http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.4511270.html
Spurs go off the radar with Hill
Web Posted: 06/27/2008 12:20 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News
When George Hill came to town to visit with Spurs officials for a pre-draft interview earlier this week, coach Gregg Popovich took him out for lunch with a local flair.
What Hill put in his gullet that day was definitely an acquired taste for the guard from Division-IAA IUPUI. Apparently, you can't get Tex-Mex, good or otherwise, in Indiana.
Hill wasn't quite ready to give his South Texas culinary experience two thumbs up, but he is willing to give it another shot.
“I think I could learn to like it,” Hill said.
What Hill is hoping now, after the Spurs made him the 26th pick of the first round in Thursday's NBA draft, is that San Antonio learns to like him.
A 6-foot-2 scorer who played both guard positions in college, Hill is projected as a point guard in the NBA. The Spurs expect him to compete with Jacque Vaughn for the backup position behind Tony Parker next season.
The Spurs made IUPUI guard George Hill their first-round draft pick.
“He's a really solid player at both ends of the court,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I honestly believe he will make our team better right off the bat.”
Hill's selection marked the beginning of an unusually busy draft night for the Spurs, who had two second-round picks to use as well.
They spent the first on Slovenian guard Goran Dragic, then immediately swapped his rights to Phoenix for the rights to Malik Hairston, a 6-foot-6 forward from Oregon who the Suns had taken 48th. In the deal, the Spurs also netted Golden State's 2009 second round pick, which Phoenix also owned, and cash considerations.
With their final pick, the 57th overall, the Spurs took James Gist, a 6-8 forward from Maryland.
Popovich declared himself very pleased with the night's proceedings.
“The people we hoped to be there at all of our picks were there,” Popovich said.
They were particularly pleased to see Hill still lingering on the draft board at No. 26.
Hill, 22, is the first American born player the Spurs have drafted in the first round — and meant to keep for themselves — since 1997, when they took a senior from Wake Forest named Tim Duncan.
Their picks since were spent on a collection of foreign players and prospects drafted for other teams as part of pre-arranged deals. Hailing from a tiny college in the middle of a basketball hotbed, Hill might as well have come from the other side of the planet as well.
IUPUI — full name Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis — is a mid-major basketball school playing in the Summit League that, until Thursday, had never produced an NBA draftee.
Hill made averaged 21.5 points per game last season, earning Player of the Year honors in the Summit League for his efforts. The Spurs selected him over guards from bigger schools — like Kansas' Mario Chalmers and Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts — who were also on the board at the time.
Hill made his money at last month's pre-draft camp in Orlando, where he impressed scouts with his athleticism, defensive tenacity and basketball a en.
“You couldn't tell if I was from IUPUI or Duke,” Hill said by phone from Indianapolis on Thursday. “I think I showed a lot.”
So good was Hill in Orlando that some in the Spurs' camp worried other teams might catch wind and steal him from out from under their noses.
“Nobody really knew who he was, and probably even now some people don't know who he is,” Popovich said. “A lot of people found out about him because of Orlando.”
When Houston took French forward Nicolas Batum at No. 25, there was much rejoicing in the Spurs' war room.
“I don't remember a draft since maybe Tony (in 2001) where we keyed in on a player or two, and they got there,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.
At about the same time the Spurs staff was exulting in San Antonio, there was also celebration in Indianapolis, where Hill was making school history in front of a collection of friends, family and fans.
“Everybody was speechless,” Hill said. “They can't believe a guy from this school has had this success.”
Now, Hill is champing at the bit to get to San Antonio. He'll need plenty of time to get adjusted to the Tex-Mex.
He — and his taste buds — can hardly wait.
“I was hoping I'd land a spot in San Antonio,” Hill said. “I feel like that's the perfect fit for me.”
Well I am not happy. But honestly, I'm not going to punish him just yet. I wanna see how he does in summer camps and preseason. However jokes are open and still coming.
Cue that saying for any team that would have picked him.“I feel like that's the perfect fit for me.”
sounds like the spurs planned this all along. i'm willing to give him a chance.
“He's a really solid player at both ends of the court,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I honestly believe he will make our team better right off the bat.”
Pop, you better be right.
OH SNAP
POP at it again, fukn mind games when there was some decent fellas on the board......heck if this guy cant beat vaugn for the backup spot, trade his ass
So that Batum news WAS a decoy.
You could tell CIA was in full effect.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.4511270.html
Spurs go off the radar with Hill
Web Posted: 06/27/2008 12:20 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News
When George Hill came to town to visit with Spurs officials for a pre-draft interview earlier this week, coach Gregg Popovich took him out for lunch with a local flair.
What Hill put in his gullet that day was definitely an acquired taste for the guard from Division-IAA IUPUI. Apparently, you can't get Tex-Mex, good or otherwise, in Indiana.
Hill wasn't quite ready to give his South Texas culinary experience two thumbs up, but he is willing to give it another shot.
“I think I could learn to like it,” Hill said.
What Hill is hoping now, after the Spurs made him the 26th pick of the first round in Thursday's NBA draft, is that San Antonio learns to like him.
A 6-foot-2 scorer who played both guard positions in college, Hill is projected as a point guard in the NBA. The Spurs expect him to compete with Jacque Vaughn for the backup position behind Tony Parker next season.
The Spurs made IUPUI guard George Hill their first-round draft pick.
“He's a really solid player at both ends of the court,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I honestly believe he will make our team better right off the bat.”
Hill's selection marked the beginning of an unusually busy draft night for the Spurs, who had two second-round picks to use as well.
They spent the first on Slovenian guard Goran Dragic, then immediately swapped his rights to Phoenix for the rights to Malik Hairston, a 6-foot-6 forward from Oregon who the Suns had taken 48th. In the deal, the Spurs also netted Golden State's 2009 second round pick, which Phoenix also owned, and cash considerations.
With their final pick, the 57th overall, the Spurs took James Gist, a 6-8 forward from Maryland.
Popovich declared himself very pleased with the night's proceedings.
“The people we hoped to be there at all of our picks were there,” Popovich said.
They were particularly pleased to see Hill still lingering on the draft board at No. 26.
Hill, 22, is the first American born player the Spurs have drafted in the first round — and meant to keep for themselves — since 1997, when they took a senior from Wake Forest named Tim Duncan.
Their picks since were spent on a collection of foreign players and prospects drafted for other teams as part of pre-arranged deals. Hailing from a tiny college in the middle of a basketball hotbed, Hill might as well have come from the other side of the planet as well.
IUPUI — full name Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis — is a mid-major basketball school playing in the Summit League that, until Thursday, had never produced an NBA draftee.
Hill made averaged 21.5 points per game last season, earning Player of the Year honors in the Summit League for his efforts. The Spurs selected him over guards from bigger schools — like Kansas' Mario Chalmers and Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts — who were also on the board at the time.
Hill made his money at last month's pre-draft camp in Orlando, where he impressed scouts with his athleticism, defensive tenacity and basketball a en.
“You couldn't tell if I was from IUPUI or Duke,” Hill said by phone from Indianapolis on Thursday. “I think I showed a lot.”
So good was Hill in Orlando that some in the Spurs' camp worried other teams might catch wind and steal him from out from under their noses.
“Nobody really knew who he was, and probably even now some people don't know who he is,” Popovich said. “A lot of people found out about him because of Orlando.”
When Houston took French forward Nicolas Batum at No. 25, there was much rejoicing in the Spurs' war room.
“I don't remember a draft since maybe Tony (in 2001) where we keyed in on a player or two, and they got there,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.
At about the same time the Spurs staff was exulting in San Antonio, there was also celebration in Indianapolis, where Hill was making school history in front of a collection of friends, family and fans.
“Everybody was speechless,” Hill said. “They can't believe a guy from this school has had this success.”
Now, Hill is champing at the bit to get to San Antonio. He'll need plenty of time to get adjusted to the Tex-Mex.
He — and his taste buds — can hardly wait.
“I was hoping I'd land a spot in San Antonio,” Hill said. “I feel like that's the perfect fit for me.”nice find...makes me feel better about the draft tonight. Especially about making the trade to the Suns. Pop and RC did well!
I'm no scout, but I wish the Spurs had gone in a different direction with the #26 pick. A swingman who could contribute, something besides a point guard *sigh*...
NONE THE LESS, I'm glad to see both Popovich and Hill happy about the situation. That kind of optimism matters. Pop seems pretty high on him, so whatever, I trust the Spurs FO.
Hmm, well I was right about saying that they were worried about other teams maybe taking Hill.
Lets see what the kids got and at least we're taking a step foward by getting younger.
Kid can score, no doubt about it, but how will he fair in the NBA?
Guess we'll wait and find out..
You do understand they NEEDED a point guard BADLY.
What point guard was available in FA that would've been better that was realisticly available?
In Pop We Trust.
CIA Pop once again, had us all fooled.
who here thinks his a replacement for parker, who might bolt during FA?
people get spun so easily. lol
??
So what, we should all be depressed and pissed off?
Uh no.
Hes a back up point.
Link to where Parker is bolting during FA?
Must...resist...urge...to...Rickroll....Shatnerian ....reserves...depleting....
Parker's years away from even thinking about doing that.
Hill should be a solid backup. I didn't agree with picking him at 26 but if he really did play that well in Orlando at the camp, then maybe another team would have taken him before 45 if we didn't
So, we got a S supporter in the house! S FTW!
[ ] S
[ ] GTFO
The choice is yours, ST.
I like that.
PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!PLEASE BE RIGHT!http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...n.4511270.html
Spurs go off the radar with Hill
Web Posted: 06/27/2008 12:20 AM CDT
Jeff McDonald
Express-News
When George Hill came to town to visit with Spurs officials for a pre-draft interview earlier this week, coach Gregg Popovich took him out for lunch with a local flair.
What Hill put in his gullet that day was definitely an acquired taste for the guard from Division-IAA IUPUI. Apparently, you can't get Tex-Mex, good or otherwise, in Indiana.
Hill wasn't quite ready to give his South Texas culinary experience two thumbs up, but he is willing to give it another shot.
“I think I could learn to like it,” Hill said.
What Hill is hoping now, after the Spurs made him the 26th pick of the first round in Thursday's NBA draft, is that San Antonio learns to like him.
A 6-foot-2 scorer who played both guard positions in college, Hill is projected as a point guard in the NBA. The Spurs expect him to compete with Jacque Vaughn for the backup position behind Tony Parker next season.
The Spurs made IUPUI guard George Hill their first-round draft pick.
“He's a really solid player at both ends of the court,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “I honestly believe he will make our team better right off the bat.”
Hill's selection marked the beginning of an unusually busy draft night for the Spurs, who had two second-round picks to use as well.
They spent the first on Slovenian guard Goran Dragic, then immediately swapped his rights to Phoenix for the rights to Malik Hairston, a 6-foot-6 forward from Oregon who the Suns had taken 48th. In the deal, the Spurs also netted Golden State's 2009 second round pick, which Phoenix also owned, and cash considerations.
With their final pick, the 57th overall, the Spurs took James Gist, a 6-8 forward from Maryland.
Popovich declared himself very pleased with the night's proceedings.
“The people we hoped to be there at all of our picks were there,” Popovich said.
They were particularly pleased to see Hill still lingering on the draft board at No. 26.
Hill, 22, is the first American born player the Spurs have drafted in the first round — and meant to keep for themselves — since 1997, when they took a senior from Wake Forest named Tim Duncan.
Their picks since were spent on a collection of foreign players and prospects drafted for other teams as part of pre-arranged deals. Hailing from a tiny college in the middle of a basketball hotbed, Hill might as well have come from the other side of the planet as well.
IUPUI — full name Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis — is a mid-major basketball school playing in the Summit League that, until Thursday, had never produced an NBA draftee.
Hill made averaged 21.5 points per game last season, earning Player of the Year honors in the Summit League for his efforts. The Spurs selected him over guards from bigger schools — like Kansas' Mario Chalmers and Memphis' Chris Douglas-Roberts — who were also on the board at the time.
Hill made his money at last month's pre-draft camp in Orlando, where he impressed scouts with his athleticism, defensive tenacity and basketball a en.
“You couldn't tell if I was from IUPUI or Duke,” Hill said by phone from Indianapolis on Thursday. “I think I showed a lot.”
So good was Hill in Orlando that some in the Spurs' camp worried other teams might catch wind and steal him from out from under their noses.
“Nobody really knew who he was, and probably even now some people don't know who he is,” Popovich said. “A lot of people found out about him because of Orlando.”
When Houston took French forward Nicolas Batum at No. 25, there was much rejoicing in the Spurs' war room.
“I don't remember a draft since maybe Tony (in 2001) where we keyed in on a player or two, and they got there,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.
At about the same time the Spurs staff was exulting in San Antonio, there was also celebration in Indianapolis, where Hill was making school history in front of a collection of friends, family and fans.
“Everybody was speechless,” Hill said. “They can't believe a guy from this school has had this success.”
Now, Hill is champing at the bit to get to San Antonio. He'll need plenty of time to get adjusted to the Tex-Mex.
He — and his taste buds — can hardly wait.
“I was hoping I'd land a spot in San Antonio,” Hill said. “I feel like that's the perfect fit for me.”
Fact of the matter is he most likely would have been there at 45
Uh... wow, is there a lot of SPIN there.
Could have traded back and easily had him plus more.
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