Jonas Valanciunas was the first choice for Spurs in 2011 NBA Draft.

[spursparker9]

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/what-might-have-been-the-spurs-tried-to-trade-up-and-draft-warriors-klay-thompson-in-2011/

Jonas Valanciunas - Plan A
Klay - Plan B
...

Kawhi - Plan C?

[cd021]

Interesting story, knew about Spurs wanting Valanciunas but things worked out in the end

[pookenstein]

Apa's plan A, after PATFO selected plan C: trade him for Trevor Ariza. :lmao

[pookenstein]

Also :lmao @ the last paragraph:

In related news, the Sacramento Kings (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/page/SAC/sacramento-kings) traded up in that draft.
They took Jimmer Fredette (http://www.cbssports.com/nba/players/playerpage/1332605/jimmer-fredette), who is currently having a phenomenal season ...
... In China.

[TheGreatYacht]

Lol RC was about to draft another soft Euro bust

[elemento]

Also :lmao @ the last paragraph:

The Kings actually traded down in that draft.

They had the 7th pick and they traded down 3 spots to the 10th pick to swap Beno (yes our Beno) for Salmons, who was a worse player with a worse contract :lol

Then they passed on Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard to draft Jimmer :lmao

[TheDoctor]

The Kings actually traded down in that draft.

They had the 7th pick and they traded down 3 spots to the 10th pick to swap Beno (yes our Beno) for Salmons, who was a worse player with a worse contract :lol

Then they passed on Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard to draft Jimmer :lmao

Damn :wow:rollin

[elemento]

Damn :wow:rollin

Sometimes feels good to be a Spurs fan. RC/Pop have their mistakes, but it's nothing compared to this kind of shit.

[Mal]

The Kings actually traded down in that draft.

They had the 7th pick and they traded down 3 spots to the 10th pick to swap Beno (yes our Beno) for Salmons, who was a worse player with a worse contract :lol

Then they passed on Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard to draft Jimmer :lmao

Add Jimmy Butler to list

[elemento]

Add Jimmy Butler to list

Yep, but to be fair with them nobody knew Jimmy would be this good. Thompson and Kawhi were viewed as lottery talent in the draft, Butler wasn't. Even SA passed on him to draft Joseph.

The funny part is that SAC wasted a lottery pick on Jimmer but the got the biggest steal of that draft with the 60th pick (IT).

[Ice009]

I thought I read that they were going for Jimmy Butler instead of CoJo if they couldn't trade up to get Leonard, but since they got Leonard they passed on Butler to draft a PG instead.

How do you guys think it would have worked out if they kept Hill and drafted Jimmy Butler and the end of the first round?

I also remember Pop saying after a game against the Kings - How did we miss on this guy. Imagine a haul of Kawhi, Butler and Thomas. They were all there for the Spurs to select.

[cutewizard]

Also :lmao @ the last paragraph:

hahahahahaha

[cjw]

I thought I read that they were going for Jimmy Butler instead of CoJo if they couldn't trade up to get Leonard, but since they got Leonard they passed on Butler to draft a PG instead.

How do you guys think it would have worked out if they kept Hill and drafted Jimmy Butler and the end of the first round?

I also remember Pop saying after a game against the Kings - How did we miss on this guy. Imagine a haul of Kawhi, Butler and Thomas. They were all there for the Spurs to select.

Because they had one PG on the roster after drafting Hill (Neal didn't count) and had to go pick up help at the position. Butler was redundant at that time given Manu/Neal/RJ also remained on the roster - forget if Green was bouncing around or signed by then.

CoJo is solid value at where they drafted him. Thomas at the end of R2 though was a whiff by lots of teams. But hard to pick undersized guards and project what they'll do in NBA

[Mr. Body]

Valanciunas... how good could he have been if he wasn't selected by a shit team? Maybe always shit, but who knows. A lot of players get completely derailed by getting drafted by the wrong organizations.

[cd98]

Yes but this shows how Spurs don't know everything and get lucky. Valanciumas, while a good player, is not an all-star and if he was the best Spur this year, we'd be in a world of hurt. Klay Thompson would only be slightly better. Getting Kawhi as a plan C was a case of better lucky than good.

[TheGreatYacht]

Valanciunas... how good could he have been if he wasn't selected by a shit team? Maybe always shit, but who knows. A lot of players get completely derailed by getting drafted by the wrong organizations.
He's a scrub and will always be. He's on a good team right now

[YGWHI]

Kawhi is some kind of perennial MVP candidate, Klay just a hot shooter.

806285021313175553
Pretty much this :D

[Mr. Body]

He's a scrub and will always be. He's on a good team right now

He wasn't when it mattered. He may have always been a scrub, but good players are ruined by shit teams.

[Kawhitstorm]

Kawhi is some kind of perennial MVP candidate, Klay just a hot shooter.

806285021313175553
Pretty much this :D

Danny/Klay trying to create off the dribble & defending LeBrick.:lmao

[Kawhitstorm]

How do you guys think it would have worked out if they kept Hill and drafted Jimmy Butler and the end of the first round?

2014 wouldn't have happened, Butler was Tony Allen status & Contract Year Patty wouldn't have been on the roster.:wakeup

[baseline bum]

I always heard Thompson was one of the backup plans if Leonard was taken.

[TrainOfThought5]

Danny/Klay trying to create off the dribble & defending LeBrick.:lmao

DannyBlockingLebronInTheFinals.gif

[FkLA]

Yet another idiot who thinks one 60 point outburst (or 37 point quarter) makes him a better, more dominant offensive player than Kawhi.

[Kawhitstorm]

DannyBlockingLebronInTheFinals.gif

Stripping LeBron on two plays when in transition he least expected it during a 7 game series.:lmao

[exstatic]

Yes but this shows how Spurs don't know everything and get lucky. Valanciumas, while a good player, is not an all-star and if he was the best Spur this year, we'd be in a world of hurt. Klay Thompson would only be slightly better. Getting Kawhi as a plan C was a case of better lucky than good.

EVERY team gets lucky, unless you have a no-brainer #1 overall like Anthony Davis waiting for you. The Spurs would be the first to tell you that. The draft, even near the top of the first round, has become almost a complete crap shoot. I think, however, that is why the Spurs draft both the skill set, AND the person. The fact that KL was offered a scholarship by SDSU after his Junior year, blew up and was CA Mr. Basketball as a Senior and started getting offers from Pac 10 schools, and STILL went to SDSU was probably no small part of them drafting him.