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Welcome Ime
Bruce should also benefit from the signing. Maybe the Spurs now can afford to play Bruce a little less this regular season to keep him fresh for the playoffs.
Welcome Ime
Even though Barry is streaky and a wing, he does provide another dimension to the Spurs that the other wings can't. His decision making is still tops on the team, he has deeper range than any one, and he can run the point against running teams.
As for Udoka, awesome signing, but given the complexity of the Spurs defense, I don't expect him to be that great until at least after the break.
Mahimni will NEVER play on this team... start digesting that...The Rockets trade was a bad start, not to mention the drafting on Marcus Williams. However, the Spurs could end up having a rather nice offseasn if they can dump Beno and add V-Span. The last spot on the roster should probably go to Mahinmi.
I'd like to see Marcus Williams either sign outright with the Toros (if that's legal) or sign with a European team.
Flip Beno into V-Span, sign Mahinmi and avoid giving Williams a charity roster spot and I'll give this offseason a
Why not?
I bet he at least goes to training camp.Mahimni will NEVER play on this team... start digesting that...
Woo. Now trade Barry+Beno for Earl Watson.
Barry & Beno for $19 mil & 3 more years Watson? That would be a horrible move. There is absolutely no reason to pay a backup PG $6 mil per & eat all of whatever caproom we might have in the next couple of years.
By the way..excellent signing.
Good to see a signing.
Why are some in here assuming Barry will be less of an asset on 07-08 Spurs than Finley? I think the smart thing to do is keep what we got and see who becomes available as the season rolls on, trade who is obviously sucking ass. That is more of a Spurs move anyways is it? Who else is left for us to dump beno and barry for? That spanololis guy is like a 10% chance.
Barry has the ability to get hot for a good stretch, if he stays healthy he may be more valuable with his marksmanship than Finley, who i feel is a worse spot up 3 shooter, which is what we need to be loaded at IMO. The success in 06 and 07 was predicated on being STOCKED with good spotup 3 shooters and Bonner has not proven himself to me in this category, while Barry can age and age and still probably knock down that three.
he DEFINITiVELY doesn't have what it takes to make it on an NBA roster...
check his minutes on a mid -level French league team man! i believe his selection was more to have another French for Tony not to feel jealous as they would have 2 Argentineans...
If the Spurs keep Barry, how will Udoka fit into the 12 man rotation? All 12 active roster players are returning, although we'd all like to see Udrih traded for a bag of peanuts. Even if they get rid of Beno I don't see how that opens up a spot for Udoka. Most teams dress 3 point guards, and the Spurs haven't liked using Barry as a PG.
I had the idea that Horry, Barry, Udrih, and Udoka would split time on the IR. Horry never plays on back-to-backs, so he is already going to be there some. Perhaps the Spurs plan on breaking in Udoka over the 1st half, and then shopping Barry before the trade deadline, when he migh have the most value. Then Udoka would play more as the season ends.
With that cheap contract, Udoka is a very good signing.
I'm really curious to see if he will be able to play some small ball PF.
was Udoka mentioned in any of the espn insider chats from yesterday or today?
Eeeeeeeeexcellent!
What in ing is that about
is this another pit bull thread?
Damn. What a work horse.
Another player with a college degree. That's good.
With youngsters Splitter, Mahini and Sanikidze waiting in the wings to join a championship club that's already very deep and with Udoka's signing, what do all the doomsayers and FO critics say now?
I feel very good about the Spurs for the next few years of TD's career.
Mahinmi and Splitter are still prospects and whether or not they'll ever contribute is still up for debate. That being said, both of those players have obviously been improving and are intriguing as and possess physical qualities that the Spurs are seeking. Sanikidze particularly is a unique player that has a damn good chance to make at least a tiny splash in the next few years. But still, they could both be busts.
Tiago Splitter is clearly a different story. As one of the best defensive bigs in Europe, Splitter is poised to compete for the starting 5 spot in the next year or so. And, despite what others have said, I think the absense of Scola (as well as the eventual change of scenery to SA) could really kick-start his development so that he can start actually getting better again. While Splitter wasn't the real "sleeper" or "sexy" draft pick that we all wanted and expected, he is exactly what this team needs and has a low chance of being a bust.
Ime Udoka is our best signing in the last year or so. He has all the intangibles that the Spurs love as well as the skill-sets. He comes at a position of huge need, is relatively young (especially when considering his "low mileage") and was dirt stinking cheap. While he only has one NBA season under his belt, it was a very solid season for sure.
Vassilis Spanoulis is biggest enigma at this point throughout the Spurs extended network. If he can be convinced to stay with the team he could be a serious impact player very quickly (regardless of his ineffectiveness last season with Houston). When you look at V Span's international resume it becomes clear that he isn't somebody you want to simply cast aside. Spanoulis could join the Spurs and simply replicate his dismal performance of last season, or he could be the real deal. My money is on the latter. But its still just a guess.
All and all, there are several players on this roster (or in the network) that are not sure things. When you consider the 5 "young" players that the Spurs seem to be grooming for Duncan's last leg there are going to be some casualties, busts and disappointments. But there will probably be 1-2 players that exceed expectations significantly (or more likely, simply live up to the lofty goals that this forum places for them).
My money is that Splitter and Udoka are solid roleplayers that might work their way into the starting rotation within their first year on the job. If Spanoulis stays, he blows everyone in Houston away with his performance and becomes a critical piece of our second unit. Sanikidze progresses slowly, and either busts or becomes one of the more unique and versatile roleplayers in the league...but is never anything more than simply a solid roleplayer. And as for Mahinmi, while he possesses all the tools and clearly the desire, he is probably the most likely to be our abject bust of the group. That being said though, I have no desire to quit on him and actually think he should be given a roster spot soon.
Tiago Splitter
Ime Udoka
Vassilis Spanoulis
Viktor Sanikidze
Ian Mahinmi
Who do you like?
Last edited by Darkwaters; 08-17-2007 at 08:45 AM.
Random thoughts about Udoka:
-He was the point guard for his Nigerian national team, which might come in handy in a pinch. Not saying he can play point guard on the NBA level but if he can be an extra ballhandler, that'd be nice.
-Udoka was amazingly consistent last season. He averaged between 8.4 points and 8.9 points in each month last season. He never shot lower than 45.6% from the field in any month.
-He played better in games that the Blazers won (9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds on 54.1% shooting from the field and 46.6% shooting from beyond the arc). That shows that he wasn't putting up his numbers in garbage minutes.
-He played better against the Western Conference than he did against the Eastern Conference. That's a good sign because it shows that he wasn't merely playing well against bad teams.
-Udoka had the best +/- per minute on the road for the Blazers last year. The Spurs can always use players who play well on the road.
-The Blazers scored better, defended better and got more rebounds per minute when Udoka was on the court compared to when he was off the court.
-Udoka shot 53% when the shot clock had 3 or less seconds left. In the '07 playoffs, Robert Horry led the Spurs in this stat at 52.9%.
-In the last five minutes of the game with neither team had by more than 5 points, Udoka had an adjusted field goal percentage of 71.1%. Parker led the Spurs in the playoffs in this stat at 62.5%.
Why aren't the Blazers offering him twice as much? That's what I don't get.
Because his lying agent said Udoka had a $12M deal on the table. The Blazers opted for Travis Outlaw (for $11M). Signed Steve Blake as the 15th player under contract.
That and the fact that they are probably three or four years away from competing and by that time Udoka will be winding down his career.
Great! Now I want to know whats next?
I think you make Udoka the starter.
This helps out guys likeBarry and Finley down the line later in the year.
My only question with doing that IS. Is his offense decent enough to where it isn't just two spot up guys on the perimiter, Parker Duncan and Oberto going to the hole.
Just one slasher in Parker starting the game might not be good, BUT, i like the idea that you have the potential of having a good defensive wing in the game, 48 mins.
Ginobili in for bowen, you shift Udoka over to whoever.
Seeing as hes also bigger than Bowen, it could help against guys like Mcgrady, and dare I say, Nowitzki.
You make no changes to the starters: TP, Finley, Bowen, TD, Oberto will start with second team being JV,Manu,Ime,Horry/Bonner, Elson..This was by far the best sets for the spurs in second half of season and playoffs
He's a little heavier but he's 6'5. He will probably be better at guarding the 2's in the league than the big SF's.
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