Hoops

Patty - where to next?

Yer, should have mentioned Gary Neal as he's in the log jam at guard. Pop gives Gary plenty of airtime at back up pg. However I think Spurs will let the market set his value and he'll get some offers. As a result I think Spurs will let him walk.

For what it's worth I'm a Spurs fan. More importantly maybe, I'm a huge Patty fan.

As we speak it looks more and more like Cory Joseph is going to be Parker's backup moving forward. Joseph, defensively is very good. Patty continues to improve on defence and provides very good hustle in small bursts.

Nando DeColo also plays some backup point but in time still looks more like a Manu G replacement.

The best chance for Patty to stick in the NBA is probably to stay close to Coach Pop. That's where it gets interesting. With the player option, there's a guaranteed 1m on the table. But once taken your destiny may be out of your hands.

Currently Patty is probably only going to get Vet Min money somewhere else. Somewhere else however may bring more minutes, perhaps as many as 20mpg as a backup on an average team. Patty's got the game I think to get a 3 yr 8-9m in total contract in the right circumstances.

Leaving the Spurs, seeking a back up job somewhere else may also mean playing for a non contender. Spurs also have last yr draft pick (point guard) stashed in Europe and interestingly Cedric Jackson played well for Spurs in last Summer League. Would not be surprised if Delly turns out in Spurs Summer League if he goes undrafted.

I know everyone/most want the cash$$$$ so you need to stick in the NBA, but its sad when you think about what kind of career some of these Aussies could have had if they played in the NBL during their prime. Imagine Bogut playing a season or 2 in the NBL, It would be awesome and he would have the chance to break so many season stat records and maybe win a championship, it would be one NBL season which would probably be remembered in the far future at least in Australia's basketball history.

I agree Mick.

It's been said before but I'll say it again. Patty Mills is not a starting point guard in the NBA. Patty and his agent need to use this offseason to determine if there is any other interest from any NBA teams. He has a player option with San Antonio, before he throws that away he must find a team that is going to gurantee him a contract.

If I was him, I'd let my agent throw my name around with other teams and see if there was any interest while I hit the gym and focus mentally on playing for San Antonio next year. Work towards a big training camp with the Spurs and thrive in the competitiveness between all the PG's on the roster.

If another team comes calling and is willing to offer a contract for longer, by all means take it. But Patty has the peace of mind that right now, he has a contract and all he has to do is continue to impress the Spurs and work on his game. He needs to take his game to the next level otherwise he's going to find himself out of the league pretty quickly. Use this player option to take that next step.