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In case you aren’t subscribed to the Spurscast or just missed it, I got a chance to talk to IUPUI Sports Information Director Ed Holdaway on Monday night about Spurs draft selection and former IUPUI standout George Hill. You may not know much about Hill now, but I have a feeling he’s going to end up being a fan favorite in San Antonio. Ed gave us a bit of insight into not only George Hill, the player, but also the person and takes us through the workouts, pre-draft camps and a surreal draft night for Hill.
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Link Dump: Free Agency
By Michael A. De Leon | July 2, 2008 | No Comments | 
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• Spurs to make run at Maggette
• Davis decision benefits Spurs
• Can Pop stomach J.R. Smith
• Spurs to decide on Horry. Thomas
• Barry opts out. Lakers, Rockets interested
• 2008 Free Agent List
• Former Spur Beno Udrih gets paid. Congrats, Beno!
The Incumbents
By Shawn Kirsch | June 30, 2008 | No Comments | Print
Our third installment looks at the free agents who have already worn the silver and black, we see some who will return, some who won’t, and some we just can’t be sure about. But if Popovich’s comments since the middle of May ring true, there is some certainty that the older you are, the less likely you’ll be back.
Of the free agents from San Antonio, Damon Stoudamire is the most likely candidate to be playing somewhere else next year. Never providing the offensive spark we thought he’d provide, his minutes quickly dwindled, only seeing the floor during warmups and blowouts.
Big Shot Bob has stated he would like to play another year in San Antionio, but his performance this year warrants a refund, not another paycheck. It’s hard to determine where he will be, as he was hurt for a chunk of this year, and never found a groove. Even so, his defense is far from what the Spurs need from him, so look for Bonner to gather up his minutes in 2009.
Finley wasn’t much better than Horry this year, but I could see if he’d return another year with the minimum salary. However, the drafting of Hill, and the potential of signing a much younger, more athletic swingman diminishes the need for Finley greatly. Finley’s greatest use to us now is in a sign and trade.
The single most likely to return free agent, is Kurt Thomas. Many complaints have been aimed directly at him the last several months, myself included, but considering he’s only been in the system a few months, and he still did what he did, warrants him coming back. The second year is the magical one with Popovich, as it always takes awhile to get the hang of the way San Antonio does things. Thomas may be aging, but he still annoys bigger men, and he is a very smart player. With any luck, Mahinmi will get the opportunity to learn some tricks from him this year.
Dirty Work Is Done Down Low
By Shawn Kirsch | June 30, 2008 | No Comments | Print
Perhaps no greater realization was found in the playoffs than Duncan is the only guy who still knows how to rebound. Whether it takes sending Oberto to a 3rd grade basketball clinic to learn the fine art of boxing out, or making Thomas think he’s guarding Duncan instead of playing next to him, the Spurs need guys who can crash the boards, and crash them hard. They’ll also need to be able to block the occasional shot, and make sure the fort is held down when Duncan takes a breather. Our second installment looks at some possibilities to shore up the post in San Antonio yields some quality, but unsung players.
Hakim Warrick might seem like a bit of a stretch, but if you ask Kirk Hinrich, you’ll find he has a lot of stretch. An under rated defender, Warrick could thrive in Popovich’s small ball sets in the 4 spot. The guards will be running the offense anyways, so let him set some screens, rebound the ball, and let his long arms get in the way of his opponent. With Memphis trying to put the right pieces together, a second round pick might be all it takes to pry him away.
Do you remember Randolph Morris? You may have forgotten, as he was hidden in the mess we call the Knicks. D’Antoni might want to hold on to him, but he came out of the Kentucky school of defense, and Popovich likes defense. He could be a hidden gem, as Rondo turned out to be, that does big things when least expected. He has the potential to at the very least put up the same stat line Oberto does, and has the benefit of being a much younger player. Placing him under the wing of the league’s best power forward, as opposed to the no defense tandem of Curry and Randolph, will enhance his all around game, and anybody will see the brighter side of life when you’re on an annual playoff contender. As a bonus, San Antonio was rumored to have had interest in him before he signed with New York.
Another Knick, David Lee, has already shown he plays far bigger than he is. A tenacious rebounder, and a great hustle player, Lee is the unsung hard worker that coaches love. Like Warrick, he would be an excellent candidate for the Spurs small ball rotation, as he has had monstrous rebounding nights with minimal minutes. Both Lee and Morris would require sending someone to New York, so they’re both unlikely, but I didn’t think Malik Rose would get traded to them either.
The Blazers only found 17 minutes a game for Channing Frye this year, and there will be even less to go around with Oden returning. Another Isiah Thomas draft pick who has been under utilized, Frye is a guy who can rebound, and will only look even better with Duncan beside him. A career 80% free throw shooter makes him an ideal candidate to be on the floor in critical situations as well. Frye could offer the best bang for the buck to step in and help Duncan on the blocks, or at least until Mahinmi is ready and Splitter is in America.
Everybody Loves The 3 Ball
By Shawn Kirsch | June 30, 2008 | No Comments | Print
With free agency upon us, general managers across the league will be working the phone lines, setting up meetings, working trades, sweet talking players and their agents. San Antonio doesn’t have the money available to make a huge splash, but they will be looking at players that can help them now. The playoffs revealed some chinks in the armor, which Popovich and Buford will be trying to fix. In our first installment, we’ll be looking at perimeter guys. Guys who can hit the long shot, run an offense, and play some defense too.
With the drafting of George Hill, a player many believe will make the Spurs roster this season, the guard spots become somewhat less of an issue. However, we’ve discussed JR Smith before, and there’s no reason to stop now. With Denver on the cusp of blowing up their roster, there is perhaps no better time for Smith to be a free agent. Extremely athletic, solid shooting from downtown, and a defense that can be taken to a new level with some pointers from Bowen, Smith could be one of the most under rated players available. He has a shaky track record, but with quality character guys surrounding him in San Antonio, I don’t believe that will be an issue. He would probably take most, if not all, of the mid level exception, but he would immediately address the offensive and athletic needs of an aging roster.
JJ Redick is languishing on the Magic roster, and while he might not get many more minutes in San Antonio, he hasn’t moved up the depth chart after Orlando’s draft either. He’s not the athlete that many are, and he might not be able to do things that many players can, but if we remember some of the classic performances of Kerr and Barry in playoff history, you will see how Redick could be of help in a pinch. A solid but unspectacular player, perhaps a sign and trade could be arranged to bring this young shooter into the silver and black.
Shooting 44% beyond the arc last season, James Jones could follow Ime Udoka to the land of Duncan doubles. Many players see more opportunities for open 3s (Bruce Bowen anyone?) as many teams double the Big Fundamental, and there’s no reason Jones couldn’t shoot long range shots at a 60% clip off of kicks from Parker and Ginobili. He’s done it on the young and inexperienced team in Portland, and the savvy veterans of San Antone would only give him better looks.
Mickael Pietrus has performed well enough in Golden State, but I believe he has another level to be tapped. With the right guidance, he could boast a box score the likes of Gerald Wallace or Boris Diaw when Amare was hurt. An extremely versatile player, Pietrus could provide 15 pts, 8 boards, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals on a regular basis with 20 minutes of time. Knowing Duncan has his back could also elevate his man to man defense. Another shining example of a player languishing on a team without the pieces to allow him to shine, the Spurs could make use of his all around game.
Spurs draft George Hill
By Michael A. De Leon | June 26, 2008 | No Comments | Print
With the 26th pick in the draft, the Spurs selected IUPUI Guard George Hill.
Who, you might be wondering. I expected Hill to be drafted in the second round and with Mario Chalmers, Chris Douglas-Roberts, DeAndre Jordan, Donte Greene and even Darrell Arthur all still available, I was pretty surprised to hear David Stern call out Hill’s name
While, he may have been taken a bit early, Hill is a solid, all-around guard. He averaged 22.5 points, 4.3 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for IUPUI this year.
The 6-2, 180 lb. guard, like Chalmers, has very good shooting percentages, 54.5 percent from the field and 45 percent from downtown.
According to NBADraft.net, Hill is “a very smooth offensive player that is able to score from anywhere on the court relying on his finesse and fundamentals…He’s long and lanky which enables him to play bigger than his actual siz. Has a hefty scoring repertoire; including nice spin moves, a deceivingly quick crossover, midrange game with runners and pull ups, and is able finish contested in traffic.”
Hill impressed in the pre-draft camp and that could be the reason for the Spurs taking him so high. In one of his better performances, he had 15 points and 6 assists inonly 24 minutes.
While Hill plays for a small school in a small conference, he has performed extremely well against better competition and according to Pacers scout Kevin Mackey, Hill could have been a starter at any college in the nation.
If so, I’ll be looking forward to seeing what Hill can do with the Spurs. I certainly wouldn’t mind having another crafty, quick and young point guard that can come in and run the offense smoothly when Tony Parker goes to the bench.
YouTube Video
NBADraft.net profile
DraftExpress profile
IUPUI Live Draft Blog
Draft Profile: Mario Chalmers
By Michael A. De Leon | June 26, 2008 | No Comments | Print
The Spurs have several needs they may look to address in Thursday night’s NBA Draft. One need is for a younger backup point guard that can be a long-term replacement for Jacque Vaughn.
At number 26, one player that may be available is Kansas guard Mario Chalmers. Sound familiar? He’s the player whose late three-pointer propelled the Jayhawks into overtime for an eventual NCAA Championship win over Memphis.
At 6-1 190 lbs., he’s the perfect size to play point guard in the NBA. Only problem is he hasn’t shown that he can be a pure point guard and if the Spurs are looking for someone to set up the offense and distribute the ball, they may be inclined to pass on Chalmers.
He’s average at best when it comes to ball handling and while his turnovers have decreased quite a bit, he also shared ball handling duties with two other Kansas guards.
On the upside, Chalmers has shown constant improvement every year at Kansas and remains very intriguing because of his high shooting percentages and defense. He shot 51 percent from the field and 46 percent on three-pointers. He’s an outstanding one-on-one defender, anticipates passes and fills passing lanes.
His defense and shooting would bring a nice balance to Tony Parker’s game, but Chalmers will have to prove he can be a bacjup point full-time and improve his mid-range game. If he’s still around and several other prospects have been picked ahead of 26, the Spurs should draft him. But if other players like Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts are also on the board, you’ve got to address that area way before backup point guard and Lee and Douglas-Roberts may make a more immediate impact.
Update: Chalmers has had some very good workouts and has been predicted to go as high as 16 or drop to 27.
YouTube video
DraftExpress profile
NBADraft.net profile
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