Reply With Quote
It should be noted that Free Agency doesn't begin until AFTER the draft. So your statement is incorrect.
The Spurs will likely take the best players available and worry about Free Agency thereafter....though I bet they'll have a few guys in mind.
Blake is going to command most or all of the MLE, we have more pressing needs than paying a backup PG $4-5 mil a year. If Vaughn isn't resigned, then I could see the Spurs going after someone like Chucky Atkins for the LLE or maybe even a vet deal.
It should be noted that Free Agency doesn't begin until AFTER the draft. So your statement is incorrect.
The Spurs will likely take the best players available and worry about Free Agency thereafter....though I bet they'll have a few guys in mind.
With what i saw yesterday against the Suns , we can say that the spurs may change something inside during the summer
so if a good C or PF is available with their 28th pick they could take it or doing something with bringing both mahinmi and scola
.............
I'm starting to change my tune here, too. I didn't think a big man was such a concern, with such a logjam there, but any talent there would make a huge difference. The strict shooting guard slot can last one more year with Finley/Barry (and Manu, of course), but now I'm not sure how I prioritize back up point and big man. Swingman/SF still seems top priority.
Spurs PF/C rotation is quite bad this year and it could be even worse next year if Horry, who is Spurs best bigman behind Duncan, retires this summer.
What to do ?
- Hopping that Spurs actual bigmen improve their play ? Elson, Bonner and Butler should be better next year because Spurs players are usualy better in their second year. However, even if they play better next yer, it likely won't be enough given how average they are this year.
- Bringing some rookies like Scola or a player drafted with a late first round pick ? It's not realistic to count on a rookie, even if he is very good, to help a contender during playoffs.
The only reliable solution is to do a trade or to use the MLE on a vet PF/C. Getting a good PF/C this summer, is a way higher priority than getting a good SG/SF or backup PG. Spurs will be fine next year at SG/SF with Manu/Finley/Bowen : they can bring slowly young players (White or a draft pick) next year. Vaughn (barring he plays better than the first two games against Suns) can be a solid backup PG for next year or SPurs can sign a cheap vet liek Atkins.
To me, the best thing to do is to draft one or two PG/SG/SF and try to get one or two good vet PF/C via FA or trade.
IMO i think the Spurs will try to bring scola next year and maybe mahinmi as bruno said
and take two sg/sf prospects for the future with their picks
but nothing is sure , they could also take a PF or C they like if he's available and depending on the workouts ....
i think also that it's too much to have both scola and mahinmi and 2 rookies for the spurs but we will see
A.H. -- they can't take Mahinmi, Scola, plus two sg/sf draft picks. They physically don't have the roster space.
it's exactly what i want to said so nobody can know exactly what they will do
bring scola/mahinmi , draft two rookies ... trade their picks...
many possibilities..
Well, that's fine, but for what's actually possible, look back some pages to see a discussion for who may conceivably no longer be on the roster. I, myself, believe there will be two roster spots.
A Splitter's interview :
http://www.draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2039
Splitter situation is related to Scola situation : Tau will have a hard time to let both go in nba this summer.
It will be interested to see where Splitter will be drafted. If it's at 10th, he will have enough money to pay a buyout. If it's at 20th, he won't have enough money to pay a buyout. The lower Splitter is drafted, the more likely Scola will go in nba.
Saw this in an ESPN chat, and thought it was funny. It makes you wonder whether those other draft sites really have the ears of NBA GMs or whether they're basing it off pure speculation and personal preference....
Bradley (Bellingham, WA): A lot of mock drafts have Brandon Rush going in the second round... I would love to have this guy - what gives?
Chad Ford: I'd be pretty shocked if he wasn't a first rounder. He's ranked No. 21 on our Top 100. The question you have to ask about all those mock drafts floating around is ... who are these guys talking to. Are they really talking to NBA people. At the end of the day, it's their opinion that matters. The NBA scouts and executives that I've spoken with recently, all have Rush somewhere in the 20s.
A few more notes from the chat....
Mario (Ohio): What's the buzz around Rodney Stuckey right now?
Chad Ford: Lots of teams love him. He's a big guard who can score and I think he can play point in the pros. Great basketball IQ. I think he's taken somewhere between 15-25 in the draft.
David (CHI): How far has Noah fallen?
Chad Ford: He hasn't fallen ... yet. But I talked to one prominent GM who said that they had a draft range of 3 to 16 for Noah on their draft board. That's huge. He has the most potential to fall ... but he also could go No. 3 or No. 4 depending on who's picking where. We'll know a lot more in on May 22nd.
John (CO): What is your opinion of Jason Smith (CSU)?
Chad Ford: I think he's a sleeper. He's a seven footer who can score inside and out, is a good athlete who can really get up and down the floor. He needs strength, but on the right up-tempo team he could be good. I see him in the 14 to 20 range.
May 22nd is what?
Chad Ford has a high opinion of a lot of guys. I don't see Jason Smith going as high as 14.
i think there is a real good chance jason smith could fall to 28th for us. i would definitely take him is he was there.
You'd overlook other roster needs in order to take a chance on a big man?
Sorry, he made reference to the 22nd earlier....it's Draft Lottery day. For some reason, ESPN televises it now, which is horrible because they drag it out to some god-awful hour-long program when it should only take like 5 minutes. But, yeah that's when we'll see what team is ending up where in the lottery.
As far as who he "likes", I'm not really sure....but based on his answer to the previous question, I think his feeling on players is based on talking to GMs as well as his Draft experience (i.e. knowing what rises and falls on draft day)
I think there's a better chance that a guy with buyout concerns like Tiago Splitter falls than Jason Smith, especially with the Fernandez fiasco in Orlando.
Smith has size (7ft), athleticism, and shooting touch...all things that scouts & GMs love on draft day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qvDANEk
check this dude out??Could play3,4, or 5 (small ball)
Last edited by yavozerb; 05-10-2007 at 08:49 PM.
Jason Smith or Ian Mahinmi?
We don't have to waste a draft pick on Ian Mahinmi, do we? I'd rather look for wings with our picks.
Horry, Bonner, Oberto, Elson, Ely= all big men with contract expiring contract either this or next year. Big men are very expensive in the NBA in FA, Spurs need to spend at least 1 draft pick on a 4 or 5...
Disagree, because we drafted Mahinmi. As I said above, he's about equivalent to anybody you'll find at 28. Find a big guy with the 33? Ok, but it's not a priority. We also have Butler.
As far as the 2nd round goes I think you have to go best available...I was looking at nbadraft.net & I had never seen this guy before, apparently he is moving up the charts.
link
No one knew about Koponen before the World Summit game in Memphis a few weeks back, or whatever it was called. He did very well against top American high schoolers and looks to be a solid prospect. Good size, handles, good gamesmanship. I'd love to try him out instead of Beno.
'Sides, we'd start getting Finns in here. Free Nokia phones for everyone.
the Fernandez fiasco is still waiting to happen, but I guess Orlando has had it's share with the Vazquez fiasco.
it's a bit baffling what Splitter said about his buyout, I guess they just mixed the year. (IMO he has a buyout of 1 million, if he leaves this summer and would be free 2008).
however, this kind of buyout shouldn't prevent teams from picking him. NBA teams can contribute 500K, half of the buyout number, so even with the salary of a late 1st round pick Splitter can manage his buyout. (the no. 30 pick still gets him about 1.8 million in guarranteed money plus about 2.8 million for the option years, which the teams usually pick). with a no. 20 pick he gets about 2.5 million in guarranteed money (plus 3.3 for the option years). should be enough to pay 500K if the drafting team adds the other half.
so I don't think the buyout will be a reason, why Splitter could fall. he helped his stock with some very good games in march and april and the recent success of Andris Biedrins might also help him a bit (IMO Biedrins has more upside, especially on offense, but some scouts will draw comparisons). I would be surprised if he is picked higher than 12, but I really can't see how he could fall farther than no.20.
Clippers at 14, Pistons at 15, Wizards at 16, Nets at 17. they all would have some needs for a player type like Splitter. (if Pistons pick him at 15, this would mean that they virtually traded Darko for Splitter)
Why all the fuss over a player a that will end up playing Euro, or Yugo ball for a couple or 10 years?
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
