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Assume Duncan Moves to Center
Yeah,Any comments?
SMALL BALL
For most of his career, Duncan was the perfect PF. Facing the basket, he had good range on a deadly outside bank shot and could drive to the basket.
In the past few years, however, he's played mostly with his back to the basket like a traditional center, lost his eye on the outside bank shot (he's missing four foot bankers now, for God's sake) and his driving ability has been impaired by injury and age. The legs are the first to go. He can still be a force in the league, but at the center position.
I'm not saying we won't occasionally see a flash of the old Tim, but I see no reason to assume that he'll EVER go back to the style of play that he exhibited early in his career.
That changes things a lot of our thinking about what we need in personnel. The backup center position could be filled with ease because Tim would be playing most of the minutes. A cheap veteran and Javtokas answer that bill.
With Tim at center, we'd need a younger, athletic PF who can rebound, play defense and give us a few points. Any comments?
Assume Duncan Moves to Center
Yeah,Any comments?
SMALL BALL
I wonder who timvp thinks would fit that bill.
Duncan played half the game at the 5 spot last season. Why do Spurs fans assume that moving to the 5 is some kind of new territory for TD?
I know, he likes being thought of as a power forward.
So here's the deal. Start someone like Javtokas at the 5, let TD continue to start at the 4 and then he can play the rest of the game at the 5.
Who said anything about it being new territory? It was a complete disaster defensively in the Dallas series.
Anyone expecting Dallas to fall off and not be there in the WCFs waiting for us?
It was a disaster because the starting power forward was Michael Finley. About the only thing Rasho or Mohammed starting would have done is ensure the games were over by the early 3rd quarter.
Spurs basically needed a couple guys like Haslem and Posey to get by the Mavs.
Right, and who would be our starting PF today? Or are you expecting Horry to play 35 a night?
It's only new territory if there's not another big guy to help defend the rim, as Duncan has traditionally been the biggest guy on the floor only in stretches. If Duncan is having to roam the lane trying to close on dribblers who get past their defender, he will spend much of his time in foul trouble, like he did against Dallas. Most of Duncan's fouls came against someone else's assignment. If Duncan is the starting center, then you are relying on someone like Robert Horry to be the second shot blocker, and you are in deep deep trouble.
So Duncan's on Damp/Mbenga/Diop and then you have Rasho chasing down Dirk?
Or you flip the defensive assignments and you have Duncan guarding Dirk. How long does it take TD to foul out? 15 minutes?
Then you say put TD on Howard and Bowen on Dirk. Then you have TD running all over the floor and in foul trouble. You also just moved your best rebounder farther away from the rim.
It's fairly obvious that the Spurs need to find an athletic big 3/small 4 who can step out and defend on the perimeter yet is big enough to play the 4.
Miami won because they had guys who fit that profile. The Spurs did not.
Scola?
The sum of the matter of last year's playoffs. (you didn't mention Horry's failure to defend out on the floor...but I know you know).
I think Scola's probably not fast or athletic enough to fill the spot and that's why the Spurs aren't quite so interested in him anymore. Horry is certainly not a full-time player. I'm not ever sure he's worth his current contract.
There aren't a whole lot of good center options available. That's why acknowleging what has already happened--Tim is a center--opens up a whole new range of options because the power forward position always seems to have more good players available.
That would be a really convincing argument if Duncan hadn't actually been running all over the floor and in foul trouble without your imaginary matchup problems. Duncan wasn't covering Howard, yet he still had to chase him around. It might have been nice for someone to have been standing in the lane able to defend the rim against the layup drill.
Since Duncan is such a defensive liability that you would put him on Dampier or Diop because he fouls out in fifteen minutes against Dirk, why would you have him as the only big on the floor? Do you really respect Diop or Dampier's offensive game enough to put a hall of famer on him at all times? If Duncan can't freelance off of one of those scrubs then he should probably never be put in a game again, and if the Spurs are going to lose a seven game series, it's not because they were lit up by Diop or Dampier. They are one trick ponies on the offensive end, and they are much less likely to hurt you on putbacks if Rasho or Nazr are in the game.
Since only you and the Spurs coaching staff believe that Josh Howard is beating anyone with his jumpshot, putting a small defender that can't stay in front of him is a great alternative to a having a big defender that can't stay in front of him. Of course, keeping the big defender at the rim to block or change his shot wouldn't make any sense, because Josh Howard is going to beat you with that jumpshot that was so effective against the Heat. The only alternative if you are the Spurs is to mothball both of your centers and play a style of basketball that is completely unfamiliar to you because you are so afraid of Josh Howard's jumpshot and Erick Dampier's offense on a team that finished second in the division to you.
I love how Dallas is now the big bad Spurs killer because they won in OT on a cheap no call at the regulation buzzer (and a stupid foul by Manu)(yet Game 5 of the Finals is decided by FTs. Consistent officiating be damned). I guess we should be worried about Sacto as well since they pushed us to 6 in a series nearly everyone here thought was gonna be a sweep after the 34 point ass pounding we put on them in game 1.
Dallas loses in 5 or 6 if the Spurs don't go small. Lesson learned. I have nothing more to say, so I'll just quote AHF.
btw AHF did you get that Wade jersey you were talking about?
I'm not a 'trade maven' and don't really know what PFs might be available with a trade or in FA.
Why don't some of you guys who know that stuff bring up some names as possible trades or FAs? Might be more fun than those speculations on the centers available.
Nope. They actually had them at the airport in Ft. Lauderdale earlier this week when I was there, but for $80 a pop I'll pass.btw AHF did you get that Wade jersey you were talking about?
Uhh....Sparky, I hate to tell you this but Rasho was traded a couple of weeks ago. Try to stay up with the group
But you're right about needing a big 3 or athletic 4. We actually need both.
Right, things would've been worse if Pop couldn't have found time in the game for TD to guard Dampier/Diop/Mbenga.
The discussion was in regards to the playoff series. Hate to break it to you, but you weren't paying attention.Uhh....Sparky, I hate to tell you this but Rasho was traded a couple of weeks ago. Try to stay up with the group
But you're right about needing a big 3 or athletic 4. We actually need both.
Offensive juggernaut that they are.
Spurs go with their traditional lineup and Duncan's spending most of his time in foul trouble. Remember how that went in the 2nd quarter of Game 2?
Exactly. At least Duncan can stay on the floor.
To JT and AHF: This isn't a proposal for small ball. I'd like to see a PF who's in the mold of Rasheed Wallace-big, athletic and great outside shot--next to Tim. Tim can eat up most of the centers in the league--if he's got someone to side him who can hit a few outside shots and keep the double and triple teams off him.
I'm assuming that's why they got Bonner, but I don't think he's the guy I'm hoping for.
I know we won't be able to get a PF of Rasheed's caliber, but there should be someone available on the next rung down. Find him.
It's not hard to see what the Spurs need. Power forwards who can step out and defend on the floor. Oh, and rebound a little too. If they have a J that's a nice bonus.
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