What do you think the Spurs need for next year, they're so close, I think if they can make just a couple tweaks they could get one more from the "Big 3"

first, if you hate the Spurs be a man & please don't post drivel

secondly, it's June, there's literally nothing of real note happening right now

so moving from that I'm thinking drop Splitter & find a real "force" in the paint with length, athleticism & defense. I'm also thinking Duncan, who's a FA, will sign for cheap to make room for them under the cap, which would be wise on his part.

I know Hughes is out there in FA who can fit some needs & I know they always draft like better than anyone, who else is out there who'd be a good "fit" for what they need do you think?

I honestly think Duncan should retire or come off the bench for 20 minutes or less a game. He just doesn't have the stamina anymore to "impact" the game.

Parker has shown repeatedly that he is not a 4th quarter performer. If you can trade him, I would do it.

Manu always gets hurt.

So, sadly the Spurs are toast. I don't see a smooth transition away from the P/D/G Era to a new era. If you could package Parker with some other guys for a top 5 pick - go for it unless you have some free agents worthy of a look.

Bottom line: Spurs need an athletic defender that can slow down Durant. Could not care less if the guy can't score a point, but holding Durant below his average is job 1. OKC is now the top team in the West and very young.

Just above the bottom line: Need some young guys who can get to the rack and run with OKC's Westbrook and Harden. I'm okay with keeping Ginobili and Parker if no good trades available, but we need a "go to" guy in the last few minutes of the game that can make a shot. Parker stunk in this series and has stunk in all the series we've lost over the years in the playoffs. I think his 11 or so years in the NBA have taken their toll even though he is only around 30 years old (is he 32?).

Need a big power forward to take Duncan's spot and need a shot blocking center that is not inept offensively from 5 feet in to the basket.

So, basically we need two studs that we probably won't get. If the Spurs could trade Leonard, Parker, and Splitter for the #1 overall pick to get Davis from UK. I would do it, but I don't see anyone giving up a top 5 pick for those three players.

wow

dude, I understand the frustration but they're close

just last week they put on one of the best "clinics" seen in years, no, Duncan's not what he once was but he just put up like 25/12 or something like that tonight

I agree they need a defender with length & I'd drop Splitter for him, Hughes from LA is a FA & would be perfect IMO

I also might drop Bohner for some more athleticism, make Green get much better & have more impact, he has a ton of potential, Leonard's a rook right, so he should improve

Did you see the second half of each of the last four games? OKC ran us off the court.

We have to get younger and more athletic to keep up with OKC and keeping Duncan and Parker isn't going to get you over the hump in that regard.

Green disappeared in this series and didn't even play tonight that I could see.

Bonner, Splitter, Stephen Jackson, Green, and Diaw are all expendable in my opinion.

Duncan needs to except a non-starting role. I'm on the fence with Parker. I don't know if he is burned out or just had a bad four games to end the season. I saw him be a little selfish with the ball in the second half when his shot was off. He had at least three kick outs for open threes and he took a challenged shot instead (all misses).

If you can get Davis from UK without giving up everyone, then do it. Duncan needs to retire a Spur, period. I don't know if anyone would want Parker in a trade, but I think he should have pretty high trade value.

We have to be able to match Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and Ibaka - right now, we aren't close to matching that.

honestly buddy, no offense

but it's very difficult to take anything very seriously whatsoever for even using San Antonio & drafting Anthony Davis in the same sentence

Green is young but he's athletic, he has to improve, the Spurs are good at this

I would agree with you on Bonner, Splitter & Diaw

Jackson is a must keep, great role player

like I said, Hughes from LA would be incredible for defense, they're not nearly as far as you think

just substitute guys like Splitter/Diaw/Bonner for some more athleticism & get guys like Leonard & Green to improve

No offense, but you seem to think time stands still.

What did you see from Green that makes you think he is anywhere near the quality of Harden or Westbrook?

Leonard is too young to make a decision on.

So basically, you think that Parker/Duncan/Ginobili is still a viable starting three in the NBA and can labor for 35 minutes a game or more and still be effective in the last minutes of the game.

Seriously, bro. Did you not see us get run out of the building by Durant/Westrbrook/Harden?

Who on our team can run with those three?

Who in the NBA can run with those three? Maybe Miami when healthy? Spurs are good, just need some changes, which is why I'm thankful they have the best front office in basketball

Well, that is the point. If we don't make changes to help slow down OKC then they will keep making these trips to the NBA finals.

They bested us when we had home court advantage, a healthy Duncan and Ginobili, and one of our best teams in years. Yet, we lost.

OKC exposed a big talent, stamina gap that needs to be closed. Obviously, there is only one Durant, but if we can find a Bowen type of defender to get in Durant' s head if possible and hold him down at least a little bit.

Duncan is NOT the answer moving forward. Parker has not taken over enough 4th quarters to earn the right to be "untouchable", but Ginobili is still pretty salty.

You guys have your opinions and I have mine. I also think the Spurs will have a much lower winning percentage next year if they don't make some major improvements.

PS. I hate Matt Bonner. Please do not let him be on the court with a Spurs jersey on ever again!!!!

My God

they were just on a freakin 20 game winning streak through the playoffs & were the Western Conference 1 seed

definitely sounds like they need to tear up the foundation over making some adjustments

Green is athletic, that's what I'm looking at, if you're talking about players who can "run", he can, he just needs to become a better basketball player & the Spurs are great at doing that & not have to put too much on his plate

this ncbid guy is dumbass.

they make it to the western conference finals, have a bad series while simultaneously playing a group that is scorching hot right now, and your retarded ass thinks the spurs need to blow it up?

tony traded? seriously? he's in his prime and he's a top 3-5 PG.

sit duncan? what is he doing that is hurting the team? he's our lockdown interior defender. there are maybe three big men in the league who are better than him down low defensively.

manu can't stay healthy? the dude just played the entire playoffs balls to the wall without a single hint of slowing down. again, he's another top SG in this league, and we get to bring him off the bench.

the spurs lost to a team that can run all day long, hit clutch shots, and had a few suprises. let's give diaw, jackson, and leonard another season to firmly entrench themselves into their roles and see what happens. did you really forget that jackson and diaw didn't have a full season on the spurs? do you really think that's the kind of offense/defense that can be learned overnight?

Stephen Jackson needs to stay on this team even if he rides the pine the entire year. Jack was ballin' last night. Much like other great role players, he seems to rise up to the occasion.

Jack is an incredible player. We need him.

Diaw was inept offensively in crunch time, though he defended fairly well and had some steals. I'd get someone better if I could. Bonner, Splitter, Green, and Neal just disappeared when things got tough.

Why not take another run with them, assuming Duncan wants to return?

There are no guarantees that Russell Westbrook returns to the OKC (although very likely) nor that the Thunder are healthy and as playing as well next year.

And the Spurs just might get better in the off season, especially if Duncan is signed relatively cheaply.

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There are no guarantees that Russell Westbrook returns to the OKC (although very likely) nor that the Thunder are healthy and as playing as well next year.

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Wishful thinking bro...he's locked up long term, sorry.

The Spurs lost this series for a couple reasons. One is that the Thunder are a really freaking good team, and there is no shame in losing to them. Losing in the WCF to a team like that is not a sign that you need to totally rebuild. The second is that the Spurs role players vanished, killing the Spurs' depth.

Must keep:
Duncan: will likely take a pay cut next year, but still a solid starter in the league. Don't forget, he just put up 25 and 14 against one of the best post defenders in the league.
Parker: demands a ton of focus from the defense. Unable to carry the team for 48 minutes from simple exhaustion. That's a depth issue.
Ginobili: Your wildcard and gamechanger. Every team needs a guy like that. He can still take over a game.
Leonard: This is the long, athletic defender the Spurs need. Don't forget, he's still a 20 year old rookie, and he played good defense against Durant... Durant is pretty good at this basketball thing though.
Jackson: You can not measure what Jackson brings to a team. Hopefully he'll take a bit of a paycut on his next contract to stay with the Spurs.
Diaw: Fits into the Spurs offense very well with his versatility. Smart player who can body up strong offensive players.

Expendable:
Splitter: Unless he can make a huge leap defensively, he's a less-talented Scola.
Blair: Nice player to have coming off the end of the bench, but otherwise not really a contributor, and the Spurs have too many posts who can't create a shot or defend the rim.
Green: He could easily progress; he played good defense even when he wasn't hitting his shot. Another year with the Spurs might elevate his offensive game beyond the open corner three. I'm not ready to give up on him, but I think he is replaceable.
Neal: He's good at creating his shot but seems to be a loose cannon on offense, only not as dynamic as Ginobili and not much of a passer or defender.
Patty Mills: Haven't seen much of him. The Spurs need a backup PG, but preferably one more well-rounded than Mills.
Cory Joseph: Looked awful as a rookie last year, no idea if he is going to progress.

Must go:
Bonner: Not a playoff caliber player. Time for him to go.
Anderson: Only plays so Pop can make the point that the regular rotation isn't hustling.

If I could pick the guys who are still here next year, I would probably hang on to all the players from the first category plus Green, Neal, and Splitter (in hopes that he will get his act together; you can't teach 7' tall). They are also bringing over a guy from Europe. That leaves them space for a backup PG and an athletic post in the draft.

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 6/7/2012 9:15a).]

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Wishful thinking bro...he's locked up long term, sorry.

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Not just wishful, but highly wishful.

[This message has been edited by Iowaggie (edited 6/7/2012 9:17a).]

Duncan is still a top 5 center in this league. Suggesting he retires or gets relegated to the bench is laughable. Sure, he can't win games by himself like he used to... but how many players in the league CAN do that?

IMO, they improved this year dramatically in the major areas of need which were youth, athleticism and perimeter length. The weakness exposed in this series is the lack of length and athleticism on the front line. Duncan was the only guy Pop could rely on. Splitter got himself benched but he has promising potential. Blair is a regular season, bench energy player and nothing more.

Of course, the problem is athletic 7-footers don't grow on trees. I don't think they have any big, defensive oriented guys stashed away in Europe. Maybe Orlando would take Blair, Bonner, Splitter and Green for Howard

No need to blow up this team. If it wasn't for craptastic officiating, they'd be playing Game 7 with a chance to goto the Finals. The Spurs need a decent big man who can rebound and defend to help out Duncan.

Will they be a strong contender next season? Sure.
Will they win a championship next year? Doubtful, considering OKC is nowhere near their peak.

They'll need to trade up, but I think the Spurs should focus on drafting a true athlete at post. 6'10 or 6'11 with hops, long arms, and a history of blocking shots. Don't worry about his offensive game. Between Duncan and the coaching staff they can fill in the gaps in his defensive game and teach him enough to contribute a little on offense.

Duncan had 25 and 14. I don't have time to look it up, but I'm pretty sure he averaged a double double. He doesn't need to retire and he doesn't need to come off the bench. We need some more athleticism to go along with him down low. He would be perfect if we had another athletic big, but when you put him next to Splitter, or Blair, or even Diaw, you have no chance against a team like OKC.

So IMO they need something down low. An athletic big, but I don't see where that's going to come from. They need it more for the defensive end than the offensive end.

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We have to get younger and more athletic to keep up with OKC and keeping Duncan and Parker isn't going to get you over the hump in that regard.

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Duncan and Parker aren't the reason they ran them off the court, bud.

I'll have to do some research after work, but it looks like if they can get into about the 20th spot in the first round they might be able to get a shotblocker on the cheap.

I would say trade Duncan while he still has some value and get a solid role player and try to draft a nice PF. The Spurs are known to get good value picks in the draft, they could pull it off again.

^^

wtf are you babbling about?

You don't trade Tim F'n Duncan for a nice role player and a value pick, even now. He's still the most complete player on the team and has skills no one else on the team can match (triple threat from the elbow, back to the basket game, shotblocking).

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 6/7/2012 10:26a).]

how many big men in the league or in the upcoming draft would you take over duncan next year?

serious question. all bull**** aside, he's a top big man overall. you don't have to be 7' 40 inch vertical Ibaka to be a good defender (although ibaka has crazy scary potential)

Duncan is not going anywhere and the Spurs organization owes him this much not to trade him even though his game is declining.

I would go out on a limb and say that either Ginobili or Parker has to go. Why? Well because I don't think the summer will be kind to Tony and I don't think he can be the kind of player that Pop wants him to ultimately be. And they have to get rid of Ginobili because he's inconsistent. He can look like the best player in the league sometimes, but other times he pulls a Houdini and disappears from games. He is also prone to injury which puts the Spurs in a bind to replace his output.

The Spurs do a phenemonal job of finding and developing young talent so they should trade for someone of value or it could be a big man... someone like Joakim Noah or Tyson Chandler who can defend the paint.

I like Leonard, I think he just wasn't ready for primetime but he'll get better.

However, this is the Spurs and their biggest move in a few years(that I remember) has been signing Richard Jefferson. The organization just doesn't trade veteran players very easily which means that everyone will be coming back and they'll probably tweak the roster a bit by waiving either Bonner or Splitter or both and acquiring someone via free agency or draft.

Again, some of you need to grow up. Just because you don't like someone's opinion doesn't mean you need to call them an immature name.

Again: my opinion - Tim Duncan, once great, is on the DECLINE, period. If you are going to rely on him for a full season and post season as a starter and expect him to carry this team as the main man in the paint I think that is an incorrect belief. He can barely jump anymore.

Tony Parker might be great at creating a shot or penetrate the lane, but how many times is he going to miss jump shots and teardrops in the fourth quarter that he makes in the first half? I'm not saying you 'have' to trade him, but if you can't get him some help or "rest" him as some of you suggest without the game getting too far out of hand while he does, then what is the point? He is not a very good on-ball defender either and when he does focus on that he loses his offensive mindset and energy and our scoring suffers.

So all of you who argue adding one or two guys is going to solve the Spurs problem may be right or you may be wrong. Truth is, none of us will know until the end of next season will we.

I say the Spurs (barring major free agent aquisitions) will not finish any higher than a 4th seed for the playoffs. LA will re-tool, OKC, and one other team will all finish ahead of the Spurs next season. And, the Spurs won't make it out of the first round if they finish 4th or worse.

I might be wrong, but again, we'll know in 10 months. I know some of you will do it - but go ahead and book mark it. I'll be happy to admit I was wrong. I just don't trust the age and health of guys like Duncan and Ginobili to hold up an entire season and playoffs without major help from somewhere.

^^^^Lol you're stooopidd!!!!

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He can barely jump anymore.

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Probably not the best indicator of his ability. He couldn't jump when he was 23, either.

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I'm not saying you 'have' to trade him, but if you can't get him some help or "rest" him as some of you suggest without the game getting too far out of hand while he does, then what is the point?

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What point guard could you realistically trade him for?
I dont think Boston would trade Rondo for him. Chris Paul, Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and Deron Williams are out of the question. Doubt Rubio or Wall could come over, or if Pop would want them.

Would you really want to run with Jose Calderon, Mike Conley, Raymond Felton or Ty Lawson at point? Me either.

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I say the Spurs (barring major free agent aquisitions) will not finish any higher than a 4th seed for the playoffs.

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Eh, the Spurs are still a good regular season team. Green, Neal and Diaw are free agents, and with their playoff performances, will probably be cheap.

Plus the MLE. And SJax's 10mm ending contract could be a decent trade chip.

Really though man it's not as easy as you seem to think. First of all there is a zero % chance the spurs will, or can, trade for a top 5 pick. Second you don't find post players on the street that can just come in and carry your team, Duncan may not be elite anymore but he is the spurs best current option. And as far as finding guys to keep up with the likes of Westbrook Harden and Durant, good luck because that's a problem the entire NBA will be facing for the next decade, without much success for that matter. This is real life, not a video game with the fair trade setting turned off

There won't and shouldn't be any major roster overhaul. The Big 3 should remain and I will be disappointed if SJax isn't back. After that, I really don't care as none of these guys have proven to be irreplaceable come playoff time.

It's just like the last several years, your best bet is to hope the big guns stay healthy and that the role players don't disappear in the playoffs.

Even then some good fortune will be needed, as it looks like OKC is going to be the team to beat in the conference for years to come. And you have to figure Miami will keep adding to their mega roster as there will be no shortage of veterans looking to gravy train a title.

I'll be glad with one or two more decent runs, but I don't see the Spurs being serious contenders anymore (of course, I said this before each of the last two years).

I'm still trying to figure out who this Hughes guy is he is speaking of.

Apparently "Hughes" is in LA. The Lakers have Bynum, Gasol, Jordan Hill, Josh McRoberts, and Troy Murphy. The Clippers have Griffin, Jordan, K-Mart, and Trey Thompkins.

There are currently no players with the last name Hughes in the NBA. Does he mean Jordan Hill?

[This message has been edited by Ulrich (edited 6/7/2012 3:22p).]

Maybe he's breaking the Larry Hughes comeback story.