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OMG, Rudy would be delicious....and I mean that in a totally heterosexual way.
Unless that PG has the ability to play shooting guard. There are plenty of teams that successfully run small-guard sets in the NBA....such as Terry/Harris and Nash/Barbosa. Since Pruitt or Stuckey are more combo guards than true point guards, they could be successful in the small-guard lineup as well, get more than 12 minutes a game, and be a justified end-of-round one pick. I'm not saying it's the ONLY choice, but it's certainly not a bad one... none of these guys are.
Now if the Spurs grab Krylyo Fesenko with pick 28 and trade away 33...I'll be PISSED!
OMG, Rudy would be delicious....and I mean that in a totally heterosexual way.
Spurs under contract players 07-08 by age (as of 12/31/07) and floor spot
Bigs - TD (31), Horry (37), Elson(31), Oberto (32), Butler(22)
Wings - Manu (30), Finley (34), Bowen (36), Barry(36), White (25)
PG's - Parker(25), Beno (25)
Generally accepted wisdom:
1) The big spot is getting old, but Bigs generally age better than smalls - generally, athletic/running ability is not as required for bigs as it is smalls.
2) Of the 3 areas, the obvious "old" spot on our roster is at the wing.
3) Without trades, there will be 3 roster spots for new players.
4) For the expected roster balance, we need to add one of each type of player - a big, a wing, and a pg.
Personal Observations:
1) It is my opinion, that Pop will not trust his backup PG spot to a rook. He will want at least one Vaughn level veteran on the roster at PG. Also, he will not trust Barry with this spot... I expect either Vaughn (or someone of similar ability, like Chucky Atkins) to be back, taking up one roster spot. I also expect Beno to be traded. We will only draft a PG if Beno is traded for a non-pg player (eg. Not if the organization works an S&T with Memphis of Beno for Chucky Atkins. Note that this is a very possible trade - Atkins can really only expect a Beno level salary, and it gives him a ring shot, while Memphis gets something back for their departing FA).
2) A combo SF/PF would be very valuable, allowing more depth in both the big and wing spots. The spurs organization has been looking for such a player for a long time, the long-expected "long SF". I would expect the FO to acquire such a player this offseason, either by trade or by draft. Indeed, such a player should both likely be available at 28 or 33, which would then free the other pick to be BPA from Bigs and Wings (including players who could stay in Europe). There will also be several strong candidates for this position higher up in the draft - and the organization should consider using the rights of Euro players that they own, as well as draft picks (#58, future picks) to move up in the draft to acquire such a player. For example, Scola +#28, + #58 for #21 + #38 (from the sixers).
No need to trade for Atkins, if he wants to play here, he will just sign a vet minimum or LLE contract, I would rather him sign a vet minimum so we can use out LLE on a player with some potential, someone like Korolev (tall SF from Clippers), the Clipps did not pick up his option, so he is a FA & he was the 12th pick only 2 years ago.
My original Mock had Brandon Rush falling to the Spurs. But a Houston fan buddy convinced me he'd shoot himself if the Rox took Morris Almond over him, and he's a buddy and I don't want him dead, so I switched it. At that point the best pick-up IMO was Pruitt.
But I still think Almond is a nice pick for Houston, a great third threat on offense, and will fit an Adelman team pretty well.
Almond sounds great.
If Almond or Thaddeus fall to the Spurs, you gotta say thats a no brainer picking either or.
any guys from the nbdl interest you guys?
how about fizer to play center
Does pre-draft camps and private team workouts change a players stock that much. I can see teams flucuate with who they want in the second round, but I'd think teams are pretty keen with who they want as a first rounder.
I could see Rush falling to the Spurs. Which would be a blessing.
Don't even joke. Living in Oklahoma City we had to deal with Marcus Fizer playing on our squad (Hornets) last year. The guy is completely worthless.any guys from the nbdl interest you guys?
how about fizer to play center
Almond has a great chance to be there at 28...and maybe even at 33. He doesn't play great/inspired defense, but the guy can flat-out score. He's got a big enough body to play the 3 in spots, so his versatility helps. I'd be happy with him...
Thaddeus on the other hand has no shot of being there at 28, IMO. Guys with his athleticism, perimeter skills, and sky-high potential don't last past 20. He's a workout-darling that someone in the mid-first will fall in love with...book it!
Agree. Thaddeus Young won't be there with the pick. The only SF with any size, other than like Reyshawn Terry, would be Dominic McGuire.
The Orlando Pre-draft camp (the others are for fringe second rounders mostly) is big and the personal workouts are even bigger.
A player can rise like crazy with a good vertical jump or fall like crazy with a questionable medical history at the camps.
And at the workouts, players are able to accent their best features and get an opportunity to answer some questions in crucial face-to-face time with the primary decision-makers.
See, while most of the teams' scouts have been watching these guys play in college or overseas, the primary decision-makers (coaches, GMs, Pres. of BBall Ops, Owner, etc.) have been focusing on winning/playing this year. When the season is over, then the real decisions start to form.
Right now, I think very few teams are set on THE guy, and they probably just have a vague idea of what group they want to look at. You'll see teams firm up those decisions and start to narrow down their choices here in the coming weeks.
Big P, the advantage of doing the job sign and trade for the Spurs is 1) that it moves Beno, freeing a roster spot for a useful player, and 2) I believe that the Grizz have Atkin's early bird rights (he's played for them 2 years) - which means they don't have to touch their LLE's to give him a contract (on that scale). Beno will be paid 1.8 million next year. The LLE is for 1.83 million in 07/08. The Veteran Minimum for a guy with Atkin's experience (as a 9 season veteran next year) is $1,108,718. It works for all three parties... Atkins gets more than the Vet Min, the Spurs get a roster spot from moving Beno (and the space he would have occupied in their salary strucure), and the Grizzlies get Beno as compensation for Atkins leaving as an FA.
Heres another question then.
Is trading up in the draft, worth, going after a Thaddeus Young?
Would it be worth to trade up in the draft for an Acie Law?
It seems Acie might be gone at 11 to Atlanta, or 14 to the Clippers though.
Looks like Stuckey is sticking around. He's got alot of hype around him right now and I expect he'll maintain mid-first status, so the Spurs probably won't have a shot at him....but adding another one to the pile never hurts.
Stuckey hires agent, all set for NBA draft
By Bud Withers
Not so long ago, when Rodney Stuckey was a sop re attending a basketball camp at Eastern Washington with Kentwood High School, Mike Burns of Eastern told him that one day he'd find himself getting ready for the NBA.
"It's finally here," Stuckey said Wednesday from the Eastern campus. "It's crazy."
Stuckey, the prolific, 6-foot-4 guard, has signed with Goodwin Sports Management and will stay in the June 28 NBA draft, where he is widely projected to be a latter-first-round choice.
Wednesday, ESPN.com had Stuckey going 15th in the draft, and it was that kind of bullish input that convinced him to move away from a statement in February that he'd definitely return to Eastern.
"Just the information I've been given was pretty much it," said Stuckey, who averaged 24.4 points in his two seasons at Eastern. "When you get good feedback saying you're a first-round pick ... I've got to do what's best for me and my family.
"Not a lot of players get to be in position to be doing this. I thought this year was the best year for me to go."
Burns, the Eastern coach, said an NBA advisory committee told Stuckey it projected him from picks Nos. 20 to 30, "and they're always very conservative."
Stuckey is a combination point and off guard, probably more advanced right now as a scorer. He is considered a strong, get-to-the-rim force, but one who has at times also shown shooting and passing ability.
"Look at the numbers he's put up: They're staggering," said Burns. "He's had a phenomenal career.
"The one gift he may have that's even greater than his ability to score is his ability to pass, and his vision."
After leading Kentwood to the Class 4A state championship in 2004, Stuckey sat out his college freshman year as a non-qualifier. Otherwise, he would have drawn much more intense recruiting interest.
Stuckey had better shooting numbers in his first year at Eastern than his second, becoming Big Sky Conference player of the year and hitting 49 percent, .372 on threes. He fell off to .453 overall and .267 last season, but improved his assist-to-turnover ratio from 1.15 to 1.63.
"He was forced to take some difficult shots at the end of the clock, and in difficult situations," Burns said. "People believe he can handle it, shoot it, score it, all those things."
Stuckey finishes as Eastern's fourth-leading career scorer with 1,438 points. The leader, Ron Cox, a product of the 1970s, is the only other Eastern player drafted by the NBA.
The only first-round NBA pick in the 44-year history of the Big Sky was Micheal Ray Richardson of Montana in 1978.
Stuckey said he relied on Burns and AAU coach Francis Williams for postseason advice, and interviewed four or five agents.
"I just had a bond with the Goodwins," said Stuckey. "I know the good work they do, and I know they'll do that for me in the future."
Despite Stuckey's heroics, Eastern did not flourish in his two years. It lost in the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament in 2005-06 and failed to make the six-team tournament last season.
"We've kind of prepared for the fact he could be departing," said Burns, who last week announced the signing of two junior-college guards, Adris DeLeon of Southern Idaho and James Doran of Sierra.
Ok, so of all the wings that might be there...rate them in the order that you wouldn't mind taking them in. Here is the list as far as I can tell (in no specific order).
Rudy Fernandez
Brandon Rush
Daequan Cook
Marco Bellinelli
Derrick Byars
Morris Almond
Marcus Williams
Aaron Afflalo
Dominic McGuire
What makes anybody think Beno is tradeable? He has negative trade value.
My initial reaction is to say "Yes" to trading up for Thaddeus. I think in any other draft he'd be a certain lottery pick and maybe even top-10....he has THAT much athleticism, ability, and potential. The question is what do the Spurs have to give up in order to get to that 17th or 18th spot...is it Luis Scola + 28?
I'm honestly not sure, but if this kid puts on another 15-20lbs he could be the long 3/small-ball 4 answer of the future. I'd do it, but I don't know if the Spurs will.
On Acie, I think he has the leadership qualities and clutch shooting ability to be a starter in this league. BUT, I don't think the Spurs should trade up to get a guy that would certainly be relegated to backup PG duty and who I'm not certain the Spurs could run alongside Tony in a small-guard set. Not to mention what the Spurs would have to give up to get to the lottery...where he'll likely go.
Your wrong - he's on a rookie contract, so he's cheap. He's young, and has showed some promise (particularly in his 1st season, before Pop beat him down), remember that his statistical performance hasn't been that bad (see Hollinger calling him to be a breakout player this year). Finally, if I understand the rookie contract structure, Beno can be locked in by the recieving team (on the cheap) until 08/09, or they can drop him with no penalty after 07/08. In short, he's a very low cost gamble that might bloom into a decent player for the recieving team... Remember, in my proposal, the choice is Beno or nothing (cause Atkins is an FA), not Beno or something...
Lots of stuff flying around...
1. Trading up for Thaddeus Young. Very good question. Is he worth giving up Luis Scola? Well, he has a great work ethic and personality on top of outrageous athleticism and size and his ceiling is easily at All-Star level, but isn't assured. I would, tentatively, say 'yes.'
2. As for Law, since he doesn't fill a great need, I'd say 'no.' I have my doubts about him, as well, but we simply don't need to give up our top assets for a b-up PG.
3. Rodney Stuckey does look like a hot property right now. I can see him going to Miami or LA around the 19/20 spots.
4. I do think Beno has trade value. Maybe not a lot, but some. He's on the last year of his contract and isn't terribly expensive for a PG. He hasn't worked lately as a Spur, but has good size for a PG-type and clearly has NBA talent. There are teams (Cleveland, LAC) that badly need point guards who will be interested.
I wonder if Beno, Barry, the 28th would get the Spurs the 14th pick.....
Darkwaters:
Brandon Rush
Derrick Byars
Dominic McGuire
Rudy Fernandez
Marco Bellinelli
Morris Almond
Marcus Williams
Daequan Cook
Aaron Afflalo
Note that Fernandez is not a SF. Most the others can play SF. I don't think much of Cook or Afflalo. I have real reservations about McGuire. Fernandez and Bellinelli may likely not come right away, and Bellinelli could just be another Giricek. I think Rush and Byars are the best prospects for us in the bunch. Play both sides of the ball hard, have range and some intangibles, both did well in the NCAA Tournament. Neither will be more than a rotation guy or decent starter, IMO, but they'll be good.
No, particularly because we would have to take back salary worth between (roughly) 4.5 and 8 million, which contract(s) (Sam Cassel - assuming he is not over his injury issues; otherwise they won't trade him or Tim Thomas & Aaron Williams) are you willing to take off the clippers for that much? Also, for the Clippers, there is not enough value on the table for such a pick.
I don't think so. There tends to be an exponential calculus involved in trading up. A 28 is so far less valuable than a 14, it's practically worthless unless a more certain thing was added, i.e. Luis Scola. Whether Scola + 28 is worth a late teens pick is a good question. ...I'd say 'yes, it is.' There will be, IMO, a team that will see themselves not getting the position they need (PF) or see someone like Jason Smith or Josh McRoberts there and think taking the more established Euroleague scorer + a decent shot at a good SG later in the draft, is well worth taking.
Another question is how far up the 28 + 33 will get you. I think to about 21 or 22.
IMO, Morris Almond is the guy to get.
Bring him in, learn the defensive system, he will learn that PLAY D = PT.
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