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Pop was strong in declaring that Barry and Udrih are not on the block at press conferences last week.I didn't hear anything about that in the press conference? Did I miss it?
Summertime: Why Finley Fits
By Emmett Shaw
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Sep 6, 2005, 21:21
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_14100.shtml
One thing can lead to another. Or one thing can hint at another. That was my story last week in this space when Nick Van Exel's sudden Monday signing with San Antonio foreshadowed San Antonio's Wednesday get of amnesty gem Michael Finley. A top HOOPSWORLD editor rang me Monday evening with breaking news of NVE coming aboard. My instant take was "why?" My second thought was "to send a quick, con uous message to Chicago", where Finley was still making up his mind. Within 30 seconds I was thinking, 1,000 rumors be damned, Finley could come too.
There are several reasons Michael Finley helps the Spurs:
Reason #5) Finley strengthens the wing. Bruce Bowen isn't getting any younger, though you need to look at a program to know the league's top fitness nut is 34 years old. Bowen logged 32 minutes per game last year, and played each at full tilt except for the moments when his job is to occupy the corner in some of the Spurs' sets.
Reason #4) It's hard to find a young player who can take some workload off Bowen at the championship level. Devin Brown can try it, but his back is a question mark and at 6-5 he is two inches shorter than Bruce. Melvin Sanders has the energy (and how!) but his shooting is erratic, and the CBA man is only 6-5. Sac's Maurice Evans was a more compelling choice than Sanders, but he too is still a work in progress, and he's also 6-5. Even Mickael Pietrus, Sasha Pavlovic, and Luke Jackson, even if they were available in trade, (while being very exciting hopefuls) are inexperienced kids at this time. Michael Finley knows how to play the game. Like Bowen, at 6-7 he plays with physical strength defensively, something Manu Ginobili and Brent Barry cannot really do.
Reason #3) Because it's hard to find the right available pro right now in the NBA to both assist Bruce in his duties and still hold his own in a deep playoffs situation, simply sign a le-hungry vet like Finley who is a couple of years younger than Bruce is. In the next two years, Bruce's minutes will reduce, while iron-man Finley can play almost all night if his career is any indication (career 39 minutes per game). Meanwhile next summer, let's see if Ndudi Ebi or Jarvis Hayes hit the open market. Either youngster would be nice to place in the Spurs' development pipeline, which also contains mystery overseas corner-man Viktor Sanikidze, a 2nd Round pick from 2004.
Reason #2) Now the Spurs' Finley won't be on the Miami Heat or Phoenix Suns, adding depth to those teams and making himself a dangerous, floor-spacing threat in hairy end-game post-season situations against the Spurs.
Reason #1) Finley keeps the Spurs in the le mix if an injury strikes Manu Ginobili. Before the Finley signing, Manu getting hurt would have meant curtains to the Spurs going all the way again. In 12 NBA regular season games against Houston, Manu has gotten hurt and missed subsequent games twice by running into the redwood trees that are Yao Ming's legs. In a series with the Rockets -- and my rough, early forecast currently has the Spurs and Houston squaring off in an epic series in the second round -- the percentages holding would mean Manu will not be able to play every game in that series. Manu crashes into one of Yao's pins? Enter Fin -- and the Spurs retain the favorite's role.
Gregg Popovich trumped all these reasons at the recent press conference introducing Michael to the local media. Call it character, call it psychic power. "He's someone who fits what we're looking for: That is people who are highly professional and self-motivated." Pop said he wants "players I don't have to give a Knute Rockne speech to." In so many ways, Michael Finley is the perfect fit in San Antonio.
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Despite press reports to the contrary, the Spurs officially are keeping their options open to match Devin Brown's offer sheet with the Jazz. The deadline for the Spurs' using their right of first refusal is less than 48-hours away at this writing. Initially, San Antonio said it would make known its intentions yesterday, but local televison in San Antonio reports that Brown and his agent haven't yet heard anything.
Again this week, let's put two and two together. The logical conclusion is that the Spurs are still willing to listen to league-wide offers to open a roster spot for Devin and dump some salary at the same time. Likely the Spurs would like to move Rasho Nesterovic, with Brent Barry and Beno Udrih also possibilities if the return is right, and the return could simply be a draft pick. Pop was strong in declaring that Barry and Udrih are not on the block at press conferences last week.
Appearances mean a lot. Some teams don't like to trade with top front offices because they fear they'll be taken advantage of. Teams imagine they see shadows and quiver away. Now could be a change of frame. Teams could now say, "The Spurs are capped out and don't want to pay tax. Let's take advantage of them." Maybe some team will find a little courage.
The Celtics have decent trade-exception space and a young player the Spurs liked in the 2003 Draft, Kendrick Perkins. And Boston's roster is more than full. Dan au is said to be going to Boston from New Orleans via sign-and-trade. Maybe San Antonio could wedge sideways in that transaction. It could help the Spurs financially, but basketball-wise you get the feeling Pop really wouldn't mind coaching everyone he has under contract right now
Pop was strong in declaring that Barry and Udrih are not on the block at press conferences last week.
If Pop said that, then they're gone.
When Pop denies trade rumors, that's when you know the Spurs are doing some heavy shopping.
Damn, MB beat me to the punch.
It's probably a tough go for the champs to find someone in the league to help them.
Holt Cat needs to ante up. It's not like they just didn't spend the last few years milking the lux tax program and the arena deal dry. Now they groan about barely being over the threshold. Suck it up and pay a little already.
Damn, they had a starting point guard at barely more than a mil a season, if that, for 4 seasons. They had Manu at $1.5 mil a season for two. Their 2nd and 3rd best players cost a combined $2.5 mil for two straight seasons and their lone max player was Tim Duncan. Now they just had Michael Finley and NVE sign for nothing.
Cry me a ing river about the lux tax, especially when you have a 29 year old Tim Duncan on your team. You have a ing legend, one of the immortals. Don't be a cheapskate now.
Those are some very good observations by Emmett. I missed the Pop statements regarding Beno and Brent, also. I don't remember hearing anything close to that even once...much less in "press conferences" (plural).
Why pay when you don't have to? They can try to get some young, cheap talent that can match the production of the guys they get rid of.
You answered your own question. It makes no sense to make a bad basketball decision over a relatively small contract.
I've never heard Pop talk about Brent or Beno in a press conference before. So I have no idea...
well said
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btw, i didn't realize Michael Finley played defense with strength
Good article
The relatively small contract would cost about 5 million. 6'5" swingmen are a dime a dozen and out there every year--but most don't have a medical history of a bad back.
Forget the luxury tax and Holt for a moment. All things considered,(talent, health, role on a loaded bench, etc) would you sign Devin for 5 million dollars?
Do you know Devin personally? If this is a friendship issue, then I understand and respect your loyalty and I have no further reason to question your reasoning on this.
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