Summer League Game 1: Spurs vs. Grizzlies

[2centsworth]

Well, one would expect a shooting guard to look smoother than a power forward.

even worse for him. Outside players shouldn't be power forwards.

[Obstructed_View]

I like what Im seein in hill, gist and mahimini. I got to my comp late so I didnt get to see hairston do much, but that guy devin green did alito sumthing, whats up with that guy?

You could have been there since noon; there wasn't much to see from him. He should be getting the Beno treatment since he turned the ball over twice in a short span. He didn't get tagged for one of them on the box score.

[coopdogg3]

I think he started 3-6. I don't remember him missing one in the second half.

He had that airball near the end. But he finished with a pretty good FT %. Guess he got those early FT jitters out of his system.

[oligarchy]

I thought Ian looked pretty good out there. 18 points and 8 rebounds, with only 3 fouls to boot. He missed some rotations, but looked good otherwise defensively. He looks to have added more of a mid-range shot.

Hill looked to attack, but seems he doesn't finish well around the basket. I like his defensive efforts, but seemed to slack at the end. I'm not sure if he was giving, or was just too tired. It seemed as though he had an adrenaline rush going early, but it may have peaked a little too early. He shot wasn't there, but thankfully he was attacking and getting to the line. 17 points on 2 for 9 shooting isn't anything to complain about. He doesn't look to have the vision of a PG, and I am not sure he will be able to make that transition fully. He was also very weak on the trap.

Hairston -- did he play tonight?

[jcrod]

I can't argue the fact that one game doesn't prove anything. Anybody can have an off night. But if it has anything to do with the fact that it is the first game, it would tend to underscore a difference between the players. Both Chalmers and CDR came out in their first games looking like they knew what they were about.

Hey, the guy is a Spur now, so I'm pulling for him to step up and be great. And no matter what happens, I wouldn't consider picking him a mistake, if not for some of the other players who were available. I think they would have given the Spurs more help this year, when they appear to need it.

Since you keep being all up on Chalmers.

First game

Chalmers
11pts 6 ast 2 stl 0rebs
Hill
17pts 1 ast 8rebs 0stl

forgot CDR
15pts 0 ast 5rebs 2stl

[peskypesky]

Tolliver was 3-5 from beyond the arc. Maybe we won't miss Barry after all? :)

[jayc23]

segu you have a long way to go before you know something about basketball

[THE SAMOAN TD]

I Definately Like Wat I See On This Game I Mean I Know U Cant Go Crazy Ova One Game But Hey It Clears Up A Lil Bit Better Picture

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

even worse for him. Outside players shouldn't be power forwards.

WTF man? He's 6'8", 240. Pop loves having a big man who can shoot play the 4 next to Duncan. He'd fit the role perfectly.

[ducks]

Since you keep being all up on Chalmers.

First game

Chalmers
11pts 6 ast 2 stl 0rebs
Hill
17pts 1 ast 8rebs 0stl
SOMEONE GOT OWNED
AND CHALMERS WAS TICKED HE WENT IN THE SECOND ROUND:lol:lol:lol:lol

[coopdogg3]

Second game: Tomorrow 4 p.m. ET vs. the Knicks

Hairston goes for 20!

Gist and Hairston didn't get a lot of minutes tonight, around 18-19 or so. I wonder if we'll see a lot more of them tomorrow. I'm glad we don't have to wait long.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Green and Cuffee took over in crunch time. The only problem with Green is he can't handle the rock.. :lol

But dude is nails!

There is something about Hill that was missing... He definitely can handle the ball, but dude is not flashy and he is terrible at the rim... I guess watching Parker destroy people in the paint has made us all spoiled, hill has a long way to go... a llllllllllllllong way....

Well, look on the bright side. Tony can teach him the tear drop and the kid will be money in reserve time.

[Spurtacus]

Spurs 23 fouls, Grizz 38. :lol

[Marcus Bryant]

First game, so a bit too early to reach a conclusion on any player. Hairston looks like the one draft pick in need of the most work, but if a couple of his Js went down he'd be alright.

Hill looked very smooth out on the court, even though his stats generally don't reflect that. The Grizzlies fouled the shit out of him tonight. I like the fact that he pulled down so many boards. If he had better shooters on the court he'd probably have about 4-5 assists.

Gist. Really liked what he brought tonight. He might be able to make it in the league as a hustle man. If he could make the transition to the NBA 3 spot he could be a steal.

Ian should be able to crack the rotation next season.

Green showed a little late. Tolliver was able to knock down some shots. Still unlikely they make it in the league.

[peskypesky]

Green and Cuffee took over in crunch time. The only problem with Green is he can't handle the rock.. :lol

But dude is nails!

There is something about Hill that was missing... He definitely can handle the ball, but dude is not flashy and he is terrible at the rim... I guess watching Parker destroy people in the paint has made us all spoiled, hill has a long way to go... a llllllllllllllong way....

yeah. 17pts and 8 boards sucks. you're right.

[2centsworth]

Green and Cuffee took over in crunch time. The only problem with Green is he can't handle the rock.. :lol

But dude is nails!

There is something about Hill that was missing... He definitely can handle the ball, but dude is not flashy and he is terrible at the rim... I guess watching Parker destroy people in the paint has made us all spoiled, hill has a long way to go... a llllllllllllllong way....

Hill wasn't much of a creator or penetrator tonight. I would like to see more of that. However, his BB IQ is high and he's a natural scorer.

[jayc23]

I would stake my life on hills finishing ability.. he was obviously feeling the pressure, hes used to being the underdog and instead hes the top dog from the draft with a mountain of expectation... he doesn't have the CDR and CHalmers pride issue to deal with.. he will settle in and the doubts will pass into history.

[peskypesky]

segu you have a long way to go before you know something about basketball

you took the words right out of my keyboard!! :)

[coopdogg3]

Hill also seemed pretty good at splitting the double team when using the screen. He seems tough to me.

[SPURSGOAT]

damn hill had as many rebounds as Ian... 8

[oligarchy]

Gist needed his own post, because I thought he played great. He has great positioning and looks to be an excellent shot blocker. Sometimes he does over-commit to the block, but he has a great second leap. If can get a mid-range game going, he will be an awesome pickup. I think Gist is likely to make the team, unless he completely screws up the rest of the games.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Gist and Hairston didn't get a lot of minutes tonight, around 18-19 or so. I wonder if we'll see a lot more of them tomorrow. I'm glad we don't have to wait long.

I suspect Spurs know what they have in Gist. Sit him to keep his asking price down.

Hairston is going to get waived, either Green or Tolliver will get his spot at training camp.

[kjhip1]

hill could have easily have had 5-6 assists if his teammates would have hit some open jumpers

[ducks]

why does hill need to be flashy
spurs have manu who tries his flashy stuff

hill is solid

[ChumpDumper]

I didn't know the internets were free here this summer.

I'll be on more for the coming games.

[peskypesky]

even worse for him. Outside players shouldn't be power forwards.

Tell that to Rasheed and Dirk.

[Obstructed_View]

The Grizzlies fouled the shit out of him tonight.

I was really surprised with how much they got away with. At one point in the second quarter his defender just blatantly had both hands on him. Kid's definitely got the temperament that I like, and he stepped it up in the fourth to chew away at their lead.

[ceperez]

Hill looks good. Ian still looks frail.


Green and Cuffee took over in crunch time. The only problem with Green is he can't handle the rock.. :lol

But dude is nails!

There is something about Hill that was missing... He definitely can handle the ball, but dude is not flashy and he is terrible at the rim... I guess watching Parker destroy people in the paint has made us all spoiled, hill has a long way to go... a llllllllllllllong way....

Yeah, definitely not Parker. I think he needs to vastly improve his dribbling skills to be in league with Parker. Also, I didn't see him make any jump shots with a man on him like Mayo. Though, he does have range and seems a better shooter than Parker.

I thought Green handled the ball much better than Hill.

Ian certainly has a lot of moves to the basket and has decent range. He probably could have scored more if they gave him the ball more. He however looked huge compared to the other players on the court. My only worry is that he seemed to be a bit earth bound like Duncan. Not a very springy player.

James Gist did alright, however some terrible shot selection.

[Kori Ellis]

I suspect Spurs know what they have in Gist. Sit him to keep his asking price down.

Hairston is going to get waived, either Green or Tolliver will get his spot at training camp.


I doubt Hairston gets waived before training camp. They'll probably at least let him have camp unless he gets a Euro offer and asks to be waived. They can have as many guys as they want in training camp... he doesn't need to be waived to give someone else a spot.

[koopa]

didn't get to watch the first half but from what i saw hill was decent, go to the free throw line a lot, and defended alright, sure he got tired towards the end but it's his first game in probably awhile so i can't be to mad he got tired

gist i didn't get to see much, and when he made the long range shot the video feed for me was fucking up, but 3 blocks is nice

hairston, i don't expect much from him even though pop seemed high on him, he got us a second round pick and cash so if he doesn't make it so what, not like it cost us, we actually get shit in return regardless

[Spurtacus]

Hill had 17 points, but don't forget the 2-9 shooting. I still think he had a solid game.

[picnroll]

For a guy who is supposed to be a SG learning to be a PG Hill did one helluva job moving the ball in the half court, finding the open man, even when double and at least once triple teamed. He definitely gets a passing grade for first time out.

With Mahinmi's quicknes I don't understand why the Spurs aren't working him more in a face up game. He's awfully like to be a back to the basket post up player.

[SequSpur]

I would stake my life on hills finishing ability.. he was obviously feeling the pressure, hes used to being the underdog and instead hes the top dog from the draft with a mountain of expectation... he doesn't have the CDR and CHalmers pride issue to deal with.. he will settle in and the doubts will pass into history.

Ask Beno what it's like to bring the ball up the court in an NBA game...

Hill hasn't seen anything yet... There were many times to tonight that he had the ball in the right place only to take it further into no man's land. Can he shoot? Also, lose the ball spin at the free throw line... I don't think he has a quick release either, that's why he was getting ate up in the paint...

Seems like a solid ball handler but not much creativity which is a necessity amongst the trees in the NBA.

[Biggems]

how did tolliver look? i tried to get the feed on NBA.com, but it wouldnt work for me. i know his stats are nice, but stats can be misleading. i want to know how he looked on the court, especially defensively.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I doubt Hairston gets waived before training camp. They'll probably at least let him have camp unless he gets a Euro offer and asks to be waived.

Yeah you're probably right. I jumped the gun a little on that one, but I do think he's at the bottom of the leader board now as far as our perimeter prospects go.

[Obstructed_View]

Gist needed his own post, because I thought he played great. He has great positioning and looks to be an excellent shot blocker. Sometimes he does over-commit to the block, but he has a great second leap. If can get a mid-range game going, he will be an awesome pickup. I think Gist is likely to make the team, unless he completely screws up the rest of the games.

I didn't see Gist get caught in the air tonight. He's good from the weak side as well, and he crashes the boards. If that jumper's consistent he might get a starting job before Ian does.

[ceperez]

I doubt Hairston gets waived before training camp. They'll probably at least let him have camp unless he gets a Euro offer and asks to be waived.

Hairston looks to small to for the NBA. He's probably going D-league, but I don't think he'll make the cut. Too bad, wasted draft pick!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

how did tolliver look? i tried to get the feed on NBA.com, but it wouldnt work for me. i know his stats are nice, but stats can be misleading. i want to know how he looked on the court, especially defensively.

He didn't stand out either way defensively, but that's probably a good thing (no missed rotations or getting jocked).

Dude was nails from three at a time when the Spurs sorely needed some offense. They even ran a set play for him out of a timeout and he drilled the three, nothing but net.

[timvp]

Good late push by the Spurs to turn around their sloppy and passive play to pull out the win.

-Hill was decent. He didn't set the world on fire but he also didn't force much. 17 points, 8 rebounds and an assist isn't bad for the first time out. His jumpers looked good when he was set but he didn't look too good on the move or finishing around the rim. That should improve as he calms down and makes the adjustment to this level of play. Defensively he had some very good moments. He stayed with OJ Mayo well and was aggressive. I'm interested to see how he evolves going forward in summer league. The Spurs need more playmaking from him so we'll see if he can provide that.

-The funny thing about Mahinmi is I thought he had an off game ... and he still had 18 and 8. Once he gets rolling, he should be able to post really nice stats. He's still really, really raw on both ends but he has potential. I'm not convinced he's ready for the NBA quite yet but perhaps he'll show that kind of potential in the remaining summer league games. If he can make quicker decisions and play smarter, he could make the rotation this year. His natural abilities and instincts are pretty good for a player who hasn't played much organized ball.

-When Gist is involved in plays, he shows a lot of energy. He just needs to expand his production zone. Gravitating toward the ball and becoming more of a factor off the ball is the next step he has to take. He looks like a hustle power forward on the NBA level who could supply excitement when a team starts to get bogged down. Good first game but let's see if he build upon it and become more involved on every possession.

-Hairston really looked poor in his first summer league game. We'll see if he can bounce back but he looked shorter, thicker and less athletic than I expected when going up against this level of player. His jumper was off and he let it affect his defense and intensity. Hopefully he can knock down a few jumpers and then perhaps the rest of his game will pick up.

-Green and Tolliver played pretty well. I don't think either has very good NBA potential, though. Green needs to add strength and assertiveness to his game. He's way to finesse right now to make it on the NBA level. But for this summer league team, the Spurs may need to lean on him for offensive production because he can score the ball. Tolliver is a hustle big with a developing outside shot. I've seen him play a lot and I think today his shot was going in more than usual. He's basically Bonner with a tan and not nearly as good of a shooter. Perhaps he's improved over the summer but I think this was the peak of Tolliver's game.

-Cuffee hustles and he actually plays really good defense. Looks too small to make it in the NBA, though. Powell didn't show much but I think he'll be one of the more productive players on this summer league team before it's all said and done.

Overall it was a decent way to start off summer league. No player really stood out as great but Hill, Mahinmi and Gist showed promise. I think we'll see better play from Mahinmi and hopefully Hill will have better nights shooting the ball. On to game two . . .

[Obstructed_View]

Ask Beno what it's like to bring the ball up the court in an NBA game...
If you turn it over three times the people that hate you will focus in on it and act like it means something?

[peskypesky]

Hill had 17 points, but don't forget the 2-9 shooting. I still think he had a solid game.

could that be because he was fouled while shooting?

[tav1]

initial thoughts, one game in:

hill is good and will develop into a servicable back up, although he might benefit from half a season in Austin

Gist is a keeper and will definately be on the Toros roster next season, but I'm not sure if he can convert to a 3

Mahinmi is still not quite a rotation guy, but there is much to be hopeful about in his game

Hairston is a bust and the Spurs should've drafted Hendrix or Walker instead, Buford and Pop misfired there, but the Gist pick makes up for it

Ideally, the Spurs would play Hill, Gist and Mahinmi in the D-League until, say, the Rodeo Road Trip. They could all use the minutes. By 2009, the Spurs should have a great young core, all three of whom will play important minutes in the rotation. And, who knows, that could happen yet this season.

While this is good long term, it does leave us thin right now in terms of an NBA ready rotation. Thomas, Bonner, Oberto, and Duncan is not a enough up front; Parker, Vaughn, Mason, Ginobli, Bowen, Udoka is thin too.

Based on this game, I think the Spurs need to sign a servicable vet wing and big, and we could still make use of the TE. If they could land something like Delfino/Foyle, I'd be much more comfortable going into the season.

Parker/Vaughn/Hill
Mason/Ginobli/Delfino
Bowen/Udoka/
Duncan/Bonner/Mahinmi/Gist
Thomas/Oberto/Foyle

I'd love to see Chandler or Balkman's name on that list with Foyle (or whatever insurance big you plug in) removed, but you can't have everything.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Hairston looks to small to for the NBA. He's probably going D-league, but I don't think he'll make the cut. Too bad, wasted draft pick!

It's not a wasted pick, they got a 2009 second rounder and cash along with him. If he pans out it's just a bonus.

[anakha]

Gist. Really liked what he brought tonight. He might be able to make it in the league as a hustle man. If he could make the transition to the NBA 3 spot he could be a steal.


What would you say his ceiling is? Balkman? Najera? Ariza?

[Kori Ellis]

Hairston looks to small to for the NBA. He's probably going D-league, but I don't think he'll make the cut. Too bad, wasted draft pick!

Why do you think he's too small? He's a 6'5/220 SG. I'm not saying he's good ... I just don't think he's that small.

[ducks]

Ask Beno what it's like to bring the ball up the court in an NBA game...

Hill hasn't seen anything yet... There were many times to tonight that he had the ball in the right place only to take it further into no man's land. Can he shoot? Also, lose the ball spin at the free throw line... I don't think he has a quick release either, that's why he was getting ate up in the paint...

Seems like a solid ball handler but not much creativity which is a necessity amongst the trees in the NBA.
dude just got a year deal starting at almost 6 million a year

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Gist is a keeper and will definately be on the Toros roster next season, but I'm not sure if he can convert to a 3

He won't be on the Toros roster next season. He'll be on the bench in San Antonio.

[Spurtacus]

could that be because he was fouled while shooting?

Maybe, maybe not. Unless you were somehow watching in HD, you can't say he was fouled on every missed shot.

[ceperez]

Why do you think he's too small? He's a 6'5/220 SG. I'm not saying he's good ... I just don't think he's that small.

He looked small in the court.

I think the Spurs are loaded in the SG position with the recent signing of Mason. Unless he can play the SF, then looks like the guy is history... sorry!

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

What would you say his ceiling is? Balkman? Najera? Ariza?

Like I said earlier in the thread. I think Gist will end up being a Jason Maxiell/Brandon Bass type of guy. Leon Powe's probably a fair comparison as well.

[Kori Ellis]

He looked small in the court.

I think the Spurs are loaded in the SG position with the recent signing of Mason. Unless he can play the SF, then looks like the guy is history... sorry!

Oh, don't be sorry. I don't think the guy has a shot to make the Spurs. I was just noting that he's not that small.

But just to note, the Spurs definitely need to sign another wing. SF/SG is interchangable to the Spurs. A guy around 6'7 would be ideal. But if they sign another 6'5-6'6 guy, who's good, that's fine too. The Spurs have a wing rotation of Bowen/Manu/Mason/Udoka. They need a 5th wing.

[Spurtacus]

He looked small in the court.

I think the Spurs are loaded in the SG position with the recent signing of Mason. Unless he can play the SF, then looks like the guy is history... sorry!

loaded with Ginobili and Mason???

[oligarchy]

I didn't see Gist get caught in the air tonight. He's good from the weak side as well, and he crashes the boards. If that jumper's consistent he might get a starting job before Ian does.

It could be a mistake on my part, but it looked like it happened maybe once or twice. It could have been Ian because the quality wasn't very good at the resolution I was viewing. It wasn't HD ;)

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

It could be a mistake on my part, but it looked like it happened maybe once or twice. It could have been Ian because the quality wasn't very good at the resolution I was viewing. It wasn't HD ;)

That was Ian, 3-4 times in the game. Every time it was Gist he was swatting a shot.

[tav1]

He won't be on the Toros roster next season. He'll be on the bench in San Antonio.

I should clarify, he'll be under contract for the Spurs and assigned to the Toros.

[Obstructed_View]

It could be a mistake on my part, but it looked like it happened maybe once or twice. It could have been Ian because the quality wasn't very good at the resolution I was viewing. It wasn't HD ;)

There was a play, I think toward the end of the first half, where someone got caught in the air. Gist was the guy that almost got to the layup in time.

[anakha]

Like I said earlier in the thread. I think Gist will end up being a Jason Maxiell/Brandon Bass type of guy. Leon Powe's probably a fair comparison as well.

Fair enough. Although Gist seems more of a tweener forward than Bass or Maxiell, who are more traditional 4's. That's why I thought of Najera and Balkman as examples.

[tav1]

Like I said earlier in the thread. I think Gist will end up being a Jason Maxiell/Brandon Bass type of guy. Leon Powe's probably a fair comparison as well.

Those are all great comparisons in terms of style of play. Energy, hustle, athleticism.

[underdawg]

initial thoughts, one game in:

Hairston is a bust and the Spurs should've drafted Hendrix or Walker instead, Buford and Pop misfired there, but the Gist pick makes up for it

one game of summer league and Hairston's a bust -wow that's a little premature don't you think?

[Marcus Bryant]

What would you say his ceiling is? Balkman? Najera? Ariza?

Bo Outlaw. Better J than him though.

[Obstructed_View]

Oh, don't be sorry. I don't think the guy has a shot to make the Spurs. I was just noting that he's not that small.

If there's a concern with Hairston's size, it's in his waistline.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I should clarify, he'll be under contract for the Spurs and assigned to the Toros.

I should clarify, I think he'll be on the Spurs opening day roster. As a Spur.

[peskypesky]

Like I said earlier in the thread. I think Gist will end up being a Jason Maxiell/Brandon Bass type of guy. Leon Powe's probably a fair comparison as well.

I sure as hell hope you're right.

[tav1]

one game of summer league and Hairston's a bust -wow that's a little premature don't you think?

No. He's a bust.

[tav1]

I should clarify, I think he'll be on the Spurs opening day roster. As a Spur.

Ok. We'll see.

[Kori Ellis]

Fair enough. Although Gist seems more of a tweener forward than Bass or Maxiell, who are more traditional 4's. That's why I thought of Najera and Balkman as examples.

Maxiell is like 6'7 or shorter (though thick), so many people consider him a tweener too. I think Gist is definitely an athletic 4. He's very similar in size to Bass.

[Obstructed_View]

No. He's a bust.

I disagree. I'm interested in seeing how he responds to a bad game. Every player lays an egg sometimes.

[koopa]

No. He's a bust.

how is a late second round pick that gave us cash and a 2009 second round draft pick a bust???

[SequSpur]

Hey Ian could score in the paint and had several good shots from 10 feet away... He had a solid game..

I don't know what it is about him though...he is just like rasho and the other bigs the spurs have had... just seems like he has his head up his ass alot.... Crap... get aggressive!!! Throw it down or something, block a shot into the stands, shit, even if it's a foul... I would just like to see some aggression for once at that position..

[Obstructed_View]

Maxiell is like 6'7 or shorter (though thick), so many people consider him a tweener too. I think Gist is definitely an athletic 4. He's very similar in size to Bass.

Maxiell plays bigger than he is, like Barkley.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

I sure as hell hope you're right.

Me too. I watch a lot of college hoops. He was always one of those guys that I figured would be looked back on as a draft day steal in 3-4 years. Maxiell is the guy I always came back to. But I think he's more consistent in what he brings to the table every night than Maxiell.

[Marcus Bryant]

I disagree. I'm interested in seeing how he responds to a bad game. Every player lays an egg sometimes.

I recall Ostertag making TD look like a bust in his first summerleague game.

[timvp]

Hairston missed wide open shots. But he's been a very good shooter over the last six or so years so I doubt he'll keep missing wide open jumpers. I want to see if he can pick up his play if he knocks down a few and gets rolling. I'm not quite putting him in the Marcus Williams and Chris Carrawell pile just yet ... but he'll need to play a whole hell of a lot better to make the Spurs.

[Kori Ellis]

Maxiell plays bigger than he is, like Barkley.

Yeah, I know. I love watching him.

[underdawg]

No. He's a bust.

No he's not - if he doesn't make the team and contribute then he's a bust. Right now - he just didn't have a good game.

[mystargtr34]

The Hairston is a bust talk is a little bit ridiculous. We got a 2009 second rounder with him, and cash... any thing he does is a bonus.

[tav1]

how is a late second round pick that gave us cash and a 2009 second round draft pick a bust???

Semantics. He's not an NBA player. That's basically all you can tell from summer league games, who's got NBA talent and who doesn't. Hairston doesn't. Hill, Mahinmi and Gist do. It actually reflects well on the front office.

[Solid D]

Mahinmi had 7 points and 3 rebounds (2 offensive) in the 1st half. Ian's 2nd half was much better, ended up with 18 and 8, so I agree that he looked pretty good, all-in-all. He showed some better footwork, a couple of baseline jumpers, and seemed much more under control, less like a newborn colt.

G-Hill quarterbacked the team pretty well in the 2nd half. He provided the glue and composure to get the lead and keep the lead. As others have said, George didn't finish well but he took the ball to the hole, got to the line, and made some things happen to get positive trips. I would like to see him drive and pull up for the short jumper, a la Hamilton with Detroit. He's got the quickness and the stroke to do it...and it will neutralize the more physical players defending him.

Let's see more of Gist! So far so good.

Hairston is known for underachieving one game and lighting it up the next. After one game, he looks like the last guy from Oregon the Spurs drafted, Bryan Bracey.

[coopdogg3]

I don't think it's right to call any 2nd rounder a "bust". Seeing how so few of them ever have productive NBA careers.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Maxiell is like 6'7 or shorter (though thick), so many people consider him a tweener too. I think Gist is definitely an athletic 4. He's very similar in size to Bass.

Yeah, in build he's a carbon copy of Bass.

In his play, he's a Maxiell/Bass/Powe type energy bench big man that that plays athletic around the rim.

It's been a long time since the Spurs had a guy like him.

[TheProfessor]

No. He's a bust.
Tough crowd.

[DynastyBuilder]

I disagree. I'm interested in seeing how he responds to a bad game. Every player lays an egg sometimes.

+1

:tu

[Obstructed_View]

I recall Ostertag making TD look like a bust in his first summerleague game.

Did Sequ post about it? "got damn shoulda drafted Van Horn"

[tav1]

The Hairston is a bust talk is a little bit ridiculous. We got a 2009 second rounder with him, and cash... any thing he does is a bonus.

No doubt the Spurs did well there, but Hairston is a footnote. The score was cash and decent pick next year. I'd rather Bill Walker, a pick and cash, but you can't win them all. And Walker might end up stinking too.

[Spurtacus]

When's the next game?

[Obstructed_View]

Semantics. He's not an NBA player. That's basically all you can tell from summer league games,

Ahem...that would be, summer league game.

[Kori Ellis]

Semantics. He's not an NBA player. That's basically all you can tell from summer league games, who's got NBA talent and who doesn't. Hairston doesn't. Hill, Mahinmi and Gist do. It actually reflects well on the front office.

You can't always tell that from summer league play. We have gone to some summer league games and watched players fill up the stat sheet, and never make an NBA roster. And watch others play horribly, then make an NBA team that same year. It's a little early to throw a 21-year-old's chances of making the league out after one summer league game. Guys like Bruce Bowen didn't even make the league til they were 26-27.

I don't think Hairston has a chance to make the Spurs this year, but you can't just call say he'll never make the league.

[Marcus Bryant]

Man, one summerleague game and it's all over. Oh well.

Fortunately there's a game a day for the next 3 days. In total, these should give us a better idea of what these players are made of, though not necessarily definitive.

[anakha]

Bo Outlaw. Better J than him though.

If he can perform like Outlaw did for the early-2000s Magic, he's an absolute steal.

[Tully365]

I can't believe so many people are saying who's a bust and who's not after one game... that's crazy.

[Kori Ellis]

When's the next game?

Tomorrow.

[Obstructed_View]

When's the next game?

Tomorrow, 3 PM I think.

[Marcus Bryant]

Did Sequ post about it? "got damn shoulda drafted Van Horn"

Probably.

[Obstructed_View]

Man, one summerleague game and it's all over. Oh well.

Fortunately there's a game a day for the next 3 days. In total, these should give us a better idea of what these players are made of, though not necessarily definitive.

Nice that folks are already digging in so they can try to defend their premature judgments on Wednesday. This is how we end up with idiots like ducks that bad mouth Manu.

[Solid D]

I can't believe so many people are saying who's a bust and who's not after one game... that's crazy.

:tu

[timvp]

Tomorrow is the Hornets. Hill versus Bobby Brown should be a good matchup. Brown has been playing well. Mahinmi versus Hilton Armstrong should tell us a lot about whether Mahinmi is ready. If Julian Wright and Gist get matched up, that'd be an exciting athleticism display.

[duncan228]

I recall Ostertag making TD look like a bust in his first summerleague game.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-26-28/Greg-Ostertag-s-Legendary-Domination-of-Tim-Duncan.html?bId=0&archiveId=26&username=truehoop&entryId=28&post=true&sort=oldest

Greg Ostertag's Legendary Domination of Tim Duncan
Henry Abbott
July 11, 2007

It has been the best line of summer league. Maurice Cheeks has used it. P.J. Carlesimo has used it. Every journalist here, practically, has quoted it.

It's a story about how great players can have terrible games in their first summer league. And the story is that Greg Ostertag killed Tim Duncan in his first summer league appearance.

I linked to such a quote, from Cheeks, the other day, and enterprising TrueHoop reader Cyn spent a day at the library going through old newspaper stories proving Cheeks wrong.

Cyn writes:

As for Ostertag 'killing' TD ... that's a matter of opinion.

Certainly the Utah team killed the combined summer league team of the Spurs and 76ers, as the final score was Jazz 85 and Spurs/76ers 59. Ouch.

Ostertag was a second year player. The article describes Ostertag as going up to slam a dunk on Duncan, but he hit the back rim instead.

Ostertag did block some of Tim's shots. The article doesn't specify how many but Ostertag had six blocks in the game.

Anyway, here are the boxscore lines from both players:

Tim Duncan 14 points/6 of 10 FG/8 rebs/3 assists/2 blocks
Greg Ostertag 21 points/7 of 12 FG/10 rebs/0 assists/5 blocks

Tim fouled out of the game getting his sixth foul at 2:52 of the fourth quarter. Maurice Cheeks got the game wrong (fifth not first) and while 'killed' might be harsh; Ostertag did get the better of Tim.

I appreciate the legwork, Cyn.

This story has been used to laugh off performances like Kevin Durant's 4 for 19 in his second game. I'm not worried about Kevin Durant's future. But I am worried about using a tale of a player who shot 60% from the floor to explain a player who shot 21%.

UPDATE: Tim Duncan spoke about that experience with Slam's Lang Whitaker: "Jermaine (O'Neal) destroyed me. He was with Portland, was real young ... and Tag threw my stuff into the first couple of rows a few times."

The Slam Link:
Lang Whitaker

http://slamonline.com/online/2007/07/links-and-they-say-the-nba-has-problems/

When Greg Oden struggled early, everyone brought up the story of how Tim Duncan also struggled during his first summer league appearance. I actually asked Duncan about that last summer, and he said…

ME: I heard before your rookie season you played summer league and Ostertag killed you in a game. They were talking about how some guys come out of college and it takes them time to adjust.

TIM: He threw my sh*t into the first and second row a couple of times. Jermaine (O’Neal) destroyed me. He was with Portland, was real young…

ME: But he’d already been in the League for a while?

TIM: Yeah, he destroyed me, and Tag threw my stuff into the first couple of rows a few times.

ME: It takes you time to adjust to the speed, or what?

TIM: I don’t even know what it was, to be honest with you. I just wanted to get the experience of playing against NBA players. I’d been in college for four years and that was great, but it’s a different speed, it’s a different strength, it’s a different set of players, and I wanted to play as much as possible, so I jumped in the league and I thought it helped me a bunch, it helped me tremendously.

[anakha]

I can't believe so many people are saying who's a bust and who's not after one game... that's crazy.

ST wouldn't be ST without such overreactions. :lol

[mystargtr34]

Maxiell had something like a 9'0" standing reach... something crazy, so technically hes not really undersized seing as most guys at the 4 are about there.

Gist is a shade under 9'0" too so he has the length to defend 4's, and hes a good 6'8" in shoes which will allow him to go out on the perimeter.

Brandon Bass is more of an out and out 4 man.

A poor mans Maxiell is probably the best way to describe Gist right about now.

[Marcus Bryant]

If he can perform like Outlaw did for the early-2000s Magic, he's an absolute steal.

He's the one player who comes to mind as a 4 with the body of a 3 who was generally a hustle player who rebounded well, blocked a few shots, and shot for a high percentage due to most of his shots being putbacks and dunks. Gist did knock down a 20 foot J in this game.

Still, way too early, but if Gist is going to make it in this league he's going to make it as an Outlaw type player.

[objective]

Mahinmi had a disappointing game imo.

Poor rebounding despite what his final numbers show, he gave up position a lot it seemed. And the defensive rotations. Having re-watched every available archived d-league game the last 2 weeks, I can say that Mahinmi can play much better.

I also think his pick-setting was terrible except for the very end of the game. He helped make things harder for Hill by basically avoiding any contact on the screens, unlike Gist.

BUT I still think he should be given a ton of minutes in the rotation, even force-fed as a starter.

Hill looked okay. I'm not thrilled or anything, but I think at the worst he should have an NBA career no worse than Jason Hart. Now before anyone takes that as an insult because he might come to mind as a fringe scrub, for the record Jason Hart has had a very nice career, getting paid to play NBA basketball through the age of 30 and he's under contract for the 08-09 season.

Gist looked like a legit NBA player, I hope he gets a contract. And more minutes tomorrow night.

[coopdogg3]

http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/schedules/index.jsp

according to this, the next game is tomorrow at 8:30 EST against NO

[objective]

Tomorrow, 3 PM I think.

according the nba schedule, it's at 7:30 central. (http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/scoreboard.jsp?date=07/15/2008)

[Obstructed_View]

Malik Avatar for anyone who wants it...

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/GeneralPurpose/Spurstalk/MalikHAvatar.jpg

[tav1]

You can't always tell that from summer league play. We have gone to some summer league games and watched players fill up the stat sheet, and never make an NBA roster. And watch others play horribly, then make an NBA team that same year. It's a little early to throw a 21-year-old's chances of making the league out after one summer league game. Guys like Bruce Bowen didn't even make the league til they were 26-27.

I don't think Hairston has a chance to make the Spurs this year, but you can't just call say he'll never make the league.

Fair enough. I'll be more careful with the "b" word. Seems that everyone is upset over it. My point is essentially what you said--he's not an NBA player yet. Honestly, he didn't even look like much of a D-Leaguer, but I suspect he'll look better in coming games.

As I watch these summer league games, I'm not really looking at the stat sheet, I think they can be deceptive. I'm looking at a players "feel for the game," fluidity, and athleticism...that sort of thing. Not shooting well is one thing, not looking like you belong is quite another. He's in the latter category.

Truthfully, I'm upbeat from this game. We have 3 keepers in Mahinmi, Hill and Gist, but they may not be productive rotation players until mid season or 2009.

[Obstructed_View]

according the nba schedule, it's at 7:30 central. (http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/scoreboard.jsp?date=07/15/2008)

Weird, I could have sworn someone in this thread said it was tomorrow at 4PM EST. I must be losing my mind. Not surprising. Time to crash.

[timvp]

Mahinmi had a disappointing game imo.

Poor rebounding despite what his final numbers show, he gave up position a lot it seemed. And the defensive rotations. Having re-watched every available archived d-league game the last 2 weeks, I can say that Mahinmi can play much better. Yeah, I agree that Mahinmi can play a lot better. I don't think he was anywhere near his best tonight. But that he still put up 18 and 8 has to be somewhat of a good sign considering this was like a C- effort from him.

If Mahinmi can get rolling, that'd be really nice heading into training camp.

[Marcus Bryant]

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-26-28/Greg-Ostertag-s-Legendary-Domination-of-Tim-Duncan.html?bId=0&archiveId=26&username=truehoop&entryId=28&post=true&sort=oldest

Greg Ostertag's Legendary Domination of Tim Duncan
Henry Abbott
July 11, 2007


Thanks. That's it. Take a guy who was 10 months away from being rookie of the year, an All-Star, and 1st team All-NBA, fresh out of college and thrown on a team with a bunch of flotsam and jetsam and he gets owned by Greg Ostertag.

This is not saying that anyone on this Spurs summerleague team will ever sniff a 1st team All-NBA nod, but it provides a little perspective on how much these games prove about a player's ability to make it in the NBA.

Lest we forget Sweet Pea...

[Marcus Bryant]

Yeah, I agree that Mahinmi can play a lot better. I don't think he was anywhere near his best tonight. But that he still put up 18 and 8 has to be somewhat of a good sign considering this was like a C- effort from him.

If Mahinmi can get rolling, that'd be really nice heading into training camp.

I liked what he brought offensively. He was able to take his man off the dribble and get to the rim. Defensively he was so-so. I liked his hustle after loose balls. Man, he's friggin quick.

[mystargtr34]

Didnt Marcus Banks hit 42 a couple summers ago

[mystargtr34]

I liked what he brought offensively. He was able to take his man off the dribble and get to the rim. Defensively he was so-so. I liked his hustle after loose balls. Man, he's friggin quick.

Hes awfully skinny in the legs still... and he has a very thing base. But it looks as though he did his best work facing up and taking his man off the drouble. He really likes to go baseline which could get him in trouble but he has the quickness and athleticism to power up and make a play.

I liked what i saw.

[underdawg]

Hes awfully skinny in the legs still... and he has a very thing base. But it looks as though he did his best work facing up and taking his man off the drouble. He really likes to go baseline which could get him in trouble but he has the quickness and athleticism to power up and make a play.

I liked what i saw.

Tyson Chandler's pretty skinny too, but would you be happy if Ian was on the same level as Chandler within the next year or two?

[Spurtacus]

Guys, Mahinmi is only 21. Duncan was 248 pounds when drafted. Mahinmi is 245. Tim Duncan is now 260. Mahinmi will continue to bulk up more imo.

[John_C]

Mahinmi will definitely bulk up. I do believe the Spurs also employ strength and conditioning coaches and they will definitely work on making Ian bigger and stronger if he makes the rotation, which I believe he should.

[mystargtr34]

Guys, Mahinmi is only 21. Duncan was 248 pounds when drafted. Mahinmi is 245. Tim Duncan is now 260. Mahinmi will continue to bulk up more imo.

I dont think Ian is 245 that may be a bit over blown... but Duncan grew alot wider one he was drafted as a 21 year old... Duncan doesnt look like much, but he has one of the widest bases of all the big men in the league, hes awfully strong considering he doesnt have a huge upper body.

Im hoping Ian fills out as well as Tim did but hes already a year older than Tim when he came in.

[mystargtr34]

Tyson Chandler's pretty skinny too, but would you be happy if Ian was on the same level as Chandler within the next year or two?

If Mahinmi can max out as Tyson Chandler on Defense ill take that right now... but Ian's offensive game is already ahead of Chandler

[underdawg]

If Mahinmi can max out as Tyson Chandler on Defense ill take that right now... but Ian's offensive game is already ahead of Chandler

Fair enough, but don't you think their roles will be similar? Is Ian going to be expected to post up and create or will he be more like Chandler and find openings when available? I might be optimistic, but I think that Ian will be much more productive on the backside than Oberto. To me, that's an upgrade. I also think his ability to limit driving guards will be an asset that we haven't had.

[mystargtr34]

Fair enough, but don't you think their roles will be similar? Is Ian going to be expected to post up and create or will he be more like Chandler and find openings when available? I might be optimistic, but I think that Ian will be much more productive on the backside than Oberto. To me, that's an upgrade. I also think his ability to limit driving guards will be an asset that we haven't had.

Definately more of a Chandler role... but i still think he can be stronger around the rim... Chandler wants to dunk everything when hes around the hoop.

One of the toughest things and most under appreciated things, is to combine rebounding with shot blocking, very few players master that, and Chandler seems to have done that, although his blocks were down a bit this year, he contests very well and still gets 12 boards a game.

Whether Ian can develop that remains to be seen, but right now he goes for too many blocks when he should be boxing out and getting the board.

Oberto will always be Pop's second love child after Finley because he can play well off the ball.... in the D-League Ian has been the man, so he'll need to learn quickly how to play off the ball with Duncan, that will determine how quickly or if he can get consistant minutes.

[Spurtacus]

I dont think Ian is 245 that may be a bit over blown... but Duncan grew alot wider one he was drafted as a 21 year old... Duncan doesnt look like much, but he has one of the widest bases of all the big men in the league, hes awfully strong considering he doesnt have a huge upper body.

Im hoping Ian fills out as well as Tim did but hes already a year older than Tim when he came in.

Hmm...Wiki has Ian listed at 245, but the Toros site says 230. Official Spurs website has him at 245. I hope he's 230...got plenty of room to grow and put on more muscle.

Anyone know for sure?

[mystargtr34]

Hes 6'11" maybe 7'0" in shoes so 245 may not be all that far fetched.. but i think hes more than 230.

My guess would be 235-240.... an extra 15 pounds of muscle is alot so i think aiming for 250 is good.

[knee-knee-3]

Mahinmi was both dominant and passive. He's gonna have to show more to take Fab's or KT's minutes in crunch-time. And yes - I KNOW - this is the summer league!

[Tully365]

Last summer and early on in the D league, Mahinmi's main problem was staying out of foul trouble. That's sometimes the biggest difference between bigs that make it in the NBA and those that don't. Guys like Mouhamed Sene and Cheikh Samb can block shots with the best of them, but they can't stay out of foul trouble. Guys like Duncan, Camby, and Dwight Howard are much better at choosing which shots to swat at, which ones to not swat at, and which ones to just let go altogether. There a a million videos of Duncan getting "posterized" on youtube but the vast majority of the time, Tim's just standing in position with his arms up, not going for the block-- one of the reasons he rarely gets in stupid foul trouble... unlike Amare, who is often watching critical early 4th quarter minutes from the bench with 4 or 5 fouls. The fact that Mahinmi played plenty of minutes and was productive without getting in foul trouble is a very good sign.

[johngateswhiteley]

its amazing how little some of you know about strength, usable strength, and what athletes "should" look like. and no, i have zero interest in explaining it to you. continue looking stupid.

...ian may get bigger and he may not, but that has zero to do with his future effectiveness as a spurs player.

[Tully365]

Fair enough, but don't you think their roles will be similar? Is Ian going to be expected to post up and create or will he be more like Chandler and find openings when available? I might be optimistic, but I think that Ian will be much more productive on the backside than Oberto. To me, that's an upgrade. I also think his ability to limit driving guards will be an asset that we haven't had.

It's funny how quickly Tyson Chandler has gone from being a major bust in Chicago to the prototypical great defensive center in New Orleans that everyone would love to have.

[angelbelow]

ian looked good when he wanted to, also hill did not disappoint imo, hes only going to get better.

[mystargtr34]

its amazing how little some of you know about strength, usable strength, and what athletes "should" look like. and no, i have zero interest in explaining it to you. continue looking stupid.

...ian may get bigger and he may not, but that has zero to do with his future effectiveness as a spurs player.

Yeah, sorry for not meeting your standards

[kobyz]

P.J Tucker looks good all summer , maybe we shouls sign him for a 2 years contract

[mystargtr34]

Not sure about a 6'5" Power Forward... we have Ime who can do that

[Bruno]

From people's comment and his stat line, it looks like Hill had a quite decent game. When you picture that he didn't come from a big school and had to overcome a bigger level difference than prospect from bigger schools and that he plays a new and really hard position (PG), it's encouraging.

Another thing I've noticed is that Gist played PF and Hairston sucked. If it continues, Spurs could go after on or two additional swingmen.

[ceperez]

Mahinmi looked lethargic and out of sync in the first half, and on the second he began to warp up.

The promising thing that I saw was the variety of moves he has.

On the situations where it was one on one, he had several fakes and took it to the base line in a very quick move. He's definitely got a quick step. On another, he had a very good back to basket turn around jump shot at around 15 feet. Offensively, he's certainly much better than Thomas or Oberto.

On the defensive side, he looked slow on the rotations and didn't always have good position on the rebounds. He certainly got a lot of length.

One thing though with summer league play is that it's very unstructured. Fortunately, the Spurs/Toros are forced to always play with some semblance of structure and that's where you see Ian play comfortably. He's not yet at that point were he can thrive on the open court. He needs to get the ball at the right spot and get isolated. Then you see he's got a lot of moves.

When doubled, he's got a good sense of where the perimeter players are. In one, he was tripled team, he took a jump shot and in midair passed the ball to Hill for an open 3. He however had trouble when he penetrated and the other team clogged the lane. Looked like he got into a lot of trouble there, buy was consistently bailed out by the refs.

What concerns me though about his play is that he seemed earth bound like Duncan. Not sure if that's how he was trained or that he may not have the hops.

[MarHill]

Mahinmi had a disappointing game imo.

Poor rebounding despite what his final numbers show, he gave up position a lot it seemed. And the defensive rotations. Having re-watched every available archived d-league game the last 2 weeks, I can say that Mahinmi can play much better.

I also think his pick-setting was terrible except for the very end of the game. He helped make things harder for Hill by basically avoiding any contact on the screens, unlike Gist.

BUT I still think he should be given a ton of minutes in the rotation, even force-fed as a starter.

Hill looked okay. I'm not thrilled or anything, but I think at the worst he should have an NBA career no worse than Jason Hart. Now before anyone takes that as an insult because he might come to mind as a fringe scrub, for the record Jason Hart has had a very nice career, getting paid to play NBA basketball through the age of 30 and he's under contract for the 08-09 season.

Gist looked like a legit NBA player, I hope he gets a contract. And more minutes tomorrow night.


And you are judging that off of one summer league game? Wow!!

Let's slow down...Spurs fans. Give him time to grow. Yikes!!!

[picnroll]

Funny that Mahinmi didn't go once to his acros the olane hook shot once which seemed to be his bread and butter move in D-league. I wonder if the Spurs told him to limit work on certain types of moves in this game. Hopefully his repertoire would include more quick fadeaway Js which with his quickness would work well for him.

[wildbill2u]

Hill:
1. showed a couple of 'slinky' moves to separate himself from a defender rather than with speed. I don't know if that will translate against faster better defenders in the NBA.
2. Didn't shoot a good %. Lots of his points came on FTs, not that there's anything wrong with that. No nervousness on his FTs until the last two at the end of game.
3. I liked the way he fought through the picks. He looked like he has the attitude to defend which will make up for a lot of deficiencies on defense such as pure speed.
4. Good rebounder, getting into the right position.

Only one game for a rookie, but he looked OK.

[tav1]

From people's comment and his stat line, it looks like Hill had a quite decent game. When you picture that he didn't come from a big school and had to overcome a bigger level difference than prospect from bigger schools and that he plays a new and really hard position (PG), it's encouraging.

Another thing I've noticed is that Gist played PF and Hairston sucked. If it continues, Spurs could go after on or two additional swingmen.

Bruno, that was my big observation coming away from the game--the Spurs need to add at least one more servicable swing to their roster, and not Finley. In my opinion, Mahinmi is not quite ready for the rotation yet. Maybe he had a bad game, but I've watched him about a dozen or so times, and he didn't look much different last night than he did at the end of last regular season.

I would be happy if the Spurs could find time for Hill, Gist and Mahinmi in Austin for at least the first part of next season. But that requires a couple more guys on roster.

[timvp]

One aspect that hasn't been mentioned is how well Bud coached the team. Anyone who watched last year saw the horrible job Newman did. Bud actually has a Pop like rotation in which he puts players on the court who are playing well. Benching Hairston and finding a capable combination in the fourth was a big part of the win.

Doesn't mean much but every time Bud has been in charge as a head coach, I've come away impressed. The day Pop retires, I would be happy if Bud is named the successor.

[picnroll]

Here's an intersting post, game one of SL related, from Spurs Report

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/spurs-nba-fan-feedback/94531-popovich-sighting-summer-league-review.html

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

One aspect that hasn't been mentioned is how well Bud coached the team. Anyone who watched last year saw the horrible job Newman did. Bud actually has a Pop like rotation in which he puts players on the court who are playing well. Benching Hairston and finding a capable combination in the fourth was a big part of the win.

Doesn't mean much but every time Bud has been in charge as a head coach, I've come away impressed. The day Pop retires, I would be happy if Bud is named the successor.

:tu Couldn't agree more. Bud is the man.

[tav1]

Here's an intersting post, game one of SL related, from Spurs Report

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/spurs-nba-fan-feedback/94531-popovich-sighting-summer-league-review.html

Finley...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Shite. Pop can't resist the geezers.

[tav1]

One aspect that hasn't been mentioned is how well Bud coached the team. Anyone who watched last year saw the horrible job Newman did. Bud actually has a Pop like rotation in which he puts players on the court who are playing well. Benching Hairston and finding a capable combination in the fourth was a big part of the win.

Doesn't mean much but every time Bud has been in charge as a head coach, I've come away impressed. The day Pop retires, I would be happy if Bud is named the successor.

I was actually kind of down on him in the first half, but by the end of the game he proved me wrong. It'd be great for him to take over.

[tmtcsc]

I noticed our new backup pg had 1 assist. That's not good. Doesn't say much for the team's shooting.
I did like that he got to the FT line.

Gist's line looks good: 6 pts, 3 BShts, 5 rebs and 1 st. Not bad at all. He was 3-5 shooting. Nice defense with no fouls. That's what gets you on the roster.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Finley...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Shite. Pop can't resist the geezers.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb192/Mr_Bottomtooth/zQPdVP028166-02.jpg

[tav1]

I noticed our new backup pg had 1 assist. That's not good. Doesn't say much for the team's shooting.
I did like that he got to the FT line.

Gist's line looks good: 6 pts, 3 BShts, 5 rebs and 1 st. Not bad at all. He was 3-5 shooting. Nice defense with no fouls. That's what gets you on the roster.

The stats don't always tell the story. This was Hill's first (semi) professional game. He played fine, and his ceiling as a sub point is high.

[tmtcsc]

Finley...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Shite. Pop can't resist the geezers.

I got no problem with Finley and Horry both coming back. The young guys will need some experience to learn from and Finley can do that. When he's on, he's on and when he's not he draws the ire of an entire city.

Horry should have sat out the entire year last year. He got off to a bad start and never recovered. He owes it to the team to come back strong. For the vet minimum, I'd bring him back. He still plays big in big games with his rebounding and keeping the ball alive.

Pop wears Girbaud. How funny. Hey pop, 1988 called, it wants its style back.

[picnroll]

From what I saw i"m not the least concerened about Hill's playmaking. In the brief glimpse so far he shouwed more abiltiy to rotate the ball and find the open shooter in the half court better than Vaughn or Parker. Guys just didn't knock down the shots.

[tav1]

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb192/Mr_Bottomtooth/zQPdVP028166-02.jpg

In all seriousness, I hope that Fin not being signed yet is a sign that a) the Spurs are not 100% commited to him and b) that they're at least waiting to see what shakes out from summer league and free agenct before bringing him back. If they make a definite move before we know where things stand league-wide, I'll be disappointed. I'm of the strong opinion that someone, whether Delfino or whoever, will be available for cheap in a couple weeks. The market will dry up and leave a player or two in a tough spot. At that point, RC should enter with a low ball offer and promises of a championship run.

[tmtcsc]

The stats don't always tell the story. This was Hill's first (semi) professional game. He played fine, and his ceiling as a sub point is high.

I saw the first half of the game and liked what I saw. He was aggressive and all over the place. He'll be a better option than Vaughn. I was just surprised that he only had 1 assist. It doesn't say much for our SL team's shooting or perhaps his playmaking ability. TP doesn't put up big assist numbers either. Maybe its the system.

[tav1]

I saw the first half of the game and liked what I saw. He was aggressive and all over the place. He'll be a better option than Vaughn. I was just surprised that he only had 1 assist. It doesn't say much for our SL team's shooting or perhaps his playmaking ability. TP doesn't put up big assist numbers either. Maybe its the system.

Know your first assumption was correct. Shooting, guys not finishing, etc... If he were passing to proven players, he would have had four or five assists.

[pad300]

Finley...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Shite. Pop can't resist the geezers.

All right, drastic steps need to be taken. Who's volunteering to visit Fin's place with a baseball bat for his knees...

[thispego]

Anyone know where I can watch this game online? I missed it last night

[ChumpDumper]

The games are archived. Registration is free.

http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/scoreboard.jsp?date=07/14/2008

[Spurs Brazil]

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080715/capt.61a9ffc34e1d42dc9b36ba4ed53f0968.spurs_grizzl ies_basketball_nvlr120.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080715/capt.b3d514cb02e34ed0b6850e70627c8903.spurs_grizzl ies_basketball_nvlr119.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/bc/fullj.4ab3e12b5bc6ae809b9e5f6e11eb74dd/4ab3e12b5bc6ae809b9e5f6e11eb74dd-getty-81648629dd014_summer_league.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/0a/fullj.4880ade902b64487ad3cadc2e9ac3dcb/4880ade902b64487ad3cadc2e9ac3dcb-getty-81648629dd013_summer_league.jpg

http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080715/capt.3f5958929a5041fbb58973b3c8380c70.spurs_grizzl ies_basketball_nvlr114.jpg

[thispego]

The games are archived. Registration is free.

http://www.nba.com/summerleague2008/scoreboard.jsp?date=07/14/2008

thanks crump

[Sway]

Here's an intersting post, game one of SL related, from Spurs Report

http://www.spursreport.com/forums/spurs-nba-fan-feedback/94531-popovich-sighting-summer-league-review.html

Thats one good post by a fan. More information in that thread than all the Summer EN articles combined.

I really hope the guy is wrong about Finley.

[Spurtacus]

*sigh*

I suppose Finley is cheap and decent enough of a shooter. He better get burried behind Ginobili and Mason.