Spot Number 9 - Top 50 Spurs

[timvp]

SpursTalk's Top 50 Spurs
1. Tim Duncan
2. David Robinson
3. George Gervin
4. Gregg Popovich
5. Angelo Drossos
6. Manu Ginobili
7. Tony Parker
8. Sean Elliott

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To pass the time until the start of preseason, let's see how SpursTalk.com ranks the Top 50 Spurs. Those eligible for the list include all players, coaches and owners. I don't want to define "top" too narrowly, but I think the best way to do it would be to think of the list as a list of the 50 most influential people who have helped make the Spurs one of the most successful franchises in the history of sport.

For more information on what we are doing, check out this thread.

In this thread, we will vote for spot number nine. Please place your vote. If you will, also explain in this thread why you voted how you did.

Thanks.



P.S.

Poll options listed in alphabetical order. If you want to vote for someone not on the list, post in the thread and I'll add the person.

Voting will end 2AM CST Monday morning. Please vote only once.

[samikeyp]

Captain Late!

[anakha]

After having to choose between Bowen and Elliott in the last poll, this one's a lot easier.

Bowen all the way.

[MannyIsGod]

Silas 9 - Bowen 10

[samikeyp]

Silas 9 - Bowen 10

That is what I think...although I don't think it will end up this way. I imagine most of the voters here aren't familar with Silas as they are with Bowen. Nothing wrong with that though.

[Brutalis]

Silas 9 - Bowen 10

Bowen 9 - Silas 10

[Texas_Ranger]

Bowen 9 - Silas 10

[timvp]

Here is my breakdown from yesterday:

Bowen has three championships and played a vital role in each le. He hasn't made an All-Star team but he has been named to the All-Defensive team in each of his seven seasons with the Spurs (including five consecutive first team selections). Obviously, he hasn't been much offensively but his clutchness in the playoffs (6 out of 7 playoffs he shot better than 40% from beyond the three-point line) shouldn't be forgotten. Overall, next to Kenon, Bowen might go down as the most underrated Spurs player of All-Time.

AJ is the franchise leader in assists. He was basically the player coach of the 1999 championship. He, along with David Robinson, are arguably the two most responsible for making the Spurs a no nonsense franchise in the mid-1990s. AJ was also the unquestioned leader of the Spurs for the better part of a decade. He wasn't a talented player but he played about as well as possible with the tools he was given.

Larry Kenon is probably the best player left and his numbers give him a very good case. He averaged 20 and 10 over five years with the Spurs while making three All-Star games. Problem was he not only left on bad terms, he didn't have much of an impact on the overall franchise outside of his great numbers.

Silas had a great season that was probably better than any season in Spurs history not authored by Gervin, Robinson or Duncan. That season earned him an All-ABA first team award. In the ABA days, Silas was as good or better than Gervin. He single-handedly won an amazing amount of games in his first couple years with the Spurs. The drawback with Silas is he was robbed of much of his prime due to injury.

I'm leaning a little bit toward Silas because of his All-ABA first team selection and the fact that he was a forefather who helped the team remain in existence. Bowen is also worthy. However, Bowen still (hopefully) has some gas in the tank to eventually move up so it wouldn't be a shame if he landed up 10 or 11.

[samikeyp]

I'm leaning a little bit toward Silas because of his All-ABA first team selection and the fact that he was a forefather who helped the team remain in existence. Bowen is also worthy. However, Bowen still (hopefully) has some gas in the tank to eventually move up so it wouldn't be a shame if he landed up 10 or 11.

[remingtonbo2001]

Silas 9 - Bowen 10

[Kona]

Bowen.

[xmas1997]

Si

[Drom John]

Another vote for Silas. And once again, the guy just selected, Elliott, is the guy I'd have for this spot. But then, I'm old enough to remember the Chapperrals.

BTW, I assume Chapperals are eligible for this best of the franchise.

I hope we are like the Twins who admit to being the continuation of the first Senators unlike the Rangers who deny the records of the second Senators.

[manufor3]

James Silas!!!

[exstatic]

BTW, I assume Chapperals are eligible for this best of the franchise.

I would say yes, but it would be Mondo sad if any made it into the top 50. There's a reason they were sold on the cheap: they sucked. The Spurs are second all time in NBA win %. I think we can fill 50 slots without resorting to Chaparrals, or at least those that didn't at some point become Spurs.

[urunobili]

damn i don;t get why Silas is getting more love than Bruce... he should be a top 10 for sure...

[SenorSpur]

damn i don;t get why Silas is getting more love than Bruce... he should be a top 10 for sure...

There should be no question about Silas' status as a top 10 Spurs of all-time. I really believe his talent, contributions and greatness are sorely overlooked in the annals of this franchise's history.

[Trainwreck2100]

Andrew Gaze

[DynastyBuilder]

I'm sorry I don't get why everyone is so over the moon about Bruce...

[polandprzem]

Brucee gets my vote

[exstatic]

damn i don;t get why Silas is getting more love than Bruce... he should be a top 10 for sure...

Since we didn't start at player #zero, that would leave one more spot in the Top 10 after today's vote.

The Spurs NBA franchise didn't begin ten or twelve years ago, it began it's NBA life in the 76-77 season. It's OK if you don't know the history, but it also means that you don't know enough to rate a player from that era against Bowen. I'm HUGE Bowen fan, but I voted for Si in this slot.

[century]

Bruce Bowen. He epitomizes the team. Bland and boring but hard working and professional. Loved by their own community but largely ignored by everyone else. Truly blue collar professional sports franchise.

[lurker23]

I would be tempted to go with Larry Kenon in this spot. His statistics in his Spurs years are very impressive, and he made a nice one-two punch with Gervin back in the day.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...kenonla01.html

However, so far, it looks like each day is going to become a run-off between two guys, and today it's Silas vs. Bowen. Given that choice, I have to go with Captain Late over Bruce. With all due respect to Bowen, of course. His defense and durability over the last few years in particular have been very impressive, and he deserves to be high on this list. However, Silas was incredible in the early days of the franchise, dating back to the Dallas Chaparrals, and he was the first player to have their number retired by the Spurs. to Mr. Silas.

To sum up the beginning of this post, though, Kenon should not drop out of the top 15.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Silas, then Bowen, then Kenon, then AJ.

[Joe Schmoogins]

How many chips did Silas help win? Bowen? Yeah, Bowen deserves it.