Ric Bucher's Plan to Fix the Spurs

[dbestpro]

The window is never shut. Who thought the Pistons would win it all after Grant Hill was traded?

Get back to playing hard core defense and you can always be in the mix.

[wildbill2u]

I think Duncan and his assessment of FO moves is more of a key than you might think.

So much depends on what Tim wants to do about retirement or extension to giain cap space. And some of those decsions may be prompted by what moves the team makes to get better.

If he sees a Parker trade as negative for the immediate future of contending, he might retire.

If he sees a Parker trade for someone who can make an immediate contribution, then he might extend to gain cap space for another axquisition.

His presence on the court isn't what it used to be but his presence--or lack of it-- will loom heavily over any FO moves. He may not have a veto, but his opinion of any trade and how he reacts to it might as well be a veto.

[TJastal]

Isn't that what I'm saying? Whatever chance (small or non-existant depending on POV) the Spurs have at winning a le in the near future involves NOT blowing up the core and continuing to make moves around it.

And the insinuation that the Mavs FO has a better idea of how to build a team than San Antonio's is laughable. They've made countless mistakes over the years, but have the benefit of an owner with deep pockets who can continuously go DEEP into the tax and throw more up against the wall and see what sticks.

The reason they were able to trade for Chandler is because of the expiring deal set up by the ludicrous contract he gave Damp.

So how many #1 lottery picks have the mavericks lucked into the past dozen years? Oh right, none.

The spurs lucky ping pong balls cancels out Cuban's spendthrift ways.

, look at Portland. Paul Allen has spent a fortune over there and what has he got to show for it? Just goes to show spending money to bring in random overpaid primadonnas often doesn't help a team get better.

[K-State Spur]

The spurs lucky ping pong balls cancels out Cuban's spendthrift ways.

Fair enough. ...Of course, there is that 4 championships vs. 0 thing that greatly tips the balance back in San Antonio's favor. Even if that gets to 1 in the next month, it's hardly equatable.

, look at Portland. Paul Allen has spent a fortune over there and what has he got to show for it? Just goes to show spending money to bring in random overpaid primadonnas often doesn't help a team get better.

Outside of the initial Jailblazer era (which is a perfect example of what not to do to build a bball team), Portland really hasn't dumped that much money into FA. They've bought a lot of draft picks, but most of those were in the 20-30 range where they found some nice players, but nobody you can build a championship around (which goes back to my point of the unlikelihood of a rebuild turning into contender sooner than later).

[Harry Callahan]

The mavs could have threw in the towel with their older core of Dirk, Kidd, and Marion. But they didn't sit and cry over spilled milk, they made moves (Tyson Chandler) and wham they are right back in contention for a le this year. Of course, this requires a management that actually has a clue about what pieces it best needs to surround an older core with, and Pop has yet to demonstrate any semblance of a clue regarding the spurs.

Please don't hold up the Mavericks as "having a clue". They overpaid players all up and down their roster for years, and the Erica Dampier expiring deal allowed them to jump back in and rent Chandler for a year (at $12MM)after signing Haywood two weeks before at $8MM per year. They were lucky that the Bobcats were in their usual stupid mode with M Jordan running them. A pure salary dump that benefitted the Mavericks. That was an example of the $90MM payroll being an asset. SA doesn't have the same flexibility to inflate their salary well beyond the salary cap like Dallas can and then essentially trade contracts.

This same Spurs core took down the Mavericks (less Chandler and plus Butler) a year ago when they were healthy for a brief period of time in the POs.

BTW, the Spurs wouldn't trade places with Dallas would they? Even if they stumble into a trophy this year. I suspect Mr. Cuban's mouth will start running as soon as the Mavericks lose a couple of games to the Heat.

[TJastal]

Fair enough. ...Of course, there is that 4 championships vs. 0 thing that greatly tips the balance back in San Antonio's favor. Even if that gets to 1 in the next month, it's hardly equatable.



Outside of the initial Jailblazer era (which is a perfect example of what not to do to build a bball team), Portland really hasn't dumped that much money into FA. They've bought a lot of draft picks, but most of those were in the 20-30 range where they found some nice players, but nobody you can build a championship around (which goes back to my point of the unlikelihood of a rebuild turning into contender sooner than later).

So you agree Paul Allen would probably trade all the $$$ he spent on luxury tax in the past decade trying to buy a championship for the rights to go back in time and draft Tim Duncan? Lets just call that a safe bet shall we.....

Only question remains is how many banners would be hanging in the blazer rafters had Allen been allowed to draft Duncan in 1999.. I'm going to say easily 5+ by now maybe more. Add Duncan to the mix of Sabonis, Wallace, Augmon, Anthony, Smith, Grant, Schrempf, Pippen, O'neal and the blazers have had 4 les by the time the spurs got #2.

[K-State Spur]

So you agree Paul Allen would probably trade all the $$$ he spent on luxury tax in the past decade trying to buy a championship for the rights to go back in time and draft Tim Duncan? Lets just call that a safe bet shall we.....

Only question remains is how many banners would be hanging in the blazer rafters had Allen been allowed to draft Duncan in 1999.. I'm going to say easily 5+ by now maybe more. Add Duncan to the mix of Sabonis, Wallace, Augmon, Anthony, Smith, Grant, Schrempf, Pippen, O'neal and the blazers have had 4 les by the time the spurs got #2.

While a lot of that may be true, it's really just a long ramble that has little relevance to the topics that hand.

If you add 1997 Tim Duncan to a team further along than the 1997 Spurs, would they have won more les faster than the Spurs? Well...yeah. But so what?

[Cane]

If Duncan was on the Blazers he'd get run into the ground and injured much earlier, its the Portland way. Its almost crazy that they haven't won a playoffs series in a decade and haven't been to the Finals in nearly two decades.

David Robinson's impact for a young Duncan was also huge.

[jjktkk]

While a lot of that may be true, it's really just a long ramble that has little relevance to the topics that hand.

Tjastal rambling?

[TJastal]

While a lot of that may be true, it's really just a long ramble that has little relevance to the topics that hand.

If you add 1997 Tim Duncan to a team further along than the 1997 Spurs, would they have won more les faster than the Spurs? Well...yeah. But so what?

I'm trying to show that just simply throwing $$$ around can't buy championships, luck plays a huge factor obviously. Popovich has ridden Tim Duncan into the dirt for 4 chips, and now that it isn't working anymore, he's absolutely clueless what to do. He still thinks Bonner is the answer. Meanwhile the mavericks have added the right pieces to help support an aging core, something the spurs have had ample opportunities to do since 2008 (Scola, Nazr, etc) yet continue to fail to do. If you want to credit Cuban's zest for throwing money around okay fine, but let's not pretend that's the only reason the mavs are sitting where they are and the spurs are fishing.

[jjktkk]

I'm trying to show that just simply throwing $$$ around can't buy championships, luck plays a huge factor obviously. Popovich has ridden Tim Duncan into the dirt for 4 chips, and now that it isn't working anymore, he's absolutely clueless what to do. He still thinks Bonner is the answer. Meanwhile the mavericks have added the right pieces to help support an aging core, something the spurs have had ample opportunities to do since 2008 (Scola, Nazr, etc) yet continue to fail to do. If you want to credit Cuban's zest for throwing money around okay fine, but let's not pretend that's the only reason the mavs are sitting where they are and the spurs are fishing.

Speaking of absolutely clueless, exactly how many championships have the Mavs won?

[TJastal]

Speaking of absolutely clueless, exactly how many championships have the Mavs won?

And how many #1 lottery picks have they won? And also in 1997 to be precise.

[TJastal]

jjktkk jumping into the tail end of a debate, clueless as usual.

[jjktkk]

jjktkk jumping into the tail end of a debate, clueless as usual.

And good ole Tjastal singing the praises of a team who lost to the Spurs in the 1st round last year and has never won a championship. Brilliant. Your truly one of a kind.

[TJastal]

And good ole Tjastal singing the praises of a team who lost to the Spurs in the 1st round last year and has never won a championship. Brilliant. Your truly one of a kind.

And had the spurs not totally lucked into the 1997 #1 pick how many LOB's would they have by now?

Think hard jjktkk.

[jjktkk]

And had the spurs not totally lucked into the 1997 #1 pick how many LOB's would they have by now?

Think hard jjktkk.

Wow!!! Breaking news!!! Luck played a part in landing Tim Duncan? Who knew?

[spectator]

the only way i see the spurs compe ive for the next year is if duncan takes a huge pay cut. and i mean colossal - i.e. instead of $21 mil per season, he takes $6.5 mil for 3 yrs. that way, we can compete for a big guy like nene - which would be a stretch anyway.

btw, marc gasol is not leaving memphis. i don't understand why ppl keep bringing him into trade conversations. memphis will lock him up this season, especially since they can match any offer.

i guess the other position needed to be filled is the SF. spurs could trade parker for blazers' wallace, considering that their PG (andre miller) is old and has only 1 more yr on the contract; also, parker's contract is not too shabby for his value.

this is a forum, so this is my sci-fi starting 5:
PG - g hill
SG - manu
SF - g wallace
PF - tim duncan
C - nene

that's one defensive mother of a team. tiago can play some 4-5 and wallace could also buy 5-10 min at the 4. idk if a team that led the nba in offensive efficiency one year has ever changed so drastically to lead the nba in defensive efficiency the next. but if they pull this off, all credit to duncan.

[Bruno]

Some posters are trying hard to propose even tiest Parker trades proposal than Bucher's one. Props to them, is wasn't easy to do.

[pancakechef]

Just wow.. Parker for Tony Douglas, Shawne Williams and Ronny Turiaf?

I think it's quite obvious Bucher has many more important things to do and probably spent 10 minutes (at most) devising this "plan".

What a joke.

Look what happens to Tony in the playoffs. Assists go down, TOs go up. He's not a leader or a #1 offensive weapon. Take that into account with his zero defense and you have us playing 4 V 6.

We should have gotten rid of Parker a couple years ago.

[Pauleta14]

Put Parker instead of Westbrook and OKC beats the Mavs!

TP should ask for a trade, he deserves better fans...

[pancakechef]

Really... Last time I checked Barea single handedly whooped TPs, behind. Still interesting that Parker single handedly lost that series for us too..... Same issues: NO d, TOs, cant get team involved, failing during crucial momentum swings...

Great logic though. TP could never exist with Durant. He can only run the pick and roll and refuses to pass the ball to an hot shooting teammate, and cannot see the floor. Other than that he is the ultimate PG.

[spurtech09]

yes tony parker is the spurs best trade aspect but I don't think spurs should trade him....where are the spurs going to find a point guard like tony parker....unless the spurs trade parker for chris paul im all for it but I doubt thats going to happen

[Dex]

yes tony parker is the spurs best trade aspect but I don't think spurs should trade him....where are the spurs going to find a point guard like tony parker....unless the spurs trade parker for chris paul im all for it but I doubt thats going to happen

The problem with trading Parker is that it would likely open one can of worms to close another.

What the Spurs need are size and athleticism. If you trade Parker to obtain that, you aren't ALSO going to get a point guard in return who is nearly comparable. What you are left with is a shored-up front line and a hole at the point that Hill is not ready to fill.

This is why Hill may be the more likely trade target. His role is more expendable to the team, and easier to fill by finding another league journeyman, than trying to fill the starting point guard shoes of Parker.

[ALVAREZ6]

Put Parker instead of Westbrook and OKC beats the Mavs!

TP should ask for a trade, he deserves better fans...

I don't agree.

[Spurs da champs]

Some posters are trying hard to propose even tiest Parker trades proposal than Bucher's one. Props to them, is wasn't easy to do.

You're just in denial that Tony ing sucks, he's our best asset to get some young/ promising talent. Stop trying to prevent the inevitable we're no longer a contender.
FACT!