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http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/buck_harvey/33705249.html
Had the 2008 draft gone differently, Bruce Bowen would still be starting.
At least another game.
Just as Gregg Popovich went with a French teenager named Tony Parker just five games into his career, Popovich would be inclined to do the same with another.
Had the 2008 draft gone differently.
As it is, Bowen has as many points as the Spurs have wins this season. He played less than 22 minutes against both the Suns in the opener and in Portland on Friday night, and the end-game situation against the Blazers was telling. Then, when the Spurs needed to slow Brandon Roy, they went with other defenders.
That doesn't mean Bowen is finished; he's shown similar senior moments in the past two seasons and has recovered. Knowing the respect Popovich has for him, Bowen will get extended chances.
Still, the equation would be far different today if the Spurs had gotten what they wanted last June. Then they tried everything they could — from smokescreen e-mails to medical subterfuge — to draft a 19-year-old Frenchman, Nicolas Batum.
He's smooth and athletic, and he showed that Friday night against the Spurs. Batum dunked on a fast break and threw in a 3-pointer on his way to a dozen points.
But it's his defense that impresses, and one word describes this 6-foot-8 swingman. Long. He combines quick feet with a wingspan that would cover what Kurt Thomas and Michael Finley can't reach.
Youth, speed, length — isn't a European Tayshaun Prince precisely what the Spurs need?
Other teams saw his potential last summer, too, and most listed him as a mid-first round pick. But in the days leading up to the draft he underwent a treadmill test for the Nets and Raptors, and the results raised fears about his heart.
The stuff was scary, as well as confusing. Batum's father had died at a young age, and, because of circumstance and because too many years had passed, teams had difficulty finding if there was a link.
Toronto, drafting at No. 17, had seen enough. The Raptors removed Batum from their board.
Batum went through a series of thorough tests in Cleveland, and R.C. Buford was there for them. Afterward Bouna Ndiaye, Batum's agent, announced his client had passed; teams were to get a full medical report the next day, a Tuesday, two days before the draft.
That's also when Batum went to San Antonio for a workout. But the medical reports were never released, and Batum never talked to another team.
A draft site wrote this: “Some teams are openly wondering whether San Antonio gave Batum a promise and asked him to not distribute his physical around the league, which would make him very likely to slip to 26.”
Draft day brought another curious move. The Spurs sent out e-mails to all 29 teams inviting them to bid on their No. 26 draft pick.
Everyone assumed the Spurs had Batum's medical report. Were they now suggesting by their e-mail they weren't satisfied with what they had seen? Or did they just want everyone to think that?
So Batum began to fall during the draft, and Portland didn't care. Kevin Pritchard, the Blazers general manager, had pushed his owner to buy the No. 27 pick from New Orleans, and his announced target was Serge Ibaka, a 6-10 player from the Congo.
Oklahoma City, however, took Ibaka at No. 24. Needing someone for this recently purchased pick, not exactly sure what was the best option, Pritchard was in a position to gamble on both Batum's medical questions and rumors that the Spurs were still interested. He traded up with Houston, moving a slot ahead of the Spurs, and took Batum.
Reports that night said the Spurs cheered when Batum was selected, because that meant George Hill had fallen to them. That's not accurate.
The Spurs were sincerely pleased to get Hill, and they still like him. But Hill plays behind Parker.
Given what Batum showed the Spurs on Friday, given another game or two, there's a chance Batum wouldn't play behind anyone in San Antonio.
Had the 2008 draft gone differently, Bruce Bowen would still be starting.
At least another game.
Just as Gregg Popovich went with a French teenager named Tony Parker just five games into his career, Popovich would be inclined to do the same with another.
Had the 2008 draft gone differently.
As it is, Bowen has as many points as the Spurs have wins this season. He played less than 22 minutes against both the Suns in the opener and in Portland on Friday night, and the end-game situation against the Blazers was telling. Then, when the Spurs needed to slow Brandon Roy, they went with other defenders.
That doesn't mean Bowen is finished; he's shown similar senior moments in the past two seasons and has recovered. Knowing the respect Popovich has for him, Bowen will get extended chances.
Still, the equation would be far different today if the Spurs had gotten what they wanted last June. Then they tried everything they could — from smokescreen e-mails to medical subterfuge — to draft a 19-year-old Frenchman, Nicolas Batum.
He's smooth and athletic, and he showed that Friday night against the Spurs. Batum dunked on a fast break and threw in a 3-pointer on his way to a dozen points.
But it's his defense that impresses, and one word describes this 6-foot-8 swingman. Long. He combines quick feet with a wingspan that would cover what Kurt Thomas and Michael Finley can't reach.
Youth, speed, length — isn't a European Tayshaun Prince precisely what the Spurs need?
Other teams saw his potential last summer, too, and most listed him as a mid-first round pick. But in the days leading up to the draft he underwent a treadmill test for the Nets and Raptors, and the results raised fears about his heart.
The stuff was scary, as well as confusing. Batum's father had died at a young age, and, because of circumstance and because too many years had passed, teams had difficulty finding if there was a link.
Toronto, drafting at No. 17, had seen enough. The Raptors removed Batum from their board.
Batum went through a series of thorough tests in Cleveland, and R.C. Buford was there for them. Afterward Bouna Ndiaye, Batum's agent, announced his client had passed; teams were to get a full medical report the next day, a Tuesday, two days before the draft.
That's also when Batum went to San Antonio for a workout. But the medical reports were never released, and Batum never talked to another team.
A draft site wrote this: “Some teams are openly wondering whether San Antonio gave Batum a promise and asked him to not distribute his physical around the league, which would make him very likely to slip to 26.”
Draft day brought another curious move. The Spurs sent out e-mails to all 29 teams inviting them to bid on their No. 26 draft pick.
Everyone assumed the Spurs had Batum's medical report. Were they now suggesting by their e-mail they weren't satisfied with what they had seen? Or did they just want everyone to think that?
So Batum began to fall during the draft, and Portland didn't care. Kevin Pritchard, the Blazers general manager, had pushed his owner to buy the No. 27 pick from New Orleans, and his announced target was Serge Ibaka, a 6-10 player from the Congo.
Oklahoma City, however, took Ibaka at No. 24. Needing someone for this recently purchased pick, not exactly sure what was the best option, Pritchard was in a position to gamble on both Batum's medical questions and rumors that the Spurs were still interested. He traded up with Houston, moving a slot ahead of the Spurs, and took Batum.
Reports that night said the Spurs cheered when Batum was selected, because that meant George Hill had fallen to them. That's not accurate.
The Spurs were sincerely pleased to get Hill, and they still like him. But Hill plays behind Parker.
Given what Batum showed the Spurs on Friday, given another game or two, there's a chance Batum wouldn't play behind anyone in San Antonio.
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