duncan228
06-22-2008, 10:59 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA.062208.2C_P2_Douglas.Pils.en.3f106bd.html
Douglas Pils: It's time for Spurs to draft a player we know
The NBA draft hasn't meant much in the Alamo City in quite some time, but this year could be different. (Like we haven't said that before.)
With contracts winding down and ages crawling up, on Thursday night the Spurs should start finding young talent capable of becoming something more than practice fodder.
The Spurs haven't made a pick that had a positive impact on their roster since taking Tony Parker at No. 28 in 2001.
They've selected four serviceable players since then, but they all play elsewhere: Rockets forward Luis Scola (2002), Kings guard John Salmons (2002), Suns guard Leandro Barbosa (2003) and Kings guard Beno Udrih (2004).
Taking a look at some of the 108 mock drafts available at dcprosportsreport.com/NBAMocks.htm, there's no real consensus about the Spurs' selection at No. 26, but at least you've heard of some of them.
Most “experts” see the need for the Spurs to grab someone to help right now, not later. However, some fall back on the Spurs' penchant of picking a foreigner and stashing him away for a while.
France's Alexis Ajinca, a 20-year-old 7-foot-1, 225- to 240-pound center-power forward, comes up on a couple boards.
Small forward Nicolas Batum, another of Parker's countrymen, pops up as a Spurs pick on a few lists, but many have him going before No. 26. Plus, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported Friday that Batum canceled a workout with the Raptors when a heart stress test showed a negative result.
There are some logical choices floating around for the Spurs:
•Mario Chalmers, Kansas point guard: He provides backup for Parker, and he comes from a winning program.
•Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky shooting guard: The team needs to get younger than Michael Finley and Brent Barry at this position.
•Ryan Anderson, California forward: He's 6-10, 240 and he can shoot, but he just finished his sophomore year. It might take awhile to see real contributions from him.
•Roy Hibbert, Georgetown center: At 7-2, 275, he's intriguing, but he may not fit the offense, and he may be gone by 26.
•Robin Lopez, Stanford center: The lesser of the Lopez twins, but he hustles and would seem to fit the Spurs' profile.
•Jason Thompson, Rider forward: At 6-10, he protects the ball well, has good range on his jump shot and averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds for two seasons.
Drafting any one of them and then seeing him play quality minutes would provide something not seen in San Antonio in quite some time.
The Spurs' last draft pick from an American university to make regular contributions?
They drafted him in 1997. His name is Tim Duncan.
Douglas Pils: It's time for Spurs to draft a player we know
The NBA draft hasn't meant much in the Alamo City in quite some time, but this year could be different. (Like we haven't said that before.)
With contracts winding down and ages crawling up, on Thursday night the Spurs should start finding young talent capable of becoming something more than practice fodder.
The Spurs haven't made a pick that had a positive impact on their roster since taking Tony Parker at No. 28 in 2001.
They've selected four serviceable players since then, but they all play elsewhere: Rockets forward Luis Scola (2002), Kings guard John Salmons (2002), Suns guard Leandro Barbosa (2003) and Kings guard Beno Udrih (2004).
Taking a look at some of the 108 mock drafts available at dcprosportsreport.com/NBAMocks.htm, there's no real consensus about the Spurs' selection at No. 26, but at least you've heard of some of them.
Most “experts” see the need for the Spurs to grab someone to help right now, not later. However, some fall back on the Spurs' penchant of picking a foreigner and stashing him away for a while.
France's Alexis Ajinca, a 20-year-old 7-foot-1, 225- to 240-pound center-power forward, comes up on a couple boards.
Small forward Nicolas Batum, another of Parker's countrymen, pops up as a Spurs pick on a few lists, but many have him going before No. 26. Plus, ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported Friday that Batum canceled a workout with the Raptors when a heart stress test showed a negative result.
There are some logical choices floating around for the Spurs:
•Mario Chalmers, Kansas point guard: He provides backup for Parker, and he comes from a winning program.
•Courtney Lee, Western Kentucky shooting guard: The team needs to get younger than Michael Finley and Brent Barry at this position.
•Ryan Anderson, California forward: He's 6-10, 240 and he can shoot, but he just finished his sophomore year. It might take awhile to see real contributions from him.
•Roy Hibbert, Georgetown center: At 7-2, 275, he's intriguing, but he may not fit the offense, and he may be gone by 26.
•Robin Lopez, Stanford center: The lesser of the Lopez twins, but he hustles and would seem to fit the Spurs' profile.
•Jason Thompson, Rider forward: At 6-10, he protects the ball well, has good range on his jump shot and averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds for two seasons.
Drafting any one of them and then seeing him play quality minutes would provide something not seen in San Antonio in quite some time.
The Spurs' last draft pick from an American university to make regular contributions?
They drafted him in 1997. His name is Tim Duncan.