#20 picks the past 10 years

[Solid D]

2009 Eric Maynor, PG VA Commonwealth, Utah Jazz
2008 Alexis Ajinca, C France, Charlotte Bobcats
2007 Jason Smith, F/C Colo. St., Miami Heat
2006 Renaldo Balkman, F So. Carolina, NY Knicks
2005 Julius Hodge, G NC State, Denver Nuggets
2004 Jameer Nelson, PG St. Joseph's, Orlando Magic - from Denver
2003 Dahntay Jones, G/F Duke, Memphis Grizzlies - from Boston
2002 Kareem Rush, G Missouri, LA Lakers - from Toronto
2001 Brendan Haywood, F/C No. Carolina, Washington Wizards - from Orlando, from Cleveland
2000 Speedy Claxton, PG Hofstra, Philadelphia 76ers

[blkroadrunners]

2009 Eric Maynor, PG VA Commonwealth, Utah Jazz
2008 Alexis Ajinca, C France, Charlotte Bobcats
2007 Jason Smith, F/C Colo. St., Miami Heat
2006 Renaldo Balkman, F So. Carolina, NY Knicks
2005 Julius Hodge, G NC State, Denver Nuggets
2004 Jameer Nelson, PG St. Joseph's, Orlando Magic - from Denver
2003 Dahntay Jones, G/F Duke, Memphis Grizzlies - from Boston
2002 Kareem Rush, G Missouri, LA Lakers - from Toronto
2001 Brendan Hayward, F/C No. Carolina, Washington Wizards - from Orlando, from Cleveland
2000 Speedy Claxton, PG Hofstra, Philadelphia 76ers

:depressed

[Solid D]

Basically, 1 premier player over the past 10 years, Jameer Nelson.

[Brazil]

I'd take the equivalent of haywood too

[Obstructed_View]

Hey Speedy Claxton won an NBA finals all by himself. Don't you read Spurstalk?

[Blackjack]

Technically, he wasn't by himself. He had a team which he put on his back. :smokin

[Ginobili2Duncan]

Didn't the Spurs plan on selecting Nelson that year?

[Obstructed_View]

Technically, he wasn't by himself. He had a team which he put on his back. :smokin

Never has a player gotten so much credit for hitting three 12 foot jumpers. ;)

[blkroadrunners]

Didn't the Spurs plan on selecting Nelson that year?

They negotiated a deal that would have Utah (at #21) draft Nelson, and be immediately traded to the Spurs (forgot for who though). Denver though spoiled both teams plans, drafted Nelson, and traded him to Orlando for a 2005 1st round pick. Spurs ended up drafting Beno Udrih as the expected backup PG at #28.

[Mr Bones]

Other recent good picks:

Courtney Lee at 22
Serge Ibaka at 24
Rajon Rondo at 21
Kyle Lowry at 24
Taj Gibson at 26
Omri Casspi at 23
David Lee at 30

[JonNOKC]

^^^^^better players on that list than I would have expected

[Blackjack]

Never has a player gotten so much credit for hitting three 12 foot jumpers. ;)

Much less with an entire team on his back and the starting point guard sabotaging him with hateful thoughts in the process. Claxton was poorly nicknamed. Speedy!?!

More like Atlas. Craig 'Atlas' Claxton. :smokin

[GSH]

Never has a player gotten so much credit for hitting three 12 foot jumpers. ;)

Some of you guys are ridiculous, and some of you are just tools. Claxton got credit for being what he was - a quality backup. And a lot of the people complaining about letting him get away were comparing him to the likes of Nick Van Exel, Charlie Ward, Jacques Vaughn, or Beno. And it wasn't hitting a few jumpers that made him worth his salary. It was coming in and keeping things under control, and not making stupid decisions. It helped that he could break down a zone occasionally.

Whether the Spurs had a chance at keeping him, with the salary cap, is another story. But if they could have kept him, they would have been better off. Why can't you just let it go at that, instead of putting words in people's mouths?

And no, I'm not one of the big pro-Claxton people here. Just one of the anti-asshole people.

[Solid D]

Denver though spoiled both teams plans, drafted Nelson, and traded him to Orlando for a 2005 1st round pick.

...only to use that 2005 1st round pick (#20) for Julius Hodge.

[BadMotorscooter]

We need to move down a spot to #21. Look at the guys who have gone at #21 in just the last 5 years.

2009- Darren Collison
2008- Ryan Anderson
2007- Daequan Cook
2006- Rajon Rondo
2005- Nate Robinson

[Blackjack]

Some of you guys are ridiculous, and some of you are just tools. Claxton got credit for being what he was - a quality backup. And a lot of the people complaining about letting him get away were comparing him to the likes of Nick Van Exel, Charlie Ward, Jacques Vaughn, or Beno. And it wasn't hitting a few jumpers that made him worth his salary. It was coming in and keeping things under control, and not making stupid decisions. It helped that he could break down a zone occasionally.

Whether the Spurs had a chance at keeping him, with the salary cap, is another story. But if they could have kept him, they would have been better off. Why can't you just let it go at that, instead of putting words in people's mouths?

And no, I'm not one of the big pro-Claxton people here. Just one of the anti-asshole people.

Did I miss some Claxton shootout between you two? :lol

[ChuckD]

Never has a player gotten so much credit for hitting three 12 foot jumpers. ;)

Oh, I can think of one player who got WAY more credit for hitting ONE 12 foot jumper....:lol

[lebomb]

There is really no guarantee a pick will work out, whether its high or low. Some #1s have been complete busts, and then some #57s have been all stars. :hat

[Waps1980]

Bring on the next Rondo at pick #20

[Mr Bones]

Since I believe that the Spurs are better than most at judging draft talent, I'm feeling pretty optimistic about this relatively deep draft and the 20th pick. The best most of us can do is watch videos, read scouting reports, and look at stats-- and that only takes you so far. The Spurs routinely find steals in the late 20s thanks to their scouting, private workouts and interviews, so I'm confident whoever they pick from the pool of Williams, Sanders, Jones, Haywood, Babbitt, Whiteside, Pondexter, James, etc., is going to be a better than average 20th pick.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Good post Solid. Even going further back in history you see very few impact players at 20.

There however was a decent run of #20's in the 1980's:

1986 - Buck Johnson
1985 - Sam Vincent
1984 - Tony Campbell
1983 - Roy Hinson
1982 - Paul Pressey
1981 - Larry Nance

Maybe Pop & Co. can start a new run of good #20 picks.

[Solid D]

Even going further back in history you see very few impact players at 20.

There however was a decent run of #20's in the 1980's:

1986 - Buck Johnson
1985 - Sam Vincent
1984 - Tony Campbell
1983 - Roy Hinson
1982 - Paul Pressey
1981 - Larry Nance

Maybe Pop & Co. can start a new run of good #20 picks.

:tu

[Obstructed_View]

Oh, I can think of one player who got WAY more credit for hitting ONE 12 foot jumper....:lol

Who?

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Who?

:lol

I think I saw this Knicks game one time....

[manufan10]

You cant go buy that.....depends on how deep draft is and who needs what

I agree. I think it depends on who is drafting and the competency level of that person or group of people. The Spurs have been pretty good and wise when drafting, so I think they would make a pretty good pick there.


:lol

I think I saw this Knicks game one time....

:lol