Richard Jefferson back for 2010-11

[Ice009]

rj's contract will look more attractive come february and if he has not panned out by then i would expect him to be shopped around enthusiastically

If you want to trade RJ, then you actually want him playing well otherwise there might not be hardly any teams interested in trading for him even if he is an expiring contract. It's not as simple as saying oh RJ still sucks so we can trade him quite easily at the trade deadline.

So if the Spurs want to trade him they'd want him playing a lot better and more consistent than he did last season, but if he is also playing great and some team actually wants him you then have to decide if he can keep it going and play well in the playoffs before you make a trade. I am willing to give RJ a chance again if he is committed and comes ready I'd like to see what he can do. I'll be looking at his play on the defensive end first and foremost. If he can start to be aggressive consistently, he can turn it around.

[temujin]

I don't think you understand why people are happy. RJ opting out would limit what we can do with this team. We wouldn't have $15 million to spend. We're over the cap right now. It would be handcuffing us a bit because we have to pay splitter and fill out the roster, AND replace RJ. No matter how bad RJ played he'd be better than a league minimum guy on the market. Him opting in on this allows the spurs to now have an expiring contract to move midseason (or before) for another player whose team is looking to shed salary. This is a good thing. This forces Holt to stick with the commitment of paying the luxury tax for at least 1 more year, and hopefully for the remainder of Duncan's career. Does that make sense?

I assume you are making at least 7.5 millions yourself.
Then I guess you can be happy watching a lazy, overweight loser making 15 Millions a year, while tearing apart the Spurs philosophy.

By the way, how much of that 15 millions check comes from your own pockets?

[temujin]

Incorrect. "The system" didn't make Isiah Thomas give Eddy Curry that contract.

It did.
It actually put Thomas in a position to do so.

[temujin]

RJ is better than a minimum salary project player which is the only type of player we could afford if he opted out. I would definitely rather have RJ than nobody.

HOW DO PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND THIS? I'll even say thanks for not opting out RJ.

You can still look to trade him and he can still improve in the Spurs system. I think he needs to lose some weight then he can get some speed back on defense. That is a key for RJ to lose some weight and get some lateral quickness back and make a concerted effort on defense from the get go.

It's also weird that I am willing to back him up a little bit now . I was saying last season in November or early December to trade him. Where were all you people back then??? Everyone said I was crazy to say RJ is no good and doesn't fit on the Spurs. I said this early last season! I just can't believe how most people thought I was way wrong. Now probably over 95% people agree that RJ isn't the greatest fit. Hardly anyone was willing to step up and say anything though.

Check that out: it took me a quarter of the first game to realize this guy has nothing to do with winning in general, and Spurs basketball in paticular.
And I wrote on this board about it.

I really really don't get what the FO saw in this kid.

[coyotes_geek]

It did.
It actually put Thomas in a position to do so.

Doesn't matter. "The system" that put Isiah Thomas in a position to give Eddy Curry a ridiculous contract isn't any more responsible for that decision than the system that gives us the privledge of driving a car on a public road is responsible for someone making a bad decision to drive while intoxicated.

[temujin]

Doesn't matter. "The system" that put Isiah Thomas in a position to give Eddy Curry a ridiculous contract isn't any more responsible for that decision than the system that gives us the privledge of driving a car on a public road is responsible for someone making a bad decision to drive while intoxicated.

Exactly.

What happens to your "right" to drive after you have been caught driving while intoxicated, possibly causing an accident?

Thomas drove the Knicks while intoxicated for YEARS and nobody dared cancelling his license.
Causing the Curry accident, among many others.

[EricB]

Great news. Him opting out would've screwed the Spurs hardcore, despite the know it all fans who thought him opting out would be "great"

[Seventyniner]

Exactly.

What happens to your "right" to drive after you have been caught driving while intoxicated, possibly causing an accident?

Thomas drove the Knicks while intoxicated for YEARS and nobody dared cancelling his license.
Causing the Curry accident, among many others.

But allowing Thomas to run the Knicks into the ground was Dolan's fault, and it's the owners that are claiming that the business model is broken (and are consequently threatening to lock the players out next summer). The owners need to take responsibility and not allow their GMs to sign FAs to big contracts unless they deserve them.

LeBron, Wade, etc will earn their salaries, but it's the players who undeservedly get $8-10M per season that really kill the cap and bottom line. Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Bobby Simmons, Richard Jefferson...I could go on all day with players that are paid at least twice what they should be (from an economic standpoint, not just a gut feeling).

[Agloco]

Last season he was the piece that would make the Spurs contenders. Saying he didn't meet expectations would be an understatement.

This year we're just hoping that he doesn't suck quite as hard as last season. I'd say there's a good chance he exceeds expectations this year.

Contract Year FTW.

[temujin]

But allowing Thomas to run the Knicks into the ground was Dolan's fault, and it's the owners that are claiming that the business model is broken (and are consequently threatening to lock the players out next summer). The owners need to take responsibility and not allow their GMs to sign FAs to big contracts unless they deserve them.

LeBron, Wade, etc will earn their salaries, but it's the players who undeservedly get $8-10M per season that really kill the cap and bottom line. Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler, Bobby Simmons, Richard Jefferson...I could go on all day with players that are paid at least twice what they should be (from an economic standpoint, not just a gut feeling).

Agreed.

[ElNono]

Well, this thread is full of fail I guess...

[Mel_13]

Well, this thread is full of fail I guess...

CIA

[Manufan909]

So does anyone know what is really going on with RJ? Will he opt out to get signed by the Spurs for a longer, back-loaded contract?

[rascal]

RJ will contribute more this year, I have NO doubt.

Not expecting superstar, but hopefully better defense, 3pt shooting, and rebounding.

We have plenty of scoring, we dont' need more than 12-14 pts from him; pretty close to what he gave us anyway.

He will play better if the spurs use him better. He is not a 3 point shooter and should not be standing around the perimeter looking to mainly shoot 3 pointers. That will be a failure again. They need to run more when opportunities present themselves and get him in the open court with parker and manu.

[Kori Ellis]

This thread being bumped just confuses people. I'm closing it.