Spurs Draft Board: Daequan Cook Was Number One

[timvp]

"There were some players we were interested in that might have been on the roster sooner that were also considered. It wasn’t a situation where we were just going to take a player and leave him over there. Splitter was No. 2 on our draft board of the picks that were realistic for us, so we were excited to get him."

Who was number one?


According to Powell, San Antonio attempted to grab Cook as high as the No. 16-pick. However, the Spurs were unable to work out a suitable deal with Washington to grab Cook that early.

http://ohiostate.scout.com/2/655332.html


Props to zepn for finding this.

Cook was a freshman on Ohio State who has big potential. He's only 6-foot-5 and 19-years-old, but he's a guy who could develop into a very good scorer in the NBA.

Some mock drafts had him dropping near the Spurs, but it would have been surprising to see him drop that far. It'll be very interesting to see if Cook pans out over the next couple seasons.

So if Cook was one and Splitter was two, I guess the Spurs came out decently considering Cook was a longshot to begin with.

[Mr. Body]

Thank God they didn't get Cook. Can we believe a OSU fansite?

[timvp]

Thank God they didn't get Cook.
I would have liked Cook. But he's a player who'd be like three or four years away from being ready to contribute.


Can we believe a OSU fansite?

It says according to Powell and Powell is an assistant coach on Ohio State, so it has to be accurate.

[timvp]

And a special shout out to pad300 for trying to call me out when I said Cook could be an intriguing pick (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72619) for the Spurs.

[sabar]

I'm mostly pleased. We took the best talent over scrambing to throw a possibly worse rookie in as a Bowen replacement or backup PG. By the time this all pans out we will be restructuring around the 2008 plan anyways while we keep out team together with bandaid FAs for a repeat chance right now.

[Russ]

I'm not sure these two articles show that Cook was No. 1.

Buford said:


Splitter was No. 2 on our draft board of the picks that were realistic for us, so we were excited to get him.

On the other hand, the Spurs tried to move up to 16 to get Cook. So Cook may not have been No. 1 on the Spurs "realistic" (circa pick # 28) list -- the players they might have gotten without trading up.

My guess is that the No. 1 on that list may have been Rudy Fernandez or Marco Bellinini. (Or maybe Almond.)

[kyleo]

Thank God they didn't get Cook. Can we believe a OSU fansite?
Agreed. Much happier with Tiago and Williams.

[pad300]

And a special shout out to pad300 for trying to call me out when I said Cook could be an intriguing pick (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72619) for the Spurs.

Thank you for the shout out TIMVP.

I'll simply say that I currently agree with Mr. Body and Kyleo. :p:

[JPB]

I'm not sure these two articles show that Cook was No. 1.

On the other hand, the Spurs tried to move up to 16 to get Cook. So Cook may not have been No. 1 on the Spurs "realistic" (circa pick # 28) list -- the players they might have gotten without trading up.

My guess is that the No. 1 on that list may have been Rudy Fernandez or Marco Bellinini. (Or maybe Almond.)

Good remark.

[timvp]

I'm not sure these two articles show that Cook was No. 1.

Buford said:



On the other hand, the Spurs tried to move up to 16 to get Cook. So Cook may not have been No. 1 on the Spurs "realistic" (circa pick # 28) list -- the players they might have gotten without trading up.

My guess is that the No. 1 on that list may have been Rudy Fernandez or Marco Bellinini. (Or maybe Almond.)

Cook was number one. If you listen to the Buford audio, he says that Splitter became their number one soon after the 20th pick. Cook was the 21st pick.

Plus, most mocks had Cook sliding right around where the Spurs were picking. It would have been shocking to see Cook go at 16. I didn't see any mock that had him rated that high.

[SenorSpur]

Be afraid and yet relieved.

[zekes]

That OSU article was worth reading for this quote alone:


"I'm just putting the work in now. That's the biggest thing," he concluded. "Tomorrow is a new day...I've got a bullet on my back now and everyone is gunning for me."

[milkyway21]

According to Powell, San Antonio attempted to grab Cook as high as the No. 16-pick. However, the Spurs were unable to work out a suitable deal with Washington to grab Cook that early

If Cook was the #1 choice and they were negotiating something with Washington was there a trade involved for us to get the #16 pick?

Who was the player Washington wanted from the Spurs or they just wanted a Spurs future pick or cash?

The Spurs seems like to keep their 2007 roster intact afterall.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

glad that didn't work out

[milkyway21]

Washington needs a big man I wonder if that player was Oberto or Butler? just wondering...

BTW, any updates on Oberto's contract? I lost track. Has he been re-signed already?

[Man of Steel]

They wanted Tim Duncan.

[milkyway21]

They wanted Tim Duncan. :p: :lol

[drmvp]

Here's an interesting Cook/Rudy tidbit:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/4934088.html


Jonathon Feigen, Houston Chronicle

Trades fall through

In putting together their regular-season team, the Rockets were tantalizingly close to getting the player they targeted, Spain's Rudy Fernandez.

The Wizards were planning to take Daequan Cook with the 16th pick, but instead found Nick Young available. If they had taken Cook off the board, the Heat would have traded their pick to the Rockets, who would have used it to take Fernandez.

The Rockets also had a trade with the Knicks dissolve while New York was on the clock.

[timvp]

^^

Interesting. Sounds like the Spurs were close to getting Cook. It took Young falling to 16 for the Spurs not to land Cook.

Hopefully Cook doesn't turn into a stud :)

[mountainballer]

Hopefully Cook doesn't turn into a stud :)

as long as Tiago turns into our starting center for years to come, Cook can in whatever he wants.

[DisciplinaryOffice]

DAEQUAN DISAPPOINTING (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=orlandosummerleaguesday2&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos2)


MOST DISAPPOINTING: Miami rookie guard Daequan Cook once again looked uncomfortable on the wing and struggled mightily with his shot selection.

The Heat are hoping that Cook can prove himself worthy of being Dwyane Wade's backup at shooting guard, but so far Cook seems to be shooting himself right out of contention for that job.

The 20-year-old Cook, who left Ohio State after one season, has made just five of 22 in two games so far this week. He missed 11 of 13 tries on Tuesday against New Jersey. His only two field goals came on 3-pointers.

So, would you say this means that we should be relieved that Daequan didn't slide to us, or concerned that his Duncan-esque (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73544) debut suggests great things lie ahead?

[drmvp]

...I never want to see the Spurs draft another domestic player again. The Spurs just are horrible at picking domestic players.

^ worth repeating here.

[Mr. Body]

Again, why the hell are we believing this haphazard, unsubstantiated report from some distant, marginal guy, that Daequan Cook was the Spurs' #1 target?


Cook was number one. If you listen to the Buford audio, he says that Splitter became their number one soon after the 20th pick. Cook was the 21st pick.

It is far more likely their #1 was Jared Dudley, who went at pick 22, Chandler at 23, or Fernandez at 24.

[DisciplinaryOffice]

Again, why the hell are we believing this haphazard, unsubstantiated report from some distant, marginal guy, that Daequan Cook was the Spurs' #1 target?

Can't speak for everyone else, but I'm not sure what the motive for fabricating the story would be... Couple that with timvp's powers of deductive reasoning and I think you're going to need at least one haphazard, unsubstantiated report from some distant, marginal guy that Dudley, Chandler, or Fernandez was our first choice to put this baby to bed.

[Mr. Body]

Can't speak for everyone else, but I'm not sure what the motive for fabricating the story would be... Couple that with timvp's powers of deductive reasoning and I think you're going to need at least one haphazard, unsubstantiated report from some distant, marginal guy that Dudley, Chandler, or Fernandez was our first choice to put this baby to bed.

9 post chum, the only claim that Daequan Cook was #1 on the Spurs' board comes from HIS FORMER HIGH SCHOOL COACH. Not like those guys aren't notorious for talking up their proteges and themselves taking unsubstantiated rumor as fact.

That's it. Nobody else reported it. The rest is conjecture.

End of story.

Why the other players? Dudley and Chandler are SFs, a position of need. Fernandez is a foreign player with talent, nuff said. Cook would be meaningless on this team, since he's too small for the swingman position, and his attitude and talent are too questionable to make sense, unless the Spurs truly do suck at judging talent.

If we don't watch out, this crap about Cook as #1 is gonna solidify as Spurstalk mythology and somehow become fact. It's nothing of the sort.

[timvp]

9 post chumPost count smack?


the only claim that Daequan Cook was #1 on the Spurs' board comes from HIS FORMER HIGH SCHOOL COACH. Not like those guys aren't notorious for talking up their proteges and themselves taking unsubstantiated rumor as fact.

That's it. Nobody else reported it. The rest is conjecture.

End of story.

Why the other players? Dudley and Chandler are SFs, a position of need. Fernandez is a foreign player with talent, nuff said. Cook would be meaningless on this team, since he's too small for the swingman position, and his attitude and talent are too questionable to make sense, unless the Spurs truly do suck at judging talent.

If we don't watch out, this crap about Cook as #1 is gonna solidify as Spurstalk mythology and somehow become fact. It's nothing of the sort.

I don't understand why you are having such a hard time piecing this together. Every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly and points to Cook being the Spurs' number one option on draft day.

Let's add it all up:

-Cook's high school coach, who was serving as his adviser throughout the draft process, flat out says that the Spurs were trying to get him at 16. What motivation would the coach have to lie? The draft was over. There was no smoke screening or anything going on. What was done was done.

-The Houston Chronicle reports that the Wizards were planning on picking Cook at 16. That's another source backing up the theory that Cook was going at 16.

-RC after the draft admits to trying to trade for a top 20 pick. That again fits with everything else we've heard. In the top 20, the Wizards were one of the most active traders.

-The Wizards were surprised that Young was still on the board and the Washington Post indicated that with Young on the board, that changed the draft strategy for the Wizards. Again, that fits perfectly with everything else. The Wizards were going to trade the pick until someone unexpectedly fell to them at 16.

-RC after the draft says that their number one option came off the board quickly after the 20th pick. Cook was drafted 21. Again, that fits everything else.

-RC after the draft is asked about whether the Spurs were automatically looking for a draft 'n stash option at 28. He says no, that they were prepared to bring someone in that would have been on the roster next year. That again fits the Cook theory.

-Dudley doesn't make that much sense. The Spurs invited Dudley in for a second workout in which he declined. Do you really think the Spurs would have a player number one on their board who they needed to look at again at the last second? That's not how the Spurs operate. Plus, no one in their right mind would trade into the top 20 to select Dudley. It was surprising for him to go at 22. If Dudley was their guy, they wouldn't have been frantically trying to trade up to get him. Plus in the RC interview after the draft, he said that no one they were looking at drafting was someone who'd help them right away. If the Spurs weren't looking for help right away, they wouldn't have drafted Dudley. Putting Dudley on the Toros would make no sense because he already is what he is.

-Chandler makes zero sense. The Spurs never worked him out. Everyone and their mother knew he was going 23 to the Knicks. He had some character questions. You wouldn't try to trade up to 16 to get a player everyone knew was going at 23.

-Fernandez doesn't make any sense. RC specifically said they weren't looking at a draft 'n stash as their first option. Fernandez is a draft 'n stash. He's most likely staying overseas for at least this upcoming season. Plus, if you go back and read some of the pieces Ludden wrote that mentioned Fernandez from when he went on that scouting trip with RC, the reports were less than flattering.

-Miami and the Spurs have a history of having the same taste in players. The Spurs were once upon a time desperate to trade up for Dorrell Wright. Instead, the Heat ended up with him.

-Cook fits the mold of the long term project the Spurs were looking for. Cook could have been brought in and put on the Toros for the next two years. The Spurs have shown their dedication to the developmental possibilities of the Toros and Cook would have fit right in with that. He came out too early but he showed flashes of greatness in college.

I see no reason to believe Cook wasn't the number one pick ... other than internet scouts not thinking Cook would be a worthy pick, of course. Everything else fits together. I don't know what more you want other than a picture of the Spurs draft board.

[Mr. Body]

Most of what you just posted is massive conjecture, especially the trade up to Washington stuff. I'm also not sure why you place such creedence on what comes out of Cook's old high school coach's mouth. Of course it sounds great to say the NBA champs were looking for your player. Don't you realize how cocky and boneheaded many of these guys are? Guys not ready for the NBA enter the draft every year on advice from former high school coaches and other entourage members; Cook just has an advantage because he has 'NBA skills'.

Regardless, if this is true - and I stake it that it's not at all - then we dodged a massive bullet. Cook is years away from contributing ON AN NCAA TEAM, much less an NBA one, and if it's true the Spurs were after Dorell Wright back in the day, too, then it's just as well they didn't get him, either, because both those players are busts. Following Miami's lead in the draft is numbskullery, especially after all that mewling and crying got them the extra pick from Orlando, with which they drafted Stanko Barac, for God's sake.

While I do think the Spurs' domestic scouting is pretty poor, I don't think there is anything remotely like proof that Cook was #1.

[drmvp]

Post count smack?



I don't understand why you are having such a hard time piecing this together. Every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly and points to Cook being the Spurs' number one option on draft day.

Let's add it all up:

-Cook's high school coach, who was serving as his adviser throughout the draft process, flat out says that the Spurs were trying to get him at 16. What motivation would the coach have to lie? The draft was over. There was no smoke screening or anything going on. What was done was done.

-The Houston Chronicle reports that the Wizards were planning on picking Cook at 16. That's another source backing up the theory that Cook was going at 16.

-RC after the draft admits to trying to trade for a top 20 pick. That again fits with everything else we've heard. In the top 20, the Wizards were one of the most active traders.

-The Wizards were surprised that Young was still on the board and the Washington Post indicated that with Young on the board, that changed the draft strategy for the Wizards. Again, that fits perfectly with everything else. The Wizards were going to trade the pick until someone unexpectedly fell to them at 16.

-RC after the draft says that their number one option came off the board quickly after the 20th pick. Cook was drafted 21. Again, that fits everything else.

-RC after the draft is asked about whether the Spurs were automatically looking for a draft 'n stash option at 28. He says no, that they were prepared to bring someone in that would have been on the roster next year. That again fits the Cook theory.

-Dudley doesn't make that much sense. The Spurs invited Dudley in for a second workout in which he declined. Do you really think the Spurs would have a player number one on their board who they needed to look at again at the last second? That's not how the Spurs operate. Plus, no one in their right mind would trade into the top 20 to select Dudley. It was surprising for him to go at 22. If Dudley was their guy, they wouldn't have been frantically trying to trade up to get him. Plus in the RC interview after the draft, he said that no one they were looking at drafting was someone who'd help them right away. If the Spurs weren't looking for help right away, they wouldn't have drafted Dudley. Putting Dudley on the Toros would make no sense because he already is what he is.

-Chandler makes zero sense. The Spurs never worked him out. Everyone and their mother knew he was going 23 to the Knicks. He had some character questions. You wouldn't try to trade up to 16 to get a player everyone knew was going at 23.

-Fernandez doesn't make any sense. RC specifically said they weren't looking at a draft 'n stash as their first option. Fernandez is a draft 'n stash. He's most likely staying overseas for at least this upcoming season. Plus, if you go back and read some of the pieces Ludden wrote that mentioned Fernandez from when he went on that scouting trip with RC, the reports were less than flattering.

-Miami and the Spurs have a history of having the same taste in players. The Spurs were once upon a time desperate to trade up for Dorrell Wright. Instead, the Heat ended up with him.

-Cook fits the mold of the long term project the Spurs were looking for. Cook could have been brought in and put on the Toros for the next two years. The Spurs have shown their dedication to the developmental possibilities of the Toros and Cook would have fit right in with that. He came out too early but he showed flashes of greatness in college.

I see no reason to believe Cook wasn't the number one pick ... other than internet scouts not thinking Cook would be a worthy pick, of course. Everything else fits together. I don't know what more you want other than a picture of the Spurs draft board.


Someone buy this gentleman a beer. :tu

[Mr. Body]

Someone buy this gentleman a beer.

And while you go get me MY beer, you can write out what timvp said above is more than 'somewhat likely' or 'somewhat possible', i.e., more possible than not; thanks.

[spvrs]

And while you go get me MY beer, you can write out what timvp said above is more than 'somewhat likely' or 'somewhat possible', i.e., more possible than not; thanks.

Just tip your hat to TimVP and say you got owned. Your point about not wanting him may be valid but it all the facts point to Spurs trying to grab him. For you to be correct everyone one would have to be making things up AND all the made up stories would have to fit together to tell a story of the spurs wanting him.

[Mr. Body]

Just tip your hat to TimVP and say you got owned. Your point about not wanting him may be valid but it all the facts point to Spurs trying to grab him. For you to be correct everyone one would have to be making things up AND all the made up stories would have to fit together to tell a story of the spurs wanting him.

I don't know why people have a hard time reading. Please, for the love of god, your mother, and our system of education and way of life, read what he wrote. It's well reasoned and possibly true, but there's not a single FACT in the entire post. It's all conjecture. You could go through and make a case for any other player - this is all based off of Daequan Cook's own man talking up his player in a way that he could easily have been passing on a rumor that was third source by the time it got to him and was never remotely true. That's it. The rest of the items sort of point in that direction, but not in any substantial way. They point to other players, as well. Fini... unless you want to believe this dude's entourage.

This isn't about me being 'correct' - this is about casting massive heapings of doubt on a dubious source and story. Which was accomplished. But if I got 'owned' by conjecture, well, that's the lameness of the Internets, isn't it?

[spvrs]

No I get you, but your wrong.

As was pointed out there was no motive pointing to this guy lying -- draft was over. The idea that having the "championship" spurs wanting you gives you some kind of street creed is retarded. If they guy was lying he'd have said the Lakers or Knicks, not the small market spurs.

Maybe the guy misheard, that would have been valid point on your part. That's why TimVP included the other like 14 observations were put into back it up.

Are these not facts?:

-The Houston Chronicle reports that the Wizards were planning on picking Cook at 16. That's another source backing up the theory that Cook was going at 16.

-The Wizards were surprised that Young was still on the board and the Washington Post indicated that with Young on the board, that changed the draft strategy for the Wizards. Again, that fits perfectly with everything else. The Wizards were going to trade the pick until someone unexpectedly fell to them at 16.

-RC after the draft admits to trying to trade for a top 20 pick. That again fits with everything else we've heard. In the top 20, the Wizards were one of the most active traders

-RC after the draft says that their number one option came off the board quickly after the 20th pick. Cook was drafted 21. Again, that fits everything else

It's like 95% probablity.

[Mr. Body]

Those things do fit, but I wouldn't place the probability that high. I'd hope we can remove Cook's entourage member's opinion from the equation - I'm not even sure it's Spurs M.O. to tell a player they're trying to move up to get him. I'd be interested in seeing something other than the Chron saying the Wizards wanted Cook at 16 or were looking to trade away in any fashion, although I don't doubt they were happy Nick Young was still there.

That said, whatever's going on with Washington has no bearing on the Spurs. The Wiz wanted a SG and there's no reason to think they'd trade him away. Once Young is off the board, Cook was perhaps the next best U.S. shooting guard (not true, but whatever), but there was a big drop off. There is nothing here to suggest the Spurs were after 1) that pick, or 2) Cook.

R.C. admits they were trying to trade into the top 20. Fine. This does not have to be Washington. It could be anyone. His comment that his pick was 'quickly' off the board is highly subjective and could mean the guy was picked earlier than they thought he'd be - within the top 24 or so.

But fine... if Cook was #1, that's thoroughly flabbergasting, as he's barely first round quality. He tore up Coppin State and San Francisco and East Bumblefuck earlier in the year and was a total non-factor in the conference schedule and especially in the NCAA tournament, had problems with his coach, and failed to play within the system, especially defensively. And when I say he was a non-factor in the part of the season that counts, by that I mean he stunk.

If you play out the string starting with Cook's coach's comments, then you can somehow get to the conclusion that the Spurs were after him outside of his fantasy. But if you look at the draft board as a whole and who was available and - especially - team need, it makes no sense at all. SG is not a position of need on this team at all and I fail to see how sticking Cook deep on the bench for 3-4 years, begging and praying for him to somehow come along before losing his privileged cool, was ever considered a good idea. Once you stop looking at the situation the wrong way through the binoculars and look at it at a wider angle, Daequan Cook at #1 makes no sense at all. The only conclusion would then be the Spurs have no idea what they're doing.

[spvrs]

Spurs worked the guy out so they know a hell of a lot more than we do. IF they thought the guy was going to be a dominant player in 4 years then it would have been a good move, assuming Parker develops and someone else in the wings develops you might have a team that competes for the title after Manu and Duncan are no longer big time players. Splitter looks like a complimentary bench piece at best (right now).

Powell says Spurs were unable to work out a deal with Washington for Cook. A separate report states that Washington was going to draft Cook and make a trade. This would mean that while 'talking smack' Powell would have to been amazingly lucky or been somehow privvy to the Washington draft room so that it would have made a plausible story. Now add to it the Spurs say they wanted to trade up and there number one guy was gone and it's like big time probable.

[Mr. Body]

I'll remain in disbelief that the Spurs were after Cook. By all accounts he'll never pan out and will accompany that with an increasingly souring attitude. And why the Spurs were after him above other SGs, if they wanted a SG, like Morris Almond, is also baffling.

Splitter was a great pick and will be more than a complementary bench player - he'll start next to Duncan and be the best center we've had since Robinson. It's not guaranteed he will, but they'll get a far better rate of production at a greater probability of return than Daequan Cook ever could or would in the dim Jules Verne future.

[mardigan]

Maybe they were after him, but Im glad they didnt get him

[DisciplinaryOffice]

Poor Daequan Cook. All he does is:

LOVE THE SPURS (AND TIMMY), (http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/osu/2007/05/12/ddn051207daequan.html)

IMPRESS THE ROCKETS, (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/4927007.html)

LIGHT UP ORLANDO, (http://www.miamiherald.com/594/story/154962.html)

TAKE IT TO JARED DUDLEY, (http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2007/06/28/19/553-Draft_Camp_Basketball_FLJR1.embedded.prod_affiliat e.56.JPG)

FOCUS ON IMPROVING HIS DEFENSE, (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/2007-07-09-2063682549_x.htm)

AND TRY TO MAKE A LITTLE MONEY IN THE PROCESS (http://www.daequancook.org/daequan-cook-news20070627.php)--

and for some reason, that's not enough for us.

Here's hoping he's on OUR summer league squad next year...

--10-Post Chum

[lotr1trekkie]

I also believe that the Spurs 1st target was Jared Dudley. A perfect apprentice for Bowens who could contribute year one. Having said that I believe we lucked into Splitter.
Freshman point guards can't run teams unless they have played professionally against older men since they were 16. Sound familiar! Oden and Durant & Conley are one year out of HS. Carmelo has achieved nothing except numbers. King Jame's game wart's were exposed by Bowen's and team defense. Even Magic had an enormous advantage of teaming up a team that had enormous talent waiting for him.

[Mr. Body]

Alright, I concede the point now. The Spurs were probably stupid enough to have Daequon Cook as their #1 target.

[timvp]

Bump.

Seeing as how Daequan Cook made the three-point contest, we can now be confident in what the Spurs saw in him. Pop and co. love three-point shooters and Cook can certainly shoot, although he can't do much else.

Trading to 16 for Cook would have at least been a decent move since Cook would fit pretty well with the Spurs. Splitter, on the other hand, doesn't look like the world's best Plan B . . .

[DynastyBuilder]

Not bad when comparing other Sophomores

http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/Scoring.jsp?league=00&season=22008&conf=OVERALL&position=0&splitType=9&splitScope=GAME&qualified=N&yearsExp=1&sortOrder=1&splitDD=All%20Teams

[exstatic]

He'll be a 23 YO RFA in 2010. Miami is dying for cap room to bring someone down to play with Wade. Wonder what they'd do if we dropped an offer on him?

[DynastyBuilder]

How about a veteran PG to tutor young Chalmers! - http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=3196~874&teams=24~14&te=&cash= (http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=3196%7E874&teams=24%7E14&te=&cash=)

:rollin

and/or get Timmy some help inside http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=866~874~3196~498&teams=14~14~24~24&te=&cash=

:wow

[traitoravery]

Damn Timvp your memory is outstanding...

[Ice009]

Well actually when Cook made the three point shoot out I thought the same thing. I thought looks like the Spurs were right about him, but I didn't post about it, and the only way I knew about it was because of this thread which Timvp started. I thought it was a waste of time posting about it and I doubt the Spurs would ever get him. I'd say Pop would have wanted to mold him when he was younger into the type of player he thought he could be.

[kobyz]

splitter is a top 10 player in that draft, if we will succeed to bring him over it will be a fantastic pick

[mystargtr34]

timvp saves all of his battles, then brings them back to life when he knows he was right :lol.

I love your work.

[mystargtr34]

splitter is a top 10 player in that draft, if we will succeed to bring him over it will be a fantastic pick

I agree. If he was a college guy i dont think it would be a stretch to call him a potential Top 5 pick. He was number 1-3 on most Draft Boards when he was 19 and 20, i think 2004 and 2005.

Its fair enough to be mad at him for not coming over, being a Spurs fan. But i dont think people realise how good he is. Best player in Europe.

[JPB]

If Tiago ever comes to SA, it will be another major steal.
He's already a top 3, if not the best big in Euroleague, at 23.

Technically, it was a great pick. Spurs just couldn't imagine he would stay in Spain.

[RyanLeaf]

If Tiago ever comes to SA, it will be another major steal.
He's already a top 3, if not the best big in Euroleague, at 23.

Technically, it was a great pick. Spurs just couldn't imagine he would stay in Spain.


He aint never coming to San Antonio. He loves them biddies at Spain.

[Darkwaters]

I remember being surprised when they said Cook had been their number one choice. But early in the season the dude came out and hung 20 on somebody as a rookie and we all realized he might have something.

[EricB]

Drafts are hard to predict. Seeing as splitter told them he was coming over hard to fault them.

[exstatic]

I'd say Pop would have wanted to mold him when he was younger into the type of player he thought he could be.

He's 21 years old. He'll be 23 in 2010. Exactly how young do you need to catch them?