The San Antonio Spurs sign Danny Green, again

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For those of you hoping to snag a 10-day job interview with the San Antonio Spurs, the position appears to have been filled.

The Spurs confirmed they have signed wing Danny Green for the remainder of the season. Green, as you may recall, was the first of many 10-day wing players the Spurs brought in over the course of the season. Though it’s hard to imagine Green stepping in and playing over anyone currently on the roster, it’s just another move that makes the Spurs the Spurs as our own Timothy Varner pointed out in an e-mail exchange:

Now, essentially, they meet roster requirements (13 players) stay under the tax threshold, and lock up Green for summer league and training camp.

It’s amazing how patient the Spurs are. They’re committed to eventually finding a diamond in the rough. But at the rate they “interview” players with 10 days, you can tell they’re okay going through 30 players, if it takes 30 players, to find one guy that can make a meaningful impact on their rotation.

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  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Len

    I think the biggest single factor that has alarmed me recently has been the rebounding. The Spurs have been beaten badly on the glass against playoff teams.

    The Spurs are not likely going to dominate the glass against quality teams. This team is too guard oriented and too short. I am OK with that. As long as the team can stay even with the opponent, they’ll be fine. But, they have gotten dominated by Miami, LA, OKC and CHI lately. This is a major, major problem. This trend has to stop or the Spurs aren’t going far in the playoffs, period.

  • TD = Best EVER

    @ Bry
    “Why do you guys think that Bonner is highly paid? You keep talking about his contract as if it is exhorbitant or something. The guy has earned his money and then some this year.”

    Basketball is a 2 way sport….. if this was football than yes he earned his money and them some…….. But in Basketball, he also has to defend and rebound at his position(4) and hasn’t done a good job of that all year. And it wasn’t just Bosh. Gooden, Arthur, Aldridge, Gasol, the guy from the Cavs, and many others…… Also keep in mind that his shooting % have always dropped in the playoffs, now this year may be different, but I think we could have saved 1million or so and still got him….

    @ Tim in Surrey

    “And again, TD=BE, points per game are meaningless. We’re playing a faster pace, so the other team gets more possessions–as do we.”

    I know ppg can be misleading, but its the final score that counts more than any other STAT so it can’t be meaningless. ALL those tightly contested Offensive shootouts counted as wins just as much as the Lakers tip in counted….. But to a bigger point ( and this is to Bankshot21 also) our offense is part of our defensive problem…… We take too many quick shots w/o rebounders in position to get offensive rebounds….. In the heat game we shot 38% to the Heat’s 53% or something and still gave up more offensive boards than we got……. So slowing the game down will increase our boarding and decrease theirs…..

    What do you think??

  • DorieStreet

    @Len

    Getting outrebounded wasn’t the problem in the MIA game-until the 4th qtr (same with TOs). At the half rebounds & baskets made were about, even-Spurs could not make shots (had 9 more attempts) and of course the FT difference provided the 10-pt. lead. Even through the 3rd qtr, Spurs had same # of offensive rebounds and 3 less defensive, but the lead had increased to 14. Spurs had less TOs and assists were even; but the bad shooting put the team in a hole, then everything fell apart in the 4th. (Spurs had more fast break points than Heat, 12-10.)
    Sometimes box score summaries skew what really happened during the course of the game.

  • Titletown99030507d

    @Len,

    Good post Len, you hit it right on the nail whether we like it or not. Having Splitter healthy and good to go on the court after the few weeks of the regular season was the time he needed to start getting groomed for the long season and playoffs. He could have been used 20 min a game for the last 50 games and I guarantee you he would have made more of a difference then and now and going into the playoffs. We wouldn’t be talking about his minutes or DNPs instead we’d be talking how he and Blair or he and Timmy are playing so well together instead of “we need a big”. If he does stay on the team which I think he will people will see his contributions and they will be good contributions next season since Pop has made him off limits to the court this season. But instead here we are fighting about our interior defense deficiencies on this great blog. Oh how it could have been. People please don’t respond with a get over it. This is part of the fun in opinionated fanfare. GSG! Dallas your next!

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Len

    Dorie,
    You choose to miss my point and instead try to ignore it claiming a statistical misrepresentation. How foolish.

    Chi, Okc and La completely dominated the Spurs on the glass. Wasn’t the 6 rebound advantage (49-43) that LA had skewed dramatically in the 4th qtr when their subs were playing? Of course it was. It goes both ways. So, how’s about you quit ignoring the obvious. This trend can’t be explained away with statistically anomalies. The Spurs need to rebound in the playoffs and that shouldn’t be argued.

  • Titletown99030507d

    @Doriestreet,

    It does matter to some extent. Having bigs to control offensive rebounds would pay dividends for us. It would make all their bigs stay down low in the paint area all the while shooters like Bonner wouldn’t get double teamed or help coverage from say bigs like Gasol and others. That takes pressure off Bonner and shooters of the like. One opposing big and the usual cover guy will double team our shooters and we have to give give it up or throw up a brick. These bigs are leaving their post to help out because we don’t pose a threat down low. Example: Bynum would hang around the post area and Gasol will slide to the 3 point arc to help out on coverage. Other opposing teams will do that. and if they do some one needs to cut to the rim. that’s why you’ve been seeing Bonner with happy feet putting the ball on the floor trying to make Lebron James moves. That’s where they need to move the ball quicker and and get it to one of our slashers so they can exploit the remaining big under the rim and give him the task to either defend Timmy or our slasher. Bigs do matter in any game phase.

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com Len

    “The Spurs need to rebound much better in the playoffs and that shouldn’t be argued.”

  • TD = Best EVER

    @ Len, Dorie, and Title…………

    Yes we do need to rebound better……………. But one reason why we do suffer so much is our inability to cut down guard penetration. When ever TD or any big has to leave his man to rotate over and contest a layup or close shot, he will leave his man wide open and only a few ft away from the basket. The better rebounding teams/players are gonna make you pay dearly for that almost every time. In these cases we really need the guards to help with the boxing out. So yes or defense hurts our rebounding, but rebounding also hurts our overall defense.

    Again, the best part about this is that an improvement in any area will dramatically improve the other one as well. So no we may not need another BIG, if we can contain guard penetration better, but if we can’t then we will definitely need someone as a security blanket.

  • DorieStreet

    @Len

    I didn’t miss your point dude—other than Duncan we have no one to rely on for the boards(except now that McDyess starts, the numbers should get better). I just pointed out the ONE GAME-the Heat contest last Monday night-was one that was not lost on the boards. My comments posts were about how that game went because were holding their own until Bosh went bonkers on Bonner, then Blair.

    Did I say you were wrong about the rebounding? No. Did I say “the Spurs are doing ok/will be fine with their rebounding despite these losse?” No.

    And as far as ignoring the obvious—
    We have people post game after game “we need to play Tiago/ why isn’t Splitter just getting garbage time?”

    For whatever reason, the Head Coach of this team has not made him part of the rotation after 67-SIXTY-SEVEN- games played. I see no need for anyone to continue to bring the subject up about TS playing- but others do. But I chose not to berate them for it.
    Go back & read the post. I was only referring to last Monday night.

    If you want to go after anyone, go after the fans who will post “Spurs will be fine” if again the team comes up short Friday night due to bad defense, poor rebounding, terrible shooting, etc.

  • Titletown99030507d

    @Beiste,

    If we give it a rest this blog does not exist. A blog tends to exist because of readers who visit on a regular basis and support it primarily by responding. Regardless if some supporters sound like a broken record such as myself we are just adamant about our opinion. And what a wonderful place to express it by this fine blog. Kudos to Varner. Except when he shuts us down. But that’s rare. Some of us may be annoying but at least we patronize the site instead of some readers who are just passerbys and give their two cents and never hear from them again. Enjoy.

  • Bankshot21

    @TD=B.E.

    I understand wanting to slow the game down, but with playing up tempo all season long are you sure you wanna tinker? I think that I have never coached an NBA Championship team and Pop has. What may not make sense to us may be completely sensible to those in the Spurs organization. I like our chances with what we have. Every team has lost games in bunches this year. Not us. What’s our record in our last 10 games? 7-3. Really sounds horrific to some I’m sure but if we lose only 3 games in a 10 game span then I like my chances of not losing more in a 7 game span.

  • Bankshot21

    @titletown

    With you on the shutting down of the threads. Teeters on censorship which I’m against. In Varners defense….TD=B.E. did use profanity in one of its worst forms (the F bomb).

  • DorieStreet

    @TD=Best EVER

    +10 our perimeter guys at times don’t body up, or they go below the screen, or they sag off to help when none is needed. I guess it was difficult for them to correct this during the course of the 82, since the onus to score is on them mostly night after night. But during the playoffs the coaching staff can zero in on one opponent for a week-10 day period so the Gs/Fs can correct flaws.

  • Titletown99030507d

    @TD=Best ever,

    Defense with big “bigs” (and good ones) win Championships. Penetration or no penetration those bigs I’m talking about are there to swat away the ball from the little mosquitoes coming in to the lane for some chow. Exploitation of the lane by the opposing team whether they are guards or bigs we all know once that starts to happen its all over. And you need a big active dude to counter that on the defensive end or your just waiting for the clock to hurry up.

  • Bob

    I remember at the beginning of the season our perimeter trio of Parker, Ginobili, and Jefferson averaging over 20. They need to go back to pushing the tempo and ball and getting easy baskets in transition. Right now it seems only Parker is doing that.
    I don’t think the Bonner-Blair combo is good defense or works against skilled and larger lineups. Bonner simply lacks the lateral quickness to keep with his defender without sufficient team help. Blair reaches alot or simply is not tall enough to bother the opponent’s shot.

  • Hobson13

    I know I’m changing the subject, but this game against Dallas is a big game for the Spurs. I won’t rehash our poor play over the last five games, but we could really use a win against a big time opponent to break us out of this funk. If the Spurs have ever had a MUST WIN game this season, this is it. IMO, if we get beat down by 15+ points again, we run the risk of damaging the overall team conficence especially with the younger players. We can’t continue to get blown out by teams we might face in the playoffs especially this late in the season.

  • DorieStreet

    @Hobson13

    A lot of fans will not feel that way-you know the drill: “can’t win all 82″/ “Mavs needed that game more”/ ” the negativity \ pessimists on this blog…”

  • rob

    @Bob

    “I remember at the beginning of the season our perimeter trio of Parker, Ginobili, and Jefferson averaging over 20. They need to go back to pushing the tempo and ball and getting easy baskets in transition. Right now it seems only Parker is doing that.”

    I think it is what I’ve mentioned before. The Spurs roled playing a different set of basketball in the beginning. It’s changed a bit over the last month or so. My guess is the team is experimenting with different sets, ideas and plan for the time being to fine tune areas in case they are needed (or want to use) in the playoffs.

    I’m sure once the playoffs begin we’ll see more of an uptempo game. Jefferson being used more often. Ginobili playing like he was at the start of the season, and Parker becoming better at dish recognition through penetration.

    Regarding the desparity in rebounding. What we’re seeing is an offensive set that does not lend itself to position for offensive rebounds. Same is true regarding defensive rebounding. With weak side and help defense focussing on perimeter defense and preventing penetration. The mechanics of how the team plays defense weakens the ability to garnish more rebounds than being accomplished now. That may (the mechanics) change once playoffs role around but don’t look forward to it if what garnished success in the beginning of the season becomes succesful again in the playoffs.

    It’s not just a “lack” of ability to rebound by our bigs more so than the mechanics of the game plan being used. That execution of plan is also why we see so many of our perimeter players have higher than normal rebounds compared to other perimeter players.

  • Bruno

    @DorieStreet i think is good lose to Mavs, if we win they will #3 seed almost 4

  • Bruno

    But if we win is good too, so don’t matter what happen. Only thing mean is nobody get injury

  • TD = Best EVER

    @ Bankshot21

    Slowing the game down is basically another way of improving our Defense…… if POP has another way, then by all means go ahead and do it…… but whatever the method is, we can’t wait until the last week of the season to just throw it in and hope for good results.

    Also when did I use the (F-BOMB)……. I remember the word being used at me by “justin-ray” once and you giving him a +100 or something like that……. but do not recall ever going there myself. If I did to T. Varner, other management, and posters I would like to apologize……

  • DorieStreet

    @Bruno

    Speaking of #4 spot-a couple of “nuggets” :) to keep in your ‘pocket’-

    1) OKC will complete March with a 6-game homestand then a SEGABABA @ PHO- I see no losses there; after 3 home games, DAL hits the road for 6 games - all BTB separated by 1 day off between. Seeing how they almost loss a road BTB this week, we may see a fade that let’s OKC get to #3 spot.

    2) On Sunday, ESPN/ABC’s Jon Barry picked the Thunder to upset Spurs in a 2nd round matcup; after last night’s victory over the Heat, he all but guaranteed it-IF the Spurs can get by Memphis…

  • Bruno

    @DorieStreet don’t matter what Espn/Abc say, always people say spurs can’t win, but everybody knows isn’t happen.Spurs 100% healthy can beat anyone. And Jon Barry hate Spurs, Parker fucked his wife

  • Flavor

    So OKC has Perkins and now they can take out the Spurs? They only beat LA 2 TIMES last playoffs… Why is everyone talking about them like they pushed it to a game 7?

  • Forrestgump52

    Right now one of the bigger problems is Manu. He is our go-to guy except he’s been in a slump lately and it’s been hurting us. in the past 20 games ( a pretty large sample size) he’s shot below 40% 9 times. The 11 times he’s shot 40% or better (still not a great number, but he gets to the line) it’s been in games against bad teams or blowouts: Miami (30 pt blow out ), Sacramento, Detroit (twice), Miami (30 pt blow out win), Cleveland, Memphis, New Jersey (twice), Washington, and Toronto. Except for Memphis and Miami those are all lottery teams… All in all, in the past 20 games, against winning teams he has shot: 51/156 (32%) which is disturbing. I rarely see him hitting his jump shots, but I’ve also heard he is not at full health. We will need him to dominate at least 2-4 games per series to win the championship considering Tim Duncan isn’t going to be averaging 25/15 lines over a whole series.

  • Rafael

    Fuck Manu twitcam, he only speaks spanish

  • Spur4Life

    @Bruno
    That would be his sister in law not his wife, Jon Barry not Brent Barry.

  • Forrestgump52

    The biggest concern for me right now is Manu’s play. In the past 20 games he has shot below 40% 9 times. In the 11 games he shot 40% (not a great %) or better, all the teams were sub .500 teams except the two games against Miami and the one game against Memphis (Detroit (twice), Sacramento, Toronto,Cleveland, Washington, New Jersey (twice). In the games we played against winning teams Manu shot 51/156 (32%). We need Manu to dominate at least 2-4 games per series if were going to win the championship. Unlike our last championships, Duncan is not going to give us his 25/15 lines over a series (although I expect him to average around 18/10) and Tony Parker should give us his usual. I feel good about the Spurs but I’m not used to seeing them lose by 30 points after the All star break.

  • DorieStreet

    @Flavor

    Thunder the new darlings of the west-but deserved; one 1 loss this month; looks as if they could get to 53, 54 wins this season. But that’s a great leap in the playoffs-going from 1st-time, 1st round exit to WCF in 1 year, but the roster has some playoff experience/ Perkins, of course; Sefolosha w/Bulls; (crazy)Nate with Celtics; Nazr Mohammed with Spurs. The way Denver is playing, that 4-5 matchup could go 7 IMO.

  • luk

    this is REALLY late commenting here.
    @TD=BE +2:
    “our offense is part of our defensive problem…… We take too many quick shots w/o rebounders in position to get offensive rebounds….. In the heat game we shot 38% to the Heat’s 53% or something and still gave up more offensive boards than we got……. So slowing the game down will increase our boarding and decrease theirs”

    From this I deduce that if we’re shooting lower % shots we need to take that much more time on our offensive possession to keep the game within reach until Dwade cools off and/or Pop counters with subs or strategies. In other words,
    (Spurs’ # of Possessions X Spurs fieldgoal%) +
    (Opponent’s # Possessions X Opponent fg%) = APPROX rate of how rapidly leads grow

    Also, when I first started watching Spurs games I often complained about spurs not following their shots for the rebound or crashing the O boards….until I realized Pop purposely sacrifices offensive rebounds for
    1-a more set up defense (esp for getting the bigs back on D; they have to run further down court and get there faster than guards can pass)
    and
    2-a more rested team (less hustling required). Maybe towards the end of the year Pop will preach more offensive rebounding because pacing his team for the remainder of the season will be less of a factor. Don’t they go for more reb’s when its the younger bigs playing?

  • luk

    @TD=BE
    “When ever TD or any big has to leave his man to rotate over and contest a layup or close shot, he will leave his man wide open and only a few ft away from the basket. The better rebounding teams/players are gonna make you pay dearly for that almost every time. In these cases we really need the guards to help with the boxing out. So yes or defense hurts our rebounding, but rebounding also hurts our overall defense”
    -great point. this is where spurs team chemistry helps so much…but can they still suffer here

  • grego

    If anyone remembers, Ferry recommended Green (from their days in Cleveland).

    I didn’t get when they waived him, but I can see why they wanted to see if Ime could help. Perhaps they told him, to work harder and if he did, they’d bring him back.

    Green’s strengths are defense and shooting stoke. Perfect for the Spurs. He’s long like Hill, but bigger. He still has the potential to play the 2/3 position.

    As for RJ, his game is setup to depend on penetration and the defender leaving him. Since that isn’t really a drawn up play to get him open (specifically him), his numbers will always fluctuate. The alley oop play doesn’t work any longer.

    They should post RJ up against the matchups where he has a speed or size advantage. And they should also run him off some screens as his jump shot has been pretty solid most of the season.

  • rob

    I think it be best that anybody who thinks the best way for the Spurs to win is to “slow” it down. I don’t know…perhaps this has been an illusion all season long and the Spurs somehow revert back to championship days of old with stellar lock down defense. I don’t see how that changes at this stage of the game.

    The defense isn’t that bad (7th in the league by my last count). Is that worthy enough to win if your team ISN’T tops in offensive production?…Sure…one would have a point in that regard.

    But the Spurs ARE better offensively than they have been at any point in their past championship accomplishments all the while maintaining in the least a potent defense.

    Again I reiterate…there have been changes lately to how the Spurs are trying to execute a game plan. So subtle that many don’t recognize that it is by plan… only to see it as a colapse or that other team’s are “figuring them out”.

    I see it and am not as concerned as others. This is part of the plan. To experiment with the roster; Make subtle changes to see what works and doesn’t. Believe me…if there is something that is not working the Spurs will not implement that in the playoffs. They will however come across something that DOES work other than what first worked in the season…document that…save it…and execute it when the playoffs begin or are in full force.

    Positive thinking? Call it more of life long experience following this team. I see it. I believe it. Come playoffs…I’ll expect it.

  • http://www.48minutesofhell.com notasgoodasoncewas

    I believe in the playoffs the only two teams we need to worry about is Dallas and the Lakers. I don’t think we will have to worry about Dallas becuse they will have to go through the Lakers. I don’t see that happening. The Lakers will be our biggest problem. We can not beat the Lakers inside no matter who we picked up at this point thier too good. No for us to beat the Lakers Tony and Manu will have to be on thier game and attack. Lakers don;t have anyone who can stay with Tony. Spurs will need to play an uptemple game and they need to hit thier outside shots to spread the floor if the Spurs can do this we can take the Lakers. I know anything can happen who knows who we be in the western conference finals but I believe it will be Spurs and Lakers should be interesting

  • Spur4Life

    Positive thinking? Call it more of life long experience following this team. I see it. I believe it. Come playoffs…I’ll expect it.

    Thank you Rob, smartest thing I have seen written on this blog in a long time and I fully agree. I think some of us Spurs fans have listened to the media too much lately and are starting to believe what they are saying (no chance). G!S!G! all the way baby!

  • TD = Best EVER

    @ rob

    “The defense isn’t that bad (7th in the league by my last count). Is that worthy enough to win if your team ISN’T tops in offensive production?”

    The problem with this STAT is that it basically ignores all other defensive seem to point to a different picture…….

    2010-2011 Spurs D

    PPG - 97.2 - 12th
    PACE - 94.8 - tied for 14th
    FGA - 84.2 - tied for 27th
    FGM - 37.9 - 19th
    FG% - .451 - 10th - Best Defensive STAT there is
    3PA - 1048 - 2nd
    3PM - 389 - 8th
    3P% - .371 - tied for 24th
    FTA - 20.3 - 2nd
    FTM - 15.5 - 2nd

    But as you can see that we give up alot of shot attempts per game(poor rebounding mostly), and that more so than our PACE 14th is the reason why our PPG is so high……. That plus the fact that we don’t defend the 3point line as well as we should. It seems that we do a good job of limiting the number they shoot, but leave them open to shoot when they do shoot. Also its the fact that we don’t foul that really helps us out……. 2nd there means we don’t give up a bunch of freebies…..

    “I see it and am not as concerned as others. This is part of the plan. To experiment with the roster; Make subtle changes to see what works and doesn’t.”

    Other than Dice in the starting lineup what else AM I missing…….

  • Spursdynasty

    Pop admits that the spurs are not the best team in the league & I agree, ” I.m.o.” that title belongs to the bulls. See I can be realistic about it, but I’m not going to give up hope that we are not gonna be the champs this year!!! Like I said td=be is totally right about our flaws, I just don’t agree that because of them we won’t stand a chance at winning the whole thing. All I’m trying to say is that spurs fans ” im pretty sure he is one”should keep the faith!!!”long live the spurs dynasty”

  • rob

    @ TD=BE

    “Other than Dice in the starting lineup what else AM I missing…….”

    I don’t have the abilty or time to retract video from earlier games. But spacing on the floor has changed as well as some defensive manuvering from then to the last couple of months.

    My guess is the Spurs took what had been succesful and stored it away for later use (playoffs) experimenting with different formations (though subtle as it may be) to look at different avenues of both offensive and defensive execution. More so offense than defense but none the less little changes in formation and execution to see if something else would work besides what they had already proven to work earlier in the season.

    Offensively…they have not pushed the ball as fast as in the beginning of the season. But also they have spaced the floor differently while in half court set as compared to earlier in the season. I don’t think this has been by fault more so than plan.

    I guess reasoning of this could be formulated in one’s individual thoughts, but I tend to believe it is to accomplish at least two postitive goals.

    1). Don’t show your hand (let opponents completely figure you out) before the final bet (playoffs).

    2). To find something else than what you already know to work to use as well.

    It would be interesting to see a “Break Down” post showing what I’m talking about…Staff of 48…would that be possible to do or would it be something you would rather wait to do until after playoffs?

  • Spursdynasty

    Pop even admits that we are not the best team in the west, I’ll even go further by saying that we are not the best team in the league “I.m.o.” that tittle belongs to the bulls ” I’ve felt this way even before the streak!!!” With that being said I can be realistic & unbias but I’m not going to say that we are not going stand a chance at winning it all!!! Like I said I respect & totally agree with TD=BE about our flaws, but about us not winning it all simply because of them is where we don’t see eye to eye. All I’m saying is that every spurs fan “which I truly believe that he is one” should keep the FAITH instead of giving up on them & our chances! “Long live the spurs dynasty”!!!!

  • Spursdynasty

    Sorry about the double post thought my first message didn’t go through due to a message saying it didn’t.

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