[Wavy BagelsParticipant]

As the championship window steadily closes on teams who have once reached the pinacle of an entire NBA season, my favorite team (look at my picture) is one of those teams in that predicament. So my question for you all is what do you think about the Spurs’ future after the departure of the Big 3 and Pop (I hope he decides to stick around)? They have two promising young guards in George Hill and Gary Neal (although he is 26), the best player with no ACL’s in DeJuan Blair who can pound the boards with the best of them when he is given minutes and does not get into foul trouble (though he is undersized) and Tiago Splitter, who is still getting accustomed to the ways of the NBA after coming from Brazil. Opinions?

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

Duncan and Manu are the oldest out of the big three. Duncan has done all he can as a player and really has no reason to stay there except for loyalty to Coach Popovich. (If he stays) But barring that both leave, I really think the Spurs should try and bring back the glory days of David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Two towering 7 footers who complimented each other very well and obviously started the Spurs magnificient run of championships. The Spurs already have one 7 footer in Tiago Splittler. Of course he is no Duncan or Robinson but he is still young and is still learning the nuances of the NBA game. Who knows, with a little hard work and determination he may become one. (But he doesn’t to become a Robinson or a Duncan type player, keep reading and I hope you will see why) The Spurs should do all they can in this year’s draft to get Lucas Noguiera whether that means trading for him or simply drafting him with the 29th pick. He could be the second 7 footer while Splittter is the first. 

Splitter and Noguiera may never reach the pinnacle level of Duncan and Robinson, but they can still be intimidating big man presences that can help the Spurs get to that championship level again. Size matters, plain and simple as that. The size of the Spurs does not need to be the two best players nor do they need to be Hall of Fame type players but they certainly need to be intimidating with their size and physically tough NBA basketball. And that is just what I expect Splitter and Noguiera to be, intimidating 7 footers who play physically tough NBA basketball.

Manu is also likely gone. The only reason why he would stay is out of loyalty to Coach Popovich as well. If he does decide to retire then I don’t think the Spurs will do too well next year. (A starting 5 of Parker, Neal, Jefferson, Blair and Splitter is not going to get you very far, let’s face it) So next year, barring I am right, the Spurs will probably end up with a lottery pick and should do all they can to get Austin Rivers who can definitely replace Manu. (There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he can do that.) 

After those two draft picks the Spurs would have the size, the shooting, and the passing to help them compete at a championship level again. They will eventually have to replace Parker but that can wait until 2013 or 2014 as Parker still has 2 or 3 more years left in him. 

The Coach: If Popovich wants to stick around then great, but if not, then you obviously need to replace with another potential Hall of Fame coach. I think the ideal replacement would be Jeff Van Gundy or Rick Adelman but if Brian Shaw or Lawrence Frank are not the Lakers new coach, or the Rockets, or the Warriors, then I think those two should definitely be looked at as well. The Spurs new coach candidates need to definitely include Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Adelman, Lawrence Frank, and Brian Shaw

[thparadoxParticipant]

 @wardb12 Huh? Isn’t Gino signed for the next 2 seasons? I don’t see Duncan changing teams.

The spurs are still a contender. Memphis won game 1 when the Spurs were without their best player (Gino). They won game 3 by what, 3 points?

Memphis is just playing extremely good basketball. It makes no sense for the spurs to blow up the team. They might as well try to patch together the holes…. which to me are clearly:

1) Center: Lack of size + athleticism

Duncan is big, but obviously he has slowed down and can’t put the team on this back. That’s not as bad on the offensive end, because Ginobili / Parker can take over, and they have a bunch of deadly 3 pt shooters to help on that end.

It’s the rebounding where the Spurs lost. They need a rebounder who has size, to get on the glass. (I love blair, but he’s not doing a good enough job defensively. Perhaps he just needs time to figure it out)

Free agents to target:

-Hamed Haddadi (restricted)

-Jeff Foster

Other maybes: Nazr Mohammed, Chuck Hayes, Dalembert (+motivation coach), Turiaf, Kris Humphries

None of these guys are amazing. The spurs just need some good options who can compliment Duncan. I like Haddadi in particular because he’s huge and he seems to be a good rebounder / shot blocker. 

 

2) Richard Jefferson was AWFUL.

He was simply awful in the 2nd half of the season and the playoffs.

Free Agent Targets

-Thaddeus Young (restricted. no cap space for this?)

-Shane Battier

-Matt Barnes

Battier would fit perfectly in the Bruce Bowen type role.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

The Big Three is old (Manu, Duncan, Tony Parker), but the thing that really hurt them is that the other two guys they started (Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess) were really old too. 

I think they can use young guys to build around the Big Three.  I think Splitter and Dajuan Blair are good big men.  They can play.  Matt Bonner is good at hitting 3’s off the bench and he really throws off the defense.

I really think they need to get an athletic small forward.  They have some good young guards in Hill and Neal, but they lack a good 3 man with youth, length, and athleticism.  Tony and Manu are still really good players. 

Their offense is fine, but their defense was lacking.  Splitter and Blair would help out if they got more minutes.  With all the young great wing players out there the Spurs REALLY REALLY REALLY need a young athletic small forward who can score and defend.  If that FSU guy (Chris Singleton) falls then the Spurs should look at him or even trade up to get him.  

If I were the Spurs I would take a look at signing Greg Oden if they can get him relatively cheap.  If he stays relatively healthy he has a lot of upside and would be a perfect fit with Tim Duncan, Blair, Splitter, and the rest of the Spurs. 

… Joel Pryzbilla is another guy they can look at, but he is also injury prone, and has less upside than Mr. Oden.

TD is still good, but he can’t be the defensive anchor and go-to offensive guy for 40 minutes a night.  He is still good though as a secondary defender and 3rd or 4th option scorer for 30 minutes a night. 

A healthy Oden would be a good compliment to Duncan.  An athletic 3 would give the Spurs a different look on offense and defense. 

If the Spurs play their cards right they will still have 2 or 3 years left as a contender.  Remember that the first Spurs championship teams had a bunch of old guys (David Robinson, Avery Johnson, Mario Ellie, Steve Kerr), but they retooled and contended for over a decade.  At one point they brought in Stephen Jackson who gave them youth, athleticism, toughness, some good D and some scoring and they really thrived with him in the lineup.  Not sure they can get DeAndre Liggins with their second round pick, but maybe they can trade their two draft picks for a couple of picks in the middle of the second round and get Liggins and Macklin.  I think those guys would fit in well.  Liggins on the wing and Macklin at the four.  Macklin would be another good power forward and someone they can play with either Duncan or Splitter.  Or they could go small with Blair and Macklin. 

In a parity-driven league I think that if a team is in the top 7 or 8 teams in the league then they should’t break up the team just for the sake of starting over.  I think they should tinker with the lineups and retool.

The Spurs’ biggest holes are at small forward and at PF/C (a starter that can play with Duncan).  I would go with a center in free agency that could play twin towers with Duncan or come off the bench if the team went small.  Then go out and get a mid-level guy who can play a Stephen Jackson type role in the starting lineup.  Then draft two solid role players. 

 

[mj23mj23besteverParticipant]

butler could very well end up being that small forward u mention memphis

[BothTeamsPlayedHardParticipant]

“The Spurs should do all they can in this year’s draft to get Lucas Noguiera whether that means trading for him or simply drafting him with the 29th pick. He could be the second 7 footer while Splittter is the first.”

The Sprus already invested in a Lucas Nogueira-type last year when they drafted Ryan Richards. He was the same raw long-term investment prospect/project. A contending team doesn’t draft someone playing junior level basketball in Spain with a first round pick and will have no possible value to an NBA team for around four years. It would be a waste of a valuable resource.

 

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