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Just a gut feeling or what's the logic?6 months ago, I was sure at 99.9% that Ian was gone. Now, I gave him a 60% odd of being re-signed by Spurs this summer.
I think we can officially end the Gist hype in 3,2,1...
Just a gut feeling or what's the logic?6 months ago, I was sure at 99.9% that Ian was gone. Now, I gave him a 60% odd of being re-signed by Spurs this summer.
The logic is based on Spurs moves since January:
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...81&postcount=3
And with Bonner sucking, I'm leaning with Spurs re-signing Ian.
Ian is surely disappointed to have played that few minutes this year but his history with Spurs is longer than that.
Spurs offered him guaranteed money with a first round pick and have worked a lot with him overseas and in Austin. Ian seems to also have a good relationship with his teammates.
There are a lot of reasons for Mahinmi to stay in SA if Spurs want him back.
Even with Duncan getting a lot of rest last summer and Pop limiting his RS minutes, he ran out of gas after the ASB. IMO, Pop will limit a lot Tim's minutes next year. 25mpg with no back to back seems realistic.
Dice will be 36 years old and playing his last season. He won't also play a lot of minutes.
The consequence is that a lot of playing time at PF/C will be available. I can see Blair, Splitter and a third player (like Mahinmi) getting all 20mpg during the regular season.
I completely agree, Bruno. Pop's two best rotation big men are going to need rest throughout the regular season which should open up minutes for Ian or whomever replaces him. The Matt Bonner experiment has been a failure, and I really think Pop will/should go with a more traditional front-court. Ian could finally get a real opportunity to play if re-signed, especially if either Bonner or McDyess don't return.
Yep, we'll see.
Last November Ian said that his priority was to re-sign with SA. Maybe it has changed after a year without playing significant minutes, maybe not. I'm also curious to see how much other teams are interested in him.
About the rotation bigs, 2 important things to consider IMO:
1- I don't see Pop abandon "the big who can shoot the 3" tactic. If we consider Tim, Dice, Blair, Splitter and Ian there is no room for this kind of profile therefore we can imagine Tim, Dice, Blair, Splitter and Bonner (or another big shooting the 3).
2- I'm not sure if Dice will play next year, he already said that he is thinking in retirement. If Dice retires Ian chances to be be signed improve a lot.
Globally I'm still puzzled by the way the spurs managed the Ian case: no cheap signing, 0 minute during a long stretch then spot minutes then huge minutes against NJ before the trade deadline then some spot minutes... It's going to be an interesting story during the offseason.
1- Pop doesn't necessarily need to covet a big that can shoot a 3 if he has a big small forward that can spread the floor( Maybe a summer with Chip can get Jefferson's confidence back).
2- Dice didn't say he was going to retire after this year. He said after next season. There's a reason why he signed for 2 years guaranteed last year.
I'm convinced Spurs kind of hid Mahimni hoping to resign him for 800k-1.5 million a year this summer.
Spurs gambled by not exercising Mahimni's option next year worth 1.75 million in hopes on saving Holt money next year. ( Mahimni would have essentially costed Holt 3.5 million if they exercised his option by being over the cap. If Spurs are able to resign him for 800k-1.5 million, they will be saving Holt 500k-2 million dollars.) Smart gamble by San Antonio's front office because Mahimni's market value shouldn't exceed the money he was due to make next year if they exercised the option.
I agree with the Pop doesn't necessarily need to convet a big but the way he insisted with bonner during the RS and the POs the last two years even when Bonner sucked badly (and god knows he can suck badly) make me think he won't abandon this idea. I thought the fact that dice can shoot long 2 JS and RJ capability to score open 3s would be enough to spread the floor in Pop's mind. I was wrong he gave a ton of minutes to Bonner.
Thanks I misread his quote, so Dice will be there next year.
Convincing argument but I can see a team spending more than that for Ian, this kind of athlete is not that comun nowadays, I think another team will throw more money and take the gamble. Anyway I'm convinced Pop will go for a big capable to shoot the 3, so if Splitter comes in assuming Dice will stay, byebye Ian.
Spurs' front-court situation wasn't as deep as it will be next year with Splitter. Spurs had to play Bonner unless you suggest they should have played McDyess and Tim 35 minutes a night in the regular season.
Spurs had to play Bonner. They had no other proven options.
I'm willing to bet you anything Mahimni will be a Spur next year, even if Splitter signs.
Look at last year's market, Channing Frye got 1.9 million and he was a main guy off the Blazers bench and contributed consistently to get them to the playoffs. Mahimni's value shouldn't be higher than Frye's was.IMO
I'll be more than surprised if a team offer's Mahimni half of the MLE.
It has not been the case during the suns serie tough. Dice played less than 20 mpg, maybe he thought Bonner was more mobile to cover the suns 3s or maybe he considers the way Dice and RJ spread the floor was not enough. Nevertheless he tried that 4 games and it didn't work because Bonner is really a liability in POs situation. We will see anyway but I will be likeif Pop hasn't his big who can shoot the 3s (see for instance the haislip experiment)
I really hope you're right, I'd love that to happen. Ian is nice guy kid and has a of potential, lets hope the Spurs will give him a chance.
Every positive thing Ian has shown he's also had a dumb foul or defensive lapse to equalize it out. Unlike Scola, Dragic, Barbosa and the other Spurs blunders - Ian has been under the Spurs umbrella for a while and they have a damn good look on what kind of a quality player they've got. I don't see him sticking around since the Spurs didn't pick up his option and he also won't be getting minutes if the Spurs have Tiago/Duncan/Blair/McDyess and possibly Bonner.
I'm quite reluctant to respond to you cauz you gonna say i'm defending the french guys which is not the case really but come on between the so-called parker's decline and that, it seems we have a different way to look at the bb things.
First Ian is still very young (he has the same age than hill and we know that developing a big is a longer process) and second how can he be consistent if one day he is playing 5 mn, the other 0, the other one 20 mn and then nothing during 1 month etc... ? To contribute he needs time and I think that Pop was too busy by trying to integrate RJ, Blair and Bogans, it doesn't mean Ian is not a quality player.
Anyway, tbh I'm not optimist for Ian, priorities IMO for Pop will be bring Splitter, develop Blair and bring a big with a 3 point range or resign Bonner, not a lot of space for Ian.
Agree on all points.
Ian should be a priority this summer because he could potentially provide some immediate dividends. As Duncan is slowing down, his responsibilities should be offloaded immediately. In fact, the Spurs are about 2 years behind in this transition. Ian already knows the system, he needs "on-the-fly" playing time to fast-track his development. It's time for Pop and the Spurs to stop spoon-feeding this guy and thrust him into the rotation. I, for one, believe he will swim, rather than sink.
Need another reason to resign Ian? Here it is. The Fakers frontcourt depth. If any team is planning on trying to topple them, you're going to need to match their length and depth. You're not going to beat them with a small lineup. That said, a possible frontcourt of Duncan, Dice, Mahinmi, Splitter and Blair will have a far better chance at matching up against those guys.
Regardless of what happens with Splitter, Ian needs to be resigned. His skill set is much more of a necessity to this team.
Bonner, and his playoff failings have become an annual event. Time for him to go.
i say resign ian....hire someone like alonzo mourning some great center as an assistant coach and start mentoring ian....dude has size and his only problems are fouls and turnovers....
Ian's only problems are minutes and trust, and he gets neither with the Spurs.
He'll blow up numbers-wise as soon as he gets an opportunity, and that's still probably not with SA.
Dyess won't get more than 15 minutes a game next year in the regular season.
I'll be surprised if Duncan plays more than 30 minutes a game. I think more around 25-28 mpg for Tim
That leaves around 56-51 minutes available for Splitter/Blair/Mahimni.
That's not including the second of back to backs Duncan or McDyess sits out.
IMO There will be plenty of opportunity for Splitter, Blair, and Mahimni.
I hope Spurs resign him.
My guess is he'll end up signing elsewhere on the cheap and then we'll wonder wtf Pop never played him.
lol it's a nice sumup
Hopefully the Spurs sign him again. If he signs with another team, I'm sure it will be his coming out season. But I hope we see that with the Spurs. I still think he can be an above average player in the league.
As old as this roster is, the objective is to get younger. Pop reiterated as much during exit interviews. That said, you don't accomplish that by jettisoning a young, 23 year-old, athletic center, who has not been given an opportunity to play. The time has come again to purge out older unproductive guys -not young talent.
Invite him to summer league along with some other athletic free agent scrubs like Rod Benson and Kurt Looby and see if Ian can outplay them.
Would it be possible to trade Bonner and RJ since both have expiring contracts? I know RJ is making a buttload of money...so it might be difficult...
Next season I want our bigs to be
C - Splitter, Ian, McDyess
PF - Duncan, Blair, Pittman
McDyess retires after next season, and Duncan in a couple of years.....that leaves us Splitter, Ian, Blair, and Pittman...which is a very nice nucleus of bigs to have.
pittman ing sucks.
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