San Antonio Spurs: Under-the-Radar Draft Picks Who Would Fit Popovich's System

The San Antonio Spurs have managed to stay in the NBA's upper echelon of teams even though their core players of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are getting up there in age. They've done this largely by making savvy draft picks.

They've nabbed guys like Tiago Splitter, George Hill, DeJuan Blair and Goran Dragic within the last five drafts. All of those players were selected no earlier than the 26th pick of the first round.

Even Manu Ginobili (57th pick overall, 1999 draft) and Tony Parker (28th pick overall, 2001 draft) weren't lottery picks.

As it currently stands, the Spurs will only have one selection in the 2012 draft—a second-round pick, somewhere between the 55th and 60th pick, depending on where they finish in the final standings—but that doesn't mean that San Antonio won't get a good player. The Spurs have proven time and time again that they can find gems later in the draft.

Here are eight under-the-radar players that the Spurs could get in the draft.

Tyshawn Taylor

Taylor probably won't be there when the Spurs are on the clock. He's currently projected as a late first- or early second-round pick. But if he somehow slides in the draft, he would be an excellent addition to the Spurs.

Taylor has the potential to be a very good player. He plays solid defense, played four years in college, is bigger than most point guards and possesses the speed to blow by defenders.

But Taylor is also inconsistent. His outside shot completely disappeared throughout the NCAA tournament. He also doesn't do a good job of protecting the ball, indicated by his 1.25 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Adding consistency to his shot and making smarter decisions with the ball are things that Taylor can improve on in the NBA. If he went to San Antonio, he'd be going to a coach that's good at developing players and he'd get a chance to learn behind Tony Parker.

Jared Cunningham

Cunningham was a shooting guard for Oregon State, but the junior has declared for the draft. He would be a nice fit in San Antonio's system.

One of Cunningham's strengths is on the defensive end of the court, as he uses his length and athleticism to stick with his opponent on defense.  He also excelled at getting to the basket for Oregon State. That's a skill that should benefit him in the NBA.

The knock on Cunningham is that he can't shoot the ball with any consistency. If he can develop an outside shot, then he's got a chance to be a steal. But even if he can't, he's got the slashing ability to help the Spurs in a reserve role.

Augusto Lima

You may notice that the picture for this slide is a picture of Anderson Varejao. That's because Lima's been compared to Anderson Varejao.

Lima projects as a power forward in the NBA, and with his 6'10" height and 7'1" wingspan, he's got the size to dominate. He uses that size and couples it with a relentless motor to clean up on the offensive glass. He's still raw offensively, but has the size and skills to develop a decent offensive game.

If the Spurs draft Lima, he could come off the bench or he could stay in Spain—where he currently plays—and continue to develop.

Khris Middleton

The Texas A&M small forward has already declared for the NBA Draft. He projects as a second-round pick and would be a nice addition to the Spurs.

He's already got the mid-range game to succeed in the NBA, but given his 6'7" height and position, he needs to develop a consistent shot from three-point range, as he only shot 26 percent from downtown this past season. He's also got the type of basketball IQ that would help him fit in with an intelligent team like the Spurs.

Robbie Hummel

While Hummel doesn't have the upside of the other guys on this list, he's got the skills to contribute right away. He's got NBA range on his three-point shot, he's got a solid basketball IQ and he has enough court vision to play as a point forward.

But Hummel has had issues with his knees in the past, tearing his ACL at the end of the 2009-2010 season, then re-injuring it at the start of the 2010-2011 season.

Assuming he can stay healthy, Hummel would be an excellent addition to the Spurs. He would fit their style, and his dedication in returning from the knee injuries shows that he's got incredible perseverance.

J'Covan Brown

The knock on Brown is that he's too small to play shooting guard, but doesn't have the necessary skills to play point guard in the NBA because he lacks court awareness and commits too many turnovers. If given a chance, he might be able to develop in those areas. At the very least, he could work on making better decisions with the ball.

But even without much further development, Brown could be an excellent spark plug off the bench for the Spurs. He was one of the better scorers in all of college basketball this past season, averaging 20.1 points per game. He also shot 36.9 percent from three-point range, showing that he's got some range to his shot.

If he develops as a point guard, he'd end up being a steal. Even if he doesn't, he could provide some scoring off the bench.

Justin Hamilton

Here's what ESPN's Chad Ford had to say about Hamilton's pro prospects.

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"Hamilton is a big and mobile center who has nice touch around the basket and a solid jumper. But his struggles against Kentucky's athletic front line (1-for-12 in their final meeting) may explain why scouts are a bit dubious about his NBA prospects. He's got a chance at getting drafted in the second round because he's a 7-footer, but he most likely goes undrafted.

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If the Spurs end up taking Hamilton at the end of the draft, he'd likely be the type of pick that would have to develop for a season or two. They could send him to the D-League to work on his game and develop the needed strength to bang with NBA centers.

Renardo Sidney

Unlike anybody else on the list, there could be a potential downside to drafting Sidney. That's because Sidney has had character problems in the past. Here's an excerpt from an article in the Washington Post, which outlines Sidney's issues off the court.

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"Sidney missed the 2009-10 season as the NCAA investigated possible amateurism violations. He then was suspended for the first nine games the following season — and ordered to repay $11,800 — after the NCAA ruled that he had received improper benefits and lied during the investigation. Then came two suspensions, including one that came after he traded punches in the stands with a teammate at an event in Hawaii in December 2010."

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He's had issues with a lack of conditioning in the past. He's also clashed over his role with coaches in the past because he wants to be a perimeter player, but lacks to necessary skills to pull it off.

Despite the potential for disaster, Sidney's also got more upside than anybody else on the list. He's an excellent passer for his size, he's got the range on his shot to consistently knock down NBA three-pointers and he also has the skills to be a good rebounder in the NBA.

He could be the type of pick that meshes well with the Spurs. After all, Popovich has found a way to build a rapport with Stephen Jackson—another talented player with character issues. With the Spurs having one of the last picks in the draft, Sidney could be a gamble worth taking.