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...And Timvp got me so hyped up on Thomas...
Then I find out from Whottt that Thomas has a hearing problem.
I really thought this was going to work out, I really did.
Thanks for letting me down Timvp. I thought I could count on your analysis.
if he was 6-10 - 6-11 or a pure small forward, i'd love having thomas over for mahinmi and splitter.
...And Timvp got me so hyped up on Thomas...
Then I find out from Whottt that Thomas has a hearing problem.
I really thought this was going to work out, I really did.
Thanks for letting me down Timvp. I thought I could count on your analysis.
Spurs tried to snag him two years ago and are apparently inquiring about him this time around, so I think the Spurs FO feels like they can develop this kid and change his at ude. They're obviously hard up for his talent....
Smith for Elson and 1st rd pick would be good. And why shouldn't the Nuggets do it, they got him for a second rounder and expiring contract.
He has a 7'3 wingspan and is great at timing his jump. He also has a nose for the ball off the rim. These are things that can't be tought and are his biggest assets at this point.
Height isn't everything. Take a guy like Elson, for example, who has that height and athleticism but does diddly with it.
If the Spurs brought this kid in to block shots and rebound....he'd do it. That's what he's good at. Whether he develops beyond that is the question...
This is mostly true, other than the fact that you and others seem to think Thomas is a small forward. Thomas is a power forward and plays almost strictly power forward and center for the Bulls. The only "small forward" thing about Thomas is that he and coaches have said that he could eventually play small forward if he could add a jumper ... but that hasn't happened yet.
And it's true about him clashing with Skiles. But if the Spurs were to avoid every player who has clashed with Skiles, their trade options would be few to none. Even Nocioni clashed with Skiles at times. Supposedly the only player Skiles didn't clash with was Ben Gordon.
Plus, Skiles said the same things about Thomas that Byron Scott said about SJax. Coaches like Skiles and Scott are a totally different breed of coach than Pop. Skiles and Scott are dictators, while Pop is much more of a player's coach than he'd ever admit.
IMO the Spurs should be looking for a SG/SF player who can score. With Finley, Barry and Horry all going down hill, and maybe leaving, the Spurs need some shooting. It seems to me that with Oberto, Duncan, Splitter, Mahinmi and Bonner the Spurs have their bigs for next year.
if that's the case, great! everything else will be a bonus after that.
According to Bucher, the Spurs have also inquired about JR Smith. He's a young, athletic G/F and as I said before.....he seems to have a much better shot to end up here than Thomas.
To be honest, I'd be happy if either rumor came true.
Yeah, I knew about last time but not that they are looking at him again. Surprising given his awful flame-out in the first round last year. No doubt he can shoot, and he has hops, but does he have the brain and the discipline to be a Spur? Maybe they want him ala Jax in 2002 - sit him for a year and teach him the ropes. Still, none of it helps the team this year...
i have a feeling the FO won't be doing it this year or this coming off season. next season, i think, they'll try to go big with ian and splitter (or whoever it is the FO are able to trade for them) and then hope for the best. the big move will be made in the summer of 2010.
What I like about the possibility of Smith coming over is that there would be seemingly no expectations for him to perform, but that he has the talent to do so.
If he comes over and rides the pine for the rest of the year, the Spurs get a chance to look at him for one more year beyond this one and determine if he's a part of the future.
If he comes over and plays well enough to earn a spot in the rotation, I don't think he'll be on the court to muck it up during crunch time. I have Tony, Manu, and Bruce pegged for all three of those backcourt positions.
Bottom Line: I really don't see a downside to bringing Smith onboard. You can't deny he has real talent and could be a major weapon...even this year.
He's built like a SF...not a PF. He also has the athleticism usually reserved for the SF.
What you mean is that he's a SF without a J...he's not big enough to play PF in the NBA in the modern era....other than a small ball PF as mentioned.Thomas is a power forward and plays almost strictly power forward and center for the Bulls. The only "small forward" thing about Thomas is that he and coaches have said that he could eventually play small forward if he could add a jumper ... but that hasn't happened yet.
Yeah...I think he's a SF, and that's what a lot scouts projected him at as well.
And I know he plays PF this season...I have him on two fantasy teams(as you know)....a lot of the reason he plays PF is due to the Bulls PF situation as well.
And it's true about him clashing with Skiles. But if the Spurs were to avoid every player who has clashed with Skiles, their trade options would be few to none. Even Nocioni clashed with Skiles at times. Supposedly the only player Skiles didn't clash with was Ben Gordon.
Plus, Skiles said the same things about Thomas that Byron Scott said about SJax. Coaches like Skiles and Scott are a totally different breed of coach than Pop. Skiles and Scott are dictators, while Pop is much more of a player's coach than he'd ever admit.
I'm not defending Skiles...and I know there's a difference, but this was a case of Skiles being completely clear...
He made a point of emphasizing it in an interview...and said, "if Tyrus wants to know what he can do to get on the court, it's run back on D".
It's not like the Bulls struggle to have a defensive mentality, that's something they do well and did well under Skiles...you know, veterans that hang their hat on D, like that Ben Wallace guy.
I like Thomas, as you no doubt know...he's unquestionably talented, I just see him as a guy who winds up in Pop's doghouse quite a bit.
Maybe playing for the Spurs, whith their commitment to defense and with Duncan will be enough to adjust his at ude...but he was playing for the Bulls and their commitment to defense, and with Ben Wallace...didn't do any good.
Nice.
That's assuming Smith even has a brain . . .
Seriously though, Smith has superstar talent. He's a great athlete. He has a picture perfect stroke. He can even run point a little bit.
He's just a dumb@ass. I don't think there is a bigger waste of talent in the NBA right now. That said, if Pop could coax some of that talent out of him, he's still young and his ceiling remains extremely high.
His initial role on the Spurs would strictly be as a standstill jumpshooter ... which is something he can do very well. He just doesn't get many chances in Denver because that team sucks at passing.
I wouldn't break the bank to get him but it seems like the Nuggets are all but giving him away at this point.
I can see that, and I'm not opposed to the idea, except giving up a first rounder for him. I think it's time we picked and developed a few players from scratch.
It took Udoka, who is a reasonably smart ball player, 3 months to get into the scheme of things here, that's why I think JR would be no help until next year at the earliest, especially given Pop's preference for vets.
Parker/?
Ginobili/JR
Bowen/Udoka
Duncan/Thomas/Bonner
Oberto/Splitter/
I'd be down with that, although I doubt it'll happen.
Regarding Smith, the Spurs almost have to make a deal before the deadline later this month to refresh their swingman rotation as the free agent swingman crop this summer, particularly in the Spurs' price range, is thin to none.
As for Thomas, for the right price, sure.
Um...anyone not named Duncan, Manu or Parker would be the right price for this kid....based on talent. That doesn't mean Pop's going to play him though.
Everyone clashes with Skiles. If the Spurs could get Thomas on the cheap, he's definitely an upgrade. I think he'd be a PF in San Antonio for sure. The Spurs wish they had an athletic power forward with a huge wingspan. I don't care if he's 6'8.
He measured out at 6-foot-8.5 and with a wingspan of 7-foot-3. That's a pretty big player to say he's "built like a SF".
And it's simply not true that a lot of scouts projected him to be a small forward. Everything pre-draft has Thomas as a power forward.
http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/tyrusthomas.asp
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tyrus-Thomas-511/
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...ayerId%3d18951
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=915788
I don't really know where this small forward confusion comes from. I know in one interview around draft time he said that he could see himself playing a Shawn Marion type small forward position one day, but everyone had him pegged as a power forward.
He plays power forward for the Bulls and he'd play power forward for the Spurs. He's half an inch from being 6-foot-9, but his wingspan and athleticism more than make up for that half an inch.
And yes, there's some risk that Thomas wouldn't work in San Antonio and that he'd end up in Pop's doghouse full-time. But that's also the reason why he might be available. If he were a can't-miss prospect who was already living up to his potential, the Spurs wouldn't have a shot at trading for him.
Elson + Mahinmi + 1st rd pick works in trade checker....
Still not sure Chicago would bite.
And the height doesn't bother me as much as the weight...220lbs max right?
Power forwards in the NBA are going to all be 6'8, 230 soon.
He weighed 217 prior to the draft. I'm not sure how much he weighs currently. I'm guessing 225-230.
This is a little known truth concerning the Spurs right now. It makes a lot more sense and it'd be a lot easier to trade for a future swingman before the trade deadline than to wait until the summer to try to sign one. This summer, there aren't that many good swingman prospects and the ones that are available will likely be overpaid.
The Spurs might have to make a lateral move (or even a slightly negative move) at the trade deadline to add youth to the swingman rotation, or else they could be screwed for the next couple seasons. They'll have the MLE available this summer but trading an expiring contract for a young shooting guard or small forward is a lot easier than signing one on the free agent market. And after this trade deadline, the Spurs might not have another tradeable expiring contract until the winter of 2010.
He's 6'8 and weighs 215....that's a pretty light player to be saying he's built like a PF....since this isn't 1965 anymore.
He's a built like a SF, in fact his height and weight are pretty much the prototypical measurements for a SF.
And it's simply not true that a lot of scouts projected him to be a small forward. Everything pre-draft has Thomas as a power forward.
http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/tyrusthomas.asp
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tyrus-Thomas-511/
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...ayerId%3d18951
http://scouthoops.scout.com/a.z?s=75&p=8&c=1&nid=915788
I don't really know where this small forward confusion comes from.
Because he's built like a SF...not a PF. In fact they tried him at SF quite a bit last season...
He weighs 215...position one day, but everyone had him pegged as a power forward.
He plays power forward for the Bulls and he'd play power forward for the Spurs. He's half an inch from being 6-foot-9, but his wingspan and athleticism more than make up for that half an inch.
I don't think you can say for certain he's a PF...if he develops a J he's automatically going to get time at SF.
I could see him pulliing minutes at SF beccause we can use certain PF to spread the defense.
You act like there's a hard and fast line...and there really isn't anymore, when I say the Bulls have 45 SF, I am including several guys that don't play SF but have a similar height/weight.
Whatever flips your switch...if it happens we'll see what happens. It's not like Pop has mastered the art of breaking through to younger players...he's done it a couple of times, he's also not done it a couple of times.And yes, there's some risk that Thomas wouldn't work in San Antonio and that he'd end up in Pop's doghouse full-time. But that's also the reason why he might be available. If he were a can't-miss prospect who was already living up to his potential, the Spurs wouldn't have a shot at trading for him.
But the reason people are saying this guy is a PF, is for one reason and one reason only, because he doesn't have any range on his shot.....how many 20 years olds do?
Physically, athletically, he is almost the prototypical SF.
Power forwards in the NBA are going to all be 6'8, 230 soon.
Sure...if you like losing to the Spurs in the playoffs and getting sodomized by Tim Duncan.
What I'm saying is that over time the centers will all be of the Tim Duncan mold, and power forwards will be smaller and more athletic.
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