A little bit about me: I'm a frequent viewer of this site and I usually get all my basketball info & discussions from this forum. I rarely post and the instructor is currently teaching my class about "Ethics in the IT field" (pretty dumb tbh), so I got some free time to share my thoughts:
Boris Diaw: Terrific resigning for the Spurs. I thought that he had a terrific playoffs overall. He was money when it mattered most (that huge 3 against Dallas, his Game 6 against OKC, and his overall play after being inserted into the lineup against the Heat). In a sense he's the "Robert Horry" of the team, where that while he might coast during the regular season, when it matters most (i.e. playoffs) he'll make the right play. Bringing him back was crucial, and when he is on the floor the ball movement is that much prettier. Glad he's going to remain a Spur and he will be key ingredient for the future.
Patty Mills: What an absolutely terrific season for Mr. Mills. That bet that he made with Boris Diaw in the beginning of the year completely helped his game (if you didn't know, Diaw bet Patty he couldn't get below 7% body fat prior to the season starting), and was key in him having a great season. He came up huge during the Finals and from a basketball fan perspective, he seems to truly love the game. I remember when he was the towel boy at the tail end of the bench, nobody waived their towel harder or celebrated more for their teammates than Patty. This is why I feel that when he fully recovers from his shoulder surgery, yes he might take 8-10 games to fully get into rythym, but his fire and passion will bring him back to form.
Manu Ginobili's injury: As it is with good ol' Manu, he gets injured...again. It sucks seeing him getting injured, especially at his age. I will say though it's fortunate that his injury happened during the offseason. I know alot of people are upset with his decision of wanting to play for Argentina when the smart/right thing to for the Spurs and himself is to nurse/rehab his injury and rest. On the flipside though the one thing we should realize is that Manu bleeds for Argentina. We will never know what it is like to represent a nation, so we can't be so quick to pass judgment on an individual whose profession he loves and getting to represent his people doing it. All we can do is cross our fingers, hope he recovers fully, and hope nothing serious happens to him. If that's the case, look for Manu to be in full basketball shape to start the season and have a big impact for the team early on.
Kyle Anderson: I can't help but laugh at this, because once again the Spurs land a player at with the 30th pick that nobody expected to fall that far in the draft. I don't know how they do it to be honest lol. You would think that with the impact that Boris Diaw showed for the Spurs in the playoffs that teams would've jumped the gun for Anderson especially in the mid-round (considering the NBA is a copycat league). He has got everything we could want in a backup SF for our system: a player that can pass and create for other teammates, and can run the point @ times when needed. He fits the system perfectly, and with his skillset i wouldn't be suprised if Pop takes a liking to this kid and has Diaw become a mentor to him. I fully expect his shooting to improve under Chip, and with him competing with Kawhi for the SF spot I expect his defense to improve over time. Great, great find for the Spurs.
Ettore Messina: I'm super suprised their is not more hype to this signing (although I really should be used to the words "below the radar" and "Spurs" in the same sentence). The fact that the Spurs already execute a European style of play makes this signing big. Pop knows the whole world was watching and trying to dissect the spurs offensive scheme. EVERYBODY and I mean EVERYBODY is going to be gunning to stick it to the Spurs this year, and what better way to mix up the ol' bag of tricks than by hiring a legendary Euroleague coach in Messina. It's brilliant really when you think about it. The fact that Pop says that they all have a lot to learn from Messina just goes to show how huge he's gonna be for Pop and Co.
Anyways these are some of my thoughts for this offseason. Hopefully we all can survive the next 100 days of Lebron talk. Here's hoping to the Race for SeisGO SPURS GO!!!!!!
Last edited by jdiggy0424; 07-25-2014 at 03:35 PM.
B is my overall grade. Bringing everyone back was important, but we need to replace either Baynes, bonner, ayers, or daye with someone who fits our system better and can actually contribute. Like you said, teams are going to come hard at us and we need more options in our offense. They'll get an A if they sign Marion for this.
Agreed. Im suprised they haven't inked Marion already. He's already expressed interest in joining the Spurs.
Maybe Buford knows something that we don't, or maybe he's a follower of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Nice thoughts
Thanks
Good write up dude
I'd give this off-season an A-
OP, that was an intelligent, well written and thought out post. Post more often.
Off season grade for me is an A. If they sign Marion and keep Baynes it goes up to an A+.
This offseason should get an A if for no other reason than we brought back a top 3 head coach in NBA history in Popovich. That's the biggest signing by any team this offseason with the possible exception of LeBron.
I still think the Spurs need to get someone else. This is probably the last year for Manu and Duncan and with Mills not playing the second unit is gonna have problems.
CoJo? Well...he better be ready...otherwise...I dont like it.
Hope Im wrong...
Kyle Anderson strikes me as the kind of player that would play a lot better when surrounded by a better team. Let's face it, in summer league it was ok - but the regular season will be a different animal. Playing with guys that have higher IQ, run structure to perfection and are always in the right spot at the right time will help Kyle's game. It's a lot of read and react, backdoor cuts, on ball screens etc where smart players excel - this should be the case with Kyle.
A little bit about me: I'm a frequent viewer of this site and I usually get all my basketball info & discussions from this forum. I rarely post and the instructor is currently teaching my class about "Ethics in the IT field" (pretty dumb tbh), so I got some free time to share my thoughts:
Boris Diaw: Terrific resigning for the Spurs. I thought that he had a terrific playoffs overall. He was money when it mattered most (that huge 3 against Dallas, his Game 6 against OKC, and his overall play after being inserted into the lineup against the Heat). In a sense he's the "Robert Horry" of the team, where that while he might coast during the regular season, when it matters most (i.e. playoffs) he'll make the right play. Bringing him back was crucial, and when he is on the floor the ball movement is that much prettier. Glad he's going to remain a Spur and he will be key ingredient for the future.
Patty Mills: What an absolutely terrific season for Mr. Mills. That bet that he made with Boris Diaw in the beginning of the year completely helped his game (if you didn't know, Diaw bet Patty he couldn't get below 7% body fat prior to the season starting), and was key in him having a great season. He came up huge during the Finals and from a basketball fan perspective, he seems to truly love the game. I remember when he was the towel boy at the tail end of the bench, nobody waived their towel harder or celebrated more for their teammates than Patty. This is why I feel that when he fully recovers from his shoulder surgery, yes he might take 8-10 games to fully get into rythym, but his fire and passion will bring him back to form.
Manu Ginobili's injury: As it is with good ol' Manu, he gets injured...again. It sucks seeing him getting injured, especially at his age. I will say though it's fortunate that his injury happened during the offseason. I know alot of people are upset with his decision of wanting to play for Argentina when the smart/right thing to for the Spurs and himself is to nurse/rehab his injury and rest. On the flipside though the one thing we should realize is that Manu bleeds for Argentina. We will never know what it is like to represent a nation, so we can't be so quick to pass judgment on an individual whose profession he loves and getting to represent his people doing it. All we can do is cross our fingers, hope he recovers fully, and hope nothing serious happens to him. If that's the case, look for Manu to be in full basketball shape to start the season and have a big impact for the team early on.
Kyle Anderson: I can't help but laugh at this, because once again the Spurs land a player at with the 30th pick that nobody expected to fall that far in the draft. I don't know how they do it to be honest lol. You would think that with the impact that Boris Diaw showed for the Spurs in the playoffs that teams would've jumped the gun for Anderson especially in the mid-round (considering the NBA is a copycat league). He has got everything we could want in a backup SF for our system: a player that can pass and create for other teammates, and can run the point @ times when needed. He fits the system perfectly, and with his skillset i wouldn't be suprised if Pop takes a liking to this kid and has Diaw become a mentor to him. I fully expect his shooting to improve under Chip, and with him competing with Kawhi for the SF spot I expect his defense to improve over time. Great, great find for the Spurs.
Ettore Messina: I'm super suprised their is not more hype to this signing (although I really should be used to the words "below the radar" and "Spurs" in the same sentence). The fact that the Spurs already execute a European style of play makes this signing big. Pop knows the whole world was watching and trying to dissect the spurs offensive scheme. EVERYBODY and I mean EVERYBODY is going to be gunning to stick it to the Spurs this year, and what better way to mix up the ol' bag of tricks than by hiring a legendary Euroleague coach in Messina. It's brilliant really when you think about it. The fact that Pop says that they all have a lot to learn from Messina just goes to show how huge he's gonna be for Pop and Co.
Anyways these are some of my thoughts for this offseason. Hopefully we all can survive the next 100 days of Lebron talk. Here's hoping to the Race for Seis
Matt Bonner: It's hard to believe that Bonner just finished his 8th year with the Spurs. After another season of shooting 40% from beyond the arc in the regular season, Matty was a key cog in one of the more bold coaching moves of the offseason when he started over Splitter alongside Duncan in the final 2 games of the OKC series. While most people will point to his declining 3pt% come Playoff time (33% in 13/14 Playoffs), the space that he created for the Spurs offence against OKC was undeniable. In 8 seasons with a team - you build up a lot of corporate knowledge and you have aligned yourself with the coaches philosophies - two things that take lot of time and cannot be understated. Is all of this worth a roster spot at the league minimum salary? Absolutely.
A pretty great off-season but because of Patty being a bit of a question mark I just dont see giving it a solid A. We know how capable he is and hope he can return to the play that he was before the surgery, but him being out that long and after surgery of his kind it can be havoc on a shooter like Patty. In grand scheme of things i think he will be just fine but I cant say that with full certainty.
Wonderful post. Thank you.A little bit about me: I'm a frequent viewer of this site and I usually get all my basketball info & discussions from this forum. I rarely post and the instructor is currently teaching my class about "Ethics in the IT field" (pretty dumb tbh), so I got some free time to share my thoughts:
Boris Diaw: Terrific resigning for the Spurs. I thought that he had a terrific playoffs overall. He was money when it mattered most (that huge 3 against Dallas, his Game 6 against OKC, and his overall play after being inserted into the lineup against the Heat). In a sense he's the "Robert Horry" of the team, where that while he might coast during the regular season, when it matters most (i.e. playoffs) he'll make the right play. Bringing him back was crucial, and when he is on the floor the ball movement is that much prettier. Glad he's going to remain a Spur and he will be key ingredient for the future.
Patty Mills: What an absolutely terrific season for Mr. Mills. That bet that he made with Boris Diaw in the beginning of the year completely helped his game (if you didn't know, Diaw bet Patty he couldn't get below 7% body fat prior to the season starting), and was key in him having a great season. He came up huge during the Finals and from a basketball fan perspective, he seems to truly love the game. I remember when he was the towel boy at the tail end of the bench, nobody waived their towel harder or celebrated more for their teammates than Patty. This is why I feel that when he fully recovers from his shoulder surgery, yes he might take 8-10 games to fully get into rythym, but his fire and passion will bring him back to form.
Manu Ginobili's injury: As it is with good ol' Manu, he gets injured...again. It sucks seeing him getting injured, especially at his age. I will say though it's fortunate that his injury happened during the offseason. I know alot of people are upset with his decision of wanting to play for Argentina when the smart/right thing to for the Spurs and himself is to nurse/rehab his injury and rest. On the flipside though the one thing we should realize is that Manu bleeds for Argentina. We will never know what it is like to represent a nation, so we can't be so quick to pass judgment on an individual whose profession he loves and getting to represent his people doing it. All we can do is cross our fingers, hope he recovers fully, and hope nothing serious happens to him. If that's the case, look for Manu to be in full basketball shape to start the season and have a big impact for the team early on.
Kyle Anderson: I can't help but laugh at this, because once again the Spurs land a player at with the 30th pick that nobody expected to fall that far in the draft. I don't know how they do it to be honest lol. You would think that with the impact that Boris Diaw showed for the Spurs in the playoffs that teams would've jumped the gun for Anderson especially in the mid-round (considering the NBA is a copycat league). He has got everything we could want in a backup SF for our system: a player that can pass and create for other teammates, and can run the point @ times when needed. He fits the system perfectly, and with his skillset i wouldn't be suprised if Pop takes a liking to this kid and has Diaw become a mentor to him. I fully expect his shooting to improve under Chip, and with him competing with Kawhi for the SF spot I expect his defense to improve over time. Great, great find for the Spurs.
Ettore Messina: I'm super suprised their is not more hype to this signing (although I really should be used to the words "below the radar" and "Spurs" in the same sentence). The fact that the Spurs already execute a European style of play makes this signing big. Pop knows the whole world was watching and trying to dissect the spurs offensive scheme. EVERYBODY and I mean EVERYBODY is going to be gunning to stick it to the Spurs this year, and what better way to mix up the ol' bag of tricks than by hiring a legendary Euroleague coach in Messina. It's brilliant really when you think about it. The fact that Pop says that they all have a lot to learn from Messina just goes to show how huge he's gonna be for Pop and Co.
Anyways these are some of my thoughts for this offseason. Hopefully we all can survive the next 100 days of Lebron talk. Here's hoping to the Race for Seis
Last edited by Plum Island; 07-25-2014 at 06:35 PM. Reason: I wanted to add a thank, thank you.
value contribution, imo. you make some great points, im not the biggest bonner fan or the biggest bonner hater, but these are undeniable truths about his play, and now that he isn't making 3-4 mil and isn't a 2nd or 3rd option in spurs bigs rotation, he's an even better deal.
offseason was a C: no improvements, no losses. maybe a C+ because they kept Boris and Patty at very good prices
an A for me. Would be an A+ if the Spurs added some big-man depth so Duncan can get some rest this season.. but I'm not complaining.
Could've been so much worse. Imagine if RC replaced Diaw and Mills with VC, Odom, and Delonte West.
If Daye is on the team, he will be poaching Tim's minutes.
Ethics is very important young man! Pay attention.
Great read
Nice post, OP.
I give the offseason an A-: did well to retain Diaw and Mills (and Bonner) at very fair prices, drafting Anderson was a coup given that he really shouldn't have dropped past the early 20s. If Baynes decides to move on that leaves quite a hole so the grade would drop to a B.
And I think the team made a mistake keeping Ayers and Daye. The NBA is becoming more and more and athletes' league, and although our system does not necessarily rely on athleticism, I think it's time we started to develop some athletes to improve roster flexibility and keep up with super-athletic teams like OKC. If the team had moved on from Ayers and Daye they could have signed a cheap athlete for development (like Aminu) and had more flexibility to sign cover for Mills.
Still, I'm nitpicking really, and more than happy to run back at the league with this team.
Not adding someone and keeping Beli part of the rotation could comeback to hunt us...
But Beli is tough, he Italian, he got larry tattoo! We need Beli to repeat! ... y meatball
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