when did it happen?

[K...]

When did the spurs start nailing first round picks? 2010 with James anderson? 2011 with the master luck to get the klaw (and corey j), or 2007/8 with splitter and georgey? (There's then a gap where the spurs traded their picks away)

I'm thinking more about the 1990s and 2000s vs the 2010 era. The spurs were heavy win now every year trying to build around robinson and Duncan. Tony parker and manu are obvious outliers in the spurs draft success. The euro heavy drafting then led to busts like scola who never conveyed. The spurs drafted some real garbage in those early eras but got insanely lucky with both #1 picks.

Part of it was the lack of development. Once parker and manu, locked down their positions, playing time went to vets, most of whom rotated through on short contracts. There were some dog shit veterans signed up through around 2014 when it kind of settled into a soft rebuild around kawhi and LMa. Beno udrih almost panned out before leaving. Mahinimi never did.

I think i need to also mention the g league as a big contributor to the success.

Anyhow, What's the most pathetic old era draft pick?

[R. DeMurre]

What makes you say Scola was a bust? I wouldn't say that's the case.

[Mr. Body]

Scola was far from a bust, the Spurs just failed to sign him.

[K...]

that's the point. The spurs got too cute and drafted a guy they could not sign because they thought they could low ball his signing. scola was fine but it's a black mark on the spurs trying to beat the foreign drafting advantage vein too hard. Most spurs fans at the time hated it once they knew he would never come over. The only thing that kept the situation civil was that he did not go to the rockets until his late prime.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

This thread is hilariously bad.

If you’re starting another worthless thread to bash the FO, at least make the argument somewhat compelling. I think you wanted to argue that unless the FO is drafting #1 they don’t do a good job, and then you remembered that Manu and Tony played for the Spurs and you had to spin your take.

They found more late draft gems than most teams. Every team picked up on the euro strategy which depleted that well over time. The Spurs historically did t have room for guaranteed money, end of the first rounders on the roster, which created the draft and stash philosophy. Scola didn’t work out for them...stuff happens.

Point is, if you want to start another FO bashing thread, you can probably find yourself a better topic.

Good luck, and best wishes on your quest! :tu

[Kurgan]

Nikola Milutinov is a much worse pick than Scola. With Luis he was a throwaway 2nd rounder so there's not too much to feel bad about, even if he ended up playing for a division rival. Nikola was a wasted 1st round pick. Spurs didn't want to add any additional salary so they intentionally chose a stiff Euro that they never had any intention of ever bringing over. It's a garbage decision and one of the worst front office moves in recent memory.

[Kurgan]

Just a reminder how bad the Milutinov pick is - he's the only player among the top 38 picks in that draft to not play a single minute in the NBA. Considering how useless bigs like him currently are, there's a good chance he never plays a single minute in the NBA.

[PrimeMinister]

Nikola Milutinov is a much worse pick than Scola. With Luis he was a throwaway 2nd rounder so there's not too much to feel bad about, even if he ended up playing for a division rival. Nikola was a wasted 1st round pick. Spurs didn't want to add any additional salary so they intentionally chose a stiff Euro that they never had any intention of ever bringing over. It's a garbage decision and one of the worst front office moves in recent memory.

I wonder why they might have been reluctant to commit to any more salary at that time.... I wonder.

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2015/6/27/8857289/san-antonio-spurs-free-agency-primer

[Kurgan]

I wonder why they might have been reluctant to commit to any more salary at that time.... I wonder.

https://www.poundingtherock.com/2015/6/27/8857289/san-antonio-spurs-free-agency-primer

That doesn't give you an excuse to waste a 1st round pick. They were being cheap AND stupid. They could have traded the pick for future value. They could have taken a hit on the salary to grab a useful player like Montrez that would have helped the then contending Spurs team. They chose the worst possible option - drafting a dud that won't ever step foot in the NBA.

[PrimeMinister]

That doesn't give you an excuse to waste a 1st round pick. They were being cheap AND stupid. They could have traded the pick for future value. They could have taken a hit on the salary to grab a useful player like Montrez that would have helped the then contending Spurs team. They chose the worst possible option - drafting a dud that won't ever step foot in the NBA.

If you read, you see it was highly unlikely they’d have been able to work the cap magic necessary to sign their first rounder that year and also make a competitive run at a max FA.

any “value” extracted from trading an end of the first round pick would have been so minimal you might as well kick the tires on a draft and stash dude anyway. NBA social media has become so invested in this abstract idea of “extracting value” when in reality that’s just internet fucking conjecture from people who have nothing else to pontificate over. We could have had 2 heavily protected future picks that never conveyed instead of a draft and stash. Wow. Such value, how will the FO ever justify this half a decades old misstep.

[rankingtear]

That doesn't give you an excuse to waste a 1st round pick. They were being cheap AND stupid. They could have traded the pick for future value. They could have taken a hit on the salary to grab a useful player like Montrez that would have helped the then contending Spurs team. They chose the worst possible option - drafting a dud that won't ever step foot in the NBA.

Nope... Salary cap stuff...

[JeffDuncan]

That doesn't give you an excuse to waste a 1st round pick. They were being cheap AND stupid. ...


Ah, but everyone is overlooking the real reason the Spurs did that. They had to preserve 500 thou of salary to sign Jimmer! It was all part of the secret plan.

[KayBee]

Oh look.
S.C.O.L.A.T.H.R.E.A.D.

[TDMVPDPOY]

how about the 5yr stretch when the spurs wasted picks looking for enriques backup...

[exstatic]

Just a reminder how bad the Milutinov pick is - he's the only player among the top 38 picks in that draft to not play a single minute in the NBA. Considering how useless bigs like him currently are, there's a good chance he never plays a single minute in the NBA.

Bigs weren’t useless in 2015 when he was drafted. The following year was when the rules changed to prohibit fighting through screens, the metaphoric giant meteor spelling the end of traditional bigs.