Spurs Sign Five Players For Camp

SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guards Kyle Bailey, Stephen Graham and forwards Sharrod Ford, Melvin Sanders and Jawad Williams. Per club policy terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Bailey, a 6-2 guard, twice earned All-West Coast Conference honors during his four years at Santa Clara. He is tops on the Broncos all-time lists in games (127) and minutes played (3,897).

Ford averaged 4.3 points and 2.3 rebounds for the New Jersey Nets in the 2005 Reebok Vegas Summer League. Ford also earned Third Team All-ACC honors at Clemson after averaging 14.9 points and 8.2 rebounds during his senior season.

The 6-6, 215-pound Graham appeared in six contests with the Phoenix Suns in the 2005 Reebok Summer League where he averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds. He played for the Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2003-04 and 2004-05 after sitting out the 2002-03 campaign as a transfer from Central Florida.

Sanders suited up for the Silver and Black in the 2005 Rocky Mountain Revue. The 6-5, 210-pounder led the team with 14.5 points, while adding 2.4 rebounds in five games. During the 2004-05 season, Sanders was named Second Team All-CBA and All-Defensive First Team while playing for the Dakota Wizards.

Williams was a member of the North Carolina Tar Heels 2005 National Championship team. He averaged 13.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 37 games. Over the summer he appeared with Golden State Warriors in the Reebok Vegas Summer League where he averaged 6.2 points and 2.2 rebounds in five games.

Wow. That is some top of the line training camp fodder. I'm impressed.

Jawad Williams had a chance to be drafted. I don't know if he's an NBA player, but his stats at college couldn't have been helped by playing with four first round picks. Stephen Graham is Joey Graham's twin brother and Joey was picked in the first round (number 16) by the Raptors.

The big name though is Melvin Sanders. I think he's going to make the team. His defense is top notch and he's very fast. The only downside is his offense where he isn't the greatest of shooters and doesn't jump especially high to finish around the basket.

Nice choices. Could very well keep two of these guys. Sanders and Graham are very athletic.

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Undrafted Tar Heel feeling very slighted

LAS VEGAS - Jawad Williams doesn't understand.

He did everything North Carolina coach Roy Williams asked. He played defense, worked hard and hustled. He provided leadership and when needed came through in the clutch. He was a starter on the national championship team.

Yet, he wasn't drafted.

"I have no clue what happened," Williams said. "I did what my team needed me to do. I stepped up in big games."

Williams has landed with the Warriors' summer-league team and is determined to prove his name should have been called. He said he could help an NBA team the same way he helped the Tar Heels.

He's 6-foot-9, 220 pounds and has good athleticism. He's versatile, but hasn't shown that he's great at anything in particular. He said he can do more, but he hasn't been in a situation that allowed him the opportunities.

"He's solid," said Warriors assistant coach Mario Elie, head coach of the Warriors' summer-league squad. "He plays defense. He works hard. He has a good feel for the game."

Williams said the only thing good about draft day was watching his friends and Tar Heel teammates -- Marvin Williams, Raymond Felton, Sean May and Rashad McCants -- get drafted. But even his happiness for them couldn't ease his disappointment for being "overlooked."

He said he knows he's better than several of the players that were taken. But the knock on him was that he isn't skilled enough to play small forward and isn't strong enough to play power forward; he doesn't wow you with his potential, doesn't pack much upside.

Baloney, Williams says.

"A lot of those guys can't compete and won't compete at my level," Williams said. "How many players have had upside in the NBA and now they're not even around? Robert Horry doesn't have any upside, but look what he does. ... And the talk was that people wanted winners."

Williams is going to have to really impress the Warriors to earn a spot, considering the wealth of forwards already under contract. But he said any team that wants to win, and soon, would give him serious consideration rather than wait on some project to turn into the next big thing.

"I know I can play at this level," Williams said. "I'll be a Bruce Bowen if I have to."

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I remembered that he had that Bruce Bowen quote. :lol

Now he'll have his chance to prove he can be like Bowen.





P.S.

I just saw the Robert Horry mention. Seems like this guy has been a Spurs fan of some sort. That article was from a couple months ago.

He has some good role models.

:smokin

I think the Spurs are very high on Sanders, despite the fact he's a little short at SF. Ford wasn't that impressive in the NJ summer league games, but that team was very, very poorly run. So that's not saying anything.

Maybe one of the five will stick.

Good luck to them all.

Quality 3rd tier players. I can die now. :)

(just kidding, Lord :angel )

Williams and Sharrod seem to be the Noel Felix-type tweeners the Spurs have been flirting with awhile. They have nearly identical measurements but Williams seems more versatile and Ford looks to have much more of a traditional PF game -- nice block numbers though. Time will tell if one could be made into the fabled long three.

Is Williams a candidate for the mythical tall SF, or is he PF only?

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Originally Posted by spurster

Is Williams a candidate for the mythical tall SF?

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As much as or more than anyone since Hedo.

very impressive

Here are links for some info on a few of the players:

Jawad Williams

Stephen Graham

Sharrod Ford (no profile but other links)

How can you not love somebody who says he's willing to be a Bruce Bowen to land a job? :lol

yes, yes, yes, GOOD LUCK to all of them.

I hope NBA TV let's let's us see these guys in camp, and more than just highlights.

Just a note about other teams' pickups in this thread.

Magic signed Matt Freije, Bo Outlaw, Felipe Lopez, Ken Johnson and Terence Morris.

Morris had a decent year in Greece, but I imagine the Spurs had a good enough look a few years ago.

does not stephen play good d?

Williams is a solid pickup i hope to god the Spurs actually keep him on the squad all season, way to go front office

All of these guys come from good coaching pedigrees.
Graham and Sanders from Eddie Sutton
Sharrod Ford from Oliver Purnell (also an asssistant coach with Pop on Team USA 2004)
Jawad Williams with Roy Williams
Bailey from Dick Davey (Steve Nash turned out okay)

jawad williams was a basketball god on ncaa 04

They needed to sign some rookies to buy the Krispy Kremes! :lol

they have already signed a rookie

manu will have fun with him!

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

I think the Spurs are very high on Sanders, despite the fact he's a little short at SF...Maybe one of the five will stick.

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I'd say Sanders or Williams. Someone mend Sanders lack of "O". I recall a summer league article saying he scored like 50 or 60 points one time? Was that at OSU?

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Someone mend Sanders lack of "O". I recall a summer league article saying he scored like 50 or 60 points one time? Was that at OSU?

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Not at OSU. It was this past season in the CBA - he scored 54. He's not necessarily a great percentage shooter and doesn't have a well-rounded arsenal of shots. But he can score in bunches when he gets on a roll. He averaged 18 ppg in the CBA this past season.

But why the Spurs are high on him is about his D.

I was just reading about this on sports.yahoo.com, I know Stephen Graham, Melvin Sanders and Jawad Williams. Never heard of the other 2 players.

Wow, no foreigners...

Revolution.

they will not make the team if they are from the usa LOL

Jawad is the most intriguing of all of them IMO.

Sanders looks like another Linton Johnson, but actually understands that a basketball needs to go through a hoop.

I like Williams, Graham, and Sanders. It would be nice to see one of them make the team.

This is like getting a couple late second rounders for free, since Graham and Williams were projected by some. Look to be Austin Toros, maybe.

These pick-ups are really solid and I would not be surprised at all if one of them pans out.

Interesting, I was wondering when we'd sign some filler guys. Having Joey Graham's bro is interesting.

Give that williams guy a contract imo, lock him up on a 5 year maximum at the minimum $$$ contract :D:D:D, we need a sf badly.

they know about big 12 basketball in australia?

I like Sanders and Williams. I too was surprised Williams wasn't drafted. I think it had to do with the others from UNC being drafted. Williams is going to be a very good player in this league some day. I hope nothing but the best to all these guys. I trust that the Spurs will make the best decision. They have done it before. No one had ever imagined what Stephen Jackson could become and look at him now. He's not an All-Star, but he is a solid player. My money would be on Williams though because he seems the hungriest. He seems like he is out to prove to all those other teams that passed him up.

I have been reading stuff on williams for the last hour. this guy seems good. when your teamates praise you like this and say stuff like May : we won thanks to your heart. for me it means something. Plus if you add the obvious reasons: he is tall physic and doesnt mind playing D.
Sanders has convinced me in summer league and seems to be a possible good role player option. But like devin he will have to prove the sky's the limit not the syze the limit...
graham is more of a SG and i could not find as much on him.

I would gor for Sanders and williams hoping one of them developed in a solid role player. (williams might have the tool to be more than this)
Spurs do not need a guy ready to contribute but will badly need fresh blood either next summer or the other. The other problem is lux tax...maybee they will retain only one more guy...but i hope it will be 2

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The big name though is Melvin Sanders. I think he's going to make the team. His defense is top notch and he's very fast. The only downside is his offense where he isn't the greatest of shooters and doesn't jump especially high to finish around the basket.

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But after signing Fin, the Spurs don't need more offensive output from the bench.

Jawad Williams was at Game 7 of the Finals in San Antonio in June...as was Tony's buddy Boris Diaw.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.nba.com/finals2005/courtside/game_7.html

http://www.nba.com/media/finals2005/...ams_062305.jpg

A NBA hopeful was also at the SBC Center. Jawad Williams, the senior starting forward for the 2005 NCAA Champion North Carolina Tar Heels, was here to just soak it all in.

"This is my first time at The Finals," said Williams. "It will come down to who can make their shots … they both can win it."

Seeing Rasheed Wallace of the Pistons, a fellow Tar Heel, playing in Game 7, however, does conjure up some college pride.

"That's one of the main reason's why I chose Carolina," reflected Williams. "The ties that the school has to the NBA are great. All the players come back."

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

Just a note about other teams' pickups in this thread.

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Sonics invited Noel Felix and Alex Scales to training camp.

http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/invitees050930.html

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Sonics invited Noel Felix and Alex Scales to training camp.

http://www.nba.com/sonics/news/invitees050930.html

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I am very excited for them both. They've been there for a few days already. Camp officially doesn't start until next week but they've been running scrimmages with the vets everyday. The Sonics only have 1 or 2 roster spots left; so it will be tough for either of them to make it.

I have seen Sharrod Ford play just about every game he's been in over the last four years, so I can comment about him. He is definitely a tweener by NBA standards. He played PF at Clemson, and improved a lot over the course of his four years. He was a fairly raw player coming out of high school, especially offensively. He could always rebound and block shots, but his offensive skills have improved by leaps and bounds.

He is a guy who will work his tail off to improve his game. Every year he had something new, and if he had played somewhere like Duke or North Carolina he would've gotten a lot more press (and would've surely been All-ACC first team). I am concerned that his height and slight build will make it tough for him in the NBA, especially since he is definitely a power forward and not a small forward. However, he plays bigger than his height suggests because he has long arms and seems to get off his feet pretty quickly.

Hopefully he can make a team (the Spurs would be great) and make some contributions. He will probably never be a guy who turns heads, but he will be a guy who works hard and plays tough. At the minimum, he will be a guy who can be counted on to rebound, block some shots, and run the floor well.

Oh yeah, he's a great guy too. His mom drove from the Washington, DC suburbs to Clemson (about a 9 hour drive) to see all of his games, and she plans on moving to wherever he ends up to support him and be at all of his games too. I'm pulling for him.

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Originally Posted by Jawad Williams

Elie
Horry
Bowen

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I hear the right names being mentioned...especially in the emulation department....if Elie likes him and his style of game remotely resembles Horry's with Bruce's work ethic, then he's going to have a good career ahead of him.

This is not my official endorsement for scrub of the year though....I think I am going to keep it to myself this year...the Spurs have been tough on my favorite scrubs lately.

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Originally Posted by Kori Ellis

I am very excited for them both. They've been there for a few days already. Camp officially doesn't start until next week but they've been running scrimmages with the vets everyday. The Sonics only have 1 or 2 roster spots left; so it will be tough for either of them to make it.

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IMO Noel is a good steady role player. Alex is going to make somebody
very very happy. A very good option off the bench. This guy can score.

I like Sander, Williams and Graham could go to the Austin toros and maybe come back when/if- Rasho/ :lol somebody gets traded.

Thanks for the info, Admiral. It's about time you shared your knowledge again!!!

It's been a long 3 months. Good to hear from you, man!

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Alex is going to make somebody
very very happy. A very good option off the bench. This guy can score.

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Alex is a good player. And he's been to camp four seasons in a row but never made a team. He's a little too short to play shooting guard in the NBA and not a point guard. He has a good chance this year though. He has a lot of teams looking at him.

Hi Admiral. Thanks for the info on Sharrod. How's med school?

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Originally Posted by timvp

The big name though is Melvin Sanders. I think he's going to make the team. His defense is top notch and he's very fast. The only downside is his offense where he isn't the greatest of shooters and doesn't jump especially high to finish around the basket.

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Sounds like my kinda player. This is the shit I've been waiting for. How tall is he?

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Originally Posted by about Sharrod Ford

He will probably never be a guy who turns heads, but he will be a guy who works hard and plays tough. At the minimum, he will be a guy who can be counted on to rebound, block some shots, and run the floor well.

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Too bad number 31 has already been taken. Sounds like this guy fits an old mold.

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Originally Posted by Cant_Be_Faded

Sounds like my kinda player. This is the shit I've been waiting for. How tall is he?

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He's Devin Brown size but skinnier. If he can hit shots from the outside and learn to finish around the basket, he's an NBA player. If not, he'll never make it.

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Originally Posted by timvp

He's Devin Brown size but skinnier. If he can hit shots from the outside and learn to finish around the basket, he's an NBA player. If not, he'll never make it.

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say what? He's devin brown size, skinnier, and a SF? How does that work..how could he guard NBA SF's

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Originally Posted by Cant_Be_Faded

say what? He's devin brown size, skinnier, and a SF? How does that work..how could he guard NBA SF's

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Good question. He's going to prove he has the ability to guard NBA SF's. But I think he can. He's basically Bowen minus about three inches. He will never be a great defender like Bowen because he's not tall enough, but he can be a very good defender who can pressure the ball fullcourt and make players work.

But he's certainly not the answer for the mythical Long Three.

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Originally Posted by timvp

Good question. He's going to prove he has the ability to guard NBA SF's. But I think he can. He's basically Bowen minus about three inches. He will never be a great defender like Bowen because he's not tall enough, but he can be a very good defender who can pressure the ball fullcourt and make players work.

But he's certainly not the answer for the mythical Long Three.

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I wouldn't call it mythical, just elusive.

Man I remember wanting to see more of Devin Brown back when we signed him for the 10 day contract. Noone has interested me, as far as 3rd strings go, like he did. I think playing with bruce helped DB alot, and it probably will help these new kids too.

He teaches them how to get into your man's head...FINLEY style

Sanders is a little tougher physically in his defensive style. He's aggressive.

He also runs the wings on the break really well. He may not be quite as fast as Devin but he's still pretty fast. He knows how to finish.

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Originally Posted by Solid D

He knows how to finish.

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He's an awesome finisher against non-NBA players. Against NBA players, I will wait and see. I'm not convinced he can finish on the pro level.

From what I've seen, he doesn't jump very high and he seems to have smallish hands. I always see him going up with two hands and usually finish with a layup.

Maybe he's worked on that over the summer.

Oh and Sanders has no lift on his jumpers. That was another strike I had against him.




P.S.

That said, I'm excited he's in the Spurs' camp. He's a really tough guy and has tried really hard to make it to the NBA. I think this is the year he finally makes it.

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Originally Posted by timvp

he seems to have smallish hands.

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http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphic...le0914_big.jpg

What does Sequ have to do with any of this?

:smokin