What is James Anderson's future with this team?

[TJastal]

lol JA fan boys keepin' the faith till the bitter end. Dude stunk and was a piece of garbage and a wasted pick that Pop could have used for size on the frontlline. FO didn't even think he was worth keeping around for practically nothing which should tell you pathetic fanboys just how much he sucks. Good riddance. At least now he'll have more time to practice his half court horse shots.

[elemento]

Seriously

Are you guys sure that the Spurs did not pick his option ? It's shocking to see our FO letting go a player that easily, even if he has not been playing well.
For a team that gave a 39m contract to Richard Jefferson and now is paying the tax because of it, to let go JA just to save 1m/2m in saving is so damn cheap.
Unless we're missing a big medical concern, this move doesn't make any sense in my mind.

[Maddog]

No boxscore line today?

18 minutes
5 rebounds
3 points
4 fouls
That's definitely worth ~2 million/year the Spurs would have to be paying him.

[TJastal]

Seriously

Are you guys sure that the Spurs did not pick his option ? It's shocking to see our FO letting go a player that easily, even if he has not been playing well.
For a team that gave a 39m contract to Richard Jefferson and now is paying the tax because of it, to let go JA just to save 1m/2m in saving is so damn cheap.
Unless we're missing a big medical concern, this move doesn't make any sense in my mind.

It's very simple really. James Anderson sucks.

[objective]

No, it isn't.

A typical JA salary dump trade would be: JA + cash for a top55 protected second round pick.

The cash would be enough to cover JA's remaining salary (around $500K if the trade is done at the trade deadline) and to give the other team a little incentive to do the trade (add something like $200K). Even with that cash added, Spurs would save around $1M because they won't pay the luxury tax on JA's contract.

If you remember well, Spurs have still done that kind of trade with Udrih. The Butler trade isn't comparable since there were no cash in it.

you are correct, I had forgotten the Udrih trade.

[elemento]

It's very simple really. James Anderson sucks.

Well,

Jefferson sucks as well but he still got his 39m contract. We can say the same thing about Bonner

[TJastal]

Well,

Jefferson sucks as well but he still got his 39m contract. We can say the same thing about Bonner

As of now, I'd have to say Bonner is worth keeping whereas Blair isn't. He and Splitter are a good tandem in the 2nd unit.

Jefferson otoh.....I wish the spurs could trade him straight up for Tyrus Thomas. TT had 9 blocks the other night against the wizards. That is the kind of mobility and rim protection that the starting lineup has been lacking from their starting 4 for years. The caveat being Splitter can essentially keep his role as the 3rd big off the bench (getting 28-30) along with Bonner (15-20) as the 4th big.

Then I would promote Gary Neal into the starting lineup, and slide Khawi to Jefferson's old spot. This team would finally have a great blend of BOTH offense and defense IMO. Plus a good variety of athletic players (KL & TT)and cerebral players (TD & TS).

[MaNu4Tres]

As of now, I'd have to say Bonner is worth keeping whereas Blair isn't. He and Splitter are a good tandem in the 2nd unit.

Jefferson otoh.....I wish the spurs could trade him straight up for Tyrus Thomas. TT had 9 blocks the other night against the wizards. That is the kind of mobility and rim protection that the starting lineup has been lacking from their starting 4 for years. The caveat being Splitter can essentially keep his role as the 3rd big off the bench (getting 28-30) along with Bonner (15-20) as the 4th big..

Blocked shots is perhaps the most overrated statistic in the game.The more your 3s, 4s and 5s try to block shots on help defense, the worse your defense is. Not opinion, but fact based on tons of data.

In the long run, tons of offensive rebounds/second chance points are created because of it. Players need to position themselves more often to limit teams to one shot per possession by trusting their teammates' positioning and boxing out on the weak-side.

[SenorSpur]

I'm not ready to give up on James Anderson yet, he hasn't received enough of a look, (or has he earned it for that matter.)

And the reason you don't give up on JA is simple - you don't yet know what he is.

Sure Green and Neal have passed JA up in the rotation for now. However, it should be obvious to even the most casual observer that RJ will be off this roster next year. All of which is why you don't give up on JA just yet - at least not for another year. Why compromise your depth at the wing spots by entering next season with 2 open spots on the perimeter, instead of one? That makes no sense.

Now, if JA fails to impress at the start of next season, then he could easily be used for trade fodder by the Feb '13 trade deadline.

For now, the Spurs can ill-afford to start developing a pattern of allowing young, developing players to walk before they know what they are. I trust the Spurs have not learned a valuable lesson from their short-sighted decision in allowing the young, French big to walk away and become a crucial part of the rotation in Dallas.

[SenorSpur]

Blocked shots is perhaps the most overrated statistic in the game.The more your 3s, 4s and 5s try to block shots on help defense, the worse your defense is. Not opinion, but fact based on tons of data.

In the long run, tons of offensive rebounds/second chance points are created because of it. Players need to position themselves more often to limit teams to one shot per possession by trusting their teammates' positioning and boxing out on the weak-side.

I agree with this premise for any player(s) that routinely roam for weakside block opportunities. However if a player develops the knack for blocking and regularly contesting the shots of the opponent that he's guarding, then that player is likely considered to be a committed defender and thereby helping to achieve the goal of one-shot per possession.

[MaNu4Tres]

However if a player develops the knack for blocking and regularly contesting the shots of the opponent that he's guarding, then that player is likely considered to be a committed defender and thereby helping to achieve the goal of one-shot per possession.

What I was alluding to and what you're alluding to here is apples and oranges. And yes I agree with this. I was strictly talking about the actions of weak-side help.

[SenorSpur]

What I was alluding to and what you're alluding to here is apples and oranges. And yes I agree with this. I was strictly talking about the actions of weak-side help.

Understand. And I agreed with our statement about the actions of weak-side help.

Despite the inflated blocks, I would agree with TJastal, in that Tyrus Thomas is still light years ahead of both Bonner and Blair, as a defender. I wanted them to trade for him, and John Salmons, a couple of years agom when both were made available at the trade deadline.

[Leetonidas]

As of now, I'd have to say Bonner is worth keeping whereas Blair isn't. He and Splitter are a good tandem in the 2nd unit.

Jefferson otoh.....I wish the spurs could trade him straight up for Tyrus Thomas. TT had 9 blocks the other night against the wizards. That is the kind of mobility and rim protection that the starting lineup has been lacking from their starting 4 for years. The caveat being Splitter can essentially keep his role as the 3rd big off the bench (getting 28-30) along with Bonner (15-20) as the 4th big.

Then I would promote Gary Neal into the starting lineup, and slide Khawi to Jefferson's old spot. This team would finally have a great blend of BOTH offense and defense IMO. Plus a good variety of athletic players (KL & TT)and cerebral players (TD & TS).

Gary Neal in the starting lineup is a HORRIBLE idea. His defense is atrocious, and he would get smoked by every starting SG in the league. He plays great against 2nd units and it should stay this way

[MaNu4Tres]

Understand. And I agreed with our statement about the actions of weak-side help.

Another aspect people tend to overlook is how effective it is for a defense to take a charge from the weak-side (in the long-run). Reason being, it stops the play and doesn't leave an opportunity for an offensive rebound or another shot for the possession.

Despite the inflated blocks, I would agree with TJastal, in that Tyrus Thomas is still light years ahead of both Bonner and Blair, as a defender. I wanted them to trade for him, and John Salmons, a couple of years agom when both were made available at the trade deadline.

A lot of people did.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...&postcount=762

[TJastal]

Gary Neal in the starting lineup is a HORRIBLE idea. His defense is atrocious, and he would get smoked by every starting SG in the league. He plays great against 2nd units and it should stay this way

Last couple timvp game threads mention his defense slowly improving. I'd give him the shot first over Green. With no RJ, the spurs need a guy who can give some spacing. If he fails, there's always the Danny Green option. And the guys would just need to hold the fort till Ginobili is healthy and back.

[SenorSpur]

Another aspect people tend to overlook is how effective it is for a defense to take a charge from the weak-side (in the long-run). Reason being, it stops the play and doesn't leave an opportunity for an offensive rebound or another shot for the possession.





A lot of people did.

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...&postcount=762

I knew you would remember, but I didn't expect you to go this far.

[TJastal]

Blocked shots is perhaps the most overrated statistic in the game.The more your 3s, 4s and 5s try to block shots on help defense, the worse your defense is. Not opinion, but fact based on tons of data.

In the long run, tons of offensive rebounds/second chance points are created because of it. Players need to position themselves more often to limit teams to one shot per possession by trusting their teammates' positioning and boxing out on the weak-side.

Don't underestimate what a good block can do esp at a critical juncture of a game. It can take away a sure layup, ignite a fast break, and probably just as important it can instantly change the momentum of a game, fire up the crowd and energize a team defensively. I've seen Thomas literally change the momentum of many games when he was with the bulls and bobcats using only his defense and shot blocking.

I do agree that positioning and boxing out is just as important, however. I don't know how fundamentally sound Thomas is in this regard. Would hate to lose RJ's amnesty $$$ only to find out he lacks too many fundamentals to be effective. All in all, Thomas is risky I'll admit. I'm just worried the spurs will strike out in FA and having all that capspace will not yield a significant return, whereas Tyrus Thomas I think has some of the skills that would improve some of the defensive problems. Don't forget he is also very mobile and would match up nicely with all those perimeter bigs that like to hang out on the 3pt line.

[MaNu4Tres]

Don't underestimate what a good block can do esp at a critical juncture of a game. It can take away a sure layup, ignite a fast break, and probably just as important it can instantly change the momentum of a game, fire up the crowd and energize a team defensively. I've seen Thomas literally change the momentum of many games when he was with the bulls and bobcats using only his defense and shot blocking.

.

Short-term success. Yes you are right. I'm not dispelling your notion on the possibility of attaining Thomas. What I stated has nothing to do with him, it has to do with the overrated value of shot-blocking. In the long-run (not short term), shot blocking attempts cause major leaks for the efficiency of a defense (not opinion; fact based on tons of data).

[MaNu4Tres]

I'm just worried the spurs will strike out in FA and having all that capspace will not yield a significant return, whereas Tyrus Thomas I think has some of the skills that would improve some of the defensive problems. Don't forget he is also very mobile and would match up nicely with all those perimeter bigs that like to hang out on the 3pt line.

You should be worried. With Duncan in father time, and with a poor free agent class (outside of the Williams, Howard, CP3), expect the Spurs to only be candidates for mid-tier level free agents. Spurs more than likely will have to over-pay for mid-tier value (IE: another R.J or Rasho scenario), because of these reasons: 1) SA is no longer a le contender in the view of F.A's. 2) They no longer have a superstar that attracts F.A's. 3) San Antonio is well.. San Antonio; A small market.

Spurs will be better off trading for a reasonable unwanted salary with a year left remaining on the contract, as long as a 1st round pick is attached to the deal (such a deal IE: Player A with 1 year 4 million remaining +1st rounder to Spurs for a 2nd rounder). Given the Spurs situation, and the realistic side of things; that may be the best way to stockpile draft picks and rebuild. I hope Spurs don't use that cap-space to lock in another Rasho type situation for another 4 years.

[angelbelow]

And the reason you don't give up on JA is simple - you don't yet know what he is.

Sure Green and Neal have passed JA up in the rotation for now. However, it should be obvious to even the most casual observer that RJ will be off this roster next year. All of which is why you don't give up on JA just yet - at least not for another year. Why compromise your depth at the wing spots by entering next season with 2 open spots on the perimeter, instead of one? That makes no sense.

Now, if JA fails to impress at the start of next season, then he could easily be used for trade fodder by the Feb '13 trade deadline.

For now, the Spurs can ill-afford to start developing a pattern of allowing young, developing players to walk before they know what they are. I trust the Spurs have not learned a valuable lesson from their short-sighted decision in allowing the young, French big to walk away and become a crucial part of the rotation in Dallas.

Obviously I don't like the move either. But other than him being cheap enough to be worth the risk, there's not a lot of other objective reasons to hold on to him. With that said, he probably was worth the risk, just saying that him, along with his entire draft class, is pretty weak so far.

Best case now is that we continue to bench him to the point where he continues to have no value and resigns with us for a similar (or slightly lesser) deal for another year with another team option. Obviously this would be a long-shot for him to consider assuming he has any sort of pride or ego.

And unfortunately, that pattern you're talking about, may already be in motion.