Monroe: Relatively Good News About Hill's Thumb

[duncan228]

Mike Monroe: Relatively good news about Hill's thumb (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/archives/2008/10/mike_monroe_rel.html)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ordinarily, you would not be happy about a medical report that calls a thumb injury a bad sprain, but the Spurs were moderately relieved on Wednesday to discover that rookie point guard George Hill does not have a torn ligament, nor a broken bone, in the left thumb he injured in Tuesday's pre-season game in Grand Rapids, Mich.

"It's a bad sprain but, no ligament damage or bone damage," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich reported after a morning practice session at Gund Arena here ." He’ll probably miss a couple games. That’s better than a cast and out for six weeks."

Hill injured the thumb late in the first half of the Spurs' 86-64 victory over the Pistons at Van Andel Arena, in Grand Rapids, their first victory in three pre-season games. The Spurs' first-round draft pick had scored eight points and handed out four assists in 16 minutes, 48 seconds of first-half play.

Popovich said Tony Parker, who did not suit up for Tuesday's game because of minor soreness in his left Achilles tendon, will start tonight's game at Gund Arena against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Veteran Jacque Vaughn will back him up, with spot help from both Roger Mason, Jr., and Ime Udoka.

Salim Stoudamire, who has yet to go through a full practice because of a right groin strain, said he feels sound enough to consider asking Popovich to give him a few minutes in tonight's game, as well.

"I'll see how I feel in the morning," he said, "but I'm thinking about asking Coach Popovich to give me a little time."

[ElNono]

Salim Stoudamire, who has yet to go through a full practice because of a right groin strain, said he feels sound enough to consider asking Popovich to give him a few minutes in tonight's game, as well.


Isn't the game Thursday?

[xtremesteven33]

alrite....good news for a change.

[The Truth #6]

Hopefully all our injuries will be out of the way for awhile now...I hope.

[T Park]

Awesome news.

Hill has been playing great and the Spurs can't afford to lose his versatility.

[Dex]

Good bad news.

At this point, I'll take it.

[SenorSpur]

Hallelujah!

:elephant

[benefactor]

:danceclub

[Spurs Brazil]

Very good news.

I hope he's ready for the opening night

[timvp]

:tu

[xtremesteven33]

:tu



PUN?

[DPG21920]

Good bad news.

At this point, I'll take it.

[urunobili]

in addition to Hill's condition i like what i bread about Stoudamire willing to ask Pop for some minutes...

[tav1]

I didn't see this post and linked to it in another thread...

The Hill injury brings new gravity to this camp's best subplot. IMO Hill is already the back up point. JV has played like he plays. He is who he is. And right now, he's the third point.

Meanwhile, Farmer and Hairston are not going quietly into the night. I can see one landing a roster spot, and the other being welcomed in Austin.

But now, with Hill injured, Salim Stoudamire should get good minutes, if he is able to play. Should he play well...

Unfortunate off season. But camp has me perky, even with the injuries. The Spurs could open the season with a vastly improved offense (in terms of scoring ability) compared to last season. In my estimation, their defensive personnel, top to bottom, is slightly better too.

Parker/Hill/Stoudamire
Mason/Ginobili/Farmer

That's plenty of back court scoring with a good mix of penetration and shooting. The Spurs could play really fast too.

[timvp]

Meanwhile, Farmer and Hairston are not going quietly into the night. I can see one landing a roster spot, and the other being welcomed in Austin. I'm not 100% sure but I don't think Farmer could end up with the Toros. I'm pretty sure the Vipers get the first crack at him if he's released back into the D-League pool. Hairston, on the other hand, would become property of the Toros if he decides to play in the D-League.

It'll be interesting to see if this factors into the way the Spurs ultimately shape their roster. Perhaps they will let Hairston go with an agreement that he'll be picked up by the Toros. I like Hairston much more than I like Marcus Williams so it'd be a nice avenue to venture if Hairston is down for the plan.

[The Truth #6]

I didn't see this post and linked to it in another thread...

The Hill injury brings new gravity to this camp's best subplot. IMO Hill is already the back up point. JV has played like he plays. He is who he is. And right now, he's the third point.

Meanwhile, Farmer and Hairston are not going quietly into the night. I can see one landing a roster spot, and the other being welcomed in Austin.

But now, with Hill injured, Salim Stoudamire should get good minutes, if he is able to play. Should he play well...

Unfortunate off season. But camp has me perky, even with the injuries. The Spurs could open the season with a vastly improved offense (in terms of scoring ability) compared to last season. In my estimation, their defensive personnel, top to bottom, is slightly better too.

Parker/Hill/Stoudamire
Mason/Ginobili/Farmer

That's plenty of back court scoring with a good mix of penetration and shooting. The Spurs could play really fast too.

I like that backcourt as well. I'm guessing you're choosing not to include the other guys for the sake of argument. Guys like - JV, Finley, Udoka, and Bowen. That only leaves 5 more spots. As we all can guess, Salim and Farmer are probably not both making the team.

[tav1]

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think Farmer could end up with the Toros. I'm pretty sure the Vipers get the first crack at him if he's released back into the D-League pool. Hairston, on the other hand, would become property of the Toros if he decides to play in the D-League.

It'll be interesting to see if this factors into the way the Spurs ultimately shape their roster. Perhaps they will let Hairston go with an agreement that he'll be picked up by the Toros. I like Hairston much more than I like Marcus Williams so it'd be a nice avenue to venture if Hairston is down for the plan.

I wondered the same thing this morning and asked ChumpDumper. He said all the things you did, so I think you are correct.

I completely agree with you re: Hairston and Austin.

During the summer league I knocked on Hairston but that was clearly premature. He could develop into a rotation player in a year or two. I hope he ends up on the Toros. The only think that stinks is that the Spurs have no protection against call ups.

If the Spurs must choose between Hairston and Farmer, I'd lean toward Farmer for two reasons. 1) He can score now and 2) he couldn't go to the Toros, but over the long term I like Hairston more as a player.

[tav1]

I like that backcourt as well. I'm guessing you're choosing not to include the other guys for the sake of argument. Guys like - JV, Finley, Udoka, and Bowen. That only leaves 5 more spots. As we all can guess, Salim and Farmer are probably not both making the team.

No, not exactly. I see Udoka, Bowen and Fin as 3s, the others are 1s and 2s. Fin is a tweener, but I'm not sure he'll play much.

So...

Parker/Hill/Stoudamire
Mason/Gino/Farmer
Bowen/Udoka/Fin

I'd like to see JV waived. I realize that comes with risk, but it's a risk within reason. I'm not a JV hater, but he helps defenses when he's in the game because of his shaky O. Of course, this assumes Stoudamire plays well. If he doesn't then take his name out his name and put Vaughn's in to the above scenario. It's not that big of a deal. That player won't play much.

The other reason I favor Stoudamire is because I don't want the Spurs to have to find a third point next summer. I'd rather that money go elsewhere. Spend the 1.2 on Vaughn now so you don't have to spend it next summer on his replacement. Hire his replacement now. Let him learn the system, etc...

[tp2021]

I'm not 100% sure but I don't think Farmer could end up with the Toros. I'm pretty sure the Vipers get the first crack at him if he's released back into the D-League pool. Hairston, on the other hand, would become property of the Toros if he decides to play in the D-League.

It'll be interesting to see if this factors into the way the Spurs ultimately shape their roster. Perhaps they will let Hairston go with an agreement that he'll be picked up by the Toros. I like Hairston much more than I like Marcus Williams so it'd be a nice avenue to venture if Hairston is down for the plan.

Surely another team would love for us to let Hairston go to the Toros, so they could snatch him up for themselves, no?

[Ice009]

I wondered the same thing this morning and asked ChumpDumper. He said all the things you did, so I think you are correct.

I completely agree with you re: Hairston and Austin.

During the summer league I knocked on Hairston but that was clearly premature. He could develop into a rotation player in a year or two. I hope he ends up on the Toros. The only think that stinks is that the Spurs have no protection against call ups.

If the Spurs must choose between Hairston and Farmer, I'd lean toward Farmer for two reasons. 1) He can score now and 2) he couldn't go to the Toros, but over the long term I like Hairston more as a player.

I like this idea too. I think Farmer is the better player for right now, especially with Manu out, but over time Hairston looks like he could be better.

Who would you say has the better defense between Hairston and Farmer right now? That's the other point I am most interested in. There's nothing I like more than great defense and reading about the way George Hill and a few of the others have played defensively in these first three preseason games is great.

[Ocotillo]

Surely another team would love for us to let Hairston go to the Toros, so they could snatch him up for themselves, no?

A cruel irony would be Phoenix snagging him.

[tav1]

I like this idea too. I think Farmer is the better player for right now, especially with Manu out, but over time Hairston looks like he could be better.

Who would you say has the better defense between Hairston and Farmer right now? That's the other point I am most interested in. There's nothing I like more than great defense and reading about the way George Hill and a few of the others have played defensively in these first three preseason games is great.

Hairston is a better defender now, with a solid frame, if a little chubby. Farmer is never going to be a great defender, and Hairston's D could get much better as he improves, both mentally and on the court.

[Ice009]

Darn it. Maybe we shouldn't let Hairston go to the Toros then.

What if the Spurs set him up somewhere overseas for the season?

[tav1]

Probably too late for that.

Parker, Hill, Mason, Ginobili, Bowen and Udoka are all good defenders, so I'm not sure Hairston's defensive prowess really matters at this point. The Spurs defensive system--not to mention Duncan and Thomas--can hide someone like Farmer during the spare minutes he'll play. But if the Spurs need a scorer on the floor, I think Farmer could give them more buckets than Hairston.

[lefty]

Nice :tu

[tav1]

A cruel irony would be Phoenix snagging him.

Phoenix doesn't have the $$$.

[xellos88330]

I do not know what to think anymore. It seems that this off-season did turn out to be quite pleasant after all, and now the Spurs are having trouble deciding which of the new cogs fit the best. Their problem is that they all seem to be a good fit. They are going to need to get a microscope to separate some of those new guys.

[#2!]

I think a lot of people are underestimating the minutes that Fin is going to be getting this year. Firstly, if Mason continues playing as inconsistently as he is right now I'd be willing to bet that Finley starts at the beginning of the season. C'mon do you really think Pop wouldn't play a proven and tough minded veteran like Finley, especially if he's in such good shape.

I could see once Manu comes back, and if Mason has kicked it into gear, scaling his minutes back some to save him for the playoffs. But remember his rhythm seemed to depend on starting and playing consistent minutes last year, so if he starts slipping too much I'm sure Pop'll give him the time right back.

[polandprzem]

Good news as a first thing in the morning.

Hopefully he will be back in the second week of a season ready to produce

[Manufan909]

Hope Salim can show us what he's made of, finally.

EDIT: Man I hope either Hill or Ian get at least 10 minutes + against Indiana, since I have tickets for that one, and they're the 2 Spurs I'm most excited about, not counting Mason.:wakeup

[exstatic]

Hope Salim can show us what he's made of, finally.

EDIT: Man I hope either Hill or Ian get at least 10 minutes + against Indiana, since I have tickets for that one, and they're the 2 Spurs I'm most excited about, not counting Mason.:wakeup

I think they said Ian was out for the pre-season.

[mrspurs]

For some years now, so many rookies have been coming into the NBA and playing on teams who drafted them. And I for one havnt kept up with all the names or the places they came from. I mean I hear a name here and there and have an idea which team they're playing for etc. And thou I know its still the preseason, Ive caught a few of the games they've been showing. And some of the highlights on teams that havnt been shown. And wow can these new kids play. Other then Hill and Tolliver, the talent on the teams with all of these young players grabbed in the 1st and 2nd rounds who have been playing for more then a year in the league, by far are better then the rest of the young guns on our squad. And Im comparing our young guys based on exactly what Ive seen summer leagues, preseason games etc. Heres the fact, if we dont pick up some of the guys that have been named in this thread, I dont see why those other NBA teams would waste their time with them. Those D-leagues is where they belong. Not on our bench wasting time. I would guess the best thing you can hope for is one of them showing great potential in order to use them as trade bait. If your not LA or the Celts, and you cant get a high profile FA to sign. Then I for one dont expect the spurs to be better then last season. Not because we got worse, but simply because the rest of the teams are getting better awhole lot faster.

[tav1]

I think a lot of people are underestimating the minutes that Fin is going to be getting this year. Firstly, if Mason continues playing as inconsistently as he is right now I'd be willing to bet that Finley starts at the beginning of the season. C'mon do you really think Pop wouldn't play a proven and tough minded veteran like Finley, especially if he's in such good shape.

I could see once Manu comes back, and if Mason has kicked it into gear, scaling his minutes back some to save him for the playoffs. But remember his rhythm seemed to depend on starting and playing consistent minutes last year, so if he starts slipping too much I'm sure Pop'll give him the time right back.

Inconsistently? He's played in two preseaon games. It's too early to know much of anything about Mason, other than he's a first year player.

[tav1]

Random question: would it violate the CBA for a wealthy friend of the Spurs to pull a Angelopoulos, albeit more modestly, and secure a house or two between Austin and San Antonio for select Toros players to live in while with the team. Nothing outrageous, but maybe with a chef, weight room and leased car.

In other words, would this help protect against call ups. If, in addition to his official salary and per diem, a friend of the team let, say, Hairston live in a house with chef and car. Just a thought.

[ChumpDumper]

Toros get housing already, and there is no little perk that would outweigh the positives of an NBA call up. A player can make almost as much in a 10-day NBA contract than in an entire season in the D-League, to say nothing of the exposure and opportunities any amount of time in the NBA can provide.

I'm all for the NBA's raising D-League salaries across the board however. That could keep a few players from heading overseas each year.

[tav1]

Toros get housing already, and there is no little perk that would outweigh the positives of an NBA call up. A player can make almost as much in a 10-day NBA contract than in an entire season in the D-League, to say nothing of the exposure and opportunities any amount of time in the NBA can provide.

I'm all for the NBA's raising D-League salaries across the board however. That could keep a few players from heading overseas each year.

Well, that kills today's bright idea.

Higher salaries to prevent players from going overseas is needed, I agree.

But I'm more concerned about the Spurs ability to protect other teams from poaching their draft picks. It would be great if they could retain Hairston's rights through the Toros without having to give him a Spurs roster spot--higher pay is certainly part of this solution. The NBDL is not well conceived for those situations wherein an NBA team owns a farm team.

There was a piece on True Hoop last week that stated the NBA supplements the sentimental boondoggle known as the WNBA to the tune of 12 million a season to offset their losses. The writer suggested that money go to the NBDL instead, which sounds like a great idea to me.

I've mentioned this before, but I'd like to see the concept of player "franchising" built into the next CBA for those teams that own a NBDL squad. In other words, the Spurs could "franchise" Malik Hairston through the Toros, and by so doing would obligate themselves to paying him a "franchise" fee or supplemental salary, or some such. This option would be available for any player a team had drafted or given a training camp contract to.

The options would exist alongside the alternate of giving the player a Spurs contract and placing him on assignment, but would increase the total number of players the Spurs could be grooming in Austin and give them protection against poaching.

Players could refuse franchise contracts.

Other details need sorted out of course. For example, maybe there need be a one or two season limit on franchising. But in general, it's a good idea.

Under this scheme, it's likely that James Gist, Viktor Sanikidze and Malik Hairston could all play for the Toros this season, as franchise assignment. The Spurs could also send down a player like Mahinmi if they so chose.

[angelbelow]

i think salim is gonna light it up.