Nazr's Contract Extension?

[Marcus Bryant]

Remember, Duncan is the Spurs' backup center. It's not hard to envision them starting Oberto alongside Duncan and then having Horry, Scola and whoever on the bench backing them up.

Oberto for $7.5 mil over 3 seasons looks a of a lot better in the starting lineup than Rasho for $30 mil over 4 seasons or Nazr for $50 mil over 6 seasons.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

I posted this in another thread but it is more relavent here. And now figuring the maximum amount the Spurs could offer in an extension, it makes even less sense for Nazr to sign now.

"Nazr's camp would be wise to not sign an extension right now. Technically we only saw the partial Nazr. Slowed by a groin injury, minimal practices to learn the system, playing with unfamiliar teammates and not completely knowing his role.

If he accepts an extension now it's because the Spurs are willing to give him a contract based on his potential, not what he's already done in our system. Otherwise Nazr should come in healthy, go through the whole training camp, learn the system and his teammates and maximize his performance.

If he's successful, which you would imagine he'd be better after truly being "processed" by the system, then his value to the Spurs and in the open market rises."

[Marcus Bryant]

Javtokas is another guy the Spurs could go to for bench depth next summer. Plus there are always the Kevin Willises and Tony Massenburgs of the league if you need a 5th big on the cheap.

[spurschick]

Javtokas is another guy the Spurs could go to for bench depth next summer. Plus there are always the Kevin Willises and Tony Massenburgs of the league if you need a 5th big on the cheap.

Speaking of which... do we even have a deep bench right now? Wilks, Marks, LJIII, Mass? I know LJIII is gone.

[Marcus Bryant]

Speaking of which... do we even have a deep bench right now? Wilks, Marks, LJIII, Mass? I know LJIII is gone.

LJ3 and Massenburg are gone, apparently. Spots 11 through 15 are wide open right now.

[picnroll]

I'm not down on Nazr but realistically at this point in his career his hands aren't going to get better and his outside shot isn't likely to get better. In terms of play for the Spurs the most improvement we can hope for is that he understands the defense better, covering his assignments better. He's not going to blow up all of a sudden.

[spurschick]

Spots 11 through 15 are wide open right now.

Maybe summer league players? After signing Devin or Big Dog or whoever, there obviously won't be much $ left.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

his hands aren't going to get better

His didn't have problems with his hands in the playoffs until the refs let Ben Wallace beat the out of him every night with no hope of getting a call.

But you're right - I think the big gain will be on the defensive end. I expect his shooting to get better with Chip around, though.

[spurster]

It looks like the Spurs rate Nazr >> Rasho. This is a bit premature to me.

To keep Nazr, the Spurs are going to have to into lux tax territory, and the Spurs seem a little panicky, apparently looking to trade Rasho for any warm body with a shorter-term contract.

I think that's two bad judgments on the Spurs part. WIth some patience, the Spurs would find out this season whether Nazr is really that much better, whether Oberto can pick up the slack, and whether some team is willing to give the Spurs a good deal for a decent center.

[Marcus Bryant]

I'm not down on Nazr but realistically at this point in his career his hands aren't going to get better and his outside shot isn't likely to get better. In terms of play for the Spurs the most improvement we can hope for is that he understands the defense better, covering his assignments better. He's not going to blow up all of a sudden.

If Oberto can start in the NBA, Nazr becomes a luxury and one with a hefty potential price tag next summer.

Remember, the Spurs obtained Nazr first and foremost because they wanted to drop Rose's contract. A few of us pointed out that Nazr's Spurs career would likely only last a season and a half due to that. The signing of Oberto makes a short stay in SA for Nazr seem much more likely.

[Marcus Bryant]

Maybe summer league players? After signing Devin or Big Dog or whoever, there obviously won't be much $ left.

Yeah, the IR is likely to be filled with such players. Spots 11 and 12 will go to Brown, GRob, and/or other legit NBA players they can get with what they have let under the cap.

[picnroll]

I expect his shooting to get better with Chip around, though.

Chip has his work cut out for him. That catapult from behind the head Nazr calls a shot is horrible.

[Marcus Bryant]

Here is what seems to be in the cards over the next 12 months:

• Rasho is moved for an expiring contract or a lesser one. Getting waived under the amnesty clause is somewhat of a possibility as well.
• The Spurs will get outbid for Nazr next summer.
• The Spurs will sign Scola next summer
• Fabricio Oberto will be the Spurs' starting center in 2006-07, if not at some point in 2005-06.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

Chip has his work cut out for him. That catapult from behind the head Nazr calls a shot is horrible.

A agree. But I also think everyone is banking on Chip to accomplish some major things almost immediately. We also have to remember that several Spurs players have issues with their free throw and less-than-perfect strokes.

There is only one Chip and I'm not sure if every Spur that need work makes their offseason home in SA. I'm assuming Nazr does not but does anyone know for sure?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I think it's safe to agree that Chip only has a couple of projects right now:

Rasho, Nazr, Tony, Bowen, Tim.

The hardest part will be the mechanics changes, after that it's not like he needs to be holding their hand while they do things like say shoot 500 shots a day or anything, and he can supervise more than one player at a time.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

Fabricio Oberto will be the Spurs' starting center in 2006-07, if not at some point in 2005-06.

I hope the first thing the Spurs did after the Oberto signing is to give him a strength training program. I know he's not a fragile player but he could use an extra ten pounds of muscle to better hold his position in the NBA and be considered starting material, especially on a championship caliber squad.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

I think it's safe to agree that Chip only has a couple of projects right now:

Rasho, Nazr, Tony, Bowen, Tim.

The hardest part will be the mechanics changes, after that it's not like he needs to be holding their hand while they do things like say shoot 500 shots a day or anything, and he can supervise more than one player at a time.

Five is more than a couple but I understand what you're trying to say. He's not going to work on the entire team all at once. Fair enough.

Does anyone know where Rasho and Nazr make their offseason homes? And hopefully Tonay is spending more time at home working on his game than in LA and Paris. Does anyone know if he's going to play for the French National Team this summer (or if they even have any tournaments scheduled)?

Chip doesn't need to hold their hand but he should be working with them on a daily basis to make sure they are continuing to properly execute the mechanics changes he is proposing for them.

This is especially true then they are shooting a high volume of jumpshots per day. He needs to make sure they continue to follow form even as their arms get fatigued (not everyone in the NBA shoots 500 jumpshots per day in the summer, or ever for that matter), or as they tend to drift back to their original shots.

Of course, it also depends on whether he chooses to try to tweak a player's existing shot or completely rebuild it.

I'm sure the Spurs got it covered but I hope they got him a couple of assistants to make sure each player is properly following through with their instruction.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I read somewhere that TP and Chip had already gotten together at a gym in LA last month.

I think I read somewhere too that Nazr bought a house in SA.

[picnroll]

Somewhere here there was an article on how Chip goes about improving shooting and it was nowhere close to an overnight process.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

I read somewhere that TP and Chip had already gotten together at a gym in LA last month.

I think I read somewhere too that Nazr bought a house in SA.

Yeah, I read the TP and LA thing also and I'm wondering how much time he plans to spend there. He need to work with Chip more than once a week and I don't think Chip wants to fly out there 2-3 times a week.

Hopefully Nazr has decided to stay in SA over the offseason. It could only benefit him and his upcoming free agency if he takes max advantage of the tools the Spurs offer him.

Besides Tim's free throw stroke, which at times I think is primarily mental but he tries to adjust physically, I think Rasho stands the most to benefit (if he isn't traded).

I think that is a HUGE part of Rasho's timidness around the basket. He's afraid to mix it up in the paint and draw contact because he's deathly afraid of being sent to the line.

This causes him to not take shots around the basket, not take them with authority, not post up and actively look for the ball, release shots too quickly and miss them, wander out of the low block, and limit his activity around the basket (including potential rebounds).

If his stroke improves and he can regain some confidence (big IF) and he can at least return to the 12 and 8 Rasho, then maybe the Spurs let Nazr walk after all. Odds are Nazr won't sign an extension and if he has a good season, I think the Spurs get outbid for his services.

I'd prefer to keep Rasho around one more season and see what happens but all indications are that the Spurs will dump him on someone for two expired lottery tickets and a sack of marbles. Hopefully they wait until at least the trade deadline to make a move. I think they are in near panic mode as they weight the possibility of making him an amnesty release. Simma down Spurs...

[spurschick]

Yeah, I read the TP and LA thing also and I'm wondering how much time he plans to spend there. He need to work with Chip more than once a week and I don't think Chip wants to fly out there 2-3 times a week.

I thought that TP was already back in SA. He was at Malik's grand opening.

[spurschick]

Oops, TP is actually in France for the Bouygues Telecom NBA Basketball Challenge.

[CaptainLate]

However, Marcus Bryant ran the numbers and it looks like the most the Spurs could offer him is a shade under $40 over five years. That probably will not cut it.

It will boil down to whether he's smart enough to want to win a few more rings with the greatest PF ever, or take the $$ and be a loser the rest of his career.

[Marcus Bryant]

Well, he's not going to take $2.5 mil a season as his replacement has...

[CaptainLate]

Yeah, but Nazr is probably going be worth 80 Million or more...And that might push it over the threshold even without Rasho's contract.

There are crazy teams (desperate is more like it) out there. But Nazr isn't worth even Joe Johnson $$ ($70mil).