Official 2018 Spurs Media Day and Training Camp Thread

[Pavlov]

I meant, I realize the Spurs weren't getting Anunoby or even Siakam and that the Raptors weren't taking Mills, but there's no reason Gasol couldn't have been in place of Green (Spurs could have also taken Richardson for financial purposes).

I think this was the only attempt to stay compe ive trade they could probably make, so they panicked and conceded on damn near every thing they should have haggled over. It had also been speculated for a while that they wanted to move Green.

Given where they've picked, they've drafted well recently. But If neither Murray or Walker can become a star, this will more than likely be a treadmill team for the foreseeable future.

Treadmill post tbh.

[Realdeal1]

This is season is going to be a blast watching a young / hungry Spurs team motivated to prove all the naysayers wrong ...while Spurs may not be championship contenders, I'm still looking forward to seeing how this team gels and see what a group of Demar , Aldridge , and Murray can do

[TDomination]

RIP to DeRozan's hair

I like hearing Demars response about the mural. This city is ready to embrace him.

I hope pop is ready to do the coaching job of his career, I would love to see this team meet lakers in the playoffs and win. That would make my season just because then at least demar finally beat lebron. And plus it's always fun to beat the lakers.

[bklynspursfan]

- It's funny hearing Pop talk about his concern about the defense, as if it just hit him or they had no choice. Maybe they shouldn't have let the Raptors, who were already going to win the trade by a landslide, have Green (instead of Gasol), but I guess that would have involved thinking; a foreign concept around these parts the past few years.

- On a related note, it's funny to hear Aldridge talk about being built to play big and small, when they're the an hesis of the latter.

- I get that Murray is trying to stay neutral, but it'd be nice if he either didn't comment or backed a (prestigious) organization that handed him a starting spot on a silver platter, when at least 27 other teams (Magic and Suns?) wouldn't have.

I know players height are listed barefoot in Europe, but it's still funny to see Gasol towering over Aldridge, yet being listed only an inch taller.

It probably had more to do with the Raptors not wanting Gasol? They won by a landslide this year simply cause Kawhi > DeRozan. But once Kawhi bolts, then what? We got the safer of the deal for sure getting a young guy like Poeltl and an all star player in DeRozan. They had the leverage

[BackHome]

Getting DeRoz and RP to me was pretty damn good considering that Kawhi and Uncle Fester were saying LA or No Way. We got a top 20 player and the RP who was drafted 8 in the first round pretty happy as I think both are going to beast this year. Only thing I would have liked is signing Hanga or Nikola instead of Forbes. As far as Gasol the Spurs are loyal so they not going to trade him let his contract run out and then bring in Nikola and keep the streak alive.

[Chinook]

This was the biggest trade in Pop's career as an executive. You've gotta give him a chance to show he made the right trade, or at least for the right reasons. If he thinks they can win with these stars, then we just have to hope he can make it happen. If the ownership pushed him into making a base-hit trade rather than swinging for the fences, then there was nothing he could do. However, if he prioritized win-now players over value because he didn't want to coach a rebuilding team, then he should have retired. That's really all there is to it.

Knowing what I know now, I believe that I would rather the Spurs have not made the trade and been a circus for months longer than let Toronto them they way they did. But if DeRozan still has another gear in him, and if Poeltl can be an elite center, then this was a great deal in almost any cir stance. I just don't see it, though. It just feels like PATFO broke under the strain, and Ujuri took advantage. I am not part of the organization, though. I don't know exactly how much of a negative Kawhi was in the locker room. It's possible that even if Leonard were healthy, him being disgruntled would neutralize the talent difference. The Spurs don't have the same ceiling this season, but they'll be a damned sight better than they were last season. Teams like ing Utah and Denver aren't going to finish ahead of them.

[SPURt]

Disclaimer: I’m a homer.

I’m really excited for this team. The thing that made that 2013 and 2014 squad so special is they all bought in. Of all the top 20 players in the league DD has to be the most coachable. Pop is going to have a team that will definitely buy in. This team is going to surprise a lot of people. I think Pop is gonna figure it out with this group.

[ace3g]

[ismael-robert]

We are forgetting that we won't see the full fruit of the Kawhi tree until this summer when we see what the Spurs do with the Toronto pick we're only focusing on two players when we really got three

[KDKSpurs24]

We are forgetting that we won't see the full fruit of the Kawhi tree until this summer when we see what the Spurs do with the Toronto pick we're only focusing on two players when we really got three

Yeah you’re exactly right. We may luck into this amazing new young SF that unlocks massive potential. We all just have to wait and see. The trade isn’t over.

[objective]

Dejounte looks odd here, don't know if he was ready for the photo



Patty not skinny enough, but maybe lost a little



Davis with the anti-shoulders

[playbonner15]

demar finally beat lebron

That would be a nice day

[Dverde]

Patty is nowhere near a great player, but I still like him.

[bklynspursfan]

[rjv]

- It's funny hearing Pop talk about his concern about the defense, as if it just hit him or they had no choice. Maybe they shouldn't have let the Raptors, who were already going to win the trade by a landslide, have Green (instead of Gasol), but I guess that would have involved thinking; a foreign concept around these parts the past few years.

- On a related note, it's funny to hear Aldridge talk about being built to play big and small, when they're the an hesis of the latter.

- I get that Murray is trying to stay neutral, but it'd be nice if he either didn't comment or backed a (prestigious) organization that handed him a starting spot on a silver platter, when at least 27 other teams (Magic and Suns?) wouldn't have.

I know players height are listed barefoot in Europe, but it's still funny to see Gasol towering over Aldridge, yet being listed only an inch taller.

the sad result of these down years is that it has turned once analytical posters into the norm of ST.

[SAGirl]

This was the biggest trade in Pop's career as an executive. You've gotta give him a chance to show he made the right trade, or at least for the right reasons. If he thinks they can win with these stars, then we just have to hope he can make it happen. If the ownership pushed him into making a base-hit trade rather than swinging for the fences, then there was nothing he could do. However, if he prioritized win-now players over value because he didn't want to coach a rebuilding team, then he should have retired. That's really all there is to it.

Knowing what I know now, I believe that I would rather the Spurs have not made the trade and been a circus for months longer than let Toronto them they way they did. But if DeRozan still has another gear in him, and if Poeltl can be an elite center, then this was a great deal in almost any cir stance. I just don't see it, though. It just feels like PATFO broke under the strain, and Ujuri took advantage. I am not part of the organization, though. I don't know exactly how much of a negative Kawhi was in the locker room. It's possible that even if Leonard were healthy, him being disgruntled would neutralize the talent difference. The Spurs don't have the same ceiling this season, but they'll be a damned sight better than they were last season. Teams like ing Utah and Denver aren't going to finish ahead of them.

It was a very difficult season with Pop and players getting harassed when asked about Kiwi and ending in Coach Pop 's wife death.

They were definitely placed in a bad situation which is why despite the real poor trade, I can't really be all judgmental about it without context.

If I was going to get critical about it, I'd have to look up how the misjudged the situation so badly (and failed to read Lamarcus situation all along the season prior).

You'd have to to examine how the whole thing with Kawhi was handled going back to the summer prior and first the dysfunction in the team prompting these trade requests but then how they failed to have a pulse on players. I wonder what they could have gotten for Kawhi 2 summers ago. Were there trades in the pipeline that Pop passed up bc he still hoped to keep a disgruntled Leonard?

Were at some point some Boston assets on the table that Pop didn't consider b4 things took a turn for the worse at which point they no longer were on the table?

If anything I think I have to look at them misjudging the situation. Wasn't Manu4tres (among others with sauces) saying Kiwi had been getting poisoned by the uncle and the group to leave for a very long time. Should they have looked to trade him back when his value was much higher if you had any foresight?

I understand the talent Kiwi is and I am on record stating I preferred they keep him and try to work things out with him pretty much until the very end. I didn't believe he would be traded in fact. I trusted RC Buford when he said he was the priority, but these things seldom happen overnight. If the man was set on leaving that long ago, holding on to him against his wishes for so long served no real purpose unless you pulled a blockbuster deal and this deal wasn't it.

[Dex]

the sad result of these down years is that it has turned once analytical posters into the norm of ST.

Boom, roasted.

[YGWHI]

Can't wait to see him playing. These refreshing and rejuvenating Spurs....Love it.

[bklynspursfan]

[YGWHI]

Very mature. If this guy just finds a shot...the Spurs will play Finals again.

[bklynspursfan]

Can't wait to see him playing. These refreshing and rejuvenating Spurs....Love it.

Yea, I'm really excited to watch him, and the whole team overall. But I'm looking forward to what he brings and how his game changes.

[SpursGenius]

Even with Manu gone where exactly are the minutes for Walker?

I see all six of these guards playing in front of him. And realistically even one of these six won't see many minutes.

Murray
Mills
Forbes
DeRozan
White
Belinelli

Barring injury Walker may not see 41 games if we believe Popovoch to favor his vets.
I'm not complaining it's good to be so deep but Walker's potential can be very high.

Derozan a sf in our system. Lonny better than everyone in your list except Murray and white.

[Dex]

Derozan a sf in our system. Lonny better than everyone in your list except Murray and white.

This is something people seem to be missing.

Is DDR a typical SF? Far from it.

But Pop has been known to play guys like Kawhi or Bertans at 4, Beli or Manu at 3, and Mills or Forbes at 2. He will put Demar at the 3 without batting an eye.

Time will tell how that is going to work out, BUT...it does open up the SG rotation for guys like White or Walker to see some minutes.

[YGWHI]

Yea, I'm really excited to watch him, and the whole team overall. But I'm looking forward to what he brings and how his game changes.

I love how much he shows he's hungry, ready for this new season. I know he'll have the best year of his career.

About his game, he will get easier shots than with his former team. On defense...I was one of those many guys here crying that LMA didn't know how play defense when he joined the Spurs, we were wrong. DeMar will prove it, too.

[Dejounte]

Any more interviews?