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trying to clear cap space to make a run at Jason Kidd,
+$1,000 salary debate of Tony Parker at the start of the season
..almost, Pops!"What we have done really well is," Popovich said, "we haven't screwed it up."
Buck Harvey: Spurs put screws to smallest moves
Web Posted: 06/03/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...2d75f4fa2.html
Tim Duncan likes to kid about it still, and he did last month. Stretching at practice, he asked one of the Spurs' execs if he'd seen the Dallas game the night before.
Translation: See Josh Howard, who also went to Wake Forest, starring for the Mavericks now, who we passed over in the draft?
And then Duncan went back to stretching, an innocent look on his face.
But Duncan knows what has happened, and why his franchise put together a sequence of moves, and how these seemingly small moves were in place Wednesday night in Phoenix.
Translation: Duncan got the help he needs.
Coach Gregg Popovich addressed that when asked how the Spurs have achieved three NBA Finals in this run. Then Popovich flatly gave all credit to Duncan and David Robinson, and he added emphasis.
"What we have done really well is," Popovich said, "we haven't screwed it up."
They perhaps came close in the summer of 2003. Then the Spurs, trying to clear cap space to make a run at Jason Kidd, drafted a Brazilian point guard named Leandro Barbosa and traded him to the Suns for a protected future first-round choice.
It was a pre-arranged deal. Phoenix told the Spurs which player they wanted, and the Spurs shrugged. They had little interest in Barbosa.
Going after Kidd was the gamble with a lot of screw-up potential. Had he agreed to come to San Antonio, after all, would Manu Ginobili have been forced to sign elsewhere last summer?
Besides, by not using the draft pick then, the Spurs also passed on a player who both Popovich and Duncan liked.
Howard.
Kidd opted to stay in New Jersey. Barbosa showed some potential. Howard showed far more in Dallas. And a year ago the Spurs used their own first-round slot on another point guard, Beno Udrih.
At this point Duncan could still kid, but with some bite.
But then came something else last February. Then the Spurs began to talk about a trade with the Knicks, and Isiah Thomas wanted draft picks.
This gets complicated, but here's the gist: Because of league rules, the Spurs couldn't trade their own first-round picks in consecutive years, and they wanted to keep this June's choice because the draft is deep.
In short, the pick obtained in the Barbosa trade made it happen. The Spurs gave the Knicks that choice, another of their own and Malik Rose.
In return they got Nazr Mohammed, as well as the kind of payroll flexibility that can absorb the salaries of Ginobili, Duncan and Tony Parker. The Suns envy that position today, since they wonder how they can pay Joe Johnson this summer.
Before anointing the Suns as the next rising power, consider: Shawn Marion has a maximum contract, Steve Nash is close and Amare Stoudemire will get one. How can they add to their already thin roster?
It's also become clear Mohammed is worth much more than financial flexibility. He's started every game this postseason, and sometimes he's been a bull. No matter if Detroit or Miami is next, Mohammed and Rasho Nesterovic will give the Spurs the depth and size they haven't had before.
Just not screwing things up?
Another answer came Wednesday, when the small moves became bigger. Then the backup, international point guards of the Western Conference finalists were on display.
Barbosa didn't play a minute for the fourth time in the five-game series. Meanwhile, four Suns played more than 40 minutes again, and one of them was Nash.
He sagged in the second half, and an explanation is obvious. Fresher Spurs hounded him. Udrih subbed for Parker and played 10 solid minutes, and it also didn't hurt that Udrih went 3 for 3 with a couple of 3-pointers.
For a rookie on a tense playoff night: Isn't this the stuff Parker and Ginobili had shown before?
But Udrih is just part of the equation. The Spurs targeted him, not Barbosa, just as the Spurs dealt for Mohammed, just as they found a way to cleanse their payroll.
Translation: As Duncan heads toward another Finals with the possibility of even more in years to come, he has reason to joke.
trying to clear cap space to make a run at Jason Kidd,
+$1,000 salary debate of Tony Parker at the start of the season
..almost, Pops!"What we have done really well is," Popovich said, "we haven't screwed it up."
, we coulda had Josh Howard at the three. *sigh*
Parker, Udirh
Manu, Barry
Bowen, Howard
Duncan, Horry
Nazr, Rasho
le Town.
Howard is a great athlete and has the talent to be an even better defender than Bowen.
You're right about the timing though - it sucks he's stuck on a team that can't appreciate his game.
I can't wait until the draft threads this year; I can't wait to discuss. It looks to be an intriguing mix, since so many people entered early for fear of age limits in the future. This would be a prime year for second round picks, by the way, though unfortunately SA doesn't have any.this years draft is deep? i dont know much about it, but who are the spurs targeting or hoping to get this year????
There are a number of decent prospects that are dropping until the end of the round, including some young but multi-talented internationals. Still, the Spurs roster is fairly stacked and there's only room for one player, or two, at the most, other than Scola.
Also concur that getting Josh Howard would have been major. I'm trying not to imagine what having him on the team would look like.
^^
Speaking of telented, young internationals, Luka would be a great fit here.
hmm. If I read this correctly, Ifwe had drafted Howard, we wouldn't have got Phx's first round pick; which is part of the package we sent to NY for Nazr.
So if we did have Howard, maybe the Nazr trade doesn't happen.
Isiah really wanted to make that trade. I'm sure we could have come up with some way to make him happy.
Reading comprehension:
Without the Barbosa trade, the Spurs wouldn't have a tradeable draft pick this year. Isiah "really wanted to make that trade" because he wanted draft picks. If all the Spurs could offer were picks in '06 and '08, that would be much less attractive.But then came something else last February. Then the Spurs began to talk about a trade with the Knicks, and Isiah Thomas wanted draft picks.
Let's not give Pop too much credit here. Mark Cuban helped the Spurs immensely. If he had paid Steve Nash, Nash would not have gone to Phoenix, Phoenix would not have enjoyed their huge turnaround, the draft pick would still have been protected, and it would not have been near as valuable as a trade asset, so the Spurs would not have been able to get Nazr.
So, let's give a hearty round of applause to Mark Cuban for helping BOTH of the conference finalists.
Good ol Buck, writes like English is his second language and he doesn't have clue about idiomatic usage.
"put the screws" to something/somebody is negative connotation. Could be a euphemism for "screw something/somebody"
===================================
"How can they add to their already thin roster?"
well, let's see. Their owner is very weathy and the Suns spend even less on salary than the Spurs:
24. San Antonio Spurs $47,149,172
25. Los Angeles Clippers $45,170,768
26. Denver Nuggets $45,621,812
27. Phoenix Suns $44,256,720
28. Utah Jazz $43,160,808
29. Atlanta Hawks $40,684,848
30. Charlotte Bobcats $23,380,124
... so won't Mr. Chicken-Flapper find enough play money to buy his team some more toys?
Be that as it may, everytime I watch a Mavs games - I cringe. Knowing that we had a chance and should have drafter Josh Howard. Knowing that Pop and Tim probably lobbied for the brass drafting him and seeing what a fine "swing" player he's turning into.
He certainly fits the tough, hard-nosed style that has become a staple of Spurs basketball. There's no doubt he would have solidified a spot on our team for many years to come. It's painful to watch him blossom on another team.
So before the team goes out on draft night to pick a player they must ask duncan?? duncan has so much power!!!
i say we do the mavs a favour, they want a legit center? we give them rasho they give us josh howard
Last edited by TDMVPDPOY; 06-03-2005 at 10:01 AM.
Maybe not. He's got to re-sign Johnson (probably Manu-type money) and use an exception to keep Hunter. I just read Voskuhl can opt out of his deal, so that could leave the Suns with another three slots to fill after the draft and not alot of dough available. Could be the draft pick is all they need though....... so won't Mr. Chicken-Flapper find enough play money to buy his team some more toys?
The draft isn't deep with star power but it is deep because of the pool of good, solid US AND International talent. I don't think NBAdraft.net and some of the other mock draft experts are able to accurately assess, project and include all of the good players out there.
Ginobilli would have been gone. Remember Don Harris used to say Kidd > Ginobilli.Going after Kidd was the gamble with a lot of screw-up potential. Had he agreed to come to San Antonio, after all, would Manu Ginobili have been forced to sign elsewhere last summer
I think the fans had a lot to do with Kidd not coming, so see we do make a difference.
Two of their best players are on rookie contracts. I'm guessing Joe Johnson gets a deal starting in the range of Manu's deal last year. Lets put Johnson down for $7 million next season...
Their total payroll is now $48.8 million, and they have to re-sign Hunter. I'm guessing $2-$3 million there, so let's say $2.5 million. Now they're at $51.3 million, just to maintain their core.
Figure in a max extension for Stoudemire (say $12 million starting), and their 2006-07 payroll is:
Marion: $13.384 million
Stoudemire: $12 million
Nash: $10.5 million
Johnson: $7.875 million
Richardson: $6.96 million
Hunter: $2.8125 million
Now, they've spent $53.5315 million already, on 6 guys. They need 6 more, and we haven't even counted the guys they say they're going to add for depth. They have to find a replacement for Jim Jackson. They're talking bigman, which won't come cheap. This is a guaranteed $60+ million payroll in 2 seasons unless they can find some sucker to take Richardson off their hands. Even then, they'll most certainly be over $55 million.
By 2007-08 these six alone make it a $60 million payroll. Sarver is going to have to pay huge money, just like the Maloffs and just like Holt will be doing when in 2006-07 when he has to extend Nazr, and replace Rob. This is $60 million pretty easily, even counting Devin and Robinson walking.
Re: Josh Howard
We can't have every great young player. It wouldn't be fair to the league.
Then you'd start hearing, "Break up the Spurs" like they used to say about the Yankees.We're already the most successful franchise in winning percentage in four major sports.
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