Pacers have traded this pick to the Spurs for George Hill sources say

[spurs1990]

Geez I look like a maroon.

I will bow at the altar of Kawhi for eternity to make up for my transgression.

[Mel_13]

Q: Wait, the Spurs won three lotteries? Didn’t they win only two?

Technically, yes — they won in 1987 (Robinson) and 1997 (Duncan). But considering that George Hill morphed into a third guard during this year’s playoffs, I’m counting 2011’s Leonard-Hill trade as San Antonio’s third lottery win. Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote wonderfully about that trade last year, but the odds of Leonard falling to no. 15 in 2011 — making that trade possible — had to be lower than San Antonio winning the 1987/1997 lotteries. Consider …

• Chad Ford ranked Leonard as 2011’s sixth-best prospect and had Detroit taking him at no. 8 in his final 2011 mock draft. John Hollinger’s Draft Rater pegged Leonard as the draft’s fifth-best prospect and guaranteed that he’d become a “solid” rotation player at worst.

• The following players were picked ahead of Leonard: Jan Vesely, Bismack Biyombo, Jimmer Fredette, Alec Burks and both Morris twins. Of that group, my favorite miss is Vesely — and not just because it was immediately revealed that he was horrible at basketball. During Kawhi’s rookie season, Washington used Rashard Lewis, Maurice Evans, Cartier Martin and Chris Singleton as their small forwards.

• After Utah took Burks at no. 12, I wrote in my Draft Diary, “How has Kawhi Leonard not been taken yet? What am I missing?”4

• Indiana took Leonard 15th. You know who had the 14th pick? Dork Elvis! That’s right, the darling of the advanced-metrics and common-sense communities took the Poor Man’s Morris Twin one pick ahead of Kawhi Freaking Leonard. Cancel the Sloan Conference right now! Just cancel it!

• After both Morris twins went, I wrote in my Draft Diary, “San Diego’s Kawhi Leonard is officially our ‘how the did he slide to the middle of the draft’ guy, which doesn’t happen every year, but when it happens (Danny Granger, Ty Lawson, Roy Hibbert), you know as it’s happening. He should have been a lottery pick. That guy is a natural NBA small forward.”

• And if that’s not enough, the Pacers could have kept Kawhi and teamed him up with Paul George … which, in retrospect, they definitely would have done had they known that they would have been trotting out the NBA’s most frightening defense/young legs/above-the-rim perimeter combination since Jordan and Pippen. Can you imagine?

To recap: The Spurs needed Michael Jordan, Dork Elvis AND the Basketball Jesus to blow the Kawhi thing, along with everything else that happened. They NEVER should have gotten Kawhi. That’s Lottery Win No. 3.

http://grantland.com/features/24-lin...he-nba-finals/

[Jimcs50]

Don't know why they took Leonard over Singleton. Anyone have any idea?

Because Leonard will be future Finals MVP

[Budkin]

I can't believe we traded Paul George...

[Chinook]

Loved the trade because I was desperate for the Spurs to do SOMETHING that draft. Had it been Parker for Valanciunas and some PG, I would have been happy. Glad it worked out the way it did, though.

[spursparker9]

Q: Wait, the Spurs won three lotteries? Didn’t they win only two?

Technically, yes — they won in 1987 (Robinson) and 1997 (Duncan). But considering that George Hill morphed into a third guard during this year’s playoffs, I’m counting 2011’s Leonard-Hill trade as San Antonio’s third lottery win. Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote wonderfully about that trade last year, but the odds of Leonard falling to no. 15 in 2011 — making that trade possible — had to be lower than San Antonio winning the 1987/1997 lotteries. Consider …

• Chad Ford ranked Leonard as 2011’s sixth-best prospect and had Detroit taking him at no. 8 in his final 2011 mock draft. John Hollinger’s Draft Rater pegged Leonard as the draft’s fifth-best prospect and guaranteed that he’d become a “solid” rotation player at worst.

• The following players were picked ahead of Leonard: Jan Vesely, Bismack Biyombo, Jimmer Fredette, Alec Burks and both Morris twins. Of that group, my favorite miss is Vesely — and not just because it was immediately revealed that he was horrible at basketball. During Kawhi’s rookie season, Washington used Rashard Lewis, Maurice Evans, Cartier Martin and Chris Singleton as their small forwards.

• After Utah took Burks at no. 12, I wrote in my Draft Diary, “How has Kawhi Leonard not been taken yet? What am I missing?”4

• Indiana took Leonard 15th. You know who had the 14th pick? Dork Elvis! That’s right, the darling of the advanced-metrics and common-sense communities took the Poor Man’s Morris Twin one pick ahead of Kawhi Freaking Leonard. Cancel the Sloan Conference right now! Just cancel it!

• After both Morris twins went, I wrote in my Draft Diary, “San Diego’s Kawhi Leonard is officially our ‘how the did he slide to the middle of the draft’ guy, which doesn’t happen every year, but when it happens (Danny Granger, Ty Lawson, Roy Hibbert), you know as it’s happening. He should have been a lottery pick. That guy is a natural NBA small forward.”

• And if that’s not enough, the Pacers could have kept Kawhi and teamed him up with Paul George … which, in retrospect, they definitely would have done had they known that they would have been trotting out the NBA’s most frightening defense/young legs/above-the-rim perimeter combination since Jordan and Pippen. Can you imagine?

To recap: The Spurs needed Michael Jordan, Dork Elvis AND the Basketball Jesus to blow the Kawhi thing, along with everything else that happened. They NEVER should have gotten Kawhi. That’s Lottery Win No. 3.

http://grantland.com/features/24-lin...he-nba-finals/

I thought it was the Spurs that told Indiana to draft Kawhi.

If left on their own, Indiana may not have drafted Kawhi also.

[Chinook]

I thought it was the Spurs that told Indiana to draft Kawhi.

If left on their own, Indiana may not have drafted Kawhi also.

No, the Pacers like Leonard as well. They were thinking about reneging and keeping Kawhi as they had done the previous year with George, but they couldn't justify adding a fifth wing over a potential starting PG.

[Aztecfan03]

Hoops Czar was so butt-hurt over this trade.

[noob cake]

First to call it


Loved the whole team holding up the hand during the MVP presentation. Has there ever been a team like this in pro sports that's enjoyed the moment so much like kids?


So much for that

Praise the prophet. I didn't know Leonard would be this good. I just knew Hill was garbage and only looked good because of Pops' season.

Let us be honest, Leonard is not FMVP level player. He is a borderline all-star.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

What a horrible trade. An unproven talent who can't shoot for a proven guy who's like 23 and makes next to nothing.

[Spurs 4 The Win]

Would take Hill over Parker right now tbh.

The fail is strong with this post

[Spurs 4 The Win]

I would give up de Colo, Mills and Neal to get George back.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

A contradiction right there. Leonard isn't going to supply instant stability at the small forward position. , he isn't even going to see the court his first few seasons. Parker is as good as gone when Duncan retires which could come as soon as next season. They traded away a starting SG, who even with his ups and downs, was the one and only valuable trade chip the Spurs had at their disposal who could have brought in proven talent. They pissed it all away on a future maybe, a future shawn Marion best case scenario. Shawn Marion BLOWS!!!

Good take.

[Mel_13]

Good take.

Yeah, proclaiming that Leonard's ceiling was Marion wasn't one of his better prognostications. Still, better than the guys that said the Spurs screwed up by drafting Leonard over Singleton.

[Mel_13]

How do you know Hill won't turn into a star in Indiana. He no longer will be playing in the shadows of parker and Manu and will flourish in Indiana. He will be a boderline all star there with lots of opportunity to play.

His confidence level will increase with the added playing time and they probably will mainly play him at the 2, his more natural position. There have been times when hill showed how good he can be with the Spurs but those times were far and few between. It was a confidence issue with him playing in a backup role. That won't happen in Indiana.

He will have a better year than Leonard. the trade is not bad for the spurs because Leonard fills a needed role and the spurs had a logjam at the 2 and Hill should not have been logging many minutes at pg anyways but Hill will outperform Leonard.

Its a trade that will help both teams. But

The Spurs should have dealt manu for an impact borderline star big and moved Hill over to the 2. That would have been the best for the team.

Because as it stands now the Spurs still have the same core team that has been regressing in the playoffs, that will likely just add an over the hill type of player on the frontline who won't be enough of a difference maker.

So much fail.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Yeah, proclaiming that Leonard's ceiling was Marion wasn't one of his better prognostications. Still, better than the guys that said the Spurs screwed up by drafting Leonard over Singleton.

There's that but I was more making fun of the first part. Like, he could not have been possibly more wrong if he tried:

, he isn't even going to see the court his first few seasons. Parker is as good as gone when Duncan retires which could come as soon as next season.

[Mel_13]

There's that but I was more making fun of the first part. Like, he could not have been possibly more wrong if he tried:

[The Reckoning]

Physicals Positions Rankings Salary Misc
H: 6' 7"
W: 225 lbs
Bday: 06/29/1991
(19 Years Old)
Current: SF
NBA: SF
Possible: SF
Round: 1 Pick: 14 in 2011 Mock Draft
Rank 10 in Top 100 Prospects
Rank 5 in NCAA Sop res
Rank 1 in 2011 Wings
RSCI: 48
Agent: Brian Elfus
DRAFT ELIGIBLE
High School: King High
Hometown: Riverside, Calif
Best Case: Shawn Marion
Worst Case: Luc Richard Mbah A Moute

From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/...#ixzz1Q9SR48Td
http://www.draftexpress.com

lol scouts

[Cry Havoc]

I don't get the Marion hate in this thread. Sure he was never finals mvp worthy, but he was a damn good player and very multi-tool in his own right. Fantastic defender and rebounder and just never really developed the ability to create his own shot. I mean FFS he had a season of 22 and 12 with 2 steals and 2 blocks per game.

That said, Leonard is a phenom. I can't WAIT to see our first game against OKC next year. After what Durant said, Leonard is gonna feast on dat dude.

[benefactor]

Leonard isn't going to supply instant stability at the small forward position. , he isn't even going to see the court his first few seasons. Parker is as good as gone when Duncan retires which could come as soon as next season.

Sir, you are dumb as .

[Mugen]

Sir, you are dumb as .

Hoops Czar has managed to slide under the radar for a while now but he's easily one of the giest/dumbest posters that venture upstairs tbh.

[benefactor]

Hoops Czar has managed to slide under the radar for a while now but he's easily one of the giest/dumbest posters that venture upstairs tbh.

Harlem has been calling him out for a while now about some of the bull he's been saying. It's all coming light now though.

[DPG21920]

Well, I didn't think Kawhi would play a lot either with RJ and that contract around. It's also rare that rookies contribute on actual championship teams. But the Spurs did the unthinkable and somehow found a taker for RJ and that opened up everything for Kawhi. It was part of the reason I didn't see why the trade was made initially but obviously I didn't think Kawhi would blossom so much, so soon.

[ohmwrecker]

Not that funny at the time. Nobody knew Patty would take such a leap forward the next year. He barely played when I posted that. He was still team towel waver.

[King]

That's a matter of debate. At least Chalmers can drain his open 3s and do it in a pressure packed game. .