Don’t get comfortable in your “very skeptical and glum” role; that’s MY chair you’re sitting in.

I wasn’t trying to be confrontational but persuasive. I guess after last season and the way it ended, I just want news. And this news is so vague that I’m latching onto it because it seems real and not like a pipe dream like some of those names that are so often thrown around. So because its late and I’m recuperating, here is some response which is also meant as a persuasive list of arguments to get a nonbeliever on the Greek boat….

1. He is likely not the next Manu, unless all you mean by that is a successful Euro to NBA player.
2. Oberto wasn’t that bad in his prime to use him as the opposite of being a Manu. The fact is that Oberto is not in his prime anymore though and we aren’t seeing the returns on that 3.6 million dollar salary but Yawn, Tiger Spitter, or Inflammation could all be better investments at this point.
3. If you honestly think Ariza would come here, then its like pretending we are the only team outside of LA for him. Its like “LA pays Ariza his money” or “SA pays him everything they have and he comes here.” but really there are like 10 other options like “The Cavs want him” or “Miami is an awesome city to live in” or whatever other shit players say before they ditch out on a low offer or a small market team or not getting to be a starter on a great team. Thats why we get players like Romaju and Cleveland gets Mo Williams.
4. Also a rumor but Sheed is reportedly getting 10 million a year from the Cavs. I think we’d be getting bunk beds and kool-aid if our FO paid him that money.
5. Kleiza is similar to my views on Ariza in that the Spurs will have to outbid other teams to get him. So isolated from any players names, would you rather the Spurs get in a bidding war for a NBA role player or try to get a euro league starter we have an inside track on in for less money?
6. Losing most of our MLE on arguably the best big man not in the NBA seems like a good risk when we keep every other asset we have in tact for going after SF’s which is an easier position to fit physically than the 5 (see #8)
7. Our FO is being active which is a good sign because we’re too smart to not get some payoffs on all the assets we have. The saying is don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Well, the Spurs have the MLE egg, 3 draft eggs, Ian’s egg, Splitter’s egg, 8 contracts expiring after next season not including TD or TP eggs, our D-League eggs, Gists’ egg….basically we have a lot of tools for our FO and they are putting that one MLE egg in one basket…
8. A quick look at the current Toros roster….2 players taller than 6’9" and one of them is Ian…. 7 players between 6’6" and 6’9"….so are we more likely to get a PF/C from our farm system or a SF….Marcus Williams, Justin Bowen, or Eric Dawson could all see 10 day contracts next season and Marcus Williams could even get a permanent roster spot depending on what we do with the draft…..Marcus Williams did good in the DL last year….23 ppg, 5 apg, and 7 rpg…I can’t comment on his D though has I’ve hardly seen him play
9. We can count on this young Greek guy for big minutes…minutes that KT and Oberto aren’t giving us…KT only had 25 regular season games over 20 minutes and 1 in our 5 playoff games…plus we all read LatinD’s post about dunking and Oberto and KT didn’t dunk once all season… and he will cost around the same price as either of them but is more athletic and can play the minutes they combined to give us
10. Isn’t it better having slightly more hope in the bigs for next season and still needing a wing rather than feeling the panic of knowing we desperately need improvement at 2 spots?

Staves, hopefully this gives you even a shred more confidence in this move, because even if you’re just playing Devil’s advocate and skeptical, we still have plenty of options to fill our roster needs even if this fails….

Wow…that hurts my soul

I agree, but if you’re of the same mind as ATS, couldn’t the Spurs use some physical inside play? Obviously he’ll have to prove he can do that, but if these reports are true, he’s going to give the good ol’ college try.

You move so quick, there are three of you in your avatar. How can I possibly keep up?

and 4 years younger….
and has the best rebound per 40 minutes numbers in the Euro and Greek leagues….

have you seen him making layups? Hopefully he is a Scola type who just doesnt like to jump an can dominate with his feet on the floor, but im not holding my breath.

That sounds cool until I realize that would mean no more Bowen in a Spurs uniform and then I cry and I write another diary entry about how only LatinD understands my unlogical loyalty and I die just a little inside as I think of Bruce playing against S.A.

that would be a great combo, and a very viable possibility. I love Bowen as much as the next guy, but he’s not really producing much for us point-wise (like he ever did) and his defense isn’t what it used to be. As much as it would hurt us fans, Herrman and Balkman would give us better chances to win than Bowen and the SF.