Spurs - Oberto Opts Out

[phxrising]

sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2916045

Fabricio Oberto, the starting center for the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, has declined a player option on his contract and will become a restricted free agent.


Fabricio Oberto

Center
San Antonio Spurs

Profile

2007 Season Stats GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%
79 4.4 4.7 0.9 .562 .647

Oberto had until midnight Sunday to decide whether to pick up his option for $2,500,000, and he did not make his decision until the final hours.

"I don't know how this changes things at all for us," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "We have every hope that he'll continue to be a part of our team."

Oberto, a member of the 2004 Olympic champion team from Argentina, has spent the past two seasons with the Spurs. He averaged 5.6 points and 4.9 rebounds for the Spurs during the recently completed playoffs.

 

[asudevil83]

he's "tainted". i would want no part of a former spur on this suns team if anyone is suggesting going after him.

 

[azirish]

Want to be the Cavs go after him?

Seriously, the Rockets seem like a team that might give a full MLE for him.

 

[Covert Rain]

he's "tainted". i would want no part of a former spur on this suns team if anyone is suggesting going after him.

He is not an impact guy anyway. He didn't do anything in the playoffs.

 

[Brianellsworth]

and he is extremely ugly.

 

[STATfan4Life]

^^^^ lol

 

[Gaddabout]

The Spurs won almost in spite of Oberto.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

You guys aren't giving Oberto enough credit. He often guarded the strongest post player and made tons of hustle plays. He made the right financial decision opting out.

 

[TucsonDevil]

Oberto will get some good offer from an Eastern team.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

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[CardsFan88]

I think this is great. He made the hustle plays the opportunistic plays, the key rebounds, the oh i'm here - somehow I have the ball - and I will make the right decision type plays for them.

I think losing him would be bad for the spurs. He wasn't great, but he did well. Finding a big man that does things well is hard to do. One less big man on the spurs hopefully. He seemed to match up pretty well against us imo during the series. I saw the impact he made for them.

Now that I think about it, 2004 olympics, geez that was him and ginobilli going off. Break 'em up I say. Can't hurt.

 

[D-Dogg]

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Dang it...I wanted to say that.


Oh Boy! Oberto!

 

[F-Dog]

The Spurs' problem is that their wheel year is only a year away--they're trying to set aside cap room for free agency in 2008.

So, if Oberto (or Finley) leaves, they'll have a tough time replacing him. They really don't want to offer any multi-year contracts, and there aren't many players out there with expiring deals...



Who knows, maybe they'll scrap their plans now. That doesn't mean they'll keep Oberto, though; they're just as likely to bring over Luis Scola instead.

 

[scoutmasterdave]

Someone will throw the full MLE his way. I'm betting on Isiah Thomas. Or maybe Billy Knight.

 

[azirish]

This is good news for the Suns. If the Spurs lose Oberto, it leaves a real hole in their rotation. If they have to give him a big contract, it seriously reduces their flexibility in going after free agents.

 

[Covert Rain]

This is good news for the Suns. If the Spurs lose Oberto, it leaves a real hole in their rotation. If they have to give him a big contract, it seriously reduces their flexibility in going after free agents.

I think your severely overrating Oberto's contribution with that team. They can plug in just about any other stiff for his minutes and not skip a beat.

 

[azirish]

I think your severely overrating Oberto's contribution with that team. They can plug in just about any other stiff for his minutes and not skip a beat.

Oberto averaged 17.3 minutes per game in the regular season while Elson played 19.0 minutes. During the playoffs, Oberto averaged 20.8 minutes per game while Elson averaged 11.5 minutes.

Oberto averaged 0.27 rebounds per minute during the regular season and 0.23 during the playoffs. Elson averaged 0.25 rebounds per minute during the regular season and 0.27 during the playoffs.

Between them, Oberto and Elson gave the Spurs someone to defend the low post without letting Duncan get into foul trouble. They didn't score much, in the playoffs Oberto averaged 5.6 ppg and Elson averaged 3.3 ppg.

I don't think Elson can be expected to pick up the slack. They've got money invested in Butler, but he did not play much. Bonner and Ely are free agent and Ely is almost certainly going elsewhere.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

i'd like to see him leave. he's a pretty rugged defender. did a good job scoring on us when the opp presented itself and didn't play outside of himself.

 

[Divide Et Impera]

i'd like to see him leave. he's a pretty rugged defender. did a good job scoring on us when the opp presented itself and didn't play outside of himself.

Yeah, that's an understatement. I mean, 11-11 from the field is pretty good, huh?

 

[wsupkid]

Oberto was just a product of the system nothing more nothing less. H will get a nice contract and the team will be sorry.( Luc Longly )

 

[cly2tw]

The Spurs won almost in spite of Oberto.

That's not true. He lured Amare into at least 3-4 offenisve fouls by flopping and that was part of the season Amare couldn't be more effective with more court time!

 

[azirish]

Oberto was just a product of the system nothing more nothing less. H will get a nice contract and the team will be sorry.( Luc Longly )

I'm not so sure the Spurs will not miss him.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Oberto averaged 17.3 minutes per game in the regular season while Elson played 19.0 minutes. During the playoffs, Oberto averaged 20.8 minutes per game while Elson averaged 11.5 minutes.

Oberto averaged 0.27 rebounds per minute during the regular season and 0.23 during the playoffs. Elson averaged 0.25 rebounds per minute during the regular season and 0.27 during the playoffs.

Between them, Oberto and Elson gave the Spurs someone to defend the low post without letting Duncan get into foul trouble. They didn't score much, in the playoffs Oberto averaged 5.6 ppg and Elson averaged 3.3 ppg.

I don't think Elson can be expected to pick up the slack. They've got money invested in Butler, but he did not play much. Bonner and Ely are free agent and Ely is almost certainly going elsewhere.

george, you made the same exact argument about Nazr/Nesto going by the way side, saying before the season that them leaving and age will be factors in a "SIGNIFICANT" step back for the Spurs... then they went on to win the NBA Title.

losing Oberto is much ado about nothing. The Spurs have shown the ability to plug guys in there and still be just as effective regardless of who plays.

 

[elindholm]

I think the bottom line is that pretty much any seven-footer in the league can look competent playing alongside Tim Duncan.

 

[Mainstreet]

This is good news for the Suns. If the Spurs lose Oberto, it leaves a real hole in their rotation. If they have to give him a big contract, it seriously reduces their flexibility in going after free agents.

The Spurs rotate role playing bigs almost every year with nothing lost. They will just find another big to plug-in his spot.