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Off-Season Game Plan: Spurs
Scott Cullen, tsn,ca
After winning annother championship, the San Antonio Spurs only need to tweak their lineup to be right back among the contenders next year.
Off-Season Game Plan looks at what the Spurs might do to get even better.
What's interesting about these Spurs is that, while they seemingly coasted to the NBA le, there are plenty of areas to improve.
They rotated a mish-mash of centres next to Tim Duncan in the post; not one of which was a capable NBA starting pivot.
Small forward Bruce Bowen is a one-dimensional defensive player and, while he's still a lockdown defender, the years could be starting to catch up to him.
The bench consists of aging warhorses like Robert Horry, Michael Finley and Brent Barry. While their experience is obviously of value to a team playing for a championship, the Spurs could use some younger legs to keep re-generating the rotation.
Of course, being an annual contender has its perks too. The Spurs can count on interest from any number of free agents -- really any of the ones that can be had for the midlevel exception or less.
Grant Hill, Morris Peterson or Desmond Mason would be some free agent wings that might fit into San Antonio's plans next season, while centres like Jamaal Magloire and Mikki Moore might be worth bargain shopping efforts.
Really, though, there's little concern that the Spurs will somehow mismanage the off-season to the point that they won't be contenders again next year.
As long as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are back in full force, the Spurs can surround them with solid role players and be part of the le talk once again.
GM/COACH
R.C Buford/Gregg Popovich
Returning Centres
Player TSN.ca Rating Salary
Francisco Elson 58.45 $3.0M
Jackie Butler 56.87 $2.38M
Free Agent Centres
Player TSN.ca Rating Class
Melvin Ely 41.41 UFA
Fabricio Oberto 58.89 RFA
A cast of mediocre talents rotated through the middle for the Spurs last season.
Francisco Elson earned the most starts, but with 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, he's easily replaceable if a productive alternative could be acquired.
Fabricio Oberto was supposed to be the better alternative, but he's still a work in progress. He improved in his second season, but still has a ways to go before he's ready to handle a starter's role.
Brought in as a free agent signing, Jackie Butler was a bust, playing in only 11 games. He is just 22 and, based on what he did with the Knicks in 2005-2006, he could still have some interest around the league.
Returning Forwards
Player TSN.ca Rating Salary
Tim Duncan 100.41 $19.01M
Robert Horry 48.90 $3.63M
Free Agent Forwards
Player TSN.ca Rating Class
Bruce Bowen 67.00 TO
Matt Bonner 48.05 RFA
Tim Duncan is so exceptionally consistent that he doesn't always get the credit he deserves. His .546 field goal percentage was his highest mark since his rookie season and there may not be a better all-around defender in the game. To nitpick, he hasn't hit 70% from the line in any of the last four seasons, so he could always improve that part of his game.
Defensive stopper Bruce Bowen plays in the grey areas of the rulebook, aggravating (and sometimes injuring) opponents, but his work on the wing is a big part of the Spurs' defensive style. With Bowen now 36 years of age, the Spurs could go for a young, athletic wing player to succeed Bowen.
Robert Horry has a minimal regular season impact, but his championship experience -- not to mention his penchant for nailing a clutch three -- is a nice asset to have coming off the bench.
All-around good guy Matt Bonner enjoyed more individual success in Toronto, but he earned a ring for his lighter workload in San Antonio. Bonner could still earn more minutes in San Antonio if he focuses on his defence and rebounding.
Argentinian forward Luis Scola, a second-round pick in 2002, could be a wildcard. Opinions vary back and forth on whether he will come over from Spain, where he's been playing since 1998, but Scola has experienced enough international success to think that he could be a solid addition to the Spurs.
Returning Guards
Player TSN.ca Rating Salary
Tony Parker 93.66 $10.5M
Manu Ginobili 92.19 $9.08M
Brent Barry 65.56 $5.55M
James White 61.58 $427K
Beno Udrih 50.06 $1.75M
Free Agent Guards
Player TSN.ca Rating Class
Michael Finley 65.06 PO
Jacque Vaughn 46.89 UFA
Tony Parker's outstanding speed makes him one of the toughest match-ups at the point and, even though his shooting range is limited, his ability to penetrate time after time makes him an efficient offensive performer.
Despite coming off the bench more than he started, Manu Ginobili still scored a career-best 16.5 points per game; all the more remarkable because his 27.5 minutes per game was his lowest mark since his rookie campaign in 2002-2003.
Ginobili is obviously good enough to be a starter at off guard, but his offensive spark can add a different dimension with the second team on the floor. It's just a matter of having a solid starter in place.
35 year-old Brent Barry plays a reduced role in San Antonio, but his dead-eye three-point shooting (44.6% last season) makes him very valuable.
Michael Finley is starting to slow down, at 34, but he's still an effective bench player. He does have a player option for next season, so he could be tempted to opt out and sign one more free agent deal. On the other hand, with as much money as Finley has made in his career, maybe an opportunity to defend the le is worth staying in San Antonio.
High-flyer James White will have to keep improving if he's going to crack the rotation and Beno Udrih likely needs a change of scenery.
The big need here would be for a backup point guard to replace Jacque Vaughn, who could leave via free agency.
DRAFT
28th - Marc Gasol, Sean Williams, Jared Dudley
FREE AGENCY
The Spurs have approximately $65-million committed to salaries for next season
Needs: Centre
TRADE MARKET
Butler, Udrih, Barry
Scott Cullen can be reached at [email protected]
Pimping your own article as good, are we?
I thought he summed it up pretty good. heck, it was real good.
Yoda
Do it do not, there is no try
At times aspects of the team were looked at with a microscope and those close inspections were revealing (interchangability of mediocre players)
Sometimes the team should have been looked at with a pair of binoculars(mediocre players that know their roles + Spurs system = balanced players)
Which is the target audience? Too rich for the casual fan (like me!)
Too speculative for the knowledgeable hoopshead.
I agree with the part that addresses the age factor for Bowen. But not in the author's way of thinking. I feel that Bruce's D will become more efficient if he shares his load with another younger version of himself, simply for continuity's sake, not necessarily a replacement move.
Did you ever think Finley would ever take to playing decent defense? Success has a way of motivating you to change your game. Scola has a rep., but ala Finley plus a patient staff with miles of game footage will eventually convince him to find his part in the system through team defense. Argentinians do accept team play when it's done right.
As to improving, all players will have to keep improving, not just the young players with potential.
The rest of the league will be gunning for the Spurs. It's atop the agenda for the first team meetings and planning sessions for the rest of the league. And the Cav's player's cell phones will be kept busy by other players calling in for tips.
And by December the Spurs will again be relegated to the requisite 2-sentence game recaps on at all the media websites, page 2.
__________________________________________________
“They do a great job of their system and staying true to form,
making big plays in big moments,” Suns coach Mike D'Antoni
told reporters in Phoenix on Thursday. “That's what we're
trying to get. Mental toughness, being lucky, I don't know
what it is.”
The Spurs, D”Antoni added, just seem to “believe a little bit
more.”
“All the time,” he said.
lol, what a loser...
I also think he did a good job, I still think our biggest need right now is the 3, we have an old guy and really nothing behind him. We have lots of bigs and lots of bigs in europe. We have 2 PGs under contract and we might be able to move Beno for a vet or a draft pick.
I don't think the poster wrote it.
He doesn't put URLs to his articles so it's hard to tell. Kori's tried to tell him to several times.
There is a contact for the writer at the bottom of the article but I don't think it's the poster.
I don't think he wrote it either.
But now from this thread he should get a clue why he needs to put links when he posts articles.
Really the Spurs needs a stars center with Duncan in the paint?
I don't sure. Fab's to compliment well with Duncan.
I'm more interested in a guard if Beno leaves.
Beno is under contract, the only way he leaves is if he is traded or cut.
I doubt we cut him, too many teams still think he has value.
1. It misleads people into thinking he wrote it.
2. It's plagiarism to copy someone else's writing (which basically is what you are doing if you don't credit the writer).
3. There's copyright issues if you don't site a source where you got written material.
4. It's one of the very few rules of this forum and I have told the original poster about it multiple times.
link?
link:
http://www.tsn.ca/nba/news_story/?ID=211976&hubname=
you're welcome...........
How can you not know how to post links and yet are going to open a site?
Thank you.
Be afraid.
He seems to want to get information out with no regard to the legal or ethical aspects.
Kori's list is reason enough to educate him, maybe it will.
I also like the links so I can check out the site it came from. It gives me more to work with.
Its amazing the amount of stupid that goes on here.
You guys have nothing better to do that to and moan instead talk about the actual article he wrote.
I ing put it right there, TSN.ca on the firs tline and his email adress.
STUPID ASS
KORI,make sure EVERYONE EVERYONE EVERYONE puts a link to their articles
IF I DONT SEE YOU or your MARCUZ BRYANT harrass the person for not putting a link on every ing article then you are just nit pikcing.
BUNCH of bull .
ITS SO ING STUPID. seriously.
If I wrote it, I would say I did, IT HAS A BYLINE and emil of the writer
FOR GOD SAKES, IS IT THE LACK of COMMON SENSE that overtakes those that cant distinguish the fact that its an article from the net.
99.999999999 percent of the ING artciles and posted on this forum, SPURSREPORT, and MANY OTHERS are from other sites.
ARE YOU ING kidding me?
this , this is why this never ever will take over spursreport because it keeps trying to limit the information and attack fellow spurs fan for NO OTHER REASON that to be s.
Be afraid.
He seems to want to get information out with no regard to the legal or ethical aspects.
Kori's list is reason enough to educate him, maybe it will.
I also like the links so I can check out the site it came from. It gives me more to work with.
Yeah were not even close to that "other" site
Go away.
Exactly. And they have links.
No one is trying to limit information.
this , this is why this never ever will take over spursreport because it keeps trying to limit the information and attack fellow spurs fan for NO OTHER REASON that to be s.
This site passed up SpursReport in traffic and knowledge years ago.
Didn't you "leave" and go to Spursreport and come back here saying they were " ed up?"
There's very few rules here.
Follow them or leave.
Be careful if you do this on your site. There's actual legal trouble that goes with it.
Grow up.
Hey, it's a free internets. Fill up your own forum with material from other media outlets without attribution to your heart's content. I do hope for your sake that you have retained quality counsel.
Also, I'm not sure how having to post a url is some great limit to the 'flow of information' to Spurs fans.
What a weird, lazy bas .
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