The last pick of the 1996 Usenet draft belongs to the
San Antonio Spurs and their GM:
John Shadle
The Spurs actually had the 18th pick. This pick was received from
the Pistons in the Rodman/Elliot trade. The Spurs then sent this
pick to the Knicks in the Charles Smith trade. The Spurs do not
have a pick at all in this years draft. Nonetheless, the Usenet
Spurs select:
Jeff McInnis, PG, 6-4, North Carolina
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Overview
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San Antonio has a few good years left in them before they must start to
rebuild. A perennial power, they must keep their team of seasoned
veterans together and blend in some new blood in order to continue
contending in the next few years.
The GM's office is very smart in S.A. They sure know how to bring some
great players together and put together a decent playoff run, but they
must give the Spurs fans something to cheer about in the next few years
before the Admiral gets too along in his years.
Team Depth:
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Here is a breakdown by position:
Center:
David Robinson and backup Will Perdue provide the strength in the middle
for this contending team. Their division-winning finish in the Midwest
was fueled of course by the Admiral's play in the middle. His skill and
Perdue's experience fill this position with occasional help from Greg
Anderson.
Forwards:
A good group of frontcourt players provide the Spurs with versatility and
size at the forward positions. Sean Elliot, Carl Herrera, Chuck Person,
Monty Williams, and Charles Smith give S.A. the inside-outside game that
makes them so dangerous. When such a great % of your forwards can stuff
it inside just as well as they can drain the outside shots, the threat of
any form of attack makes them very hard to defend against.
Guards:
Again, veterans lead this thin pack of ball handlers. This is where I
see the Spurs having the greatest problems in the future. With newcomer
Cory Alexander the only "new" blood in the backcourt, the Spurs could
really look to draft someone here. Vinny Del Negro, Avery Johnson, and
Doc Rivers provide excellent teaching tools for whoever they decide to
help replace this aging group.
Needs:
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If San Antonio wants to continue to be a contender for the title, then
they must draft someone to fill up the backcourt. If they don't look for
someone to bring up the ball and shoot the outside shot, then they won't
have a chance in the next few playoffs with their leaders Rivers and Del
Negro possibly retiring within the next few seasons.
My selection:
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Jeff McInnis, PG, North Carolina
I've seen this guy play for two years and he does have some great moves
and a sweet shot (although I hate to admit it, being a Duke fan). He
still needs a few seasons to get it all together, but time when the
veterans start to move on to retirement, McInnis will be ready to take
the reins of this team and lead them on.
Others Considered:
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Although their main need is in the backcourt, a versatile inside-outside
big man would still be great to have coming off the bench. Mark Pope,
from Kentucky, would be great for this fact. He's one of a few players
that I feel may get overlooked in this draft. He's just not that "bad"
of a player to get moved down past the mid 30's in this draft.
Craig Simpson - Usenet Draft Commissioner