NBA Draft 2011: Kyle Singler and 10 Draftees the San Antonio Spurs Should Avoid
The San Antonio Spurs are coming off a disappointing first round exit in the 2011 playoffs and could use an infusion of youth to give the core another run at a championship. The Spurs have the 29th and 59th overall selections in Thursday night's NBA Draft.
The Spurs' guard positions seem to be filled, assuming Tony Parker doesn't attempt to force his way out of San Antonio. With Parker and George Hill running the point alongside shooting guards Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal, the Spurs should feel confident in their guard rotation.
This means that the Spurs should be focusing on forwards and centers.
Richard Jefferson has been a major letdown since joining the team and James Anderson, who is listed as the backup small forward, struggled with injuries in his rookie campaign and is likely better-suited as a shooting guard.
As for the power forward and center positions, Tim Duncan is still productive in stretches, but can no longer handle the big minutes he used to. Antonio McDyess retired. DeJuan Blair found his way into head coach Gregg Popovich's doghouse last season and couldn't find his way out.
Tiago Splitter has work to do, but wasn't given nearly enough regular season minutes to improve his game, and Matt Bonner is nothing more than an offensive substitute off the bench. So, it is clear that the Spurs are hoping a big man with the ability to make an immediate impact is available when they pick.
As always with the Spurs, however, there is a good chance that they will spend at least one of their picks on a foreign player. This frees them from financial liability and gives the player more time to develop overseas.
With all of that in mind, here are 10 players the Spurs should avoid in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Jeremy Tyler
1 of 10
A top-rated prospect coming out of San Diego High School, Jeremy Tyler decided to de-commit from Louisville and play professionally in Israel instead. He signed a contract with the Israeli Super League side Maccabi Haifa. When he didn't receive the playing time he expected, he decided to take his ball and go home in early 2010.
After working out back in San Diego for a couple of months, Tyler signed on with the Tokyo Apache in Japan. His performance with the Apache was inconsistent in 33 games, but he did shoot 52 percent from the field.
Tyler seems to be too much of a “me first” kind of player for the Spurs, who are all about the team concept. His athleticism will ensure he gets drafted somewhere near the end of the first round or early second round, but the upside is trumped by the downside.
Davis Bertans
2 of 10
There are reports that the San Antonio Spurs have told Davis Bertans that if he's available with the 29th-overall-pick, they will select him. Obviously it is nothing more than speculation at this point, but if true, it is a mistake.
Bertans is a selection that won't help the Spurs for at least a couple of seasons. By the time he's ready to make a big-time impact on the team, Tim Duncan will be sitting in a court-side seat next to David Robinson. His defense is also a big question mark, and doesn't mesh well with the way the Spurs play.
There is no doubt he is a great jump shooter, but he can't create his own shot. His athleticism and quickness make it likely he'll never be a player that can make things happen with the ball in his hands.
Overall, there is just too much waiting required for a one-dimensional player when the clock on the Spurs' dynasty is nearing midnight.
Nikola Mirotic
3 of 10
Another great jump shooter, Nikola Mirotic is closer to being NBA ready than Davis Bertans. That said, he will likely need another season or two in Europe before he's ready to make the jump. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 17 minutes with Real Madrid in the Spanish ACB League last season.
Mirotic struggles on the defensive end, mostly due to a lack of strength. He will need to bulk up before becoming a full-time NBA player. He will likely be a power forward when he makes it to the league, but he will need to vastly improve his rebounding. He doesn't have the athleticism to make up for a lack of power underneath the basket, so he is mostly a jump shooter.
Once again, this is a situation where the Spurs would have to wait. After the wait is over, they'll get a one-dimensional player who will need to work his tail off to earn extended minutes. The Spurs would be better off grabbing a player ready to play from day one, even if the upside isn't as good.
Josh Selby
4 of 10
I took an in-depth look at Selby and why he should have stayed at Kansas for another season in NBA Draft 2011: Josh Selby and 6 Other Prospects Who Are Still a Year Away" target="_blank">NBA Draft 2011: Josh Selby and 6 Other Prospects Who Are Still a Year Away.
His talent will be very intriguing late in the first round, but at the end of the day it isn't worth the risk for the Spurs. Aside from the character issues that arose during his short stay at Kansas, there is no guarantee that he'll be ready to fill Tony Parker's shoes whenever he heads from greener pastures. Let another team take the risk.
Kyle Singler
5 of 10
There are a bunch of mock drafts that have the Spurs taking Kyle Singler in the first round. He would seem like a logical fit: a small forward that can stand in the corner and knockdown threes and is ready to play right away.
The worrisome part about Singler, however, is his lack of consistency at Duke. He seemed to peak somewhere between his second and third year with the Blue Devils, and began to regress after that. In his senior season, he only shot 32 percent from the three, his rebound rate dropped, and his assist, steal and block numbers all decreased while his turnover and foul rates increased.
Something about his lack of improvement during the latter part of his time at Duke is very worrisome. On top of that, he isn't very athletic and is likely to struggle guarding stronger small forwards in the NBA. Given the choice between the first possible first round picks on this list, I would take Singler, but I don't think he's the best option.
Greg Smith
6 of 10
Smith is another player that was covered in NBA Draft 2011: Josh Selby and 6 Other Prospects Who Are Still a Year Away.
Greg Smith is a player built in the mold of DeJuan Blair. Smith's defense is questionable, which led to Blair ending up on the bench for the majority of the Grizzlies series. His offensive game is very crude and will need several years of development.
He is probably better off being drafted by a non-contender so he can log big minutes and work on his game. With the Spurs, he'll be relegated to the bench and won't ever reach his potential. The size and strength are there, but everything else needs time.
Adam Hanga
7 of 10
Another foreign player who will need a couple of years to develop, Adam Hanga wasn't on many draft radars until recent weeks when some mock drafts slipped him into the late second round. He is currently playing for Basquet Manresa in Spain's Liga ACB.
Hanga is a tweener, with scouts unsure whether he'll grow into a small forward in the NBA or if he'll be stuck as a tall shooting guard. He has shown the ability to create his own offense, with solid athleticism and quickness. He'll need to continue to develop his jump shot and, like several other players on this list, his defense needs work.
A long-term development project, you would have liked to see more all-around game potential from him. The chances he becomes a productive NBA player are slim, so the Spurs would be better off drafting somebody who could give them a couple of minutes off the bench right now.
Jereme Richmond
8 of 10
Like Greg Smith and Josh Selby, Jereme Richmond was covered in NBA Draft 2011: Josh Selby and 6 Other Prospects Who Are Still a Year Away.
Richmond's draft position has fluctuated like the stock market in recent weeks. He is a tremendous athlete, but his decision to leave Illinois was ill-advised and will likely cost him a lot of money in the long run. His entire game needs work (hint: that's what college is for), but he decided to stay in the draft and will suffer the consequences.
His potential is good, but it is tough to reach that potential when most of your time is spent on the bench. If he was an overseas player, the team would leave him with his current club for a couple more seasons and hope for the best. Unfortunately for the team that drafts Richmond, they can't send him back to college.
Jamie Skeen
9 of 10
Jamie Skeen broke into the national conscience when VCU made a surprise run to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. He was inconsistent in games against lower-level competition in college, which is worrisome ahead of a big jump to the NBA.
Skeen will be undersized in the NBA. He has developed a serviceable jump shot, but as a whole his offensive game is a work in progress. His rebounding ability doesn't match his size and strength, which often leads to questions about work ethic. All of the reports say that he was a good team player, however.
Skeen fits the description of somebody who will be able to step in right away, but is his ability good enough to break the Spurs rotation? Probably not. His lack of athleticism will mean the Spurs should look elsewhere at the end of the second round.
Jamine Peterson
10 of 10Jamine Peterson enters the NBA Draft after being kicked off the roster at Providence and being released from Kolossos Rhodes in Greece. That isn't the ideal scenario for any prospect, but Peterson is a good athlete, so a team will give him a chance.
He is too small to play small forward or power forward in the NBA, even though he has the strength to do so. Peterson is another poor defensive player who doesn't give the requisite amount of effort to be considered by the Spurs brass. He is still developing his shooting stroke, but over time should become an offensive contributor in the NBA.
There are going to be question marks surrounding every second-round pick; otherwise they would go in the first round. The obvious aside, the amount of red flags surrounding Peterson won't fly in San Antonio. So, despite his potential at a position of need, Gregg Popovich should pass on Peterson.
