Spurs can't regret off-season decisions

I decided to write this quick post after reading some excellent posts on 48minutesofhell.  The first was one about how Luis Scola is absolutely dominating in the FIBA world championships, and thereby rubbing in the Spurs faces their off-season for trading his draft rights to the Rockets after 5 years of waiting.  The second was another article regarding how the age-old Spurs tradition of finding solid role players (think Bruce Bowen, Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberto, Malik Rose, Steve Kerr, Matt Bonner, etc...) to fit around the stars (think Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, or David Robinson), and how it doesn't work anymore.  I think both articles are on point, but they really should be taken more as a grain of salt moving forward and how to do so more so than a scathing review on how R.C. Buford screwed up because Scola finally decided to come to the NBA in 2008.  Sure, Scola is better than Splitter, and maybe Splitter doesn't have the star potential, but it's what we have.

I lived in California for a couple of years and if you want off-season or draft miscues you need look no further than the Golden State Warriors.  Don't believe me?  Ask any W fan, they know this by heart.  At least the Spurs scouted the talent, they just couldn't wait.  Warriors fans are still cringing at the 1995 draft, and that was 15 years ago, for taking Joe Smith before Jerry Stackhouse, Rasheed Wallace, and Kevin Garnett.  That's 3 All-Stars that were taken after a journeyman.  Todd Fuller was taken a year later over the likes of Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant, that's two MVPs taken after a guy I frankly have never heard of before until I researched this.  There will always be regrets, but that's the risk we all take going into the draft.  In 1999, no one thought that the New York Knicks had a prayer without Patrick Ewing, but they made it to the finals.  Let's not count anyone out yet.  We may not have the best team on paper, but that doesn't mean we can't go all the way.  There's always a chance, and while it's slimmer, it's a chance I'm willing to root for.