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Weakness = Rebounding.....and we still have done nothing to address it
Just say NO to the Candyman...
What kind of weaknesses you see in our actual roster and what kind of possible solutions, via free agency or trades ?
For the moment :
PG
The situation
1) I see a potential, but necessary, weakness at back up point guard.
The point is that bene deserve a fair try, son I'm O.K. with it and vaughn can be see as amore than decent assurance;
possible solution
For now, no one. We're O.K. at the moment and we have to run our options and see if they works; in case they don't, soluitions may be necesary, in a second time
SG and SF
2) here I see some more than potential weaknesses in terms of youth/possible injuries (Bowen, Finley, Horry aren't spring chickens and so risky for injurise...; Ginobili in younger, but play in a injury risky way), rebounding and speedness
possible solution
it's maybe more a pipe dream, but i'd like we to :
1) wait till 21 august
than, send barry, e. eilliams and one or two second choices to sac. for a "just two year" contract, 8/9 million worth, for Bonzi
2) Than sign Q. Woods for the LLE (the some two years)
If this work out, we could have find a very good short term solution for both the spots
If the two guys finally behave, thay could be rewarded with a le or two.
If they don't, two years are bearable
PF and C
we have a lot of persons for just two spots, and a lot of versatility.
The only weakness I see is the defense against a "big and high body" like could be O'neal or Ming...(no more Rasho)
Solution
What about a minimum deal to the "candy man"?
Weakness = Rebounding.....and we still have done nothing to address it
Just say NO to the Candyman...
How the are we supposed Bonzi with just Barry and E. Will? And he won't behave because he won't have a starting spot.
Sacramento doesn't look to add salary at this point, so taking on $8M plus for a Barry they don't need and an otherwise useless Eric Williams probably won't happen, no matter how sweet the Spurs could possibly make it.
The speed of the Vaughn signing suggests they were after him the moment New Jersey drafted Marcus Williams. In Beno and JV they have two halves of a good point guard.
Rebounding and youth on the wing are absolute musts. Unfortunately, it may very well not happen. An athletic, hard-working Bowen back-up who can rebound well would be huge. I don't see anybody on the horizon who is a long-term fix. Jumaine Jones seems like a pretty good idea at this point.
Center position.
The team has just one real center and that is Jackie Butler. Then we have 5 PF, if Marks will go away 4 PF. I don`t know what are we going to do if some big guy will be injured, we will be in big problem. So I think that we should bring some center.
[QUOTE=venitian navigator]1) wait till 21 august
than, send barry, e. eilliams and one or two second choices to sac. for a "just two year" contract, 8/9 million worth, for Bonzi QUOTE]
I liken Bonzi Wells to another swingman making 8 or 9 mil...Darius Miles. Both come with their share of headaches and neither will ever be worth the 8 or 9 million they get. Bonzi had a great series, but is a classic underacheiver and headcase.
I'd still put smart money on trading the expiring contract of EW for a young swingman on a team looking to get as far under the salary cap as possible for '07 FA class.
My top choice would be Mickael Pietrus because he's young, defensive-minded, and won't cost an arm and a leg b/c his production thus far doens't warrant it.
Others I like: Carlos Delfino, Francisco Garcia, Antoine Wright, and Travis Outlaw.
Well, I said that BW was a kind of a pipe dream...
However, I think that Sacramento could choose to do not lose him for nothing...
Barry, to me, look a more than decent option for them.
1) He's a california man;
2)he's a veteran shooter thay don't have in the back court (Salmons is everything but a good shooter...) and could be a very good locker room man and teacher for the young Martin and Garcia;
3) he can also be a very good good back up point man.
Also count that last year he's been the one to kill them.
So, I think that with some "sweet"...there could be more than a chance to get BW.
But maybe the Spurs won't ever think to take the risk of signing him...'cause of his baggage.
v_n: Bonzi and his agent want a S&T but I doubt Sacramento does it. I believe they're hitting the luxury cap. Barry isn't too attractive to them, I wouldn't say, because they already have younger players who do what he does.
PT: Mikael Pietrus would be ideal, but he wouldn't come cheap. He's one of their best assets and are looking to bundle him up with a bad long contract to get someone to bite.
I hate the term "Small Ball" so I'll use another term that describes the current trend in the NBA....Versatility. Having only One true blue Center isn't that big of a shock nowadays. Tim Duncan could be considered a Center b/c he occupies the low block on O and D, but he's also versatile enough to man PF. Elson also could be considered a center because he'll occupy the lane on D, but he has the versatility of an 15 ft shot and he can run the court like a PF.
The days of slow, plodding Center that dominate the paint on O and D are disappearing (that's not to say they won't reappear) and we're left with a culture that asks players to do it all: rebound, block, run, 3pt, low block, pass, etc.
All we did was get with the times...we traded away the long-term contract of a slow, plodding center got back a PF with long-range ability. We let go of a solid rebounder, but poor receiver and passer to get younger (Butler) and quicker (Elson).
So I wouldn't consider our Center position any weaker now than it was last season.
If we need a backup center here is my proposal.
This may seems weird, but I would propose a 2 years contract to frederic Weiss.
He is a former NY pick who refused to come in the NBA after being posterized by Vince Carter during the 2000 olympics.
This guy is now 29 years old is a true center who know the game.
He is 7'2 and 255 pounds. Very mobile for his size. He finished his last season in spain, the best european league, as #5 rebounder and #1 shot blocker.
This guy is a defensive force and now accept it (his job is not to score). I guess Vince Carter would now be punished if he tried to dunk over Fred. The french coach says he play his best basketball ever.
Before bashing me for that strange idea. Wait the end of the World Championship. Fred will be the french starting center. Then you will see what the big dude can do.
In a league were raws young center like Petro and Swift (Seattle) have decent number, I am sure Weiss would be usefull to any team looking for a decent center.
Yeah I know...the Pietrus idea is a litte out there, but he has underperformed each year, they're paying several players (Davis, Murphy, Dunleavy) lots of money and if they are deemed "untradeable" than the least that the Warriors can do is clear cap space to avoid the Luxury Tax threshold. It gives me a little hope, but you're probably right.
Spurs would not do anything more than signing melvin sanders.. keep it real
I think N.Y. still owns his rights...and, if he shows well in the champioships, they could finally take him and have the "third string" center they missed with Butler at the "first choice" money...
Well, in this moment Sac. looks like they're gonna lose him for nothing...
And with the Salmons acquisition, he could have a lot less plaiyng time...considerin the emerging Garcia and Martin.
So, barry could be a good fit 'cause doesn't need nor deserve a lot of playng time in the sg/sf positions, and can back up (like and better than Salmons) the pg position.
However, Sac. can just cut e.will contract for not paiyng the luxury tax...
In case of sign for two years with us, he better behave...if the first year he don't, no plaiyng time in the second year...and, then, no market value (a la Mercer)
It's not a bad theory and you make some valid points, but I think the Kings might get better offers than a spot 3pt shooter with 2 or 3 yrs left on his deal and an expiring $5 mil contract.
Your biggest assumtion though, is that the Spurs would be willing to pay him $8 or 9 million and that he would be willing to accept a two year deal. He's only 29 yrs old and would probably ask for a long-term guaranteed contract of at least 4 years. Plus we're looking to get younger on the wing and while 29 is less than 35, our goal will probably be a younger swingman (21-25) on a rookie contract ($1 to 4 mil)
So, while I think it could happen, I just don't see it.
Spurs have 6 big men-- they aren't getting another one. It's going to be difficult to get minutes for the ones they already have. People assume Tim, Elson, and Rob are the top three big guys to start the season. Will Oberto get his shot? How will Butler develop without geting his time on the court? What about all the things people claim Bonner can do- how much will he even play? As for the Spurs center position- they have no traditional defensive center amongst the 6 of them. To truly be versatile and match up against all teams, including the reigning champs, they should have signed 1 out of the 14 players.
The main reason 'cause I like this potential signing is the ability of BW to take rebounds and defend...and that's the reason because I see it as (very difficult but) possible.
But you're absolutely right...
In fact, the ones you mentioned, are the main reasons 'cause I called that like a "pipe dream".
However, just consider that , at some point in your career, a bad behavior takes you some consequence...I mean, that in a normal world, Sac. Could never think that signing Salmons is better that signing BW.
But they ovbiously have thought (and they're right) that when you pass from a bad situation to one that gives you the chance to shine you should be thankful with the team that gave you that chance...and that means to be, at least, logical in what kind of money you ask.
BW had a good season, but not stellar...just against us he's been really, really good.
So he didn't deserve a contract of 8/9 millions for a lot of years...expecially considering all the baggage he takes with him.
However, he and is agent have considered an offer than more than 7 mill. a year for five years (36 millions) "....not fair".
That's a "Sprewellesque" behavior...that, imho, could have huge bad consequences for both the agent and the player.
The only real difference with Sprewell, is that BW is just 29....but he takes with him the some, if not more, baggage.
And, like Spree, he never really won anything...
And, I really think that not a lot of teams will ever take, after what's happened with Sac., a "five years" risk at 8/9 millions a year.
Coming to age, I think that his next two years could be the best for him...and the long term solution could be not him but the other guy I'd like the spurs to sign (Quyntel Woods) or somebody else we're going to choose in the next draft or for whom we'll trade for or we already have drafted (see Sinikidze).
Butler will definitely get his time on the court. They'll give him as much as he can handle, I'd expect. I'd expect Horry's minutes to come down. Oberto will get some kind of shot.
And Bonner? Will all 6 guys even suit up each game?
Nope...gotta think at least one of them will be Inactive List regulars or trash-time players. My guess is that Pop experiments with a few different reserve combos early in the season and settles on a 4-man big rotation like last year (Rasho, Nazr, Tim, Big Shot). Personally I think it will be Tim, Big Shot, Elson, and Butler.
I have a caveat though. I think Bonner/Oberto could get more playing time than typical 12th men because the Spurs will want to keep Big Shot's minutes down and limit the use of their 4-guard + Tim setup.
No NBA finals in 2006-2007.....
Time is passing.
We didn't make more moves.
Are we just waiting the iopening night being sure we're set and it's all O.K. or are we just "fliyng under the radar" ?
Tell me the teams whom have players with good defense vs Shaq and Yao
Who: Big Ben, Tim Duncan and....?
Whit less players, because Rasho and Nazr donīt played, we were 1 ball or a foul left to advance to the Conference Finals
We now have Elson, Bonner and Butler
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