Spurs shouldn't answer Wizards' call on Blatche
If you ask most San Antonio Spurs fans, they'll still tell you they wish there was another big on the roster to shore up the frontcourt.
According to the Washington Post, there is one forward/center looking for a new NBA home and his team is doing all they can to get him moved off the team.
At the start of the season, Wizards big man Andray Blatche had just come off a career season, averaging bests in points and rebounds. Blatche was even named team captain prior to the season opener, a title that was yanked away very quickly.
Blatche wanted to assume more of a leadership role this season, and the Wizards named him team captain for the opener — only to strip him of the title after he blasted Flip Saunders, the coaching staff and his teammates for failing to get him the ball in the low block after the season-opening loss to New Jersey. His play has continued to frustrate and fans have been merciless at Verizon Center, booing him every time he touches the ball or misses a fallaway jumper. The jeers have made Blatche second-guess himself at home games and pass up scoring opportunities to avoid the reaction.
The Wizards have aggressively tried to deal Blatche in advance of the March 15 trade deadline, according to multiple league sources, but struggled to find any takers. Blatche is certainly open to a change of scenery, according to a person close to him.
While the Spurs could certainly use another big body, especially one that is a year removed from averaging 16.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, from where I'm sitting it doesn't seem as though Blatche is worth the risk.
While playing under Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and alongside soon-to-be hall-of-famer Tim Duncan could be good for Blatche, I've watched him closely enough over the last few seasons to see that while Blatche has shown growth on the hardwood, he lacks even more in maturity, from his hijinx with Gilbert Arenas to blasting players and coaches.
Aside from that, Blatche also has three more years and about $24 million left on his contract after this season. While a Richard Jefferson for Blatche and Kevin Seraphin trade would work, I don't see it happening.
I doubt Blatche would even get consideration from the Spurs front office, and gladly so. The last thing the Spurs would need late in the season or in the playoffs is a blowup by a player or chemistry issues arising.
As Blatche has taken two steps back this season, and turned 16.8 points per game to 10.3 points per game and a terrible per ranking (64th among power forwards), I am not among those that would want to see what he would do to a 24-10 team that is currently second in the Western Conference.
With the Overpaying for mediocre Centers in the league right now i'ld say Blatche at a cut rate looks perfect right now. Is he better or worse than the C for the Clips that got the huge contract this off season. I also see Blatche accually trying to be a leader for the Wiz and they won't pull their heads outta their A's. If we could get Blatche for a decent price then i say go for it. HOw bad is our rebounding?????
1 Like
No way! Keep looking. We have two great pick'n roll guys, we just need a guy that can reb and play D. We don't need a head case. RJ may not be worth the 9 Million, but at least he's knocking down the 3's when we need them. We may be able to get a big that is at the end of someones bench, but at this point we won't get much out of Anderson.
The bucks are the only team out there that have a load of bigs. Bonner isn't going anywhere, Blair needs to go! The ball only seems to go one way with this guys, he turns the ball over more than our PG's. Let's ship him off with Anderson and rights to "De Colo". Get a guy like Sanders and a first Rd pick. This year's draft is going to be full of PF/C's. De Colo is getting older and we don't seem to be thinking about bring him over. If so, we'd be in the same place we're in today with Anderson. No Playing time..
If the wizards are bent on trading Blatche, its worth taking the risk. He is young and big who can man the interior. Under Pops he will act properly. Blatche and ist round draft for Jefferson and Anderson. The wizards will draft 3rd in the order of daft. Blatche will behave. The salaries are at par. This will address some of the concerns of the spurs this season and at the same time draft high next season.
Given Pop's reputation in dealing with "problem children" coupled with Jefferson's inconsistency I might just do this,but I'd rather send Anderson and a draft pick for Blatche and leave Seraphin where he is. If the Wizards want Jefferson then "bye-bye" Richard.
@TomArmstrong Oh, ya. Stephen Jackson. I totally forgot what a headcase that guy was. As for the others, they were so marginal in their contribution I forgot about their existence completely. Haha. Good call. Still though. Blatche is such a (insert expletive).
@TomArmstrong What problem children has Pop ever dealt with? The name Dennis Rodman comes to mind and that wasn't exactly a match made in heaven. We traded him (a Hall of Famer) for Will Perdue for crying out loud! Haha. Who do you refer to? Am I missing some?
1 Like
@dannyholloway @TomArmstrong Pop wasnt rodmans favorite and vise versa BUT pop also wasn't the coach at that time.
@dannyholloway - Stephen Jackson, Melvin Ely, Marcus Haislip come to mind just off hand. I believe Othyus Jeffers was a little bit of a problem also.
I hear what your saying abt the team but maybe it's a good risk? I mean it's not like RJ is just jumping off the charts in his stats but he isn't a problem in the locker room either idk they can always amnesty him right? And that would in return give time to D. Green and James "the Lil choke" Anderson!
@NorCalSpursFan Plus from my understanding, you can't amnesty a player you recieve in a trade. So we couldn't just try him and dump him if it doesn't work. Also we can't offer RJ with the expectations the recieving team will amnesty him. If Blatche's contract was shorter i'd say it might be worth the risk. I'd prefer Blatche & 1st round pick so we get to pick something we for sure like in return, but that ain't likely...
@spursfan80 it would be a high risk but ur right i would also do it for a 1st rounder that we can get (unlikely)
@spursfan80 HA, everyone can have the pipe dreams. my friend is a rockets fan i has been calling me dream smasher for 5-6 years now. mainly every time i called either a tracy mcbaby or yao ming injury or both. now i just keep telling him how his team is a 1st round exit for who ever they play.
Like I said, it ain't likely, but Splitter's injury really shows our lack of depth for big men, and I'm allowed a pipe dream, right? Although Blatche isn't my dream choice, and I don't dream of men, big or small... :)
@NBADG18 @spursfan80 No way the wiz include a 1st rounder. Especially considering they have a great chance at a #1 or at least top 5 anyway. That pick is off the table. They would be fools to trade a player and a potential #1 overall for Richard Jefferson. Pull your heads out of the clouds or the pipe which ever it is.
@NorCalSpursFan Green nor Anderson really can play the SF well, do Leonard would be playing silly minutes. If RJ goes, the spurs need a SF in return.
@JohnAbney Yea but if Manu healthy we put him at SF then let Anderson and green play SG
