Donatas Motiejunas signed with San Antonio Spurs

[ceperez]

Good signing. Skilled big. Undervalued in today's nba. Main knock was questionable lower back. Failed physical in nba trade.

[R. DeMurre]

Definitely see this as a smart no risk/ possible high return move. There was mention that he was signed to a Chinese team for next season already, but no details... but I imagine if this 2nd chance at the NBA proves successful, he'd be able to get out of that commitment...

Who knows? 28 year old Nikola Vucevic is far better than 25 year old Nikola Vucevic... If Motiejunas is even just a bit better than he was three years ago, he can be a helpful bench player.

I spent about 15 minutes scrolling through the CBA website-- was surprised to see Luis Scola playing over there.
https://basketball.asia-basket.com/t...ai-Sharks/1950

[ceperez]

He got a raw deal in Houston, they low balled him, then he and the Rox agreed on a deal but the Nets who had signed him to the original offer sheet complained that it cir vented the rules, that the Rox had to match their deal or they got him.....so the NBA ruled the deal void, and the Nets could no longer sign him....DMo sued the league and the Rox, they allegedly settled, he went to China.

He is a good player who can use either hand, can shoot from 3, and is only 28 years old - he is an NBA rotation level player.....

Nice pickup for you guys.

DD

He was a very promising player with the Rockets, until they traded him due to an injury. But the numbers did show that he had a high impact when on the floor.

This is a surprisingly good signing.

[ceperez]

Big time psyched about this signing. He is a very good big that hasn't gotten the attention he deserved.

I think PATFO integrity won him over to come back to nba that screwed him.



If he plays like his 3rd season in Houston, Spurs make second round of playoffs.

[slick'81]

If spurs get anything out of him this season its a pretty good signing

[Coach X]

Unathletic, white, good basketball IQ, good 3pt shooting, weird name, european... Motiejunas was born to be a Spur

He was pretty good for the Rockets when he was healthy and he's still 28. What's his physical condition now? That's the question.

[TheGreatYacht]

Unathletic, white, good basketball IQ, good 3pt shooting, weird name, european... Motiejunas was born to be a Spur

He was pretty good for the Rockets when he was healthy and he's still 28. What's his physical condition now? That's the question.

Good 3pt shooting? Lol

White and high iq?

Folks really spray Febreeze on RC's stinky s around here. These takes remind me of the Jeff Pendergraph thread...

[RC_Drunkford]

I wanted him on the Spurs 2-3 years ago. He's left handed and contrary to Aldridge prefers the right block. So the spacing between the 2 would work great especially since Montejunas can shoot the 3. Not sure if he can play on the same level like he did before though

[ceperez]

I wanted him on the Spurs 2-3 years ago. He's left handed and contrary to Aldridge prefers the right block. So the spacing between the 2 would work great especially since Montejunas can shoot the 3. Not sure if he can play on the same level like he did before though

Well, he is only 28. So there is some promise here.

He is a very crafty player, he isn't as quick as Poetl but for different matchups, he could be useful.

Eubanks being a two way was ineligible for playoff action.

[sasaint]

A lot of ado about back-up playoff rental.

[DaDakota]

He was a very promising player with the Rockets, until they traded him due to an injury. But the numbers did show that he had a high impact when on the floor.

This is a surprisingly good signing.

We never traded him, he was a RFA, and the Nets signed him to an offer sheet, leading to what I said above.

DD

[gambit1990]

the rockets did trade him but the pistons ended up rescinding the deal because he failed his physical.

[Seventyniner]

Judging by that highlight vid, if you hated Splitter's pump fakes around the basket you'll hate D-Mo's constant unnecessary spin moves.

[$pursDynasty]

I don't know I might prefer Greg Monroe for a third big

[Mr. Body]

Trying him out for a potential later signing. NBD but why not.

[Mr. Body]

I don't know I might prefer Greg Monroe for a third big

The Greg Monroe who could barely get off the bench tonight for a Celtics team that badly needed somebody, anybody, who could stop LMA?

[subfor]

Motiejunas was REALLY good on Rockets before injury, he was top3 impact player on that Rockets team, Houston had their own "Linsanity" out of him that year, Motiejunas was THAT good, for about 5 months at least.
Now, the injury truly messed him up, it wasn't a minor injury, it was a HUGE DEAL. He lost most of his speed/quickness, sharpness, became much more robotic and slow in movements. Lost fluidity, became much more rigid. He needed at least two years of rehab to finally look more like his old self, and still he falls short to his old 2015 self by quite a large margin. I do not believe he can ever go back to his peak basketball but judging by his highlights in China and numbers he put I can see he looks not too bad. He should be a decent bench player, he might actually even surprise us by how good he is. I am not convinced he will be truly good, but he can be, and he is definitely better than current Greg Monroe.
Anyhow, that's a great great pickup for Spurs, if Motiejunas gets back ~75% of his old self this will be a steal in current bigs' market.

[monty4329]

Eubanks could have been on the playoff roster. No idea why folks keep saying stuff like this. He could have just been signed to the big club like Quinn Cook was last year.

Could have been on the roster. Not on the floor.

[Chomag]

Anyone who plays basketball can shoot a 3, but actually being good at it is a different story.

[monty4329]

Do we know when will he join the team? I guess he needs a working visa and other paperwork to be completed first, might be he can play only 5-6 games?

[Slippy]

Having Montie at center on d and outside the 3point line on offense allows the Spurs to use Demar in the post more. Lessoning the liability aspect and helping to space the floor.

Situationally in the playoffs a good option to have.

[exstatic]

Do we know when will he join the team? I guess he needs a working visa and other paperwork to be completed first, might be he can play only 5-6 games?

He should be in game shape, having just finished his season in China. As soon as logistics permit, he'll be in uniform and playing.

[monty4329]

He should be in game shape, having just finished his season in China. As soon as logistics permit, he'll be in uniform and playing.

yes, well, I was asking if anybody have specific news, maybe the organization mentioned a target date for his arrival.

[exstatic]

yes, well, I was asking if anybody have specific news, maybe the organization mentioned a target date for his arrival.

Since when do the Spurs ever do anything like that?

[MaNu4Tres]

Doesn't make any sense. He could have been. You and the others keep saying he could not have been.

No you're just not reading it correctly. I'm speaking on the reality of the situation in that he wasn't signed -- I'm not speaking on hypotheticals. I know he COULD have been signed on the roster, but he wasn't.