To win titles SA must beat the LAL with a supposedly rejuvinated Shaq.... the rest will take care of itself. Does J-Kidd help to beat the LAL ....NO........ does JO help to beat the LAL ......... NO........ does Miller help to beat the LAL........NO. To beat the LAL someone must slow Kobe......Bowen. Check! To beat the LAL someone...other than TD... must take Shaq one on one and slow him.....Miller...ROTFLMAO!.....JO.....ROTFLMAO!!! No, only Kandi is available t do that job.....Kandi. Check! To beat the LAL someone must knock down wide open 3s and make FTs........Piakowski. Check! 8M or so for Kandi and 2.5M or so for Pike.....not glamourous, but what TD and SA need.......unless the NBA will start playing with 2 balls.
I think this is right on. The Spurs should be thinking of adding the guy that will help them for 5+ years--this is there chance to add a major piece for free or low price in terms of their actual assets. If I am them: I go for long term deals with Kidd (decent chance), than Oneal (slim chance), than Brand (slim chance), than Brad Miller (good chance), and than Arenas (for some reason they have little interest--personally I think he is better and has a higher upside than either Parker or Manu, and Arenas can probably play either gaurd spot). After these guys, it gets very risky signing players to long term deals. I would NOT spend like 8K for Kandi or Odom--Kandi's offense is fairly poor and his work ethic questioned. Brad Miller seems to be a much better 'team guy' than Kandi, with better offense--for a similar price. Also, you really don't know what you are getting with Odom as well. Odom doesn't shoot that well nor is much of a defender--and given the Spurs have TD to run the offense through what Odom does best (point forward) may not mesh well with the Spurs dump it down and spot up offense. Instead of Odom and Kandi with long term deals at like 16 mil--I think if they would be smarter if they miss out on the first group they are smarter to get say Rasha and Maggette for like 12 mil. Regardless, with standard increasing contracts, TD's max contract on the books soon, and non standard increases (resigning SJ)--the Spurs IMO need to assume this summer is the last major move to keep themin titled contention for at least 5 years. They need to sign young or mid-career guys to play along with Duncan.
Ho hum, so much for the Parker-Kidd backcourt... Parker Doesn't Welcome Nets' Kidd By LIZ ROBBINS hile Jason Kidd visited San Antonio yesterday in his first free-agent recruiting trip, Tony Parker, the Spurs' point guard, was vacationing in the Bahamas, wondering if he would be left out in the cold next season. Parker recently told his friends, family and teammates that he did not want to take a back seat to Kidd in the backcourt, a person briefed on Parker's stance said. If the Spurs choose to spend their free-agent money, close to $16 million, on Kidd and not on a forward like Jermaine O'Neal or Elton Brand, then Parker will consider asking for a trade, he recently told Spurs officials. With no disrespect intended toward Kidd, considered the league's top point guard, Parker, who has played the position since learning the game in France, told people close to him that he wanted to run his own team. "He loves San Antonio and would love to finish his career there," the person said. "But he feels like he's a point guard and doesn't want to play a two-guard position. Nor does he want to play a backup to a player he won a championship against. "He's made it clear to the team that if they choose to do that, he would want to be playing elsewhere." A Spurs spokesman said the team would not comment until July 16, the first day free agents can sign contracts. Parker's agent, Marc Fleisher, said he would not comment. Parker, 21, just finished his second season as the Spurs' point guard. He has two more years on his rookie contract and will make $713,500 next season. Entering free agency, the Spurs' plan in recruiting Kidd was to play him and Parker in the backcourt. But their games do not seem to complement each other as would a point guard's and a shooting guard's. Neither Kidd, 30, nor Parker is a tremendous shooter. Parker's strength is driving to the basket, and he has developed a symbiosis with Tim Duncan on the pick and roll. Kidd is a pure point guard, whose strengths are running the fast break, rebounding and passing. If the Spurs were to sign Kidd to the maximum contract, his starting salary would be about $12.6 million. If he and Parker were to split the guard duties, it could hinder the development of Manu Ginóbili, a 25-year-old rookie shooting guard from Argentina, who played more consistently than Parker in the finals. Parker told friends and family about a recent conversation with Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich. Parker told them that Popovich envisioned Parker and Kidd in the backcourt together. Parker was displeased and went back to Spurs officials. An ESPN report yesterday said that Popovich flew to New Jersey last week to speak with Kidd and his wife, Joumana, and a person with knowledge of the recruiting confirmed that. Popovich was believed to have had dinner with the Kidds in San Antonio last night. Tim Duncan was out of town last night but returning today. Kidd will most likely play golf today and meet with Spurs officials. A call to Kidd's agent, Jeff Schwartz, was not returned. NY Times
Agree with you on Piatkowski but disagree on the Kandi/Miller postulate. Miller is 10 times the player Kandi is and has a better work ethic. IHe's a better scorer and a better help defender. As long as the referees allow Shaq that offensive charge he uses to score 80% of his baskets, no center (not even Ming) can stop him. Miller is by far the better choice. IMO Hottoddie is correct. The Spurs will be better off adding two strong role players (Miller and Piatkowski?) rather than one superstar (Kidd).
Better scorer???.....like I said ....Looking for a go to guy????....better worker???.....ESPN BS......Help defender???.....we are talking about slowing shaq....not helping on Fox......not even Ming????.....Kandi is about 2 times the defender Ming is.......Like I said Kandi Helps beat the LAL better than any other FA.....if you are just looking for regular season Ws..get the #1 seed and lose to the LAL in the POs....yeah Miller helps beat NJ, IND, DAL, SAC......but, facts are facts......Kandi is the only FA that helps TD and SA beat the LAL.
Maybe once every 10 years you get the flexibility to go out and sign a top-tier free agent like Kidd or J. Oneal - in that scenario, you ALWAYS go out and get that guy. You can get mid-level free agents anytime using the MLE - go get a James Posey next year or the year after. Worst case scenario, the chemistry doesn't work and you can trade Kidd or O'Neal for all sorts of stuff -- middle-level players, older stars, rookies, whatever. That's a luxury you rarely ever get.
Kandi thinks he's getting near max money & the ball. He isn't going to see the ball at all. Which is why they need a 5 that hits midrange jump shots. That's Miller. Kandi wants the ball on the block, it'll never come back out & he wants to shot his hook shot. Why do that when you have Duncan? It isn't that Miller's offense is better just that it fits their needs more. Also Kandi is stronger but not a better defender than Miller. He takes every other possession off & if he where a Spur w/no touches I imagine that he'd be taking even more possessions off.
Nobody is successful trying to physically match Oneal. The players that bother Oneal more are dirtier, fiestier, more savvy, and have some finese to their games. Brad Miller would be far more effective than Kandi at bothering Oneal at both ends IMO. Major is right, you have the chance at the great player you go for it. You can always use future MCE's for a Piatowski, Posey, etc. Now if they do miss on the true superstars, going for players who are not superstars but will cost well more than the MCE to get does makes sense--Brad Miller (if not him than Kandi or Rasha--whoever wiull sign for cheaper) + a guard (Arenas & Maggette would be my targets). Given I am a Rocket fan I would be thrilled if SA only landed MCE level talent this offseason--but I highly doubt they don't at least land a Brad Miller, Arenas or Maggette caliber talent. Please, nobody remind Tony Parker how badly he was abused by Marbury and how often his back-ups saved his bacon this playoffs. Talk about a guy with a big head and inflated perception about his abilities--I guess his time in America has rubbed off
Nah, that is because he is French...they always think that they are more important then they really are.
Well, with all the major FA's verbally committed to other teams (& assuming they honor their committments), my idea doesn't look so bad now, does it? I guess that San Antonio's moves will depend on what Brand decides to do. If he signs a 1 year deal with the Clippers, then the Spurs might hang onto their cap space till next year. However, don't forget that Miami might do the same thing. Since, some are opposed to the idea of signing Posey, then I guess a combination of Jackson/Bowen would be more than adequate. However, I would still make a serious offer to Odom & force Sterling to make a committment. If I fail to land Odom, I'd make a one year offer to (Ohhhh, this hurts me to say) Pippen. He's up there in age, but he's still a very effective SF. With the exception of Duncan, Miller, Odom, Jackson, & possibly Claxton, I'd try to offer everyone else just a one year contract. Again, if all goes well, the new look Spurs will be: C: Miller/Campbell/Bateer(IL) PF: Duncan/Coleman/Rose SF: Odom or Pippen/Jackson/Bowen SG: Ginobili/Piatkowski/Kerr or Smith (IL) PG: Parker/Armstrong or Lue/Claxton D*mn, that team looks even better. It might even give a team of..... C: Shaq/Medvedenko PF: Malone/Cook SF: Fox/George/Walton SG: Kobe/Rush PG: Payton/Fisher/Pargo .....a run for their money.
Spurs are looking at a big and a perimeter player now. I'd be surprised if they attempted to 'save' some of their cap flexibility now. That's not an easy proposition given that Jack will be re-signed this summer (Early Bird FA).
