Spot Number 41 - Top 50 Spurs

[timvp]

SpursTalk's Top 50 Spurs
1. Tim Duncan
2. David Robinson
3. George Gervin
4. Gregg Popovich
5. Angelo Drossos
6. Manu Ginobili
7. Tony Parker
8. Sean Elliott
9. James Silas
10. Bruce Bowen
11. Larry Kenon
12. Avery Johnson
13. Alvin Robertson
14. Johnny Moore
15. RC Buford
16. Artis Gilmore
17. Peter Holt
18. Mike Mitc
19. Bob Bass
20. Malik Rose
21. Robert Horry
22. Red McCombs
23. Doug Moe
24. Terry mings
25. Mario Elie
26. Willie Anderson
27. Billy Paultz
28. Robert McDermott
29. Stephen Jackson
30. Mark Olberding
31. Stan Albeck
32. Brent Barry
33. Mike Budenholzer
34. Swen Nater
35. Larry Brown
36. Rod Strickland
37. Michael Finley
38. Jaren Jackson
39. Hank Egan
40. PJ Carlesimo

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To pass the time until the start of preseason, let's see how SpursTalk.com ranks the Top 50 Spurs. Those eligible for the list include all players, coaches and owners. I don't want to define "top" too narrowly, but I think the best way to do it would be to think of the list as a list of the 50 most influential people who have helped make the Spurs one of the most successful franchises in the history of sport.

For more information on what we are doing, check out this thread.

In this thread, we will vote for spot number 41. Please place your vote. If you will, also explain in this thread why you voted how you did.

Thanks.



P.S.

Poll options listed in alphabetical order. If you want to vote for someone not on the list, post in the thread and I'll add the person.

Voting will end 2AM CST Friday morning.

Please vote only once.

[urunobili]

Presti time hands down...

[timvp]

These are the people I'm considering for the final ten spots. I might add one or two more but I think I got the heavy hitters from the remaining list.

Bob Hill
Hill was the coach Gregg Popovich hired when he was named the GM of the Spurs. Hill led the Spurs to a 62-20 record in his first year as coach and the team made it to the Western Conference Finals before losing against the Houston Rockets in the 1994-95 season. The next year the Spurs went 59-23. After beginning the 1996-97 season at 3-15, Hill was fired. His winning percentage of .681 is the highest in franchise history, while his win total of 124 ranks him sixth.

Chuck Person
Person played in 222 regular season games in his four years in San Antonio. He missed the entire 1996-97 due to injury - in the three other years the Spurs averaged 59 wins per season. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game, while shooting 41.4% from the floor and 38.6% from beyond the three-point arc. In the 1994-95 season, Person hit 172 three-pointers to set a franchise record. He topped that number in the 1995-96 season with 190 three-pointers. Those two marks remain the two highest marks for three-pointers made in a single season in Spurs history. In the playoffs with the Spurs, Person averaged 7.3 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc.

Coby Dietrick
Spent six years with the Spurs, three in the ABA and three in the NBA. All told, he played 484 games for the Spurs and the San Antonio averaged 48.3 wins per year during his six-year career. Dietrick averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 21.6 minutes per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 7.9 points per game and raised his field goal percentage substantially (53.6% in his Spurs playoff career compared to his regular season percentage of 46.7%).

Dale Ellis
Ellis spent two seasons with the Spurs, the 1992-93 season and the 1993-94 season. In those two seasons, the Spurs won 49 and 55 games, respectively. Ellis averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game in those two season, while shooting 49.7% from the field, 39.7% from the three-point line and 78.9% from the free throw line. Ellis set the Spurs franchise record with 119 three-pointers in the 1992-93 season and then bettered it the next season with 131 makes. In his two years in the playoffs with the Spurs, his averaged fell across the board – 11.9 points on 43.6% field goal percentage and 30.6% three-point percentage.

Dave Corzine
From 1980 to 1982, Corzine played two seasons with the Spurs and never missed a game. In those 164 games, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game, while shooting 50.3% from the field. In his two seasons in San Antonio, the Spurs won 52 games in 1980-81 and 48 games in 1981-82. Corzine during the playoffs averaged 11.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.2 minutes per game on 47.2% shooting.

Dennis Rodman
Played for the Spurs in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The Spurs won 55 and 62 games in those two years, respectively. Rodman averaged 5.6 points and 17.1 rebounds per game in a total of 128 regular season games, while shooting 55.1% from the field. In his Spurs playoff career, he averaged 8.8 points and 15 rebounds per game on 53.3% shooting.

Edgar Jones
Jones played 127 games for the Spurs over three seasons. In that time period, he averaged 9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. The Spurs averaged 43.7 wins per game in those three seasons. In 11 playoff games with the Spurs, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Frank Brickowski
In four years with the Spurs, Brickowski averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game. He played 219 games in those four years and the Spurs averaged 34 wins per year. Brickowski played from the Spurs for the 1986-87 season until the 1989-90 season.

Gene Banks
In his four year career with the Spurs, he played 323 of a possible 328 games. During those four years, the Spurs averaged 44.8 win per season. Picked in the second round of the 1981 draft, Banks averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while shooting 54.4% from the field. After his career with the Spurs, spent two years with the Bulls. At 27, he went overseas and played in Italy and Israel.

George Johnson
Over two season, George Johnson averaged 4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks while with the Spurs in 22.4 minutes per game. In those two seasons, the Spurs won 52 and 48 games, respectively.

Greg Anderson
Anderson had two two-year stints with the Spurs. In his first two years, he averaged 12.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as the Spurs averaged 26 wins per season. He came back to San Antonio six years later to play a much smaller role. In his last season with the Spurs, he averaged 3.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Johnny Dawkins
Dawkins spent three years with the Spurs from 1986 to 1989. During that time, San Antonio averaged 26.7 wins per season. In 178 games with the Spurs, Dawkins averaged 13 points and 5.6 assists per game.

Mike Gale
Spent parts of six seasons in San Antonio and played 414 games with the Spurs. In those six years, the Spurs averaged 46 wins per season. Averaged 7.9 points, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 46.7% from the field. In playoff games with the Spurs, his scoring average jumped up to 9.2 points per game but his field goal percentage dropped to 44%.

Rich Jones
Rich Jones spent two years with the Spurs, from 1973 to 1975. In 161 games with the Spurs, Jones averaged 17.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 36.9 minutes per game. He was named to the ABA All-Star team while with the Spurs. San Antonio averaged 48 wins in his two seasons. In 13 playoff games, Jones averaged 14.2 points and 7 rebounds while in a Spurs uniform.

Sam Presti
Presti worked for the Spurs from 2001 to 2007. He rose from intern to director of basketball personnel. His two biggest claims to fame while with the Spurs were convincing Pop to draft Tony Parker by creating a video highlight package and orchestrating the trade in which the Spurs received Hedo Turkoglu without having to give up much of value.

Steve Kerr
Kerr played four complete seasons with the Spurs, from 1998 to 2001 and then came back for the 2002-03 season after spending a year in Portland. In the regular season, Kerr averaged 3.6 points and 0.9 assists per game in 12.6 minutes per game, while shooting 41.8% from the field and 39.4% from the three-point line. In the playoffs while with the Spurs, Kerr averaged 2.9 points on 41.2% shooting from the field and 35.7% shooting from beyond the three-point line. In his four seasons in San Antonio, the Spurs averaged 58.3 wins per season and won the championship in 1999 and 2003.

Vinny Del Negro
In his seven years with the Spurs, San Antonio averaged 49.7 wins and Del Negro played 433 games. He averaged 11.2 points and 3.6 assists, while shooting 48.2% from the field, 36.7% from three-point land and 82.7% from the line. In his 46 career playoff games with the Spurs, his scoring average dipped to 9.5 points and his shooting fell to 45%.

Walter Berry
Berry spent parts of two season with the Spurs in which he averaged 17.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game. During those two campaigns, the Spurs averaged 29.5 victories per season. In his three playoff games with the Spurs, Berry averaged 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

[timvp]

This was hard to do but here's my top ten list of the remaining eligible people as of this second.

1. Rich Jones
2. Bob Hill
3. Gene Banks
4. Mike Gale
5. Vinny Del Negro
6. Coby Dietrick
7. Sam Presti
8. Steve Kerr
9. Dave Corzine
10. Dennis Rodman

Jones is the lone Spurs All-Star left on the list so I think he deserves a lot of consideration. I don't like Hill at all but he has the highest winning percentage in Spurs history and did a pretty decent job overall. He got the Spurs to begin thinking defense first and his half court offense helped the Spurs start to play a style that could win in the postseason. Hill wasn't a very good coach but he played a pretty big role in setting up this championship run. I think Pop hired him to make the Spurs more disciplined on both ends of the court and Hill did that well enough.

Banks and Gale played important roles on Spurs teams that won a healthy amount of games. Del Negro falls in the Hill category as far as not liking him but his longevity and stats probably should get him on the list before long.

Dietrick gets in on longevity and for being a fan favorite. Presti was an important front office man as the Spurs were winning three championships (well really two seeing as he bailed during the third run). Kerr doesn't have the longevity or the stats but his two rings and fan favorite status should get him on the list.

Corzine had two solid seasons while on the Spurs. Rodman falls in the Hill and Del Negro camp but his stats were good enough to barely crack the list.

[SenorSpur]

These are the people I'm considering for the final ten spots. I might add one or two more but I think I got the heavy hitters from the remaining list.

Bob Hill
Hill was the coach Gregg Popovich hired when he was named the GM of the Spurs. Hill led the Spurs to a 62-20 record in his first year as coach and the team made it to the Western Conference Finals before losing against the Houston Rockets in the 1994-95 season. The next year the Spurs went 59-23. After beginning the 1996-97 season at 3-15, Hill was fired. His winning percentage of .681 is the highest in franchise history, while his win total of 124 ranks him sixth.

Chuck Person
Person played in 222 regular season games in his four years in San Antonio. He missed the entire 1996-97 due to injury - in the three other years the Spurs averaged 59 wins per season. He averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 25.3 minutes per game, while shooting 41.4% from the floor and 38.6% from beyond the three-point arc. In the 1994-95 season, Person hit 172 three-pointers to set a franchise record. He topped that number in the 1995-96 season with 190 three-pointers. Those two marks remain the two highest marks for three-pointers made in a single season in Spurs history. In the playoffs with the Spurs, Person averaged 7.3 points per game on 41.6% shooting from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc.

Coby Dietrick
Spent six years with the Spurs, three in the ABA and three in the NBA. All told, he played 484 games for the Spurs and the San Antonio averaged 48.3 wins per year during his six-year career. Dietrick averaged 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 21.6 minutes per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 7.9 points per game and raised his field goal percentage substantially (53.6% in his Spurs playoff career compared to his regular season percentage of 46.7%).

Dale Ellis
Ellis spent two seasons with the Spurs, the 1992-93 season and the 1993-94 season. In those two seasons, the Spurs won 49 and 55 games, respectively. Ellis averaged 15.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game in those two season, while shooting 49.7% from the field, 39.7% from the three-point line and 78.9% from the free throw line. Ellis set the Spurs franchise record with 119 three-pointers in the 1992-93 season and then bettered it the next season with 131 makes. In his two years in the playoffs with the Spurs, his averaged fell across the board – 11.9 points on 43.6% field goal percentage and 30.6% three-point percentage.

Dave Corzine
From 1980 to 1982, Corzine played two seasons with the Spurs and never missed a game. In those 164 games, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game, while shooting 50.3% from the field. In his two seasons in San Antonio, the Spurs won 52 games in 1980-81 and 48 games in 1981-82. Corzine during the playoffs averaged 11.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 26.2 minutes per game on 47.2% shooting.

Dennis Rodman
Played for the Spurs in 1993-94 and 1994-95. The Spurs won 55 and 62 games in those two years, respectively. Rodman averaged 5.6 points and 17.1 rebounds per game in a total of 128 regular season games, while shooting 55.1% from the field. In his Spurs playoff career, he averaged 8.8 points and 15 rebounds per game on 53.3% shooting.

Edgar Jones
Jones played 127 games for the Spurs over three seasons. In that time period, he averaged 9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 21.4 minutes per game. The Spurs averaged 43.7 wins per game in those three seasons. In 11 playoff games with the Spurs, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds.

Frank Brickowski
In four years with the Spurs, Brickowski averaged 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game. He played 219 games in those four years and the Spurs averaged 34 wins per year. Brickowski played from the Spurs for the 1986-87 season until the 1989-90 season.

Gene Banks
In his four year career with the Spurs, he played 323 of a possible 328 games. During those four years, the Spurs averaged 44.8 win per season. Picked in the second round of the 1981 draft, Banks averaged 11.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists, while shooting 54.4% from the field. After his career with the Spurs, spent two years with the Bulls. At 27, he went overseas and played in Italy and Israel.

George Johnson
Over two season, George Johnson averaged 4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.3 blocks while with the Spurs in 22.4 minutes per game. In those two seasons, the Spurs won 52 and 48 games, respectively.

Greg Anderson
Anderson had two two-year stints with the Spurs. In his first two years, he averaged 12.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game as the Spurs averaged 26 wins per season. He came back to San Antonio six years later to play a much smaller role. In his last season with the Spurs, he averaged 3.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Johnny Dawkins
Dawkins spent three years with the Spurs from 1986 to 1989. During that time, San Antonio averaged 26.7 wins per season. In 178 games with the Spurs, Dawkins averaged 13 points and 5.6 assists per game.

Mike Gale
Spent parts of six seasons in San Antonio and played 414 games with the Spurs. In those six years, the Spurs averaged 46 wins per season. Averaged 7.9 points, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 46.7% from the field. In playoff games with the Spurs, his scoring average jumped up to 9.2 points per game but his field goal percentage dropped to 44%.

Rich Jones
Rich Jones spent two years with the Spurs, from 1973 to 1975. In 161 games with the Spurs, Jones averaged 17.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 36.9 minutes per game. He was named to the ABA All-Star team while with the Spurs. San Antonio averaged 48 wins in his two seasons. In 13 playoff games, Jones averaged 14.2 points and 7 rebounds while in a Spurs uniform.

Sam Presti
Presti worked for the Spurs from 2001 to 2007. He rose from intern to director of basketball personnel. His two biggest claims to fame while with the Spurs were convincing Pop to draft Tony Parker by creating a video highlight package and orchestrating the trade in which the Spurs received Hedo Turkoglu without having to give up much of value.

Steve Kerr
Kerr played four complete seasons with the Spurs, from 1998 to 2001 and then came back for the 2002-03 season after spending a year in Portland. In the regular season, Kerr averaged 3.6 points and 0.9 assists per game in 12.6 minutes per game, while shooting 41.8% from the field and 39.4% from the three-point line. In the playoffs while with the Spurs, Kerr averaged 2.9 points on 41.2% shooting from the field and 35.7% shooting from beyond the three-point line. In his four seasons in San Antonio, the Spurs averaged 58.3 wins per season and won the championship in 1999 and 2003.

Vinny Del Negro
In his seven years with the Spurs, San Antonio averaged 49.7 wins and Del Negro played 433 games. He averaged 11.2 points and 3.6 assists, while shooting 48.2% from the field, 36.7% from three-point land and 82.7% from the line. In his 46 career playoff games with the Spurs, his scoring average dipped to 9.5 points and his shooting fell to 45%.

Walter Berry
Berry spent parts of two season with the Spurs in which he averaged 17.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 27.1 minutes per game. During those two campaigns, the Spurs averaged 29.5 victories per season. In his three playoff games with the Spurs, Berry averaged 22 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

It should be noted that George Johnson led the NBA in blocks in both seasons in which he played for the Spurs.

I'm pondering either him or Rich Jones.

[Kona]

Kerr.

[temujin]

Mr. Rodman.

Already a shame down at 41.

[manufor3]

presti

[century]

Finley...#37...

[Rynospursfan]

Does nobody else have any appreciation for Antonio Daniels?

Bob Hill what a joke.

[samikeyp]

Rich Jones

[timvp]

Does nobody else have any appreciation for Antonio Daniels?

Fun player to watch. Good guy. Remains a San Antonio resident.

But his stats and accomplishments would put him around the 70th spot ... if we were going that far.

[Spurtacus]

Kerr!

[baseline bum]

I'm going with Stevie Kerr. He was pretty much a bust for a lot of the time he was in SA, but he was a decent stop-gap when Speedy was injured in '03 and his four threes in game 6 are something no Spurs fan can ever forget. Jack was the main hero of that game, but Kerr put it away after Jack dragged the team back into the game.

[Obstructed_View]

I'm going with Stevie Kerr. He was pretty much a bust for a lot of the time he was in SA, but he was a decent stop-gap when Speedy was injured in '03 and his four threes in game 6 are something no Spurs fan can ever forget. Jack was the main hero of that game, but Kerr put it away after Jack dragged the team back into the game.

Kerr's save on the other end might have been his biggest play of that game.

Folks always forget it was Manu that started that run.

[sendman]

Why bother? Timvp shoud just tell us who to vote for and we, sheep people, shoud willingly follow.

[anakha]

Why bother? Timvp shoud just tell us who to vote for and we, sheep people, shoud willingly follow.

Somebody's bitter.

timvp has stated that he favors Rich Jones and yet, Sam Presti's leading.

Some sheep.

[Obstructed_View]

Why bother? Timvp shoud just tell us who to vote for and we, sheep people, shoud willingly follow.

Or you could just ignore the facts and keep voting for Rasho, which you've done for how many spots now?