| Beno Udrih- the Slovenia surprise |
By Johnny Ludden
SALT LAKE CITY ? At the time Beno Udrih made his first visit to the United States in early June, he was more European tourist than NBA prospect. Scouts considered him a late second-round pick. At best. His agent told him there was a good chance he would go undrafted.
It didn't help that Udrih had spent the previous season collecting as many passport stamps as assists. He played five games for a team in Russia, twisted his ankle, then left when club officials wouldn't pay him or his coach. He tried to hook up with a Greek team, but league rules limiting the number of foreign players on each roster prevented him from joining until late in the season.
Udrih, whose rights were still held by Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv, finally signed with Breil Milano of Italy's A-1 League. He played only 10 minutes his first game and was shuttled on and off the court four times. After earning his coach's faith, he averaged 17 points and close to four assists over the final 10 games.
NBA scouts didn't know what to make of the young Slovenian point guard. Finding him was hard enough. Evaluating him was next to impossible.
Less than a month before the draft, Udrih's agent, Marc Cornstein, brought him to New York. Cornstein was honest with his 21-year-old client. The first round ? and the guaranteed three-year contract that came with it ? was a long shot, he said. Any chance Udrih had of improving his stock depended on his performance at Chicago's annual pre-draft camp and in private workouts.
"I knew what my job was," Udrih said. "I just said to myself, 'I've got one month.' Even if I wasn't drafted, I wanted to make sure I had done everything I could."
Udrih did well enough. He starred in Chicago, averaging 14 points and 6.5 assists in two games. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford were impressed with his poise. They liked him even more when he worked out in San Antonio.
A week later, the Spurs drafted Udrih at No. 28, the same pick they used to take another young unheralded point guard three years earlier. Their hope is he develops into a dependable backup to Tony Parker.
"He flew under the radar for pretty much the last couple of years," said Danny Ferry, the Spurs' vice president of basketball operations. "But you can tell he just knows how to play."
Udrih has remained somewhat of a mystery after signing with the Spurs. Entering Friday's final game of the Rocky Mountain Revue summer league, injuries had limited him to only two appearances and 43 minutes.
After banging his left knee during the Chicago camp ? the injury left a large bruise on his leg ? Udrih hit the same knee during a three-on-three game at the Spurs' practice facility a little more than a week ago. He played in the opener at the Rocky Mountain Revue, totaling 12 points, seven assists, six rebounds and nine turnovers, but sat out the following two games.
"Every time I put pressure on it, it was painful," said Udrih, who celebrated his 22nd birthday on July 5. "I couldn't beat anybody. They said to me I should rest and that was it. Now it's much better."
Udrih started Wednesday but played just 16 minutes before he was elbowed in his left hand. X-rays were negative, but the Spurs held him out of Thursday's game.
In the short time he has been on the floor, Udrih has impressed observers. He made 11 of 15 shots in his first two games and displayed a good feel for controlling the game's pace. It also doesn't hurt that he speaks English well, a skill usually required of NBA point guards.
"He looks like he will be a great complement to Tony Parker," said Indiana assistant coach Mike Brown, whose team also was interested in drafting Udrih. "Tony is a speed guy. This guy is more about tempo.
"He's got great offensive instincts. It will be interesting to see how he does defensively."
Udrih's team defense will need to improve if he plans on becoming an everyday contributor, though that's typical for European players making the transition to the NBA. Still, the Spurs have liked what they have seen. Even his nine turnovers in 27 minutes against Charlotte didn't make them sweat too much.
"I think the length and athleticism has caught him off-guard, where people are getting a lot of hands on his passes," said Brett Brown, the Spurs' director of player development who has been coaching Udrih at the Rocky Mountain Revue. "He's been turnover-prone because of the defensive intensity and athleticism he has had to face.
"There's a pace about his game that is hard to teach or coach. He really can see things develop. I think he has a very good understanding of the game."
At 6-foot-3, 200 pounds ? he measured closer to 6-4 in shoes at the pre-draft camp ? Udrih has good size for a point guard. He also appears to be more athletic than he looks. Against Indiana on Wednesday, he stripped the ball out of the hands of forward Art Long, then casually saved it by flipping it behind his back off Long out of bounds.
While Udrih is not a 3-point threat in the mold of Steve Kerr or Brent Barry, his stroke is smooth. More than one scout has called the left-hander "crafty."
"I thought I was watching a young Sarunas Marciulionis," said one rival Western Conference coach, comparing Udrih to Golden State's former Lithuanian guard. "He just looks in control. He doesn't try to rush himself."
Like most European children, Udrih was a fan of the late Drazen Petrovic when he started playing basketball at 7 years old. His father, Samo, played the sport professionally. So did his older brother, Silvo, who may sign with a German team for the upcoming season.
By the time he turned 13, Udrih was practicing with three different teams, six hours a day, five days a week. On weekends, he played three games. He turned professional at 17. NBA scouts took notice of him, but a former agent advised him to stay in Europe instead of apply for early entry to the draft.
"You can tell he's been well-coached and comes from a good background," Brown said. "When you talk to him, there's something in his face that says he's been raised well."
For a country whose population numbers fewer than 2 million, Slovenia has had no problem producing world-class basketball talent. Sasha Vujacic, a 6-7 guard and one of Udrih's teammates on Slovenia's national team, was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers one pick before the Spurs took Udrih. Bostjan Nachbar (Houston) and Primoz Brezec (Charlotte) also represent the country on NBA rosters and Marko Milic played parts of two seasons with Phoenix.
Ironically, Udrih said he doesn't know San Antonio's most-famous Slovenian too well. He played briefly with Rasho Nesterovic on the national team four years ago, then hung out with him for two days last month when he worked out with the Spurs.
The two will have the opportunity to get better acquainted next month when Slovenia competes in a qualifying tournament for the 2005 European Championships. Udrih will depart this morning for Ljubljana, Slovenia, then leave seven hours later for a one-week vacation with his girlfriend. After returning to train with the national team, he will fly to San Antonio in September to find an apartment and get settled before training camp.
"I didn't know what team was going to take me, but when I was working out I liked San Antonio the most," Udrih said. "I liked the weather, the area, everything. I am so happy to be here."
Used courtesy of: Express-News |
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