2014 NBA draft thread

[Nolan]

Well since we're finally champions we can finally start talking about the draft. We've got three picks #30, #58 and #60 and the draft begins on June 26th.

A few guys I really like:

Damien Inglis: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Damien-Inglis-6428/

Another great young french prospect. Long athletic, high energy young SF with some serious potential on both ends.

Bogdan Bogdanovic: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Bogdan-Bogdanovic-6145/

Bit of erratic player, but he's a SG that can really fill it up when he's on.

Jarnell Stokes: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jarnell-Stokes-6282/

Bit undersized but very strong and fairly mobile PF and he's by far the best rebounder in the draft.

Cleanthony Early: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Cleanthony-Early-65803/

There's some questions about what position he'll play at the next level but I love his game. Big game player who can contribute on both ends right away.

Discuss away fellas!!

[Phreak50]

I know he isn't a draft player but Joe Ingles (another Aussie) would fit the Spurs well.

He unsuccessfully had a few shots at the NBA, through Golden State Summer League teams I believe but at 6'8" he can play SF but also a bit of SG and even PG/Point Forward.

Very talented and would excel in this system. Surprised the scouts haven't given him more of an opportunity. (Currently playing in Spain I think, averaged 15pts 5reb 5 assists in the recent Olympics).

Other than non draft players, I'd prefer we find a new big or two. Splitter improved and is a good role player but will be less effective when Timmy goes.

I trust our staff but just don't go picking undersized Power Forwards please. They have almost no place in the NBA.

[UDRIH14]

nolan u got an account on ST? if u do i think i know who u are...wouldnt happen to be asspreader mod or cumdumpster?

[co_laper]

Not hoping much at all from the 58 and 60 picks, but I do hope we get someone from the 30th pick that will eventually become a contributor in the future.

I don't expect any of our draft pick to make next year's team though.

Anyways, I don't know my college/international draftees, but I hope we don't draft another SG. We really do have enough. Danny and Marco are young and we don't need a project at that position.

I'm also cool with our PG position with Corey and Patty.

SF, I'm a little torn. Kawhi is still too young and I think it's best to mix it up a little and have a veteran backup SF instead of an even younger backup SF.

But we really do need a project PF or a Center. Tiago is 28 already. Baynes and Ayres are not the answer. Duncan and Diaw also in their 30s.

Give me a tall athletic shotblocking raw talent at Center

Or give me a tweener at PF position. That's where the league is going these days with stretch 4s.

[pickIBL]

As someone who wants to see the Jazz bring over Ante to play in Utah... you should trade the pick for Ante Tomic if the Jazz are willing partners. I'm not sure the Jazz are wanting even more picks in this one though.

[Nolan]

nolan u got an account on ST? if u do i think i know who u are...wouldnt happen to be asspreader mod or cumdumpster?

Nope. Don't have a Spurs talk account, or at least one that I use just kinda lurk there.

[Nolan]

Not hoping much at all from the 58 and 60 picks, but I do hope we get someone from the 30th pick that will eventually become a contributor in the future.

I don't expect any of our draft pick to make next year's team though.

Anyways, I don't know my college/international draftees, but I hope we don't draft another SG. We really do have enough. Danny and Marco are young and we don't need a project at that position.

I'm also cool with our PG position with Corey and Patty.

SF, I'm a little torn. Kawhi is still too young and I think it's best to mix it up a little and have a veteran backup SF instead of an even younger backup SF.

But we really do need a project PF or a Center. Tiago is 28 already. Baynes and Ayres are not the answer. Duncan and Diaw also in their 30s.

Give me a tall athletic shotblocking raw talent at Center

Or give me a tweener at PF position. That's where the league is going these days with stretch 4s.

There's quite a few good looking international prospects available late in the draft, so we might be able to grab a good stash guys with one of those picks. Someone like Nikola Jokic would be a great pickup.

What do you think about Mitch McGary? He could be a solid fit.

[SPURt]

I'm a big fan of Cleanthony Early, I think we are missing a back 3/4 which Early provides. He can shoot the three, is athletic enough to stay in front of people, and is great in transition.

His flaws are that he isn't huge and would get pushed around in the post. He also doesn't have super great handles or passing. However, during March Madness he was playing out of his mind. I think he is player that is hungry enough to learn and athletic enough to contribute.

My next pick for a 3/4 after Early is Damien Inglis, as he fills a similar need. Not a great shooter though. Chip is a genius. Spurs winning a championship this year will bring our key free agents back as well as keep Chip here.

As for big men, I think Mitch McGary is the safe draft prospect, but my second favorite choice in the draft may be surprising to some: Isaiah Austin http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Isaiah-Austin-5773/

He may be available at the end of the draft with one of our last two picks. He is 7'1 and can shoot! He doesn't have a great post game, but he has a lot of skills not indigenous to most 7'1 players. He is going to be a sleeper for someone.

Our main need this off season assuming we get the entire cast back is a better back up stretch 4 for Diaw. Bonner is not probably not coming back, and though played the best I can remember him playing this post season, it'd be nice to have 2 Diaw's so we can have that same type of player on the floor all game.

[Nolan]

I'm a big fan of Cleanthony Early, I think we are missing a back 3/4 which Early provides. He can shoot the three, is athletic enough to stay in front of people, and is great in transition.

His flaws are that he isn't huge and would get pushed around in the post. He also doesn't have super great handles or passing. However, during March Madness he was playing out of his mind. I think he is player that is hungry enough to learn and athletic enough to contribute.

My next pick for a 3/4 after Early is Damien Inglis, as he fills a similar need. Not a great shooter though. Chip is a genius. Spurs winning a championship this year will bring our key free agents back as well as keep Chip here.

As for big men, I think Mitch McGary is the safe draft prospect, but my second favorite choice in the draft may be surprising to some: Isaiah Austin http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Isaiah-Austin-5773/

He may be available at the end of the draft with one of our last two picks. He is 7'1 and can shoot! He doesn't have a great post game, but he has a lot of skills not indigenous to most 7'1 players. He is going to be a sleeper for someone.

Our main need this off season assuming we get the entire cast back is a better back up stretch 4 for Diaw. Bonner is not probably not coming back, and though played the best I can remember him playing this post season, it'd be nice to have 2 Diaw's so we can have that same type of player on the floor all game.

Agree with you on everything but Austin. Do not like him at all, he looked pretty horrible at Baylor last year and the whole being blind in one eye thing probably isn't going to help him out on the defensive end.

[SPURt]

I'm a big fan of Cleanthony Early, I think we are missing a back 3/4 which Early provides. He can shoot the three, is athletic enough to stay in front of people, and is great in transition.

His flaws are that he isn't huge and would get pushed around in the post. He also doesn't have super great handles or passing. However, during March Madness he was playing out of his mind. I think he is player that is hungry enough to learn and athletic enough to contribute.

My next pick for a 3/4 after Early is Damien Inglis, as he fills a similar need. Not a great shooter though. Chip is a genius. Spurs winning a championship this year will bring our key free agents back as well as keep Chip here.

As for big men, I think Mitch McGary is the safe draft prospect, but my second favorite choice in the draft may be surprising to some: Isaiah Austin http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Isaiah-Austin-5773/

He may be available at the end of the draft with one of our last two picks. He is 7'1 and can shoot! He doesn't have a great post game, but he has a lot of skills not indigenous to most 7'1 players. He is going to be a sleeper for someone.

Our main need this off season assuming we get the entire cast back is a better back up stretch 4 for Diaw. Bonner is not probably not coming back, and though played the best I can remember him playing this post season, it'd be nice to have 2 Diaw's so we can have that same type of player on the floor all game.

Agree with you on everything but Austin. Do not like him at all, he looked pretty horrible at Baylor last year and the whole being blind in one eye thing probably isn't going to help him out on the defensive end.

I hear you, I am thinking of him as an option at the very end of the draft #58 or #60. There aren't many 7'1 one guys that can shoot and shot block that will be available for us. We have made a living as a franchise getting production out of guys that are flawed in some way. The blindness is the obvious red flag.

[Baller2014]

Every year I fail to predict who we will draft, and I just trust in the front office (given their record, that seems reasonable). As a result, I am sure these projections will be way off (nobody ever predicts the Spurs picks really). These aren't necessarily the guys the Spurs are looking at, but these are the ones who jump off the page to me:

C.Early- I don't believe for a second he will be available at #30. I don't know what it is about him, but I just get a good vibe about him. His flaws all seem like things that could be corrected fairly easily (or are not a big deal), while his positives are all really positive.

S.Dinwiddie- The word is he has a promise from someone. Looking at his profile he's another guy who seems to have virtually no negatives, and lots of positives, to the point you feel like his ACL injury is the only real objection to him being a much, much higher pick. Can play point or shooting guard, scores a tonne, his team was rubbish without him, etc. All that can really be said against him is the ACL injury, and the fact he isn't especially big or strong (6-6, decent physical tools).

Nurkic- Will probably also be long gone, but also of the objections to him seem like the sort of things people said about Marc Gasol too. Look how that worked out.

A.Payne- Also likely long gone, but on paper he's another guy who you read about and think "why is he this low again?" Athletic, big, tough, great intangibles and a great shooter. So he's not young, big deal. He apparently might have a reduced lung capacity, and there are a few nitpicky things wrong with him, but he looks like a very nice player

Capela- Probably also long gone, but has some promising tools to develop.

Possible second rounders to look at include Mitch McGary, Corey Jefferson (a sleeper I think) and I.Austin (though realistically he has so many things wrong with him, you kind of despair at him working out).

Guys I want to stay away from? Kyle Anderson. Most of the other guys I don't like are projected much higher, so I won't worry about mentioning them.

[PZiv]

Drafting anyone except Bogdan Bogdanovic as Spurs is a mistake. He is rare Euro SG that has all the tools to succeed as NBA player on that position and comes with impressive resumé only to be picked so lowly on stacked draft.

[SPURt]

Drafting anyone except Bogdan Bogdanovic as Spurs is a mistake. He is rare Euro SG that has all the tools to succeed as NBA player on that position and comes with impressive resumé only to be picked so lowly on stacked draft.

I fully anticipate someone takes him before us, this dude can plain shoot the ball and plays great D. He also has handles, drives and kicks, would be one of the few guys that could be special. If he doesn't come off the board before us, how do we not go for him?

The only knock on him to me is his turnovers. He tends to go Ginobili, takes risks, but he plays such beautiful ball you should give him that freedom. If we end up with Bogdan I would be more than happy.

[Nolan]

Drafting anyone except Bogdan Bogdanovic as Spurs is a mistake. He is rare Euro SG that has all the tools to succeed as NBA player on that position and comes with impressive resumé only to be picked so lowly on stacked draft.

I fully anticipate someone takes him before us, this dude can plain shoot the ball and plays great D. He also has handles, drives and kicks, would be one of the few guys that could be special. If he doesn't come off the board before us, how do we not go for him?

The only knock on him to me is his turnovers. He tends to go Ginobili, takes risks, but he plays such beautiful ball you should give him that freedom. If we end up with Bogdan I would be more than happy.

Agreed. A lot of experts/scouts having been picking him apart lately but I doubt he falls to us.

[PZiv]

My subjective anticipation is that he is worth more than 30th, but deepness of this draft might land him where SAS wishes him. And also there arent many teams with euro SG in need or on radar, unless they have more than 2 1st rnd draft picks. Other Euro prospect is Jokic, I wish SAS would trade 30th for something like 32 and 39(76ers 2nd rnders), a lot smarter than having 1 draft tag this year.

[fritopia]

I hear you, I am thinking of him as an option at the very end of the draft #58 or #60. There aren't many 7'1 one guys that can shoot and shot block that will be available for us. We have made a living as a franchise getting production out of guys that are flawed in some way. The blindness is the obvious red flag.

Alec Brown http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Alec-Brown-6402/ is another 2nd round prospect who is 7'1", can block shots and can stretch a defense. Not much of a threat down low or as a rebounder though.

[Baller2014]

Jokic is back in the draft after wavering. I think someone has given him a promise of some sort, probably a 2nd round team. Could be us. He's an almost unknown, but the word is he's got a old school 7 footer game and can shoot quite well for a big. He's not that athletic though.

[Nolan]

Jokic is back in the draft after wavering. I think someone has given him a promise of some sort, probably a 2nd round team. Could be us. He's an almost unknown, but the word is he's got a old school 7 footer game and can shoot quite well for a big. He's not that athletic though.

I really like him. Reminds me a bit of Ilgauskas, but a tad bit more mobile.

[franktony]

My favorite is Micic.

I also like Inglis, Bogdan and Glen III

[Nolan]

The more film I watch of Nurkic the more I want us to trade up and get him. I don't know what it would cost to get him but he could be an absolute beast for us.