work hard and he certainly has his confidence diminished easily, neither of which is a particularly redeeming trait for an NBA point.
I've suggested here before that had the Spurs been better behind Parker against Dallas last year, they could have and probably would have won that series. Van Exel's complete inability to provide any meaningful defense against Harris and Terry, coupled with his abysmal offensive output, forced the Spurs to overcome deficits that might not have existed with a better back-up point.
Say what you will about Vaughn, but by my count he's been in the positive on the plus/minus count in 15 of 19 playoff games to this point (2 of his negatives were impacted heavily by the Suns' 20-2 run in Game 5 and the Jazz's huge second half in Game 3). He's certainly not going to challenge anyone to be a starting point on a good team anytime soon, but he's a more than steady backup who gives Pop a steady hand who can afford Parker some much-needed rest. I'm not sure that the Spurs really need much more than that.
If you go back a few years Pop always told AJ Don't shoot uless your
within two feet of the basket and no one else is on your end of the floor
If Jacque Vaughn is on this team last year, Parker doesn't get injured in garbage time of a Kings game and enters the Dallas series healthy.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
