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Interesting, as the Spurs are allegedly looking to get in to the 1st round. But I doubt either team has the stomach to trade with the other.
Appreciate it.
It's definitely possible.
I'm not sure exactly where they'll go, but I get the feeling they'll just pick the best player available.
Jermaine Taylor I've just had a hunch about and Brown could still be a nice fit, but for all I know they make a move to draft-and-stash Casspi.
Not much would suprise me at this point. (Maybe they draft a Vic after trading for a... nevermind)
If you're looking to fill out the roster with some cheap second-rounders though, going with young athletic bigs might be the best short-term option. (Good call on Brockman.The guy is tough as nails and I've actually thought about him with that third pick or a camp invite.)
Interesting, as the Spurs are allegedly looking to get in to the 1st round. But I doubt either team has the stomach to trade with the other.
Yeah, it takes a real man to trade talent to your compe or.
Portland acquired the 22nd from Dallas in exchange for the 24th and 2 seconds, (1 next year) but I'm wondering if that's a move to get Hansbrough or if maybe Pritchard's looking to nab Casspi?
So what are the Spurs to do?
The Wing
With Jefferson and Ginobili their only 2 wings standing 6' 6" or taller, should the Spurs look to add a Brown-type (Jerebko maybe?) player through the draft for defensive purposes? Pop has already made it clear that Jeff will take over Bowen's responsibilities, but with Manu's health can R.J. really be the only player the Spurs have defensively at the wing?
"Big"
Maybe a big is the way to go? It's not like they don't need one. A cheap second-rounder would be ideal, and maybe they can find a good high energy guy that could contribute in the upcoming year. Maybe even get lucky and find their own Powe/Millsap? Gibson might be well out of their reach but Pendegraph and Carroll would be intriguing.
Scorer
Is Mason in the plans? If the Spurs plan on including Mason in a trade for a big, their pick just might tip their hand. Jermaine Taylor share's Georgie's agent and has received some advice from Hill already. There's a good chance it doesn't mean much, but it's something to note. Also Ellington, Douglas, and Matthews could very well be options in this scenario.
Backup-point
Well, Beverly has intrigued me but Hill's presence makes him seem redundant. I'm sure Mills would be pretty high on the Spurs' board, De Colo seems a pretty logical choice, given the relationship's/familiarity, and Llull could very well be a possibility. But my guess?
Jack McClinton.
Not really much of a point at this juncture but brings a different skill set to the Tony/Hill battery. Pop's flirtation with Salim Stoudamire last year is something I just can't shake. Pop really liked the idea of an Eddie House on this roster and McClinton could very well give him that.
Upside
It's been no secret that Casspi's been on the Spurs' radar for a while now. He's got the size, skill, and fire to become a real good player; the Spurs would surely have to acquire the 21st or better for a shot, though. Claver has been talked about having as high of a ceiling as just about anybody in this draft, even if his desire has been questioned, but an injury and an apparent preference to go in the second round (IIRC) leaves him a possibility for the Spurs. If the Spurs believe they can adequately fill their roster with enough quality low-cost contracts, selecting Claver at 37 would be a great value pick.
So, where would you go, and what direction do you think the Spurs will actually end up going?
Last edited by Blackjack; 06-25-2009 at 02:27 AM.
all good points!
while it's hard to see the Spurs keep all 3 picks, let's still guess.
if they can't get a 1st round pick (which might be used on Casspi, Jerebko, Young..in that order), I see them pick a solid big at #37 (Pendergraph), a draft and stash project at #51 (Gladyr) and (as you mentioned) a shooter at #53 (McClinton).
if they wanted DeColo, they need to use the #37 for him, because later he will be gone. maybe the draft DeColo and Gladyr and use the remaining pick for a big. (Nivins might still be there at #53)
Update from page 1.
Last edited by Solid D; 06-25-2009 at 11:29 AM.
If they trade up to first round they do it to take Casspi or Jerebko. Frankly with the addition of Jefferson I don't see that happening.
I still like Claver at 37 if he's there. Sure he's projected at SF but maybe he can also play PF/ At 6'10" he'd be a very mobile PF.
POrtland traded up to 22 from 24 this morning. Means they have someone in mind. My feeling is they are after Casspi.
Nine Draft Day Thoughts
1. Graydon and I will be around this evening with a bunch of our friends. Every blog in the TrueHoop Network will broadcast the same draft chat, pulling together fans and pundits from across the league. If you want to represent Silver and Black, be sure to join us. The fun begins around 5 pm CST. If you plan to enjoy the draft in the company of silver and black clad strangers, the Spurs and Toros are both hosting parties this evening. Follow the links for more information. You can watch the draft on ESPN 360.
2. We should expect to be surprised this evening. Leading up to the draft, we’ve done our level best to provide you information about those prospects who make the most sense for San Antonio. But the Spurs play with their cards close to the vest, and often surprise on draft night. Think George Hill. Think Ian Mahinmi.
Here’s my advice: don’t knee jerk. The Spurs are pretty good at what they do. One thing I learned at the Draft Combine is that every team is swimming in a sea of information about each player. Draft selections are not made lightly. Last year, I wasn’t thrilled by the Spurs draft. But looking back, they did just fine. They selected a talented reserve guard in George Hill, and found two players in the second round who stand a good chance of making this year’s roster. Malik Hairston and James Gist. Given where they selected, they could not have done much better.
3. How does the Richard Jefferson trade play into the draft? This is an interesting question because it goes against most of our immediate assumptions. When the Spurs landed Jefferson, my thought was that the remainder of their offseason would be restricted by the boundaries of luxury tax. But this doesn’t appear to be the case. In the last 24 hours R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich have indicated the Spurs will aggressively seek out opportunities for further improvement in the weeks ahead. That being said, tonight is an open book.
If there is an opportunity to move into the first round, I expect the Spurs to take it. Look for them to target picks mid to late first, in hopes of catching passed-over talent.
4. Yesterday, Gregg Popovich said the Spurs would like to use their MLE on a “4″. Maybe that’s Antonio McDyess, maybe it’s Drew Gooden. We don’t know. But knowing the position is helpful. Unless someone like DeJuan Blair slides and the Spurs can buy/trade up to get him, I don’t expect the team to draft a power forward. But they can be crazy deceptive like that.
Tuesday night, R.C. Buford said the team might bring in one of their past picks from overseas to fill out the roster. He spoke with confidence about the possibility, but didn’t name anyone in particular. No problem. It’s a pretty easy list to narrow. In all likelihood, he’s referring to James Gist or Robertas Javtokas. Given the loss of Thomas and Oberto, and the need to add athleticism to the frontcourt, either player would make sense as an inexpensive roster addition. Tiago Splitter is still a year out.
Putting that all together, it’s easy to see the Spurs drafting a wing unless someone slides. And honestly, other than Richard Jefferson, San Antonio doesn’t have a true small forward on roster. Now is the time to put a developing player behind their new acquisition.
5. How could moving into the first round benefit the team? The obvious answer is that the talent is better. But it goes deeper than that. The Spurs have holes in the frontcourt and they need a reserve wing to groom behind Jefferson. I suspect Marcus Williams has a strong chance of assuming Jacque Vaughn’s role as third point, but the Spurs could perhaps go in that direction. We know they worked out several point guards leading up to the draft.
The late first round rookie salary scale could be a real help to the Spurs cap situation, provided they select guys who would contribute right away. Beginning at pick 18 and scaling down through 30, rookies are guaranteed 1.2 million to 824,000. Finding another George Hill at those prices would be huge.
6. DraftExpress: “Three teams that are looking to move into the first round are Miami, San Antonio and Houston. The Heat are supposedly looking at Taj Gibson and the Spurs are intrigued by Omri Casspi and Jonas Jerebko.”
7. Earlier in the week, Graydon and I received an email from a reasonably connected source saying the Spurs were trying to move to 22 in order to select Omri Casspi. Maybe that’t true, maybe it’s not. Since there was no way of knowing, we adopted a watch and see posture. Well, the Blazers did trade for the 22nd pick this evening. ESPN offers this take: “Why would the Blazers move up two spots in the draft? The word around the league was the Kings had zeroed in on Omri Casspi with the 23rd pick. Casspi could be a good pick for the Blazers to either keep or to bring over this year to provide more toughness in the front court.” It looks like Casspi will be off the board by 23.
8. I really like a handful of players the Spurs could select in the 2nd round. I hope they keep all of their picks and draft and stash or take a chance on someone to groom in Austin. This is not to say they’ll find a keeper in the second, but they can take a few stabs at a few potential-laden prospects. Maybe they get lucky. My list: Sergio Llull, Victor Claver, Nando De Colo, Danny Green, Patrick Beverley, DaJuan Summers, Sergey Gladyr, Emir Preldzic and Joe Ingles.
9. The Spurs took a big step forward by trading for Richard Jefferson. But the Lakers, the Shaq Cavs, and the Magic are still better teams. We shouldn’t expect anyone the Spurs draft at 37 to help their cause in a series against those teams. If the Spurs want to get into that class of contention, Jefferson really must become one of a few vital new pieces. The Spurs best chance to minimize the gap between them and elite status is getting it right with their MLE. Buford says he’s going to be aggressive this offseason. And that’s because he has no choice. It’s time to go all in.
http://www.48minutesof .com/2009/...-day-thoughts/
It actually happened last evening and it's most likely an indication that they're trying to get ahead of Sacramento; another team reportedly hot on Casspi.
Blazers strike again by moving up to snag Casspi. Unless the Spurs can get Minnesota's 18th pick, Utah's 20th, or the Hornets 21st then I don't see them trading into the first round.
There are some "financial-reasons" trade-up options, so the Spurs have some opportunities. If they do move up into the 16-27th pick range by trading players and/or rights to players, then Blair, Teague, Young, or Daye would address the power Big, playmaker, 2-way wing and long matchup player roles. They are all domestic players with no international contract muss n fuss. BTW, if Ty Lawson were to fall below the top 15...'guy is Mr. Intangible good, s'all I'm sayin'.
"Drinkability"? Intriguing as they may be, the signability of European talents Casspi, Claver, Beaubois, and Llull are question marks until the ink is dry.
Questions about the 2nd round: Could DeMarre Carroll be there at 37? Would Jon "Tom Copa" Brockman really be what is making RC and George Felton giddy?
That 21 pick looks juicy if the right player falls
I like Lawson but he had a quote saying he "doesn't want to be a backup behind a player like Tony Parker where I won't get any playing time".
That direct of a quote might cause him to be crossed off the Spurs' board.
I'd really like Carroll at 37. He'll probably be gone, though.
Sounds like someone promised him. I never remember the Spurs putting any stock into Portsmouth, though.
Is there really any chance Portland isn't going to take our guy if he falls there?..they're becoming quite the irritable franchise lately..
I would be completely shocked if Portland doesn't take a Spurs-target with their pick.
I agree, but in fairness to Portland the Spurs don't have a (known) play in the 1st round this year.
If the Spurs move into the 18 to 21 range, I'm not so sure Omri's the guy. My gut tells me that come the announcement of the 15th pick, if Blair is still on the board that he is the player they want in that range. Blair has slipped in the mocks recently, and I recall that the Spurs worked him out (much to the surprise of many).
hey guys, when does the draft starts???
7:30 eastern time on ESPN.
Thanx!
It looks like one of either Blair or Clark could slide to the 18-21 range. So, if you're trading up, that's where you want to land.That 21 pick looks juicy if the right player falls
minny wth rubio an flynn???
I bet, they are trading rubio...even if they say, they wont
love the reaction in NY of GS taking curry..love the idea of elli and curry beeing nellies backcourt
Still waiting for anything semi Spurs related.
Gonna be a while.
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