James Anderson: Failed draft pick in context

[grizzly_bexar]

Given James Anderson's failure to live up to his pre-draft billing (and even his early showing as a rookie), I have often wondered what the Spurs missed out on by drafting Anderson as opposed to somebody else that might have been available.

Answer: nothing.

There was hardly any talent left after Avery Bradley at pick #19. Greivis Vasquez is a starter on an awful team (who I liked, but he's basically Nando De Colo). Landry Fields is a good player. That's it.

Here is the 2010 NBA draft, beginning pick 21:


21 OKC Craig Brackins Iowa State University
22 POR Elliot Williams University of Memphis
23 MIN Trevor Booker Clemson University
24 ATL Damion James University of Texas at Austin
25 MEM Dominique Jones University of South Florida
26 OKC Quincy Pondexter University of Washington
27 NJN Jordan Crawford Xavier University
28 MEM Greivis Vasquez University of Maryland
29 ORL Daniel Orton University of Kentucky
30 WAS Lazar Hayward Marquette University
Round 2 Totals Shooting Per Game Advanced
Pk Tm Player College G MP PTS TRB AST FG% 3P% FT% MP PTS TRB AST WS WS/48
31 NJN Tibor Pleiss
32 MIA Dexter Pittman University of Texas at Austin
33 SAC Hassan Whiteside Marshall University
34 POR Armon Johnson University of Nevada, Reno
35 WAS Nemanja Bjelica
36 DET Terrico White University of Mississippi
37 MIL Darington Hobson University of New Mexico
38 NYK Andy Rautins Syracuse University
39 NYK Landry Fields Stanford University
40 IND Lance Stephenson University of Cincinnati
41 MIA Jarvis Varnado Mississippi State University
42 MIA Da'Sean Butler West Virginia University
43 LAL Devin Ebanks West Virginia University
44 MIL Jerome Jordan University of Tulsa
45 MIN Paulao Prestes
46 PHO Gani Lawal Georgia Institute of Technology
47 MIL Tiny Gallon University of Oklahoma
48 MIA Latavious Williams
49 SAS Ryan Richards
50 DAL Solomon Alabi Florida State University
51 OKC Magnum Rolle Louisiana Tech University
52 BOS Luke Harangody University of Notre Dame
53 ATL Pape Sy
54 LAC Willie Warren University of Oklahoma
55 UTA Jeremy Evans Western Kentucky University
56 MIN Hamady N'Diaye Rutgers University
57 IND Ryan Reid Florida State University
58 LAL Derrick Caracter University of Texas at El Paso
59 ORL Stanley Robinson University of Connecticut
60 PHO Dwayne Collins University of Miami

Sucks, but consider that the Spurs could've had, with pick #20, Kenneth Faried (#22, 2011), when they got Cory Joseph, who I like but won't be ready to contribute until we have to offer him an extension.

Hard to complain about "bad luck" in the draft if you're a Spurs fan, though!

[Kager]

Jeremy Evens would have been an upgrade, he hasn't blown the league away but still more athletic and could have been turned into that wing defender/slasher we want..

[SleepyAdamII]

Yeah I guess

[drcantgetright]

the lottery is a crap shoot...most of the time teams come up empty.

[WILLTHETHRILL]

I was high on Vasquez to be honest but thought he was a reach at #20. Joseph got his extention already FYI

[Guille]

Greivis is much better than Nando. He could be a better backup to Tony.
But given the information they had there, drafting Anderson makes a whole lot of sense.
It´s like drafting Oden, or Royce White, or Kwame Brown.
They all are now baaaad choices. But everybody would´ve done the same one.

Anyways, we struck gold with our number ones overall, and we struck gold with our late first rounder pg from France and our late 2nd rounder from Argentina

[alh1020]

As DrCant said above, the lottery is a crap shoot, but whose to say that any one of those players off of Griz’s list might have flourished in the Spurs organization if given a chance to play under the right leadership and tutoring and been able to expose their talents. There’s always that one in a million shot that surfaces who no one thought would make it. But then again, snakes eyes is usually the result.

[Spurd_On]

The one thing I remember was that in training camp, the Spurs had three 6'-6" wings they were looking at. James Anderson, Danny Green and Alonzo Gee. You almost have to keep James Anderson because he was your draft pick but in hindsight, Alonzo Gee probably had more smarts and more potential.

[xcell31]

I always remember gee outplaying Anderson in every pre camp tho... Even this year. There were a few better offseason options than the underperforming Anderson

[choppsboy]

Since Anderson was a 1st round pick, there was really never a choice between Anderson and Gee or Green. The choice was always between Gee and Green, and Green is better. Had Anderson been a 2nd round pick, we might still have Gee.