Spurs closing in on Artest ....

[Dirkenstien]

Link:

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_ar..._in_on_artest/

[antoinewalker]

if the spurs get artest, they may finally be able to win back-to-back championships.

[DevinHarriswillstart]

Well....what can you do? It's bad new but at this point, noone can really upgrade their team in the West and say they are better than everyone else.

[AxdemxO]

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Well....what can you do? It's bad new but at this point, noone can really upgrade their team in the West and say they are better than everyone else.

Very true...and for the first time u say something tht doesnt include whinning about Harris

[Underdog]

FICK!
SHUT!!
GADDOMMIT!!!

[haywoodjay]

inaccurate report.

the spurs have acquired kurt thomas from seattle for elston and barry. not a bad deal by any means, imo.

[Underdog]

Originally Posted by haywoodjay

inaccurate report.

the spurs have acquired kurt thomas from seattle for elston and barry. not a bad deal by any means, imo.

LINK???

[DelNegro]

Thomas makes more sense. First, he's not fricking crazy. Second, the Spurs needed another option for Shaq, Yao & Gasol.

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by Underdog

LINK???

Link

Well there goes one possible backup center for us.

[jthig32]

I haven't caught many Spurs games lately, but isn't Barry still a member of the rotation?

I wonder if this is a wink wink he's going to be cut situation.

Vinny?

[DelNegro]

Originally Posted by jthig32

I haven't caught many Spurs games lately, but isn't Barry still a member of the rotation?

I wonder if this is a wink wink he's going to be cut situation.

Vinny?

Barry's out with a torn calf muscle. Still at least 2 weeks away. He was in the rotation and playing very, very well. So losing him sucks. Assuming of course that he'd have been able to come back healthy, which may not have been a given.

I'd be tickled to death if the Spurs could "Stackhouse" him though.

[EricaLubarsky]

Barry was a nice shooter for them
Elson was an incredible Dirk slower.

Kurt is a solid, fundamentals guy that I'd love to have here.

I'd say it was a wash, unless there is something about Elson Im unaware of.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by EricaLubarsky

Barry was a nice shooter for them
Elson was an incredible Dirk slower.

Kurt is a solid, fundamentals guy that I'd love to have here.

I'd say it was a wash, unless there is something about Elson Im unaware of.

Is this sarcasm Erica? I hope so. Elson was hyped as an "incredible Dirk slower." It never panned out in reality.

[fluid.forty.one]

I remember Elson had one good defensive game against Dirk. I think.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by fluid.forty.one

I remember Elson had one good defensive game against Dirk. I think.

The season opener last season is the game where this "Elson is a Dirk stopper" myth came from. Dirk shot 9-20 for 21 points. A quick look at popcornmachine.net for that game shows that Dirk shot about the same when Elson was on the court as when he wasn't.

Frankly, I thought it was funny, cause it was always a hype among the Spurs fans.

[MavsX]

http://www.ivynettv.com/sport/index.php?id=304


SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs acquired veteran forward Kurt Thomas from the Seattle SuperSonics on Wednesday night for guard Brent Barry, center Francisco Elson and a 2009 first-round draft pick.

The 6-foot-9 Thomas, in his 13th NBA season, gives the defending NBA champions much-needed size to complement Tim Duncan. In 42 games with the SuperSonics, the former Texas Christian star averaged 7.5 points and 8.8 rebounds.

Kurt Thomas

Thomas

"We need things that they don't and they need things that may not fit here right now," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "Hopefully the addition of Kurt will strengthen our playoff push."

The SuperSonics acquired the 35-year-old Thomas from Phoenix in July. Thomas, taken by Miami in the first round of the 1995 draft, also has played for Dallas and New York.

"I think the landscape of the West has put a premium on interior defense," Buford said. "Now with the trades of recent days, that's only improved."

Shaquille O'Neal was recently traded to the Phoenix Suns, and Memphis traded 7-footer Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sonics general manager Sam Presti moved forward with the trade mostly for the draft pick. Seattle has 13 draft picks over the next three years, including six in the first round -- two each season.

"Looking at the first-round pick, in combination with our other future picks, we have great flexibility to add to our core or acquire another impact player in the future," Presti said. "At the same time, Kurt is a tremendous person and player, and I appreciate his contributions this season and wish him success."

Along with the first-rounder, Seattle gets the expiring contracts of Barry and Elson, which combined with trade exception money left over from trades involving Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, should give the Sonics flexibility under the salary cap.

Presti would not say whether there are any other deals pending before Thursday's trade deadline.

"We have a responsibility to listen if something comes across our desk that we feel like can make us better now or in the future," he said.

Buford said Thomas, assigned to guard Duncan during last season's Spurs-Suns series, will not be with the team for its game against Minnesota on Thursday night.

The SuperSonics are 14-38 and have struggled this season despite the addition of No. 2 overall draft pick Kevin Durant. The Spurs are 35-17.

Barry, who signed with the Spurs as a free agent in July 2004, averaged 7.3 points in 29 games for San Antonio this season. The 13-year veteran has been sidelined the last few weeks by a calf injury.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked about a timeline for Barry's return before a game on Tuesday -- a day before the trade was announced -- and said it would probably be two to three weeks.

"He was playing really well early in the year and now there's been a 20, 25-game period where we've missed him throughout," Buford said of Barry.

Elson averaged 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 41 games with the Spurs this season, his second in San Antonio.

[WayOutWest]

Elson just blew too many defensive rotations and had hands of stone. He's been in Pop's doghouse from what I hear.

Kurt is a good body to put on Shaq, Yao and Bynum. Kurt has that veteran savy that would get opposing big men in trouble. Surpirse the Mavs didn't make a play for him after losing Diop.

[some_user86]

Originally Posted by ProdigyDub

The season opener last season is the game where this "Elson is a Dirk stopper" myth came from. Dirk shot 9-20 for 21 points. A quick look at popcornmachine.net for that game shows that Dirk shot about the same when Elson was on the court as when he wasn't.

Frankly, I thought it was funny, cause it was always a hype among the Spurs fans.

It was a hype among some Spurs fans. The idiot ones. Every village has them. I think it became evident by three quarters of the way through that Elson wasn't good. Back then, people blamed it on "first year" Spurs system student. When 4 or 5 games he started sucking again and completely blew defensive rotations, it was evident that he wasn't suffering from the "first year" syndrome. Instead, he just has a very low basketball IQ.

[some_user86]

Apparently, Spurs never wanted Artest.

Link: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.38c573b.html

[Dirkenstien]

Thank goodness they didn't get Artest. It would have been a gamble but if it worked out I don't think we would have had a good chance against them.

With that said, Thomas is a solid pick-up and I'm really concerned about our interior defense now. This back-up situation is not looking good at all.

[horse900703]

Originally Posted by antoinewalker

if the spurs get artest, they may finally be able to win back-to-back championships.

I dont think so.......

[DelNegro]

Originally Posted by some_user86

Apparently, Spurs never wanted Artest.

Link: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.38c573b.html

So they say, but that doesn't really mean much. He's not called CIA Pop for nothing.