The trade deadline has come and gone, and somewhat not surprisingly, R.C. Buford, Pop, and the entire Spurs organization has decided to stand pat with what they've got right now.  I mean, the Spurs are sitting at a comfortable record of 47-10, a full 6 games ahead of the second place Dallas Mavericks.  Now with James Anderson rejoining the team, the Spurs have 13 players on roster, the league minimum.  They could add more players, but given the effectiveness of the current 12 man rotation, it's unlikely they'd add anyone that would make an immediate impact, theoretically.  With some decent names potentially getting bought out, should the Spurs look at perhaps adding someone?

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I'm sure most of you have heard that Chris Paul wants to go to the Magic.  Ultimately, it would be something of a trade, and not to say that I know anything, this is something of speculation so who would the Magic trade?  Would the Hornets just offer Chris Paul?

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So, I live in the Bay Area, and about 75% of the people around me are GSW fans, so needless to say, I've heard a lot about Mickael Pietrus, I've heard a lot about Matt Barnes, and I've heard a lot about C.J. Watson.  I would say that prior to now, Watson was something of an unknown to the rest of the league, he and Kelenna Azubuike are considered by many Warriors fans to be the D-League gems that have made it successfully in the NBA.  While he's new, I'd still like to make a case that C.J. Watson, not Anthony Johnson should shoulder the bulk of the backup PG minutes.

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As many people are prone to point out, two things happened with the essential swap of Vince Carter for Hedo Turkoglu: the Magic got a better closer and they also got a heck of a lot thinner.  Essentially, in picking up an All-Star caliber (albeit an older one) shooting guard and a young power forward, the Magic gave up a point guard, a shooting guard, a power forward, and lost a small forward to free agency.  Word on the street has Marcin Gortat agreeing to terms with the Dallas Mavericks, and I don't know if Orlando would be so inclined to match.  I'm not sure why they wouldn't, but then again, you could probably get a backup center for pretty cheap.  Anyways, as some are inclined to point out, the Orlando roster as of today, currently looks like this:

PG - Jameer Nelson, Anthony Johnson

SG - Vince Carter, J.J. Redick

SF - Mickael Pietrus

PF - Rashard Lewis, Ryan Anderson

C - Dwight Howard

So the immediate needs that jump out are the need for a backup center that can support Dwight Howard, but also some depth at the small forward slot.  If I'm not mistaken (correct me if I am) Magic still have their MLE, the BAE, and veteran's minimum to work with.

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I think the Spurs still have a number of assets left, beyond looking to the free agency for a big.  Okay, so they don't really have a whole lot to offer to teams except maybe some expiring contracts and the stuff, but nonetheless, it's better than nothing.  I believe that for whatever the Spurs do end up giving up, it's easier to find a wing in free agency than it is to find a big, especially given the list of bigs that I've seen in free agency.  More elaboration after the jump.

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This might be looking a little far ahead, but it couldn't help but catch my attention:

"After today there's no way he can play," said Rivers, who left open the possibility his star could return at some point in the postseason but was not optimistic.

An NBA source confirmed to the Globe this morning that Garnett was only about 70 percent healed from the knee injury, which occured during a Feb. 19 game in Utah, and that the Celtics All-Star would likely miss the entire postseason.

Whole article here.

Chance!

Though I do hope KG gets better.

Our wings currently consist of Roger Mason Jr, Michael Finley, Ime Udoka, and Bruce Bowen.  Even if Manu did come back healthy next season, it's undeniable that we need a serious upgrade.  I'm not expecting to get a superstar like LeBron or Kobe or Paul Pierce or Caron Butler or such, no franchise cornerstone type players, or rather, untouchables.  I also don't want bloated contracts like Richard Jefferson or Andrei Kirilenko.  This person needs to be someone that can play with the Big 3, and doesn't need the ball.  Plays solid defense.  Also able to hit the 3 fairly consistently, and young(-ish).  At least younger than Finley (36) and Bowen (37), which isn't hard to find, preferably younger than Mason (28), but we can make exceptions.  Also able to create his own shot.  Again, reasonably priced probably nothing significantly greater than an MLE.

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It's great in all to say how our wings are pretty crappy, which they are.  I mean, yeah, I like the Roger Mason signing, I like the George Hill draft, but tack onto that Michael Finley (please don't take your player option), Bruce Bowen, Ime Udoka, and Jacque Vaughn, it's pretty hurting.  Hill is still a project, Mason, well, Mason is a shooter.  Yes, it'd be nice if we could get a finisher/creator, he doesn't need to create for others, he just needs to do his job, get to the rim and score.  It'd be nice if in this offseason we could get one of Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Marquis Daniels, or Walter Herrmann (or Ron Artest?), somewhat realistically speaking.  Unrealistically speaking, it'd be nice if we could get Kobe or Hedo to opt out and sign with us, if we could nab Trevor Ariza from the Lakers.  I trust Pop and the front office will deal with that somehow, I really do.  Yes, the Spurs could also use an upgrade at the PF/C to play next to Tim Duncan.  Yes, I would love to sign Rasheed Wallace and make another run, yes, it would be a dream if Mehmet Okur decided to opt out and sign with us, yes, to a lesser extent that Zydrunas Ilgauskas opts out and signs with us.  I think you get the point.  However, here's what I think the Spurs really need:

The Spurs need Tim Duncan to become the David Robinson to the next Tim Duncan.

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I'm 100% serious here, I like the Magic coming out of the East, in fact, I'm picking them to go at least to the Finals, with a shot at winning it all.  Really.  Without Jameer Nelson, that's right.  While depth continues to be an issue, I don't know that it'll be as big of a problem as some might consider.

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So I was going through the free agent list and I realized that, there are a lot of players from the Hawks that are going to be available via free agency.  Granted neither Joe Johnson or Josh Smith fall into that category, but such a large number of players on an already think bench seems somewhat alarming.  Who should the Hawks keep?

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I'm sure everyone's tuned into the last half of the season, seeing the Blazers succeed and win a playoff spot would be great, but of course we have to look forward too.  I'm sure more than some of the fans out there are somewhat disappointed by Kevin Pritchard's failure to move the RLEC (Raef Lafrentz Expiring Contract).  Granted from what I saw, there really wasn't anything that was super appealing.  Richard Jefferson is not $9.2 million better than Travis Outlaw, and the presence of homeboy Luke Ridnour will do nothing except stunt the growth of Jerryd Bayless.  Honestly, Steve Blake and Steve Blake 2.0 isn't a stronger backcourt than Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless.  There was another murmuring of landing Andre Miller, but at the cost of Jerryd Bayless, and I'm pretty sure the Blazers weren't going to mortgage their future (possibly) PG for the sake of half a season of Andre Miller plus maybe a second round exit.  As good as Andre Miller is, he wouldn't have taken the Blazers over the top.  So since the trade deadline is over, the Blazers really can't do much with their roster, except wait until the summer...

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Let's take all of the drama aside, all of how Starbury makes teams worse, all of how he's a locker room cancer, let's assume that he's put all that behind him, and he's able to bring to the floor everything that the C's need and want him to.  I don't care if Adrian Wojnarowski calls him a loser, let's talk basketball.  The more I look at this, the more I realize that this might not work out too well.  Really..

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I think as far as this year is concerned, the Spurs' best shot at winning a title, would be that Indiana buys out Rasho Nesterovic and the Spurs sign him to a short contract.  Why Rasho?  He's a big man that can body up and score, he's experienced, and he's been there, specifically, he's been there with Pops, Manu, TP, and TD.  

I'm personally a little relieved that the Spurs didn't make a rash move and trade away any of its depth (namely Hill and Mason), and therefore is able to make some noise in the free agency come 2009.  Finley, Vaughn, and Udoka come off the books, and I think that Oberto and Bowen's expiring contracts then become easier to move, allowing the Spurs to pick up possibly a couple of solid role players and maybe a bigger name guy.  If you haven't seen, here a is a link to a pretty comprehensive list of who will be free agents in summer of 2009.  Two names that I would like to see the Spurs go after are:

Rasheed Wallace

I think this is pretty understandable, if the Spurs can convince Wallace to sign for cheaper, and not retire, then you get a scary long frontcourt of Tim Duncan and Rasheed Wallace, both of whom are proficient in the post and from midrange, and in the case of Wallace, sometimes even from downtown.  Wallace also comes from the defensive-minded (until recently) Detroit Pistons and he's proven to be a solid contributor on the defensive end.  This would create no end of matchup problems.

Walter Hermann

I think Hermann is one of the more underrated players in the league.  Sure he's not great, but two things he does pretty well, he defends and he hits threes.  While he's not exactly the youngest player out there (29 going on 30) he's a solid Bruce Bowen/Michael Finley replacement, able to fill both the 3 and the 4 slot.  

I think these two guys would be solid additions to the Spurs and can make the Spurs good now.  Add on a couple of maybe smaller name role players (maybe Trevor Ariza?) and you have a solid squad.  I think FA 2009 is going to be a big opportunity for San Antonio to make a move.

Hello everyone, been reading for a while, and noticing all these little fanposts here and there about trades and stuff.  I'm sort of 50/50 on the whole idea of trading for Carter, which would ultimately look something like this, while Oberto and Bowen have been bad, trading away depth in the forms of Mason and Hill are kind of leery to me, especially for the big contract of an old player.  While flooring Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Vince Carter, Tim Duncan, and Matt Bonner would make it difficult to double anybody in the 4th quarter, I think Spurs can do better.  

A lot of talk has been made about Rasheed Wallace, who personally expressed interest in going to the Spurs.  However, I don't think that the Spurs really have a whole lot they can offer to the Pistons that would be anything super appealing.  Honestly, the package they threw out for Carter would probably be the best thing they can offer, and probably the best thing they can throw out for 'Sheed as well.  So I'm not sure that Joe Dumars would go for that, unless you get a 3rd team involved somehow.

My personal solution, I think won't cost as much and honestly I think helps significantly.  That is, go to Sacramento.  Make something like that, I'm sure you can make something better that works (maybe?).  Ultimately, take whatever you're throwing at Carter and/or 'Sheed, tack on Jacque Vaughn's expiring contract and collect Miller and Salmons.  It's pretty obvious that Sacramento wants to get rid of Miller and Salmons, and the contracts of Bowen and Oberto are less than Miller's and shorter than Salmons's.  Not sure if Sacramento wouldn't ask for some talent, so I throw in Roger Mason, but not both Mason and Hill.  Salmons adds a scorer who's known for defensive tenacity, sure you give up some 3s, but you can't have everything.  Additionally, Miller gives you a high post scorer/passer to play off of Duncan, he's no rebounding stalwart, but he's smart on the floor and can really make the frontline a potent offensive force, using his passing skills and mid-range game to full effectiveness.  This is my call as to the most reasonable trade San Antonio can do to get better.  If the Kings go out and waive someone so the Spurs can pick them up again for cheap, all the better.

Adrian Warjanowski says that Magic are going to give Keith Bogans for Tyronn Lue.  Wow...  I guess as a backup...  to Anthony Johnson...

This definitely doesn't look like the answer that Orlando needs, I mean, he can shoot a three, but he's pretty horrible in all other aspects of the game.  I'm tenative giving him a crack at the rotation even with a healthy roster let a lone one with a depleted PG slot.  I'd take Will Conroy over that any day, or even just someone that can handle a half-court set. 

Sorry Magic fans, Tyronn Lue will not take you far at all in the playoffs...  Though he does have a ring...  I don't know if being utterly embarrassed time after time by failing to contain Allen Iverson in the NBA Finals really counts a whole lot in terms of playoff experience though.