Spurs capitalize on reluctance of NBA GMs to...

[SPARKY]

...draft foreign talent.

I'm reminded of Kenny Smith's comment during the 2000 NBA Draft broadcast, when in reaction to the announcement of the Corey Hightower trade with the Lakers proclaimed "The rich get richer". Unfortunately for Kenneth, the "rich" party that day was not located in Southern California but rather South Texas. The Spurs picked up two second round picks that day; picks the Spurs would later use to draft Robertas Javtokas and Luis Scola. Hightower is now enjoying life after basketball, I suppose.

In 2001, despite a number of teams (Boston, Golden State, and Orlando, IIRC)in dire need of a point guard drafting ahead of the Spurs, the Spurs were able to land Tony Parker. Parker's lack of a playing history in the States worked against him with NBA GMs, no matter how impressive his workouts.

The 2004 NBA Draft saw the Spurs land Beno Udrih with a late first round pick. This, despite again a number of NBA teams drafting ahead with "get point guard" on their list of priorities to address.

Thinking back to the 1999 NBA Draft, the Spurs' willingness to invest the resources in international scouting paid off handsomely with Emanuel Ginobili. Also of note was that the Spurs also landed another foreign talent who would one day become a useful NBA player in Gordan Giricek.

The Spurs currently have the rights to four players currently overseas: Scola ('02 NBA Draft #56 overall), Javtokas ('01 NBA Draft #56), Viktor Sanikidze ('04 NBA Draft #43) and Sergei Karaulov ('04 NBA Draft #58).

Time will tell how much the Spurs have benefitted from the reluctance of NBA GMs to dip significantly into the international talent pool beyond the shallow end, the end with the can't miss prospects. Until then, the Spurs will undoubtedly continue to bank on that incompetence...

[SouthernFried]

GM's, and the NBA in general, have been drafting players based on their 1 on 1 skills and leaping abilities. Methinks this has been happening since the Michael Jordan days...everyone wants to be like Mike.

While the Spurs are looking for players the fit more into the old Magic Johnson Lakers, and Larry Bird Celtic mold. Team players.

As much as I loved Michael Jordan, I think trying to emulate him has hurt the NBA game overall. He was great for NBA ratings...but, bad for the game. Personally, I think the last 20 years or so, the NBA game has suffered under the "me me" and chest thumping attitude. The NBA game has been characterized for last 20 yrs with one word...selfishness. Every team has been trying to find the "next Jordan"...and forgetting that Basketball is still a team sport.

Spurs are reminding them.

[E20]

You can't blame Micheal for being so good. :lol

[SouthernFried]

Not sure where I'm blaming Michael for anything.

I blame GM's and the NBA for destroying the team concept of basketball...trying to promote the "next Jordan."

[smeagol]

Good thing guys such as Sequ and rascal have nothing to do with the Spurs FO.

[E20]

As much as I loved Michael Jordan, I think trying to emulate him has hurt the NBA game overall. He was great for NBA ratings...but, bad for the game. Personally, I think the last 20 years or so, the NBA game has suffered under the "me me"
You're saying he hurt the game overall by people trying to be him.

[FromWayDowntown]

I generally agree with you, Sparky.

I don't think there's some endemic reluctance to draft international players, since at least a few teams have long embraced star talent from across the pond: Divac, Marciulionis, Sabonis, Kukoc, Petrovic, Stojakovic, Nowitzki, Gasol, and so on.

I think the Spurs wizardry isn't so much a testament to a unique willingness to draft from overseas, but a testament to a unique willingness to scout deeply -- to look for polish to go along with tools (they haven't really been caught in a Tskitishvili-type (lots of tools, but no real game) situation yet). I think, really, it's about how the Spurs have dramatically improved their scouting and used the improvements to focus on identifying NBA-skills that are different from just tools.

They've also benefitted from the luxury of not needing to bring guys over right away -- not needing to draft immediate contributors. It has allowed the Spurs to create something like a farm system of young guys who get plenty of opportunities for game action and practice time to improve their skills and learn to play. That luxury becomes magnified as the European players and teams are coming to understand how to meld their games into the NBA. Guys like Javtokas and Scola aren't just building experience against a bunch of schlubs; they're playing game after game against guys who have NBA quality, but they're not learning on the job in the NBA and having their growth retarded by sitting at the end of a bench.

[SPARKY]

Perhaps it's a 'willingness to go back to the well again and again.' It seems to me that NBA teams, while willing to draft an international player or two, are reluctant to go beyond that, to truly bank their franchise's future on such talent.

The Spurs have had to do what they can to make up for the fact that SA is not a huge star/superstar level free agent draw.

[myhc]

They've also benefitted from the luxury of not needing to bring guys over right away -- not needing to draft immediate contributors. It has allowed the Spurs to create something like a farm system of young guys who get plenty of opportunities for game action and practice time to improve their skills and learn to play. That luxury becomes magnified as the European players and teams are coming to understand how to meld their games into the NBA. Guys like Javtokas and Scola aren't just building experience against a bunch of schlubs; they're playing game after game against guys who have NBA quality, but they're not learning on the job in the NBA and having their growth retarded by sitting at the end of a bench.

Exactly. How many teams have been fortunate enough to have future hall of famers like Robinson and Duncan to allow these "projects" to develop and thrive the way they have?

[SPARKY]

Exactly. How many teams have been fortunate enough to have future hall of famers like Robinson and Duncan to allow these "projects" to develop and thrive the way they have?

For starters, the Lakers.

The Spurs haven't been the only contender with low picks and an opportunity to load up on foreign talent.

If I recall correctly both Orlando and Boston had multiple picks in the 2001 Draft including a couple low ones and they still passed on Parker.

[FromWayDowntown]

For starters, the Lakers.

The Spurs haven't been the only contender with low picks and an opportunity to load up on foreign talent.

If I recall correctly both Orlando and Boston had multiple picks in the 2001 Draft including a couple low ones and they still passed on Parker.

Well, I think the contrast with the Lakers is a valid one; one that basically proves both of the points here -- a team on the top has the luxury of building through a junior varsity stable of international players. The Spurs took advantage and the Lakers did not. The proof, for now at least, appears to be in the pudding.

I'm not sure I know of another franchise, other than the Spurs and Lakers, who've truly had that opportunity over a long period of time.

I'd argue that while both Orlando and Boston had multiple picks in 2001, neither was really in a position to draft and stash players in Europe. Each team thought it needed immediate help -- that neither identified Tony Parker goes, I think, more to the supremacy of the Spurs scouting effort than to some reluctance by NBA GM's, on the whole, to draft international players.

[Marklar MM]

Detroit is a team that has drafted many Euro's the past few years. The only players we have drafted out of the states were Tayshaun Prince and Ricky Paulding(currently playing in Israel). I think that is it.

We have drafted Mehmet Okur, Carlos Delfino, Darko Milicic, and Andreas Glynisomething(can't spell his name. It is to freakin long) Okur was good, but he got a boatload of cash to go to Utah. Delfino was very promising but hurt his knee, had 2 surguries, came back, did ok, and was left off the roster. Darko plays about 1 minute every 47 games. A.G. is still in Europe. I think we drafted some other Euro's but can't recall.

[spur219]

I think Jovtkas could be good but he would of been better or perhaps could of been a Spur by now if it wasn't for his motorcycle accident.