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Too early to add Larry Owens?
http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/01...73&feedID=3742Secret to the Spurs' success lies in draft's second round
By Michael Dugat
FOXSportsSouthwest.com
What do Manu Ginobili, Goran Dragic, DuJuan Blair and Luis Scola have in common, other than all playing significant roles in the league this season?
The San Antonio Spurs drafted each of them in the second round of the NBA draft.
If you’ve heard the following sentence uttered with slouching shoulders and a slight bewilderment, “Wait, who is that? How are they beating us?,” then you’re likely witnessing someone taking step one of seven in the process of their grief at some point in the Gregg Popovich era after watching a previously unknown player deliver another defeat at the hands of the Spurs.
After playing far below the sight horizon of most American fans in Italy, Spain and Turkey, Gary Neal is the most recent example of a name seemingly pulled from thin air to find some level of prominence under the guiding hand of one of the most adept coaches in the modern game at placing names unfamiliar to most in a position and an environment to succeed.
Neal joined the Spurs’ Summer League team with none of the fanfare surrounding top draft choices, as an afterthought to James Anderson to most fans. That is, until Neal forcefully grabbed their attention, and played his way onto the regular season roster by leading that team in scoring while hitting half of his shots, including 50 percent behind the three-point arc.
From basketball anonymity to averaging 18 minutes on the team with the best record in the league over a matter of months, a rare process with a feeling of familiarity with these Spurs.
Lest we forget, here are a few players to first shed the shroud of NBA invisibility to stand brazenly before the eyes of opposing fans, all guys that at least once led to the defeated wondering how “that” player had a hand in beating them. Or, who simply put together their best season as a professional during a San Antonio le run.
Stephen Jackson: He was originally drafted in the second round by the Phoenix Suns and waived twice before making a name for himself as a key member of the rotation for the Spurs during their second le run at the end of the 2002-03 season.
Malik Rose: A former Charlotte Hornets’ second round pick who had his best season as a pro in 2002-03 and played a significant role in the le run.
Francisco Elson: Another second rounder, via the Denver Nuggets, who enjoyed his best season while playing 11 minutes per game in the playoffs for the eventual champs in the 2006-07 campaign.
Nazr Mohammed: He may not precisely fit into this category, but since getting 23 minutes per game in the 2004-05 playoffs for the Spurs, he’s never been able to regain that level of production.
Matt Bonner: Drafted in the second round by the Bulls and immediately traded to the Raptors, Bonner joined San Antonio just in time to earn a ring with the 2006-07, though his role did not increase until later.
Bruce Bowen: Undrafted and waived by two different teams, Bowen may epitomize the Spurs ability to turn a player unwanted by other teams into a primary championship contributor as he played a significant role in three of the four Finals victories.
Manu Ginobili: The crown jewel of second round picks, Manu also has three rings and stands as one of the best second round picks in league history, and easily one of the best since the draft was cut to only two rounds in 1989.
With Gregg Popovich pulling the strings, the Spurs have displayed a keen eye for talent, particularly when it comes to recognized players that will fill the needs of his roster. Of course, having been granted the opportunity to select Tim Duncan with the first overall pick in the 1997 draft doesn’t hurt, and created a foundation to anchor all of these peripheral pieces, but it does not discount the roster masterpieces constructed while doing at least some of the shopping in the bins of discounted talent.
Just as impressive as the second round picks and the resurrection of players the league had either passed over or given up on, is the list of gifted players the Spurs have drafted within a very small window late in the first round, between picks 26 and 28.
In the space of those three pick slots, the Spurs have selected: Tony Parker (2001), John Salmons (2002), Leandro Barbosa (2003), Beno Udrih (2004), Ian Mahinmi (2005), Tiago Splitter (2007) and George Hill (2008).
The fact that San Antonio hit on draft picks no higher than 26 in five straight drafts approaches a near mythical level of success. Popovich rebuilt the core of a championship team with a player selected 28th (Tony Parker) and a second rounder taken 57th overall (Manu Ginobili), the improbability of that is astounding, with or without the base of Tim Duncan.
It may be nearing cliché to note the Spurs ability to find gold among the scraps, and that could be the truest indicator of their amazing history in this area.
Too early to add Larry Owens?
If only we had Scola.
Who's DuJuan?
The Spurs are where they are for two reasons and two reasons only: Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
That will get you to the second round, as David would attest for a lot of years, but only tough role players get you further than that.
Well Pop will tell you plainly that Tim and Dave are the reason the Spurs are the franchise they are today. Two first round picks, and it just so happened that both picks were big men and it just so happened that those picks were two of the best bigs to ever play the game.
Could have been like Oden, or Kwame Brown, or one of many other busts, but it was Tim and Dave. If you had to pick a first overall twice, you couldn't to better than Dave and Tim.
GuitarKid, you should really change your name, because we all see your name and think 15-year-old, uninformed, racist.
I guess that means good things are ahead for Ryan Richards.
And what did that get David his first nine years, good guy, hard worker and mega talented player that he was? He even had a productive young Duncan for the ninth year.
Mario Elie
Bruce Bowen
Stephen Jackson
Speedy Claxton
Robert Horry
These are the guys who lift you from a star driven second round out to a championship. Kobe may have been at his basketball peak from 2005 to 2008, but didn't win because players like Horry and Fish moved on.
these 2nd round triggas wanted to play for Spurs rather than any team, so they just joined spurs summer-league team and did their best to impress Pop, and finally reached an oral agreement with the Spurs, which all happened before them being drafted. triggas knew other teams with higher-ranked picks also had interest in him and would probably pick them before spurs did, so they just showed personal flaws only to drop down the rank and get drafted by Spurs.
There were unsuccessful ones also. Batum would have been a top10 draft but for his "heart condition" imo. however, it only turned out a forlorn attempt when the rockets drafted the french star with their 1st rounder which was 2 spots higher than Spurs'
Nazr Mohammed. Always wish we kept that guy.
He was rugged down low defensively.
Both Nazr and Elson had tons of raw talent, but coasted through their NBA careers, the reason neither stuck in SA.
I thought the spurs FO didn't have any interest in Dragic, I thought they only did it because Phoenix told them to for the trade
They didn't, just like they had no interest in John Salmons when we picked him for Philly. People count that against the FO anyway, though. Hatahs gonna hate.
The Dragic pick trade also netted us DeJuan the next year.
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