San Antonio Spurs

[tackielarla]

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FROM ESPN:

Is Kobe top 10 now?
John Hollinger

All-time? It's still a tough list to crack. For instance, just looking at contemporaries -- Shaq cleary outranks him, and you still have to rank Tim Duncan ahead of him too (four championships, top dog for all four, won without another All-Star in '03); it's really a battle for third with him and Garnett. Then you get into all the old-timers and the list fills up awfully fast. I'm comfortable with top 15, but top 10 is really crowded and I'm not sure he's in yet, or if he'll ever be.

[tackielarla]

Person of interest: Danny Green
By Jeff McDonald

With exactly one week to go before the NBA draft, we continue our look at potential Spurs targets by examining North Carolina small forward Danny Green.

For about the past several seasons, the Spurs have been on the lookout for "the next Bruce Bowen" -- a rangy defensive player who can hit a shot every now and then, but for whom offense is clearly secondary.

It would be silly to compare Green to Bowen at this stage -- Bowen is an eight-time All-NBA defender, Green is a 22-year-old who has never played in a professional game. But, on paper, Green at least possesses some attributes that make him an intriguing prospect for the "Bowen-in-waiting" role.

Green is 6-foot-6 with a 6-10 wingspan, and was renowned in college as a particularly good all-around defender. He isn't overwhelmingly athletic, and doesn't possess much of a one-on-one offensive game, but he has worked hard to refine his shooting mechanics and can hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer with some regularity (sound familiar?). Green averaged 13.1 points as a senior at UNC, and hit at a 41-percent clip from 3-point range.

The best part for the Spurs is that Green ought to be available when they are picking in the second round. Though his NBA ceiling is limited, Green could turn out to be a valuable NBA role player some day. That is all you're shooting for at pick No. 37.

[tackielarla]

Sean Elliott believes Spurs will make some changes
Reported by: Don Harris

Video: Sean Elliott: Spurs will have a revamped team next year

SAN ANTONIO -- One of the most beloved players ever to wear the silver and black thinks the Spurs will make some changes for next year.

Sean Elliott was a guest speaker Thursday at a student trainers convention going on in San Antonio.

Elliott talked about his now famous battle with kidney disease. He told the crowd about how a good trainer can add a few seasons to an NBA players career.

And with the draft just 6-days away, we also got his take on what the Spurs may do on draft night.

I know those guys are working behind the scenes. I know Pop and R.C. and Dennis Lindsey are working behind the scenes to try to get some young players in here, some young players that can play, that have some talent, and that can fit in with out big three," Elliott told News 4 WOAI. "So, now I would fully expect us to have a revamped team next year."

The NBA draft is next Thursday night.

[vcmov_15]

bro unsa diay ang position ni elliot sa spurs ron?

[istoryansucks]

yao ming pa ilang kuha-on...kay hapit na ma expire ang kontrata ni yao ming.

[vcmov_15]

ive heard a news na interested daw ang mga tag-iya sa cavs ni yao ming... i think its more of a rumor...

[tackielarla]

bro unsa diay ang position ni elliot sa spurs ron?

If I'm not mistaken, commentator sa live games for their local tv.

[MalditohoN]

Top 10 second-round selections of the Draft Lottery Era

By Fran Blinebury, for NBA.com
Posted Jun 20 2009 8:57PM

Who doesn't like a bargain?

Who doesn't love the fantasy notion of finding a Picasso hiding under the black-and-white photo of Aunt Millie's family reunion that you picked up for a couple bucks at a flea market?

So while there is still so much scrambling going on at the top of the 2009 NBA Draft as the crowd behind Blake Griffin seems to change every day like dice rolling out at a craps table, from Ricky Rubio to Hasheem Thabeet to Jrue Holiday to Jonny Flynn to James Harden, it might be wise to remember that names called out much later on draft night.

They're the second-rounders, who have much smaller salaries, but often make big impacts. Remember, the Lakers (Trevor Ariza) and Magic (Rashard Lewis) had second-round draft picks in their starting lineups in The Finals. Mario Chalmers started all 82 games for the Heat. Leon Powe and Glen "Big Baby" Davis both were key reserves in the Celtics' drive to the 2008 title.

With so many teams looking so carefully at every dollar in the payrolls, talk is that second-round choices could become valuable commodities, if a front office makes the right picks. Let's run down a list of arguably the top 10 second-round selections of the Draft Lottery Era (since 1984).

10 -- Cedric Ceballos (Phoenix, 1990) -- You have to look beyond the blind-folded dunk that took top honors in the 1992 All-Star Game and remember that the 48th pick was much more than just a circus act. He led the Suns in field-goal percentage in 1992-93 when Phoenix went to The Finals and was an All-Star in '95 when he rang up the first 50-point game by a member of the Lakers in over 20 years.

9 -- Michael Redd (Milwaukee, 2000) -- The lefty out of Ohio State tip-toed quietly into the league as the 43rd pick, averaging 2.2 points as a rookie and then setting a record by increasing his scoring average six years in a row until he was pouring in 26.7 a game in '07. He joined Kobe Bryant and Gilbert Arenas as the only players to notch a pair of 50-point games in 2006-07 and won a gold medal with Team USA at the Beijing Olympics last summer.

8 -- Jerome Kersey (Portland, 1984) -- He finally picked up a championship ring in San Antonio near the end of his 17-year career. But it was those 11 seasons with the Blazers where the 46th pick out of Division II Longwood College where Kersey was known as a voracious rebounder, great finisher on the fastbreak and tenacious defender.

7 -- Rashard Lewis -- (Seattle, 199 -- The story was often retold during The Finals of how then-teenager Lewis sat in the green room in tears on draft night as his name slipped down the board into the second round. By the time the Sonics scooped him up with the 32nd pick, he'd been passed over three times by his hometown Houston Rockets (Michael Dickerson, Bryce Drew, Mirsad Turkcan). He's spent the past 11 seasons becoming a two-time All-Star, cashed in with a $118-million contract and hit numerous big shots in Orlando's run to The Finals.

6 -- Mark Price (Dallas, 1986) -- The Mavericks seemed to know exactly what they were doing when they made Price the first pick of the second round after his three All-American seasons at Georgia Tech. The Mavs then showed they didn't know what they had when they promptly traded him away to Cleveland, where he helped turn the Cavs into Eastern Conference contenders. He was All-NBA first team in '93 and his career mark of 90.3 percent from the free-throw line is a league record.

5 -- Carlos Boozer (Cleveland, 2002) -- The Cavs figured they had a blossoming star with the 35th pick in the draft and all was going well until the snafu with his contract that resulted in Boozer going to Utah. Though injuries have cost him large parts of seasons with the Jazz, when he's right, Boozer is a consistent low-post scorer and rebounder who mixes in that high-arcing jumper. The two-time All-Star won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.

4 -- Jeff Hornacek -- (Phoenix, 1986) -- Did anybody ever fully appreciate what they had in Hornacek when he first entered a room? He was a walk-on at Iowa State and the Suns finally made him the 46th pick of the draft. He quickly carved out a reputation as one of the game's top long-range shooters. After playing in Phoenix and Philadelphia, he became the perfect complement to Karl Malone and John Stockton on the Jazz teams that went to back-to-back NBA Finals. He won the All-Star 3-point Shootout in 1998 and 2000.

3 -- Gilbert Arenas -- (Golden State, 2001) -- Long before he became known as Agent Zero and pioneered blogging among pro athletes, Arenas jumped right into the NBA and let everyone know what he could do, which was often whatever he wanted. He was named Most Improved Player in '03 and on his way to being a three-time All-Star. After making a belated return to the court following knee surgery last March, Arenas should be ready physically to return to his place as one of the top offensive guns with the Wizards.

2 -- Dennis Rodman (Detroit, 1986) -- He couldn't shoot and didn't really want to shoot. But Rodman could do anything else that you'd ever want from the moment he stepped onto the court for the Pistons. Never mind the dyed hair and the outfits, he was one of the best to ever play on anybody's frontline. Rodman won five championships with the Pistons and Bulls, was twice named Defensive Player of the Year and seven times was an All-Defensive First Team pick. In his 13 NBA seasons, he averaged 13.1 rebounds a game.

1 -- Manu Ginobili (San Antonio, 1999) -- How shrewd were the Spurs to scoop Ginobili up with the 57th pick and left him ripen on the vine for a few more years in Spain. His impact was immediate as soon as he came into the San Antonio mix as the Spurs won the title in his rookie season with him as the attacker, the scorer, the shooter, the playmaker. He's been the jalapeno in their salsa, an Olympic and World Champion with his native Argentina, and a three-time champ with the Spurs. All you need to know about his impact is that when Ginobili is not healthy, the Spurs are not contenders.

Also receiving consideration:
Nick Van Exel (Lakers, 1993)
Trevor Ariza (New York, 2004)
Kevin Duckworth (San Antonio, 1986)
Antonio Davis (Indiana, 1990)
Eric Snow (Milwaukee, 1995)

[tackielarla]

Tiago Splitter, Trade Asset

The Draft is almost upon us. There have been several reports that the Spurs are looking to trade into the first round, with one rumor having them interested in Washington’s 5th pick. But, honestly, we heard similar things last year. The cold reality of limited assets and the tough business of locating agreeable trade partners quiets most of the rumor-mongering.

This year’s trade speculation rests against the backdrop of needed change, with almost all those who follow the Spurs calling for or expecting overhaul this offseason. Don Harris recently quoted Spurs color analyst and family member Sean Elliott saying, “…I would fully expect us to have a revamped team next season.” His expectation seems universal.

A few of our readers have asked, given the team’s limited assets, whether Tiago Splitter’s rights could help a trade proposal go through. If Splitter is not tied to the rookie scale, as we’ve previously argued, one would think his rights would hold some value, certainly more than we assumed a year ago.

Tiago Splitter projects as an NBA starter, or at least a quality rotation big. He’s only 24 years old, but has the professional experience of a seasoned vet. And in this topsy-turvy economy, one wonders if his buyout situation is not actually attractive to teams. Put differently, if you’re a team that is not enamored with adding a rookie to your 2009-10 payroll, acquiring the rights to a talented big who requires zero immediate payment (and won’t until at least next summer) is something of a win-win. You avoid the cap hit, but still get to add a valuable player to your pipeline. Looking at the bigs available in this draft, Splitter would probably rank with Jordan Hill and DeJuan Blair, not far behind Hasheem Thabeet. Some might rank him ahead of the other three.

If this is the case, why would the Spurs want to give him up? If he came to the team next season, he’s a lock for a productive 25 mpg.

The simple answer is that he provides an asset the team currently lacks. He’s the young prospect that could put a cap relief package over the top. And again, that’s with the added luxury of staying off the books until at least 2010.

The Spurs recent dalliance with Yiannis Bouroussis is an indicator that shoring up their front line is an immediate priority, one that Tim Duncan cannot afford for them to sit on for another year. I expect the team to target another big with their MLE (Charlie Villanueva?). Then there is the possibility of Ian Mahinmi bouncing back from injury and contributing to the rotation. And most of us expect that if Chris Bosh is available next summer, the Spurs will use their cap space to make a run at him, however unlikely the odds. Add all that up. Where does Tiago Splitter fit into the puzzle?

But that’s on the optimistic view. The pessimist is happy to respond by saying the Spurs could strike out in free agency, Mahinmi could flop, and the team could completely miss their 2010 free agent target. If some combination of those things were to occur, Splitter is a mighty nice insurance policy.

Obviously, he’s the sort of asset one doesn’t just give away. There is no question he benefits the team a year from now. The question, however, is could he benefit the team 4 days from now? And if so, to what degree and how?

So to our readers who’ve asked what value Splitter’s rights hold, my answer is a curiosity struck “dunno.” I’d like to think he could command a pick somewhere between 10 and 20, but I also see the world through shades of silver and black.

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/...r-trade-asset/

[kenjie86]

Idol jud kaau ni nko ang spurs pag 2007...