AJWatson3
June-16th-2003, 11:42 AM
Which move do you think the SPURS should make? I have been in favor of the second scenario, but Kidd is incredible and if they could also add Malone..... nasty! A lot more fun than talking about the Bullets. I really like the Olowokandi and Maggette move also... as long as they stay strong in the middle.
From ESPN Insider:
What's next for the Spurs, Nets?
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Monday, June 16
Updated: June 16
10:22 AM ET
For those of you who are just relieved that this year's NBA champions aren't wearing purple and gold, I have some good news and some bad news for you.
The good news? Get used to it. The Lakers no longer have the ring, the best player on the planet or a monopoly on all of that "peat" crap. Tim Duncan's dominating performance in the playoffs, capped by a near quadruple-double in Game 6, means that the Spurs are going to keep rolling as long as Duncan does.
The bad news? With a little over $14 million to play with in cap room this summer, the Spurs haven't even begun to play their best basketball. How often can you say that about a newly crowned champion?
The Spurs are straddling the best of both worlds right now. They're winning it all with a group of relatively young, inexperienced players. They'll lose only one major contributor, David Robinson, from this year's title run. Tony Parker, Emanuel Ginobili, Malik Rose and Bruce Bowen will all be back next year. And they have the cash to make a major, major splash in the free-agent market this summer.
How big? Consider this. Only three other teams -- the Jazz, Nuggets and Clippers -- are looking at max cap room this summer. If you're a top free agent, where would you like to play next year?
Utah is a pretty good destination, but chances are the Jazz will use the majority of their money on Clippers free agent Andre Miller. The Nuggets have a bright future, but they're still years away from being a championship contender. The Clippers? Please.
That means that nothing really happens this summer with anyone else until the Spurs leave the bar with whoever they want. One girl, two girls? Just depends on what turns you on . . .
Scenario 1: Sign Jason Kidd
The pros: Tony Parker still has a bright, bright future, but his inexperience was pretty glaring, especially in Game 6. Kidd is the best point guard on the planet. If the Spurs sign him, use Parker as trade bait (his value is still very high), re-sign Stephen Jackson and bring in another top-flight free agent (Karl Malone, Juwan Howard or P.J. Brown would work) with the mid-level exception, the Spurs can start printing the repeat shirts.
The cons: Parker struggled at times, but considering he just turned 21 years old, why bail on him now? The Spurs still won the title, despite Parker's inconsistent play. Bring in a veteran to back him up and use the money to replace the Admiral.
Scenario 2: Sign Jermaine O'Neal
The pros: The Spurs need another athletic presence in the paint now that Robinson is retiring. O'Neal is the best on the market. He's young, blocks shots, can play the four and the five and would give the Spurs the best front line in the NBA.
The cons: It won't be easy luring O'Neal away from Indiana. He likes it there and has become the man in Indiana. Would he be willing to play second fiddle in San Antonio to Duncan? Is he really ready to go head-to-head with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Amare Stoudemire and Karl Malone every night?
Scenario 3 : Sign Elton Brand
The pros: Brand fits the Spurs' profile. He's consistent, one of the nicest guys in the NBA, a blue collar worker in the paint and is willing to put his ego aside to win a championship. While he doesn't quite have the upside of O'Neal, a Brand and Duncan front line would still give the Spurs the best in the league.
The cons: Brand is a restricted free-agent. If the Clips decided to match (they have to pay somebody to make the minimum payroll in the league next year) the Spurs could end up well behind the curve. As solid as Brand is, would the Spurs be better off splitting the money between two free agents?
Scenario 4: Sign Michael Olowokandi and Corey Maggette
The pros: Duncan is the man. Parker has the makings of a worthy side kick. Why not bring in a couple of complementary players to boost the depth of the team? Olowokandi is no David Robinson, but he can be a physical presence in the paint. The Spurs don't need him to average 20 and 10 a night. Twelve and eight would do just fine. As for Maggette, he's on the verge of blowing up. The Spurs could really use another great athlete who can do it all on both ends of the court.
The cons: Maggette is a restricted free agent and the Clips could match a deal. The Nuggets could try to lure away Olowokandi and Maggette by offering them more money. Adding two big-time players to the mix could affect the team's chemistry.
Scenario 5: Sign Gilbert Arenas and Brad Miller
The pros: Arenas' ability to play the one and two would be a perfect complement to the Spurs' current backcourt of Parker and Emanuel Ginobili. He's a big-time scorer who can find the open man -- that's a great fit if you think about it. With the rest of their money, the Spurs may be better off going after a more dependable center. Miller is tough, can score in the paint and would thrive if Duncan was by his side in the post.
The cons: Would the addition of Arenas stunt Parker's and Ginobili's growth? Will agent Dan Fegan price Arenas out of the Spurs' price range? Will Miller be able to keep up his production against the stiffer competition in the West?
There are obviously more scenarios out there. The Spurs could decide to go the trade route, and attempt to pry away Jerry Stackhouse from Washington or Shareef Abdur-Rahim from Atlanta. Their ability to take on salary without having to give anything back in return could make them major players in the trade market.
Or they could decide to keep things leaner and add a few veteran players like Karl Malone, P.J. Brown, Gary Payton or Alonzo Mourning to smaller, short-term deals. Keeping away from long-term commitments would give the Spurs a lot more flexibility in the summer of 2004 when several potential major free agents like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady hit the free-agent market.
Any way you slice it, it looks like San Antonio will be a spur in the side of everyone in the NBA for years to come.
From ESPN Insider:
What's next for the Spurs, Nets?
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Send an Email to Chad Ford Monday, June 16
Updated: June 16
10:22 AM ET
For those of you who are just relieved that this year's NBA champions aren't wearing purple and gold, I have some good news and some bad news for you.
The good news? Get used to it. The Lakers no longer have the ring, the best player on the planet or a monopoly on all of that "peat" crap. Tim Duncan's dominating performance in the playoffs, capped by a near quadruple-double in Game 6, means that the Spurs are going to keep rolling as long as Duncan does.
The bad news? With a little over $14 million to play with in cap room this summer, the Spurs haven't even begun to play their best basketball. How often can you say that about a newly crowned champion?
The Spurs are straddling the best of both worlds right now. They're winning it all with a group of relatively young, inexperienced players. They'll lose only one major contributor, David Robinson, from this year's title run. Tony Parker, Emanuel Ginobili, Malik Rose and Bruce Bowen will all be back next year. And they have the cash to make a major, major splash in the free-agent market this summer.
How big? Consider this. Only three other teams -- the Jazz, Nuggets and Clippers -- are looking at max cap room this summer. If you're a top free agent, where would you like to play next year?
Utah is a pretty good destination, but chances are the Jazz will use the majority of their money on Clippers free agent Andre Miller. The Nuggets have a bright future, but they're still years away from being a championship contender. The Clippers? Please.
That means that nothing really happens this summer with anyone else until the Spurs leave the bar with whoever they want. One girl, two girls? Just depends on what turns you on . . .
Scenario 1: Sign Jason Kidd
The pros: Tony Parker still has a bright, bright future, but his inexperience was pretty glaring, especially in Game 6. Kidd is the best point guard on the planet. If the Spurs sign him, use Parker as trade bait (his value is still very high), re-sign Stephen Jackson and bring in another top-flight free agent (Karl Malone, Juwan Howard or P.J. Brown would work) with the mid-level exception, the Spurs can start printing the repeat shirts.
The cons: Parker struggled at times, but considering he just turned 21 years old, why bail on him now? The Spurs still won the title, despite Parker's inconsistent play. Bring in a veteran to back him up and use the money to replace the Admiral.
Scenario 2: Sign Jermaine O'Neal
The pros: The Spurs need another athletic presence in the paint now that Robinson is retiring. O'Neal is the best on the market. He's young, blocks shots, can play the four and the five and would give the Spurs the best front line in the NBA.
The cons: It won't be easy luring O'Neal away from Indiana. He likes it there and has become the man in Indiana. Would he be willing to play second fiddle in San Antonio to Duncan? Is he really ready to go head-to-head with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Chris Webber, Rasheed Wallace, Amare Stoudemire and Karl Malone every night?
Scenario 3 : Sign Elton Brand
The pros: Brand fits the Spurs' profile. He's consistent, one of the nicest guys in the NBA, a blue collar worker in the paint and is willing to put his ego aside to win a championship. While he doesn't quite have the upside of O'Neal, a Brand and Duncan front line would still give the Spurs the best in the league.
The cons: Brand is a restricted free-agent. If the Clips decided to match (they have to pay somebody to make the minimum payroll in the league next year) the Spurs could end up well behind the curve. As solid as Brand is, would the Spurs be better off splitting the money between two free agents?
Scenario 4: Sign Michael Olowokandi and Corey Maggette
The pros: Duncan is the man. Parker has the makings of a worthy side kick. Why not bring in a couple of complementary players to boost the depth of the team? Olowokandi is no David Robinson, but he can be a physical presence in the paint. The Spurs don't need him to average 20 and 10 a night. Twelve and eight would do just fine. As for Maggette, he's on the verge of blowing up. The Spurs could really use another great athlete who can do it all on both ends of the court.
The cons: Maggette is a restricted free agent and the Clips could match a deal. The Nuggets could try to lure away Olowokandi and Maggette by offering them more money. Adding two big-time players to the mix could affect the team's chemistry.
Scenario 5: Sign Gilbert Arenas and Brad Miller
The pros: Arenas' ability to play the one and two would be a perfect complement to the Spurs' current backcourt of Parker and Emanuel Ginobili. He's a big-time scorer who can find the open man -- that's a great fit if you think about it. With the rest of their money, the Spurs may be better off going after a more dependable center. Miller is tough, can score in the paint and would thrive if Duncan was by his side in the post.
The cons: Would the addition of Arenas stunt Parker's and Ginobili's growth? Will agent Dan Fegan price Arenas out of the Spurs' price range? Will Miller be able to keep up his production against the stiffer competition in the West?
There are obviously more scenarios out there. The Spurs could decide to go the trade route, and attempt to pry away Jerry Stackhouse from Washington or Shareef Abdur-Rahim from Atlanta. Their ability to take on salary without having to give anything back in return could make them major players in the trade market.
Or they could decide to keep things leaner and add a few veteran players like Karl Malone, P.J. Brown, Gary Payton or Alonzo Mourning to smaller, short-term deals. Keeping away from long-term commitments would give the Spurs a lot more flexibility in the summer of 2004 when several potential major free agents like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady hit the free-agent market.
Any way you slice it, it looks like San Antonio will be a spur in the side of everyone in the NBA for years to come.