I am not on board your dump LMA train yet. But as you noted elsewhere, the guy has been coasting - for at least five games. At the start of the season I was pleasantly surprised with his defense and offensive rebounding, and I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on fitting into our offense. But lately, I am beginning to have serious doubts.
So, let me ask you about your longer range "vision" for the Spurs. Assuming that the Bulls would take LMA in exchange for Gasol and Noah, that would give us a logjam this season at the 4/5, with Duncan, Boris, DWest, Boban and Gasol and Noah. But we would have only Boris and (conceivably) Duncan in the fold for next season. How would you see the Spurs' roster of bigs in 2016 and beyond? In other posts you have pointed out the abundance of free agent talent on the market next summer, but you have focused on guys like Durant (which is fruitless), Batum, Ariza, et al. But we will need bigs more than these guys. What is R C ceperez's master plan? I must say, as trade-averse as the Spurs are, I cannot imagine them making this trade - or any other this season.
So, do you have some inside scoop the rest of us lack? Having a "trade in the works" at this juncture would be even more divergent from the Spurs' MO than signing LMA in the first place. If this comes true, what advice can you offer me on the stock market?
It just blows my mind how someone can CONSISTENTLY have incorrect and borderline re ed takes on a thread. I mean my god, just stop posting.
Gasol had his shot last year to join the team. He took the money instead.
Didn't I read that he (and his wife) wanted to live in a city that offered more "culture" than San Antonio?
I can't see a trade for these guys happening at all, but I can see Pop being upset by Aldridge last game. But listen, every one of our other guys has stunk up the joint on occasion and gotten Pop angry enough to get thrown out, so not taking last game too far.
The logjam is just one additional player (i.e. Noah) that is currently injury riddled. Interestingly though, Noah is the same age as Aldridge and is a recent DPOY. So the logjam isn't any different that the current one.
I expect to see Gasol in a Spurs uniform for 2-3 more years. He's got a mini-rejuvenation going on and his numbers are quite decent. I don't see a drop off in performance relative to what LMA is doing now.
I agree attempting for Durant is low probability.
It is of course a risky trade, but if you can get almost the same kind of player and have more flexible cap room, then it makes sense. The real question is whether LMA has any upside left. One third of the season is gone and I can't recall a game where he exceeded expectations.
In addition, I only bring up this trade idea because the Bulls had sent out feelers that they want to get rid of their bigs.
Sorry, I'm just a casual fan like the rest. Just reading the tea leaves. Stock market? Buy MU.So, do you have some inside scoop the rest of us lack? Having a "trade in the works" at this juncture would be even more divergent from the Spurs' MO than signing LMA in the first place. If this comes true, what advice can you offer me on the stock market?
The guy is playing heavy minutes despite Thibodeau being canned. Besides, its the Bulls who are initiating the trade. It's not like he's a free-agent that has a choice.
Yeah, but you don't expect your max player to be consistently stinking for past several games.
Pop knows he sucks and he broadcast it to the entire league. The story of course is that Pop was complaining about Garnet roughing up LMA, but go review the tape. He went ballistic because the pass was so bad! This is the sequel to RJ and it isn't looking very pretty.
If you want to see how LMA should play like, just look for his highlights on Youtube. You will realize that its not anything near the over-weight player the Spurs have now.
As to the first bolded text above, that's my question: how do you plan to use the cap space, and what bigs do you see on our roster moving into the future. You apparently believe we can re-sign Gasol despite the fact that he didn't want to come here two years ago. So that might give us Gasol, Boris and Duncan (?). Who else?
As to the second bolded text above, I agree that LMA has been generally underwhelming. More disturbingly he is not showing any signs of "getting it". I have seen a couple of posters comments questioning his BBIQ, and I am beginning to. That alone sets Gasol apart from LMA. But I don't like a plan to replace a thirty-year old with somebody who is 5 years older. At some point we need an infusion of some youth. Even at thirty, LMA is an infusion of youth on the Spurs!
But my question is not about getting him in a trade. It is about re-signing him.
Boban is 27 years old.As to the first bolded text above, that's my question: how do you plan to use the cap space, and what bigs do you see on our roster moving into the future. You apparently believe we can re-sign Gasol despite the fact that he didn't want to come here two years ago. So that might give us Gasol, Boris and Duncan (?). Who else?
As to the second bolded text above, I agree that LMA has been generally underwhelming. More disturbingly he is not showing any signs of "getting it". I have seen a couple of posters comments questioning his BBIQ, and I am beginning to. That alone sets Gasol apart from LMA. But I don't like a plan to replace a thirty-year old with somebody who is 5 years older. At some point we need an infusion of some youth. Even at thirty, LMA is an infusion of youth on the Spurs!
Honestly, even if LMA is 30, I don't think he's going to deliver the goods. His at ude and basketball IQ are just not a the level one expects.
I think Spurs can have a good enough player in Gasol into 2017. In 2017, Serge Ibaka is available.
Spurs can keep him if the Spurs win it all. Manu and Tim are likely not coming back if Spurs fail this year. It is must win situation this year and we can't have players like LMA coasting.
I do remember him in Portland and Pop is playing him different. He only played in one system that was specifically designed for him in Portland, and maybe that masked deficiencies in his game. He's seemed lower in BBIQ than I remember, but I guess I now see why BBIQ and not athleticism is the main selling point in playing for Pop. He's been a willing passer, but reminds me of Green in making incorrect reads and hesitating. Can't see Pop trading Green either.
I don't see Pop trading Green.
I have no idea as to how LMA is going to turn around his game. I don't know if you noticed in that 2nd game against the Wizards. Pop took LMA out of the game during crunch time. Pop needed the team to execute on plays that they didn't execute in a while. Anyway, you could see in LMA's body language that he was sulking on the bench. Give me a freakin' break!!
What motivates a coach to prefer 'players who have gotten over themselves' over players with a lot more talent? Put yourself in Pop's place. He's asking himself, "why do I have to put up with this kind of player?"
Front court is not an issue of us, tbh.
I obviously cannot speak for ceperez, but it does seem clear that his observations about LMA are not limited to last game. Nor mine. He has been underwhelming since his arrival - ranging from poor to good, but nowhere near max money or all-star level! And if you were to somehow graph his "performance" - not just a stat or stats, but things like hustle plays, smart plays (eye test stuff) his graph would be flat at best, but probably more like a very slight but steady decline IMHO. I was initially pleasantly surprised by his D and O-rebounding, and I expected the rest of his game to come along. I just don't see that it has, and a third of the season is now gone. I am a little alarmed at this point. Although all this trade speculation is just that - fantasy league stuff.
The criticism of Aldridge is falling squarely on the offensive side of the court-- but the Spurs are the best defensive team in the NBA, and by a pretty good margin, and by a significant margin over last year's team... he has to get some credit for this, don't you think? I never expected Aldridge to be a 20 ppg guy with the Spurs, but his improved FG% in December is a good sign of steady acclimation, and if he continues to be a moderately efficient 14-16 ppg guy, leads the team in rebounding, & continues to be part of a great defensive unit, that'll make me happy. I've never been a fan of the 20 ft jumper, ever, but especially now in the 3pt era... that's the one thing I'd want him to eliminate...
Aldridge was never my favorite, but signing him when the Spurs did was a no-brainer due to the NBA's salary cap situation: it's going to rise dramatically due to the new TV deal. Lebron & others will get $30mil/yr: in the summer of 2017, Aldridge's contract will be the equivalent of a minor star's contract, & Danny Green's will be closer to an MLE contract.
Well then, if he's got a minor start contract then he should be treated like a minor star. Trade him if he doesn't deliver.
From the beginning of the season, I have consistently defended the guy based on his unexpected prowess as a defender and offensive rebounder. So I agree with you there. The growing concern is partly that he continues to be a moderately efficient 14-16 PPG guy. I did not want, nor do I now want him necessarily to score more, but I do want him to be more efficient and not gum up the works as he frequently does. But after a third of a season watching him every game, I just haven't seen many real hustle plays or "smart plays" or, frankly, evidence of a very high BBIQ. That is not what I expect out of a max contract guy or former all-star.
(first time I have used that in this forum!)
A lot of ST posters where deriding OKC for signing Enes Kanter for $15m a year. Well, Kanter has a PER of 24+ while LMA has a PER of 18+. OKC is getting much more and paying $5m less a year.
This honestly does feel like Richard Jefferson 2.0.
Lots of posters are treating him like he's a major star and cannot possibly imagine him be traded so quickly.
What a ty take
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