San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs have been at the cutting edge over the last decade in terms of scouting overseas talent.  With Argentina’s Manu Ginobili and France’s Tony Parker playing huge roles in the team’s success, it’s no secret that the Spurs rely on their international scouting to find hidden talent.

Over the years, the Spurs have used a good number of their draft choices on players who play overseas.  Currently San Antonio holds the rights to five prospects, all of whom have played internationally in the last year.

While not all of these players will be on the Spurs roster next season, there’s a good chance that more than one of them may be donning the silver and black in November.

Let’s take a look at the five prospects:

Luis Scola

Scola is currently the most highly regarded of the Spurs’ overseas prospects.  Many scouts consider him the best power forward in Europe.  A great back to the basket scorer, Scola has an array of post moves that he utilizes on the low block.  The 6-foot-9 Argentinean also has a decent jumper and is improving in regards to rebounding and passing.  His greatest asset is the energy he brings to the court and his relentlessness.  Scola’s buyout with his current club reportedly has been reduced, but still may be a stumbling block in bringing him to San Antonio.

Ian Mahinmi

Last year’s first round draft pick, Mahinmi is a 19-year-old bigman from France.  Listed at 6-foot-10 when drafted, he has grown in both height and basketball skill over the last year.  Although he is still very raw, his great athleticism and defense-oriented style would make him a good fit in San Antonio.  The question with Mahinmi is how long before he is ready for the NBA.  We’ll have a better idea of that after he plays for the Spurs in the Rocky Mountain Revue in July.

Robertas Javtokas

Javtokas was selected by the Spurs in the 2001 NBA draft.  Less than a year after he was drafted, Javtokas suffered horrendous injuries in a motorcycle crash.  Since then however, the 6-foot-10 Lithuanian center has recovered from his injuries and is now one of the best pivots in Europe.  Currently a free agent, Javtokas is said to be deciding on either coming to the Spurs or signing with a team in Israel for next season.

Viktor Sanikidze

This 6-foot-9 small forward is a bit of a mystery man for the Spurs.  Picked in the second round of the 2004 draft, Sanikidze has been injured most of the time since then.  He spent a lot of time this year in San Antonio rehabbing.  At the time of the draft, the Spurs were very excited about Sanikidze’s potential.  Like Mahinmi, Sanikidze is also expected to play in the Rocky Mountain Revue for the Spurs. 

Sergei Karaulov

Of the five prospects, Karaulov is the long shot to ever see the NBA.  While he’s got great size at 7-foot-1, he has not seen much playing time overseas. And when he has played, his numbers haven’t anything to write to San Antonio about.  He played on the Spurs summer league team last year, but didn’t do much.  The good news is that at 24-years-old, he still has time to improve.