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To think, we still have some Pop bashers in here, that is just totally absurd.
Buck Harvey: The next Ginobili? Foreign intelligence
Web Posted: 12/02/2004 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
Some in the Spurs' organization think Beno Udrih is the best passer on the best passing team in franchise history.
Better than Manu Ginobili?
"Beno's passes," said one, "always make sense."
Ginobili smiled at that, as did Udrih. "I'm a rookie," Udrih said. "My passes have to make sense."
Then they left the locker room together, the last two out Wednesday, a symbolic combination. The Spurs were ahead of the pack when they drafted Tony Parker, and the pack wasn't even within view when they took Ginobili. Now comes the latest, someone who combines Parker's Euro background at point guard with Ginobili's left-handed dare.
How did the International House of Spurs do it this time?
The Sixers have to wonder. Udrih came in for Parker with a little more than four minutes left in the first quarter and Philadelphia had a 17-12 lead. Then Udrih snapped a pass to Devin Brown for a 3-pointer, followed with a drive and then threw in an 18-footer to end the quarter.
That tied the score. When Parker later replaced Udrih, Tim Duncan was himself and the Spurs were up by nine. The night before, in Dallas, Udrih had a similar impact.
He didn't come from nowhere. Udrih played against Parker when the two were teens in Europe, and he played against Ginobili, too. When European power Maccabi Tel Aviv signed Udrih two years ago, it was a sign of his future. Few 20-year-old point guards start for such a team.
But this is when the cracks began to form, and only those who paid attention understood. In Tel Aviv the press and fans preferred a young, local talent. The Maccabi coach insisted Udrih someday could play in the NBA, but, according to a journalist there, "Nobody took him seriously."
Udrih tightened and was slowed by a twisted ankle. When he went to a small Russian club the next season, his value fell further. Udrih, injured again, left the team and then drifted. He ended up with a team in Milan at the end of last season, but only in a pre-draft camp in Chicago were NBA execs impressed.
Though he ranked as one of the best there, scouts saw Udrih as they did Parker a few years ago. Sure, he looked good, but how accurate was the measurement?
From there Udrih went on a series of individual workouts, including one in San Antonio. As far as he could tell, the Spurs had no more interest in him than anyone else did.
Little did he know. The Spurs went to Chicago, for example, primarily to see Udrih.
They already had done their background checks, and this was about more than a few phone calls. This was about how they work the world.
Gregg Popovich, with language skills in both Russian and Serbo-Croatian, has opened doors for the Spurs. In the summer of 2003, before driving to Slovenia to recruit Rasho Nesterovic, Popovich attended a coaches' conference in Serbia. He was the only U.S. coach there — out of maybe 1,000.
R.C. Buford and his staff follow behind, scouting, doing research, making connections. An example came in training camp this fall, when the Spurs hosted a dozen Serbian coaches.
Give. And take, naturally. What the Spurs seek is the inside skinny. They don't believe in individual workouts as much as they do a trusted source who can accurately tell them what the player is about.
Udrih, they were told, could see the floor. He's a better player than his numbers. He passes ahead to the right spot, and the game seems more organized when he's in it. He feeds the post well, and his size allows him to be an adequate defender.
As for his shooting: He looks like a modern-day Gail Goodrich, with a quick left-hand stroke.
What they heard about his personality meant more. At first glance, Udrih seems too passive, a stereotype of his countrymen. When Udrih failed in Israel, some wondered if he had the moxie.
That's where inside information helped. Udrih, they were told, is unassuming, but there's also fire beneath the surface.
It has come out already. And when he fits in the locker room, or surprises with his poise, or makes a remarkable pass?
He's just the latest.
To think, we still have some Pop bashers in here, that is just totally absurd.
yeah because he won a le he makes no mistake
timvp was mad at pop not to long ago about playing horry in 4 to much
if this place was all homers for pop it would not be as good
Interesting contrast in styles at PG. Parker creates chaos, disrutping the defense, and then oportunities out of that chaos. Udrih creates order, precision ball movement, and then opportunities out of that order.
Damn it is good to be a Spurs fan.
Life is good.
Huge call! Does sound like we were keen on Beno for a while. We can't expect a gem at every late pick, but we are doing mighty fine with them lately!
Party on, Garth.
I have to admit that Beno doesn't suck anymore.
*Knock*, *Knock* . . . Sequ . . . is anybody home? Sequ, are U there ???
It's a rite of passage. Every rookie has to bring donuts and have Sequ post he sucks.
*Knock*, *Knock* . . . Bryant . . . is anybody home? Bryant, are U there ???
Yes I am here. sup?
I like this quote
I just hope he doesn't get a big head from this sort of articles. Then again if anybody can keep egos in check I believe it is this team. Life is good right now and I think there's even room for improvement.
I like this quote
I just hope he doesn't get a big head from this sort of articles. Then again if anybody can keep egos in check I believe it is this team. Life is good right now and I think there's even room for improvement.
Every pro athlete has a big head, that is a given. You do not get to that level w/o having supreme confidence in your abilities.
http://www.bbhighway.com/download/cl...%20program.pdf
From the archives (PDF)
True
I'm should've said too big.
So... wait. Is Simmons or this Udrih guy the next Manu?
Whatever happened to Jimcs50? Use to be there were good posters like him, Slomo , Bruno, Solid D, Ghost Writer, TimVP, Kori posting regularly. Now we have apple and dumbbomb.
In his rookie year, Udrih was very impressive (just not on defense). I thought we should dump Tony and keep Beno. I figure Pop could barely live with Manu's passes, much less Beno's, too. But the guy was a great passer. His journeyman career has kind of surprised me. I still wonder how he might have panned out if the Spurs had kept him.
11 years later and that statement still holds true.
You can find a Ginobili in a trash can everywhere, tbh. AHASHDAHSDHASDHASDHASDHAHDHAH!
Beno lost his mojo when he couldn't get the ball across mid court during the finals.
That rings a faint bell. Came back the next season with an early season injury? and thereafter never got out of Pop's doghouse? I do declare some of you posters here have phenomenal memories when it comes to the Spurs.
This isn't even an exaggeration...he literally had problems bringing ball up court...was Lindsey Hunters lil .
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