Young Spurs seek roster spot - Butler shows he can play somewhere, while White lacks

[coachmac87]

Nah, I think it will be a shame to lose White at this point. When he was called upon in the last regular season to play he did very well. He certainly looked like he understood Spurs basketball and that's great considering that he was thrown into the fire.

ya i honestly thought he did alright also..but i mean come on it just shows this guys work ethic and commitment..he is not taking advantage of the oppurtunity..i honestly think he wouldnt mind sitting on the IR gettin paid a 6 digit salary..i remember him sayin someting in a interview with jackie butler how sitting on the bench and getting paid a pretty nice salary was something he didnt mnid..mentioned having "best seat in the house" i want to hear him say he wants to be a starter or something..he is settling for just an IR player at the moment..

[drmvp]

The Spurs are setting themselves up to lose some of the young talent they've been able to pick up advantageously over the last year. I can easily see them shedding Butler and White for nothing, hoping against hope that Williams finds a way to not suck with the Toros, and bringing Udrih back for another tour of duty. Plus giving up Scola for nothing.

It's going to make me sick if Butler and Scola turn out to be solid players with other teams, especially if the Spurs do give them up for nothing. But, deep down, I guess I'm prepared for that seeming inevitability.

(Regarding Scola, I just don't understand why the Spurs don't pay him, play him, and pimp him. Think about how most of us were willing to give up anything outside the big three for Nocioni. Who here wouldn't have given up two first round picks, players and cash to Chicago? Give Scola some time in the NBA with the Spurs, and I bet you'll have some other GM's salivating.)

As far as White, I've never seen the fascination. Sure, I've seen that dunking video like everyone else, but, frankly, I've never seen him translate that athleticism to the basketball floor. To me, he looks clumsy and flimsy on the court. Sure, he's got that stylish Errol Flynn moustache going for him, but I think his lasting legacy will be as just another exposed, but slick, you-tubing, basketball evangelist who wanted to take grocery money from my grand-momma.

And sorry folks, but I just don't believe that the Spurs have some secretive master plan to sign/deal for Barnes, Pietrus, Posey, etc. I sure wish they do, but I think they really feel that they can repeat without any changes. That's not to say they cannot, and, of course, I'll be rooting for them all the way as a fan. But I also don't believe they're optimizing their chances with that non-strategy. That's what frustrates me.

[Mr. Body]

White just seems more of a system player who plays better around better players. He's been mediocre on a bad team, but could still pan out.

As for Butler, I'd only like trading him if he winds up bringing in the long-needed SF in some fashion.

[Marcus Bryant]

I think White can be a very nice part of the Spurs' perimeter rotation. I liked what I saw of him last season. What stood out was his poise. He seemed to understand Spurs Basketball. His athleticism is a nice bonus.

[aaronstampler]

Domestic scouting would hit a new new low if the player the Spurs keep off of this summer league team is Marcus Williams. He's seriously, next to CJ Watson, been the worst player on the team.

I tried to tell you it was a dumb pick.

[Marcus Bryant]

It's going to make me sick if Butler and Scola turn out to be solid players with other teams, especially if the Spurs do give them up for nothing. But, deep down, I guess I'm prepared for that seeming inevitability.

(Regarding Scola, I just don't understand why the Spurs don't pay him, play him, and pimp him. Think about how most of us were willing to give up anything outside the big three for Nocioni. Who here wouldn't have given up two first round picks, players and cash to Chicago? Give Scola some time in the NBA with the Spurs, and I bet you'll have some other GM's salivating.)

Plus Horry is gone after next season and Elson is likely to follow. The seemingly crowded bigman rotation will open up some next summer. The Spurs could have their pick of Splitter, Scola, Butler, and Mahinmi to fill those spots. It seems as though they have already chosen Splitter and Mahinmi, which is a bit too early, in my opinion.

But such choices aren't too surprising, as the various reports I've seen over the last 12 months point to an emphasis on athleticism with basketball skill as less of a consideration. Plus the price of those two is rather cheap and well defined for up to the first four seasons of their potential Spurs careers.

[Bruno]

Keeping Williams over White is the logical choice.
Both have been bad in this SL (White has been less worst than Williams) but there is a great difference between them :
Williams is 20 years old and has played 2 years in college.
White is 24 years old, has played 4 years in college and has had one pro year (summer league + preseason camp with Indiana, practice + NBDL + gabage time with Spurs).

Williams sucking is disapointing but isn't a big deal. White sucking is more meaningfull and more problematic.

[Mr. Body]

I love these late nite brain trusts, where we put our heads together and puzzle out a situation from manifold angles... and the Spurs turn around and do something bizarre instead.

[Marcus Bryant]

Keeping Williams over White is the logical choice.
Both have been bad in this SL (White has been less worst than Williams) but there is a great difference between them :
Williams is 20 years old and has played 2 years in college.
White is 24 years old, has played 4 years in college and has had one pro year (summer league + preseason camp with Indiana, practice + NBDL + gabage time with Spurs).

Williams sucking is disapointing but isn't a big deal. White sucking is more meaningfull and more problematic.

Problem is, White performed well when he was actually called upon to play in meaningful regular season games in the 2nd half of the season. That carries a little more weight than whatever happened in Vegas.

[Marcus Bryant]

I love these late nite brain trusts, where we put our heads together and puzzle out a situation from manifold angles... and the Spurs turn around and do something bizarre instead.

Ime Udoka seems sufficiently "bizarre"...

[SenorSpur]

As has been indicated, we've seen what White can do in a few games. He certainly didn't look like the rook that he was. I still think he can pan out - I just don't know that the Spurs will be patient enough to wait for him.

It's funny. The Spurs have gone 3-4 seasons needing to identify and start developing a younger, players at the SF/SG spot. Now they've got two budding, young talents and they appear ready to throw them both out inside of 1 year.

[Marcus Bryant]

Keeping Williams over White is the logical choice.
Both have been bad in this SL (White has been less worst than Williams) but there is a great difference between them :
Williams is 20 years old and has played 2 years in college.
White is 24 years old, has played 4 years in college and has had one pro year (summer league + preseason camp with Indiana, practice + NBDL + gabage time with Spurs).

Williams sucking is disapointing but isn't a big deal. White sucking is more meaningfull and more problematic.

Keeping Williams allows the Spurs to put off admitting a mistake and cooling off the 'Buford is the greatest GM in the history of professional basketball' media circle jerk. Ego is always an issue, even for a relatively well-run organization such as the Spurs.

[timvp]

I tried to tell you it was a dumb pick.

You said it was a bad pick because he doesn't play defense and doesn't have a team-first at ude. It turns out that playing defense and having a team-first at ude are the only two attributes he has.

I'll give you limited* props if he continues to suck.

[Bruno]

Problem is, White performed well when he was actually called upon to play in meaningful regular season games in the 2nd half of the season. That carries a little more weight than whatever happened in Vegas.

White has played meaningles regular season games against scrubs or garbage time agaisnt scrubs.

[timvp]

Keeping Williams over White is the logical choice.
Both have been bad in this SL (White has been less worst than Williams) but there is a great difference between them :
Williams is 20 years old and has played 2 years in college.
White is 24 years old, has played 4 years in college and has had one pro year (summer league + preseason camp with Indiana, practice + NBDL + gabage time with Spurs).

Williams sucking is disapointing but isn't a big deal. White sucking is more meaningfull and more problematic.

I've never seen a perimeter player suck as bad as Williams has in summer league and turn into an NBA player. Summer leagues are made for perimeter players like Williams to flourish.

[Bruno]

Keeping Williams allows the Spurs to put off admitting a mistake and cooling off the 'Buford is the greatest GM in the history of professional basketball' media circle jerk. Ego is always an issue, even for a relatively well-run organization such as the Spurs.

[Marcus Bryant]

White has played meaningles regular season games against scrubs or garbage time agaisnt scrubs.

Better scrubs than in Vegas and he actually played for Popovich and not Don Newman.

[timvp]

White has played meaningles regular season games against scrubs or garbage time agaisnt scrubs.

Not true. Four of the six games he played last year were meaningful games. And he got first half action in a couple of those games.

Butler you can say the games were meaningless. But White actually got some decent, quality run last year and played well.

[Bruno]

I've never seen a perimeter player suck as bad as Williams has in summer league and turn into an NBA player. Summer leagues are made for perimeter players like Williams to flourish.

If you want to throw under the bus a 20 years old player after 5 summer league games, it's your choice. I will wait a little more before judging him.

[Marcus Bryant]

They can put Williams in Austin for a season and then quietly let him go next summer.

[Marcus Bryant]

Right now Buford is riding high. He's seen by the media as the architect of the Spurs' four championships. His wunderkind protege is making things happen in Seattle. The Spurs Finals' opponent is known as 'Spurs East'. Another disciple (fairly minor) is building a team around the #1 pick in Portland. The Spurs' modus operandi is the envy of the league. At some point ego becomes an issue.

[timvp]

If you want to throw under the bus a 20 years old player after 5 summer league games, it's your choice. I will wait a little more before judging him.

Have you watched any of the games? He plays exactly like 2002 Steve Smith without a jump shot. Perhaps he has another gear or he's playing scared or he's injured or out of position or something.

Chris Carrawell, Bryan Bracey and Romain Sato all played much better in summer league and none of them made it out of their rookie year.

I guess it's time to believe in miracles.

[Bruno]

Not true. Four of the six games he played last year were meaningful games. And he got first half action in a couple of those games.

Butler you can say the games were meaningless. But White actually got some decent, quality run last year and played well.

Ok let's see :

Mar 26 against Warriors : White enters in the third quarter while Spurs were up by 31.
Apr 03 against Seattle : White enters in the fourth quarter while Spurs were up by 28.
Apr 07 against Warriors : White played 10 min and was 1-5 from the field.
Apr 09 against Portland : White played 20 min against Blazers second stringers and Portland was out of the playoffs.
Apr 16 and Apr 18 : garbage games.

[Mr. Body]

It's gonna kill me the rest of my natural born life the Spurs didn't take someone like DOminic McGuire.

[Marcus Bryant]

It's gonna kill me the rest of my natural born life the Spurs didn't take someone like DOminic McGuire.

I think Josh Howard was worse. Another genius move by Buford.