Most impressive Spurs' improvement?

[Malik Hairston]

Which current Spur has improved the most since joining the team?

- Tony Parker going from a young, skinny late-round, unknown pick that developed into a star PG with a top-10 player peak and nice longevity

- Kawhi being a 15th pick that couldn't shoot or play on the perimeter when he entered the league, obviously had a ton of potential, though; Currently playing like a top-10ish player in the entire league

- Danny Green entering the league as the 46th pick in the draft and a bench warmer for the Cavs; Arguably the best 3&D guy in the NBA, has improved significantly off the dribble and as a passer, too

- Patty Mills was the 55th pick in the draft, a little too chubby, bench warmer cheerleader for the Blazers and Spurs; Became a big part of a championship rotation, last year, following his off-season weight loss

- Aron Baynes coming in as an undrafted bruiser, was known more for his screen-setting and build, last year IMO..had trouble with his conditioning and hands, as well; Has really developed into a great 4th big, improved his conditioning, consistently makes the short jump shot, always finishes strong at the rim, understands the system, etc

- Other(Cojo? Was Manu expected to be as good as he is? I don't remember)

[ChumpDumper]

Green as far as initial expectations are concerned.

[NASpurs]

Wasn't Pop scared to play Green in the playoffs four, five (?) years ago to the point that he benched him? :lol I say that one.

[loveforthegame]

Leonard.

[Mugen]

Easily DG.

[baseline bum]

I'll go with Verde, he wasn't supposed to be NBA talent and is now a monster defender and a top 5 or so shooter.

[baseline bum]

I can't pick Parker because he was already pretty impressive by the 2001 summer league. So much so that the Sonics offered Gary Payton for him, Malik Rose, and Antonio Daniels after his first couple of games in the summer league. I mean Parker earned the starting job over Terry Porter and Antonio Daniels four games into his rookie season.

[spurraider21]

1 - Green
2a - Parker
2b - Kawhi (only because it hasn't been sustained long enough yet. if he keeps this up throughout the playoffs one more time, he's moving up to 2)
3 - Mills - 13/14 patty was great. his regression has been ugly
4 - Baynes... he's basically what we thought he would be

[K...]

If kawhi wins MVP or mutiple all star selections then he runs away with it. But he was a lottery talent that slid so not really the same as the others.

Parker was a euro talent in the age when the spurs were the only team really giving a fuck about French basketball. In modern times he'd be picked much higher, think Dante Exum. So I'd say that he was just a lottery talent that developed. it's pretty amazing that when the spurs do get top 20 talent they get good players and don't squander them like most teams.

So yeah, unless KAwhi sustains god mode I got to go with Danny.

But the real winner is Boris Diaw.

[Johnny RIngo]

When we drafted Kawhi, I just wanted another Bowen replacement. Never thought we'd be seeing top ten level impact from him. Far exceeded my expectations in that regard.

But Danny probably wins this one - never even heard of him coming out of college.

[Horry Hipcheck]

Green. Dude got cut multiple times and was exiled to Slovenia. Now he's a 3 point machine and a solid asset defensively.

[cjw]

But he was a lottery talent that slid so not really the same as the others.

Amazing considering Spurs haven't had a lottery pick of their own since 1997, and had to trade up to grab Leonard.

Green is amazing considering the Cavs cut bait after Lebron left. Only guys from the '09 draft that would definitely still go before him today are Griffin (1), Harden (3), Curry (7), DeRozan (9 - still prefer DG), Teague (19). Evans, Rubio, Jennings, Holiday, Lawson, Gibson could have as well depending on the team. Crazy that second round included Ayres, Blair, Green, McClinton, De Colo and Mills.

And who can forget Kahn, extracting the #5 pick from Washington for Randy Foye and Mike Miller, and then going with Rubio+Flynn back to back with Curry on the board. Right then and there, the Knicks should have traded up to one of those two Minnesota picks and instead of Curry ended up having to waste Jordan Hill to expunge Jared Jeffries deal for a second time.

[Cry Havoc]

Green. Dude got cut multiple times and was exiled to Slovenia. Now he's a 3 point machine and a solid asset defensively.

Solid asset defensively is like saying Jamal Crawford has modest handles. :wow You have a gift for understatement. Green is one of the best defenders in the league.

[DJR210]

Green because of the path he took to get to where he is today, followed by Kawhi. Scary thing is Kawhi has another god damn 7-8 potential years of improvement to go before he peaks.

[MultiTroll]

-Pop going from

scared of rookie coaches
playing soft, flaming SF/PFs
Abandoning winning Tall Ball with schrivelled up small balls
#1 seed flame outs
Robbing greatest PF/C of his era of titles

To
Ball distribution excellence
No favored faggots given excess playing time
great minutes distribution
letting role players play their role. Patty, Green etc.
One of the greatest one year bounce back coaching jobs in history of NBA (Winning the title for the Heat then coming back and winning it for the Spurs)

Great end to the regular season so far.
Lets hope his growth continues into 2015 playoffs.

[Old School 44]

Danny Green....but Manu's got to be in there somewhere. 57th pick to a first ballot HOFer!

[Malik Hairston]

Wasn't Manu MVP overseas prior to his NBA career, though?

Same with Splitter, they had a lot of hype with Spurs fans IIRC..

[ChumpDumper]

The Manu draft pick was actually pretty lucky. He wasn't known or scouted much at all at the time IIRC. The same monkey-and-dartboard strategy got us Karulov too.

[Malik Hairston]

Hm, interesting..the age of not having message boards:lol..

[Silver&Black]

Green....

Dude was cut twice....and now he is one of our best players. 2nd best defender for sure.

[pgardn]

Manu

Green and KL need more time.

Duncan the most ready player by far when he entered.

[baseline bum]

Hm, interesting..the age of not having message boards:lol..

Back in 2001 everyone knew the Spurs wanted Parker. I remember watching that draft and seeing him come up to the podium and thinking this skinny little fucker is the guy the whole front office has been creaming themselves over? But I was still happy they got their man. The Spurs didn't start getting tight-lipped until the Nets stole Nenad Krstic from them the next year after the success they had with Parker. The Spurs had been in love with Krstic since he was like 16 and everyone knew they wanted him.

[Ron Swanson]

Have to go with Green on this one.

[Beaverfuzz]

Verde, followed by Pendergraph.

[vander]

depends on if Leonard's current unconscious shooting is an anomaly or not. if he can keep this up: mind boggling

[weebo]

All of the above, including Splitter and Diaw.

[Leetonidas]

Green went from being a D-League scrub that was cut by the Cavs to being a Ray Allen three pointer away from winning a Finals MVP. I'd pick him tbh

[313]

Wasn't Manu MVP overseas prior to his NBA career, though?

Same with Splitter, they had a lot of hype with Spurs fans IIRC..

Didn't he win the world Cup for Argentina the year before coming to the Spurs?

[baseline bum]

All of the above, including Splitter and Diaw.

It's funny, I remember how badly the Spurs wanted to draft Diaw. I can't imagine him playing in the four down offense.

[Mr. Body]

Parker. I defy anyone saying they thought he'd become a Hall of Famer and Finals MVP.

[baseline bum]

Wasn't Manu MVP overseas prior to his NBA career, though?

Same with Splitter, they had a lot of hype with Spurs fans IIRC..

Yeah, Manu was Euroleague MVP in 2002 I think. May have been 2001. By the time he got to San Antonio he was a star in Europe and a lot of the media was picking him for rookie of the year before the season.

[weebo]

It's funny, I remember how badly the Spurs wanted to draft Diaw. I can't imagine him playing in the four down offense.

The Spurs improved play has coincided with Diaw's improved play. Although not athletically gifted, he falls in line with guys like Manu and Duncan that take a cerebral approach to the game. He is a match up problem for any team.

[baseline bum]

Parker. I defy anyone saying they thought he'd become a Hall of Famer and Finals MVP.

Parker looked like he was going to be a star from the second he put on a Spurs uniform. Back in the old Spursreport days everyone was hyped as hell seeing this guy get to the basket even though he could not finish a layup to save his life until the end of the season. But Chip Engelland definitely worked wonders turning Tony's slow set shot into a pretty devastating 18 foot jumper off the screen.

[ChumpDumper]

The Spurs improved play has coincided with Diaw's improved play. Although not athletically gifted, he falls in line with guys like Manu and Duncan that take a cerebral approach to the game. He is a match up problem for any team.Diaw is an incredibly gifted fat athlete.

[baseline bum]

The Spurs improved play has coincided with Diaw's improved play. Although not athletically gifted, he falls in line with guys like Manu and Duncan that take a cerebral approach to the game. He is a match up problem for any team.

Diaw is actually incredibly athletically gifted, he has just let himself get fat.



http://valleyofthesuns.com/2014/06/15/2014-nba-finals-boris-diaw-set-cappucino-jumped-amare/

“Boris walks into the gym one day wearing flip-flops and holding his customary cappuccino, which was a staple for him every morning,” Griffin recalled. “It was during pre-draft workouts, so he sees the Vertec [machine] and asks what it is.

“We tell him it measures your vertical leap by determining how many of the bars you can touch. He asks what’s the highest anyone has ever gone, and we tell him Amare’ [Stoudemire] cleared the entire rack.

“Boris puts down the cappuccino, takes off his flip-flops and clears the entire rack on the first try. Then he calmly puts his flip-flops back on, picks up his cappuccino and walks away, saying, ‘That was not difficult.'”

[ElNono]

Wasn't Manu MVP overseas prior to his NBA career, though?

Same with Splitter, they had a lot of hype with Spurs fans IIRC..

Manu was an unknown when drafted. He actually developed with Messina overseas in the time between his pick and coming over to the Spurs.

But yeah, by the time the Spurs got him, he was a known quantity somewhat. He just kicked Team USA ass in Indianapolis and was heading into the prime of his career.

He kinda came over late, tbh...

[ElNono]

For "good story" it's probably Green, IMO... but for development between raw and into a NBA caliber monster, Kawhi gotta be up there. He wasn't a consensus #1 pick like Tim, there were some doubts about his shooting, etc...

He really put the work, and it's impressive.

[Aztecfan03]

Parker. I defy anyone saying they thought he'd become a Hall of Famer and Finals MVP.
i say parker because he his peak was MVP-worthy but he got injured. Leonard didn't really start lower than Parker did and he hasn't hit that MVP-peak yet.

[baseline bum]

Manu was an unknown when drafted. He actually developed with Messina overseas in the time between his pick and coming over to the Spurs.

But yeah, by the time the Spurs got him, he was a known quantity somewhat. He just kicked Team USA ass in Indianapolis and was heading into the prime of his career.

He kinda came over late, tbh...

Yeah, I always heard the Spurs drafted Manu because they saw him hit like 11 threes in a game in Argentina when they were scouting one of his teammates. Then they told him to go to Euroleague and two years later he's the best player outside the NBA.

R7tpZcGhz-4

I think RC also said he was the worst defender he had ever seen when the team drafted Manu. :lol

[ElNono]

To the Spurs credit, Baynes has paid off. Some people were wondering if he was worth paying in the summer, and I think the ROI worked out there.

[pgardn]

Parker looked like he was going to be a star from the second he put on a Spurs uniform. Back in the old Spursreport days everyone was hyped as hell seeing this guy get to the basket even though he could not finish a layup to save his life until the end of the season. But Chip Engelland definitely worked wonders turning Tony's slow set shot into a pretty devastating 18 foot jumper off the screen.

I watched him from the floor and he is the fastest guy I have ever seen with the ball.
Faster than Iverson. I had never seen anything like it. Shocking stuff.

[NASpurs]

Diaw is actually incredibly athletically gifted, he has just let himself get fat.


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdh9f_tp-and-boris-diaw-claquette-dunk-36_sport?start=15

[NASpurs]

Yeah... Boris isn't athletic or anything... :lol

[Aztecfan03]

Parker looked like he was going to be a star from the second he put on a Spurs uniform. Back in the old Spursreport days everyone was hyped as hell seeing this guy get to the basket even though he could not finish a layup to save his life until the end of the season. But Chip Engelland definitely worked wonders turning Tony's slow set shot into a pretty devastating 18 foot jumper off the screen.
parker didn't start at his potential though. It doesn't matter what people thought he could become because that isn't what he was.

[Mr. Body]

Parker looked like he was going to be a star from the second he put on a Spurs uniform. Back in the old Spursreport days everyone was hyped as hell seeing this guy get to the basket even though he could not finish a layup to save his life until the end of the season. But Chip Engelland definitely worked wonders turning Tony's slow set shot into a pretty devastating 18 foot jumper off the screen.

He didn't look like a star, he looked like a really fast kid with the basketball.

[ElNono]

Yeah, I always heard the Spurs drafted Manu because they saw him hit like 11 threes in a game in Argentina when they were scouting one of his teammates. Then they told him to go to Euroleague and two years later he's the best player outside the NBA.

R7tpZcGhz-4

I think RC also said he was the worst defender he had ever seen when the team drafted Manu. :lol

This is the 2001 Euroleague Final full game:

0DGACPdoFeM

Interesting that they were playing against Tau Ceramica, who had Oberto and Scola off the bench. Manu ended up winning the MVP of Euroleague (not for that game specifically, but for the entire Euroleague campaign).

Manu was already extremely good back then and had a terrific first step.

[pgardn]

He didn't look like a star, he looked like a really fast kid with the basketball.

The fastest kid with the ball.
Hell I can't describe it, I was just so dumbfounded I probably expected too much.
Even when Pop was constantly berating him making him ready to cry.

[baseline bum]

parker didn't start at his potential though. It doesn't matter what people thought he could become because that isn't what he was.

Parker was already destroying Gary Payton in the playoffs his rookie year. Everyone knew he was going to be a star. Even my Laker fan friends who hate everything Spurs knew he'd be an allstar early his rookie season. Parker was only supposed to be playing 15 MPG but he was earning 30 minutes from the start. Tony didn't come out of nowhere, he was starting for a title contender over a dependable vet in Terry Porter by the fourth or fifth game of his career. When he destroyed the summer league it was apparent he was going to become a great player. He was insanely fast by NBA standards the second he stepped on an NBA court. Parker was no rags to riches story like Green.

[pgardn]

This is the 2001 Euroleague Final full game:

0DGACPdoFeM

Interesting that they were playing against Tau Ceramica, who had Oberto and Scola off the bench. Manu ended up winning the MVP of Euroleague (not for that game specifically, but for the entire Euroleague campaign).

Manu was already extremely good back then and had a terrific first step.

But Euros still had the soft, no D you can't play in this league label. Manu played a huge role in getting rid of the soft label.
I dismissed his Euro success.

[baseline bum]

This is the 2001 Euroleague Final full game:

0DGACPdoFeM

Interesting that they were playing against Tau Ceramica, who had Oberto and Scola off the bench. Manu ended up winning the MVP of Euroleague (not for that game specifically, but for the entire Euroleague campaign).

Manu was already extremely good back then and had a terrific first step.

I remember downloading his Euroleague games back in the direct link era and just thinking holy fuck, the Spurs basically have Vince Carter overseas to pair with Duncan and Robinson. I was so fucking pissed when the Spurs didn't bring him over in the summer of 2001.

[baseline bum]

The fastest kid with the ball.
Hell I can't describe it, I was just so dumbfounded I probably expected too much.
Even when Pop was constantly berating him making him ready to cry.

NBA GMs were going nuts watching him in the summer league. Like I said above, the Sonics went from thinking who wants a 19 year old Frenchy on draft night to "hey, you can have Payton for him, Pop!" a couple of weeks later.

[pgardn]

NBA GMs were going nuts watching him in the summer league. Like I said above, the Sonics went from thinking who wants a 19 year old Frenchy on draft night to "hey, you can have Payton for him, Pop!" a couple of weeks later.

Sitting next to my Dad I asked "am I really seeing this" and my Dad who watched the Spurs since their first ABA days said he had never ever seen anyone that fast. We were slack jawed-drooling.

[baseline bum]

I remember thinking, "holy shit the Spurs are actually going to get Parker" when Orlando drafted Jerryl Sasser. They were trying desperately to trade with Toronto to move up because they were scared to death of Boston or Orlando taking him.

[manufan10]

This is actually a good/tough question. It's between Green and Kawhi for me. Green went from being cut twice to being a key component on almost two championship teams. Kawhi's maturation and improvements from year to year have been impressive as well.

[Mr. Body]

The fastest kid with the ball.
Hell I can't describe it, I was just so dumbfounded I probably expected too much.
Even when Pop was constantly berating him making him ready to cry.

Well, we were dealing with a poor decrepit Terry Porter at the time constantly getting blown up by Kobe's defense. With Parker that all ended.

[tim_duncan_fan]

Green pounded at the rock and developed himself into an irreplaceable champion and quintessential Spur.

Went from dancing with Lebron on the sideline to a business-like cool.

Whatever the Spurs have needed he's been there. Whether it's a crucial surprise block in his first year or two as a Spur or the barrage of 3 pointers that you know is just around the corner even if he's been in a slump, DG has been exactly what we need when we need it more times than not. The man has gone well out of his way to improve his handles (and finishing at the rim) when all we ever would have expected of him is to make the open 3.

He just does his job, kicks ass and takes names (quietly) and that's what you want in a Spur. None of us ever dreamed Danny would be what he is to this team.

Remember who sparked us into recommitting to defense when we had more or less given up hope on that end circa 09-10?

It was Danny.

[will_spurs]

I'd have to go with Green as well. He was really a fringe NBA player, cut twice by the Spurs (apparently for attitude problems?) and yet he managed to turn things around and become a valuable piece on a championship team. His growth as a Spur has been phenomenal.

Then I'd have to say Parker, because he came into the league very young, as an unknown quantity, and Pop mentioned he didn't even want to draft him after the 1st workout. Parker had to push for a 2nd workout to convince him. Maybe everybody was convinced he would be great after the Summer League (and I think Nike Hoops Summit?) but I remember that he was under a lot of fire from Pop and fans alike during the first couple of years. I had high hopes for him but his resume is now way beyond what I could have imagined, and he's purely a Spurs product, shaped by Pop and Chip, unlike Manu who was influenced by Messina and his time with Argentina NT as well.

Kawhi still has time to develop, but in terms of improvement he's one notch below because he was clearly lottery talent and people are still wondering how he fell into the Spurs lap at #15... On the other hand the sky is the ceiling for Kawhi, so when all is said and done he's likely to have one hell of a resume.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

At the time of drafting it has to be Manu. Obviously he was already super special by the time he joined the team.

Parker was always going to be good, Kawhi's worst case would have been a Gerald Wallace , who still had a decent career and made some money.

Green, though, had everything stacked against him - no exceptional qualities, bad work ethic and attitude, cut a few times - he was destined to play on a bad Euro team. Then something happened and he transformed into what he is today seemingly overnight. He still could have been forgotten somewhere in Europe but for an unfortunate Anderson injury ( OT : hey Durant lol ). Now him and Anderson have switched places, it's almost like Danny stole Anderson's career.

[DJR210]

Diaw is an incredibly gifted fat athlete.

:lol

[DJR210]

If Kawhi continues this to a b2b, I'm changing my answer.

[OldSilentHill]

Which current Spur has improved the most since joining the team?

- Tony Parker going from a young, skinny late-round, unknown pick that developed into a star PG with a top-10 player peak and nice longevity

- Kawhi being a 15th pick that couldn't shoot or play on the perimeter when he entered the league, obviously had a ton of potential, though; Currently playing like a top-10ish player in the entire league

- Danny Green entering the league as the 46th pick in the draft and a bench warmer for the Cavs; Arguably the best 3&D guy in the NBA, has improved significantly off the dribble and as a passer, too

- Patty Mills was the 55th pick in the draft, a little too chubby, bench warmer cheerleader for the Blazers and Spurs; Became a big part of a championship rotation, last year, following his off-season weight loss

- Aron Baynes coming in as an undrafted bruiser, was known more for his screen-setting and build, last year IMO..had trouble with his conditioning and hands, as well; Has really developed into a great 4th big, improved his conditioning, consistently makes the short jump shot, always finishes strong at the rim, understands the system, etc

- Other(Cojo? Was Manu expected to be as good as he is? I don't remember)




Yes, Manu was TOP 3 Player in Europe when coming to the Spurs.

[Seventyniner]

Kawhi's flirting with superstardom has made this a tough question. We have seen Parker's ceiling (2013), but Green still has some room to improve and the sky is the limit for Kawhi.

I agree that it can't be Manu because he was already damn good before he joined the team.

[cd021]

1 - Green
2a - Parker
2b - Kawhi (only because it hasn't been sustained long enough yet. if he keeps this up throughout the playoffs one more time, he's moving up to 2)
3 - Mills - 13/14 patty was great. his regression has been ugly
4 - Baynes... he's basically what we thought he would be

He definitely been better. People overrated him last season. I was skeptical but he's been very solid. Excellent finisher around the basket, very good rebounder but average defensively though.

15.7 MPG, 6.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG .554% FG% 15.7 P.E.R