1998-05-20, By Jerry Briggs
马刺淡化罗宾逊交易传闻
别傻了。
马刺主教练兼总经理格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)在周二回应关于球队正在考虑交易大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)的报道时，用这三个字来表达了他的态度。
“我没有时间去为那些无聊的事情添油加醋，”波波维奇说。“我不会浪费时间在上面。”
华盛顿邮报和芝加哥论坛报最近都推测，罗宾逊，马刺队的八届NBA全明星中锋，可能被摆上了交易台。
在罗宾逊职业生涯中第一次出现交易传闻后，一位马刺消息人士坚称，球队不太可能达成一笔重磅交易。
尽管如此，华盛顿邮报专栏作家迈克尔·威尔邦(Michael Wilbon)在周五的版本中写道，一些匿名NBA官员表示，马刺队预计会交易罗宾逊，他是1995年的联盟最有价值球员。
“圣安东尼奥马刺队今年夏天可能会交易大卫·罗宾逊，这是非常有可能的，”威尔邦写道。“是的，罗宾逊将会进入名人堂，但他的价值已经因为队友蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)的崛起、背伤、年龄（他今年夏天将年满33岁）以及下一赛季的1400万美元薪水而下降。
“马刺队不会承诺为两个打相同位置的球员支付2500万至3000万美元。因此，罗宾逊现在就要被交易，在他价值进一步下降之前。”
威尔邦补充说，他最近与“每一个NBA人事部门主管”谈过，他们都认为罗宾逊会被交易。
波波维奇对这位专栏作家的话报以冷笑。
“这是什么？”波波维奇说。“莫妮卡·莱温斯基(Monica Lewinsky)？”
罗宾逊无法联系到发表评论。但他的经纪人，总部位于华盛顿的Advantage International的杰夫·奥斯汀(Jeff Austin)表示，他阅读了邮报的专栏文章，并将其斥为“纯粹的猜测”。
“这可以写成一篇不错的专栏，”奥斯汀说。“让人们议论纷纷总是好的。但我认为这与现实毫无关系。”
马刺消息人士表示，球队可能考虑过交易海军上将的想法。但由于两个原因，这种情况不太可能发生。
首先，管理层认为他们无法获得同等价值的回报。其次，除非马刺队得到两名有实力的球星，以及可能还有一名第三球员来加强球队的深度，否则球迷的强烈反对可能会出现，这位消息人士说。
“他们考虑过吗？”这位消息人士说。“也许吧。它会发生吗？我认为可能性只有5%。”
威尔邦建议，将罗宾逊交易到华盛顿，换取朱万·霍华德(Juwan Howard)和卡尔伯特·切尼(Calbert Cheaney)，这可能是一个选择。论坛报专栏作家萨姆·史密斯(Sam Smith)表示，马刺队可能正在考虑将罗宾逊送到奥兰多，换取佩尼·哈达威(Penny Hardaway)和一个状元签。
马刺消息人士预测，这两种情况都不足以促使波波维奇交易球队历史上最受欢迎的球员和社会慈善家之一。
许多猜测都源于这样一种认知，即马刺队，在一个联盟中最小的市场之一，在未来将无力负担罗宾逊和邓肯。
奥斯汀表示，他预计关于这个话题的猜测会持续下去。
“很多人都看到了未来两年马刺队在这个市场上的情况，然后问，‘他们怎么支付两个人的工资？’”他说。“这是马刺队可能会遇到的问题。但那是两年的事。”
波波维奇表示，现在谈论邓肯谈判后会发生什么还为时过早。
“邓肯（关于他的下一份合同）还没有发生任何事，”波波维奇说。“但在NBA，你要么在联盟里，要么不在。你不可能拥有伟大的球员却不支付他们。”
罗宾逊的6年6600万美元合同还剩三年。他将在下个赛季获得1140万美元的薪水，但联盟消息人士称，他的交易薪资帽数字将是1480万美元。
邓肯，也许是联盟中最出色的年轻球员，他与最初的新秀合同还剩两年。他将在明年夏天能够与马刺队协商续约。
目前还不清楚邓肯会要求多少，但预计他可能会要求一份超过罗宾逊两倍的合同——如果马刺队允许他在第三个赛季结束时成为自由球员的话。
从纯粹的篮球角度来看，波波维奇表示，将罗宾逊和邓肯与20世纪80年代休斯顿的哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)和拉尔夫·桑普森(Ralph Sampson)的情况进行比较是不公平的。
就像罗宾逊和邓肯一样，奥拉朱旺和桑普森都是选秀中的状元，并且都曾在大学打中锋。火箭队在选秀奥拉朱旺后三年多一点的时间里，最终将桑普森交易了。
“大卫和蒂姆不是双塔，”波波维奇说。“我们没有双塔。我们有一个中锋（罗宾逊）和一个前锋（邓肯），他们在上个赛季做得很好。”
波波维奇表示，罗宾逊和邓肯的灵活度将他们与过去的一些大个子组合区分开来，比如奥拉朱旺和桑普森，或纽约的帕特里克·尤因(Patrick Ewing)和比尔·卡特赖特(Bill Cartwright)。
他说，任何人将罗宾逊和邓肯在圣安东尼奥的合作称为“实验”都是错误的。
“他们与过去的人不可同日而语，”波波维奇说。“他们都是7尺高的球员。他们都非常非常全面。他们都很好地履行了自己的职责。这不是实验。仅仅因为有人说它是，并不意味着它就是。
“大卫打五号位（中锋），蒂姆打四号位（大前锋）。就是这样。”
马刺后卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)预测，马刺队有一天会赢得总冠军，罗宾逊和邓肯会在前场互相补充。
“事情就是这样会发生的，”约翰逊在上周的采访中说。“记住，他们两个才在一起打了一个赛季。给他们一个机会。我去年就认为大卫需要蒂姆，一个可以分担一些得分重任的人。我也认为蒂姆需要大卫。大卫在防守端接下了很多中锋的艰巨任务。为什么他们会想把他们两个拆开呢？”
波波维奇表示，在下个赛季最大程度地发挥马刺队优势的最佳方法是提升替补球员的水平。
“总的来说，”他说，“我们需要一个稳定的替补阵容，我们可以依靠他们在整个赛季和季后赛中发挥作用。我们希望变得更加运动，并且在（外线）投篮方面更加稳定。”
波波维奇表示，马刺队可能会尝试从首轮第24顺位向上交易。
“我不知道，”他说。“我们可能会经历各种可能性。但我们希望尽力将球队团结在一起。”
- 马刺新闻：前锋卡尔·埃雷拉(Carl Herrera)周二接受了左膝盖和右膝盖髌腱的成功手术。该手术是髌腱的手术清理，由球队医生大卫·施密特(David Schmidt)执行。埃雷拉预计将在下赛季开始前康复。
点击查看原文：Spurs downplay Robinson trade rumors
Spurs downplay Robinson trade rumors
Don’t be silly.
Spurs coach and general manager Gregg Popovich used those three words in response Tuesday to reports that the team is considering trading David Robinson.
“I don’t have time to fuel speculation on silly things,” Popovich said. “I’m just not going to waste my time with it.”
Both the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune have speculated recently that Robinson, the Spurs’ eight-time NBA All-Star center, could be on the trading block.
In the wake of the first battery of trade rumors in Robinson’s career, a Spurs source insisted it’s unlikely the team will put together a blockbuster deal.
Nevertheless, Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon wrote in Friday’s editions that unidentified NBA officials have said the Spurs are expected to trade Robinson, the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1995.
“It’s very, very possible the San Antonio Spurs will deal David Robinson this summer,” Wilbon wrote. "Yes, Robinson’s going to the Hall of Fame, but his stock has been diminished by the emergence of teammate Tim Duncan, a bad back, age (he’ll be 33 this summer) and a $14 million salary next season.
“The Spurs aren’t going to commit $25 million to $30 million to two guys to play the same position. Therefore, Robinson goes now before his value drops any more.”
Wilbon added that “every NBA personnel man” that he has talked with recently expects Robinson to be traded.
Popovich smirked at the columnist’s comments.
“What is this?” Popovich said. “Monica Lewinsky?”
Robinson could not be reached for comment. But his agent, Jeff Austin of Washington-based Advantage International, said he read the Post’s column and dismissed it as “pure speculation.”
“It makes for a nice column,” Austin said. “It’s good to get people talking. But I don’t think it bears any relation to reality.”
The Spurs source said the team may have considered the idea of trading the Admiral. But it’s not likely to happen because of two reasons.
First, management doesn’t believe it would get equal value in return. Second, fan backlash could be severe unless the Spurs received two proven stars and possibly a third player to bolster the team’s depth, the source said.
“Have they thought about it?” the source said. “Maybe. Will it ever happen? I’d say 95 percent no.”
Wilbon has suggested that a trade of Robinson to Washington for Juwan Howard and Calbert Cheaney might be a possibility. Tribune columnist Sam Smith has said the Spurs might be looking at sending Robinson to Orlando for Penny Hardaway and a No. 1 draft pick.
The Spurs source predicted that neither scenario would be nearly enough to prompt Popovich to trade one of the most popular players and civic philanthropists in franchise history.
Much of the speculation is being fueled by a perception that the Spurs, in one of the league’s smallest markets, won’t be able to afford both Robinson and Duncan in the future.
Austin said he expected there would be continued speculation on the topic.
“A lot of people look at the Spurs in that market two years down the road and ask, ‘How are they going to pay both guys?’” he said. “It’s a problem the Spurs may have. But that’s two years away.”
Popovich said it’s premature to talk about what might happen in the wake of the Duncan negotiations.
“Nothing’s happened yet (on Duncan’s next contract),” Popovich said. “But in the NBA, you’re either in the league or you’re not. You can’t have great players and not pay them.”
Robinson has three years left on a $66 million, six-year contract. He is scheduled to make $11.4 million next season, but his salary-cap figure for trade purposes would be $14.8 million, league sources said.
Duncan, perhaps the best young player in the league, has two years left on his original rookie deal. He will be able to negotiate an extension with the Spurs next summer.
It isn’t known what Duncan will ask, but it is anticipated that he could command a contract more than twice the amount of Robinson’s - if the Spurs allow him to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of his third season.
From a pure basketball standpoint, Popovich said it’s unfair to compare Robinson and Duncan to the Hakeem Olajuwon- Ralph Sampson situation in Houston during the 1980s.
Like Robinson and Duncan, Olajuwon and Sampson were No. 1 overall picks in the draft and both played center in college. The Rockets ended up trading Sampson a little more than three years after they drafted Olajuwon.
“David and Tim are not the Twin Towers,” Popovich said. “We didn’t have the Twin Towers. We have a center (Robinson) and a forward (Duncan), and they did a good job last season.”
Popovich said the flexibility of Robinson and Duncan separate them from big-men tandems in the past, such as Olajuwon and Sampson or New York’s Patrick Ewing and Bill Cartwright.
He said it’s a mistake for anyone to characterize Robinson and Duncan playing together in San Antonio as an “experiment.”
“There’s no comparison between them and the guys in the past,” Popovich said. "They are both 7- footers. They are both very, very versatile. And they fill their roles well. It’s not an experiment. Just because someone says it is doesn’t make it so.
“David is playing the five (center) and Tim the four (power forward). That’s all.”
Spurs guard Avery Johnson predicted the Spurs would win the championship one day with Robinson and Duncan complementing each other on the frontline.
“That’s how it’s going to happen,” Johnson said in interviews last week. “Remember, those two have only been together one season. Give 'em a chance. I thought this last year that Dave needed Tim, someone who could take some of the scoring load. And I also thought Tim needed Dave. Dave took on a lot of the tough center matchups defensively. Why would they want to split those two up?”
Popovich said the best way to accentuate the Spurs’ strengths next season is to upgrade the players who will make up the reserves.
“In general,” he said, “we’ve got to get a consistent bench that we can depend on through the year and into the playoffs. We want to become a bit more athletic and consistent with our (outside) shooting.”
Popovich said it’s a possibility that the Spurs could try to trade up from their No. 24 pick in the first round.
“I don’t know,” he said. “We could go through the whole gamut (of possibilities). But we want to do our best to keep the group together.”
- Spurs note: Forward Carl Herrera underwent successful surgery on his left and right patella tendons on Tuesday. The procedure - surgical debridement of the tendons - was performed by team physician Dr. David Schmidt. Herrera is expected to be ready for the start of next season.
By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News