2008 NBA Draft Profiles

Blondie wrote:http://www.slamdunkcentral.com/2008/06/16/slam-dunk-central-reporter-stephen-rhodes-2008-nba-mock-draft-26/

San Antonio Spurs

Draft Position - #26

Needs - Center, point guard. The Spurs, just on age alone, are an aged team with eight players with 10 or more years of service in the NBA - which could mean that the team may need a bit of an overhaul. Tim Duncan is a forward - let’s establish that fact once and for all. That leaves a sizable void at center (Fabricio Oberto, Kurt Thomas and Ian Mahinmi). Point guard is a bit of a concern, as well as there’s really no one to back up Tony Parker (Damon Stoudemire and Jacque Vaughn? Puh-leeze!!).

San Antonio Spurs select: Alexis Ajinca, center, France

I hate to get burned on a European player...again.

Nathan Jawai

After an initial two-week period acclimatising in Las Vegas, Jawai worked out in front of scouts from the Golden State Warriors, Seattle, Sacramento, Phoenix, Denver and Utah.

Then there was a combined workout in front of key personnel from Houston and Minnesota, followed by talks with San Antonio Spurs assistant and former Sydney Kings coach Brett Brown.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/st ... 22,00.html


Full Name: Nathan Jawai
Position: Center
Height/Weight: 6-10 / 282
Birthdate: October 10, 1986
High School: Australian Institute of Sport
Team: Cairns Taipans
Country: Australia

February 20, 2008
Nathan Jawai led the Cairn Taipans to consecutive victories in the Australian NBL League, putting up some impressive numbers. Against the Townsville Crocodiles, he had 21 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists, and then 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists against the Wollongong Hawks. Jawai ranks 17th in scoring (17.7), 3rd in rebounds (9.6), 9th in blocked shots (1.0) and 5th in field goal (57.5%). His team hosts a one and done elimination playoff game against the New Zealand Breakers tomorrow that could end up being his last performance in the NBL (update: Jawai's team lost, he had just 4 points and 3 rebounds on 2/9 shooting in 31 minutes). His new agency, Entersport, recently sent us a 10-minute highlight reel they created of Jawai’s best moves this past season.

Defensively, Jawai is quite a presence at the NBL level. His combination of size, strength, mobility and length allows him to make an impact just by being on the floor (even as a shot-blocking threat), but at the NBA level, that is not going to suffice. For one, his conditioning is not ideal, meaning he’s prone to take plays off at times on this end of the court. His lateral quickness is pretty questionable too, which eventually exposes him as a liability when forced out to the perimeter to defend pick and roll plays. He struggles badly trying to stay in front of slashers, even slower big men, and does not do a great job at all rotating over defensively to help a beat teammate out like a center needs to be able to in order to protect his basket. He’s a good rebounder at this level, even dominant at times with the outstanding tools he possesses, but he could be even better if he did a better job of boxing out consistently.

Something that is particularly concerning is the fact that Jawai doesn’t always seem to be playing at full speed. He’s not one of those super active big men who is always around the ball, lacking intensity and also some awareness at times.

Offensively, Jawai still has quite a bit of room for improvement as well, not really having a consistent way of creating offense for himself at the moment if he can’t just beast his way into deep position in the paint. His footwork in the post is pretty underdeveloped, as is his left hand, and he’s somewhat prone to taking shots that aren’t quite in his repertoire yet. It’s not clear that he knows what his limitations as a player are at this point, for example settling for an ill-advised fade-away turn-around jumper from a tough angle, off one foot. He sometimes lets opposing big men steer him to where they want him to go with their body instead of the other way around, which he clearly should be able to with his huge strength advantage.

Strengths:

• Strength
• Frame
• Wingspan
• Quick feet
• Explosiveness
• Coordination
• Hands
• Finishing ability
• Rebounding potential
• Touch
• Basketball instincts
• Upside

Weaknesses:

• Height for center
• Conditioning
• Lateral quickness
• Perimeter defense
• Team defense
• Fundamentals
• Jump-shot
• Post moves
• Left hand
• Shot selection
• Experience
• Intensity
• Relatively unknown

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Nathan-Jawai-1404/

Serge Ibaka
Ryan Anderson

-Serge Ibaka is in the United States, working out for NBA teams, sources told DraftExpress. Citing exhaustion, Ibaka initially decided to head straight back home to Barcelona after the Reebok Eurocamp in Treviso, but has changed his mind and worked out Sunday for the Utah Jazz. He also has workouts scheduled with the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and San Antonio Spurs on Monday (with Ryan Anderson), which will also be attended by representatives of the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Seattle Supersonics and New Orleans Hornets. Ibaka is expected to be drafted anywhere from 23 to the early portion of the second round, depending on how he’s viewed by teams. If taken in the first round, he will likely stay overseas for one or two more years, as his contract is extremely flexible.

http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/Jonathan-Givony/

Ryan Anderson

6'10" 240 lbs. Power forward
20 years old (05/06/1988)
Sophomore out of California

Strengths:

• Size for PF
• Production (posted 21.1 points as a sohpomore and 16.4 ppg as a freshman)
• Ability to face basket (can handle the ball and likes to drive against big men)
• Perimeter shooting range ( shot over 40% with almost 5 attempts per game)
• Prolific 3-point shooter
• Ability to get shot off
• Touch inside (shot over 50%)
• Rebounding (9.9 per game sophomore season, 8.1 as a freshman, gets good position)
• Hustle
• Competes defensively
• Timing
• Basketball IQ


Weaknesses:

• Strength (needs to build upper body)
• Explosiveness
• Finishing ability
• Lateral quickness (not quick enough to guar 3s)
• Creating offense (has limited moves, mostly face-up shooter)
• Fades away from contact
• Perimeter defense (no Lateral quickness no speed)
• Post defense (lacks uper body strengh)

Often compaired to Troy Murphy

Chad Ford now has the Spurs picking Ante Tomic at #26 and then he adds a rumor at the end.

The skinny: The Spurs got burned by Tiago Splitter (their 2007 first-round pick), but that won't stop them from grabbing Ante Tomic here. His skills remind some of a young Pau Gasol. He needs to get stronger and continue developing, but this would be a value pick for them. And the good news for San Antonio is that Croatian teams don't pay nearly as much as Spanish teams.

The Spurs are also trying to move up into the mid-first round for a shot at Robin Lopez.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008 ... aft-080623

Chad Ford has Chalmers going as high as #12 to Sacramento and then has the Spurs picking Ante Tomic at #26. Courtney Lee all of a sudden falls to #30. I guess by his logic the Spurs are trying to draft a center at all costs and passing up on Courtney Lee and Chris Douglas-Roberts.

The bottom end of this first round is pretty heavy with centers. He may be just playing the odds.

Ok here is the latest from Chad Ford.

The skinny: [Updated 6/25] Lots of buzz that the Spurs have committed to Cal's sweet- shooting forward Anderson with the No. 26 pick. He should be able to stretch the defense the way Robert Horry used to.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2008 ... aft-080625

Draft Express also has the Spurs picking Anderson. Does anybody really believe this? If it is true are you encouraged by this pick? It is hard to believe that the Spurs would leak out who they would choose. Something could be in the works.

NIcolas Batum

Multiple teams reached out to us today wondering whether we have gotten a hold of Nicolas Batum’s physical yet. Batum underwent a series of heart tests in Cleveland on Monday and was cleared for workouts immediately afterwards, but still his physical is nowhere to be found. Batum traveled to San Antonio immediately after and was supposed to work out for Cleveland today. Some teams openly are wondering whether San Antonio gave Batum a promise and asked him to not distribute his physical around the league, which would make him very likely to slip to 26.

Batum is obviously a great fit in San Antonio, as the team already has two French players on their roster (Tony Parker and Ian Mahinmi) and sport a very aging perimeter with wing players such as Michael Finley (35 years old), Brent Barry (36 years old) and Bruce Bowen (37 years old) who will soon be clearing up plenty of playing time for an athletic, unselfish, defensive minded prospect such as Batum. He appears to be fully healthy, but it appears that only the Spurs and the Cavs currently have his physical. Multiple calls to Batum’s agent Bouna Ndiaye were not returned.

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Wor ... otte-2946/

Batum would be a steal and a half at 26, hopefully this is exactly how it plays out. I just fear that either we hear that he has to stay overseas next year and is in danger of signing a big contract or the Spurs will pick someone else most of us never heard of.

Nicolas Batum is the real deal, check this guy out:

In a draftexpress interview video he is asked specifically if he would fit better with a team like Phoenix who is run and gun or a half court team like San Antonio, this is just days before he is to work out for Phoenix so his eyes light up when Phoenix is mentioned but also quickly states that he can adjust his game for a team like the Spurs. The thing he doesn't realize is that a team like the Spurs could really use the youth and athleticism that he has to offer. He said that his favorite player of all time is Scottie Pippen, a guy he had tried to model his game after. Draftexpress has him ranked 4th in the SFs in the draft this year just behind Gallinari, Joe Alexander and Rush. We need some youth at the SF position and there is little available in that area at 26. It would be huge if the Spurs were able to get him to play in SA.

Being an extremely athletic player Batum was figured to go in the lottery portion of the draft. In addition to his athleticism he does possess a mid range shooting touch. I don't see any reason why he couldn't be a scorer in this league given the right opportunities and work ethic.

Batum pulled out of last years draft, this ads more concern that he might turn into a Scola/Splitter situation, but from everything I have heard he does not have a contract and expects to play in the NBA next year. He is also french so he might fit in real well with Tony and Ian.

Strengths:

• Size for wing player (6-8 with a healthy to good wing span)
• Freakish athleticism (usually a trait of a top 5 pick)
• Outstanding wingspan (good size)
• Mid-range game (can shoot mid range a lost art in the NBA)
• Ability to create separation from defender (can create his own shot and may be a scorer in the NBA)
• Transition play (young, athletic and like to run)
• Finishing ability
• Cuts to the basket
• Basketball IQ
• Court vision (looks to pass when driving)
• Unselfishness
• Terrific experience playing at highest level of European basketball
• Perimeter defense (played a big role on a bad Euroleague team)
• Stat-stuffing role-player potential (not quite Josh Smith or AK47 but I could see him close)
• Upside (young player that will be molded one way or another)

Weaknesses:

• Ball-handling skills improvable
• Streaky perimeter shot (only shot 29% in shorter Euroleague 3 point range)
• Lacks aggressiveness offensively (he can drive but he needs to attack the rim and get to the line)
• Avoids contact/Soft? (see above)
• Confidence/intensity wavers
• Willingness to dominate opponents
• Gets extremely passive at times
• Not a go-to scorer
• Poor rebounder
• Still a work in progress (young and raw)

Its a long shot but this guy could be our next Bruce Bowen, he has a lot of speed athletic ability to keep in front of Players like Lebron, and Melo and has great lateral movement. He would be a steal at 26 if the Spurs think they can sign him.