Monday, June 8th, 2009...3:00 am
Foreign Prospects’ Hidden Advantage
It’s common knowledge that the San Antonio Front Office possesses a level of forethought and insight that many franchises lack. Popovich and Buford have an aptitude for unearthing a player’s hidden value, both athletically and financially. Given our small market location, the FO’s ability to balance financial savvy and basketball acumen has been critical to our continual success. It’s not merely infrequent that the Spurs make a reckless financial move; It’s infrequent that the Spurs make a move that doesn’t pay unexpected dividends.
Consider our sustained interest in international talent. Manu Ginobili. Tony Parker. Beno Udrih. Luis Scola. Fabricio Oberto. Ian Mahinmi. Tiago Splitter. Omri Casspi. And now, Yiannis Bouroussis. At a point, our preference for international players almost comes off as an affectation rather than an advantage. Our scouts aren’t wholly disinterested in American players but at times it can certainly feel that way. Why does every prominent Spurs prospect fly under a foreign flag?
In terms of international scouting, the Spurs have been a step ahead of the competition for almost a decade. Initially our interest was in exploring untapped reservoirs of talent. There were a slew of good (sometimes very good) players competing in Europe and the majority of NBA franchises turned a blind eye. For years the Spurs faced relatively no competition in their pursuit of foreign talent (It still astounds me that a player of Ginobili’s caliber would be available with the 57th pick).
But at a certain point, our focus on international talent seemed to develop into a disadvantage: By taking a concerted interest in this or that player, all we did was alert other teams to his value. This is exactly what occurred during the ‘08 draft with Nic Batum and very well may happen with Omri Casspi, who may be crawling up a few draft boards as we speak. If, for whatever reason, the Spurs are not successfully acquiring the foreign talent they target, why do we continue to display a dogged interest in non-American players?
In my opinion, the answer lies in the population of San Antonio. According to Forbes, with 1.6 million inhabitants, San Antonio was the 20th largest market in the NBA in 2008. Although I’ve had a difficult time finding more recent statistics, I don’t imagine the current numbers are that drastically different. In comparison to franchises like the Lakers, the Knicks, or even the Mavericks, San Antonio’s size and demographics put the Spurs at an acute financial disadvantage.
As a counterbalance to the realities of geography, the Spurs have systematically focused their attention on foreign prospects. I use the term systematically for a reason: I don’t believe our history of intensely scouting international talent is just a tendency. I believe it is a conscious attempt by management to expand the team’s media market.
Consider this example: You are scouting two 21 year old small forwards, each with similar builds and similar abilities. One may be a slightly better defender than the other, one may knock down threes at a slightly higher clip, but for all intents and purposes they have the same style and talent. But one of these players is from Happy Valley, Australia while the other is from Carlsbad, California and attended the University of Arizona. Which player is more valuable to your franchise?
It doesn’t take much mental effort to recognize the hidden value of the Australian. The Spurs are not going to be adding a foothold amongst the basketball fans in Southern California or Arizona any time soon. By drafting the Australian you instantaneously reach out to untapped sources of fan support.
The foremost concern of the front office should be on-court success. I would argue (and some would earnestly disagree) that nothing is more valuable to a franchise than winning. If one player is genuinely more talented than the other, he should be the primary target. But if, as described, the on-court abilities of two players are roughly equivalent, why not acquire the player who dramatically expands your fan base?
Future members of the Spurs faithful?
The Spurs are the most popular NBA team in Argentina. We are one of if not the most popular team in France. We are already highly regarded in Israel and if we were to draft Omri Casspi, we would undoubtedly grab hold of the loyalty of the majority of Israeli NBA fans. And now, if we do intend to sign Yiannis Bouroussis, the Spurs will inspire the affection of not only Olympiakos fans (who are quite passionate) but numerous casual Greek fans as well. San Antonio may be the 20th largest market in the NBA, but the citizens of Spurs Nation reside around the globe.
When spelled out, it seems obvious. So many policies pursued by the Spurs come off as nothing more than common sense when stated publicly. But this is not standard operating procedure for small market teams in the NBA; the Spurs apply a more multi-dimensional logic than other organizations. Again, I emphasize the use of the word logic. After having watched the Spurs target one international prospect after another, I think there is sufficient evidence to claim that the Spurs pursue this strategy consciously.
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21 Comments
June 8th, 2009 at 3:45 am
I think the Spurs also pursuit international talent because these players in general receive better coaching and are formally developed in academies and in a junior league circuit that we in the US haven’t been able to duplicate. You watch all the Argentinians who play in the NBA and you notice they have a great understanding of the fundamentals of the game. Players like Fab Oberto have made it by knowing where to be and how to get the most out of their skills.
June 8th, 2009 at 4:42 am
ESPN in for latin america has its headquaters in Argentina. and they literally play every FG that Ginobili, Oberto or any other spanish speaking player scores.
so, the spurs impact appears on south america, not only in argentina.
June 8th, 2009 at 5:22 am
Now, as a result, whenever R.C. or Pop are seen shaking the hands or speaking to an international basketball player, twenty-nine other NBA scouts and general managers will take notice. It also doesn’t help that a small portion of opposing NBA teams are staffed with former Spurs employees (i.e. Presti, Blanks, Ferry and Pritchard) running counter-intelligence.
June 8th, 2009 at 6:15 am
Good analysis, Graydon. It sure worked on me.
June 8th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I like it…I’m all for growing the Spurs fan base. I agree that we should be taking the best players regardless of origin, but I like the idea of taking a foreign player of the same caliber if possible.
June 8th, 2009 at 9:07 am
Perhaps it’s time for the Spurs to practice more covert tactics when it comes to scouting. Let the media and other teams think you have a hard on for the likes of Danny Green while secretly coveting a player like Casspi.
June 8th, 2009 at 9:49 am
I’m with therealkman, we just need to pretend we like everyone.
The company I work for has season tickets for entertaining customers and I asked someone higher up than me once if our French customers/vendors ever cared about going to the games. He said they go crazy to get to see Tony play. We’re talking about 40-50 year old French guys having their trips to SA made by seeing Tony and the Spurs. That’s crazy to me but it goes with what you’re saying.
So did we get rid of Scola because one more Argentine wouldn’t help us develop that market???
June 8th, 2009 at 10:19 am
I would think that producing winning teams every year has led to our interest in foreign players more than anything.
The influx of young talent diminishes rapidly when you find yourself at the bottom of the first round every year. Sure, the Spurs may enjoy some collateral benefits from these signings, but I would hardly say that this is the driving force behind our pursuit of foreign players.
Besides, everyone knows Pop likes players who are “over themselves,” in other words players who are mature and ready to meet his strenuous demands at practice and at gametime. Who better than players who have professional experience.
And as for leading other teams to talent with our show of interest, how will we ever know how much of this interest is feigned, and which players were actually coveted? I don’t think we ever do.
June 8th, 2009 at 10:54 am
I’ll agree with others. Pop likes players with better fundamentals and team-first attitudes. But some of this surely is based on Pop’s personality. Pop is interested in other cultures. Not to mention, he seems to favor obscure players in the way people favor obscure wines purely for their obscurity.
For the draft, I see them continuing to target American players who play all 4 years at college. Players that perhaps didn’t realize their full potential but possess interesting skill sets and a team or defense-oriented mindset, like Hairston and Gist.
As for the marketing potential, I suppose that’s a benefit but I can’t imagine it being a main concern. Pop is too down to Earth to put marketing and PR as a priority, and nor can I see anyone from the PR department having ANY sway over his player selection.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:02 am
I would agree that the team’s market size has some relation to the team pursuing foreign players, and that as a result they have expanded their fan base internationally. However, I see this as more of a necessity and not some strategy. If that were the case, the team would probably always keep a Chinese representative on the roster. Also, it helps that the players the Spurs have are Parker and Ginobili as opposed to Petro and Herman.
I think the team started to scout international players because team success meant lower draft picks and international prospects were still a relatively an untapped resource. Why do they continue to favor international players? They still have lower draft picks and every team is also looking overseas for talent so it only makes sense, but also because the team has trouble attracting free agents to the small market that is San Antonio. The only players the Spurs seem to attract are role players looking for a bigger role, grizzled veterans headed for retirement, and international players looking to get into the league.
So far the team has not had much luck with the international free agents, besides Oberto (Rasho was already in the league so he doesn’t count). The Spurs need to do something this offseason. They’ll get lucky if a decent backup point guard falls to 37. I’d like to see them give their past 2nd round picks a chance (Hairston, Williams, Gist), but as far as a significant move this offseason goes? A Greek center might be the answer and if it results in a new crop of Spurs fans in Greece; that would be a nice side-effect because it would mean that he’s making a difference.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:18 am
I’m more cynical than that — I think that Pop scouts internationally primarily as an excuse to tour the great vineyards of the world.
June 8th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Hollywood,
I’m not suggesting that the P.R. department is affecting personnel decisions. I’m suggesting that, given the Spurs’ tight budget, Pop and R.C. have an acute concern for expanding the team’s revenue streams.
At the end of the day, the Spurs are a corporation that provides a product. Given how integrated management and coaching are, it makes sense to me that everyone would be simultaneously concerned with the quality of that product (on-court success) as well as expanding the consumer (fan) base.
Rick,
I think if the Spurs had a chance to acquire a good Chinese player, they would. But, like I said, the first priority is winning. I am not saying the Spurs are/should be drafting mediocre foreign players just so we can have a more cosmopolitan squad. And let’s be honest, there aren’t that many good Chinese players. Outside of Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian and possibly Sun Yue, how many Chinese players deserve a spot on an NBA roster?
June 8th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
I think it’s also a much bigger sacrifice for foreign players to come here and play in the NBA than it is for American-born players coming out of college. Foreign players really have to want to play in the NBA if they’re giving up millions of dollars in buy-out money to get here, not to mention leaving their support networks to take a chance on playing in a league where their teammates may not be incredibly welcoming to foreigners (if I remember correctly, Marko Jaric complained that his teammates in Milwaukee wouldn’t even pass him the ball — I find it hard to believe that that kind of xenophobia doesn’t exist in varying degrees on quite a few NBA rosters).
That added incentive obviously doesn’t guarantee that foreign players will succeed, but it seems like a player’s motivation to improve and win is the hardest thing to predict in the draft process but is one of the most crucial determinants of later success. If you work hard, as the Spurs do, to foster a collegial attitude that minimizes some of the cultural difficulties in making the transition to the league, it makes some sense to scout more heavily the kinds of players who have added extrinsic motivational factors driving them to succeed.
June 8th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Graydon,
I’m in no way advocating more Chinese players in the league for the sake of diversity. I was using that as an absurd example of something a team with a marketing goal might do to expand their fan base.
While you didn’t say the Spurs had a goal of building a cosmopolitan squad, you did say the Spurs were drafting foreign players as a “conscious attempt by management to expand the team’s media market”, which I completely disagree with. I think they always look to draft the best player that they think can fill a need for the team. There are too many factors that come into play when choosing a player that I can’t imagine they’ve ever decided two players were equal, and the deciding factor would be expanding the media market. Winning is most likely the only priority.
June 8th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Very good article, and something that seems obvious in retrospect once reading it. I myself am an Australian Spurs fan basically because they employed Andrew Gaze during one of their title runs.
June 8th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
The issue with keeping the pursuit of a foreign prospect quiet is that the pursuit itself is big news locally on a basketball front regardless.
A basketball club, anywhere in the world, like any professional sporting establishment is a very leaky ship. Friends, agents, opposition players, coachs et al are generally a big fraternity that talks about the goings on and gossips about rumours and potential signings etc.
When an NBA team comes calling it is going to be front and centre for those kind of people. A decade ago that was fine because most of the NBA didn’t even have a clue, through either willful ignorance or just inept management they placed all their faith in the college system & American product.
Now however everyone has access. Draft Express and the Euro ball sites cover a huge section of the game as it happens and pertains to young talent and seasoned vets alike. It is nearly impossible.
The player would have to have a vested interest in going to the spurs to stay quiet about scouts attending games, or Pop coming to shmooze.
What professional player would not try and leverage that kind of NBA interest into a better contract offer from his home club overseas, or a raised draft position and increased potential earnings in the future.
We can’t blame the spurs for the world finding out about Omri Casspi. We can’t blame Casspi for doing his best in numerous draft workouts.
June 8th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Great post. I agree 100%.
June 9th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I agree with the point of this article. The world is getting smaller. The fact that that the Spurs are developing fan bases in multiple countries is a good thing.
Manu grew up wanting to be Michael Jordan. Great.
Argentines now are growing up to want to be Manu. Guess what NBA franchise they want to play for?
The Spurs have been smart to take their training camps overseas a couple times during this run. Let’s pray it pays dividends. Overseas fanbases are the only way we can catch up to LA and NY.
New Century, new thinking. I like it.
June 11th, 2009 at 1:56 am
Fellow Spurs fans,
This is our chance to “do our bit” and maybe influence Bouroussis’s decision. Let’s all send a direct message to Yannis and show how much we want him to join the Sours - I have just sent my message!
The link is:
Yiannis Bourousis - ???????????
There are 3 fields to fill before the body of the message:
1.) Your Name
2.) Your email Address
3.) Message subject
GO SPURS GO
June 11th, 2009 at 1:56 am
http://www.bourousis.gr/index.php?option=com_contact&task=view&contact_id=1&Itemid=10
June 13th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
We need one main piece to our (San Antonio Spurs) puzzle and less than a championship NOW is unacceptable. Come and join a “TEAM” that not only wins but wins with CLASS. Tim (Duncan) doesn’t have much longer to go, so join him and make it easier on him. You are the Championship piece of the puzzle. SPURS are like the ultimate manual working machine, operating like a system should. “Spurs Operation, Makes a Spurs Nation”! Spurs Are The Moment, Go Spurs…..
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