Spurs Select G Derrick White in the 2017 NBA Draft (29th Overall)

[picnroll]

If you think Mason's best comparison is Antonio Daniels, you need your damn head checked.

Never mind. My apologies. I was responding to a post by MaNu4Tres saying that he preferred Frank Jackson to White as PG and confused Jackson with Mason . Mason is nothing like Jackson. He is a true PG, little like White though. Jackson is the combo guard with piss poor PG skills akin to Daniels I type when I should have typed.

[objective]

With the recent variables that got thrown into the equation with LA finally going to Stephen A to cry about how Pop made him worse, I imagine SA will target front court help this free agency period. Ibaka, Pat Patterson, Terrence Jones and D-Mo are names to watch. If they can get Ibaka to commit, I think LA is dumped to PHX for Chriss or MIA's 1st in 18 .. or maybe PHX has enough leverage in deal to get LA for free.

Jones, montiejunas are minimum garbage, with or without LMA. Jones couldn't even finish the year on a roster. I think they could be had even if LMA stays, like if Lee leaves they just take that minimum role.

Patterson might be trash as well, he played poorly for the raptors last year. I don't think I'd want him. He's like an MLE player getting ready to fade.

Ibaka is okay, a real ballhog though, he'll shoot instead of moving the ball way too often. I doubt he's any cheaper than LMA.

I'd wonder about a Brook Lopez for Aldridge straight up deal, and maybe a way to get Thaddeus Young.

[TimDunkem]

Never thought centers need to be dribblers.

No .

[TimDunkem]

Never mind. My apologies. I was responding to a post by MaNu4Tres saying that he preferred Frank Jackson to White as PG and confused Jackson with Mason . Mason is nothing like Jackson. He is a true PG, nothining like White. Jackson is the combo guard with piss poor PG skills akin to Daniels I type when I should have typed Jackson.

No worries, buddy.
I take back the shade I threw as well.

[keithington1]

Smarter more athletic Belinelli

[TimDunkem]

Jones, montiejunas are minimum garbage, with or without LMA. Jones couldn't even finish the year on a roster. I think they could be had even if LMA stays, like if Lee leaves they just take that minimum role.

Patterson might be trash as well, he played poorly for the raptors last year. I don't think I'd want him. He's like an MLE player getting ready to fade.

Ibaka is okay, a real ballhog though, he'll shoot instead of moving the ball way too often. I doubt he's any cheaper than LMA.

I'd wonder about a Brook Lopez for Aldridge straight up deal, and maybe a way to get Thaddeus Young.

All of those players probably perform better as a Spur, imo. They're better than Aldridge who doesn't want to be here. Not from a skills pov, but certainly from a chemistry pov.

I also like Ibaka. He has his flaws like anyone else, but he's become the perfect 4/5 in today's NBA. Shoots, defends, can switch, is athletic. I wouldn't mind him at all.

Thaddeus, admittedly, would be intriguing. Especially since his shot has seemingly started to come around finally.

[Nathan89]

Never thought centers need to be dribblers.

Didn't realize we were changing Ibaka position.

[TimDunkem]

Ibaka can play the five.

[MaNu4Tres]

Jones, montiejunas are minimum garbage, with or without LMA. Jones couldn't even finish the year on a roster. I think they could be had even if LMA stays, like if Lee leaves they just take that minimum role.

Patterson might be trash as well, he played poorly for the raptors last year. I don't think I'd want him. He's like an MLE player getting ready to fade.

Ibaka is okay, a real ballhog though, he'll shoot instead of moving the ball way too often. I doubt he's any cheaper than LMA.

I'd wonder about a Brook Lopez for Aldridge straight up deal, and maybe a way to get Thaddeus Young.

IMO Jones and Dmo are worth a small gamble ( like Dedmon was). I'm not saying they should be prioritized. Same w/ Patterson.

Spurs don't have much options to replace LA. Ibaka is probably the best they can realistically do. If SA is trading LA for salary ( player(s), the team he's going to isn't going to give up something better than LA.

One other option if SA whiffs in FA is to trade LA to POR for Ezeli, Harkless and pick.

[MaNu4Tres]

Didn't realize we were changing Ibaka position.

Watch more basketball lol.

[Nathan89]

Watch more basketball lol.

So I can fall in love with Jordan Bell?

Ibaka would be a waste of money regardless of the position he plays for the Spurs. We need more playmaking. Not an overpaid big that relies on others. Worse is he has no skills to take advantage of a switching defense. A terrible addition to the Spurs.

[100%duncan]

Why is everybody assuming he's going to play PG? He's 6'5 with a long wingspan, good shooter, not that good of a playmaker, good defender, everything points to a 3&D SG.

[objective]

IMO Jones and Dmo are worth a small gamble ( like Dedmon was). I'm not saying they should be prioritized. Same w/ Patterson.

Spurs don't have much options to replace LA. Ibaka is probably the best they can realistically do. If SA is trading LA for salary ( player(s), the team he's going to isn't going to give up something better than LA.

One other option if SA whiffs in FA is to trade LA to POR for Ezeli, Harkless and pick.

I doubt Portland wants him back, they had a few front office people talk on background about how they​ were relieved in a way when LMA left and they didn't have to baby him and put up with his crap anymore. They probably enjoy seeing him unhappy.

[SAGirl]

Greivis Vasquez is a pretty good comparison style and skillset wise, but White would have a ways to go to get there.

My problem with the pick is the PG position is the most saturated position across the league. If you need a back up serviceable PG, you can find one any off-season from multiple avenues. Especially one with a limited ceiling (like White). Murray I can understand because he has a rare skillset and has the tools that give him an All Star ceiling. I hate how they wasted the 29th pick on a PG that doesn't have the motor or athleticism to give him the type of ceiling you typically want with the 1st round pick.

Serviceable back up point guards are the easiest thing to find these days and Spurs just wasted their 1st on one that just has a ceiling of that. One may argue that he can shoot -- which he can, but even shooting is becoming saturated and not difficult to find. Plus, the already have Forbes. For those reasons, I'm disappointed with the pick. I wish they drafted a big or a wing with the pick. I personally think Frank Jackson was a better pick if they went point guard, and I also would have drafted Josh Hart, Jordan Bell, Jonah Bolden, or Sterling Brown over White.

... fact of the matter is everyone who was interested in this draft in this board had looked at a variety of bigs, from you, Chinook raybies objective etc. I expected a stash ... foolish of me bc Spurs almost trade LMA and tried to get in the lottery... but anyways since I didn't expect anybody I am glad at least they didn't stash and at least got someone who bc of his shooting and versatility offensively looks like he may help fill that Mills role better than Mills would do it without Ginobili since Mills is so unidimensional. That's important for the future.... maybe even for next season already.

I like Forbes as much as anyone who still hopes for him. I think with chemistry with others and as he learns to spring himself free for a shot his shooting hopefully trends up. But so far he's been a project and he really needs to shoot better to stick in the league. Of anyone in the team right now, he's the biggest question mark.. He's not any more athletic than this rookie and this guy looks more versatile. But truly I don't know. I doubt summer league even tells me much...

Anyways, I think it's very likely Danny is gone... Mills is gone, Tony is injured + doubtful when he does return, hanga can't shoot, blossomgame can't shoot, Simmons frankly is a dynamic player but shooting is a notable weakness, etc. Considering the state of their guards I understand it. They are in a kind of dire situation with guard scoring... does he give you a vibe like he could replace Marco's scoring? Bc him is who I thought of.

But they also need a lot more athletic bigs than they have, specially with Gasol?! I see your points. I am hoping Bell washes out lol.. not bc if you but bc of tricking GSW. I am hoping that foot injury, or whatever it was, doesn't help much his career... I know the hip injuries have stunted growth for their pick from UCLA I forgot his name....

Aside from this, you also had good points going back to last season about Spurs preferably needing to go with a more versatile and younger group, develop, etc... I would have preferred the Spurs to start this path of retooling and going younger sooner too. It's like they waited for Kawhis prime to arise and everyone else around him to fall apart physically b4 going younger... they weren't that proactive. I thought soon as TD retires they would go for a retooling/rebuilding, which should have been last season and now they are forced into it by LMA drama, Tony injury and Manu possible retirement. (Many guys here argued for that too).

At this point I am hoping they aim to fix the bigs situation through a trade or FA... which would explain all these young guards. Maybe CP3 is a misdirection and they are trying to add a different player or once LMA decided to quit in the team they had to set different priorities.

[SAGirl]

Seriously, did you really ever see Daniels play?

Why do you think a rookie PG name Parker, who could pretty much only dribble the ball up the court and pass off to Duncan, beat Daniels out of the starting PG spot 5 games into his NBA career?

Why?
Legit question...long b4 my time.

[SPURt]

Larry Bird was a 23 yr old rookie, where do y'all think he'd of gone in this draft coming out as a 23 yr old rookie?

Note, Larry Bird is an all time great and in no way am I comparing White to Bird. I'm trying to see how much age matters with an all time great in these youth obsessed drafts.

[picnroll]

I've now watched all of the full games on YouTube I could find, though I did drift in and out of sleep during the second half of two of them. I've also watched I think what must be everything else there is, like every game highlight package from the official Colorado U channel.

I feel a little better about him for 2 reasons:

He really is a good enough shooter that Mills should be gone, and I like that. He can really deliver consistently on threes of every type. Off the dribble, dribble into pull-up, off screens, spot up, he has the size and shot to make it. I worry his lean back form might not work so well against NBA length, but it is what it is.

But if Mills is brought back then I don't see what the point was. I guess I'm more anti Mills returning than pro White.

Second, I am more hopeful about his body developing, even at his age, than has happened with Anderson. Anderson has a Mr. Burns body, and while he got a little more sturdy, he still remained embarrassingly slow which has hurt his NBA game. I always was annoyed with the Diaw comparisons; Diaw was an NBA athlete who played with pace, Anderson is a slow guy who plays slow.

Looking at White's frame, I can imagine a scenario where a lot of work on his body can result in a more useful top speed and better burst. Not by a lot, but years of training in the lamest gyms on d-ii campuses and the struggle of transferring and competing at a higher level I think leave him open to useful and meaningful improvement. He doesn't have a Mr. Burns body.

I'm still skeptical of much if his non shooting game translating, I saw a lot of problems at the rim despite the numbers, lazy turnovers even in crunch time, difficulty getting a step on college level players without a screen ...

Strength should help with a lot of that.

Still, the very obvious front court needs are getting even more glaring.

One additional above average skill I think he has for his position is passing. Better that our current PG/SGs including at this point Murray who is still too wild, turnover prone. I think the Spurs will him an adequate defender, certainly better than Mills or Parker. He has good defensive instincts for positioning.

[TimDunkem]

Looks like he might not have even been SA's preferred choice.

[BackHome]

Man from the high getting drafted to the Lakers to the low they trading your ass to Utah. Lol

[TimDunkem]

Watch Bradley develop into one of the league's best young centers now.

[MaNu4Tres]

Looks like he might not have even been SA's preferred choice.

Thats probably why it took San Antonio a while to get the pick in. Plus in the post draft interview, RC didnt convey excitement as he usually does when SA gets the guy they wanted.

[SAGirl]

Watch Bradley develop into one of the league's best young centers now.

I thought Jazz pulling another Rudy Gobert move on the Spurs...

WEren't years ago the Spurs rumored to want to draft BAtum and him going just a couple of spots earlier to Portland.... seems like Spurs historically have not been willing to pay/or do a small trade to move a couple of spots up for a guy they like...

(except with Kiwi and that was not a small trade.. of the nature this one would have been)...

[Snaq O'Meal]

I thought Jazz pulling another Rudy Gobert move on the Spurs...

WEren't years ago the Spurs rumored to want to draft BAtum and him going just a couple of spots earlier to Portland.... seems like Spurs historically have not been willing to pay/or do a small trade to move a couple of spots up for a guy they like...

(except with Kiwi and that was not a small trade.. of the nature this one would have been)...

Back in the 2011 draft, Klay was the guy the Spurs wanted. Instead, they settled for Kawhi after the Warriors selected Klay. Turned out to be a lucky move after all.

Historically, PATFO have not been really proactive in getting guys from the draft. They usually sit pat and pick whoever is available. And when the good undrafted guys have been signed, they'll start looking at the scraps that are left.

[palangi]

Looks like he might not have even been SA's preferred choice.

Thank you Jazz. I don't like that kids game at all. Very poor in pic n roll defense. Slow feet and no lift

[objective]

For a guy with oodles of length he blocked the same # of shots per 40 as White

There's things to like about his game, good passing, plays within himself, great offensive rebounding ...

But I'm not that stressed about a guy whose minutes are hard capped by a great, young center for the rest of his career