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Western Conference
I sense a growing misperception that the impetus behind San Antonio's willingness to trade Luis Scola to Houston in July was purely financial. Not so.
As much as the Spurs feared helping a geographical rival -- Gregg Popovich said last week after Scola's 20-point game in San Antonio that the sight of the Argentine power forward in Rockets red "kills me" -- I know of at least three other reasons that they were willing to do the deal.
No. 1: The Spurs questioned whether Scola could play alongside Tim Duncan because his offensive comfort zone down low overlaps with Duncan.
No. 2: The Spurs wondered whether Scola's defensive shortcomings could be overlooked in a team culture that so cherishes D.
No. 3: The Spurs doubted whether Scola could be content with the limited playing time they'd be offering in a crowded frontcourt.
The Spurs, in short, see Fabricio Oberto as a more sensible South American counterpart to Duncan than Scola would have been. So when the Rockets were the only team in the league willing to take on Jackie Butler's contract in July for the right to acquire Scola, San Antonio decided that it couldn't say no. Not when the choices were forcing Scola to go back to Europe -- risking the possibility that it would never get anything of value in exchange for his rights because of buyout complications -- or consenting to a trade with Houston that would drag the Spurs away from the luxury-tax line.
The daunting risk that remains, of course, is that Scola comes back to haunt San Antonio in a playoff series someday. It's an image, in Pop's words, that's "enough to make you spit."
The reality, though, is that it's still a tad premature to bank on that scenario. Scola indeed posted consecutive 20-point games last week, but you can't overlook the fact that Tracy McGrady played in neither.
The good news for the Rockets is that Scola looks like he can help them immediately when McGrady or Yao Ming are out, which could prove crucial given that their two franchise players haven't appeared in more than 20 consecutive games together in either of the past two seasons. But it's too soon for the missing-piece chatter when Scola is still adjusting to the American game.
Before rumbling for 20 points and nine boards in Friday's loss at Miami, Scola had managed just 35 points in the 10 games in which Houston has dressed T-Mac and Yao, with Chuck Hayes ranking as Adelman's first-choice 4 man.
LINK: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailyd...dime-071124-25
It feels good to be right.
It feels good to be right.
Rick Adelman's offense could make me into a 10 PPG scorer...
Dude got Brad Miller to put up some of the best assist totals ever at that position...Brad Miller wasn't even drafted and turned into one of the most heartless players to ever step foot on an NBA court under Adelman's tutelage....
Yet if he spent another 3 years with Adelman....he'd be considered the Bill Walton of this generation and have some actual HOF arguments in his favor...
IOW...
Scola's not that good....and he's going to get owned.
Additionally...it's a nobrainer that you keep Oberto over Scola...if only because of the continuity...
However...keeping Bonner over Scola...even if Bonner has a 3 point shot...that move is looking stupider by the second.
Then again...I gurantee you Scola would not be putting up the same numbers if he played for the Spurs...and if his d was sucking...he'd be on the bench just like Bonner is.
Or to put it another way...Ime Udoka is here almost entirely for his defensive prowess, Pop has an unquestionable track record of favoring defensive players over offensive player....and even Udoka can't get minutes off the bench. Scola puts up a 3 TO 2 fl in six minutes line for Pop...he wouldn't get off the bench till after the AS break.
If you watch Scola, in the games I've seen so far, his stat totals may be a little misleading. He isn't a physically impressive athlete.
1. he picks up a lot of rebounds that don't require battling under the boards. They just fall into his hands. One can argue this comes from smart play like Oberto, positioning himself in the area. Time will tell if he's just been lucky or smart.
2. He picks up a lot of easy points under the basket by rebounding garbage and puttting them back. Once again, he looks and plays smart, a lot like Oberto. Nothing wrong with that. Must be a trait of Argentine big men to know the game and the angles.
3. He does have some good low post moves. He will put Chuck Hayes on the bench soon if he plays some D.
He sets the pick and roll better tham any other Rocket big man.+his mid range jumper off the pick and roll is highly effective too.
Yesterday He got some good offensive and Defensive boards vs. the Heats.
But Still has a long way to go in order to adjust to the NBA game.
He'll be probably like Eduardo Najera with a better jump shot and low post moves.
Scola sounds like something I caught in my last visit to Southeast Asia.
Yes it does. Then again, I'm always right.It feels good to be right.
This is a piss poor article by a pretty good writer.
Scola was dumped for purely financial reasons - end of story.
Reason #2 is absolute bull - we play Barry and Bonner 35 minutes a night so get real.
Reason #1 doesn't make any sense. He would have been the only post scoring option the team has when Duncan is on the bench and with his passing ability he could play alongside Tim or anyone else for that matter.
Reason #3 is hard to believe, All Scola wanted was a chance to play in the NBA. He never complained in 2004 about coming off the bench because to him winning is all that matters.
Scola will never be a solid defensive presence and maybe he would have been a luxury for this team. But for 3 million a year he is a solid bargain with a great offensive skill set that this roster does not have. It would have been nice come playoff time to still be able to get points in the paint when Duncan sits and e ally when he is in foul trouble which has previously meant an automatic loss. Hopefully at season's end Scola is proven to be a luxury that we could afford to win a le without.
Last edited by LEN BIAS 4EVER; 11-24-2007 at 09:13 PM.
If Tiago Splitter ends up being an above average player that will be the end of the Scola Threads
scola is so overrated
Stein overlooks the fact that Tim Duncan can play with anybody.
His game is so efficient that it allows room for teamates to be themselves.
Except Carlos Boozer.
.... scola is the main subject of spurstalk for weeks now... just get over it Argies he's gone !!
Stein's view is spot on. Money was the major factor, but RC was comfortable with dealing Scola's rights due to the thought that he and TD couldn't work together offensively and his defense was suspect. Personally I think there would not have been much of a problem on offense but do agree with the defensive assessment.
The main problem I had with the trade is that the Spurs gifted a rotational player to a division rival. Anyways, what's done is done.
Right. The Spurs just need to hold down the fort for one year. Splitter will be a much better NBA player than Scola and will be able to play for many more years than Scola.
Scola is very good at a few things that show up in the box score (scoring with short jumpers and hanging around the basket for putbacks and rebounds). Take him out of that comfort zone and he's lost. Splitter is taller, much quicker and can do all the things it takes to contribute to a championship club (like rotate and play D other than zone).
Reasons we dumped Scola
1. As stated, Fabricio fits better in our system; offensively, defensively
2. To get rid of bloated contracts
3. To draft Splitter, give players like an Ian a chance to grow.
This argument should be a dead issue by now.
But there's obviously a ban of rougue spurs fans looming about with too much time on their hands.
They were not mutually exclusive, it was not a case of if Scola then no Splitter nor vice versa. We had BOTH of them and gave one away for financial reasons plain and simple.If Tiago Splitter ends up being an above average player that will be the end of the Scola Threads
And to anyone that tries to claim the defense is the reason then why do we allow Brent Barry to step on the court and allow Matt Bonner in the building ??? Get real, he may not have been the second coming coming of Bruce Bowen but he can hang with Matt Bonner on D for goodness sakes. Scola would have been brought in to take pressure off of Duncan and reduce his minutes, not to win DPOY. and next season when Horry and Elson are gone he would have had a bigger impact.
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