I agree that he’s overrated and he’s definitely not suited to being the star of a team, but I think it’s fair to say that Aldridge isn’t the problem per se like Jowles was arguing, the problem was not being able to replace the guys ahead of him in BPM, which were Duncan, Ginobili, Boban, David West and Danny Green. Duncan and Ginobili are obviously irreplaceable, and Boban is not so relevant as he only played 500 minutes in the entire season. West was easily replaced by Pau Gasol in a similar role, but he’s been injured this entire season almost; and Green declined heavily last season and is only now regaining his form.

I generally agree with what you’re saying, I just think what they had to do was extremely hard and was bound to fail. How exactly do you replace guys like Duncan or Manu? When you’re forced to part with Kawhi, you either tank or go for a replacement, they went with the replacement offer and it has clearly backfired, which in my opinion was the pivotal mistake. Extending Aldridge was a lesser mistake in that sense and somewhat justifiable because it was done in a situation where they expected Kawhi to stay.

That’s only half the truth. Trump is a big middle finger from people who feel, correctly for the most part, the game is rigged and they’re not important.

I don’t think Trump is a middle finger – his followers (being overwhelmingly dishonest, nasty and ignorant) truly think that he will mold the country according to their wishes. They side with him because they still expect him to deliver on his promise of a USA that will never exist. If they were not as ignorant and obtuse as they are, they would realize he won’t deliver. But they are not, so they still wait for the magical moment…

In the end, focusing on Trump (or any other president) is politically naive and ignores the fact that the real problem lies with our absolutely corrupt Congress. That’s where change needs to happen. Then, social infections like Trump would never develop into the plague he is.

He’s one of the most overrated players in the league. So long as he’s surrounded by smart, efficient players, you can mask his weaknesses, but last year it became apparent that he would lead the Spurs into decline.

That’s only half the truth. Trump is a big middle finger from people who feel, correctly for the most part, the game is rigged and they’re not important. Whether it’s Romney calling 47% of Americans worthless parasites or Hillary calling millions of Americans “irredeemable,” people have figured out how the elite truly feel about them and they’re responding in kind.

Mike

Again, the Spurs dynasty is essentially over now (like it would have been had Duncan gone to the Magic in 2000), but the argument that LMA was a limiting factor is simply ridiculous when you’ve got the league’s #1 defense for like three straight years and setting a franchise SRS record by a country mile with him playing that much. He’s 33, so the decline phase is in full effect. I wouldn’t criticize them for having him back in the late Duncan years, though.

Not totally sure what to think about these Ntilikina rumors.

Odds are they are totally fake. People see what we see: a meaningless player.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, maybe it’s time for Fox News to tell their marks what Michael Cohen told us last night.

You’re being naive. Trump followers know exactly who Trump is. They just think they are getting a good return on their moral investment. That’s all.

Trump has exposed a simple truth that few will publicly admit: most people are willing to gloss shit over when they feel some reward is in store for them. And Trump is a typical snake oil salesman, who knows this truth better than anyone.

I would be shocked if he has anything other than disdain and contempt for his followers.

And trading him is not just getting a pick back, but also moving his contract. For example we could trade him to PHX for that Milwaukee pick plus Troy Daniels who expires this summer. Move his 4.8MM number plus Courtney Lee somehow and we would have full max room +.

I’m a Frank optimist but even I am starting get disheartened a bit. It is amazing how little statistical impact he has on the game. And even his on/off defensive numbers are not special anymore.

I guess what I’m saying is that the Spurs used to prioritize high-IQ players and seemed to have moved away from that into more of a rich man’s Isiah Thomas “I can coach them up” philosophy. It wouldn’t surprise me if Pop retires after this year, unless they hit the draft lottery. There’s very little success in the future for this team.