Spurs' future draft picks

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Heard some talk of Trey Johnson earlier in the thread so:

TREY JOHNSON DURING PRE-DRAFT CAMP TODAY.

Trey Johnson, 6-5, Shooting Guard, Jackson State, Senior
16 points, 1 rebound 1 assist, 6/14 FG, 4/4 FT, 1/2 3PFG

As one of the top pure scorers in college basketball, many people expected a strong performance from Trey Johnson here in Orlando. After struggling during the first game, he bounced back with one of the better performances throughout today’s games.

The bulk of Johnson’s points were scored from between 15 and 20 feet, where he used a high screen to create his shot. On the pick and roll plays, he shot a number of fade-away jumpers while moving to the right, a shot that seems nearly impossible to disrupt. Though this shot was effective a number of times, Johnson sometimes cools off and struggles to score for periods of time.

Though the senior guard had a number of pick and rolls run for him, he rarely decided to turn the corner and attempt to penetrate past the defender. He was fouled twice on drives to the basket, and it would add another dimension to the game if he attacked the hoop with better consistency. Johnson also appears to be struggling with the adjustment to the NBA three point line right now but he certainly has the shooting stroke to become at least a moderate threat.

Despite his effectiveness on the offensive end, Johnson struggled on defense against a number of players, including Brandon Heath and Brad Newley. The lack of fundamentals in this area hurt Johnson, and a lack of lateral quickness compounds the problem.

Johnson has the potential to become a scoring threat at the 2 off the bench, but his defense must improve in order for him to become a mainstay in an NBA rotation. It will also be interesting to see if he can adjust to becoming a role player rather than a first option on the offensive end. Players like Johnson rarely have plays run for them at the next level, and he must learn to get the bulk of his shots within the flow of the offense.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

REYSHAWN TERRY DURING PRE-DRAFT CAMP TODAY.

Reyshawn Terry, 6-8, Senior, Small Forward, North Carolina
13 points, 2 rebounds, 0 assists, 3 turnovers, 4-7 FG, 5-6 FT

After a fairly invisible first half, Reyshawn Terry came alive and finished up having a pretty decent stat-line in the end. He showed up some of the same concerning lack of assertiveness that plagued him for much of this year, getting lost in the shuffle when he wasn’t showing poor ball-handling skills creating his own shot from the perimeter. His pocket was picked on one occasion by Zabian Dowdell, and he forced his dribble on two other occasions to pick up a charge and a bad turnover. While extremely athletic, Terry is not the most fluid or reactive player in the world, not being the type of guy that can change directions on the fly while putting the ball in the floor or hanging in the air for a finish. He also went back to his old habit of fading away for no particular reason on his 3-point shot, something that he seemed to have corrected when we saw him a few weeks ago working out at Tim Grover’s gym.

It wasn’t all bad for Terry, though. Later on in the game, he picked up some easy baskets to get himself going, scoring two easy layups in transition and knocking down a wide open 12 foot jump-shot. He also played some solid defense at the small forward position on Quinton Hosely and Mohamed Abukar, who really struggled.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

DEMETRIUS NICHOLS:

Demetris Nichols, 6’7, SF, Syracuse

17 pts, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 to, 6-7 fg’s, 2-4 ft’s, 3-4 3-pt

The term “instant offense” certainly describes Nichols’ play so far in Orlando. His scoring totals have been unrivaled, and he is doing it with remarkable efficiency. Nichols is absolutely lethal as a spot up shooter, and has the length to get his shot off over most wing defenders. He is also good at making defenses pay for losing attention, capable of finding a soft spot in the defense and hoisting a shot before anyone can react.

The rest of Nichols’ game is less attractive, but he has the athleticism and length to contribute in other ways at some point. Nichols plays good defense at times, but could probably use his natural gifts to his advantage a bit more often in non-shooting areas. Nichols once again scored a large chunk of his points over a short period of time, but his shooting runs are proving to be game-changing here in Orlando. His team is now 2-0, and given the way he shot at Syracuse as a senior, it would be a surprise if Nichols didn’t light it up again tomorrow.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

DOMINIC McGUIRE:

Dominic McGuire, 6-7, Small Forward, Junior
11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 turnovers, 4/6 FG

An athletic forward with lots of upside, McGuire may be the most intriguing prospect at the pre-draft camp this season. After a lack of aggressiveness held him back on day 1, he bounced back with a solid all-around performance today.

McGuire displayed very impressive passing ability today, both in the half court and transition offense. His most impressive play came in transition when he took the ball coast to coast left handed before dishing the ball from under the basket to an open big man. There was no defensive pressure when he was bringing the ball up the court, however, and his ball handling will be an area that will need focus in the future.

In addition to passing, McGuire also made 3 spot-up jumpers from around the college 3 point range. The junior shot just under 30% from the three point line this season, and it appears that he has worked a great deal on his shooting mechanics since the end of the college season. The next step in this area will be to expand the range out to the NBA three point line.

As a slasher, McGuire has all the natural tools to excel in this area at the NBA level, thanks to a deadly first step and the ability to explode off the ground and hang in the air. For him to fully utilize this ability, better ball handling will be necessary. In addition, McGuire must stop shying away from contact at the basket. As proven on one drive today, he tries to finesse the ball around the defense rather than taking the contact and drawing the foul. Still, few small forward prospects are blessed with this kind of size and explosive athletic ability.

Defensively, McGuire made a number of athletic plays today, including a help side blocked shot and a handful of difficult defensive rebounds. His physical tools allow him to play good man to man defensive most of the time, but he sometimes loses his focus in this area. With a consistent effort, the tools are in place for him to become a lockdown defensive small forward at the NBA level.

On one hand, McGuire has great athleticism for a small forward prospect in combination with a pretty good overall feel for the game. At the same time, his soft style of play rarely allows him to take advantage of his natural gifts. Dominic McGuire could easily be a mid first rounder with more physical play, but it is tough to project a player who rarely goes to his strengths.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2091

[TDMVPDPOY]

one question though about camps

are there ball hogs on team who will not pass the ball....just like every other tryout??

[tempest186]

28 - Fernandez (if available though it looks like a longshot) but I think they may trade up and take Splitter
33 - Aaron Afflalo
58 - Herbert Hill

No real information, just some thoughts and gut feelings

[EvenFlow]

Here's a flattering article about Zabian Dowdell from a few days earlier.

East Coast Workout Swing: Day 8 (Zabian Dowdell, J.R. Reynolds, etc)
May 29, 2007
Of the five players training for the pre-draft camp, Zabian Dowdell was not only easily the most impressive seen here, but probably also one of the most impressive overall guys we’ve seen in our two week long scouting trip. Physically, Dowdell not only looks the part of an NBA player already, with a thick 200+ pound frame complimenting his 6-9 wingspan, but he also carries himself like one too. In the shooting drills he impressed mightily, showing a very fluid release with absolutely no wasted motion. One thing you can say about the players here is that they just aren’t allowed to shoot any other way than with perfect mechanics, with every flaw being nitpicked again and again by one of the many coaches in attendance, until the players get it right.

Dowdell showed great potential in the pick and roll drills the players ran, thanks to his outstanding handle and great patience picking whether to slip, split or drag the screen. He’s the one who needs the least coaching it seems on his technique, looking highly instinctive in the way he executes everything efficiently and with great fundamentals.

Even if Dowdell looked impressive in the drills portion of the workout, it was in the five on five that he clearly separated himself from the pack. It was here that his decision making skills as a point guard really came out, making outstanding reads time after time on the pick and roll, and a number of fantastic passes setting the table perfectly for a teammate to easily score. Dowdell made Thorpe really happy on one particular play, as he showed perfect timing utilizing a pick and roll, and then splitting the two defenders abruptly to open up the entire floor precisely the way he had been taught to just a few hours prior.

His ball-handling skills are definitely top-notch, showing a great little wiggle to create offense for himself with sheer craftiness, rather than with incredible explosiveness, and a beautiful pull-up game from the mid-range area. When given an inch, he knocked down the NBA 3-ball at a pretty solid rate as well, and when challenged on the other side of the floor, he took a lot of pride in locking down his man. One particularly impressive play in transition had him matched up with J.R. Reynolds trying to contain him in a one on one situation. Dowdell moved his feel beautifully, kept his strong body on him without fouling, and used his massive wingspan to just wrap him up and force him into an extremely difficult shot.

The lone negatives to come out of this workout would be for one his less than prototypical explosiveness getting by his defender and finishing at the rim, and two, his over-enthusiasm at times penetrating too far into the lane.

Between what we saw here, during the season (where he was named 1st team All-ACC), and at Portsmouth, we’re starting to think that we might have a very intriguing NBA prospect on our hands here. Dowdell is exactly the kind of big, strong, versatile and steady point guard that NBA teams like to bring off their bench, and his stock is quietly rising amongst those in the know around the league.

Players who can shoot, defend, pass and handle, and have the size and length to defend two positions are definite commodities these days, especially when they have extremely strong intangibles, big-time college experience and a high basketball IQ to boot. Thorpe considers him “the most sure-fire pro in my gym,” and raves about the fact that he way he’s responded to his training so far. Like all of the five players in attendance here, he was the captain of his team.

[Mr. Body]

one question though about camps

are there ball hogs on team who will not pass the ball....just like every other tryout??

Yes. But this year there seems to be more career back-up points available than usual.

Jared Dudley is on what most were saying was the best camp team, with Reyshawn Terry as well as, I believe, Taurean Green.

[mountainballer]

Yes. But this year there seems to be more career back-up points available than usual.

there are quite some and if we talk about Taurean Green as a possible pick with 33 we should also look at Bobby Brown. he didn't impress in the first two games, but had a decent one yesterday (13 pts). nbadraft calls him the most athletic PG in the camp.

Jared Dudley is on what most were saying was the best camp team, with Reyshawn Terry as well as, I believe, Taurean Green.

He is on a team with Terry, but not Green. (Visser is also on his team)

Dudley had another decent game last night (12 points 6 rebounds, 5-10 FG)

[mountainballer]

something about Scola:
Tau won the first game of the ACB PO-semifinals against Barcelona. Scola had a bad shooting night (12 points on 5-13) but a good overall game. (9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks).
Splitter was quiet. 9 points, 4 rebounds (in 30 minutes)

[mountainballer]

28 - Fernandez (if available though it looks like a longshot) but I think they may trade up and take Splitter
33 - Aaron Afflalo
58 - Herbert Hill

No real information, just some thoughts and gut feelings

each pick would be a steal with those picks, but the only realistic one is Afflalo IMO.
Spurs might find a way to trade up a bit, but not enough to get Splitter.
picking Afflalo+Fernandez, but no SF dosn't make sense
Hill is currently falling, but he won't drop to no.58. (if yes, this is a no-brainer)

[Bruno]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

Marist point guard Jared Jordan dazzled scouts with his passing and poise, and he says that he has "nine or 10" workouts scheduled with teams. He'll start in San Antonio next week.

"I think I proved to people that I can run a team," Jordan said.

[yavozerb]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?si...=yhoo&type=lgns

Thought I would add this for you stuckey fans..


Perhaps no player has created as much intrigue as Eastern Washington shooting guard Rodney Stuckey, who is believed, according to sources, to be the Detroit Pistons' target at No. 15.

Said one Eastern Conference scout: "If this kid was playing at Washington, instead of Eastern Washington, people (would be) talking about him as a top 10, maybe top seven or eight player, in this draft."

Stuckey is a fearless, tough guard with a great shooting touch. Out of high school, he would've gone to the Pac -10, but he didn't have the grades to become eligible as a freshman.

[A.H 21-50]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

interesting that jordan will have a workout with sas, that means they really want another pg but imo there's other pg's who are better than jordan

it wil lbe interesting to know all the players who are going to do a workout for san antonio

[yavozerb]

interesting that jordan will have a workout with sas, that means they really want another pg but imo there's other pg's who are better than jordan

it wil lbe interesting to know all the players who are going to do a workout for san antonio

I could see the spurs getting a sf (Byars or Dudley) with #28 pick and then picking a pg (Jordan or Brown) with #33.

[picnroll]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns

He sure proved to me he can run a team. This kid's passing and playmaking were a thing of beauty. He was also clever with his dribble, hesitiation moves and change of direction not only to get open but to get open to create great passing angles. When pressed and doubled bringning the ball up he pass overr the top getting great opportunities for his teammates. Don't know how he'd hold up on the defensive end but he's worth a close look and from what I saw I'd be happy if the Spurs nabbed him in the second. Playmaking-wise he made all the other PGs look like pikers.

[A.H 21-50]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

. Jared Jordan, 6-foot-2 guard, Marist – He improved his draft standing more than any other prospect. He proved he could excel against a higher caliber of player than he faced while at Marist. His individual workouts will become extremely important because teams will want him to be able to defend the pick and roll and shoot the ball consistently.

Jared Dudley, 6-7 forward, Boston College – A very versatile and intelligent player. Scouts like his floor game and his nose for the ball. He might not have a true position in the NBA, but his intelligence and understanding of how to play will help him to be an effective player.

[Mr. Body]

Interesting about Jared Jordan, that SAS is asking for a look. I'd think he would struggle on defense, and he's not a great shooter, but Steve Nash did come from tiny Santa Clara, after all.

Rodney Stuckey - I've had him going to Detroit, or Tiago Splitter, depending on my mood. Seeing their need for scoring, he's a good pick there.

[timvp]

Jared Jordan looked pretty good. Although I'm not sure how well he'd fit in the Spurs system. The point guard isn't a creator in the Spurs offense. He'd fit better on a team like the Suns or Jazz where the point guards dominate the ball.

On the Spurs, he's weakness on D would be exposed more than his ability to run the show. Only way you draft him is if he shows he's at least a decent defender and can shoot the ball. Playmaking ability isn't enough of a quality in a Spurs backup point.

[Phenomanul]

Jared Jordan looked pretty good. Although I'm not sure how well he'd fit in the Spurs system. The point guard isn't a creator in the Spurs offense. He'd fit better on a team like the Suns or Jazz where the point guards dominate the ball.

On the Spurs, he's weakness on D would be exposed more than his ability to run the show. Only way you draft him is if he shows he's at least a decent defender and can shoot the ball. Playmaking ability isn't enough of a quality in a Spurs backup point.

Think of it this way though.... Michael Jordan at Spurs Games.... on our side (except for Spurs vs. Bobcat games).

We would be in the media's graces at last!

[picnroll]

Jared Jordan looked pretty good. Although I'm not sure how well he'd fit in the Spurs system. The point guard isn't a creator in the Spurs offense. He'd fit better on a team like the Suns or Jazz where the point guards dominate the ball.

I think Pop works with the talent he has and creates the system around that talent. Certainly a lot different offense in the pre-Manu, pre-Parker years than in the Manu and Parker years. Kidd. Certainly if Kidd had signed with the Spurs Pop would have run a ball dominating PG offense.

Spurs haven't had a Nash-type PG and Jordan has a lot of Nash in him. Apparently not the shot but maybe that can be improveded upon. One knock is his athletcism, speed, quickness but he has that same ability to get people off balance and get by/around them that Nash has. He makes paasses like Joe Montana, threaded the needle last couple of Orlando games.

Unfortunately he seemed to have Nash-like defensive capability. Still ...

[Mr. Body]

Think of it this way though.... Michael Jordan at Spurs Games.... on our side (except for Spurs vs. Bobcat games).

We would be in the media's graces at last!

No relation. This guy's white. And MJ's sons are nowhere as talented as this guy.

[objective]

I could see Jordan with the last of the second round picks if he's still there.

Mostly I could see the attraction to him due to his ballhandling. Shooting and defense are a liability, but the Spurs might be able to trust him to bring the ball up under pressure, unlike Beno. Keeping turnovers low = plus for back-up point guards.

[wildbill2u]

The DX pages now have the Finnish PG Kipponen falling to 29. I think we take him at 28 because the Spurs hate to pay money for someone that 'might make it' when they can draft Euro and stash them overseas without paying.

Then DX shows McGuire falling to us at 33. I'm down with that and would think we had a pretty good draft at that point.

Who cares about the last pick? Chances of a pickup there are remote.

[yavozerb]

I still think a guy like Miles coming on to this roster at 24 can fill in as a legit back up pg and vaughn can be our 3rd pg. This hopefully will happen so we can draft a SG like Almond and possibly a center such as Gray. Just a thought..