Starting lineups next year!

[Duncan2177]

Honestly don't see the Spurs doing much, Pop has made it clear that our team was talented enough and good enough, they just didn't play hard enough.

I'm thinking the starting lineup will be:

Parker
Neal/Anderson
Jefferson
Duncan
Splitter

At least that's what it needs to be. George and Manu running the backcourt for the second unit it good, and Jefferson/Neal/Anderson are all good shooters from 3 to space the floor for Tony/Tim. The bench rotations are what concern me. We have enough talent to trot out a very good starting lineup but the rotations are a problem especially if Bonner is playing big minutes but honestly he's more useful out there than Blair.

I'd like to see the Spurs try and package Hill and Blair with Bonner or someone else to get a decent backup PG and an athletic big back.

Well then Pop is one delusional mother er. The spurs need size

[BurningMoNk]

Parker
Manu
Anderson
Duncan
Splitter

Bench:
Hill
Neal
Jefferson
Blair
Butler

[DPG21920]

Solid D is correct. It's really an exercise in futility to guess right now because there are so many question marks surrounding the team and league.

[TD 21]

Not necessarily. I remember Steve Smith being benched for the entire second half in an elimination game against the Lakers in 2002, and still started the first month of the season of the following year, up until the emergence of Stephen Jackson and Manu Ginobili. Another thing is that Smith's contract expired that next season, making it easy to let him walk. RJ has 3 more years under contract! I do think RJ will start at the 3 at the beginning but if Anderson steps up and plays well and stays healthy, you could have a fight on your hands! I kind of think it was ironic that RJ seemed to play well when Anderson was healthy backing him up, and once JA was out, RJ seemed to get comfortable and not play with a chip on his shoulder like he did the first month of the season. Here's my prediction just to start the season!:

Starting lineup
Parker
Ginobili
Jefferson
Tyrus Thomas (trade McDyess expiring contract w/buyout, Blair, draft pick[s])
Duncan

Bench
Hill
Neal
Anderson
Splitter
Bonner
Kurt Thomas (insurance big)
Butler

As I detailed in the Buford thread a few days ago, I suspect if they're to trade for a big, it'll be Thomas and it'll be by or during the draft. I was thinking then McDyess, Blair and Anderson for Thomas. Now I'm thinking McDyess, Blair, Green and the 29th pick for Thomas.

I could see the Spurs pursuing Kurt Thomas, to serve as a mentor to Tyrus. But he played well last season, so the Bulls will probably want to re-sign him. In that case, I could see the Spurs turning to Shelden Williams. He's like a younger, poor man's version of Kurt.

On the wings, presumably they'll attempt to trade Jefferson. If that fails, Anderson could challenge for the starting position. They could bring in a defensive minded wing or two to compete with Butler for a roster spot. At the point, if one of the point guard's projected to be drafted is available at 59, they could draft them. If not, they'll probably turn to the D-League.

[EricD]

As I detailed in the Buford thread a few days ago, I suspect if they're to trade for a big, it'll be Thomas and it'll be by or during the draft. I was thinking then McDyess, Blair and Anderson for Thomas. Now I'm thinking McDyess, Blair, Green and the 29th pick for Thomas.

I could see the Spurs pursuing Kurt Thomas, to serve as a mentor to Tyrus. But he played well last season, so the Bulls will probably want to re-sign him. In that case, I could see the Spurs turning to Shelden Williams. He's like a younger, poor man's version of Kurt.

On the wings, presumably they'll attempt to trade Jefferson. If that fails, Anderson could challenge for the starting position. They could bring in a defensive minded wing or two to compete with Butler for a roster spot. At the point, if one of the point guard's projected to be drafted is available at 59, they could draft them. If not, they'll probably turn to the D-League.

Kurt Thomas?

Shelden Williams?

[TD 21]

Kurt Thomas?

Shelden Williams?

We're talking fifth big, which means a minimum type. If they trade for T. Thomas, it would be Duncan, Thomas, Bonner and Splitter, making up the big rotation. K. Thomas or Williams would be an ideal (realistic) fifth big, because they have girth, can play both big positions, play solid post defense, rebound at a high rate and make an occasional mid range jumper. If they don't make a trade for a big and Blair remains, then obviously it makes sense to go with a different type of fifth big.

[Ghazi]

Mavs fans never cease to amaze. I continue to be amazed at how many people buy into this team season after season, even though they've played basically the same season for ten straight and come up well short of the finish line in all but one and even in that season, they still came up short, just not well short.

When will people accept that no team with Nowitzki as their best player is going to win a championship? It's been made abundantly clear over the past decade. I'm not "trolling" or "hating" or "butthurt", I'm just not going to ignore a decade's worth of evidence just because the Mavs are in the midst of a torrid stretch in their typical fools-gold regular season.

I get that, as a fan, it's tough not to get excited and I'm not trying to put a damper on what they're doing, I'm just being a realist. Why get your hopes up annually? Honestly, I'm surprised you guys aren't like Red Sox fans pre '04 by now. I'm genuinely surprised you're not cynics.

[Solid D]

Yeah, he sort of gets himself in trouble with some of his predictions. At least he has convictions.

[eric365]

Parker
Anderson
Jefferson
Whoever we get with Dice's contract
Duncan

Bench :
Manu
Hill
Splitter
Novak
Bonner
Blair

With a 10 games try of Splitter in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season