Our third installment looks at the free agents who have already worn the silver and black, we see some who will return, some who won’t, and some we just can’t be sure about. But if Popovich’s comments since the middle of May ring true, there is some certainty that the older you are, the less likely you’ll be back.
Of the free agents from San Antonio, Damon Stoudamire is the most likely candidate to be playing somewhere else next year. Never providing the offensive spark we thought he’d provide, his minutes quickly dwindled, only seeing the floor during warmups and blowouts.
Big Shot Bob has stated he would like to play another year in San Antionio, but his performance this year warrants a refund, not another paycheck. It’s hard to determine where he will be, as he was hurt for a chunk of this year, and never found a groove. Even so, his defense is far from what the Spurs need from him, so look for Bonner to gather up his minutes in 2009.
Finley wasn’t much better than Horry this year, but I could see if he’d return another year with the minimum salary. However, the drafting of Hill, and the potential of signing a much younger, more athletic swingman diminishes the need for Finley greatly. Finley’s greatest use to us now is in a sign and trade.
The single most likely to return free agent, is Kurt Thomas. Many complaints have been aimed directly at him the last several months, myself included, but considering he’s only been in the system a few months, and he still did what he did, warrants him coming back. The second year is the magical one with Popovich, as it always takes awhile to get the hang of the way San Antonio does things. Thomas may be aging, but he still annoys bigger men, and he is a very smart player. With any luck, Mahinmi will get the opportunity to learn some tricks from him this year.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
