Reply With Quote
It's odd that would come out. I very rarely read anything about the Spurs in rumor columns, so maybe this has some credibility, but it is HoopsWorld.
Keep in mind, the source isn't the best.
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18276.shtml
Spurs Throw in for Bonzi Wells
By Bill Ingram
for HOOPSWORLD.com
Jul 29, 2006, 14:37
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the San Antonio Spurs' offseason. The first goes something like this: The Spurs, who finished the season at 63-19 with the best record in the Western Conference, should make as few changes as possible. Maybe make a tweak here, a tweak there, and try to duplicate the success of last season. After all, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili are the primary players and as long as they're in place the Spurs will be contenders again in 2006-07.
The second school of thought goes like this: The Dallas Mavericks gave the Spurs a run for their money in the race for the best record in the Western Conference, and may have lost out due to injuries more than anything else. If the Mavs are healthy next season can the Spurs, who ultimately lost to a healthy Mavs team in the playoffs, hope to maintain their advantage in the regular season without making any significant improvements?
I know the Spurs are high on Jackie Butler and Francisco Elson, but from a neutral point of view it's hard to understand where there is any advantage here. Rasho was more expensive, so the Spurs saved some money, but if Popovich is going to try to beat the Mavs at their own game instead of forcing them to play Spurs basketball, the end result will be the same - because Pop won't use these centers, either. Nazr was a much better player than either of the new Spurs' big men, yet he couldn't seem to get playing time under Pop's confusing second round rotation. Frankly, the reason Nazr told HOOPSWORLD that he left San Antonio was because he didn't know for sure that he would have a role. Considering the Spurs had just traded away their only other center, that's a significant statement.
The Spurs have not improved yet this summer, and time is running out. Eric Williams is hardly an impact player. Matt Bonner is a great locker room guy, but does he make you a better team? Doubtful. Michael Finley is a year older, Robert Horry looked a decade older in the playoffs, and the highly-touted Fabricio Oberto seemed to be join the forgotten men (Rasho, Nazr) on the end of the bench. So it's safe to say the Spurs have not yet made any major improvements.
What are they waiting for?
Frankly we do have to give them some credit for trying. Francisco Elson was not their first choice - it's just that Ben Wallace, Alonzo Mourning, and even Joel Przybilla (?) all said no. If the Spurs had managed to lure Wallace or Mourning we wouldn't be having this conversation. Instead we'd be singing the praises of the Spurs' front office and marveling at how they always seem to get the best players and be the odds-on favorite to win it all at the beginning of the season. But that's not where we are.
On Friday we learned that the Spurs have thrown their hat in the race to sign the only remaining big-name free agent: Bonzi Wells. The Spurs know better than any other team what Bonzi's value is, as he was the reason some pundits began predicting a first-round loss for the Spurs. Bonzi was nothing short of a Spurs killer in the first round, averaging 23.2 points, shooting 61% from the field and grabbing 12 rebounds per game.
The Spurs are not the front-runners for Wells, but they are now officially on the radar. The question now becomes whether Wells would rather play with his buddy Jermaine O'Neal in Indiana, as was originally planned, or play for a le in San Antonio, Miami, or Detroit.
The Kings are open to a sign-and-trade, meaning the Spurs could unload some of their redundant talent. Brent Barry's name has been mentioned in almost every trade rumor involving the Spurs, but more recently Oberto and Beno Udrih have been on the table in discussions, as well.
One thing's for sure - the Spurs haven't yet made the deal that makes them better than division rival Dallas. The Mavericks have made some nice upgrades, locked Jason Terry in for the foreseeable future, and had a solid draft. They have not been content to stand pat. There is no question they have improved. It may be that Bonzi Wells is the only way left for the Spurs to keep pace with their Texas Triangle rivals.
It's odd that would come out. I very rarely read anything about the Spurs in rumor columns, so maybe this has some credibility, but it is HoopsWorld.
Last edited by EssaySpur1001; 07-29-2006 at 02:39 PM.
With the source, I highly doubt it.
Call me crazy, I would S&T Barry for Wells though.
Would fix the rebounding problem, and would help in the small ball games against Phoenix and Dallas.
No, it's Hoopsworld.
If it was Hoopshype, it would be more credible.
No way he signs with the Spurs.
I have to disagree with his assesment of Matt Bonner, at least statistically as I can honestly say I've never seen him play, but if you look at his stats and consider the changes we wanted to make, and what we gave up to get him, I consider that trade a pretty good trade for us...
Bonzi????
My only drawback with bonzi is the chemistry with spurs teammates and coaches.
Bonzi as a spur would also be scary for mav fans.
How about Bonzi's less than stellar performance last season (with the exception of the 1st round of the playoffs).
less than stellar? i'm not sure those would be the words i would use to describe his season. he actually had a pretty solid season until the injury that forced him to take some time off.
that said, i think it is highly unlikely bonzi will be in a spurs jersey next season. would be a killer lineup if he did though.
That's what I meant to say. I always get the two mixed up.
Well, if we still had Rasho, he would be almost perfect in a trade for Bonzi.
I don't know what else the Kings would want aside from picks or draft rights. Maybe some of those could be thrown in with Eric Williams and cash to pay part of his salary. Don't know if Bonzi would wait that long and of course we would have to get rid of Barry...maybe another team would have to get involved.
Barry, draft rights to Scola, Oberto
Thats 7.5 million in salary, and rights to a euro star PF that the Kings need.
That would be freaking awesome to get Bonzi, but i doubt it! At least The Spurs are trying!
head-case, quit playing for the Kings, until the very public stage of playoffs vs Spurs, then he showed what he could do in his "contract playoffs".
He's overweight 20 - 30 pounds. At 30, he needs to take weight off his knees, ankles. Losing weight would be a good indication of his commitment and conditioning, if he came.
Did Pop and RC gets stars in their eyes just because of the Bonzi's one-shot playoffs? Do they really think he'll be that effective all year long, or even 75% that good?
He averaged 8 rebounds a game and shot a higher percentage than he had in five years or something.
How is that a bad season?
I'll take his 14p, 8r, 2s per game for just about anyone on the Spurs roster other than the starting 4.
They could pretend Oberto is a center. Maybe.
They already overpaid for a poor man's Barry (!) in Salmons, but it's hard to tell -- maybe Muss would like that versatility.
If he isn't as effective scoring the ball, the one thing he will bring is toughness and rebounding.
Something that the Spurs lack, and something, if they got, would push them BACK past the Mavericks, and back to river barge parades in June.
The Maloofs aren't this stupid. Maybe if Bonzi played for the Knicks.
I think that they would use Barry as that swingable swingman.They already overpaid for a poor man's Barry (!) in Salmons
Point guard, shooting guard, small forward.
Veteran leader, and also good influence among the youngins.
Its a win win trade IMO.
I agree.
I think they can get more for Bonzi than the Spurs have to offer. Unless there's some odd player on the Spurs that the Kings covet for some reason.
It seems tha Maloofs have already given up on signing Bonzi, so now they have to decide if they can get something for him or let him go for nothing. We might be able to throw something together, but I'm sure some other team could too.
Get something for Bonzi boosting the bench with Oberto and Barry, or get jack shnit for him and let him go.The Maloofs aren't this stupid
As Kori and others have said, other teams can throw together much better deals than Oberto & Barry.
Im also sure a team with their MLE would also throw something at him too.
Atlanta has lots of capspace.
Im sure theyd like to have another wing
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
