You missed Fab. We have him for 2 more years.

Can’t sleep after this loss, so here’s my quick take:
- Number 1 need, a scoring #2/#3 spot, need to replace Fin with a playa, take some heat off Manu.
- Number 2 need, some bigs at #4/#5 spot, Kurt Thomas is solid, Fab just can’t play at this level, wished we had kept Nesterovic, Timmy needs some serious help in the paint.
- Number 3 need, a back-up PG who can score, maybe Jacques can improve his offense and develop into this role, maybe Stoudemire would like to make this work and we just didn’t give him a chance to show it, or maybe we need to get rid of both of them, wished we had kept Udrih here.
- KEEP TP, Timmy, Bruce and Bones. Maybe keep Kurt too. Horry & Fin are gone for sure. Everyone else, including Manu, should be on the block. We have lots of money coming free this year and next, and supposedly 2010 is a big free agent class, so this might be a 2-year rebuild. At which point, Timmy, Bruce and Bones may be too old to go the distance, so here’s to hoping we can make some good moves this offseason. Go Spurs!

Fin, RoHo will be gone for sure… really, they were the only guys that seemed like they actually made us more likely to lose any game in which they played. They seemed ultra intent on proving everyone who thought they were past their prime wrong. I’m actually surprised that neither of them retired last year, and went out on top.

I have to say that I actually like JV, because he never tries to do anything he shouldn’t be doing, unlike the two above (and Mighty Mouse…who was a flat bust). He’ll likely be back, if only for that one thing, which I’m sure is a Pop favorite.

As far as the big man situation goes, I’m not really sure we’ll look. Obviously the Splitter situation appears to be in limbo, but I think that the way it turns out may be a blessing in disguise. Ian Mahinmi should add some much needed energy off the bench (something we lacked down the stretch). I’m sure that Buford and Pop will find something they like, and they probably know more than we.

All in all, I feel like we’ll be right back in it next year. The core guys will still be there, and there will be some new faces here to keep the wheels spinning. We’ll be fine… Great season, fellas.

I don’t know about the draft, I think it’s impossible now to know which players are going to be available that late in the first round, but I would actually be OK to see them pick a prospect only to let him develop overseas.
That’s because the Spurs should have more than 12 milions coming off the books next season, and even if, say, Vaughn and Thomas remained, they should have plenty of room to put a couple of very good free agents under contract.
There’s no way to tell what Buford and Pop will decide to do, but they have enough flexibility to build a champinship caliber team around the big three.

It would be great, in my opinion: he could be a great replacement for Finley, younger and a much better shooter (50% FG this year).
But he’s not a free agent, it seems, so the Spurs would have to trade for him, and he made 8+ millions this season.

Bonner 28
Udoka 30
Vaughn 33
Oberto 34
Stoudamire 34
Finley 35
Thomas 35
Bowen 36
Barry 36
Horry 38

We have got to draft a young big man, specifically one that can play right away.

OK here’s my projection (OK wish, but within the realm of possibilities) for how it turns out:

(Assuming we have ~12 million in cap space)

Sign Josh Childress to a 4-5 year deal worth 8 million per year. He is the long, athletic 3 that we have been coveting for so many years. He shot 57% off the bench last season, can rebound, defend and drain the three. Also he is a solid citizen who is highly coachable. He is a perfect fit for the Spurs.

Sign Carlos Arroyo to a 3-4 year deal worth 4 million per year. This guy is a good scorer, good free-throw shooter, and a decent ball distributer. His defense is just average, but he is not terrible like Steve Nash, and the Spurs system will benefit his defensive game. He is another international player and Spanish speaker who would probably be right at home on the Spurs. You wouldn’t have to suck in your breath every time he shoots or drives as you do with JV.

Re-sign KT to a minimum contract for 2 years. Now maybe he will try and get our (or someone else’s) MLE, but I am thinking that since he is up there in years he might not be worth that much on the market. If not the minimum, then maybe use half the MLE on a 2 year contract, just enough time until Splitter joins the team.

Draft

1st round pick (#26). I would like to get Chris Douglas-Roberts (6’7” SF of Memphis). Though he is unorthodox he certainly can score and he is a decent defender. Plus one scout says he looks like he is 60 years old with his awkward hunched-over playing style. This is a guy who is young, but looks ancient on the floor. A perfect Spur. I don’t think he will fall that far so the Spurs will likely take (6’5” SG) J.R. Giddens, or (6’5” SG) Courtney Lee. I would take Giddens out of those two due to his off the charts athleticism, long arms and tenacious defense (but I wouldn’t mind Lee).

2nd round picks (#15 and #27) If it looks like we can get Giddens here or with someone else’s earlier 2nd round pick by trade, then maybe we trade down and get a future pick (or probably cash, blehhh). If not then I think these picks have foreigner written all over them. If the Spurs sign their free agents properly, then they won’t have space for a couple of extra second rounders. Draftexpress thinks we’ll get Plaisted and then Hairston. Plaisted isn’t going to be getting any time on the Spurs roster any time soon, so that would be a waste. Do we really need a less polished version of Micheal Doleac? I think not. Hairston, a 6’6” SF might be OK to take at that point, but he might not even survive the summer league. Apparently he has been impressing in the pre-draft camps so he could be worth a flyer this late in the draft.

So I would see our roster shaping up as:

1: Tony, Arroyo, JV
2: Manu, Barry, Giddens
3: Bowen, Childress, Udoka
4: Duncan, Ian, Bonner
5: KT, Oberto

Even without Splitter that will be an upgrade over this season. First of all, we will no longer be saddled with the all around horrid play of Robert Horry. Also, Finley’s minutes would be replaced by minutes from Barry, Childress, and Udoka, and that is clearly a step up. Giddens will also be available in case he shows that he is ready to play the NBA game (and he is a 5th year senior so he has plenty of experience).

We will have another wing defender to go along with Bowen and Udoka, but Childress is a greater offensive threat than both of them, and he is the kind of versatile long defender we can use to guard 3 or 4 positions.

Hopefully Ian will grow up fast, but if it is rough for him, we can lean on Bonner, who as we all know could not possibly play worse than Horry did this season. At the very least we will have an upgrade in athleticism at this position, and that will be exciting to watch.

We will be greatly increasing our productivity from the backup point guard spot, and that will be huge. It will help us rest Tony more during the regular season and will prevent teams from going on huge runs when JV is running the show.

The center spot would be virtually the same (just another year of age on them), but that should be OK. We haven’t asked a center to do much for quite some time now.

“So I would see our roster shaping up as:

1: Tony, Arroyo, JV
2: Manu, Barry, Giddens
3: Bowen, Childress, Udoka
4: Duncan, Ian, Bonner
5: KT, Oberto”

I think that Udoka will be a X factor of where he comes from the bench. He can also replace Manu when Barry isn’t 100%, and can stand it for KT/Oberto on some nights we are facing the East teams—teams with no true center/post presence. He has earned that much with his stellar play this postseason….I think he was the reason we won those games other than Manu being Manu. Udoka played outta his friggin’ mind. No point of him being a 3rd stringer….

I hope the Chris Douglas Roberts somehow slides to the Spurs in the draft. I doubt it happens, but man that would be a steal.

I haven’t given this enough thought for a rational post. That said, the role players I want to see back next year are KT, Udoka and Barry.

And please oh please, let’s send Horry and Finley home.