It's down to San Antonio and Houston for Piatkowski.

[ChumpDumper]

James Posey.

Why wouldn't the Rockets want him back? Is he a free agent?

He's restricted but the Rockets might not want to match a high offer because they are close to the tax threshold. Though his shooting sucks ass, he's athletic, long, can play both swing spots and I could think of worse things to do with the money.

[Rick Von Braun]

Not necessarily. You would have a good blend of slashers and shooters on the court at the same time.

Starters:

Parker and Manu are your slashers at this time.

Off the bench, you bring in Jackson (slasher) with either Armstrong or Pippen and Piatkowski.

Or the Spurs could go with an all "at the basket" team with:

Parker
Manu
Jackson
Duncan
Rasho.

Or they can come with a strong perimeter team to soften up the middle with players like:

Armstrong or Pippen, Kerr
Piatkowski
Bowen
Horry
Duncan

That is an excellent blend of inside and outside players. This team could adjust to any situation.

Additionally, if the Spurs wanted to be even stronger down low (for rebounding purposes) they could have this lineup:

Parker
Manu
Malik
Duncan
Rasho

There are so many different scenarios you can go with this team. I like it.

Tex

Another lineup for you tex.

Ultra defensive team:

Manu
Bowen
Malik
Duncan
Rasho/Willis

If Pippen would have come to SA, it would have been even better:

Manu
Bowen
Pippen
Duncan
Rasho

Manu/Bowen/Pippen == one of the best perimeter defenses in the NBA. Ahh.. dreams.

[adidas11]

SpursFan,

Admiral is correct (again). You and some of the others can't honestly sit here and tell me that Spurs management, putting the HOLTING PATTERN into effect two years ago, did so with the thought that they really didn't want to land a superstar this summer. Even Kori disagrees with this. The truth, in my opinion, is that the Spurs went into the HOLTING PATTERN because of the huge potential list of FA's this summer. At that time, that list included Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Tim Thomas, along with Jason Kidd, Alonzo Mourning, J O'neal, Karl Malone, etc. The Spurs simply wanted to be in the running for these players, and positioned themselves cap-wise to do so. Do you really think the Spurs would have gone into this HOLTING PATTERN if such a potential list never would/could hav existed? I doubt it.

And then to say afterwards, after all of the big time FA's have turned the Spurs down, that the Spurs really only went into the HOLTING PATTERN to re-sign Tim Duncan and to have cap flexibility to re-sign their own players, meanwhile totally ignoring the other potential superstars that are out there, is ludicrous.

The problem happened the summer before, when a lot of the potential FA's signed extensions, thereby locking themselves in with their current clubs. Vince re-upped. Paul re-upped. Dirk re-upped. The initially HUGE potential FA list started dwindling rapidly. The Spurs were then left with Jason Kidd, J O'neal, and a small handful of others as the big time impact FA's left. Thereby making the HOLTING PATTERN a lot riskier than it started off to be.

At least that's how I see it.

[ShoogarBear]

Here's what the Spurs need to do if they want to pick up big name free agents next year. They need to ditch the Holting Pattern and use the brilliantly conceived Mitch Fix:

1. Timmy needs to gain about 75 lbs and whine about the refs and his teammates all year.

2. Manu needs to cry when they get eliminated from the playoffs and get arrested next summer.

KG and Ray Allen will then sign with us for $6 mil a year combined.

[Cassius Clay]

Admiral is correct (again). You and some of the others can't honestly sit here and tell me that Spurs management, putting the HOLTING PATTERN into effect two years ago, did so with the thought that they really didn't want to land a superstar this summer.

At least understand the discussion before you jump into it and start deciding who is correct. Of course the Spurs wanted to pursue stars this summer when DRob retired. But it's not like DRob didn't retire. They would still have the flexibility to address his retirement. Like it or not, that's the way it is. The Spurs did not think that they were guaranteed to land a star this summer despite GW Jr's assertsions. I would listen to Kori on this, for her opinion is a tad bit more informed than either GW or GW Jr.

[gunawanspurs]

Spurs' fans must be on edge. People are too quick to snap over jokes and sarcasm these days.

TRUE that !

Because of Kidd's fool job, our blood pressure has risen quite high lately ! :eyebrow

[KoriEllis]

Even Kori disagrees with this. The truth, in my opinion, is that the Spurs went into the HOLTING PATTERN because of the huge potential list of FA's this summer

Of course that's the reason the Spurs went into the Holting Pattern. This offseason was packed with top tier free agents and the Spurs wanted a shot at acquiring one or two of them.

But did the Spurs think that it was a "guarantee" or a "lock" to get one of them? No way. The Spurs' management (and any other mgmt) knows that it's extremely difficult to get a free agent away from his current team. But they thought it was worth the risk of going into the Holting Pattern and taking a shot at it.

And NO, I don't think that Rasho was the only top tier free agent that the Spurs were coveting all along. I think that the Spurs were trying to sign Kidd AND Rasho.

But am I going to deem the Holting Pattern and offseason free agency period a failure?? no.

First of all the Spurs haven't filled all their spots, so I don't know what roster they are going to put on the floor when the season begins. So I can't say the Spurs are worse off than last season.

Secondly, I have yet to see Rasho fail or flourish in the Spurs' offense.

So I am not quick to deem the Holting Pattern a bust.

And somewhere along the way, the Spurs won a ing Championship. And that's one of a consolation prize that I'll take any day.

[SouthernDan]

I'd love to hear that on the radio!!

[Ghost Writer]

Kori, you think the glass is half full. I see it as one of those trick dribbling cups from the local gift shoppe.

[SAmikeyp]

And somewhere along the way, the Spurs won a ing Championship. And that's one of a consolation prize that I'll take any day.

that is why Kori is in charge.


Believe.

[Admiral]

Kori, you think the glass is half full. I see it as one of those trick dribbling cups from the local gift shoppe. -Ghost Writer

The glass is definitely half full, but only because we already had a great foundation going into the summer. This offseason was about bringing in one or two max free agent superstars, not "flexibility."

While the Spurs knew there were no guarantees, they certainly would not have planned for this summer if they had known how much the free agent pool would dwindle.

It is amazing that some of the homers are actually buying the "flexibility" line from the Spurs' front office. That is rationalization for a disappointing summer, pure and simple.

[Ghost Writer]

You said it, Admiral.

What is all this wonderful "flexibility" getting us?

The Spurs are a basketball team, not a Popd@mn gymnastics squad!

[Cassius Clay]

So the Spurs never had to replace DRob. Funny how a couple of weeks ago you told us that was what they should do. Now we see that it did take the Spurs having cap room to find a replacement.

The Spurs never assumed that they would land a star free agent. Apparently you did. Do us a favor and stop the Ghost Writer imitation. Damn.

[Ghost Writer]

Yeah, they just cleared out cap space for two seasons to throw the bank at Nesterovic and Horry, that's all.

[Cassius Clay]

So you don't think the Spurs wanted to find a replacement for DRob? The other day you said that's what they needed to do.

Of course you think a source for player salaries is "Jazzhoops.com". What a ing moron.

[Ghost Writer]

Oooh... I'm hurt.

My idea was to replace Robinson, while you shot for the stars.

That was until the Lakers got two 20-point scoring Hall of Famers.

Excuse me if I have a problem paying Robert Horry more than Payton or Malone as our second-best free agent acquisition of the summer.

[Cassius Clay]

The Spurs made a substantial offer to Malone you twit. He didn't want to come. Call him up and complain. Stop wasting our time.

[Ghost Writer]

Should we be happy that star free agents all turn us down every summer, regardless of our cap situation?





Question.

[CosmicCowboyXXX]

Should we be happy that star free agents all turn us down every summer, regardless of our cap situation?

nope

but I am still happy I live in San Antonio...

[travis2]

Should we be happy that star free agents all turn us down every summer, regardless of our cap situation?

As long as the advertising world runs out of New York and Los Angeles, that will never change.

Should we spin ourselves into the ceiling ing and moaning about things we can't control?

Move on

[Cassius Clay]

I don't believe she understands that concept, travis.

[Ghost Writer]

No.

Let's just follow Cassius's lead and spin the reality enough times that we can feel good about following the team no stars want to play for.

[Cassius Clay]

You're right.

It sucks that the Spurs won a championship a month ago.

It sucks that Tim Duncan just signed a 7 year contract with the Spurs.

It sucks that the Spurs have a plethora of young talent.

It sucks that the Spurs found a servicable replacement for DRob.

It sucks that the Spurs have $12 mil to work with to shape their team.

Yes this is horrible and anyone who thinks this is great is an idiot.

No doubt.

[CosmicCowboyXXX]

Ghost, we signed a free agent this summer that won the League MVP award in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003...and is just now entering his prime...so your doom and gloom about following a team that "no stars want to play for" is a little whacked. You might want to check your meds...

[travis2]

I don't need to spin reality. I've been quite happy to root for this team since 1973...no matter who was on the team.

If all you want is a team that stars seem to want to play for, go be a Laker bandwagoner.

You see, I don't base my life on a game played by others.