age-wise, I'd rather be the Spurs than the Suns. Where the Big 3 are all under 32 with a bunch of aged role players. As opposed to PHX where they have younger role players, but Nash & Shaq are running out time fast.
They're not too old considering the style of ball they play. The Spurs deliberate, predictable style caters to the age of this team. It's not like they're the Warriors, Nuggets, or Suns. They generally look old on B2B games against young, athletic teams. I'll say it again. The Spurs could stand to infuse the team with 2-3 core younger or mid-age range type players. It would balance out the roster and the skill sets.
Last edited by SenorSpur; 03-27-2008 at 12:44 AM.
There might be a formula somewhere that shows how experience balances age: exp2 - age = efficiency + (execution)
Nocion + Artest + Bowen!!!?? we will be upgraded from dirty to terrorists!
damn, imagine the lineup of Manu, Bowen, Artest, Nocioni and Duncan!!!
bringing Udoka and Bonner off the bench
opponent teams would piss on their panties
Dallas and Phoenix are too old. This opens the door for the Spurs not only for this year, but next year as well.
The Spurs are not too old.
Boston has an older core than SA as well.
Too old for what? They are not too old to win a championship this year.
Outside on Tim Duncan, the Spurs have not had a lottery pick since 1989 when they picked Willie Anderson. The Spurs are in great shape to win this year and don't need the draft to keep young.
Then, next year, they can dump their old players as their contracts expire. At some point in the future, after Duncan starts to slow down, the Spurs will have the cap room to bring in a young free agent superstar who wants to win a championship with Tim Duncan.
Age is relative and as SenorSpur aptly pointed out the style of play is an important factor, too. No b2b with time to set up a game plan in a 7 game series. Having been there does count also. All of these factors will play out in the playoffs. So we'll see what happens.
I personally don't think their are too old this year and considering the discussions as to who were the Spurs going after in the summer of '07 - the salary cap issue in 2010, Ian vs Tiago, Marcus's developement, and of course who can ever forget "THE SCOLA ORDEAL"...etc...it difficult to really to say who could have been had and at what price. The FO pays (no pun intended) particular attention to the "price" issue - see Scola/Butler/V-span salary cap dump.
Next year we will be much younger if all goes according to plan - Taigo, Ian and maybe Marcus coming on board.
Its not the age that should be a discern, its the diminished skills.
SA's Big 3 is fine age/skill wise. No questions there at all. Its whether or not the role players can hang is the big question.
The playoffs are about matchups. Teams find what they can exploit and go to it. The teams that win rings are the one's whose role players can step up consistently when teams take away one of the first 3 options.
Finley. Barry. Vaughn. Oberto. Thomas. Horry. Udoka.
Those are the guys you should worry about. Do they have the legs to defend? The quickness left to get off their shots? The guile in the clutch (most of them do for this)?
It's one of those crucial questions that all successful NBA GMs face at some point or another when trying to maintain an elite level.
When is it time to let some of the older players with diminishing skill go? When is it vital to inject youth and athleticism around the core players instead of wiley, crafty veterans? Can you weigh loyalty versus improvement, trust with veteran familiarity versus boundless energy from youth and athleticism?
It's easy for us fans to discuss and state our own opinions one way or another. But, it's not so easy for the true decision makers. I would have told you that Robert Horry was past his prime and was no longer effective about 4 years ago. But, like clockwork, Horry does something critical or has a big game or two at some point in the playoffs to have proven that notion inaccurate. At different times this year (mostly from reading what Spurs fans write because I don't catch all the Spurs games), Bowen, Horry, and Finley have shown to be on the steep decline in terms of contributing to team success. Then each will have a decent to very good game every now and then to make you wonder if they're just saving themselves.
Again, it's really not a very easy question to answer if you're RC and Pop because for the last three to five years, those veteran role players proved invaluable even if they weren't the main reason for success.
Based on this year, I would answer the question whether the Spurs are tool old with a "yes." I think they are too old, at least the role players like Horry, Bowen, and Finley. I do think they need to get younger and more athletic, especially now with the Western Conference teams all getting stronger and with the style of the NBA, including its rules, benefitting athleticism more and more.
But, that's not to say the Spurs can't go deep in the playoffs this year or even win it all. Doubting them just because of their age could prove very foolish when it comes down to the playoffs. They could easily go for #5 this year, despite lacking much youth and elite athleticism up and down the roster.
However, regardless of how the season ends for the Spurs, I would definitely still look to add youth and athleticism to the roster, especially in the front court. Whether Splitter alone can address that need, who knows? But, Duncan definitely needs some help banging down low especially defensively. And, getting an athletic back-up wing player would really help defensively as well.
It's not a super big deal -- the young big men seem to be already in the pipeline. Getting a couple of swingmen and a younger point guard project isn't the most difficult proposition going into the summer.
This could be a chance to get younger:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...een/index.html
Anybody think the Spurs should take a look at the kid?
I hope Darius Washington makes it back too. I've seen enough of the Mouse experiment. Or should I say, NVE 2.0
ya...who needs a point guard anyway...
Lets see... if Peter Holt puts on his jeans one morning and finds $40 million that he forgot to take out of one of the pockets. Then all the planets line up, and a strange television transmission comes from space telling us that Santa Clause is real.
Yeah, it could happen.
isn't that part of the '2010 revamp plan', or something like that?Lets see... if Peter Holt puts on his jeans one morning and finds $40 million that he forgot to take out of one of the pockets. Then all the planets line up, and a strange television transmission comes from space telling us that Santa Clause is real.
Yeah, it could happen.
for all the old veterans' contracts to expire, and we get a good superstar, ie, lebron, dwade, howard?
i can still dream.
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