Besides the big 3, the Spurs have nothing

[Mr. Body]

Scola's buyout isn't a problem if you pay him market value. Garbajosa is looking at $4M. Notoriously chintzy San Antonio can't offer anything just below this figure? Nope.

Javtokas would be making more money annually at Jackie Butlers' salary than he will with the Greek team. He would have gladly accepted it. And yet the Spurs never even offered him a contract, after making every overture in the last month to do just that.

He's not worth what you give Francisco Elson? Why?

[Beer is Good]

Scola's buyout isn't a problem if you pay him market value. Garbajosa is looking at $4M. Notoriously chintzy San Antonio can't offer anything just below this figure? Nope.

Javtokas would be making more money annually at Jackie Butlers' salary than he will with the Greek team. He would have gladly accepted it. And yet the Spurs never even offered him a contract, after making every overture in the last month to do just that.

He's not worth what you give Francisco Elson? Why?

To be honest with you I don't know if he's any better than Francisco Elson. The guy hasn't gone against NBA talent and the scouts/ FA don't feel he is good enough. Personally, if I could land him for the same money as Elson I would give Javtokas a chance, but that is blind speak on my part since i've only seen highlight clips of him on youtube. I was an all-state b.b. player in high school with absolutely no business ever being considered for the NBA, but you could put together a nice highlight reel of my plays that could say otherwise. I know that the Euro players are a lot better than h.s., but you can't evaluate him based on highlights of what he did against lesser compe ion. The scouts have watched him. They know what he brings to the table.
As far as Scola, I don't know what his role would be on the Spurs. Not a center, and would he be a viable pf on this team? I don't know.

[Mr. Body]

I'm not fighting the Scola decision. There's not enough room in this town for him and Duncan, yadda, I get it. They failed to trade his rights, fine.

What absolutely blows my mind, and what will blow my mind all season and until the end of the very clumsy and mediocre career as a Spur of Francisco Elson, is why this front office never even offered Javtokas a contract and decided to go with this guy. It is beyond my capacity for earthly understanding that Francisco Elson could possibly be better than a younger Javtokas or fill a role better for what the Spurs apparently need.

[Beer is Good]

I'm not fighting the Scola decision. There's not enough room in this town for him and Duncan, yadda, I get it. They failed to trade his rights, fine.

What absolutely blows my mind, and what will blow my mind all season and until the end of the very clumsy and mediocre career as a Spur of Francisco Elson, is why this front office never even offered Javtokas a contract and decided to go with this guy. It is beyond my capacity for earthly understanding that Francisco Elson could possibly be better than a younger Javtokas or fill a role better for what the Spurs apparently need.

I agree with that. For similar money I would give Javtokas a chance to sink or swim. The only thing I can think of is if there is something behind the scenes between the Spurs and Javtokas (or his agent) that is souring this relationship. I would think there has to be a reason why they won't give this guy a shot, and if it isn't money then it must be something else. Hopefully it's a valid reason that we are not aware of and not a stupid reason.

[Mr. Body]

It blows my mind, man, it blows my mind.

My (entirely unsubstantiated) reading is they expected Javtokas to wait around for one of Elson or Butler to be matched, and they sign him for that spot. The only thing that makes sense for me at this point is a flub-up. Given the courtship and kindly letters for RJ and SA's now-deserved reputation for cheapness, it's the only thing that makes sense to me now.

[strangeweather]

What absolutely blows my mind, and what will blow my mind all season and until the end of the very clumsy and mediocre career as a Spur of Francisco Elson, is why this front office never even offered Javtokas a contract and decided to go with this guy. It is beyond my capacity for earthly understanding that Francisco Elson could possibly be better than a younger Javtokas or fill a role better for what the Spurs apparently need.

I think the Spurs wanted to go into the season with a guy where they knew what they were getting, even if it was a stopgap. Someone who might be incredibly limited, but could start on day one without wetting his shorts. Elson wouldn't have been my pick here, but that's who they got.

They also wanted to try to go in with a guy with upside to be better than that, because it sucks to have to play a stopgap guy. But if the upside guy bombs or takes a while to develop, you still have stopgap guy. Javtokas has never played in the NBA, so he has to get slotted in as upside guy. No way can you bring him in and hand him a starting job going into camp. But instead, they picked Butler -- a 21 year old kid who looks like a player in the NBA. Butler is another upside guy that isn't ready to come in and be a preseason starter either, which is why Javtokas + Butler probably doesn't work.

If you look at it as picking Butler over Javtokas, I think passing on Javtokas makes a little more sense. Then again, if the Knicks match, Javtokas will look pretty good.

[Ya Vez]

one thing really...

gotta have enough money to resign tim in 4 years... thats what the spurs are looking at now...

[furry_spurry]

The only thing I can think of is if there is something behind the scenes between the Spurs and Javtokas (or his agent) that is souring this relationship. I would think there has to be a reason why they won't give this guy a shot, and if it isn't money then it must be something else.

Herb is Manu's agent, too.

[SenorSpur]

Personally, I would rather have seen them pass on Elson and sign Javtokas. I realize we don't know how his game translates to the NBA. However we DO know that Elson's game is subpar. Having said that, how much of a risk could Javtokas have been?

[Mr. Body]

I think the Spurs wanted to go into the season with a guy where they knew what they were getting, even if it was a stopgap. Someone who might be incredibly limited, but could start on day one without wetting his shorts. Elson wouldn't have been my pick here, but that's who they got.

You're very likely right, but it seems incredibly short-sighted to me. I can't think of any reason why Javtokas couldn't get 4/4 in the season. I'd much rather flounder for the first dozen games of the season than have a limited piece at the very end who has little upside and a history of completely vanishing in the playoffs.

Truth to tell, I'm still totally disbelieving they signed Elson to an offer sheet. My mind refuses to accept the fact.

[strangeweather]

Personally, I would rather have seen them pass on Elson and sign Javtokas. I realize we don't know how his game translates to the NBA. However we DO know that Elson's game is subpar. Having said that, how much of a risk could Javtokas have been?

I'm not happy with Elson's pickup. As a likely starter, he'll probably be one of the worst in the NBA. But I think he's better than starting Oberto, for example.

Meanwhile, Javtokas would be jumping from Europe, and from a league that is greatly inferior to the one Oberto came from. The floor on Javotkas is that his game is worse than Oberto's and he looks completely lost in both the offensive and defensive schemes. That's a pretty high risk.

[mavsfan1000]

The spurs should beware of the Heat. If they somehow get passed Dallas they will be without any quality centers against Shaq. Also Bowen will be a year older and he will need all the speed he can get having to guard Wade. The chances of San Antonio winning a championship next year with this roster is very unlikely.

[Mr. Body]

Uh, thanks Mavsfan.

[ChumpDumper]

Rasho = championships

Signed,

Mavfan

[mavsfan1000]

Uh, thanks Mavsfan.

Any way I can help. Rasho= better chance for championship but I wouldn't guarantee that either since he was an offensive liability.

[ChumpDumper]

Eh, Jackie has potential if he's joining up. We'll have to see if he can pick up on the defense. There are a couple of big stiffs and fat bas s out there available for the minimum too.

[Beer is Good]

Herb is Manu's agent, too.

I guess it's true. We learn something every day. Thank you for educating me on that fact - must be another reason why they won't give him a shot.

[atxrocker]

we don't have a Pippen though, but we got the Jordan

uh.. no, you don't actually.

[Obstructed_View]

uh.. no, you don't actually.

Okay.

[atxrocker]

Okay.

are you serious? is that your response? duncan is good and all... but Michael Jordan? who says mavs fans are the only ones that are dillusional.

[mavsfan1000]

are you serious? is that your response? duncan is good and all... but Michael Jordan? who says mavs fans are the only ones that are dillusional.

A kings fan giving spurs fans logic? Hilarious.

[AdmiralMVP]

any people that trash bruce bowen and michael finley on here are stupid. if it werent for many of finley's clutch shots all season long, the spurs would not have won many games, and it werent for bowen, the top guards in the league would have dropped 50 points on us and we would have lost those games

Agreed. Without Bowen, you could probably take away two les from the Spurs. Yeah, he's old. But he is still a great defender and that three pointer from the corner is a thing of beauty.

[Obstructed_View]

are you serious? is that your response? duncan is good and all... but Michael Jordan? who says mavs fans are the only ones that are dillusional.

I'm not going to read you Duncan's resume, dude. In the context it was intended, Duncan is Jordan. You were the one who decided to be a little and chime in just to start . Congratulations, you got it.

[violentkitten]

have you watched the 5 international players? Scola's buyout is a major problem, Javtokas is obviously not ready to start at center in the NBA (although he probably wants NBA starting center money), Ian is at least one year away from being considered. Everyone else is a scrub. Because of this thing called the salary cap you can't go blowing your wad on every breathing 7' guy that comes along. You have to be smart with the money, and that is why the Spurs have 3 les in 7 years. Go watch the Knicks if you want a moron who blows money like it's gonna be worthless tommorow.

the salary cap means very little at this point the spurs arent going to land any major free agents. the spurs are wasting a significant part of their mle on a piece of breathing 7 footer as we type.

[Dalhoop]

Honesty, the door is closing for the Spurs, at least this version of the Spurs.

Horry (36)
Bowen (35)
Barry (35)
Finley (33)
Oberto (31)
Vaughn (30)

Correct me if I am wrong, but that IS the bench isn't it? And one starter? Those players are at retirement age, the only value to another team for any of them is the expiring contract of Bowen (Vaughn's is only for 1M). All the others are signed through the 07-08 year (or player option). That means that that IS the bench for the next two seasons (I thought they were old this year, hate to see them in two years)

With those ugly contracts and the Spurs over the cap all they have is the 5M of the MLE .... and they have to fill how many holes?

The door is closing on this team (but cannot close completely for another two years), but it will open again in a short while (After the elderly have been removed from the books)