Spurs' 2009 Draft Prospects

Libri mentioned Chris Johnson as one of the big men with draft potential in his post. The Blazers took a look at him and this is what they had to say:

Chris Johnson
Vitals: 6-foot-11, 190 pounds, forward, LSU
Notable: Averaged 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game and registered 28 career double-doubles in four-year career at LSU. ... Averaged 2.71 blocks per game as a senior, which ranked ninth in the nation and second in the SEC. ... An All-SEC Defensive Team selection as a senior.
Buck's take: "Great defensive presence with his length. Obviously, as you look at him, you see he needs to fill out, get a little stronger. He knows that. But if he can do that, he can disrupt the game because he's quick off the floor and he's got good length. Very limited offensively right now. But one thing I'll say about him is he knows what he is as a player, which for us is a sign of a high basketball IQ. Doesn't try to do anything more than is expected of him. Had a great season for LSU this year. I thought he was very good today, actually. I think he has a chance of being drafted in the second round."

from: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/05/a_brief_look_at_the_blazers_fi.html

Josh Heytvelt



Birthday: 6/26/86
NBA Position: Power Forward
Class: Senior
Ht: 6-11
Wt: 238 - 260

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/josh-heytvelt
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Josh-Heytvelt-549/

NBA Comparison:Elden Campbell/Scot Pollard

Strengths: An athletic player. Good mid-range shooter, Gonzaga used him primarily off the pick and pop. Decent rebounder. Finishes well around the basket due to his soft hands. Has college 3 point range, shooting slightly over 40% in his senior year.

Weaknesses: Doesn't box out well. Not as athletic at when he packs on more weight but still may need to add weight to battle with the big bodies in the NBA. Post up game is lacking, he is not good with his back to the basket. Poor passer. Defensive liability due to his lack of strength and lateral quickness.

Dripping Spurs Fan wrote:Libri mentioned Chris Johnson as one of the big men with draft potential in his post. The Blazers took a look at him and this is what they had to say:

Chris Johnson
Vitals: 6-foot-11, 190 pounds, forward, LSU
Notable: Averaged 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game and registered 28 career double-doubles in four-year career at LSU. ... Averaged 2.71 blocks per game as a senior, which ranked ninth in the nation and second in the SEC. ... An All-SEC Defensive Team selection as a senior.
Buck's take: "Great defensive presence with his length. Obviously, as you look at him, you see he needs to fill out, get a little stronger. He knows that. But if he can do that, he can disrupt the game because he's quick off the floor and he's got good length. Very limited offensively right now. But one thing I'll say about him is he knows what he is as a player, which for us is a sign of a high basketball IQ. Doesn't try to do anything more than is expected of him. Had a great season for LSU this year. I thought he was very good today, actually. I think he has a chance of being drafted in the second round."

from: http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindblazersbeat/2009/05/a_brief_look_at_the_blazers_fi.html

One of Johnson's main issues is his weight. He's very thin.

Here is a Johnson dunk:

curtis jerrells is good. He's left handed can shoot good and far can also take it in the hole. He's not bad choice even though team does need height.

Chris Johnson looks like he has alot of potential. He reminds me of a young Kevin Garnett. But the kid needs to get something to eat. 6'11 and 190 pounds?! give the kid a donut!

ryno wrote:Josh Heytvelt



Birthday: 6/26/86
NBA Position: Power Forward
Class: Senior
Ht: 6-11
Wt: 238 - 260

http://www.nbadraft.net/players/josh-heytvelt
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Josh-Heytvelt-549/

NBA Comparison:Elden Campbell/Scot Pollard

Strengths: An athletic player. Good mid-range shooter, Gonzaga used him primarily off the pick and pop. Decent rebounder. Finishes well around the basket due to his soft hands. Has college 3 point range, shooting slightly over 40% in his senior year.

Weaknesses: Doesn't box out well. Not as athletic at when he packs on more weight but still may need to add weight to battle with the big bodies in the NBA. Post up game is lacking, he is not good with his back to the basket. Poor passer. Defensive liability due to his lack of strength and lateral quickness.

DraftExpress has this:

Best Case: Matt Bonner
Worst Case: Damir Markota

I hope the Spurs don't pick him. The best case for him is to be another Bonner. I think a better pick at 37 would be Danny Green. There is also Pendergraph and a few others.

libri wrote:DraftExpress has this:

Best Case: Matt Bonner
Worst Case: Damir Markota

I hope the Spurs don't pick him. The best case for him is to be another Bonner. I think a better pick at 37 would be Danny Green. There is also Pendergraph and a few others.

You gotta take these player comparisons with a grain of salt. Many of them are way off base. That being said I wouldn't be real excited about Josh either. His play was pretty powerful in a weak conference in college but I don't think he has the size or skills to make a huge dent in the NBA. He may be a good fit on some teams but I don't think the Spurs are one of them.

Draft Prospect: Victor Claver



In early May I promised a series of posts on draft prospects who seemed a good fit for San Antonio. I earmarked 8 players for future posts, 4 of which are now complete. Follow the links to read about Omri Casspi (and here and here), Vladimir Dasic (withdrew), Sergio Llull, and Danny Green (and here). Additionally, Graydon took a stab at Sam Young (and here), who now ranks highly on my personal wish list. I want to pick up on my original list with a post about Victor Claver.

In terms of raw talent, the Spurs will have few chances at a better second round selection than the 6′10” combo forward from Spain. If Claver slips to 37, the Spurs will have to think long and hard about passing him up. Whether or not he lasts to 37 is another question entirely, but Claver recently signed a 3 year deal in Spain and would prefer being drafted in the 2nd round to avoid the rookie scale. The Spurs should have an outside shot at him.

The story on Claver is this: he’s an extremely athletic forward with an excellent 3 point shot and the ability to finish above the rim. Until last December, he was a surefire first round pick. That was until he fractured his left leg. Now teams don’t know what to expect from him, which is compounded with dealing with his buyout in order to secure his services. But the kid is just 21, and all that seems like a risk well worth taking.

Although, he’s listed as a combo forward, I have a hard time imagining him as anything other than a 3. He can score in the post, but he’s more or less a face-up and transition player. Moreover, he lacks the strength to guard the post.

About the time I started these profiles, Gregg Popovich was in Spain visiting his good friend Neven Spahija. In addition to being one of the world’s best coaches and a friend to the Spurs, Spahija is also Claver’s coach. While in Valencia, Popovich conceded that he and his scouts have been impressed with Claver, and it’s fair to say that he is a player they’ve watched closely.

Now of course the unavoidable conclusion to this is not that the Spurs necessarily want to draft Claver. The Spurs probably have 3 times as many players they’re interested in as picks. But as we approach the draft, he’s a player you should be aware of. If the Spurs do select him, we can at least take confidence in the fact that they’ve done their due diligence. And I would still maintain this position even if they move into the first to draft a player like Sam Young, Omri Casspi or Jonas Jerebko. Talent is talent, and sometimes you have to bet on more than one horse in order to win at the races.

A person within the Spurs organization recently told me “we understand that all franchises make some good decisions (Tony Parker), some bad decisions (Jackie Butler) and then need a little luck (Duncan and Ginobili) …” To my mind, drafting a player like Claver constitutes a good decision. But the Spurs will still need that oft-forgotten measure of good luck for the draft to be a success.

You won’t learn much from this YouTube clip, but it’s fun to watch (grainier, longer option here):

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/06/ ... or-claver/

That kid has some potential. He has the range and size to be a solid SF in the NBA. The videos don't show any defense so this should be something the Spurs should check.

Seems like this kid would just end up another Splitter/Scola situation but for a second round pick it may be worth it.

He has size, a shot and athleticism, a very nice combination of attributes. His defense may be a bit of a problem. I don't know that he has the size and strength to be able to battle with the bigs in the NBA, at least not yet. And I don't think he has the lateral quickness to guard many of the NBA's small forwards. Some things I have read suggest that he is a turnover machine too, I don't know that his ball handling skills are what they would need to be for him to play SF. Of course if the Spurs made this pick he would likely stay in Spain for a couple more seasons if he did ever come over some of these deficiencies may be worked out by that time.

SpursFanIsrael wrote:After their first-round playoff loss to Dallas, coach Gregg Popovich said he wished he would have played Hill more.

are you KIIIIIIIIIIIIDDING me?!?!?!?! WTF he do?? he missed almost EVERY freakign shot! he shoulda been in that trade!

originalsin wrote:

SpursFanIsrael wrote:After their first-round playoff loss to Dallas, coach Gregg Popovich said he wished he would have played Hill more.

are you KIIIIIIIIIIIIDDING me?!?!?!?! WTF he do?? he missed almost EVERY freakign shot! he shoulda been in that trade!

That quote was direct out of the newspaper. Pop regrets it and he should regret it.

Draft Prospect: Jonas Jerebko



Most of you have probably heard the name Jonas Jerebko by now. He’s moving up the draft board, and there is no doubt the Spurs have a strong opinion about his game. Jerebko played last season with Angelico Biella, where he was a teammate of James Gist. The Spurs, one would assume, have scouted the Swedish small forward as thoroughly as any team in the Association. He’s currently mocked late first/early second.

Writing about his recent performance in Treviso, Jonathan Givony says:

[Jerebko] was able to make his presence felt immediately, looking impressive in both the morning drills and the actual game–giving the NBA people a very good feel for what he brings to the table. Jerebko shot the ball well throughout the day, only missing one of his seven shots in the game, while picking up 5 steals, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 28 minutes. He also showed something of a back to the basket game, using his superior size to get off a pretty and very old-school sky-hook shot in the lane. He played very physical man to man defense on the perimeter, while always looking to make the proper rotation on team defense. He also showed plenty of hustle, going the length of the floor with reckless abandon at one point to come up with a loose ball, and using his length to alter plenty of shots around the paint as well, not giving his matchup anything easy. Considering the small sample size, there wasn’t a whole lot more Jerebko could have done. After seeing him a number of times in person over the past year and a half, it’s safe to say that there aren’t many players like him in this draft.

A little over 48 hours out, my optimism about this “weak draft” continues to grow. Not because I disagree that the draft is under-par in terms of talent. That assessment seems right to me. I’m encouraged by how nicely the draft sets up for San Antonio. The underwhelming amount of talent and poor economy have created a climate that could favor San Antonio on draft night. The Spurs will have legitimate opportunities to move into the first round, and the players available to them have skills sets that are in demand in San Antonio. Jerebko is one such player. If Buford wanted, he could try a hand at going all Presti/Pritchard on this draft. Jerebko may not be a homerun pick, but he’ll put a man on base.

Let me approach this from another angle. Even if the Spurs don’t move up, someone like Jerebko could fall into their lap. RealGM has posted a Spurs draft breakdown, and it includes this smart observation:

Who’s Gone Number 37th Recently?

The forecast actually doesn’t look too grim with the 37th overall pick. The Spurs lack a first-rounder, but they do have a solid history mining gems out of the second round. Someone similar to Mbah a Moute or Turiaf would be ideal for San Antonio. 2008 Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee 2007 Josh McRoberts, Portland 2006 Bobby Jones, Minnesota (traded to Philadelphia) 2005 Ronny Turiaf, Los Angeles 2004 Royal Ivey, Atlanta

It’s easy to imagine a name like Jonas Jerebko or Victor Claver or Danny Green assuming a spot on that list. In terms of the 37th pick, the Spurs could get lucky.

The Painted Area is running a piece on Jerebko this morning. I loved this paragraph of their breakdown:

Another aspect that makes him enticing to NBA front offices is his defensive acumen. Primarily matched up with former Xavier standout David Hawkins in the semi-final series vs. AJ Milano. Did a very commendable job guarding the 6-3 Hawkins on the perimeter. Impressed with his lateral quickness on the defensive end, consistently changed direction pretty well. Never really got burned by the quicker Hawkins.

So the word on Jerebko is that he is a little bit of an everyman, with great size for small forward, the defensive chops to stick with perimeter players, and an emerging three point shot.

I’ll let you Google for on court highlights. The video below was shot by Givony and gives you a pretty good sense of Jerebko’s professionalism and demeanor. As an aside, Biella is known for its ability to develop players. This is one reason among many that the Spurs have struck up a friendship with the club. Givony and Jerebko talk a little about his development since joining the team. I’m curious to see if the Spurs send any more late picks to Biella, or if the Gist situation was a one year arrangement.



http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/06/ ... s-jerebko/

DEJAUN BLAIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

<object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NxxqEKssvgI&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NxxqEKssvgI&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>