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Bruce Bowen signs with Spurs

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by RocksMillenium, Jul 31, 2001.

  1. RocksMillenium

    RocksMillenium Contributing Member

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    VERY good signing for the Spurs. He is an athletic defensive wing player who shoots over 30% from 3pt range. He'll fit in perfectly at SF.

    http://espn.go.com/nba/news/2001/0731/1233390.html

    SAN ANTONIO -- Small forward Bruce Bowen signed with the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, but it still wasn't clear if he would be Sean Elliott's teammate or replacement.

    Elliott, who came back last year from a kidney transplant, hasn't said yet if he will return for another season. He hinted that he might retire after the Spurs were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals last season.

    "Sean and I have spoken several times and at this point in time, Sean is weighing all of his options and trying to decide if he wants to play again," Spurs coach and general manager Gregg Popovich said. "Personally, I think he's leaning towards trying to play, but he has not said that to me. That's just my own personal feeling."

    Elliott, the 33-year-old forward, was plagued by a knee injury last season. He hasn't given any public indication of what he will do.

    In Bowen, the Spurs get a 6-foot-7 free agent who played for the Miami Heat last season and has established himself as one of the NBA's best defensive players.

    Bowen, one of several free agents who left the Heat during the summer after Miami was beaten in the playoffs by a lower-seeded team for the fourth straight season, averaged 7.6 points, 3 rebounds, 1.6 assists last year. He appeared in 82 games and started 72. He made 33 percent of his 3-pointers, ranking second on the Heat.

    "He brings something we really needed to get back on our team -- a guy that can go out and stop people the way Sean Elliott has done for so many years. So Bruce is a big addition for us," Popovich said. "He's a big-time defender. On offense, what Bruce is going to bring us is someone who can spread the court adequately."

    The Spurs previously added shooting guard Steve Smith, who was attained in a trade with Portland for disgruntled guard Derek Anderson and Steve Kerr. San Antonio had already re-signed David Robinson.



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  2. SteveFrancis3

    SteveFrancis3 Contributing Member

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    I agree this is a great acquistion for them. Bowen is a big improvement at SF over Ferry.

    [This message has been edited by SteveFrancis3 (edited August 01, 2001).]
     
  3. LAfadeaway33

    LAfadeaway33 Member

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    This is a lot like when the Spurs signed Mario Elie and if things go as well as they did when they signed Elie, we might be lookin at our '01-'02 world champions in the San Antonio Spurs.

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  4. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    They have no chance.

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  5. RocksMillenium

    RocksMillenium Contributing Member

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    I think the Spurs are more then capable of beating the Lakers as long as they get their heads on straight.

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  6. Desert Scar

    Desert Scar Contributing Member

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    A solid signing, but not one to get them over the top. Bowen did nothing defensely or offensively when he team got scorched by guards and a SF with his teams season on the line. Bowen is a fine back-up over the course of a season, but you hate to try to further your standing as an elite team by starting him though.
     
  7. Desert Scar

    Desert Scar Contributing Member

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    The Spurs will have a good defense, but let's not get carried away here. I would take Hakeem, Thorpe and Horry in a millisecond over those guys. I'd take Verson and Kenny over Smith and AD too, because two of them suck and Vernon was wicked on D. The Spurs 99 team with DR, TD, Elliot, Elie & AJ was a better defesive team to. Bowen may be good defensively but he is no Elliot, D Rob was younger, and Mario and Smith are from different planets defensively.

    Also, Mashburn was a huge problem for the Heat, Bowen did nothing versus him. And it is not like Mashburn is a great player or unstoppable player by any stretch. Bowen's 25% 3 and 32% FG didn't help the matters either, which is probably why he didn't get all that much PT.

    Again, it is a good signing under the circumstance, but you hate to got to war with this guy as a starter. I don't like the Spurs chances for making it through the West if they have to start AD and Bowen for offensive reasons, even if the team might be able to cover Snith's weaknesses on D.
     
  8. MrSpur

    MrSpur Member

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    Damn. Spurs have to have AD in their lineup. He can't score. Spurs have to add a second team All-NBA Defense member to their starting lineup. Oh no.


    [This message has been edited by MrSpur (edited August 01, 2001).]
     
  9. haven

    haven Member

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    Gee, the Spurs just signed Shandon Anderson with even less offense. I'm shaking in fear, now.

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  10. MrSpur

    MrSpur Member

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    ?



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  11. MrSpur

    MrSpur Member

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    The same was said in '99.



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  12. Shandon Anversen

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    ah, yes.

    the famed *Championship.

    quite impressive [​IMG]

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    shandn has no "o" & neither does bruce bwen.
     
  13. MrSpur

    MrSpur Member

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    Bowen's role in SA is defense. As for his
    placement in the starting lineup, so what?
    The last time I checked you don't need an
    all-star at every spot in your starting
    lineup to win a title.

    So Bowen is the 5th option offensively.
    Good. Free agents who have joined the Spurs
    in previous offseasons have seen their
    shooting averages improve once they came to
    SA...namely DA, whose 3point% jumped by 9%,
    on more attempts.

    Bowen's a spot up shooter, that fits well
    within the SA offense.

    The main void right now is a backup center
    and perhaps a scorer off the bench would be
    nice.

    Philly gets so much hype because of Mutombo,
    yet SA has two top defensive bigmen of their
    own. The Sixers deserve credit for their
    efforts versus LA, but I just don't see a
    Spurs team that is replacing Porter/DA/Ferry
    in the starting lineup with AD/SSmith/Bowen
    and retaining Porter/DFerry for bench duty
    as regressing, or even falling behind the
    Sixers.

    It'll be interesting to see how the rules
    changes play out. It's not just the
    elimination of the standard illegal D, it's
    also the elimination/easing of the
    handcheck/touch foul rules of the last 2
    seasons. Whatever the NBA's motive for
    the rule changes, defense just increased in
    its significance again, whereas 2 years ago
    offense did.

    Having 2 shotblockers who can play closer to
    the basket now than ever will be an
    overlooked plus for the Spurs.

    DA's athleticism will be missed, but his
    shot selection won't. Athletes are never
    bad to have in the NBA, but will a cutter be
    as effective against defenses that don't
    have to spread the floor as much because of
    the threat of illegal D calls?

    We'll see what happens. LA is the team to
    beat until proven otherwise, but the Spurs
    have definitely improved this summer, and
    have gotten an extra boost with the rules
    changes.

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  14. MrSpur

    MrSpur Member

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    Wow. Now that is really an impressive take. You have really been a positive contributor to the discussion.



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  15. MrSpur

    MrSpur Member

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    [​IMG]


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  16. RocksMillenium

    RocksMillenium Contributing Member

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    Bowen is a much better roleplayer then Shandon Anderson. He is capable of scoring more, is a better shooter, and is just as good a defender. He is pretty much a Mario Elie-type player. I'm kind of shocked though that Rocket fans would call someone else's championships an asterick championship considering what we have gone through for years.

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  17. tacoma park legend

    tacoma park legend Contributing Member

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    Bruce Bowen is not a good basketball player.

    Isn't it fitting that he's now considered a 'defensive specialist' after playing with a very good frontline, and coincidentally, a team whose man to man defense is in actuallity a zone.

    Ugh, now you could make a case that he'll be equally effective defensively with the inception of the new rules, and perhaps even better now that he'll be playing with the twin towers, but I don't buy it.

    I'll concede the fact that he's a great on the ball defender... not so sure about team defense, though with the Spurs, even Ferry looked to be a decent defender. Playing with Robinson and Duncan will create that illusion.

    Let me throw out some career stats on Bruce Bowen...
    free throw%:60%
    fg%:37% This is a horrible number no matter how you twist the facts.
    ppg:5.1, with his career year being a 7.6 per game explosion.

    I don't buy into the theory that he's a set shooter. Bruce Bowen is, overall, a horrible shooter with an ugly release.

    Bowen can fit into the Spurs system, and probably fare quite well, but he will still be the weak spot in your starting lineup, without question.


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    [This message has been edited by tacoma park legend (edited August 01, 2001).]
     
  18. TheFreak

    TheFreak Contributing Member

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    If Ron Harper can start for multiple championship teams in his mid -to- late 30s, Bowen sure as heck can. How can you say that DA/Ferry is a better 2-3 combo than Smith/Bowen? Ferry is crap. I had no idea Bowen was all-NBA defensively either. Wow.

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  19. Shandon Anversen

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    Mr Spur,

    thank you for reposting my post for me, i guess...


    now can you tell me where i lied in the quote you reposted?? where was i misleading?

    bruce bowen - ACCORDING TO HIS AGENT - was not a "lock". plain and simple.
     
  20. Shandon Anversen

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    now that he's signed, big whoop. congratulations, i guess.


    either way, i'll be enjoying those 2 seats after this season !!! [​IMG]
     

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