Get to Know Your New Spurs #3: Gary Neal

by CapHill on Sep 16, 2010 1:00 PM CDT in Analysis

Neal_medium

Woo Hoo! I'm going to ~~Disneyworld~~ San Antonio!

(via news.tuttobasket.net)

Most of you know that I'm a big college basketball fan, but when Gary Neal showed up on the Summer League roster, his name didn't even register in the "Oh yeah, I remember that guy" portion of my brain. I think I speak for PtRdom when I say we were all a little surprised by the Gary Neal signing. The Spurs had just drafted James Anderson and seemed to already have a glut of guards. So why ink another SG? The answer would be 17 and 34, as in Neal shot 50% from behind the arc during his time in Vegas. I don't care if you're just playing HORSE in the backyard with Bubba, 50% from long range will win you some games.

Follow me after the jump to learn more about our latest (hopefully) 3-point gunner.

Neal was born in 1984 in Aberdeen, MD (which means he'll turn 26 in October - still a young 'un). Ken Rodriguez gives us a look at Gary's relationship with his older brothers, who had a big hand in his game. He averaged a triple-double his junior season for his local high school and led the team to a championship, hitting the game-winning shot. His senior season, Neal teamed up with Jack McClinton (small world, huh) to go 22-9. Gary also teamed with Carmelo Anthony to lead the AAU Baltimore team to their Final Four.

After high school, Gary attended LaSalle, where he was named the A-10 Rookie of the Year and led the team in scoring his freshman and sophomore years (18.6 ppg). After some well-documented troubles, Neal transferred to Towson to finish his collegiate career, putting up a line of 25.3 ppg, 3.5 apg, and 4.2 rpg his senior season. Unfortunately, those numbers weren't good enough to get a phone call on Draft Day, so Gary took his talents to Europe - Turkey to be exact.

I don't know where the Turkish basketball League falls in the hierarchy of European basketball, but leading any league with 26.5 ppg ain't too shabby (stats/game logs here). After a short stint with Barcelona, Gary signed with Benetton Treviso in the Italian Lega A - a team most of us have heard of. Neal earned the starting SG spot, continuing to put the ball in the hoop at a 19 ppg clip (more stats) and pretty much being the offense for a retooling squad. Gary had so much success (2nd All-Eurocup, dudes!) in Europe that Draft Express rated him the #4 Overseas Free Agent.

So where does Neal fit in with the Spurs? Well obviously, he is Mason's replacement as the instant offense guy. Gary has a decent handle and the ability to run an offense, but that's not what the Spurs are lacking; they just need him to catch and shoot (preferably with both feet behind the arc). Neal is an efficient scorer with a lot of experience in a pick and roll offense in Europe, so he should fit in just fine with the Spurs offense. At 6'-4", 210 lbs, Gary should be strictly a SG - I just don't see him playing any other position.

Yet, what's the one word you haven't read so far? Defense. Yes, that dreaded other part of the game. Well, the reason is simple - Gary has never been known as much of a defender. However, before you going running screaming from the room, both Draft Express and Ridiculous Upside mentioned that Neal played with intensity on the defensive end and was a pretty solid defender in Summer League. Gary is going to have to keep that up if he wants to get minutes in the crowded backcourt this year. I think we're going to have to wait until preseason to see how far Neal has to go on the defensive end.

So where does that leave us? With a possible starting SG. Of course, I'm assuming the Manu will continue to come off the bench and that we will see plenty of the Parker/Hill tandem too. But if we were to have any injuries this year (knock on wood), I think Neal's experience as a pro against a higher level of talent would make him a better choice for a spot start over an inexperienced rookie (Anderson), especially early in the year. However, Gary will have to expend effort on both ends and buy into the system or he could easily end up in Pop's doghouse, riding the pine. But if he's as good of a shooter as he seems to be, Tony and Manu are going to love kicking the ball out for corner pockets.

Summer League Interviews

European Highlights

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Comments

That second video looks very promising!

"Age ain't nothing but a number!" - Reggie Miller after a Dice block

by Bakkie009 on Sep 16, 2010 2:43 PM CDT reply actions

I wrote that before watching the third. That one proves he’s got some clutch skills.
Me likey.

"Age ain't nothing but a number!" - Reggie Miller after a Dice block

by Bakkie009 on Sep 16, 2010 2:44 PM CDT up reply actions

He is clutch… thing is, none of the videos showed me what I wanted to see, a catch-and-shoot spot-up shooter who can release the 3 quickly.

He either came off a screen in a play that was designed for him, caught and took a dribble or two to get into position, held the ball and took the shot when the defender didn’t close in, or dribbled around to create his own shot. All of those a great skills, but I don’t expect the Spurs to run plays for him to get off a 3 pt shot (especially since they didn’t run plays for RJ), and taking one or more dribbles after getting the rock kicked out to him when he has an open shot simply gives the defense time to recover and send men flying towards him.

It remains to be seen whether his skills are a good fit to occupy Bruce’s old corner office.

Hey, if posting a sharp, insightful, yet non-sarcastic comment were that easy, even olf would do it.

by freshtunarightofftheboat on Sep 20, 2010 7:44 PM CDT up reply actions

His catch-and-shoot looked fine in summer league. And I think the Spurs will run plays for him. They run plays for Bonner. You send shooters into the game to shoot. RJ is a completely different story. He’s not a shooter, so it’s pointless to run a play to give him an open 3.

by doggydogworld on Sep 21, 2010 9:09 AM CDT up reply actions

The Spurs thought they got a shooter in RJ (in his year with the Bucks he shot over 45% behind the arc from the corners!), but they still didn’t design plays for him, unless you consider kicking the ball out to him as the third or fourth option a play they ran for him.

Now, I agree that the Spurs run plays in certain situations, like after timeouts or other stoppages in play, or when they’re trying to come back from behind, which look similar to the one in which Neal came off a screen and made a triple. But — unless Neal shows 2008-09 RMJ-like poise and clutch — I’d expect that Manu, Bonner, and possibly even Anderson would also be on the floor and more likely to be assigned to take the shot.

That would be something though… Duncan (or eventually Splitter) in the low post, with Manu, Bonner, Anderson, and Neal spread out behind the arc around him. How would a team defend that? :)

(Of course, the real question should be, how would we defend with that group on the other end?)

Hey, if posting a sharp, insightful, yet non-sarcastic comment were that easy, even olf would do it.

by freshtunarightofftheboat on Sep 21, 2010 2:09 PM CDT up reply actions

We don’t have to defend if it’s a “last shot” situation.

Other than that, yeah, we’d have to worry about some defense.

I’m trying to rediscover verbosity. - LatinD

by J.R. Wilco on Sep 23, 2010 12:31 AM CDT up reply actions

First game there. 1/2 2pt, 1/3 3pt.

I smell death... everywhere.

by LatinD on Sep 28, 2010 10:26 PM CDT up reply actions

Another steal

Hopefully!

One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.

by gunnin' gervin on Sep 16, 2010 3:11 PM CDT reply actions

Now if we can just find a SF steal we would be even better. I am hoping that Anderson works out at the 3 spot for us.

MeThinks the Spurs are going to surprise a few people this year!! So , what else is new??

by FoldCatOne on Sep 16, 2010 3:50 PM CDT reply actions

+1

i think they are gonna use Anderson at the three also. I think we will be way better than last year and that is always a good thing when you improve

One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.

by gunnin' gervin on Sep 16, 2010 7:03 PM CDT up reply actions

If anything, I think Neal will have a higher ceiling than a certain Keith Bogans. We all know defense was Bogans’ selling point, but he really wasn’t all that great of a defender in terms of skill, even if he was always willing to put in the effort. If Neal is willing to put in the same amount of effort on D, then he should be able to become a better defender than Bogans. So, I guess I’m trying to say that my hopes are for him to find a groove somewhere in between the expectations we had of both Mason & Bogans.

"I like the fact that he’s a man." – Hubie Brown on DeJuan Blair

by Manu ex Machina on Sep 16, 2010 8:06 PM CDT reply actions

Cap, as usual, great write up. The Nail could be the surprise of the year.

by indiancharlie on Sep 16, 2010 8:38 PM CDT reply actions

The Nail.

Not bad.

I’m trying to rediscover verbosity. - LatinD

by J.R. Wilco on Sep 23, 2010 12:32 AM CDT up reply actions

Terrific stuff again, Cap. And did I just read that correctly – you’re being objective and picking Neal as a more probable starter than Mr. Anderson?

I know I’ve been making jokes about this guy but seriously, I want him to succeed with the Spurs.

"We choose to go to the moon... and do the other things, not only because they are easy, but because they are hard." - JFK

by silverandblack_davis on Sep 16, 2010 8:53 PM CDT reply actions

I really am trying to be objective when writing these, since the roster has changed since the beginning of the summer. However, trying to predict how Pop is going to utilize this roster will probably make me look foolish in the end. Oh well.

With all due respect, gentlemen, we're not as crazy as she is.

by CapHill on Sep 17, 2010 9:44 AM CDT up reply actions

Strange that even with all his success he hasn’t made it to the league until now. He’s more of an instant offense guy than Mase was and hopefully this can keep us out of those nasty scoring droughts that we had.

"I've got Tim (Duncan) and you don't. That's the difference." -Gregg Popovich

by bj1der on Sep 16, 2010 9:57 PM CDT reply actions

Exactly. Even with our improved offense of last year we still had those scoring droughts characteristic of former Spurs teams. Hopefully Neal and Anderson can be reliable role players to score when the time comes. Two years ago I thought Mason was the guy and that didn’t turn out so well. This past year I hoped RJ would be our offensive punch but he was inconsistent. Now I’m hoping Neal can be “the man” at last.

"Rip it and grip it!" -Kevin Costner

by The Augustus on Sep 17, 2010 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions

Hope

Maybe you should stop hoping, JK : – )

Go Spurs Go!!

by COrozco21 on Sep 17, 2010 1:14 PM CDT up reply actions

I can do nothing else.

"Rip it and grip it!" -Kevin Costner

by The Augustus on Sep 23, 2010 4:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Strange that even with all his success he hasn’t made it to the league until now

Too many strikes against him coming out of college. Most guys who score easily against weaker competition can’t hack the NBA. Especially guys who are too short for their position and not very athletic. His defensive effort could best be described as apathetic. Character-wise, he was immature and had a rape trial on his resume. Forget the NBA, he couldn’t even get a gig in Europe. He ended up playing for peanuts in some podunk Turkish League.

It takes a few years to earn your way from the cellar to the penthouse. Hopefully the journey has helped him to mature. If not, Pop will showcase his scoring ability with the Toros and trade him.

by doggydogworld on Sep 18, 2010 10:18 AM CDT up reply actions

he couldn’t even get a gig in Europe. He ended up playing for peanuts in some podunk Turkish League.

Technically, I suppose Turkey is mainly in Asia, but part of it is in Europe, and of course they’re an associate member of the European Union seeking full membership. The capital, Istanbul, is considered to have a European and Asiatic side and a gateway to Asia (or Europe, depending on which direction you’re going). And while the team Neal played for may have been in a ‘podunk Turkish League,’ basketball in Turkey is no joke. What was the ‘other team’ in the Worlds’ Final? Oh yeah, Turkey…

It would be more accurate to say that he started playing professionally in Turkey but his play there led him to Barcelona, he went on Benetton Treviso (supposedly because of an incident I posted about before), and now is with the Spurs. I hope he makes good on this chance too.

Hey, if posting a sharp, insightful, yet non-sarcastic comment were that easy, even olf would do it.

by freshtunarightofftheboat on Sep 20, 2010 7:32 PM CDT up reply actions

I’m not dissing Turkey, but I don’t think he even started in their top league. His agent said he made $55k/year at first. So while he was technically “playing professionally”, how many college stars make less as pro players than their fellow students who majored in accounting or nursing?

by doggydogworld on Sep 21, 2010 9:13 AM CDT up reply actions

How many college stars make less as pro basketball players than their accounting or nursing major classmates? Probably quite a few, if they don’t go to a top basketball school and go to Europe or Asia to continue playing.

Hey, if posting a sharp, insightful, yet non-sarcastic comment were that easy, even olf would do it.

by freshtunarightofftheboat on Sep 21, 2010 2:10 PM CDT up reply actions

I have high hopes for this guy.

"The A-Train deserves to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame damnit. Highest field goal percentage EVER"

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilmoar01.html

by Joe deLarios on Sep 17, 2010 9:10 AM CDT reply actions

I really think he will be an excellent addition. I see him as being a more consistent version of RMJ. Come to think of it, that would make him the antithesis of Mason.

by slipstream21 on Sep 17, 2010 2:21 PM CDT reply actions

I think the job of 4th guard in the rotation is between Neal and Temple. I don’t really know who to give the edge to, so it’ll have to be a training camp wait-and-see kind of thing.

Tony apologist since 2010.

by Tim C. on Sep 17, 2010 5:44 PM CDT reply actions

I really hope all of the guys we have on the team now contribute well enough that the team will not have to pick up any free agents.

One thing i can do...................is FINGER ROLL.

by gunnin' gervin on Sep 17, 2010 6:18 PM CDT reply actions

If Neal puts in the effort, I see him being an athletic J.J. Redick (that’s Redick now, not 3 years ago).

¡VamoSpurs! - me.

by Iullaby on Sep 18, 2010 3:25 PM CDT reply actions

Thanks for this cap.

by Cedarpark on Sep 18, 2010 4:48 PM CDT via mobile reply actions

This player and others like him (Haislip), are a clear testament that the FO are trying their best given their limited resources.
Regardless of his success for one year only (mason), or not at all (Haislip), the fact that they’re willing to look everywhere for what they need is good enough for me.

Now, if he is as good as advertised with his clutch 3-point shooting, that could put a lot of pressure on the new rookie (Anderson), and might even move him just to the back up SF since Anderson has the size, kinda.

by SaSleepless on Sep 19, 2010 9:23 PM CDT reply actions