Five Step Rebuilding Plan

[mingus]

i think you trade Manu and TP. the one guy i would NEVER trade on the Spurs is Tim Duncan, no matter his contract. i'm not sure Manu and TP would be opposed to it either if they are going to a better situation, which would probably be the case. teams trading for those two guys would probably be one piece away from contention, like New York.

[Doe]

I agree with Manny, this team doesn't have a go to go guy. We saw flashes of TP and Manu being able to do that, but not consistently. They could throw it into Randolph and have a guaranteed bucket. I'm more of the mindset that the roster should be blown up, as painful as it would be to swallow.

If the Spurs continue to try to reload, which I think they'll probably do then...

- The Bonner experiment really needs to end. I don't need to say anything further as it's been discussed ad nauseam.

- The magnitude of extending RJ is really starting to seep in. Highly questionable at the time, colossally stupid now. He needs to play a marginal role like you said.

- George Hill? I don't know about this kid. Did he choke this year or was he just playing horribly in a road game as he did all year long? Regardless, when he's passive (which is too often) he's a soft and scared player. Add on RJ and Bonner and that's too many of these types of players. I'd look to trade Hill for a more useful piece.

They need to find a guy on the wing who can adequately defend premier players (no Udoka-types please). Defense on the perimeter in general needs to put under the microscope. When you're so soft that ty shooters like Tony Allen and unproven rookies like Vasquez have supreme confidence against you, there's a big problem. Same Young made like 18 threes in the regular season and against the Spurs he's busting clutch threes.

[Cane]

The Spurs almost got away with a healthy season. They're just not compe ive enough with even one starter injured and it seemed like Duncan, Manu, and Dice were all pretty banged up towards the end of the season and they all tweaked some injuries in the playoffs too.

Beyond being healthy (which is a daunting goal), the Spurs need more active and athletic size. They could use a 260+ lber to give them a few minutes against the giants of the league like the Gasols. The Spurs need a legit back-up (or starting) SF. Spurs relied too much on Manu as a SF which led to a guard heavy lineup that'll get exposed by the Grizz and even the Suns last year as well. Bonner and Blair playing as your frontcourt just won't cut it either and even the Suns can throw out young giants out there in Gortat and Lopez.

I don't see the Spurs tanking unless the Big 3 get season-ending injuries or if they're broken up completely. The Spurs organization also have to take into account what Duncan wants (compe ive or I guess at least a winning team) and the Spurs fanbase and most of San Antonio probably wants to cheer for the Big 3 until they're retired anyway.

There'll be undoubtedly a ton of movement in the NBA but who knows what the CBA has in store.

[Chomag]

I would love to see the Spurs take a chance for at least a 1 year contract on Greg Oden at the MLE.

IT a small chance but possible imo. Oden would have a chip on his shoulder to prove in that 1 year to the Spurs or other teams that he is worth more money later.

[NASpurs]

I want the players that are brought in next season to fight it out for minutes and none of this "corporate knowledge" ! Give the best players and those who deserve it minutes. Don't be afraid to bench players like Jefferson who suck and don't wait 'til the last game of the season to do it. Pop used to be of the philosophy of strong defense and not be afraid to bench those who were sucking. WTF has happened to Pop? Who the brainwashed his ass that playing up-tempo offense with liabilities on defense was going to get them somewhere. What I'm saying is that it all starts and ends with Pop.

But saying all of that, I don't even know what to think of this team anymore. Are the Spurs really missing pieces to compete for a championship or is it just me being delusional as a fan to think they have a shot next year? The Spurs don't have players anymore that can take over a game and grip it to their will. This team reminds me more of a Nuggets team with talent but no real MVP type players... maybe that's a bad comparison but who knows.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

i think you trade Manu and TP. the one guy i would NEVER trade on the Spurs is Tim Duncan, no matter his contract. i'm not sure Manu and TP would be opposed to it either if they are going to a better situation, which would probably be the case. teams trading for those two guys would probably be one piece away from contention, like New York.

It's tough to envision any of the big three not retiring a Spur.

No way on Tim.

Manu should have the opportunity to retire in SA. He loves it there, and the hispanic community loves him and his passion. It just wouldn't be right for him to go anywhere else.

As much as I criticize Parker, it'd be hard to see him go. That said, Parker's likely the most appealing for other teams.

Perhaps you could trade him for a disgrunted Chris Paul, a y Rusell Westbrook, something like that.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I would love to see the Spurs take a chance for at least a 1 year contract on Greg Oden at the MLE.

IT a small chance but possible imo. Oden would have a chip on his shoulder to prove in that 1 year to the Spurs or other teams that he is worth more money later.

Oden will never play a playoff game in his career. This would be almost as big a waste as RJ's extension last summer.

[Capt Bringdown]

Timmy is not the player he used to be, but guys like him come around very rarely. Enjoy every last bank-shot and jump-hook you see.

Even a broke-ass Hakeem could execute a doddering spin move against some nameless scrub during the final minutes of a Raptors game, that doesn't mean it was a moment to cherish.
God forbid TD suffer a similar fate, although it's a matter of laughing all the way to the bank, ain't it?

[xellos88330]

I would say to get a tall, long, athletic, mobile shot blocker and a defensive SF.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Without Duncan at an all-star level there is no chance the Spurs can contend. They probably won't start rebuilding until Tim's and Manu's contracts expire and will just roll with what they have even if it's a 1st/2nd round ceiling team.

I just hope they are able to stockpile some talent and look for trades for younger players even taking some risks but either way we've been treated great by this team for such a long time that I have no problem watching the big 3 just finish their careers together ( Tim and Manu , as Parker is younger ) and ride into the sunset.

[Master splitter]

Oh and fire pop please

[TDMVPDPOY]

mayeb should target al jefferson in a trade...

[pad300]

1) Get rid of the PUSSY characters the Spurs have acquired over the last few years. The key characteristic of the championship Spurs teams was toughness (not, as some mistook it, character). This means personnel changeover. Key players that HAVE to go - Bonner and RJ.
2) The bigs needs to get bigger. Key characteristics that continue to win in the NBA - frontline SIZE. The Lakers are huge. The Grizzlies have a bucket of muscle. Boston`s championship teams were big. The Bulls are big up front.
3) Either fire Pop, or force a number 2 who he will have to listen to on him. We need to bring along younger players, sacrificing regular season wins if neccessary.

Trade Bonner, RJ, Hill, 2011 First round pick for Andris Biedrins and Dorrel Wright.

Next Years lineup
Bigs - TD, Splitter, Biedrins, Blair, Richards (as 5th big, to develop),
Wings - Wright, Anderson, Hill, Neal, Green / Butler
PG - TP, Manu, T-Mac (yes, he was playing PG for the pistons this year)

Note that we will do a lot of 2 PG sets...
Take a shot at getting Oden with the MLE.
Try and find a 3 who can shoot and play D as an FA.

[mingus]

It's tough to envision any of the big three not retiring a Spur.

No way on Tim.

Manu should have the opportunity to retire in SA. He loves it there, and the hispanic community loves him and his passion. It just wouldn't be right for him to go anywhere else.

As much as I criticize Parker, it'd be hard to see him go. That said, Parker's likely the most appealing for other teams.

Perhaps you could trade him for a disgrunted Chris Paul, a y Rusell Westbrook, something like that.

there's a lot to explore with Parker, for sure. you can trade him and wait for Duncan to retire the following year. then you'd be left with Manu and RJ (assumming the Spurs can't find a way to trade RJ, which i can't imagine they will), and the Spurs would suck really suck that year. get a lotto pick that year and hopefully the next. yeah, keeping Manu would be great. now that i think about it, you're probably right.

best case scenario would be to trade TP, and find someone willing to take RJ. throw in Neal or Hill, or even both, if you have to, but for Christ's sake get this f'n guy outta here.

if the Spurs can find a way to start sucking really bad for the next couple of year w/o giving up Manu and definitely not TD, that would be ideal. i just hate the idea of being too good to get a high lotto pick.

[ElNono]

Trade Bonner, RJ, Hill, 2011 First round pick for Andris Biedrins and Dorrel Wright.

Next Years lineup
Bigs - TD, Splitter, Biedrins, Blair, Richards (as 5th big, to develop),
Wings - Wright, Anderson, Hill, Neal, Green / Butler
PG - TP, Manu, T-Mac (yes, he was playing PG for the pistons this year)

????

[baseline bum]

????

Hill would get bought out and return... duh.

[stealthjbravo]

Trade RJ, Bonner, Hill, Blair, along with our 29th spot in the draft for Le' Tarcus and 2 2nd round draft picks. Draft Leroy Bushca and Lucas Nogueira. Trade Leroy Bushca to washington for their D-League 3 stud Kenni Reminche plus $. Give the MLE to Oden if possible but more than likely offer it to Al Jefferson.

[pad300]

????

Minor Brain Fart... I originally had Blair in that trade and forgot to chop Hill from the roster when I changed it. I`m still not sure which of them GS would want.

[phxspurfan]

Obviously, this is really, really, really early and I have kept myself from thinking about it until now ... but here is my five step rebuilding plan to turn this squad into a legit contender. Please post yours.

1. Start Tiago Splitter next to Tim Duncan and bring DeJuan Blair off the bench as the first big. Splitter needs to play big minutes in an attempt to revitalize the defense. Blair's explosiveness and energy will be great if he buys into the bench role. And his size won't be too much of an issue if he's playing mostly next to Splitter or Duncan.

2. Send Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson to the bench. Ginobili needs to conserve his body in the regular season. And I think he can be just as productive to the success of the team by giving the Spurs the best bench punch in the league. As for RJ, you'd obviously try to trade him but that won't happen. Playing him off the bench at least makes it so that anything he gives you is a bonus. He can't be relied upon, as was reinforced in this series.

3. Let George Hill, Gary Neal, James Anderson, Danny Green and Da'Sean Butler fight for starting spots. Bring in other young wings who are hungry to join the fight. To get back to a true championship level, the Spurs will need a couple swingmen to emerge.

4. Don't rely as much on three-pointers. I'll take 50 playoff-style wins over 60 fun-and-gun wins if it means the team is built for postseason success.

5. Don't panic too much. It's not time to start over. The Big 3 needs to be remained intact at all costs. Find a group of role players willing to compete. Revert to a playoff style strategy. Try again.


What would you do?

Thanks.

After thinking about it a few hours, I agree. The Celtics (my pick to win it all this year) did it with their aging core, and we can do it too. Re-tool, get Splitter, Hill and Neal more burn, and get back on the horsie.

[duncan228]

The media starts. Hit the link for their answers.

Roundtable: What now for Spurs?
SI.com

* The Spurs were the best regular-season team for most of the year and led the West with a 61-21 record. How do you explain their first-round loss to 46-win Memphis?

* How would you assess the chances of this team's core ever competing for a championship again?

* Tim Duncan, who turned 35 this week, has a $21 million player option for next season. What is the most likely scenario for him?
A) Play out his contract
B) Opt out and sign a longer deal with San Antonio
C) Opt out and sign with another team
D) Retire

* Assuming Duncan returns, what can the Spurs do to improve?

* Gregg Popovich is the NBA's longest-tenured coach, with 15 seasons in San Antonio. How much longer do you see the 62-year-old Popovich coaching the Spurs?

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...rs.roundtable/

[1Parker1]

Zebo was a franchise player this series. Thats what the Spurs are missing.

I think the combination of a healthy Ginobili/Parker are good enough for the Spurs "go-to scoring options."

Zbo is an inside player and if the Spurs had enough size and athleticism at that position, he could have been contained somewhat.

The problem is, Spurs didn't have enough role players providing offense to take some strain off Parker/Ginobili. And you can tell by their body language in the losses...it's hard to continue scoring on one end while your team is just giving up points on the other end.

Spurs need to drop this whole run and gun offense and find defensive minded players.

[Flux451]

Size, athleticism, backup pg, defense

[DrSteffo]

Well number 2 is difficult to understand and will not happen. We have ONE half legit sf so we have to go with him. If we go into next season without TWO legit sf we are doomed. I don't like 3-guard rotations in the playoffs. I am not counting on D-league caliber players to develop.

[roycrikside]

C'mon LJ...

I respect you dude, but be real. It's over. It's really ing over. This is your second lamest thread ever, only to that one you tried to start in 2009 before the first round series against the Mavs when you wrote "How the Spurs can win the le without Manu," when it was so plainly obvious to anyone with a brain that they'd be bounced (and easily) in the first round without Ginobili.

Anyway, the reason the Spurs lost to the Grizzlies was simple: They didn't have the best player in the series.

The common theme for all the Spurs le runs was that Tim was their best player and one of the two or three best in the league. Now, he's a s of himself. Realistically, on a championship team the 2011 Tim Duncan would have to be their fourth, maybe fifth player, their McDyess, more or less.

I'm the biggest Manu homer on the planet, and even I know no team can win a le with Ginobili as their best player - especially the 2011 Ginobili. I'm not even sure the Spurs would've won it with the '05 version. On a le team this Ginobili should be the second best or more ideally the third best player.

No team can win a le with Parker as their second best player. He's a third banana. Always has been, always will be.

George Hill was a third guard for us. On a championship squad he'd be a fourth guard, seeing maybe 10 minutes a night in the playoffs. With him and Neal we basically had two fourth guards and one of them was masquerading as a third guard. He's a tad better than an '07 Jacque Vaughn but definitely less useful than an '05 Brent Barry.

Bonner is a 5th forward, at best. On a le squad he'd have the same role as Novak has now, which is none at all. McDyess and Blair are also 4th/5th guys. No more than spot backups for that superstar power forward who plays 40 minutes.

And most of all, no championship team would ever EVER have a guy as soft, mentally weak and fundamentally awful as Jefferson on their team. The guy is meant to be a career Golden State Warrior, someone who can score a meaningless 18 points every night, give up 25 on the other end and enjoy his vacation after game 82. He is a ing loser.

The ONLY way the Spurs have a chance is if something crazy happens where Duncan either comes back for the veteran's minimum and the team uses the cap savings to find a land a legit superstar like Dwight Howard (who is also mentally weak like RJ, but he can at least actually play).

If the Magic see the writing on the wall that he's gonna be gone after the year, maybe they can do something crazy and trade Howard for 25 cents on the dollar for Tony. But more likely he'll go to somewhere else like LA or Boston, since the league is rigged for those teams to always be good.

If we can't land a superstar, then I would think Duncan will just choose to retire and maybe the Spurs will give Manu the option of trying to work a trade for someone else (he'd fit well in OKC or Chicago) or to remain on the Spurs.

[Hoops Czar]

Obviously, this is really, really, really early and I have kept myself from thinking about it until now ... but here is my five step rebuilding plan to turn this squad into a legit contender. Please post yours.

1. Start Tiago Splitter next to Tim Duncan and bring DeJuan Blair off the bench as the first big. Splitter needs to play big minutes in an attempt to revitalize the defense. Blair's explosiveness and energy will be great if he buys into the bench role. And his size won't be too much of an issue if he's playing mostly next to Splitter or Duncan.

2. Send Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson to the bench. Ginobili needs to conserve his body in the regular season. And I think he can be just as productive to the success of the team by giving the Spurs the best bench punch in the league. As for RJ, you'd obviously try to trade him but that won't happen. Playing him off the bench at least makes it so that anything he gives you is a bonus. He can't be relied upon, as was reinforced in this series.

3. Let George Hill, Gary Neal, James Anderson, Danny Green and Da'Sean Butler fight for starting spots. Bring in other young wings who are hungry to join the fight. To get back to a true championship level, the Spurs will need a couple swingmen to emerge.

4. Don't rely as much on three-pointers. I'll take 50 playoff-style wins over 60 fun-and-gun wins if it means the team is built for postseason success.

5. Don't panic too much. It's not time to start over. The Big 3 needs to be remained intact at all costs. Find a group of role players willing to compete. Revert to a playoff style strategy. Try again.


What would you do?

Thanks.

The big three isn't good enough anymore. George Hill is trade bait and if the right deal comes along, package him and Blair in a deal that will bring another inside presence. (ie. Kevin Love) If they're reluctant, throw in Bonner for good measure.