Buck Harvey: No Scola, no loss? What will be missed
Web Posted: 08/04/2005 12:00 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....17b01465.html
The Spurs weren't to blame. And when things went wrong with Plan A, they reacted well finding Plan B.
No Luis Scola?
The Spurs merely switched to another Argentinean, and Fabricio Oberto could turn out to be a better fit this season than even Scola would have been. Oberto's size also allows the Spurs another option; if they give away Rasho Nesterovic this summer, as reports suggest they are trying to do, Oberto can help at center.
Still, the Spurs lost something when Scola couldn't get out of his contract with a Spanish team. The Spurs needed another scorer, a young bull to come off the bench and change games, a talent who would do more than fill a role.
Scola, not Oberto, was it.
There are no guarantees Scola would have starred. Some scouts wonder if his size would translate to the NBA low block, and even Spurs execs saw some potential issues.
Scola is accustomed to scoring, for example. If he had arrived and found himself with few minutes and fewer shots, would he have reacted well? Oberto, described as a great teammate, won't be a problem.
But even NBA top-10 draft picks come with the same questions, and that is Scola's status. Still in his mid-20s, he was considered the best forward in Europe last season.
A way to measure: Orlando in June drafted another forward from the Spanish league, Fran Vazquez, with the 11th pick.
The Magic's move also measures something else. Global networking — or the lack of it. The Magic didn't do their homework on Vazquez, because he says he's not coming. "I was afraid to adapt to the American way of life," he told a Spanish newspaper, "and of not giving the level they have asked."
Orlando will retain his rights, just as the Spurs retain Scola's. But the Magic invested a lot in Vazquez without connecting with him.
The Spurs know the field better than that, which is why they keep stocking their roster with international talent. In doing so, the Spurs have created a culture that welcomes the world, and Manu Ginobili will take that a step further with Oberto.
Whereas Vazquez feared "the American way of life," Oberto knows he has his best friend waiting to walk him through it. That's why Oberto will help more than a rookie should next season.
Oberto's basketball IQ and passing ability will ease the transition, too. He's a non-shooting version of Robert Horry, a smart man who knows how to win. At times next season, when Oberto is setting hard picks and catching the ball with soft hands, he will be better than Nazr Mohammed.
Then there's the Nesterovic factor. A source outside the Southwest Division confirmed Wednesday that the Spurs offered Nesterovic to Dallas for Tariq Abdul-Wahad, and the Mavericks turned it down.
Why would the Spurs want Abdul-Wahad, an injury-plagued swingman who has played only 14 games over the past three seasons? To dump a large portion of Nesterovic's contract.
With Oberto aboard, the move would be less painful. But if this is about Peter Holt saving money, then the move could be costly in other ways. Nesterovic plays Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming well, and both Miami and Houston could line up against the Spurs in the playoffs next spring.
Scola wouldn't have helped at center, and he isn't known as a ferocious rebounder. Besides, Oberto started for the Argentina national team, not Scola.
But starting status is often a nod to seniority, and Argentina also had great depth. When Scola did enter Olympic games last summer, he averaged over 17 points.
That would have been his role for the Spurs, too, and Ginobili had a similar part in 2003. After being stolen in the second round and groomed in Europe — just as Scola was — Ginobili provided power off the bench.
The Spurs have struggled to find the same since, the reason Ginobili twice has returned to the bench. The Spurs can still solve this by signing someone else this summer, and reports indicate they are interested in both Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel. Dallas might release Finley this month, and Portland cut Van Exel on Wednesday.
But Scola would have been younger, still developing, with long-term potential.
He was Plan A for a reason.
BS with a capital B.A source outside the Southwest Division confirmed Wednesday that the Spurs offered Nesterovic to Dallas for Tariq Abdul-Wahad, and the Mavericks turned it down.
No way the Spurs offer a great defensive center to an inner division rival.
Finally something to show the board what kind of value can be had for Rasho.Why would the Spurs want Abdul-Wahad, an injury-plagued swingman who has played only 14 games over the past three seasons? To dump a large portion of Nesterovic's contract.
Because you can believe everything you read in the paper right??
New York wanted Nesterovic for Mohammed, does that make his value low/?
Jees how gullible can you be.
What is it?i don't know the fire is not there with rasho I think the spurs just feel he doesn't have IT.
And what sense does that make?
People on this board constantly overrate Nesterovic's value. Instead they should be looking for a salary dump. It ain't gonna be easy.
The X-Factor.
Rasho is a slow footed 7-footer who can't pass worth a damn but plays ok defense for his size.
If he were a FA, he'd get a ton of looks, but with his contract being the crapfest it is, no team is gonna wanna pay him that much to suck.
TPark,
You're the one always asking for links when someone says something you don't agree with, even when the situation doesn't apply. There is your link.
Before injuries brought Abdul-Wahad down, he showed flashes of promise (18pt 17rb game vs Jersey, career highs of 31pts, 17rb, 6stls). Maybe he's finally healthy and the Spurs want to plug him into a swingman slot. Unlikely but a possibility. His contract probably expires this year and maybe they want to see what he's got left. Other than that, it doesn't look good for Rasho and the Spurs if this is true. If the Spurs are going to continue to try to trade Rasho, leaking this type of news doesn't do a lot for his market value. They should/should have waited for some of the dust to settle on the FA market and tried to swing a deal then. If the rest of the league thinks the Spurs will just give him away, they'll try to lowball the Spurs into taking a bad deal (in terms of returning value).
Buck Harvey is Pop's .
Dallas already has a slow center making an asswad of money -- Rasho doesn't make sense for them.
I don't see the spurs playing the Heat in the Finals, I still think Detroit will be there.
Funny how TIMVP and Kori have posted the total opposite of what Harvey wrote.If the rest of the league thinks the Spurs will just give him away,
Ill trust Kori and TIMVP way before Hack Harvey.
There's probably a thread about this already but I can't find it anywhere.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s....17b01465.html
Then there's the Nesterovic factor. A source outside the Southwest Division confirmed Wednesday that the Spurs offered Nesterovic to Dallas for Tariq Abdul-Wahad, and the Mavericks turned it down.
Ouch.
Seriously though?
WTF?
From what I can see TAW still has 2 years on his deal anyway? Is that correct?
But seriously Dallas ed up if thats true. I don't care how scared Cuban is of the lux tax we all know its about having as many pieces as possible with him and Rasho is definately an upgrade over cripple TAW.
Damn it doesn't make sense for the Spurs to offer or for the Mavs to turn it down. Glad they did.
TAW's last 2 remaining years is partially guaranteed. If the deal happened, you can buy him out and save millions.
Are you serious? I'm dumbfounded. I think I know who comvinced Dallas to turn it down.
A source outside the southwest division? That's all we know about where this story is coming from? Utterly ridiculous. Somebody from this board probably made this up and sent it to Buck Harvey.
I kept hoping that they would trade him off, but then I realized that Pop sitting him on the bench makes me think he's worse than he is. I don't know why, but he just puts players in the doghouse and it seems like they don't even have a role anymore. Rasho has been a very good player for us and the only way getting rid of him is good is if they are not going to use him. They could spend the money on someone like Tyson Chandler or something, which would be cool.
Wow! They turned down Rasho for TAW? And why were we offering Rasho to one of our fiercest rivals?
Well, if the Spurs truly are that desperate to dump Rasho now, here's some trade scenarios that I could see happening.
1) Rasho for Scot Pollard - Pollard has an expiring contract, and he could do the dirty work the Spurs need inside.
2) Rasho for Lorenzen Wright - the Grizzlies also seem desperate to get rid of Wright. And he also has an expiring contract. Although LW is known more for his offensive skills than defensive skills, he could probably adapt within the Spurs system.
3) Rasho for Lamond Murray and Rafael Araujo - Pop has been after Murray for a long time, plus he is a "Big 3". He too has an expiring contract. Araujo would be just what he is - a project.
I hope the Spurs wait this out until the trade deadline, however any of these trades would be decent in my opinion (as opposed to the TAW trade... gag!)
I guess this pretty much puts an end to any Rasho for LeBron speculation. If this article is accurate and the Spurs intend to sign Nazr maybe Rasho as an amnesty player to lessen luxury taxes in the future isn't so far fetched.
People, get a grip. There is no way that this report is accurate. Think about it for a minute. Sending a guy that was a starter for most of the season to a division rival? For Tariq Abdul-Wahad? And the Mavs said no? And the "source" that "confirmed" this deal is an unnamed person that isn't even linked with either of the teams that were supposedly involved? What would have to be in there to make you believe that this story is made up? W. and Bin Laden meeting for tea to discuss how to make the deal work?
I could see it being accurate. WHo id dumb enough/has enough money to take Rasho?There is no way that this report is accurate.
What makes you think you know more than Buck Harvey?
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!! I am 2-0!
No Atlanta!
No Dallas!
Stay Rasho Stay!
Nesterovic is completely useless- getting rid of him is going to be very difficult.
I remember saying this two summers ago.............
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