Let’s bring on the OffSeason.

I think draftexpress or maybe nbadraft.net had the Spurs taking Roy Hibbert with the 26th, just missing out on CDR and passing on Chalmers. So that would help with the low post scoring, not so much on defense, however.

I just dont think they can roll out the same 8-9 man rotation and expect different results, they just cant keep up anymore, and the West is loaded as always, bynum will be back, Oden will be joining a fearsome portland team….so the Spurs have got to do something to address the points you laid out.

My dream sequence: Trade up to the end of the lottery/and or the 15-17 range to get Donte Greene, hes a long term project, but hes athletic/long/quick enough to help to some degree right away.

More likely would be getting someone like courtney lee in the first, and maybe a bruiser of sorts with the second pick, then someone from some obscur eastern european nation with the last pick.

But I just shot myself in the dick reading how delusional you are. Anytime the words “Vaughn” or “Finley” were in the same sentence as “guys who might work,” I reloaded.

We need help. Everywhere. If I was an elderly couple in the Midwest and you were a traveling salesman, I would have just bought the 2008-09 San Antonio SPURS. But I’m not Mr. and Mrs. Robert Horry, I’m not a believer that we’re going to win without shedding dead weight, and I’m far more concerned than you seem to be.

I don’t think we need massive changes either (Redd, etc.), but definately think we need to be shedding some role players. In my ideal world RoHo, Fiiiinnnnnnndddddoooooogggg (don’t worry, we’ll find another player whose name lends itself to cool chants) and Jacque need to go. At all costs. Even if we pay Vaughn to leave. We could package him in a deal for a big with the pick, but only if we’re aggressively courting free agents to counter the draft loss. I’m fine with Bones and Bruce, but in gradually lesser roles. We need youth and athleticism, and I’m hoping the draft provides. I’m with Michael on Azuwhatever, and I like Childress for our system too. If we virtually stand pat, we’re not going to get through the 2nd round this year.

Why are we not talking about Okafur? CMoney and I have had many discussions about this, and I just don’t see how picking up Azuwhatever and Okafur and a solid developed draft pick wouldn’t be the wisest (and dreamiest) way to go. Plus it would give us complete control over the category, “Teams With Unpronouncable Names.”

All that said, it’s great to see you back. I’ve had a mojo candle lit all this time in the hope that you wouldn’t tarry, and now I can extinguish it.

Please please please :p You are correct in the case though, that we are having pipe-dreams regarding people in the 8 mil + range. That would require trading someone(s) with equal cap space, and no one would take a combo of Bonner/Vaughn etc. for someone of Redd’s or Brand’s, or even Okafor’s caliber.

From what I’ve heard, they are resigning Finley, but letting Horry go. So at least 1 of 2 that we asked for has happened, to this extent. Bowen’s key to longevity is probably simple…he never has had to work on offense, just defense. Having to work on offense all the time really tires you out more, since you have to go non-stop until you get to the basket or create…just look at Kobe in the Finals. By Game 5/6, he was really tired going into the 2nd half, and it really showed. Udoka might be 31 this year, but he’s 7 years younger than Bowen, and if they work him in the same way, he can last just as long and be just as great :)

Yes I know that the Lakers get Bynum back next year, and that might help them in banging down low, but they are S-O-F-T inside period, and no one knows how truely bad that knee injury was to him, it kept him out 3/4ths of the year. An injury like that can really screw up a player…not to mention that I do feel kinda sorry for the kid, I mean think about it—he’s thier “savior”, they guy that they will win a title with, supposedly. Yikes.

Anyways, my point is this, and I said it in another post….the Spurs had injury upon injury…Duncan was out, Parker, Ginobili, sometimes 2 of the 3 would miss significant games-remember Dallas and Utah when Ginobili went Ape-Snot? Finley was hurt, Barry was lost for 3/4th’s of the year, Bowen was out a few games…I think the only people that played the whole year from start to finish were Udoka and Oberto. AND YET, the Spurs were ONE game out of the top seed in the most competitive Western Conference in history, and went all the way to the WCF before the injuries became too much. That is how talented this team really is….and how good it is already. Seriously-remember back to last year with NO - Paul, West, and Peja all missed some games…it cost them 20 games and a shot at the post season. Dallas had some injuries this year (Dirk, etc.) and they went from having a shot at the first seed to barely making the playoffs. LA—Bynum went down….they had EVERYONE ELSE in that team, fully healthy, and yet thier season was lost, and they were going to barely make the playoffs.

All the Spurs need is some minor tooling, a bit younger options in places so that when the inevitable injury/quick turnaround happens they have some fresher legs, and the 09’ title is thiers to lose, not Bostons. And remember, we are 3-0 in odd years after winning a title!!

:D

Mid-level exception

A team is allowed to sign one player to a contract equal to the average NBA salary, even if the team is over the salary cap already, or if the signing would put them over the cap. This is known as the Mid-level exception. The Mid-Level Exception for the 2007-08 NBA season is $5.36 million. Only teams that are over the Salary Cap can use the mid-level exception to sign free agents.

An example would be the Detroit Pistons’ acquisition of forward Antonio McDyess during the 2004 off-season.

—SO—the Spurs would have to fill thier cap space already (if they have about 55 mil, the cap this last year was 59, it is expected to be around 62-63 mil for 08-09). Then they can use the full MLE.

Also : Luxury Tax—

According to the NBA, using the 05-06 Knicks as an example : While most NBA teams hold contracts valued in excess of the salary cap, few teams have payrolls at luxury tax levels. The tax threshold in 2005-06 was $61.7 million dollars. In 2005-06, the New York Knicks’ payroll was $124 million, putting them $74.5 million above the salary cap, and $62.3 million above the tax line, which Knicks owner James Dolan paid to the league.

The salary cap in 05-06 was 49.5 mil, which means that there is a “cushion” of about 12 million dollars that the team can go over before engaging the luxury tax. I put this in simply because when considering contracts, we know the Spurs won’t go above that thresh-hold, but it is good to know kinda what it is. So if the salary cap for 08-09 will be around 60 mil, we figure that the luxury tax area will be around 72 mil. With the Spurs at 55 mil, that leaves roughly 17 million total to play with.

I’m not a math genius, nor do I know really why I am putting this all out there with the exception that I hope this clears up some confusion regarding how the Spurs can use the MLE, and where they absolutely won’t go as well as give you guys some more “food for thought” when thinking about who the Spurs should get. It’s 1:30 AM and I’m actually tired, so right now I don’t know who they should go after….if they stayed healthy this year, the title would be thiers….end of story. So I don’t know (again) who can really fix it or what….I just have faith in RC/Pop to do it, and celebrate #5 next year :)

I don’t really follow the other NBA teams either. All I see of other teams players are those we happen to be playing against. That being said, GREAT POST. I agree with pretty much everything you said. The only thing that didn’t jive with me was Fin Dog still being a viable option. I’ve always liked him, even when my buddies didn’t, so everytime he had a good night I’d let them know it. Although not as far gone as Horry, he’ll be catching up with Big Gut sooner rather than later. Too bad. I do think with some draft day luck we could land an international gem that could provide nearly as much (3pt shooting/some D) with alot more upside. And your absolutely right, RC and Pop are in it to win NOW. The window for this particular group is starting to close and any drastic changes WON’T be happening. I think yours and SiMAS dicks will both be bullet free

Findawg plays some defense? Ahem. Is he really expected to rejoin the Spurs? Where are we getting this from? Is the source that other post on this blog? Knowing Pop, it wouldn’t surprise me, but it also wouldn’t surprise me if he realized that he now has the ability to atone for the Jaren Jackson re-signing. Finley is a free agent. The Spurs organization has no obligation to him…let him walk!

I disagree with the prioritization of needs for the team. I also think that some of those needs can be met by the same player. I think the highest priority should be an athletic wing who plays defense. If we can somehow pick up J-Chill with the MLE (please just let him leave Atlanta, you don’t need him since you have 4 other guys on the team just like him), then our off-season will have been an utter success. He could meet needs 3, 4, and 6 on his own, and if we go with a small lineup, could even handle need 2 (a need that I find somewhat questionable anyway).

As for a post banger, with Splitter’s no-show, that job falls neatly to KT. I could see some team like Dallas trying to drive up his price, but at his age he is probably only worth a couple of million per year. He really likes the Spurs organization, and is not poor at this point in his career. He might even sign on for the veteran’s minimum for a shot at a championship with the Spurs.

We do indeed need a backup PG. My top choice who I think might be possible is Carlos Arroyo. We might just be under the cap by a few million to allow the Spurs to sign him as a free agent. Then again, I might be underrating his salary potential.

For the draft, I really hope the Spurs manage to get Chris Douglas-Roberts in round one. I am not really sold on Hibbert. He could easily be a stiff at the next level. Do you covet David Harrison? If so, Hibbert is your man. In round 2 I hope the Spurs take J.R. Giddens, and some unknown foreign player who will probably never suit up in silver and black.

Ideal roster next season:

1: Tony, Arroyo, Vaughn
2: Manu, Bones, Giddens
3: Bowen, Childress, Udoka
4: Duncan, Mahinmi
5: KT, Oberto, Bonner

Udoka no matter how crazy it sounds is Bowen’s successor. He plays good defense and needs to learn to commit less fouls.

We need a backup for Manu a young drafted guard or Azubuike.

Parker Vaughn and Barry can survive us one more year. We can also draft a PG to shelve till Barry and Jacque are gone.

Duncan, Miahmini, Kurt, Oberto, and Bonner.

Wait till 2010 to make the big splash and we should be good from then on out. Would i like a title next year of course. But do i expect one? No. I know Timmy will get 1 or 2 more in the next 5 years.

Pepe Sanchez is available now, he has ended with Barcelona.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz-SOWRjeLA

Could be a good option for Backup PG

This is by the executive editor of RealGM.com (not Giddens agent or anyone associated with him)

http://www.realgm.com/src_fromtherafters/202/20080620/draft_report_jr_giddens_of_new_mexico/

“Draft Report: JR Giddens Of New Mexico
Authored by Christopher Reina – 20th June, 2008 – 11:17 am

JR Giddens is one of the best athletes in this draft and uses that athleticism not just on dunks, but to make very pure basketball moves.

He has great confidence with the dribble and I believe he will be able to create his own shot in the NBA.

He has a great crossover dribble to get himself into the paint. He creates space for himself by being able to stop as quickly as he can start.

Giddens is also very good at using pre-dribble jab steps to get himself an extra edge into the lane. His jab step is not a token show move and if the defender doesn’t budge, he’ll simply take what is given and beat him off the dribble.

He has immaculate body control in the air, finishing mid-range jumpers off the glass.

When he does get into the paint, he is very conscious of the kick out and sets up his teammates with wide-open 3’s. Giddens has great court vision and will spot and deliver the ball to his teammates from across the floor or he’ll thread the needle on a drive and dish.

His post entry passes are superb and also does a great job passing out of the pick and roll.

If you could tilt the scale on assists to the passer or shooter based off who creates it, the vast majority of his assists are full tilt his way.

He makes great decisions in the air and his assist/turniover ratio went from .87 as a junior to 1.41 as a senior.

He is one of the best non-point guard distributors in this draft, right up there with Kevin Love in terms of both impact and talent.

The mechanics of his own shot are flawed, but passable. He has a high release and a good follow though; he also has an extremely wide stance, with his feet wider than his shoulders, but he gets good lift. There is a little hitch in his shot when he brings it to the top, but that can be ironed out.

He also seems to shoot better off the dribble because he doesn’t get the cleanest catch when he spots up and I honestly can’t figure out why that is.

But Giddens does move well without the ball, almost always moving and comes off screens hard.

Giddens might be the very best finisher in this entire draft. He is absurdly powerful in the air and will attack defenders and dunk on them with ease.

He is athletic enough to be a true stopper defensively. Giddens does a great job of staying in a defensive stance during the entire possession.

He uses his long arms to make life extremely difficult for his man whether it’s in the triple threat position or when he puts it on the floor. He defends against the pass extremely well, both on-ball and getting his arms into the passing lanes in help defense.

He also led the entire Mountain West Conference in rebounding with 8.3 per game. He elevates extremely well and has incredible reach with his arms. Giddens has a tremendous motor and innate desire to get after the ball.

He has a great work ethic, getting onto the floor for loose balls and always giving maximum effort.

Giddens is not the knock ‘em dead spot-up shooter you’d ideally like from a wing, but he is plenty athletic enough as a slasher and defender to make an immediate impact while his shot comes along.”

Biggest baddest need we have: Stop our opponents layup drills.
Second most dire need: A legitimate back up guard.
Third need: Athletic swing guy

I don’t know when we reached the point where we stopped caring about stopping the ball from going middle and forcing players along the baseline to act as a second defender, but when we did, that was the end our title hopes. Stop the ball from going middle and then everything else falls into place..you get easier defensive rebounds, force opponents into bad shots, frustrate the enemy. I think we may have started going small ball because of salary issues. Big men ain’t cheap. But, while we have Duncan, I say the Spurs open up the “F”ing wallet and pay for some quality beans.

Wish List….

Matt Barnes
Mickael Pietras
Jammal Magloire
DeSagana Diop
DJ Augistin
Robin Lopez
Roy Hibhert

My thoughts on your wish list:

Matt Barnes
Definitely not a Spur type player. Zero defense and streaky. A fun player to watch and a fierce competitor on the offensive end, but he’d live in the doghouse.

Mickael Pietras
Yes. A solid backup plan if we can’t get Childress.

Jammal Magloire
Too old and too slow. He couldn’t even get minutes on the Mavs.

DeSagana Diop
He’d be a decent pickup, but only if they can get him on the cheap. Need to save money for the wing.

DJ Augistin
It would be very difficult, nigh impossible for the Spurs to trade up that high.

Robin Lopez
Lopez would be a great pick at #26. Maybe he’d be worth trading up a bit for, maybe.

Roy Hibhert
I am not to excited about this guy, but then again maybe he could be the next Rasho (minus the midrange shot).

i think the draft has been deep the last few years and this year as well. but man – im not really excited about anyone mentioned in association with the spurs. trying to look at it positiely though….....i hated CDR at memphis, but i do think his game could be a fit with the spurs given a little time.

hibbert would be a good guy to have around with tim in the middle for sure. he’s slow, plodding and doesnt jump too high – but he can play some D and board. he has the ability to develop a bit of a mid range game i think (hope).

the bottom line for me on the draft is that there are several guys around this year with the type of athletic talent and shot making skills that could fit. im just not super wound up about any of them as the savior. i really hope the spurs do take the draft seriously instead of trying to hide somebody else in europe/overseas. that tactic has been played out.

Manu is comfortable with winning, and doesn’t care where he goes into the game, as a starter or off the bench. That’s the opinion that matters :p

“Craig Sager asked Manu a long question after the game talking about Popovich taking the top 6th man in the NBA and having him start against New Orleans and would he be comfortable with continuing to start against the Lakers.

Manu simply replied, "I’m comfortable with winning."

ok – i finally went back and looked at the draft board to jog my memory about who is out there and who might be around when its time for the spurs picks. i have already commented on some of these guys as well. anyway:

guys that i would like to see the spurs get in round 1:

robin lopez – i like the idea of going up to get this guy. his brother brook is a better scorer, but robin is a better defender and rebounder. he works like a dog on both ends of the floor, but seems to maintain a calm demeanor. a smart kid that could get it right away. i actually think it might work to the spurs benefit that he isnt much of a scorer.

roy hibbert – i like him too, hes a big slice of beef that wont be moved on the post. also a smart guy with limited offensive skills, but could take a big load off our defensive rebounding woes.

CDR- never liked him at memphis – poor shooting judgement, cant make free throws, general lack of focus. but when he’s on, he can score and slash with the best. kind of got overshadowed last year by rose, or would otherwise be considered as a higher pick, i think.. this would fit a need and he doesnt seem to be a jackass that will cause problems.

kosta koufos – yeah, i went to ohio state and yeah i saw this dude play live about 15 times last year. i was frankly surprised that he went out and styaed out. but he can score around the goal and he does have good range. defensive rebounding is a weakness, but as the year wore on, he developed a little bit better knack for it and defense. would have to put on some pounds, but i wont be pissed if he falls to SA. a pretty good passer as well and has some handle.

maresse speights – good athletic dude around the goal. knows how to rebound and play defense. in the right spot, this guy could log a lot of years in the league as a serviceable big man.

courtney lee – good scorer and shooter from the wing, which fills a need. WKU is a good sold program that flys under the national radar a lot. they graduate a lot of kids and put out generally heady players who know how to play the game. plus, i play hoop with a guy who played at WKU who tells me that this kid is god (go figure).

some guys to look out for in round 2:

kyle weaver – most predictions have him going higher, but this is a guy that can do just about everything well. not great, but well. a lock down defender, rebounds well for the wing position has good handle, passess well and is a clutch scorer. i watched him all the last two years thinking about how well he could fit in with our guys.

malik hairston – another one of my favorite guys who can do everything well. like weaver, not great, but well. slick passer, plays bigger than his 6-5 frame and knows what to do when he gets the rock.

trent plaisted – good looking offensive scorer around the basket that has a surprising number of blocked shots. comes from a solid program that knows how to develop all around skills in their players.

luc richard mbah amoute – try saying that 5 times fast. not a scorer, but very athletic. this guy is a college version of bruce bowen. an absolute lock down defender that will mix it up with you at any time. i’ve even see him use that splayed foot landing technique that our bruce does so well. he rebounds well too and has the fab oberto kind of knack for finding himself alone under the goal from time to time.

othello hunter – another homey from ohio state for me, but here is a 6-8 power forward type that plays rugged defense and will rebound the ball. he never scored much at ohio state, but has surprising range and accuracy from the mid range. translation – he didnt shoot a lot either – but was never a high offensive option in that offense. great motor, smart player.

josh duncan – another ohio homey from xavier. smart, tough and a strong defender/rebounder. has good range when faced up. a tough smart kid that will play hard wherever he goes (even if that is europe).

i dont think that the next big guy will be out there for us in the draft by any means. not sure how we will find that person at all really – but the spurs could do well in trying to find guys that fill a need and groom them in a winning program over the next few years.

calling out on your music knowledge. gotta throw a band name back at you. austin band – called the black angels. i saw them last year when they came around and i will be seeing them again in cincinnati tonite.

ever heard of them? might be transplanted austin-ers (or is it austin-ites?).

very different – kinda trippy rock with a lot of guitar and echo/reverb. but very good.

Just a great post, ATS. Kudos to you.

Haven’t been able to post lately (ill and with finals, not a good combination) and it would take a ginourmous (nyuk nyuk) amount of time to go through all of these opinions and answer individually, so I won’t even try. Maybe after the draft we can get a feeling of what the Spurs plan to do.

I think it’s obvious KT’s coming back. Looking back at the playoffs, KT and Findog really came through in a couple of games. We shouldn’t ignore that, although Findog could be replaced with some other veteran sharpshooter – maybe.

I kind of agree with piojo, who said the Spurs should hire Pepe Sánchez. (For those who don’t know him, he’s a historical Argentine national team point guard.) If not with the choice itself (Pepe is done), I agree with the general idea: get a veteran international point guard, who have a lot of experience and can be much cheaper (Scola and Fuckface Splitter are the exceptions). Check the Olympics for easy choices.

Seriously, they can’t be worse than Vaughn.

Some current thoughts on potential pickups for the Spurs.

The cringeworthy picks:

Omer Asik©: If the Spurs don’t take him here, the Blazers will likely get him with their newly acquired #27. While he is loaded with potential, I don’t like getting him in the first round. He could blow up in the next couple of years and earn a much higher paycheck overseas. This could be another Splitter scenario.

Nicolas Batum (SF): If the Spurs pick him, I won’t be surprised, but I won’t be excited either. He is super athletic, and has “tremendous upside potential,” but he is currently soft and unpolished and won’t likely contribute anything in the Tim Duncan era.

Ryan Anderson (PF): His game sounds a lot like the Red Rocket’s. Do we really need another Red Rocket, even if he is just a little bit better? I don’t think so.

Mario Chalmers (PG): His stock is being driven up by the dearh of point guards in this draft. I just don’t think this guy is that great. He has not looked good in the workouts.

Now the good:

Alexis Ajinca©: He might go much earlier, but if he is still on the board the Spurs should grab him. He still needs to develop, but I think he has a much better shot at having an impact (and having that impact sooner) than Batum or Asik, so he is worth the pick. He is an excellent shotblocker and defender, with very good athleticism and a decent offensive game.

Chris Douglas Roberts (GF): Love him or hate him, he would provide some slashing and jumpshooting from the wing. He would be a solid pick this late.

Roy HIbbert©: He has grown on me after watching some of his vids and reading his workout reports. Supposedly he still has some room for improvement with his game, even though he is a perfectly servicable backup center already. It would be nice to have a couple 7 foot shot blockers protecting the paint again.

Robin Lopez©: The Spurs would likely have to trade up for this, but you sometimes crazy things happen on draft day. I would really like for the Spurs to get this guy. His defense is good, and he would bring athleticism and shotblocking to the Spurs frontcourt. He would be ready to play, but still has potential to improve (especially on offense).

J.R. Giddens (SG): He is one of the best athletes in the draft and is an outstanding defender and rebounder. His offensive game is solid. He is a good slasher, excellent passer, ridiculous dunker, a decent mid-range shooter, and an OK perimeter shooter. He would be ready to play right away, and if his shot mechanics can be worked out he could even become starting caliber. He is kind of a sleeper because a lot of projections have him in the second round. The word is that Memphis is very high on him and will likely take him at 28. The Spurs could consider him at 26. If he were still available at #45 they should jump on him.

Courtney Lee (SG): An excellent mid-range shooter with nice athleticism and a high basketball IQ. He could probably become a good defender in the Spurs system. He would probably be a solid acquisition.

Donte Greene (SF): If he plummets this far, the Spurs might take him. Great size and shooting ability. I am somewhat on the fence about this guy, but he is probably worth the gamble with this pick.

JaVale McGee©: He’s another 7 footer that probably will be picked sooner, but the Spurs should consider if he’s still on the board. Super athlete and shot-blocker. Protect the paint and alley-oop! Tyson Chandler anyone?

Second round: Get Giddens, Greene, Courtney Lee, or Hairston, or whoever, but stay away from Trent Plaisted.

The Mavs are planning on overpaying him with the full MLE.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/062608dnspomavslede.42e8c8a.html

Donte Green, Bill Walker, Batum, Lee, Hendrix, Chalmers, CDR, and Giddens are on my wish list. Please let us get one…

Gerardo (Tempe, AZ): Professor, where does N. Batum go? Any chance he falls to the Spurs at 26?

Chad Ford: (2:10 PM ET ) I think there's a good chance that Batum is the Spurs pick at 26. Unlike Tiago Splitter, he can come and play in the NBA now.

Oh thank God!

Apparently the Spurs brought him in for a workout yesterday and now his agent is no longer returning calls.

If that is truly the case then I will only be happy if we get Giddens or someone good in the second round.

Dude, if we bring him over next year, Batam is fine for the following reasons:
1. We can bring him over next year instead of holding his rights for 2 years adn then trading them so we can resign a 38 year old SF.
2. He’s not 36. He’s not even 30.

After the last few years, that’s all I can ask.

He appears to be years away from playing at an NBA level. He is 19, extremely gifted athletically, but he is soft, inexperienced, and does not play assertively.

I just don’t see the point in picking up a player who will most likely never positively affect a game during the remaining few years where Duncan is dominant.

Maybe 4 years from now I will be thinking, “I am so glad we got Batum. He is that reliable third scorer who complements Tony and Ian,” but I will wait to feel good about this pick (if it is indeed our pick), until that point.

The is entire decade so far (when we didn’t trade our first round pick) we drafted young foreign players (2007 Splitter, 2005 Mahinmi, 2004 Udrih , 2001 Parker) so it’s not like this would be anything new.

If there are no servicable guys on the board who could play right away at that point, then by all means they should pull the trigger on Batum. If not, then it just means the Spurs will be maintaining the status quo; shunning the U.S. players and stashing a guy in Europe with the hopes that he makes it big.

I had read that they worked out George Hill. I thought for sure they were looking at him for the second round. Apparently they saw something they liked in him, but man that was a surprise. CDR, Giddens, and Greene were all still available. I just wonder why they didn’t take one of those guys, and use the 45th pick on Hill. He wasn’t high on anybody’s list and Chalmers was still available so it wasn’t like they needed to take him because someone else would have drafted him based on need.

I am pretty sure that Giddens or CDR will be better pros than Hill, while Greene is a crapshoot (but still a good gamble). In Giddens case, he would have wowed us with his defense, his rebounding and his dunks, and it’s not like he is a bad shooter by any means. I am sure the Spurs were scared by “character issues” that were really no big deal. He was in a bar fight in Kansas and was stabbed, and he butted heads with a lame duck coach in 06-07. He didn’t do anything extreme and he was disciplined by being made to sit out some games. Since then he has been an extremely solid citizen and has apparently grown up a lot. He has the ability to be an impact player in the NBA. Someone who you can send out there to harass a star guard, and also score on the other end (and not just uncontested three pointers).

Hill supposedly is a 6’2” combo guard (a la Pargo) who plays red carpet defense, but is a pretty good scorer. I really hope he proves me wrong, but this draft looks pretty crappy. 1 mediocre short combo guard, and 1 mediocre point guard, and James Gist (a guy who probably won’t make the roster) does not make for a solid draft.

I think that we have a fair number of one of the NBA’s most valuable commodities this season: expiring contracts. It will be interesting to see if any of them get used this season and how those might help acquire a fire sale player from a non-contender (yes, Chris Kaman, I’m speaking of you). I think that this season, more than some of the others, might lend itself to some roster fluctuations the like of which we have not seen in SA in many years.