MaNu4Tres
07-21-2015, 03:49 PM
Over the past two decades, the Spurs have been known to consistently find great value in the draft. That's a given.
However, there's one aspect that doesn't get enough recognition. Pop and RC's guys have an knack for being ahead of the curve, finding cheap talent in the FA market. Whether their from overseas, the D-League, sitting at the end of the roster of another team. They find incredible value on the market that no team considers until its too late.
Here's the list of the unproven players they've plucked from obscurity in the FA market during the Pop/TD era:
1998: Jaren Jackson, Malik Rose
2001: Stephen Jackson
2002: Devin Brown
2005: Fabricio Oberto
2010: Gary Neal
2011: Danny Green
2012: Patty Mills
2013: Aron Baynes
2015: Jonathon Simmons (is he the next one?), Boban Marjanovic (?)
Every one of these players has played a key role to a championship team ( w/ exception to the 2015 additions and Neal but we know that 13' team was a title team too tbh). This speaks volumes.
Their ability to eye talent from every corner of the world, and bring in players from obscurity for the minimum and mold and develop them into significant contributors is a big reason why they've maintained contender status the past 18-19 years -- despite picking at the end of the first round every year.
It's just incredible the way they manage to utilize the few assets they have to find the right pieces year after year.
Pop & RC deserve much more credit than they receive( if it's possible). And Chip and Chad are a big part of that as well, I don't know a team that develops their young players as well as the Spurs do.
We are spoiled and I don't mind it one bit.
However, there's one aspect that doesn't get enough recognition. Pop and RC's guys have an knack for being ahead of the curve, finding cheap talent in the FA market. Whether their from overseas, the D-League, sitting at the end of the roster of another team. They find incredible value on the market that no team considers until its too late.
Here's the list of the unproven players they've plucked from obscurity in the FA market during the Pop/TD era:
1998: Jaren Jackson, Malik Rose
2001: Stephen Jackson
2002: Devin Brown
2005: Fabricio Oberto
2010: Gary Neal
2011: Danny Green
2012: Patty Mills
2013: Aron Baynes
2015: Jonathon Simmons (is he the next one?), Boban Marjanovic (?)
Every one of these players has played a key role to a championship team ( w/ exception to the 2015 additions and Neal but we know that 13' team was a title team too tbh). This speaks volumes.
Their ability to eye talent from every corner of the world, and bring in players from obscurity for the minimum and mold and develop them into significant contributors is a big reason why they've maintained contender status the past 18-19 years -- despite picking at the end of the first round every year.
It's just incredible the way they manage to utilize the few assets they have to find the right pieces year after year.
Pop & RC deserve much more credit than they receive( if it's possible). And Chip and Chad are a big part of that as well, I don't know a team that develops their young players as well as the Spurs do.
We are spoiled and I don't mind it one bit.