Just for curiosity

[Cherry]

After reading all your post about the draft: what were your first impression of Manu in 1999 and Tony in 2001?

[Drachen]

I don't remember, if that tells you anything. BUT Ill wager what I think a great majority would have thought. As far as Manu, I am sure no one cared, 58th pick in the draft, who cares right?? The most thought that it was given was "Hmm, is he italian??." Tony was a different story, with it being a first round pick as well as the who Iraq war getting ready to start, a lot of people were like "WTF why are we picking some damn FRENCHY, he will never be good at defense, he will continue to SURRENDER the paint. Now pass me my McDonald's JUMBO FREEDOM FRIES so I can be angry!!!"

Just my own humble educated guess.

[stxspurs]

manu i saw vids on youtube and i was shocked nobody ever picked him up. i was like wow
and tony i wasnt sure about him...i didnt know much about him at the time so i guess u can say i was skeptical

[bus driver]

I don't remember, if that tells you anything. BUT Ill wager what I think a great majority would have thought. As far as Manu, I am sure no one cared, 58th pick in the draft, who cares right?? The most thought that it was given was "Hmm, is he italian??." Tony was a different story, with it being a first round pick as well as the who Iraq war getting ready to start, a lot of people were like "WTF why are we picking some damn FRENCHY, he will never be good at defense, he will continue to SURRENDER the paint. Now pass me my McDonald's JUMBO FREEDOM FRIES so I can be angry!!!"

Just my own humble educated guess.

+1

[xtremesteven33]

After reading all your post about the draft: what were your first impression of Manu in 1999 and Tony in 2002?

exactly,
the ST's here last night were so mad at RC and Pop for this pick it was incredible.

i said last night that they stole a great player and its seeming that way.

[bus driver]

exactly,
i said last night that they stole a great player and its seeming that way.

hope so.

[Cherry]

exactly,
the ST's here last night were so mad at RC and Pop for this pick it was incredible.

i said last night that they stole a great player and its seeming that way.

I was asking to myself: "is that bad?" i don't know who they are...

but

[Harry Callahan]

I don't remember, if that tells you anything. BUT Ill wager what I think a great majority would have thought. As far as Manu, I am sure no one cared, 58th pick in the draft, who cares right?? The most thought that it was given was "Hmm, is he italian??." Tony was a different story, with it being a first round pick as well as the who Iraq war getting ready to start, a lot of people were like "WTF why are we picking some damn FRENCHY, he will never be good at defense, he will continue to SURRENDER the paint. Now pass me my McDonald's JUMBO FREEDOM FRIES so I can be angry!!!"

Just my own humble educated guess.

Tony was drafted in June of 2001. Don't get the war reference.
Manu was a "throwaway" 2nd round pick in 1999 - a pick from the lakers I think There was no reaction to him.
I just remember how young TP looked and thought this guy is likely a long way from helping. Wrong.

Tony also had a much thicker accent than he does now. Check utube.

[xtremesteven33]

I was asking to myself: "is that bad?" i don't know who they are...

but

sorry, i thought it was more of a rhetorical quesiton

[Cherry]

sorry, i thought it was more of a rhetorical quesiton

it's ok

[Darkwaters]

I don't remember, if that tells you anything. BUT Ill wager what I think a great majority would have thought. As far as Manu, I am sure no one cared, 58th pick in the draft, who cares right?? The most thought that it was given was "Hmm, is he italian??." Tony was a different story, with it being a first round pick as well as the who Iraq war getting ready to start, a lot of people were like "WTF why are we picking some damn FRENCHY, he will never be good at defense, he will continue to SURRENDER the paint. Now pass me my McDonald's JUMBO FREEDOM FRIES so I can be angry!!!"

Just my own humble educated guess.

What? The Iraq war? We invaded Iraq in March of 2003. Actually when Tony was drafted 9/11 hadn't even happened yet. There was no more anti-french mentality at the time than usual.

[Brutalis]

manu i saw vids on youtube and i was shocked nobody ever picked him up. i was like wow
and tony i wasnt sure about him...i didnt know much about him at the time so i guess u can say i was skeptical

There was no YT in 1999.

[Brutalis]

Manu I thought we got a sleeper and a potential role player, I didn't think we had a star on our hands.

TP, well. I didn't think he would ever be starting to put it nicely.

[FromWayDowntown]

I don't consider myself a draftnik at all and generally stay out of threads at this juncture every year because I try to know my own limitations. With that said, I was much closer to the draft in 2001 and remember sitting with a friend on Draft night 2001 and each of us saying aloud "Who?" when the Spurs selected Tony Parker. I suppose that makes my initial reaction to Parker one that was skeptical.

Honestly, my reaction last night to hearing the George Hill pick was almost identical.

I remember, too, what noted draftnik Charles Barkley said about the Parker pick in that moment: "I don't know that much about him, but they got him in the first round, so he must be a good player."

By the way, as if to show that draftniks aren't always right -- and that they're sometimes full of crap -- ESPN's day-after grades for the 2001 draft are quite interesting to read now. At that moment, ESPN thought at least 18 clubs had better drafts than the Spurs did. I would certainly agree with the notion that some clubs did quite well that year (Clippers, Warriors, Bulls, Grizzlies), but I think you'd be hard-pressed to find too many NBA analysts who would agree with those assessments now.

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft2001/s/draftgrades.html

For the record, here's how ESPN thought the teams graded out on draft night 2001:

A
Atlanta -- traded for Abdur-Rahim (pick became P. Gasol)
Chicago -- traded for rights to E. Curry, T. Chandler, and B. Skinner (E. Brand going out)
Clippers -- traded for Elton Brand (Curry, Chandler, Skinner going out)
Memphis -- P. Gasol, S. Battier, W. Solomon, A. Fotsis
Washington -- Kwame Brown, Bobby Simmons

A-
Houston -- traded for rights to E. Griffin, T. Morris (sent out R. Jefferson and Jason Collins)

B+
Detroit -- Rodney White, Mehmet Okur

B
Boston -- Joe Johnson, Kedrick Brown, Joe Forte
Golden State -- Jason Richardson, Troy Murphy, Gilbert Arenas
Indiana -- Jamison Brewer, Jamaal Tinsley
Miami -- Ken Johnson
Minnesota -- Loren Woods
Orlando -- Stephen Hunter, Brendan Haywood
Philadelphia -- Sam Dalembert, Damone Brown, Alvin Jones
Portland -- Zach Randolph, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje
Seattle -- Vladimir Radmanovic, Earl Watson
Toronto -- Michael Bradley
Utah -- Raul Lopez, Jarron Collins

B-
Cleveland -- DeSagna Diop, Jeff Trepagnier, Michael Doleac
Milwaukee -- Andre Huston
San Antonio -- Tony Parker, Robertas Javtokas, Bryan Bracey
Sacramento -- Gerald Wallace, Maurice Jeffers

C+
Denver -- Ousmane Cisse, Omar Cook
New Jersey -- traded for rights to R. Jefferson, Jason Collins, Brandon Armstrong (E. Griffin)

C
Charlotte -- Kirk Haston
Dallas -- Kyle Hill
Phoenix -- Alton Ford

C-
New York -- Michael Wright, Eric Chenowith

[pjjrfan]

On one of the draft boards I read where Doc Rivers, tehn coaching the Magic claimed that Tony Parker would be the steal of the draft, so right away I got excited about him but I thought the Magic would get him before us, and there were other teams who badly needed a PG, like Boston when both those teams passed on him I really got excited. Just like I was this year, but for Darrel Arthur.

[FromWayDowntown]

For what it's worth, the Spurs ripped a "D" from ESPN for their draft picks in 1999 (Giricek and Ginobili).

http://espn.go.com/nba/draft99/features/01332714.html

[Obstructed_View]

I was so grateful to have a point guard I didn't care that he wasn't a pass-first guy. I knew he was quick and I hoped he could develop a shot. I loved Manu from the first time I saw him and thought he could be great. I had dreams of the international starting backcourt of the Spurs being the best in the league for years.

I also thought Walt Williams was going to be the next Magic Johnson.

[Drachen]

Tony was drafted in June of 2001. Don't get the war reference.
Manu was a "throwaway" 2nd round pick in 1999 - a pick from the lakers I think There was no reaction to him.
I just remember how young TP looked and thought this guy is likely a long way from helping. Wrong.

Tony also had a much thicker accent than he does now. Check utube.

DOH! The original post said 2002 and the war reference would have worked. I had always thought that he was drafted just ahead of the 2002-2003 season. Did we draft him, then keep him in europe for a year? Anyway, the war reference would have worked had he been drafted in 02, but now (especially since the original poster edited his post), it looks silly, oh well.

[Sway]

What? The Iraq war? We invaded Iraq in March of 2003. Actually when Tony was drafted 9/11 hadn't even happened yet. There was no more anti-french mentality at the time than usual.

There was no YT in 1999.

to DW & Brut.

[FromWayDowntown]

DOH! The original post said 2002 and the war reference would have worked. I had always thought that he was drafted just ahead of the 2002-2003 season. Did we draft him, then keep him in europe for a year? Anyway, the war reference would have worked had he been drafted in 02, but now (especially since the original poster edited his post), it looks silly, oh well.

Tony Parker was drafted in June of 2001 and made his debut with the Spurs on October 30, 2001 against the LA Clippers. He wasn't drafted and stashed at all.

[Stump]

A
Atlanta -- traded for Abdur-Rahim (pick became P. Gasol)
Chicago -- traded for rights to E. Curry, T. Chandler, and B. Skinner (E. Brand going out)
Clippers -- traded for Elton Brand (Curry, Chandler, Skinner going out)
Memphis -- P. Gasol, S. Battier, W. Solomon, A. Fotsis
Washington -- Kwame Brown, Bobby Simmons

A nice little reminder of how pointless draft grades are.