...but what about the 3? Bowen's 35 and after that you have guards who can see some minutes there. I feel reasonably confident the Spurs can improve their bigman rotation but here we are again hoping they can find a backup small forward. Jumaine Jones would be a nice candidate, all things considered. Other than that, there's not much. Sanikidze is available and apparently will be getting some run in the summerleagues. The Spurs need to address the 3 at some point.
That's the question, isn't it?
They'll address it in the draft this year, but no long-term help seems readily available.
I wonder if they'll try to trade into the first round by poaching from a team who doesn't want their extra, like Phoenix. Then they'd go for Sefolosha or shoot for the moon on someone like Nemanja Aleksandrov.
Sanikidze is the great unknown.
He could be anything from the answer to our problems within a year or two to someone who needs a few years to develop to someone who just doesn't have enough to make a difference. I can't imagine that anyone outside the Spurs organization could even have an intelligent guess at this point, because he hasn't been playing.
Aside from the mystery of Sanikidze, I think Jumaine Jones could be a really nice pickup for us this summer.
If the answer is in this year's draft, then it would need to be via a trade for a fairly high pick. The Spurs still haven't signed their late 2nd round picks from the past 3 years...and that's their lone pick this year (59, next to last).
Free agency or trade are going to be the options to meet this need.
Jumaine Jones sounds good. So does JR Smith.
Too bad we traded Malik cause he could be the answer at the 3
I think the Spurs can easily find a defensive-minded 3 in the 2nd round. They don't need a big name...just a hard worker and great defender.
Who knows? NY might be dumb and buyout Malik's contract.
I assume that was meant as a joke.
JR Smith is around 6'5/6'6. He'd be a good backup SG but he's not a long small forward.
Pop said they are looking for an athletic forward around 6'9/6'10. No one has really jumped out at me that's the answer.
Maybe it's Sanikidze.
I almost responded to it but then thought he must be kidding around with Sparky.
Al Harrington has always been a favorite of mine, but I know the price is out of reach unless we do a sign and trade with Atlanta.
Stromile Swift for Brent Barry might work. They didn't seem too happy with his play last year there in H-Town. They need shooters. We need a long three.
malik should start some trouble and force NY to buy out his contract.
From an old (2004) write up of Viktor:
What They Are Saying About Viktor Sanikidze:
Sanikidze has all the tools to be a good NBA small forward. He is a skilled shooter, possesses the ability to spot up or create his own shot, is potentially a solid finisher and rebounder in the paint and has good basketball instincts. He did not receive much playing time for his pro team but has starred at the junior national team level in Europe.
At just 196 pounds, Sanikidze is still growing into his 6-8 frame. Right now, he would get destroyed defensively in the NBA. Whichever team selects Sanikidze would have to stash him in Europe for a few seasons before allowing him to come to the United States. He is just too far away from having the tools to compete in the league right now.
"He's a long-term project. He's fundamentally, technically sound. But all the young Europeans have issues. Growth issues. Experience issues." - Charlotte Bobcats director of international scouting Tim Shea
Swift is a piece of .
I paid extra special close attentio to Stromile Swift this year because he was on my fantasy team. I had this dream that all he needed to fully grow into a PTP was a change of environment, a team with a big man to draw interior defenses away from him and freee up his shot. I thought Houston was a great fit for him, which is why I picked him late in the seventh round. Boy, was I wrong.
Stromile Swift sucks donkey balls. The reason they weren't happy with his play was because he averaged 9 points and 4.4 boards in 20 minutes, a decrease in both categories from the previous season where he played the same role on the Grizzlies team.
Stromile Swift will not rebound, and he will not defend. The only way in which he is better than Nazr is in terms of his mid range jumper, and even that is spotty. Maybe if all of a sudden he miraculously decided to start playing defense after six years in the L when he comes to the Spurs (a la Michael Finley), he might be worth thinking about. But Barry is a vastly better shooter, ball-handler, and believe-it-or-not defender than Stromile Swift. Swift would not fit the Spurs' needs better because he gives them nothing they don't already have; he can't spell Bowen off the bench because he can't defend or shoot the long ball or drive, he can't take Nazr's spot in the rotation because he can't board or defend (and really isn't tall enough), and he can't play 2 because, well, he has no handles.
The Spurs don't need to shake up as much as everyone is saying. They were one stupid foul away from a likely repeat. Simmer down everyone. Barry's still got a good year or two left in him. The Spurs don't have to adapt to small ball by becoming a small ball team any more than they had to become a different team to adapt to Phoenix' run-and-gun. Tweaking the status quo is a more sensible, rationale, sane way to shore up whatever shortcomings this team may have, not throwing everything out the ing window.
Jumaine Jones, Qyntel Woods or both if they can dump Barry.
Trevor Ariza is available. I'm just throwing names out there.
Tim Thomas, Rasual Butler, or Jumaine Jones.
Swift is a PF and if we get Harrington (my dream) I rather use him at PF.
I really like Jumaine Jones as backup SF for next year. Bruce has made a great season, I think he can still play at a high level next year.
Jumaine Jones hasn't the level to be a starter for a condending team.
It's maybe time to find a prospect to play when Bruce will retire.
Which way choose : Sanikidze ?, a lockdown defender (like Bobby Jones) ?, a long SF who can shoot (like Aleksandrov), an athletic guy (like James White) ?
The good news is that SF is the most overcrowded position in nba. Finding a SF is easier than finding a C.
Even when Swift got healthy, he was losing chunks of time to Chuck Hayes.
I like Ariza, of course Orlando might also and match a low offer.
Jones would likely be the best fit, but does he want to go back to spot minutes after averaging over 25mpg and starting much of the past two seasons?
From the D-League, I'd like to give Erik Daniels a look. Yes, GiG will say he's nothing special, but he played out of position at PF most of the season and still ended up 3rd in rebounds per game and 6th in scoring per game. And I simply like the way Kentucky guys play.
James Singleton had a few good games for the Clips....
New Jersey doesn't use Nachbar at all though I don't know what they would want in trade.
I wonder if anyone scouted Sharrod Ford in Germany.
Did Tommy Smith ever come back?
Slim pickings.
I think the question is...what's Ju Jones' market price?
I like Ariza. He might stay though because of the money and the turn around the Magic is having.
I say, around $3M/year with a 3 or 4 year deal.
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