My impressions of the Draft
#37 - Dejuan Blair
It would be redundant of me to gush about how much of a steal Blair was on draft night. The bottom line is that Blair is a talented big man who should be a rotation player once the season has started. His strong, physical play also adds a much needed dimension to the front court. The drafting of Blair has taken a lot of pressure off the Spurs front office heading into free agency
#51 - Jack McClintion
The Blair hype that has swept through the Spurs nation has lead to McClinton being overlooked. He's an immensely talented shooter in the mould of Eddie House. I've longed believed that a player like this could help fix the offensive droughts that plague the Spurs. He's energetic and remorseless, and the Spurs FO believe he is a very capable defender. Hopefully McClinton can be a spot player next season.
#53 - Nando De Colo
He'll be a draft and stash for the forseable future. The Spurs appear to be set at point guard. I think playing with George Hill in the future could help mask some of De Colo's glaring defensive weaknesses. His playmaking and shooting could be very useful down the road.
Current Spurs
Tony Parker
Tony has the majority of the point guard minutes stitched up. This is a major reason why I don't believe the Spurs need any more point guards on the roster. Hopefully Tony continues to improve as Duncan declines and the team is forced to rely moreso on him. There is almost no chance Tony Parker is traded.
Tim Duncan
Despite his decline, Tim remains the most valuable player on this Spurs team. If the Spurs continue to make strides towards improving the talent of the roster, I think we'll see a revival in Tim Duncan's play. Last season he was often being called upon to complete the work of two men. Ideally, Duncan's minutes can be managed without the team suffering too badly. I see no circumstance where Duncan is traded.
Manu Ginobili
The season before last we saw the most athletic and probably the best Manu Ginobili ever. I think it's far too early to write off Manu Ginobili as many ignorant posters have. Hopefully preseason shows us that he has recovered fully. With the addition of Jefferson, it would be advisable for Manu to remain in a Kevin Mchale supersub role. The Spurs will need a healthy Ginobili for the playoffs, so further limitation of his minutes may be necessary. At this point it seems clear that Manu will remain with the Spurs, however if the Spurs underachieve he may be moved.
Richard Jefferson
On paper it appears that Jefferson is a perfect fit for the Spurs. He provides everything the Spurs have lacked at the small foward position, with the possible exceptions being rebounding and defense. In the past Jefferson has been a strong defender, hopefully with a smaller offensive role and the motivation of playing for a contender he can recapture this. While he has the physical tools, Jefferson has never been a particularly strong rebounder. Right now there is no way Jefferson gets traded, his value is simply too low in the open market.
Roger Mason
I'm a huge Mason fan and I would like to think there's a significant role for him moving foward. I'm hoping that he's no longer asked to run the point again, because it really messed up his rhythm in the second half of the season. With the potential retirement of many of the team's shooters coupled with Manu's injury worries, the Spurs really need a player of Mason's quality in the rotation. I feel that there's a possibility he may be traded, but I'm hoping the Spurs manage to hold onto him.
George Hill
I, like many Spurs fans, felt that George didn't receive a fair go of things last year. He played very well in the absence of Parker early in the season. One of the main reasons why I was happy with the Jefferson trade was because we didn't have to give up Hill. Based on the draft and front office statements it appears that the backup point guard role is Hill's to lose next year. Hill will only be traded if there is a chance to significantly improve the roster.
Matt Bonner
Based on last year's play, it appears that Bonner doesn't have the mindset to be a part of a major championship rotation. Ideally Bonner could be packaged for some sort of front court upgrade. He was a starter last year and after the Jefferson trade the front court is very thin. One would have to believe that Pop would at least want some carry over heading into next year. Bonner's 3 point shooting makes him a useful player in the Spurs system, but his rebounding and defense are just too weak for him to play a major role.
Ian Mahinmi
Physically Mahinmi appears to be exactly what the Spurs need in the front court. He's athletic and quite strong. Other than his strong all round numbers in D-league not much is known about his game. Mahinmi is the x factor to the Spurs success in the upcoming season. If he can stay healthy and find a way to contribute, the Spurs will be legitimate title contenders. I'm of the belief that this is essentially Mahinmi's last chance with the Spurs.
Future Roster Options
International Draft Prospects
James Gist
After a strong summerleague performance last year, and a solid season in Italy where he appeared to continue his improvement on the perimeter it appears that Gist is headed to the Spurs. It's hard to fathom whether or not he'll receive a guaranteed roster spot. With the Spurs lack of size on the perimeter, he could be a nice defensive backup. At the very worst he could be an incredibly athletic small ball four with passable three point shooting.
Robertas Javtokas
Javtokas would be an excellent 5th big in the Spurs rotation. He's known to be an athletic player and a quality defender. His offensive game is poor and he appears to have little interest in signing with the Spurs
Tiago Splitter
Not much needs to be said here. He's the Spurs ideal centre next to Tim Duncan. Splitter should be decent on offense and very strong defensively. Rebounding remains a slight question mark. He is signed in Europe through to the end of 2010, so barring any miracles he does not appear to be a viable option this summer.
Vicktor Sanikidze
He was once considered to be an ideal defensive wing for the Spurs. He has all the tools physically and athletically. His one summer league appearance left many Spurs fans eager to see more of him. Sanikidze has largely remained a mystery since being drafted in 2004. His frequent injuries and inability to put on muscle continue to hold him back. If he doesn't appear in summer league this year it will be a clear sign that the Spurs have moved on.
Sergei Karulov
This wire thin Russian seven footer was drafted as a late second rounder in 2004. He plays in a low level Russian domestic team and has been unimpressive during his summerleague stints with the Spurs. It's safe to say that he has almost no chance to ever make a Spurs team.
Spurs Free Agents
Drew Gooden
Gooden showed some decent things last year with the Spurs, particularly early in his stint. His offensive reboudning and post scoring could make him very useful with the second unit. He will remain limited by his low bball IQ and defensive inadequacies. The Spurs do need big men, and this will make him an option by default. The Spurs should sign him as a second option after attempting to find a better fit with the MLE. The FO would be wise to let him test his market value before committing any money to him.
Jacque Vaughn
There should be no reason for the Spurs to sign Jacque Vaughn. He's past his prime and wasn't that talented to begin with. His leadership could be useful, so perhaps bringing him back in a coaching capacity wouldn't be a bad idea.
Ime Udoka
Ime was pretty horrible for most of the season. He showed some great toughness on the perimeter and was a decent three point shooter. Udoka appeared to slow down last year, and this does not bode well for a defensive specialist, especially one who is as athletically limited as Ime. He also never really seemed to fully grasp the Spurs offense. As a fifth wing Udoka would be decent, but I'd prefer the Spurs to look elsewhere.
