Another possible long three who may be available

[Mr. Body]

Marcus Dove, mentioned earlier, would be fantastic. Very tall, long, fantastic defender, could be had early in the 2nd.

[ss1986v2]

Like I said above, I agree with you that truly unrestricted free agents should come at a bargain price. But, with so many "restricted" free agents on the market, I think you could see alot of teams returning their players....as with what happened to Varejao. The "restricted" status of so many coveted FAs makes me think it won't be quite as strong a buyer's market as it should be.

my mind is pretty dead set on the pietrus issue. hes a shoe (intelligence wise). he will always be a shoe. but what do i know. maybe the kid really is the mj of france.

as for the restricted issue, you are right. thats why i put delfino and buike as longshots. the only way you are going to pry away those kind of players is too offer near full to full MLE. but the spurs are in position to do that, if they needed too. many teams, on the other hand, cant/wont (due to being up to/over the tax line already). thats where teams that are in the spurs position are going to have an advantage: with everyone looking to keep spending down across the board, a team willing to spend even just a bit more than the rest has a much better shot at a variety of players. whether or not they can get them or not is another matter, as you have stated.

as for the major RFAs (deng, iggy, okafor, ect...), i dont expect any of them to make any moves. the teams will remain firm in their position, and the players will have to either give in and compromise (thanks to the high number of quality free agents and the limited amount of teams with cap space to spend on them) or do something we havent seen too much to date: players taking the QO to play the market as an unrestricted FA the year after. if that actually happens, it would be a huge shift in free agency in the nba. it would no doubt be very interesting to watch over the next couple of years.

[Darkwaters]

Marcus Dove, mentioned earlier, would be fantastic. Very tall, long, fantastic defender, could be had early in the 2nd.

I've heard he does have a few at ude problems though. Still, despite a complete lack of an offensive game hes a guy I wouldn't mind having on my squad.

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Marcus-Dove-1084/

[Vinny Del Negro]

Aw I thought this was gonna be another Spanoulis thread.

[Darkwaters]

Aw I thought this was gonna be another Spanoulis thread.

I'm sure KillBillPana would have betrayed his true intent with a not-so-subtle le.

[AFBlue]

One kid I'm intrigued by for a Fin/Barry replacement is Gerald Green.

He has a silky smooth game, excellent athleticism, and great defensive potential. His biggest question is maturity/BBIQ....but he's young enough to mold and shape. If he ever "gets it", he'll be one of a basketball player.

To make things even better, he is an unrestricted free agent. Given the type of players that the Spurs are reportedly looking at in the NBADL, this guy fits the mold.

Doubt it's gonna happen, but it'd be nice....

[ss1986v2]

One kid I'm intrigued by for a Fin/Barry replacement is Gerald Green.

He has a silky smooth game, excellent athleticism, and great defensive potential. His biggest question is maturity/BBIQ....but he's young enough to mold and shape. If he ever "gets it", he'll be one of a basketball player.

To make things even better, he is an unrestricted free agent. Given the type of players that the Spurs are reportedly looking at in the NBADL, this guy fits the mold.

he is on the short list of unrestricted swing guys this offseason that at least warrant a look. but i lump him in the same pile with pietrus. he can dunk. he as a decent enough set shot. did i mention he can dunk? if so, and thats where the positives end. he can play very selfishly at times (which can be seen a bit in a career ast/to ratio below 1, just like pietrus), he is a subpar/unwilling defender (but has potential, just like pietrus...), and is explosive but lacks ability to finish in the lane at times (think james white v2.0). his only other redeeming quality is that he is still young enough that he might be able to be saved (if you actually believe in the potential that hes been hyped for). id take a chance on him with an udoka type deal (1-3 mil over 1-2 years), but im not hitching the "future swing guy" wagon to this horse.

[AFBlue]

he is on the short list of unrestricted swing guys this offseason that at least warrant a look. but i lump him in the same pile with pietrus. he can dunk. he as a decent enough set shot. did i mention he can dunk? if so, and thats where the positives end. he can play very selfishly at times (which can be seen a bit in a career ast/to ratio below 1, just like pietrus), he is a subpar/unwilling defender (but has potential, just like pietrus...), and is explosive but lacks ability to finish in the lane at times (think james white v2.0). his only other redeeming quality is that he is still young enough that he might be able to be saved (if you actually believe in the potential that hes been hyped for). id take a chance on him with an udoka type deal (1-3 mil over 1-2 years), but im not hitching the "future swing guy" wagon to this horse.

I lump him less with Pietrus (who is already 25 and has been playing regular minutes in this league for years) and moreso with another guy you mentioned....James White.

Superior athleticism, defensive potential, and at ude (not necessarily a good thing) with one main exception.... Gerald Green is a great shooter with a smooth stroke, which is something White never had.

White seemed content to be an athlete that played basketball versus a basketball player that just happened to be a stud athlete.

And I'm not "hitching my wagon" to this horse persay, but I do think he's an interesting option because of his youth, potential, and unrestricted status.

Like I said, I doubt it will happen because he'll probably get offered more money elsewhere...and my guess is he's not mature enough to take the smaller deal for a chance at being a piece to a championship.

But he does deserve a look...

[Bruno]

Quinton Hosley could be an interesting player to sign next summer. He is currently putting great number in Turkey where he plays this year.

[tav1]

DarkWaters, thanks for the clarification on Thabo and Spanish Chocolate. Truth is, I was operating from memory, which clearly failed me. For the most past, I agree with your assesment of each player you listed. Grant me a little la ude, I'm shooting from the hip.

Re: Tony Allen. Two things spark my interest in him. Prior to his injury last year, he looked very good. He gets to the foul line and his outside shot is improving. He probably won't have his game back til late this season or next year, which should keep his price tag down. But more importantly, prior to his injury, he was a crack defender. He's got a big body and good lateral movement. Couple his minutes with Ginobli's and you'd get a lot from that position. And the fact that Allen gets to the hoop could allow Ginobli to preserve his body a bit more.

I have no idea if his basketball IQ is very good---he is young enough that I doubt he understands the game as much as Pop would want.
Nevertheless, he deserves watching.

*************
Gerald Green is out to lunch. From what I can tell he's lazy-minded. If he were dirt cheap, maybe he'd be worth a look. There is always the chance that something will click as he matures as a person. The problem is he'll want a multi-year deal and he can't play D-league. Yikes. James White with a jump shot is still James White.

[ss1986v2]

well, i disagree with the "great shooter" gerald green thing i guess. ive never seen the games where he lights it up, only the nights when he goes like 2-11 with two monster dunks and a bunch of missed open jumpers.

but his numbers dont back up the "great shooter" thing either. last year, he shot 42% from the floor, 37% from 3, 80% from the line, with a efg% of 48% and a ts% of 52%. those numbers would lead to the "decent enough" that i evaluated him at, at least i think. compare those numbers to another player im not a big fan of: last year pietrus put up 49% from the floor, 39% from 3, 65% from the line, with a efg% of 57% and a ts% of 59%. now lets look a "great shooter": last year brent barry shot 47% from the floor, 45% from 3, 88% from the line, with a efg% of 63% and a ts% of 67%.

by the way, i dont want you to think ive been taking digs at you directly in this thread (most of my posts have been direct responses to thing you have wrote). im just a very bored basketball fan here in december, and ive been spending a lot of time looking to next year already. just enjoying a bit of debate between informed fans.

[TheProfessor]

Quinton Hosley could be an interesting player to sign next summer. He is currently putting great number in Turkey where he plays this year.

Hosley was a guy that was supposed to draw some attention in the draft last year, but Dominic McGuire had those "NBA attributes" everyone looks for - length and incredible athleticism. While Hosley does not have that kind of potential, he may put it together faster, as his numbers overseas attest. An interesting suggestion, but with Ime already here, I doubt it happens.

I'm calling Marcus Dove with the Raptors' pick.

[Darkwaters]

I'm calling Marcus Dove with the Raptors' pick.

I like him a lot. But he does have some issues go as far as at ude. Still, hes such a defensive stud that I think he would warrant the Raptors pick easily. No complaints there.

[Darkwaters]

What do we think the going rate will be on Hermann next season? I wouldn't mind giving him a try and seeing what happens...for the right price of course. In fact, lets pick up Delfino AND Hermann and we'll be loaded up with Argentines.

[ss1986v2]

What do we think the going rate will be on Hermann next season? I wouldn't mind giving him a try and seeing what happens...for the right price of course. In fact, lets pick up Delfino AND Hermann and we'll be loaded up with Argentines.

where do i sign?

[Cry Havoc]

I think Andres Nocioni is now available for trade from the Bulls.

Anyone want to take a chance on him?

[tav1]

WIW: earlier this season Pop was praising Zelimir Obradovic's offense and the players were talking about how much they were being pushed to push the ball. I wonder how much of this will factor into free agency. The Spurs are playing more small ball this year than last and Elson, Mahinmi and Splitter are all quick bigs. Are the Spurs tipping their hand?

Maybe the Spurs are planning on targeting guys that can thrive within their defensive schemes but that can also play more Euro in terms of pace.

I doubt Obradovic could ever be persauded to work for the Spurs, either in the front office or, possibly, on the bench as Pop's eventual successor (Obradovic is accomplsihed but young and a possible jump to the NBA might appeal to him; but why would he take an assistant position). Nevertheless, if Pop does intend on stealing from him, that would affect some free agent evaluations.

[ss1986v2]

I think Andres Nocioni is now available for trade from the Bulls.

Anyone want to take a chance on him?

i love nocioni, but i dont think we have the pieces to swing a trade for him. he does fit the mythical "long three" idea, but id personally rather have a true sf. and nocioni generally plays better when he gets PT at pf.

[AFBlue]

i love nocioni, but i dont think we have the pieces to swing a trade for him. he does fit the mythical "long three" idea, but id personally rather have a true sf. and nocioni generally plays better when he gets PT at pf.

Barry and Bonner works financially. It gives the Bulls another big body and an expiring contract to allow them the financial freedom to extend offers to Deng & Gordon.

Throw in a first-round pick and maybe it would bring them to the table.

Of course....it's still a longshot from that point.

[AFBlue]

by the way, i dont want you to think ive been taking digs at you directly in this thread (most of my posts have been direct responses to thing you have wrote). im just a very bored basketball fan here in december, and ive been spending a lot of time looking to next year already. just enjoying a bit of debate between informed fans.

No offense taken. I understand that it's all wild speculation at this point in the season and I wouldn't expect the Spurs FO to make a move that most of us would see coming.

[Mr. Body]

Gerald Green appears to have no intention of putting in the work needed to be a basketball player. He wants it on a silver charger.

Marcus Dove, despite some at ude, at least wants to win games, it seems. Absolutely worth the Toronto pick if he lasts that long. He's listed in places as 6'9" and is as defense-first as Bowen is.

Otherwise, the 2007 draft looks like slim pickings for SFs with any size whatsoever. An entirely too early guess would have us taking a SG-type or swingman. Or, , trading the pick in a package for a more veteran player.

The free agent market this summer will be interesting. A good number of young players with not a lot of money to go around. It'll depend on whether the Spurs want to spend the MLE.

[ChumpDumper]

Celtics Waive Rookie Forward Wallace after Five Months
Posted Dec 18 2007 8:12PM

BOSTON, Dec. 17 (AP) -- The Boston Celtics are waiving rookie forward Brandon Wallace, cutting their roster down to 13 on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-9 Wallace, who was undrafted, signed a two-year contract with the Celtics in July out of South Carolina.

Wallace has not played in a regular season game. He averaged 1.2 points per game during the preseason and was assigned to the team's NBA Development League affiliate in Utah on Nov. 13. There, he averaged 12.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in six games for the Flash.

http://www.nba.com/nba_news/celtics_waivewallace.html

Needs work on his perimeter game, but he is extremely athletic. Looked raw but nice in the Flash game I saw on NBAtv. He'll probably need to play at that level for awhile.

[Mr. Body]

Why does Boston do this if they're already below the roster limit? Simply don't like him?

[AFBlue]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_a...tarence_kinsey/

Grizzlies Waive Tarence Kinsey
December 18, 2007 - 4:30 pm
RealGM Staff Report -
The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that they have requested waivers on guard Tarence Kinsey.

Kinsey, a 6-6, 189-pound guard, was averaging 3.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in 8.7 minutes in 11 appearances this season. An undrafted free agent out of South Carolina, he averaged 7.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in his rookie season with the Grizzlies in 2006-07. Kinsey came on strong late in the season when he was named the NBA’s Western Conference Rookie of the Month after averaging 18.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.63 steals last April.

The current roster stands at 13 players.

Not for the long 3, but there has been some discussion in this thread about swingmen. Kinsey was a standout player last year that proved he could score in this league. Any thoughts on him?

[Mr. Body]

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_a...tarence_kinsey/


Not for the long 3, but there has been some discussion in this thread about swingmen. Kinsey was a standout player last year that proved he could score in this league. Any thoughts on him?

Just a memory that the Spurs have had interest in the past.

Spurs badly need to plan for the near future, when Finley and Barry will be gone and Bowen will have one foot out. As soon as next year. I don't think Kinsey is any kind of solution, certainly not as a starter.