San Antonio Spurs: A look back at NBA draft history before 2018
The San Antonio Spurs have the 18th and 49th picks in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft. Here is a brief draft history of the Spurs’ drafts prior to 2018.
In 2018, the San Antonio Spurs will have their highest draft pick since they selected Tim Duncan with the first overall pick back in 1997. They did receive Kawhi Leonard on draft night in 2011, but he was originally selected by the Indiana Pacers with the 15th pick.
The highest pick the Spurs have had since 1997 was the 20th pick, which they used to select James Anderson. The 6’6″ shooting guard would go on to play 87 games for the Spurs, averaging 3.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.
It is with the later picks the Spurs seem to have the greatest success. In the 2016 NBA Draft, San Antonio took Dejounte Murray. He developed into a starter this season and helped the Spurs make the playoffs despite the horrific injury toll. To date he has played in 119 games, averaging 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals per game.
In 2014, the Spurs selected Kyle Anderson with the 30th pick of the draft. He has developed into an incredibly good spare parts player. He has started in place of Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard at various points due to injuries.
In his four seasons with the Spurs, Anderson has played 257 games. He has averaged 4.9 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.9 steals per game — not a bad return for a 30th pick.
The legends
In 1999, the San Antonio Spurs selected Manu Ginobili with the 57th pick of the draft. This was the steal of the draft. Ginobili has the third-highest win shares of any player in the draft. Only Shawn Marion (ninth pick) and Elton Brand (first pick) have had more than Ginobili.
The Spurs legend has also played the fourth-most games (1,057) of this draft behind Jason Terry (1,410), Andre Miller (1,304) and Marion (1,163). Ginobili is also part of the winningest trio in NBA history with Duncan and Tony Parker.
The San Antonio Spurs selected Parker with the 28th pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, completing the Big 3 that would bring them so much success. The superstar point guard has the second-highest win shares of any player in the draft. The player he is behind? Current teammate Pau Gasol, who was taken with the third pick in the draft.
The history by the numbers
The Spurs have only had the 18th pick once in their history, back in 1992. With it they selected Tracy Murray out of the University of California. Murray would be traded one week after the draft to the Milwaukee Bucks for Dale Ellis, therefore never played for the San Antonio Spurs.
In NBA history, the most successful players to be selected at No. 18 include Eric Bledsoe (2010), Ty Lawson (2009), JaVale McGee (2008), Marco Belinelli (2007), Gerald Green (2005), J.R. Smith (2004), David West (2003), Theo Ratliff (1995), B.J. Armstrong (1989), Mark Jackson (1987), Joe Dumars (1985), Ricky Pierce (1982) and Calvin Murphy (1970).
The Spurs have only had the 49th pick twice in their history. In 1991, they selected Greg Sutton out of Oral Roberts University. The 6’2″ point guard would only play one season with the Spurs, appearing in 67 games and averaging 3.7 points and 1.4 assists per game.
In 2010, the Spurs picked Ryan Richards, a 6’11” forward/center out of the United Kingdom. Richards would never play a game in the NBA.
The most successful No. 49 picks in NBA Draft history include Kyle O’Quinn (2012), Andray Blatche (2005) and James Jones (2003).
Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft - Doncic still No. 1 in post-lottery edition
Let’s hope the San Antonio Spurs have greater success with these two picks than they have in the past.