Spurs Add Finley, Van Exel

[Danny White]

WOW! Talk about some off-season reloading for the Spurs!

They should be a force to be reckoned with!

Tradition, teammates lure Finley

Web Posted: 09/01/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer

Armed with weapons no rivals could match — an NBA championship and the chance to play alongside Tim Duncan — the Spurs on Wednesday emerged victorious in the summer's most vigorous recruiting battle.

Michael Finley, a two-time All-Star with a career scoring average of 19.0 points over 10 seasons, on Wednesday opted to sign a free-agent contract with the Spurs. He spurned the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves, all of whom made extensive pitches over the past week, promising some things the Spurs could not, including more money.

The Suns had dispatched All-Star Amare Stoudemire to meet with Finley in Chicago, along with coach Mike D'Antoni. They promised a starting spot on the league's top-scoring team.

Heat president Pat Riley and coach Stan Van Gundy, who had been Finley's coach at Wisconsin, traveled to Chicago to make their pitch. They promised a salary of $5 million.

The Timberwolves sent former league MVP Kevin Garnett and GM Jim Stack, offering a chance to help revitalize a former division champ.

The Spurs sent one man: head coach and executive vice-president Gregg Popovich, who promised nothing but a chance to win.

"We didn't send mariachi bands or birthday cards or breakfast in bed," Popovich said. "I talked to him in Chicago and said, 'If you come with us we want it to be for the right reasons and do it the way we do it. If you don't come, you don't come.'

"Finley would have gotten more money other places, and I was very blunt with him about this being a bench situation ... So he knew the lay of the land.

"I'm thrilled he came because he, on his own, decided what to do. I honestly felt that he might choose other situations, for a variety of reasons. When we got the word today he was coming to San Antonio, I felt we were very fortunate."

Popovich said he simply told Finley who the Spurs are and what they had accomplished since drafting Duncan.

"We low-keyed this as much as we ever had," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "Probably, the tradition that Tim, Pop and the guys have established here speaks for itself."

Finley, 32, never has advanced beyond the Western Conference finals. Ironically, the Spurs now have two of the key players from Dallas' 2003 Western finalist: Finley and Nick Van Exel. Van Exel, who led the Mavericks in scoring in that six-game set with the Spurs in 2003, signed a free-agent contract with the Spurs on Tuesday.

Finley is approaching the downside of a career in which he averaged 20 or more points in five consecutive seasons, from 1997-98 through 2001-02. He was an All-Star in 2000 and 2001. His scoring average has declined each of the past five seasons, to an eight-year low of 15.7 last season, during which he missed 18 games with ankle injuries.

Nevertheless, he remains a proven scorer with an outstanding career shooting percentage, 44.9, for a player who has taken 2,557 3-point shots.

"The Spurs organization is very excited to add a person of the caliber of Michael Finley," Buford said. "He has established himself as a very good player, and we envision that he will be an integral part of the Spurs culture going forward. It's a reflection on the program established by guys like Tim, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Bruce Bowen and Pop and the rest of the team, that players such as Michael Finley and Nick Van Exel will sacrifice to join it."

Finley's deal with the Spurs is believed to be for slightly more than $2.6 million next season. The length of the contract isn't yet determined.

The Mavericks waived Finley on Aug. 15, using a one-time "amnesty" clause in the league's new collective bargaining agreement that made him a free agent. No fewer than six teams vigorously pursued him when he hit the free-agent market.

"It was a difficult decision," Finley's agent, Henry Thomas, said. "He just felt the Spurs, as defending champs, were a group he could fit nicely into. He felt he could contribute and help them defend the championship."

The Mavericks still owe Finley the $51.8 million for the final three years of his deal. However, they had a "stretch" provision that allowed them to pay off Finley in annual installments of less than $5 million if he were waived.

Finley becomes the 12th player under contract to the Spurs, required by the league's new union contract to have no fewer than 13 players. Finley's addition would seem to make it unlikely that Devin Brown, a restricted free agent, would return to the Spurs if he receives a substantial offer from another team, though Buford would not rule it out.

"We will continue to monitor all situations," Buford said.

 

[GTaylor]

Good for Finley, I've always liked him! Being a Mavs fan this hurts, but if it means having one of the classiest players in the game winning a ring than I'm all for it.

 

[TruBlueCowboy]

Awesome news! The Spurs feel like the Lakers now! Everybody wants some of dis stuff!

I read an article about Van Exel and Tim Duncan called him, and this was his big recruiting speech: "We'd love to have you, but we don't need you."

Miami went all out and put up banners outside their stadium with Finley in a Heat uniform. The Spurs did none of that. I'm hoping this is a good sign and means all of them know Pop doesn't put up with primadonnas and guys with no defense. Pop is the Parcells of basketball. Be a man, play defense, play for the team, and win the big one.

Repeat, here we come.

 

[Payton34Smith22]

Miami's Pat Riley, Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett were among the big names to fly to Chicago last week to make face-to-face pitches to Finley. In the end, he went with the team that sent a one-man delegation, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, to Finley's hometown.

The Heat were offering more money, more spotlight, more endorsement opportunities and a good chance to make the Finals. With the Suns, he could play with two of his best friend (Nash and Bell), he could start and he'd be on an up-and-coming team that is coming off of a WCF's appearance.

With the Spurs? Uhhhhh ... he won't start, he won't make too much money, he's going to a small market and won't be a top scoring option. The only thing the Spurs give him is the best chance to win a ring.

This is almost too good to be true. You get NVE for $1.67 and Finley for about $2.5. Talk about the clearance rack lol. I thought he was going to the Heat for sure. I am shocked & excited!

Miami Really thought he was going to sign with them lol.....
http://img.***BLOCKED***/albums/v661/payton34smith22/SanAntOwned.jpg

 

[SoTex]

I'm hoping this is a good sign and means all of them know Pop doesn't put up with primadonnas and guys with no defense. Pop is the Parcells of basketball. Be a man, play defense, play for the team, and win the big one.

Repeat, here we come.

Very true. Last week my dad I and were comparing Parcells' and Pop's approach towards their respective teams. Very similar. Nothing flashy, just hard work and results.

 

[GTaylor]

http://img.***BLOCKED***/albums/v661/payton34smith22/SanAntOwned.jpg

Man that's a nice edit job - looks almost real.

BTW, if you're looking at Fin for defense you're going to be highly disappointed. Several times he was benched because defensively he was nothing more than a matador, his game is going to be on the offensive side, and a nice game it should be.

 

[Danny White]

http://img.***BLOCKED***/albums/v661/payton34smith22/SanAntOwned.jpg

Man that's a nice edit job - looks almost real.

BTW, if you're looking at Fin for defense you're going to be highly disappointed. Several times he was benched because defensively he was nothing more than a matador, his game is going to be on the offensive side, and a nice game it should be.

Hey they had Big Dog D-ing up last year. And he was one of the all-time worst defenders. It can be done! Going through those practices and that atmosphere has an effect on guys.

 

[SoTex]

Hey they had Big Dog D-ing up last year. And he was one of the all-time worst defenders. It can be done! Going through those practices and that atmosphere has an effect on guys.

Plus, I'll be at every home game keeping him fired up.

 

[Payton34Smith22]

http://img.***BLOCKED***/albums/v661/payton34smith22/SanAntOwned.jpg

Man that's a nice edit job - looks almost real.

BTW, if you're looking at Fin for defense you're going to be highly disappointed. Several times he was benched because defensively he was nothing more than a matador, his game is going to be on the offensive side, and a nice game it should be.

You can't turn down a two-time all-star. You just can't. Especially one that has gas in the tank. He Will learn to defend better with the Spurs.

Finley and NVE added to a championship team that lost nothing... That's sick. All the players added are guys with starter talent knowing they have a bench role. This will be so huge during the year when guys are tired, dinged-up etc. Man what an off season!


Finley & NVE can only help & not hurt our team, great addition. Depth is key in sports. Finley has his weaknesses and is getting older, but I know Pop along with Duncan and Ginobli and every other Spurs player, they'll bring out the best in him.

God it's good to be a Spurs fan.