Monday, July 19th, 2010...5:59 am
Garrett Temple: 2010 coach’s pet
Last year one of the fun story lines during training camp was Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich’s love-fest for second year point guard George Hill.
Coach Pop, you may remember, went out of his way to shower Hill with praise at every turn.
Well it looks like Pop may have a new favorite.
Popovich recently took some time during summer league to sit down with NBATV’s Rick Kamla and (former Spur) Steve Smith, and told the pair that Garrett Temple is his new favorite player. When asked about it, Coach Pop said, “He’s done a great job for us. We brought him in at the end of last year and we’re very impressed.”
Oh, get a room you two.
Coach Popovich is no stranger to this. It’s his sort of way of indirectly telling the player that they’re on the right track and good things are coming.
“He wants to defend the basketball. I don’t have to convince him,” Popovich said. “He’s smooth, he can shoot the three, he’s willing to pass, so I think he’s a young player who’s got a really good future ahead of him.”
In his short time with the Spurs at the end of last season, Temple averaged 6.2 points, 1 rebound and just shy of one assist in about 15 minutes of action per game. More importantly, he shot 44% from the 3-point line in his 13 games in the silver and black.
Spurs fans hope that his progress wasn’t slowed last Monday in the Spurs’ first summer league against the Minnesota Timberwolves, when Temple sprained his ankle after playing just 20 minutes. He was able to score 11 points and shoot 2 of 2 from 3-point range before the injury, but missed the rest of the week in Las Vegas and sported a walking boot instead of a pair of sneakers.
If Temple is able to show a similar improvement in his second season to George Hill, when Hill finished tied with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant for second in the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year Award, Popovich may be on to something. By next season, every head coach in the NBA may be hip to the power of positive reinforcement.
91 Comments
July 19th, 2010 at 6:06 am
temple and jerrells are essentially battling for the same roster spot, yes? 3rd point guard?
July 19th, 2010 at 6:12 am
I wouldn’t call it much of a battle. Jerrells is a lot shorter, doesn’t defend as well, and doesn’t have the outside shot that Temple does.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:20 am
I would look for all three, (Gee, Temple, Hairston) to be on the team this year.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:21 am
Temple can be a good backup at 2 and 3 spots.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:27 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andrew A. McNeill, Timothy Varner. Timothy Varner said: On Gregg Popovich's fondness for Garrett Temple http://bit.ly/cHAojV [...]
July 19th, 2010 at 6:27 am
I’ll stick with Garrett Temple adding depth to the backcourt - unless proven otherwise. Hopefully he recovers from his sprain fast.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:32 am
What about Neal? He was a very good shooter in the summer league. He should at LEAST get a training camp invite. I hear people saying hte Spurs need another shooter, well, he’s right here. I like Temple, and Gee, and Hairston. But Neal coould easily replace Hairston, because of his shooting ability. Temple is already a better defender than Hairston, i think, and Neal is a better shooter. So, both Gee and Temple should make the roster, but I think it should come down to a Hairston/Neal fight for the last roster spot. If we don’t get RJ back however, but Gee at the SF position, and add Temple, Hairston, and Neal. Although, there is a pretty good chance we’ll get RJ back.
July 19th, 2010 at 6:53 am
I watched every summer league game, and I was really impressed by the way some of the lesser named guys played over the weekend, like Wilkerson, Neal and Dawson. Gee was clearly the teams best offensive player, but at times got caught reaching( something they tell you in little league not to do) and putting his teammates in tough positions, but still showed that he’s a NBA athlete. We all know that the only way to get on the team then the floor for the Spurs this year is by playing” SOLID DEFENSE”, and making open three’s.
Overall I think Temple is a lock to make the roster as a combo guard and have a chance to impact some games this year, I love his game and his length on the perimeter(and he can shoot).
P.S. That Neal guy can really shoot it and he didnt make many mistake. I’ll be suprised if he didnt get a invite to camp.
Peace out
July 19th, 2010 at 6:57 am
I am starting the think that the spurs not signing anyone yet means they are really happy with Hairston, Temple and Gee filling out the backend of their rotation. Which I am fine with also. When I think of these guys getting minutes this year I try and hope for a Stephen Jackson like year. Year one with Spurs he did nothing, year 2 he is a starter and big contributer to a championship. Obviously that is the big hope but it’s the offseason and that is the time for these big hopes
July 19th, 2010 at 7:33 am
So much for adding James Jones, which many people here were advocating. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5390603
Sloppy reporting by the Sun Sentinel. There’s no way the Spurs offered Jones the full mid-level exception. Clearly they offered what remained of the mid-level after using the bulk of it to lock up Tiago.
It looks like the growth of guys like Temple et al. is quickly becoming the ONLY chance of adding significant contributors to the 2010-2011 squad.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:39 am
Hill and parker played well together so and since temple is 6ft 6in I would expect to see a combo of those 3 james anderson and manu fill the backcourt.. what I wanna know is who is this neal kid who’s shooting lights out downtown
July 19th, 2010 at 7:44 am
Neal is the kid that should at least get an invite to camp, if not a roster spot. i like him more than hairston
July 19th, 2010 at 7:57 am
Hey guys, any news about Richard Jefferson? Will ESPN be holding a one-hour show for his decision as well? I might need to file for a leave in the office to watch it. I can’t wait to hear Pops’ letter in case RJ chooses to bring his talent someplace else.
I was watching Tiago Splitter videos and I concede, I’m convinced that he’ll be one hell of a center. Blair seems to be hungry for some action (and he’s projecting himself to be the MVP in two years’ time), and yes, I’m watching the Summer League to see who’d be potentially in the mix. Gee is impressive. I hope he makes the team.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:05 am
What a crock of shit. We go 5-0 and don’t even get in a mention? Even in Summer League we get forgotten.
Yahoo! Sports Summer League Winners and Losers:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AuFJIn_.GVgsg9Gs4tTr5MW8vLYF?slug=mc-summerleague071810
July 19th, 2010 at 8:21 am
You’re absoulutley right Zach R. I thought the exact same thing when I read that article.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:48 am
Summer League isn’t about the 30 teams, it’s about the new talent coming in. So most writers get lazy and just talk about the lottery picks and players we know.
Once Blair and Anderson were out of the lineup the national media interest in SA’s summer died.
Fortunately we live on the internet so the kiddie-pool reporting is not the only place to read about the summer league.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Temple is a lock to make the team.
But, Gee still didn’t impress enough for me. He looked like a less expensive Jefferson clone. A bull in a china shop type of basketball player that won’t have a consistent pull up jumper, let alone a 3 pt shot. Which means trouble come 4th qtr crunch time or playoffs. I still believe that Hairston is a better player than Gee from what I’ve seen.
Gary Neal’s shot is sweet. I’m left with the impression that his jumper would help the Spurs more than 1st round pick Anderson’s(But, I’m hoping he can shoot). Agree with earlier post, too bad Neal isn’t a SF because that would’ve given him a chance to make the team.
Spurs roster is pretty much set. I doubt the Spurs will carry more than 13 players.
PG - Parker, Hill, Temple
SG - Ginobili, Anderson
SF - (Jefferson?), Hairston, Gee
PF - Duncan, Blair, Bonner
C - McDyess, Splitter
I hope Pop learns from coach Alvin Gentry and consistently plays 10 players a night, especially the bench.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:35 am
Go Spurs Go!!
July 19th, 2010 at 9:39 am
[...] will be in his third year and is only 23. DeJaun Blair is just 20, and Pop’s new favorite, Garrett Temple, is 23, and the Spurs also just resigned Richard Jefferson, 29, to less money than the New Jersey [...]
July 19th, 2010 at 9:55 am
Temple gaining Pop’s trust shouldn’t surprise any of us Spurs fans; it was foreshadowed when Temple came in and didn’t get jittery when thrust into the line-up. I’d like for Temple to solidify his spot in training camp. Also, I’m conflicted on whether Gist or Gee would bring more to the Spurs table. Any thoughts on which seems to be the better fit at this point? I know thing’s may change come training camp but right now who fits Gist or Gee?
July 19th, 2010 at 10:29 am
I have read a number of posts as well as articles that have said the Spurs have already signed RJ to a contract… where, when????
I have not seen anything official, so what gives with our SF? If anyone has anything to report (officially) I would like to see it, the more time passes, the more my imagination has a chance to wander into the realm of uncertainty where disappointment has sometimes lurked. I’m fine with Hairston backing him up, I just dont want to lose his as a starter. I think he’ll be much better this year.
July 19th, 2010 at 11:22 am
beans and onions
July 19th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
werewolf in a polka-dot skirt
July 19th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
lvmainman
July 19th, 2010 at 9:05 am
“Temple is a lock to make the team.
But, Gee still didn’t impress enough for me. He looked like a less expensive Jefferson clone. A bull in a china shop type of basketball player that won’t have a consistent pull up jumper, let alone a 3 pt shot. Which means trouble come 4th qtr crunch time or playoffs. I still believe that Hairston is a better player than Gee from what I’ve seen.”
Agreed. It’s very likely that it will just be Temple & Hairston that make the roster.
July 19th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
@ Jacob
There has not been a peep about Jefferson, and that’s worrisome. If Jeff doesn’t sign with us, then Hairston is the default starting SF, which is very troublesome.
July 19th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
Garrett Temple did a great job making the most of his time in the D-League… Glad to see that Pop is looking for D-League talent outside of Austin…
July 19th, 2010 at 1:57 pm
I think Hairston is more of a proven player. He’s shown defensive promis e adn clutchness when it matters in a game
July 19th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
wow… drunk fingers. I think you get my drift though.
@thatbigguy
I agree, thats bad. BTW, I was directing my hairston comment to Jim, not to say that I thought Malik was better than Jefferson.
July 19th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
“But, Gee still didn’t impress enough for me”
I don’t know about Gee. Summer league success has a poor correlation with NBA success so what he did there doesn’t matter much. I really haven’t ever watched him play and can’t say much. He’s definetly getting an invite to camp, and I think that is what will make or break him. He’s fortunate in that we need depth at wing and haven’t managed to sign anyone.
July 19th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
I think the problem with Gee is that he seems to have a good skill set and the kind of talent that a lot of NBA teams could use in a young player, but he is somewhat redundant if the Spurs hold onto Hairston & Temple, with Anderson already guaranteed and looking to be that Slasher/outside force.
As Bduran says he will probably get an invite to camp and then fight for his life there.
Honestly it’s a pretty good problem for the spurs to have right now, with RJ unsigned and nothing on the horizon that really floats my boat in terms of wings. At least theres talented youth there competing for a slot not just empty space.
Right?
July 19th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
Gee will make the roster. The Wizards didn’t lock him up last year and the Spurs pounced. The Spurs aren’t that dumb.
I figure he’ll get most of his minutes in Austin, though.
July 19th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
What about Jawad Williams as an option as a backup sf? He avg 4.1pts and 1.5 reb in 13.4min. Looking at his shooting chart he shot a respectable 39% from the corners. He is a solid physical defender who would have some knowledge of the spurs system and values given he has been playing under mike brown the last couple of years. Also he measures in at a solid 6’8 220lbs so would be able to play spot minutes at the 4 in the occasional small ball situation. He is currently a restricted free agent however probably could be outbid if the FO offered him say a 2 year deal with the LLE. Obviously he is never going to be more than a backup in the league (at best) but could be a solid rotation player who offers something slightly different from hairston/gee/temple.
Thoughts?
July 19th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
i dont mean to be rude, but i thought this site hired more writers, and now it seems like the stories i loved to read here @48moh are few & far between. dont get me wrong i love this site i just figured with the addition of 3? new writers or so this would be a place to get the latest spurs news. Didnt the temple thing happened at the first summer league game? anyhow i apologize if i sound rude its really hard to express a curious mood through a comment, it just sounds mean. I Want more 48 stories!!!
July 19th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Gee probably won’t make the 12-man roster with Anderson, Hairston, and Temple in the mix- he is clearly behind Hairston and Temple, and one of the rules for 1st round picks is you have to either include them in the 12-man roster or release them, so slots 13, 14, and 15 are not options for Anderson.
It is of course possible that Anderson will fail to make the cut in training camp.
Depending who is invited to training camp, who else is signed, and how the camp goes for everyone, I think Gee has a decent shot at making the 15-man roster.
Hairston is the type of player who hustles on every play, diving for loose balls, getting back on defense, contesting shots on defense, etc. and has the type of attitude the Spur’s brain trust loves. He will make the 15-man roster, but may still miss the 12-man roster with the same issue of Anderson being a 1st round pick and thus not a candidate for the extended roster.
Tyler Wilkerson can play the 3 position and looked pretty good as well.
J2
July 19th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Via Woj on Twitter:
Matt Barnes is near agreement on a two-year, $9 million deal with Toronto, with a player option for year two, a league source tells Y!
Well, if thats the type of money he was looking for I guess we never had a chance. So what is it now for us, Plan D? E?
On the upside, I figure this would allow for more minutes for Alonzo.. right?
July 19th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Jefferson is the key to who makes the team. Preseason workouts will play a factor in determining who stays and who goes. Jerrells is on a make or break contract. He makes the team or no contract. Jerrells will have to really produce alot more than what he did in summer league. He had a chance to shine as prime ball handler with Temple sitting out and I dont think he did the job. James Anderson is a SF/SG combo. Big enough to handle most small forwards. Quick enough to get around them as well. He and Hairston may have to hold down the SF unless Jefferson resigns. I like our team with or without Jefferson.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
barnes signs with raptors and chicago gets c.j. watson for 2nd round pick.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:29 pm
to be fair, we never had a shot at most of the free agents. the figures this year are too crazy, david khan is fucking things up, and we’re lucky to have signed splitter as cheaply as we did (and resigning manu at his rate seems a bargain now too).
in this environment, one has to wonder if the spurs reputation slots them in for certain free agents. i know the topic’s been covered before, but even if our front office combs the league for high character guys, perhaps high character guys tend to gravitate towards franchises like the spurs (i.e. i always though grant hill was going to come to the spurs, but am not surprised he ended up with nash in phoenix). for the most part, they know they’ll be taken care of and put in a position to succeed. i have a feeling presti is creating that kind of culture in okc, and that will be troublesome.
anyway, garrett temple yay. honestly, unless we nix signing jefferson back (which looks like it’s happening, or happened?) none of those other guys is going to crack 10 mpg, and will be lucky to average 5 per. i’d love to see them get more burn, but even as pop’s favorite, temple is looking at limited minutes. hopefully he’s patient and learns from the best organization in the biz, but it’s a tough thing for a young man with talent.
July 19th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Matt Barnes is now off the table. Well, we struck out on every free agent we’ve gone after or appeared to need. Splitter doesn’t count since he was not technically a free agent. Without HUGE internal growth from players like Blair, Hill, Anderson, Jefferson (unless he simply walks on us), and the rest of the youngsters this team has no shot at competing. We don’t even have a God d*mned starting SF as of now. At this point, if RJ walks on us, the party’s over. Even if we get a trade exception for RJ, who the hell is left to spend it on? Hairston, Gee, Gist, whoever else on the Toros cannot play the starting SF on a serious championship contending team.
At this point, we don’t have the necessary 3pt shooting to spread teams out and open driving lanes for Parker and Manu and space for Duncan, Blair, etc to work in the low post. This summer sure has been disappointing so far…
Here are some of the SF’s that are still on the market:
Bobby Simmons: 40% career average from 3
Trenton Hassell: No thanks
Rodney Carney: 33% career average from distance
Antoine Wright: 30% career average from 3
Sasha Pavlovic: 35% career average from 3
Ime Udoka: been there done that
There were a few others I didn’t bother with and maybe another few I’ve overlooked. If I had to chose a backup SF from this list (which is pretty poor) I would probably go with Simmons. Although past his prime, I think he could play 15-18min behind RJ.
July 19th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
@hobson
I noticed jarvis hayes is still available hes 6-8 220 and shoots the three at 36% career and hes 28
July 19th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
Hey people, just out of curiosity, what does anybody know about James Anderson? I’ve only heard he’s one of those high-usage, high-efficiency guys, like Marcus Thornton, but what’s his actual game? How’s his defense? Etc… etc…
July 19th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
@hobson
” Well, we struck out on every free agent we’ve gone after or appeared to need.”
I feel your frustration mate, but it’s not exactly like the front office is striking out.
The market that is being set for these guys is so far beyond what we can pay either willingly or otherwise.
Couple that with the fact that no one seriously thought RJ was going to opt out. It seemed ludicrous and for good reason. The guys walked away from 15 million and no one but no one is clamoring to give him a big pay day even in this crazy climate. I mean NINE million for Barnes, 12.5 Million for Brewer. Huge money for those guys, 10 million over three years for Bell…Coming off a horrific injury plagued 12 months at that.
Brewer / Barnes / Wright/Bell all got contracts that were pretty much beyond our ability to match. They were guys that could well have fit for us, but just went for too much.
We need to calm down. Theres a huge long way between now and the playoffs. If we get development great. Otherwise the front office will look to address things.
Sometimes rushing to get things done is the worst thing you can do. I would rather R.C & Co wait for opportunities to develop that favour the spurs rather than start offering the farm or taking on more salary in a panic.
I’d rather wait than take on board any of those guys you mentioned, and to be honest you don’t sound that enthused with them either.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
The following looks to be our “Spurs active roster” (1.e., not including those spending most of the year in Austin):
My guess as the starters:
Parker
Manu
RJ (holding a spot?!)
Duncan
Splitter
My guess of rotation in order of minutes (not necessarily my preference):
(6) Hill
(7) Blair
(8) Bonner
(9) Anderson
(10) Temple
(11) Hairston
We have two “cap exceptions” left that we could still use, but of course, don’t have to: 2.3-2.4 mil. left of MLE; about 2.0 mil. for LLE. And obviously, we have vet minimum players that we could sign.
Our options to get to 12 active:
(1) Add any of our developmental league players. Gee is the most likely.
(2) Make a trade. Not particularly likely at this point, but the one’s that would still have a chance of being traded, including in package deals, would probably be the following:
RJ, McDyess, TP, & Hairston.
(3) Sign one more additional player with either MLE, LLE, or vet minimum.
The following are FA’s still available that we could still “potentially” sign (*we may not be able to afford some of them?):
For guards/wings, in parentheses is their career 3-point %.
For PF’s, in parentheses is their career rebounds/blocks per 36 mins.
PG/SG
Eddie House (39%)
SF’s……………………..Subjective Defensive Rank
R. Butler (36%)……………..D. Wilkins
B. Simmons (40%)…………J. Williams
J. Hayes (36%)………………R. Butler
T. Thomas (37%)……………B. Simmons
D. Wilkins (33%)……………J. Hayes
J. Williams (32%)…………..T. Thomas
Most of them are decent defenders, but unfortunately none would conger up the image of Bruce Bowen!
PF’s……………………..Subjective Defensive Rank
L. Amundson (10.0/2.2)……L. Amundson
J. Singleton (10.0/1.3) ………K. Thomas
K. Thomas (9.8/1.1) ………….J. Smith
J. Smith (8.8/1.2) …………….J. Singleton
All decent to very good defenders, although two of them are getting a little old in the tooth.
C
Shaq
Nesterovic
Mbenga
Well, if we want to be able to go BIG?!
We do know that we could still use another shooter, or veteran wing that can defend/shoot, most particularly if we were to make the assumption that RJ does not return. In short, we could use defense and/or shooting, regardless of position. The question is, should we consider signing another “big”, either for the rotation, or to just have in reserve as a vet minimum guy? Are ANY of the above players worth considering to add to our roster for 2.4 mil. or below?
I know that I personally would like to get a vet into the 8th or 9th slot in the rotation, and move Bonner down (whether a wing or a big). That said, the “pickings” are getting a bit slim at this point. Any thoughts?
July 19th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
Bushka
July 19th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
“Brewer / Barnes / Wright/Bell all got contracts that were pretty much beyond our ability to match. They were guys that could well have fit for us, but just went for too much.”
True. The only two players we have really gone after (at least that I’m aware of) were Raja Bell and James Jones. Bell got about $1mil more per year than what we could offer and Jones wanted to play for Miami for a case of beer. Can’t do much about either situation.
“I’d rather wait than take on board any of those guys you mentioned, and to be honest you don’t sound that enthused with them either.”
No, I’m not too excited about any of them. I’m afraid several on my list will be out of the league this next year. Simmons is the only one who offers any real promise. Research on Jarvis Hayes indicates he has VERY poor lateral movement and is therefore a big time defensive liability. It makes little difference either way because even Simmons is a poor substitute for a good SF.
I agree that things aren’t as bad as they could be. RJ and the Spurs are playing a very dangerous game for both sides. If RJ walks, we have no SF and little prospect of finding a suitable replacement. However, RJ’s market for suitors is becoming thinner every day. I think the Spurs FO is attempting to vice RJ back to SA. We have his bird rights and there are very few teams that could offer him a $6-7mil/year contract.
If we could sign RJ for the previously mentioned amount and then use the remaining MLE to sign a decent shooter (I’ve run out of ideas on this one) we could then use the LLE to sign a cat like Louis Amundson, this summer would be a resounding success. However, with each passing day, our options become fewer and fewer.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Bruce Bowen, how you are missed.
July 19th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
@ Jim, what about McDyess? You left out McDyess in when you were talking about our rotation of our top 11. Surely he will be in Bonners place and Matt will be another notch down.
July 19th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
In my opinion what needs to be done is the following:
1. sign RJ.
2. take a shot on Amundson. i like this guy, he’s big, aggressive… very useful.
3. as we can see the free agents (shooters) prices are out of spurs reach so in my opinion spurs shouldn’t look for a STATISTICAL 35 to 40% shooter who averaged 10 min/game and 2 shots/game. this is gambling. i think Pop should rely on guys like Temple, Hairston, Anderson, Gee or even Nail..
Someone mentioned on this blog that we should pray Pop learns from Alvin Gentry to trust the young guys… and let’s hope for the best…
Cheers.
July 20th, 2010 at 1:44 am
Hobson13
July 19th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
You’re right, I did leave out McDyess! How do we even have room for any other players if we re-sign RJ then?! That would be 12 players, which I believe is the limit for an “active” roster. I don’t think Temple or Hairston will be in Austin, and I expect Anderson to make the active roster as well.
July 20th, 2010 at 1:55 am
Yeah, I would put McDyess at #8 on the list. Everybody else would probably just slide down one. Of course, the order could end up being different to some extent. One of the young guys could surprise to the upside, and earn a few more minutes.
July 20th, 2010 at 5:18 am
I’m not sure Splitter should start for the team at the beggining of the season. Spurs need to come out of the gate quicker this year and players like Mcdyess know the system better right now. Tiago no doubt will get more confidence and minutes as he earns more time on the court…like all other rookies had to. Tiago, Blair and Bonner could pair up with 2 guards to create a good sized and balanced bench unit for the first quarter of the season or so.
July 20th, 2010 at 5:32 am
They did away with the active roster concept. A full roster is 15. You can dress a different 12 every game if you want. No more injured reserve list gamesmanship. Even if you send a young player to Austin, he’s still “active”. Someone (Farmar, I think) played a D-League game in the afternoon and dressed for the Lakers that night.
July 20th, 2010 at 5:38 am
@EasyB, I agree about Splitter but unfortunately McDyess is a very slow starter. I’m not sure he’ll help us win many games in the fall. He may be a candidate for the Horry treatment.
Of course there is one other big with several years in the system who has experience starting. Bwahahahahahaha!
July 20th, 2010 at 7:13 am
This whole RJ opting out thing seems to have many of us Spurs fans in a tizzy! As I look at other tracking sources & I haven’t seen any real intrest from other teams who are actively looking to tear RJ away from us. To me, that says a lot, but I really think that at the end of the day when the smoke clears, I believe that RJ will be wearing his #24 Spurs Jerzey. I would like for the Spurs to get ahold of Louis Amundson. He’s 6’8″, 221 lb., & can play small or power forward. He may not be a slasher or hit the long ball, but he plays great D, from what we witnessed during the second round with Pheonix. I think that he can definately help out under the basket with his D & his putbacks as well. Any who, I wouldn’t be surprised to see RJ back. I also think that the if we don’t sign anyone else after RJ, then I think that Neal, Gee, & even Gist or Wilkerson should have an invite to training camp & see if they can prove themselves to pound the rock with the real men. Now granted Spurs fans, we have been looking for youth to blend in with our vets, & these young bloods need to prove themselves, but we also know that Pop & Co. usually sticks with the old guys. This season will be VERY intresting, but we all know that the time table for Timmy is closing for a drive 4 five, but it’s gonna come down to how bad all of these guys want it. One or two players just can’t do it all alone, & of coarse, talent is needed, but it’s what’s in the heart that counts. But in the meantime, GO SPURS GO!!!!
July 20th, 2010 at 8:09 am
It’s good to see potential in our young Spurs Gee and Temple. Hopefully they’ll get good minutes and will continue to develop. Maybe Parker can rest up for the early season f he’s not up to 100% yet.
Tough break on our favorite FA’s signing for other teams, hopefully there is someone out there we can coax over. I don’t think Shaq would be helpful in guarding Kobe, Durant, LeBron, etc. (unless he ate them?).
July 20th, 2010 at 8:10 am
In a summer league interview RC said they’d bring 17-18 into camp. Assuming RJ signs I figure:
Core (10) - Parker, Ginobili, Hill, Anderson, RJ, Duncan, Splitter, Blair, McDyess, Bonner
MLE/LLE (1) - Mr. X
Unguaranteed (4) - Hairston, Gee, Temple, Jerrells
Others (3) - Gist, Wilkerson, Neal
If RJ doesn’t sign it obviously leaves a huge hole at SF.
July 20th, 2010 at 8:18 am
thinking out loud: it seems clear that rj has cost himself some money in his quest for long-term security. opting out now seems like a super bad financial move on his part. if he does resign with the spurs for 3 or 4 years, what are the chances that he plays bitterly and heartlessly, ‘tanking’ it so to speak…a la jerome james???
July 20th, 2010 at 8:26 am
I’m expecting big things from Temple. I think he should be the 4th in our PG/SG guard rotation behind TP, Manu, and Hill. And based on what Pop’s said about him, I expect Temple to get the chance to showcase his skills - 10 -15 mpg maybe? Having a backup at both slots (and even at the SF in certain situations) is extremely valuable, and even moreso at his price.
I think you can pencil in Temple and Hairston to the active, 12 man roster. And if RJ doesn’t resign (and assuming we don’t sign another FA), I think it’s going to be a dogfight between Anderson, Gee, Neal and Jerrels for the last two spots.
Anderson, once healthy, should be able to make the roster with his shooting and scoring ability.
Gee has the highest upside - already has above average NBA athleticism, but not a great shooter or defender at this point.
Neal probably fills our biggest need, shooting, and he’s played well at the highest level in Europe. With more of what he did in the summer league, I could see him beating out Gee, and even Anderson.
Jerrels is probably stuck in a numbers game. With 4 guys who can play the PG spot (TP, Hill, Manu, Temple) likely ahead of him, I can’t see the Spurs carrying 5 PG’s.
Who knows what will happen. But with the youth and talent we have available, I don’t think letting RJ walk will hurt us much, if at all. I think we can make up for his production, while also slotting in a better defender in his place (Hairston and Temple are the first that come to mind).
July 20th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Just a heads up for you folks, Marc Stein tweets that Spurs and RJ should agree to a contract “soon.”
http://espn.go.com/blog/TrueHoop/post/_/id/18437/latest-buzz-rj-shaq-t-mac-more
We’ll have something here when it actually becomes official.
July 20th, 2010 at 9:31 am
thanks andrew
July 20th, 2010 at 10:24 am
I’m surprised nobody has shared this story on Peter Holt here yet, read it on PtR earlier today:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/15/AR2010071506285.html
July 20th, 2010 at 10:30 am
ESPN rumor that the sixers are open to trading Jason Kapono. That would solve the wing and 3 pt shooting issues. Any thoughts?
July 20th, 2010 at 10:58 am
@ SpursfanSteve
Great article!! I don’t think I could have any more respect for Peter Holt. Just a class act in every way and it’s no mistake that the rest of the organization conducts itself in the same way.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:03 am
@SpursfanSteve
Good catch.
I saw that story last week and meant to post something about it, but it got lost in the shuffle when I was finishing up the podcast and video.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:48 am
NBA.com’s rankings of the top 8 teams in the West next year
http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2010/07/20/the-lake-show-rolls-on-out-west/?ls=iref:nbahpt1
I kinda laughed when I read this
July 20th, 2010 at 11:57 am
I’m not sure what we could really offer the Sixers for Kapono… He would be a nice backup but he’s too expensive for a backup.
July 20th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Andrew A. McNeill
July 20th, 2010 at 9:23 am
“Just a heads up for you folks, Marc Stein tweets that Spurs and RJ should agree to a contract “soon.””
This is good news. I was beginning to get a bit worried with the whole RJ situation. However, it would make sense that the Spurs had some sort of little agreement in place when he opted out of $15mil. With a more experienced RJ in the fold, I like our chances to really be a sleeper this next year.
mikrobass3
July 20th, 2010 at 8:18 am
“what are the chances that he plays bitterly and heartlessly, ‘tanking’ it so to speak…a la jerome james???”
Maybe I’ve pegged RJ wrong, but even if he got a bit shafted on his contract, I think he would play hard. RJ has been apart of very good Nets teams. He understands what winning is about and I think he understands what kind of opportunity he has here in SA. The fact that Pop has been working with him this summer tells me that both RJ and the Spurs are wanting this marriage to work out.
Tyler
July 20th, 2010 at 8:26 am
“I’m expecting big things from Temple.”
I find it amazing how the Spurs find these guys either in the draft or overseas or simply a guy like Temple who floated around until the Spurs nabbed him. I was looking forward to seeing him in the summer league before he got hurt. It appeared that he is improving his 3pt shot, which was a decent 35% for a rookie. Unless his rookie numbers were deceiving, I see no reason why he can’t be a 40% 3pt shooter with time and help from the coaching staff. I’m not sure how good he is as a distributor, but his defense sure looked good. A 6’6″ pg is a very intriguing prospect. With Hill, Parker, Manu, Temple, and Anderson we have 5 guys who can fill the 1 and 2 spots on the court and most of them can play both positions!! With continued growth from the 3 younger guys, this could be a nasty weapon come playoff time.
“I think you can pencil in Temple and Hairston to the active, 12 man roster.”
Agreed. Hairston is definite since the Spurs FO told him not to worry about playing in the SL. Temple is probably in now that Pop’s new man-crush has switched from George Hill to Temple.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Jim Henderson
July 19th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
“My guess as the starters:
Parker
Manu
RJ (holding a spot?!)
Duncan
Splitter
My guess of rotation in order of minutes (not necessarily my preference):
(6) Hill
(7) Blair
(8) McDyess
(9) Bonner
(10) Anderson
(11) Temple
(12) Hairston”
That looks about right to me. On paper, this team looks a hell of a lot better than last year especially considering many of them will have been in the system one more year.
All we hear about is Miami and LA in all the NBA news. However, I think we can really do some damage if our young guys can continue to grow over the course of the year. Six of the twelve players you mentioned are between 21 and 25 yrs old. Man, this team is much younger than what we’ve had in the past. It’s clear that rebuild mode (or whatever you want to call it) is here in full force.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Great article SpursfanSteve.
If RJ resigns will the Spurs be able to use him in a package deal to get another player? Im sure a team would like to have RJ, Bonner and RMJ. Is this a possiblity?
July 20th, 2010 at 12:11 pm
@BayAreaSpursFan
I’m pretty sure there won’t be any restrictions on moving RJ (if / when he re-signs) and Bonner because they are re-signing. If they were new free agent signings I believe there’s a waiting period before you can trade them.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Thanks for the Response Andrew.
If this happens is there a player out there that the Spurs would like to have and make an offer for a trade?
July 20th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
doggydogworld
July 20th, 2010 at 5:32 am
Okay, but in practical terms, how many guys are usually on the Spurs bench, including “undressed”, before the start of a game? 12,13..?
“You can dress a different 12 every game if you want.”
That’s great, but obviously that’s not typical. Generally one’s going to have the same 12 dress every night. The first 9-10 probably can expect to see fairly regular minutes. The last 2-3, maybe more occasional spot minutes, particularly during times of injury to one of the first 9-10. We appear to have 12 guys (including RJ?) that I could see dressing just about every night. Can you think of any realistic alternative scenario?
Easy B
July 20th, 2010 at 5:18 am
“Tiago no doubt will get more confidence and minutes as he earns more time on the court…like all other rookies had to.”
Just remember, Splitter is FAR from your average rookie. He’s 25 years old, with several years of high-level European professional experience. Also, I think the idea of “learning the system” is a little overblown, particularly in the case of veteran players. RJ’s problems were more frustration with adjusting from a more up-tempo/transition 1st/2nd option type situation to a more half court/spot-up 4th option type situation. We need Splitter more for defense, whether paired with Duncan, McDyess, Blair, or Bonner. At the start, on the offensive end, he just needs to learn the basic screen & pick & roll options, and crash the offensive glass. We could start McDyess or Blair, but I’d be just as open to throwing Splitter into the fire from the get-go. The more playing time he gets, the faster he’ll learn. We’ll need for him to be as sharp as possible by the time the playoffs roll around.
DNITCH
July 20th, 2010 at 10:30 am
“ESPN rumor that the sixers are open to trading Jason Kapono. That would solve the wing and 3 pt shooting issues. Any thoughts?”
Since Kapono is the #1 active career 3-point shooter (44%), 54% in two playoff appearances, and is deadly in spot-ups, I’d love to do that trade. I’d offer McDyess (or Bonner, if they’d want to assume his 4-year contract!) & Gee for Kapono, and then sign Amundson with our 2.4 mil. MLE.
Parker, Hill
Manu, Anderson
RJ, Kapono, Hairston
Duncan, Blair, Bonner
Splitter, Amundson
Temple
July 20th, 2010 at 12:29 pm
The only thing about Kapono is that he is also not very versatile. In particular, he’s not the greatest defender in the world. However, backing up RJ for 15-17 mpg might just give us the excellent floor-spacer we need at the 3-spot, particularly in match-ups where the opposing team’s SF is not unusually quick (Kapono has below avg. lateral quickness). Also, he could provide the spark we need in the playoffs.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Via Jeff McDonald’s twitter feed:
“Jefferson will re-sign Tuesday with Spurs”
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Jefferson_will_re-sign_Tuesday_with_Spurs_98860444.html
July 20th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Hobson13
July 20th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
“However, I think we can really do some damage if our young guys can continue to grow over the course of the year.”
We could, but Temple, Hairston, & Anderson still haven’t really shown sufficient production at the NBA level yet. We can hope they will soon, but it’s far from guaranteed.
Blair & Splitter are our biggest hopes to make a real impact on the team this year. We have to hope for the best there as well.
We do have some decent young players right now. Lets just hope they’re ready to take it to the next level. That’s what we really need, plus an experienced playoff 3-point shooter that has produced before, and the ENTIRE team picking up the “D” to another level. We need major commitment on that end of the floor, or we won’t make the WCF’s. There’s not only LA, but the Rockets could be VERY good this year.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
Here’s a guess:
RJ signs a 4-year deal worth 28 million.
July 20th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
It’s a shame the terms aren’t disclosed. Very curious about this. Perhaps 4 years with the 4th being a team option? Please nothing more than 3 gauranteed!
July 20th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Is RJ going to hold an hour long special on ESPN announcing this decision?????????
July 20th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
By the way, it looks like Barnes deal with Raptors is dead.
http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm
Not enough $. Where does he go? Bulls, Cavs, Celtics…? SPURS?!?
July 20th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
By the way, it sure looks like Riley is trying to take a page out of Jackson’s book, building from scratch a team pretty similar to the team that began their first three-peat in 1990-1991: the Chicago Bulls.
Wade >>>>Jordan
James>>>>Pippen
Bosh>>>>>Grant
Ilgauskas >>>Cartwright
Chalmers>>>Armstrong
Miller>>>>>Paxson
Haslem>>>>Perdue
Anthony>>>King
Jones>>>>>Hodges
Magloire>>>Williams
The problem is, the Heat don’t have Michael Jordan. Also, the Jordan/Pippen fit was more like a glove than the Wade/James pairing will likely ever be. For all their offensive talents, it was often the relentless “D” by Pippen & Jordan that stirred the Bull’s drink. Can Wade & James duplicate that effort? Well, that’s a tall task. And what made MJ & Scotty such a great pair was the way they complimented each other on the court, not that they were the greatest buddies off the court. There were NO passes/excuses on the court because they were good friends off the court. Winning was the most important thing in their relationship, and accountability ALWAYS had an edge to it.
July 20th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
I love Kaponos skill set. I worry about his lack of aggression in terms of shooting.
For a guy that is ridiculously gifted he is not renowned for pulling the trigger often. Reminds me heaps of Mike Miller.
In Toronto Kapono had the opportunity to basically shoot a heap more than he had in Miami and he never took it.
That said the Spurs would probably suit him down to the ground because we all know that if there is one thing Pop does well it’s make ppl be aggressive with their shot or they sit. I.E Mr. Divisive Matt Bonner.
Wtf were Toronto thinking with Barnes? How do you not know that you don’t have the cash and Orlando cant sign and trade him?
July 20th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Most of the above mentioned roster possibilities stress a need for a backup for Jefferson at the small forward spot. I think, Gee, Ginobli, and maybe even Anderson can fill that need. Last year the Spurs were in need of a quick taller player, who can play the 3 or 4 spot. Jefferson was often called upon to be the four and he is too short. I was very impressed with Wilkerson in the summer league action. At 6’8″ he is fairly quick, showed surprising ball handling skills and good athleticism. He played decent defense around the rim and has respectable hops. I think he might be a better prospect the Gist, who I thought looked lethargic before he injured himself. I don’t think he will make the team, but Wilkerson might be a different story. He also might be able to back up at the small forward spot. The Spurs could still use another strong rebounding defensive center.
July 20th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Jim Henderson
July 20th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
“We could, but Temple, Hairston, & Anderson still haven’t really shown sufficient production at the NBA level yet. We can hope they will soon, but it’s far from guaranteed.”
Of course. The only things in life that are guaranteed are death and taxes. One advantage the Spurs have over the Lakers is potential. With the Lakers, you know what you will get. They are an excellent team of veterans that have by and large, reached their potential. The Spurs, on the other hand, have many more younger talents which can improve over the course of the year. Maybe the youngsters grow and maybe they don’t, but it will be interesting to see what the final product is in April and May.
“Blair & Splitter are our biggest hopes to make a real impact on the team this year.”
I would also add Hill to this list. I doubt he grows the in his third year as much as he did in his second, but I expect him to experience some growth this next year. I would bet his improvement will come in the area of 3pt shooting.
“That’s what we really need, plus an experienced playoff 3-point shooter that has produced before, and the ENTIRE team picking up the “D” to another level.”
No doubt. We could still use an extra 3pt shooter and definitely need to pick up the team D.
July 20th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Hobson13
July 20th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
“No doubt. We could still use an extra 3pt shooter and definitely need to pick up the team D.”
Rumor has it that Philly is open to trading Kapono (http://www.prosportsdaily.com/comments/sixers-open-to-moving-kapono-389686.html). They’re too top-heavy at the wing, and Kapono’s got one year left at 6.6 mil. per. Plus, I think Philly, under Doug Collin’s, is looking to be a running team that has the versatile athletes necessary to create turnovers & burn opponents in the open-court/transition game. Kapono does not fit that style, and the fast pace would merely accentuate his weaknesses defensively.
Earlier on this thread, I suggested that we make Philly the following offer:
McDyess (or Bonner, if they’d want to assume his 4-year contract!) & Gee for Kapono, and then sign Amundson with our 2.4 mil. MLE.
Parker, Hill
Manu, Anderson
RJ, Kapono, Hairston
Duncan, Blair, Bonner
Splitter, Amundson
Temple
Amundson would help us defensively, and Kapono is about the best shooter we could possible get to back-up RJ (#1 active career 3-point shooter (44%), 54% in two playoff appearances, and is deadly in spot-ups), and could give us some firepower & floor-spacing off the bench for about 15-17 mpg. What do you think about that?
July 20th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
RJ should be more familiar with Spurs system and more consistent this coming season. Go Spurs Go!!!
July 21st, 2010 at 5:58 am
Does Duncan’s contract expire at the end of this season? I think it expires after teh 2011-2012 season, but I’m not sure. Anyways, I think te Spurs FO should try to sign Amundson, or Shaq with the rest of the MLE. No one seems to be interested in Shaq, Atlanta is, but they can’t afford him because of there stupid decision to sigh Johnson to theat 124 mil. maz contract.
July 21st, 2010 at 6:00 am
@SG20
Duncan’s contract expires after the end of the 2011-2012 season.
July 21st, 2010 at 11:51 am
“Amundson would help us defensively, and Kapono is about the best shooter we could possible get to back-up RJ”
That would definitely be a worthwhile trade. Kapono, as you said, is not a great defender. However, he would only play 15-18 min/game and perhaps the rim defending duo of Duncan and Splitter can make up some of his defensive slack. Kapono is definitely one of the elite (if not THE elite) 3pt shooters in the league.
From a Philly point of view, it might be tempting to take on a veteran like McDyess if they could get a promising young guy like Gee. This would definitely be an interesting trade, if you ask me. The loss of Bonner or Dyess would be largely offset if we could get our hands on Amundson. I haven’t heard anything about the FO pursuing him, but it would make sense if they did.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:37 am
[...] has on the overall roster-Hairston was deemed safe enough to keep out of Vegas, Temple is Popovich’s new “favorite player“, and Gee showed nicely as well-Neal provides a skill set that should fit nicely into [...]
July 24th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
“He wants to defend the basketball. I don’t have to convince him,” Popovich said. “He’s smooth, he can shoot the three, he’s willing to pass, so I think he’s a young player who’s got a really good future ahead of him.”
Translation:… He’s what I’ve always expected TP to do while running the point.
September 23rd, 2010 at 5:11 am
[...] Garrett Temple [...]
October 20th, 2010 at 7:29 am
[...] that Garrett Temple is Pop’s current favorite player I think he’s a lock. That leaves Simmons, Gee, Cousin, and apparently Kevin Palmer [ED. - Bit [...]
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