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Sweet. One thing you don't do is bet against Presti. He knows basketball.
Spurs draft to world beat again with Mahinmi: French forward, 18, had not been on many lists but follows pattern
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....1a63dff2.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
When Sam Presti, the Spurs' director of player personnel, returned last summer from Zaragosa, Spain, after scouting the 2004 European junior championships, he reported to general manager R.C. Buford that he had just seen the player the Spurs needed to target for the 2005 NBA draft: Ian Mahinmi.
On Tuesday night the Spurs hit their bull's-eye.
Sticking with one element of the formula that has produced two NBA championships in the past three seasons, the Spurs used the 28th pick to select a foreign-born player virtually nobody in South Texas had heard of, save for the team's basketball talent evaluators.
This year's shocker: Mahinmi, an 18-year-old, 6-foot-10, 230-pound power forward from Rouen, France, who nearly took his name out of the draft less than two weeks ago.
"Last year Sam Presti came back from the European junior tournament in Zaragosa and said, 'I've got our next guy that I really want us to focus on,'" Buford said. "Sam doesn't come that strong very often, so it made an impact. Between myself and Danny (Ferry, the director of basketball operations) and Sam we spent enough time over there this year we felt very comfortable evaluating the growth curve."
Mahinmi, who played the past two seasons for STB LeHavre, of the French professional league, is an explosive player whose skills remain raw. But he is only 18 and just graduated from high school, and the Spurs evaluated him as such.
The Spurs have the luxury of allowing Mahinmi to continue to develop his game, and Buford said they hope to work with Mahinmi and his team in LeHavre to have him remain in the French League for one or two more seasons.
"This is a young athlete," Buford said. "As we evaluated the draft I don't think you ever see a great deal of size that deep in the draft, especially that combines athleticism. Over the course of the last year he made significant progress. We'll evaluate the situation as we go forward, but we think it's best that he stays there in Le Havre.
"They've done a great job developing him to date, and I can see him developing into a real focal point on a playoff team in the French first division."
What did Mahinmi do in Zaragosa to capture Presti's interest?
"I did a lot of activity, run a lot, bring a lot of rebounds and blocked shots and always tried to push my team up and give the maximum on the court," Mahinmi said in a telephone interview from the draft in New York. "I think that is why the Spurs liked me. I'm not sure, maybe because I gave a lot of energy on the court in Zaragosa and tried to do the best for my team; not play for me, but play for the team and maybe that is why they called their attention to me."
Buford agreed that what he called Mahinmi's intangibles— character, personality and team orientation — had greatly impressed the Spurs.
"It takes a special situation for Sam to get really focused in like that," Buford said.
Mahinmi's selection Tuesday night was even more of a surprise than the selection in 2001 of Tony Parker or the selection in 2004 of Beno Udrih. Parker had shown his skills in the Nike Hoop Summit before the 2001 draft. When Udrih was drafted he was 22 and already had played professionally for seven years for teams in Slovenia, Russia, Israel and Italy.
Mahinmi said playing in the NBA has been a goal from the first time he saw a game on television in France, even before he began playing.
"I think the moment when I start basketball it becomes a dream to play in the NBA," Mahinmi said. "I used to watch the NBA games before I begin playing, and I don't even know the French league or the European league, but I really, really watch the NBA when I was really young. So when I started basketball it was to be at one time an NBA player."
Now, Mahinmi has been selected by the NBA champions.
"I am so pleased, thrilled," Mahinmi said.
Sweet. One thing you don't do is bet against Presti. He knows basketball.
Sam Presti is a genius.
I really hope this player is as good as I hope. Meaning like 35 year old Robinson.
Sam Presti likes him??? SOLD!
Lets just hope this investment pays off
This was a pick that made me go "huh?" when we made it.
But if this is Sam Presti's latest wunderkind, I'm sold.
You can listen/watch RC Buford talk about him quite a bit on spurs.com.
I have heard the name before but why exactly is he a genuis?
Thanks(sorry for the dumb question)
Presti is 28 years old. Five years ago he was an intern for the Spurs making $250 per week. Now he's director of Player Personnel and right hand man to RC. He was the one who brought the tape of Tony Parker to RC and Pop and made them seriously look at him. He played a huge part in the Spurs drafting Scola, Beno and just about every once else in the last few years. He's touted as Scouting Genius and digs up players from all over the world. Some people refer to him as the "NBA's Indiana Jones" because he'll go to any length and into any situation to scout/recruit players.I have heard the name before but why exactly is he a genuis?
Thanks
Awesome. I also read somewhere that he had his own statistical methods for evaluating players.
Who was the one who chose Manu and Scola? Was that all RC's part? What convinced them to keep Manu over Giricek? Who was the one behind that?
I believe that RC and Presti both got Scola. I believe both RC and Pop were the ones that were high on Manu.Who was the one who chose Manu and Scola? Was that all RC's part? What convinced them to keep Manu over Giricek? Who was the one behind that?
Yes, the audio is a must listen. He all but admits that the Spurs pulled another CIA move on the league. No doubt the Spurs promised this guy a spot in the first round and other teams hadn't done their homework enough to figure him out after he left his name in the draft.
Didn't Pop want Giricek initially?
Everyone did. Ginobili took time to learn defense and reign in his wild game. Ginobili was a project that worked out.
Pretty much the same thing applies to this big frenchman they drafted.
So why did they not keep Giricek, I forget? Forgive me.
Mahinmi Video Clip
http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/stb.co...BR-mahinmi.mpg
You might want to sit down before you click on that link.
Holy crap..
Either they have 9 foot rims in France or that dude's arms belong on Manute Bol...
Oh lord, it's like waiting for fruit to grow on a tree. I want to see him play for us next season.
The little dude in blue looks like a future Suns draft pick...Nice D.
Wasn't all that impressed with the clip, hopefully the kid grows & develops like Manu, TP & Scola have overseas.
What would impress you? Dunking over the backboard?
Wow, hopefully the spurs can keep him, its just a matter of time before another team figures it out, and offers him huge $ and a better position.
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