If you think an unknown player walking into San Antonio and earning a spot in Gregg Popovich’s rotation sounds unlikely, you’re not alone. But sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.

It’s been over 13 years since the San Antonio Spurs have won themselves a place in the NBA draft lottery, a streak of 50 plus win seasons that was only broken by the 50-game season in 1998-99.  Yet somehow this organization keeps plucking gems out of the available rookie pool through the draft or free agency and little-known shooting guard Gary Neal is proving to be another in a long line of quality players brought into the Spurs organization.

A four-year college senior, Neal went undrafted in 2007 despite being the NCAA’s fifth leading scorer with 25.3 points per game who came into his senior season as Sporting News best shooting guard in the nation and the leading returning scorer in Division one.  Neal missed out on being recognized for his junior season’s accomplishments because he had missed too many games, but he still led the Towson Tigers with a team high 444 points in 17 games.

Being undrafted did not deter Neal from his goal of becoming a professional basketball player and he headed overseas to start his career.

"It was just a job," said Neal. "That’s how I looked at it.  I had to play well in Turkey to get to Barcelona and I had to play well and do enough to get to Benetton.  

"It was good.  Both of those teams have great traditions and are considered top echelon organizations in Europe.  I looked at it as a stepping stone for me."

FC Barcelona and Benetton Treviso have produced numerous NBA players and are familiar to anyone who follows the FIBA world championships or the Olympics as teams who feature some of the world’s best players.  Neal’s three seasons in Europe were well spent.

"Getting older and maturing as a person helps you on the basketball court and helps you to deal with basketball situations," said Neal.  "It is a natural maturing process going from 22 to 26.  Going over there and being able to mature and advance my skills a little bit better prepared me for my NBA opportunity.

"I came back from Europe and got a call from my agent that the Spurs wanted me to come to a mini-camp.  I went to the first mini-camp and did well enough to get a second call back and then they invited me to summer league.  I shot the ball pretty well and after summer league they offered me a contract.  I was thrilled to receive it."

The 26-year-old Neal hit the ground running with the Spurs going 4-8 from the three-point line in just his third NBA game and he has shot a solid 39.7 percent from three so far this season while averaging 3.8 three-point shot attempts per game.  Neal knows his role is to make a difference coming off the bench.

"I have always been a guy who ran off screens and used the spacing on the court in situations where they have to keep one of our key guys from driving," said Neal.  "They are going to be in certain help situations and once you understand that you can pick and choose your options in the offense.

"The big adjustment here was learning what shots to shoot and what shots not to shoot.  With the vast amount of talent that we have, I don’t have to force anything."

"He is a shooter and that’s what shooters do," said Richard Jefferson.  "He is able to shoot with accuracy from range and if you look at European players who come over here typically they are pretty good shooters.  He has played over there, the three-point line there is longer than in college, so when you are a good shooter that just makes it easier."

"He is doing a great job coming off the bench knocking down big shots," said Tony Parker.  "He is very consistent from the three-point line."

Not everything has gone as smoothly for Neal on the defensive end of the floor however.  At 6′ 4" and 210 lbs, Neal faces defensive challenges every night.

"His defense stinks," said head coach Gregg Popovich.  "He is just bad at it.  We are on him trying to get it better."

{AUTHOR_BOX}Its possible Coach Popovich was just throwing that comment out there to see if someone would actually print it, but the Spurs defensive schemes are not something a rookie can be expected to have fully absorbed in just half a season.

"Defensively he has a lot of stuff to learn," said Parker.  "But I think he is doing a great job.  It’s always tough the first year. Pop has a lot of stuff you have to learn about defensive strategy."

"It’s a learning process every day," said Neal.  "Coach Pop has a lot of different defensives schemes and I’ve only been here for four or five months.  I am just trying to get a better understanding of where and when to be in the right spot.  It’s a day-to-day process.

"Night in and night out you are guarding a great player or a player with an outstanding offensive ability so you have to be mentally prepared and mentally focused to take on the challenge.  It is kind of like a wrestling match, when it’s you and him, no one can really save you.  You have to do your work early and be ready and prepared to defend."

Despite the longer season and a radically changed role from previous teams, Neal has been enjoying his rookie season back in the United States and finds things a little easier than when he was playing in Europe.

"Here the situation is a whole lot better because you are in the United States," said Neal.  "If you have a bad game or the coach gets on you, you have your family here.  When I was in Barcelona, my wife was in law school, and that made it a little tougher and socially plus the language barrier (in Europe) makes being in the states as a rookie a whole lot easier."

However, those seasons spent overseas has made Neal a much better player.

"He is married, he is experienced, he has played in big games," said Jefferson.  "He understands, as far as his body is concerned, just how much work and time it takes to be a professional.

"As you get older, these are things you just get to understand."

By the NBA definition, Neal is a rookie, but as a college senior with three years of international experience on top teams behind him, he is not like the typical 19 to 21-year-old NBA rookie entering the league.  Neal has developed his offensive skills, his basketball knowledge and matured physically and emotionally.  The Spurs have once again found themselves a player who has made an immediate impact and the rest of the league just overlooked.