Wake mistake — Spurs face a rare, wrong choice

[reydawg]

If the Spurs really knew what Ginobili would become, why did they wait until No.57 to take him? They took someone else in 1999, with a draft-day trade, at No.40.

That doesn't make any sense. It doesn't matter if he's the best or not. It matters if you think somebody else will take him. Clearly the Spurs took a flyer on Manu back in 1999. If those players were re-drafted, he would go much, much higher. No debates from anybody there.

Nevertheless, it doesn't matter if you're passing on MJ if nobody else is going to pick him up. And since nobody was going to draft Manu, the Spurs got him precisely where the needed to - at the very end of the draft.

[SenorSpur]

I, for one, am on record as saying the Spurs "blew this one". I thought it was a mistake back in 03 and now watching Howard develop into the Mavs second-best player has evidence enough.

Really it's been painful to watch because I see how he could have easily fit seamlessly into the Spurs scheme. After all, this guy was on the the ACC college player of the year. His numbers were obvious. I couldn't believe he fell that far in the draft and for the Spurs to pass him up is unforgivable. Especially when you consider the Spurs traded out of the freaking round altogether!

I don't know that Howard would've been a starter by now, but he certainly would have been a regular contributor and would have given them some all-around production and youth at the swing spot. Plus he's cheap.

For all the worthless effort the Spurs made chasing Kidd (which I thought was a mistake too), passing on Howard further compunds that "bonehead" blunder.

[ShoogarBear]

The Spurs arguably blew this one multiple ways, althought it's not a clear-cut as some of you believe.

1. They didn't take Howard, and now we're whining about needing a long 3.
2. They didn't keep Barbosa.
3. They traded the draft pick they got for Barbosa (needlessly, I think) to the Knicks in the Malik-Nazr trade, and the pick turned into David Lee.

So the question is, who would you rather have now? Lee, Barbosa, Howard, or Mohammed? Put it another way, which one of those four would you least want to have? And guess who has the biggest contract of the bunch?

On the other hand, having Nazr certainly helped win the championship for us last year.

[cheguevara]

nobody is perfect

[ducks]

he is good
but if no one left
who does he replace in the starting lineup?
can howard play off the bench
would the spurs have gotten barry still?
manu and bowen start IMO
or do you make manu come of the bench?

do you think he really got away or would the spurs have sent him over seas for a year or 2 to get better?

[picnroll]

He looks thin, but I don't know for sure how much he weighs. He's been here almost all season "rehabbing" so he might have put on some weight.

Hopefully he's "rehabbing" with Engelland.

[LEONARD]

Howard is the man...20 ppg / 7 rpg next year...

[SenorSpur]

Still think that the Spurs passing over Josh was a good idea?