29. San Antonio Spurs

The second team with out a first round pick is the San Antonio Spurs, 
represted by:

   Shane L. Bell .

The Spurs traded their first round pick (#20) to the Charlotte Hornets
with Sidney Green for J.R. Reid.  In the Usenet draft they will pick
#29, in the real NBA draft they will pick #47.  So with the 29th pick
in the 1993 Usenet mock draft, the San Antonio Spurs select:

   Nick Van Exel, PG, 6-1, Cincinnati.

=========================================================================
(All references to staff can be taken to mean anybody on the net that
was kind enough to offer some advice and comments on the team.)

TEAM NEEDS
----------
  The team needs a good point guard and a big man to help on the
boards.  They have decent point guards but no-one that can step up and
run the team effectively.  An effective offense for the Spurs is a
running game as their two best players, David Robinson and Sean
Elliot, are versatile, athletic, and fast, and would thrive best in a
running offense.  As pointed out by my staff in order to run on
offense you need good defense, especially defensive rebounding, which
after Robinson we don't have.

CENTER
David Robinson: He is one of the top centers in the game today.  Of
course we like to think he's the best :-).  A possible MVP candidate
if the proper people are placed around him.  He proved this when he
was in the top 10 in ten diff categoried(scoring, rebs, blocks,
etc)(Again thanks to my staff for these numbers).  Although he relies
on speed quickness, and the open-court game, he has the skills to slow
it done and hit the open jumper if given it.  He has shown lack of
leadership at times and if could be motivated to give 100% all the
time it would help our chances to go all the way.  We hope that Jon
Lucas is the coach to do this.

Larry Smith: A decent backup on the defensive end helping on the
boards but an offensive liability.

FORWARDS
Terry Cummings: Injured much of the year but we have gotten much and
expect much >from him.  He can score and help rebound.

Atoine Carr: Has nice touch from outside.  He doesn't rebound well for
his size which is where we need help.  He's a veteran that can spark a
club so he's worth having on any team.

J.R. Reid: Not quite the help we invisioned he be when we traded for
him.  He doesn't solve our rebounding problem.

Sean Elliot: The other money player besides David Robinson.  After a
slow first couple of seasons he's really come on strong lately and
proven he was worth our spending a high pick on him.  He can do it
all.  Shooting, ball-handling even some D on occasion.  He can be
switch to off guard if needed for a big-lineup.

GUARDS
Dale Ellis: He is as advertised.  A great set shooter.  You give him
space and time and he can hit from anywhere on the court.  His
liabilities are that he can't create off the dribble and he's too slow
to play defense.

Avery Johnson: A decent point guard but he can't play D and is another
liability on the offensive end of the court.  He can make the pass but
not the shot so opposing teams can get away with playing him soft most
nights.

Lloyd Daniels: He has the talent but will he use it.  He's the X
factor.  If he can come to play will all his skills we can have
another All-star on the team.

Vinny DelNegro: A decent back-up but not good enough to start.  Which
is saying a lot when it's Avery Johnson starting ahead of him.

Willie Anderson: Injured also for a long time.  He's still tentative
after coming back.  If he can return to his former form than we don't
have to worry

MY SELECTION
------------

I choose Nick Van Exel.  No other choice.  He's who I was waiting to
drop down so I'm very happy.  He has the ballhandling skills and can
come up with the timely steals.  He's definitely no Avery Johnson on
the offensive end either.  Once we work on his decision making he can
be an all-star point guard.

OTHERS CONSIDERED
-----------------
With only a second rounder if was not likely that we could get some
decent rebounding help so we looked more for finding a guard that
would be a diamond in the rough and could mature into a quality point
guard for us.

WHO THEY'LL PROBABLY TAKE
-------------------------
With such a low pick it could be anybody and not worth speculating
about as there is now way to fortell who would be left then.

OTHER MOVES
-----------
They already traded for JR Reid which was a mistake in my book.  I
would look into gambling on Lloyd Daniels and trading Willie Anderson
and JR Reid for a young power forward that can rebound.  If they could
get Dennis Rodman then a lot of their problems are solved.  With him
to help on defense and grab rebounds then we could get out there and
run.  His athleticism would fit right into our current plans.  Alvin
Robertson would be the kind of point guard that would be great if we
could pick up.  Not only can he score as a point guard but he plays
great defense, getting key steals to ignite a fast break.  There are
others out that they might be able to trade for but these are the two
most available that fill the holes, although I don't know what it
would take to get them.

=======================================================================
Draft Summay:
1.  Orlando
    GM:   Tom@Orlando 
    Pick: Chris Webber, PF, 6-10.  University of Michigan
2.  Philadelphia
    GM:   Dave Meeks 
    Pick: Shawn Bradley, C, 7-7. BYU
3.  Golden State
    GM's: Mike Moore 
          Terry Wong 
    Pick: Jamal Mashburn, SF, 6-8. Kentucky
4.  Dallas
    GM:   Curtis Hill  
    Pick: Anfernee Hardaway, SG, 6-7, Memphis State
5.  Minnesota
    GM's: Kevin Hansen 
          Toni Morgan 
    Pick: Calbert Cheaney, SF, 6-7. Indiana
6.  Washington
    GM's: The Crossjammer 
          Jim Nagle   
    Pick: J.R. Rider, SG, 6-5, UNLV
7.  Sacramento
    GM:   TODD FURESZ 
    Pick: Rodney Rogers, PF, 6-7, Wake Forest
8.  Milwaukee       
    GM's: Brian Saunders 
          Morgan Edwards 
    Pick: Malcolm Mackey, PF, 6-11, Georgia Tech
9.  Denver
    GM's: John Exby 
          Rick Grubin 
    Pick: Ervin Johnson, PF, 6-11, New Orleans
10. Detroit (from Miami in John Sally trade)
    GM:   Rob Skrobola 
    Pick: Alan Houston, SG, 6-6, Tennessee
11. Detroit
    GM:   Rob Skrobola 
    Pick: Acie Earl, C, 6-10, Iowa
12. L.A. Lakers
    GM:   Cliff Slaughterbeck 
    Pick: Bobby Hurley, PG, 6-0, Duke
13. L.A. Clippers
    GM:   Cliff Slaughterbeck 
    Pick: Vin Baker, SF, 6-10, Hartford
14. Indiana
    GM:   Doug Mraz 
    Pick: Scott Burrell, SG, 6-7, UCONN
15. Atlanta
    GM:   Kevin Metz 
    Pick: Terry Dehere, SG, 6-4, Seton Hall
16. New Jersey
    GM:   A. Borges Sugiyama 
    Pick: Douglas Edwards, PF, 6-9, Florida State
17. Charlotte
    GM:   Bren Bailey 
    Pick: Chris Mills, SF, 6-6, Arizona
18. Utah
    GM:   Michael Wendt  
    Pick: George Lynch, SF, 6-7, North Carolina
19. Boston
    GM:   Orin Day 
    Pick: Greg Graham, SG, 6-4, Indiana
20. Charlotte (from San Antonio for J.R. Reid)
    GM:   Bren Bailey 
    Pick: Lindsey Hunter, PG, 6-2, Jackson State
21. Portland
    GM:   Mike Northam 
    Pick: Luther Wright, C, 7-2, Seton Hall 
22. Cleveland
    GM's: W. Scott Klingensmith 
          Brian Young 
    Pick: Joe Harvell, SF, 6-7, Mississippi
23. Seattle
    GM:   Christopher Beck 
    Pick: Rodney Dobard, PF, 6-9, Florida State
24. Houston
    GM:   Brian West  
    Pick: Thomas Hill, SG, 6-5, Duke
25. Chicago
    GM:   Christopher Gattuso  
    Pick: Rex Walters, SG, 6-3, Kansas
26. Orlando (from NY in Mark Jackson, Stanley Roberts trade)
    GM    Tom@Orlando 
    Pick: Sam Cassel, SG, 6-3, Florida State
27. Phoenix
    GM:   Jason M Shachat 
    Pick: James Robinson, SG, 6-2, Alabama
28. Miami
    GM:   Rob Clough  
    Pick: Gheorge Muresan, C, 7-7, Romania
29. San Antonio
    GM:   Shane L. Bell 
    Pick: Nick Van Exel, PG, 6-1, Cincinnati

Next up:
30. New York
    GM:   Dylan Wilbanks 

Craig Simpson - Usenet Draft Commissioner