***

March 03, 2012; Lawrence, KS, USA; Texas Longhorns guard J

J’Covan Brown
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 203
DX rank: 45
DX projection: Undrafted

Draft Express actually ranked Brown higher than new Spur Marcus Denmon. They are similar players; they are trapped in the confines of their point guard bodies yet they tend to play like mini 2-guards. I prefer Denmon because he’s more efficient and explosive to the rim. Brown wasn’t as efficient because he hoisted up a lesser quality of shots. How much his weak Texas supporting class played into that is debatable. But, Brown is in the same scenario as Denmon: an NBA team will ask him to play point and he’s going to need to make an adjustment mentally to make it work.

Drew Gordon
Height: 6’8.5″
Weight: 241
DX rank: 40
DX projection: 43 (Atlanta Hawks)

Gordon didn’t get sufficient playing time in UCLA so he transferred to New Mexico his junior year. He parlayed his opportunity into two consecutive years of averaging a double-double and shooting better than 50% from the field. His rebounding prowess looks more impressive when you look at the percentage of rebounds he grabbed. He totaled 21% of New Mexico’s rebounds an amount buoyed by his elite defensive rebounding and above-average offensive rebounding. His block shot totals tailed off but he projects to be a decent rim protector in the NBA. I’m pretty surprised that no team was willing to take a flier on him. (sambunnell of Pounding the Rock noted that Gordon agreed to attend Mavericks camp.)

Tu Holloway
Height: 5’11″
Weight: 195
DX rank: 49
DX projection: Undrafted

It appears that NBA teams were deterred by his size. Holloway fits into the same category as Brown and Denmon but his size is an even bigger question. The Spurs reportedly worked him out prior to the draft and it wouldn’t be surprising to hear his name in the near future.

Kevin Jones
Height: 6’7.5″
Weight: 251
DX rank: 38
DX projection: 48 (New York Knicks)

What makes Jones’ exclusion from the draft even more surprising is that there was some talk that he received a promise in the latter portion of the first round. Whether that was purely conjecture or the team failed to make good on their promise remains to be seen. The fact of the matter is that Jones, like the aforementioned Gordon, is one of the guys that you can expect to do the little things. Jones improved his rebounding across the board and his 7’2″ wingspan makes covering 3′s and 4′s within the realm of possibility. That should make him a valuable commodity.

Scott Machado
Height: 6’1.75″
Weight: 205
DX rank: 80
DX projection: 54 (Philadelphia 76ers)

This is the last time I mention this but … Machado assisted on 44.2% of Iona’s possessions. 44.2 percent. That kind of passing ability has to account for something. I’m expecting Machado to be highly sought after from various NBA teams.

Leon Radosevic
Height: 6’9.5″
Weight: 238
DX rank: 57
DX projection: 60 (Los Angeles Lakers)

I noted in my piece on potential second-round values that Radosevic would be a great fit for the San Antonio Spurs. He’s tall, can shoot from mid-range and his IQ, like many Europeans, is high enough to withstand the complexity of the Spurs’ offense. I liked him a lot and so did John Hollinger’s Draft Rater (Insider).

Radosevic posted a mark of 8.77 which was the equivalent of Perry Jones III. (Key caveat: the stats Hollinger gleamed for his rater came from Europe.) Hollinger liked Radosevic as a second-round value as well (validation!) and ranked him as his 36th best player ahead of Andrew Nicholson who was selected at the 19th pick. He’ll likely head back to Europe but I don’t think there is a better stash option available than Radosevic. Someone should pounce.

Misc: Terrell Stergin, Maryland. Stergin is also an undersized combo guard but his red flags are more prominent. We’ll see if any team is willing to put up with him.

So what do you think Spurs fans? Is there anyone I missed that could be of some value?

Mar 13, 2012; Dayton, OH, USA; Iona Gaels guard Scott Machado (3) dribbles between two Brigham Young Cougar defenders during the first round of the 2012 NCAA men

Scott Machado
Height w/ shoes: 6’1.75″
Wingspan: 6’3″
Points: 13.6
Rebounds: 4.9
Assists: 9.9
TS: 60.5%
PER: 23.5
Draft Express rank: 80th

Machado is the quintessential point guard. For the people who give Russell Westbrook flak for for not playing his position “correctly” (which is absolutely ridiculous by the way), Machado’s fluid game is aesthetically appealing. Machado paced Iona’s dominant offensive attack by assisting on 44.4% of their possessions. Without Machado’s vision and quickness, you can make the case that Iona wouldn’t have been nearly as dominant. They scored 114.8 points per 100 possessions by the way, good for ninth in Division I.

Machado would be a decent fit for San Antonio because he understands when to distribute the ball and he’s capable of making the majority of the passes he’ll be asked to. Yes, he’s a little small and is a liability defensively but, at this juncture, he’s a pretty good value. For what it’s worth, Draft Express projects him to go the Boston Celtics with the 51st overall pick. His best-case scenario is Earl Watson.

***

Tu Holloway
Height w/ shoes: 5’11″
Wingspan: 6’4.5″
Points: 17.5
Rebounds: 3.6
Assists: 4.9
TS: 58.7%
PER: 22.2
DX rank: 49th

Holloway was an effective scoring guard for Xavier despite his diminutive frame. He was tasked into handling the ball on 25.1% of Xavier’s possession his senior year, indicating that he was an instrumental force in their offense. His upside is limited because of his size and age but I feel the three-years of data on Holloway makes up for his deficiencies. With the dearth of one-and-done players, their data is highly unreliable. That is not the case for Holloway, who played four years with Xavier.

Paul Garcia of Project Spurs reported that Holloway worked out with for the Spurs. How convenient. Here’s Garcia’s take which, honestly, is much better than I can muster up.

    Though I’ll admit I never saw this kid play due to being fully obligated to the Spurs this past lockout     season, Holloway has a lot of the physical traits of Eric Bledsoe of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Spurs     needed a player like this who could routinely attack the basket and get to the free throw line after the     Oklahoma City Thunder made the proper adjustments of limiting Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili’s     penetration into the paint.

    Unfortunately, I feel Holloway’s size will be his biggest disadvantage of the Spurs not selecting him with     their second round 59th pick, because they already have a small guard off the bench in Gary Neal. Neal     and Holloway coming off the bench together for the Spurs’ second unit would be a defensive disaster.     Though they both could put up points in spurts, defensively it’s too much of a liability.

***

Mar 8, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Peyton Siva (3) tries to deflect ball from Marquette Golden Eagles forward Jae Crowder (32) as he brings the ball up court in the third round of the 2012 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jim O

Jae Crowder
Height w/ shoes: 6’5.5″
Wingspan: 6’8.5″
Points: 17.5
Rebounds: 8.4
Assists: 2.1
TS%: 59.8%
PER: 28.8
DX rank: 27th

Crowder may seem a tad too talented to reach the 59th overall pick. And that may be the case. There’s always a possibility of the Spurs trading up to the top of the second round — yes, the second round — because acquiring a rotation player late in the draft a la DeJuan Blair is inherently more valuable financially. The team, in this instance, gets a lot more negotiating flexibility and can hold the rights of a talented player at a cost-efficient price. Anyway.

I’m enamored with his game. Crowder’s size is the only thing that would deter San Antonio from drafting him. He spent the majority of his time guarding power forwards and, because of the nature of the collegiate game, he got away with it. He flourished actually. That being said, his combine measurements indicate that he won’t have the length to defend post players.

I like Crowder, especially, because he was remarkably efficient with the ball and away from the ball as well. The latter option is incredibly important in Popovich’s system. Most collegiate players aren’t capable of scoring away from the ball because it requires much more instinctive knowledge, something that Crowder intuitively understands. He isn’t a dead-eye 3-point shooter but he’s a much more advanced shooter than Kawhi Leonard at a similar stage. He also grabbed a ton of rebounds, 14% of Marquette’s possessions to be exact. High-energy, high IQ guys who happen to take care of the ball are a rare asset in the second round.

***

Leon Radosevic
Height w/ shoes: 6’9.5″
Wingspan: 6’11.86″
Points: 4.2
Rebounds: 2.0
Assists: 0.2
TS: 65.0%
PER: 15
DX rank: 57th

Radosevic has been slotted into the 59th overall pick in Draft Express’ mock drafts for awhile. I knew next to nothing about him prior to the consummation of this piece but I realize why San Antonio could potentially be interested in his services.

Radosevic has ideal size to play the power forward position. That happens to be a pressing need for the Spurs. He only logged 10.5 minutes per game with Milano and wasn’t asked to much other than screening and shooting mid-range jumpers. Radosevic didn’t have an extensive role with his team so we may be oblivious to his true talent level. It should be noted that Radosevic excelled in this minor role. Here’s DX’s take:

    Standing 6’10 with a solid 240-pound frame and near 7’0 wingspan, the Croatian big man has good size     for a NBA big man. He lacks a degree of strength and is not a tremendously springy athlete, but has added     some weight to his frame since last season, is quick off his feet, and plays with energy. He does not have     ideal physical tools for a NBA player, but is not a complete slouch and has the offensive polish, high     basketball IQ, and unselfish attitude to offer value as a role-player.

    Unfortunately, Radosevic’s role for Milano has offered little opportunity for him to showcase his offensive     game. Scoring from the midrange and in the post with a simple, but polished offensive repertoire last     season, Radosevic has functioned almost exclusively as a catch-and-finish option this season, doing what     his coaches ask of him. He spends most of his time setting screens, rolling to the basket, and ducking in     behind the defense when his teammates penetrate. Converting 61% of his finishing opportunities     according to Synergy Sports Technology, Radosevic’s touch around the rim does help him make the most     of his limited scoring chances, even if he has only attempted a pair of jump shots this season.

Radosevic reminds me of a considerably less polished Erazem Lorbek albeit one without the perimeter shot or the ability to score from the post. That sure sounds like a Spur to me. Just keep in mind, if you are the type that doesn’t have patience, that Radosevic likely wouldn’t be apart of the Spurs’ immediate plans.

How about it Spurs fans? Do you have any low-key players slotted to the second round that could make an impact for the Spurs next season (or in the future)?