| Draft Report: Spurs at it again |
By Ivan Carter
SPURS AT IT AGAIN
San Antonio stole France's Tony Parker when they took him with the 28th overall pick during the 2001 draft and again fleeced the league when they landed Argentina's Manu Ginobili in the second round in 2002.
So it should come as no surprise that San Antonio landed one of the draft's most intriguing foreign players when they took point guard Beno Udrih of Slovenia with the 28th overall pick Thursday night. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Udrih is a crafty left-hander who already has three seasons of professional ball under his belt.
TO THE POINT
Shaun Livingston became the first point guard to go directly from high school to being an NBA lottery pick when the Clippers took him fourth in the draft Thursday night.
Livingston, who starred at Peoria (Ill.) Central High, had originally committed to Duke. He twice led his school to the Class AA state championship and last season was chosen as Illinois Mr. Basketball.
?We got the player we wanted,? Clippers general manager Elgin Baylor said. ?From the first time we watched this kid we just thought he was something special.?
The 6-6 Livingston, who has a nearly 7-foot wingspan, turns 19 on Sept. 11.
Livingston broke the ice for another high school point guard, Sebastian Telfair of New York City, who was taken 14th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers.
NELSON NOT WORRIED
The Blazers selecting Telfair surprised many who thought the they might take St. Joseph's point guard Jameer Nelson at that spot.
Nelson, the consensus NCAA player of the year, fell to 20th, taken by the Denver Nuggets. That might have made some players sour, but when his name was called, Nelson jumped excitedly out of his seat and walked to the stage wearing his Nuggets cap.
He was later traded to Orlando for a future No. 1 pick.
?It felt like a long wait. I didn't have any negative thoughts,? he said.
Used courtesy of: Kansas City Star |
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