Malik Hairston

[mystargtr34]

I was most impressed with him tonight. George played well in the final part of the game, and Pops was awesome. But Hairston is gonna be a damn good player.

1) Hes got good size. Not great, but good size, hes about 6'6" in shoes, with a great wingspan and standing reach. Add to that, hes strong, and built.

2) Hes explosive as hell. A few times tonight he put the ball on the floor with confidence, and exploded off both feet and finished in traffic, and on one occassion missed a layup off an impressive move. Pops was there to throw it down. He gets above the rim so effortlessly. Not to mention the ridiculous two handed dunk when he was fouled, and the effortless reverse dunk.

3) Hes a smooth and agile athlete, and he moves his feet well. He did a good a job as anybody on LeBron in his short stints on him, he could really be a shutdown defender at the wing position as soon as next year.

Hes was awesome tonight, and hes gonna be even more awesome in a few years.

[Spurs Brazil]

He's good

If he can work hard with Chip and add a jumper to his game he's going to be very good

[Mugen]

i was most impressed with hairston 2nite too. he develops that mid range jumper and hes gonna be a player in this league.

[Libri]

Plus he's already shown some toughness.

[Solid D]

Hubie and Mike Breen liked him, too.

[peskypesky]

i like the way he reacted to the challenge of guarding Lebron. he didn't look scared or cautious at all.

[timmyd1977]

My worry is that Pop might send Malik & Pops back to D-League. If not, these two players should be able to provide some energy off the bench come playoff time.

[SenorSpur]

Really quick feet and showed some aggressiveness.

[HarlemHeat37]

a number of people, including myself, have been lobbying for him to get minutes in our game threads for a minute now..he's clearly shown some potential..

I love how he has balls..he challenges anybody in the lane..his circus layup should have been an and-1 too..

[benefactor]

If he can work hard and get some consistency to that jumper over the offseason I see no reason why he won't be in the rotation next year replacing Udoka, who will likely be gone. If Gist makes the team that will be one hella athletic bench.

[TheProfessor]

I think it needs to once again be pointed out how badly the Suns were owned on that trade.

[loveforthegame]

I was impressed with his defense on Lebron. No easy task but he held his own.

[dastrey]

Start him. Seriously. Bring Finley's old legs off the bench.

[MarHill]

If he can work hard and get some consistency to that jumper over the offseason I see no reason why he won't be in the rotation next year replacing Udoka, who will likely be gone. If Gist makes the team that will be one hella athletic bench.

The Spurs are all sudden athletic!!!

You don't say!!! :lmao

There is a change coming........

[SenorSpur]

Don't look now, but the Spurs are not as vertically challenged anymore.

[Ice009]

I will say this for like the third time. Everyone that wanted Malik over Tolliver made a decent call.

Well all saw or read about how Malik really turned it up in the preseason against real NBA competition after having a poor summer league. I wanted Farmer first and Watkins and Malik were second choice for me depending on which day you asked me ;). I was wrong about that as Malik should have been the first choice. I was surprised that Tolliver made the team after such a poor preseason.

I wonder how good Malik would be right now if he was on the roster from opening day and was getting court time like George Hill was in the 3rd game of the season. Then again maybe he is a better player because of that time he spent in Austin?

I think Malik can play right now as he is able to put the ball on the floor and attack. Tonight made it pretty obvious that outside of the big three no one else can get to the rack consistently. His D is getting better too.

Good job Malik. All the way from Summer League to now. Great effort, good job Malik to keep working your ass off and improve your game.

[MarHill]

Don't look now, but the Spurs are not as vertically challenged anymore.

SenorSpur,

Since the Spurs are getting more athletic and younger...will the And1 and NBA Live crowd start liking them!!!

:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

[SenorSpur]

SenorSpur,

Since the Spurs are getting more athletic and younger...will the And1 and NBA Live crowd start liking them!!!

:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

That's the next step. After that, Pops and Hairston jersey sales will hit the NBA's top 25 in sales. :lol

[angelbelow]

i like what im hearing, missed the game though =(

[MarHill]

That's the next step. After that, Pops and Hairston jersey sales will hit the NBA's top 25 in sales. :lol

:lmao

Keep hope alive!

The Spurs are athletic and younger!!

:lmao

[Spursmania]

That's the next step. After that, Pops and Hairston jersey sales will hit the NBA's top 25 in sales. :lol

That's a good one.:lmao:lmao:lmao

[Flux451]

i like what im hearing, missed the game though =(


you missed about six dunks by Pops and Malik...not to mention Pops three attempts but was fouled.

They youngins played most of the fourth quarter. Was fun to watch. They made a great effort. I think at one point made a 13-1 run. Instead of a horrible 20+ lose, we split that to be a little less embarressed.

[Behrooz24]

zLoVc-wEhkc&ap=%2526fmt%3D18

[mystargtr34]

That was a sick dunk.

[Bigzax]

good hustle in the 4th. :tu


about time i can say this again...FREE MALIK!

[DMX7]

I like him too.

[Austin_Toros]

He's shown some great signs lately. Hopefully Ime's minutes permanently go to Hairston.

[crc21209]

I agree. Hairston is already a pretty good player, and if thrown out there with any mix of TD, TP, or Manu he will benefit big time. What I like about him is that he drives the ball! He's aggressive with it, and he can finish big time!

[Dingle Barry]

Gotta love a player that can create his own shot, something only two of our other backcourt players can do.

[urunobili]

I wish Pop would have him ahead of Udoka in the rotation...

[Manufan909]

zLoVc-wEhkc&ap=%2526fmt%3D18

That had to be the best dunk of the evening, Big Z was happy he only got 2nd on facials.:downspin: Any videos of the reverse I heard about?

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

My worry is that Pop might send Malik & Pops back to D-League. If not, these two players should be able to provide some energy off the bench come playoff time.

There's not much of a reason to do so. I believe they have enough buffer to carry both without hitting the lux tax, and we have the roster space to carry 15, just have to declare 12 active for the games...

[Obstructed_View]

Hairston keeps this up and I might start using his first name around here.

It was nice that the Spurs broadcast mentioned the Hairston dunk. Hubie didn't even stop talking about how great Lebron was. They didn't even acknowledge the play (or the replay).

[Manufan909]

Hairston keeps this up and I might start using his first name around here.

It was nice that the Spurs broadcast mentioned the Hairston dunk. Hubie didn't even stop talking about how great Lebron was. They didn't even acknowledge the play (or the replay).

Bunch of Lebron-cock suckers. It's fucking pathetic.:bang:bang:bang

[Blackjack]

He's good

If he can work hard with Chip and add a jumper to his game he's going to be very good

He's a capable and confident shooter from 15-17', he's just got to get comfortable with his new area for operation on the offensive end.

He usually worked from the free-throw line, down, to do most of his damage in college, but with the change to a more conventional 2/3 position, he has to relearn the overall spacing of the floor and where he'll be most effective from, in general.

The mid-range jumper is there, but I question if he'll ever be the 3-point shooter the Spurs would probably like to see.

Personally, I don't think I'd worry about him extending his range all that much.

Some players eye and feel, for whatever reason, are just more adept at a certain range of shot. I'd like Malik to just concentrate on the mid-range shot, his slashing, glass-work on the offensive end, and let the extension on his jumper progress more naturally over time, ala R. Hamilton.



i like the way he reacted to the challenge of guarding Lebron. he didn't look scared or cautious at all.

:tu When Hairston is on the court, even in his first couple of appearances when he was uncertain of where he needed to be at all times, he always looks like he belongs. There isn't a ounce of doubt that he feels he belongs out there.


Hairston keeps this up and I might start using his first name around here.

It was nice that the Spurs broadcast mentioned the Hairston dunk. [B]Hubie didn't even stop talking about how great Lebron was. They didn't even acknowledge the play (or the replay).

You noticed that too.:lol

Breen's incessant garbage of how dominant the Cav's were and how impressive a road win it was, considering the opponent,(as if the Spurs were playing with the Big 3 intact) I couldn't help but laugh.

I actually heard a "tease" on NBA Fastbreak about, "How did King James fair against the Spurs, minus Wallace?":lol

[Flux451]

I noticed Malik did a pretty good job on Lebron in the first half. It was a short stint but he definitely had him hesitating. Then Fin came back and there went the three threes!!

[bigdog]

not only was Malik impressive with his aggressiveness on offense, he did a pretty good job defensively on LeBron too. Even though they lost last night, I'm glad I went to the game because I got to see Malik, George, and Pops play together in the 4th.

[Blackjack]

I noticed Malik did a pretty good job on Lebron in the first half. It was a short stint but he definitely had him hesitating. Then Fin came back and there went the three threes!!

LeBron tried to test him right off the bat, but Malik aquitted himself quite nicely. He tried to post him up twice, the first resulting in a miss (Malik probably got lucky, but LeBron might've missed thinking he got Malik up and was going to draw a foul) and the second resulted in a block.(I thought Malik got the on-ball block, but it might have been Finley. Did anyone see who got it?)

He also did a nice job when going against Szczerbiak. Wally thought he could take advantage of him with his size, and just raise-up over him, but Hairston actually altered or got a piece of his shot a couple times. It's really pretty amazing at 6'5" he's able to alter shots on the perimeter. Not to mention, you'd never guess by the way he looks that he'd be so athletic.

[HarlemHeat37]

that's what I love about Hairston..he's not scared at all to get inside for rebounds, to challenge other players offensively AND defensively..he has a lot of balls..

[Darkwaters]

It sounds like Hairston is probably a winner for this team. I'm glad he looks to be working out. Lord knows we could have used a productive pick like that a few years ago instead of D-League superstar Marcus Williams.

[Borosai]

Muhleeeeeeeeeek!!!

[SenorSpur]

It sounds like Hairston is probably a winner for this team. I'm glad he looks to be working out. Lord knows we could have used a productive pick like that a few years ago instead of D-League superstar Marcus Williams.

:tu

[The Truth #6]

He just needs to get more minutes. I'd say he's earning them, not just with those dunks but solid defense and rebounding. His lack of a consistent jumpshot is his main drawback, but his fundamentals look solid so he should be fine if he puts in the work with Chip.

[Ice009]

He just needs to get more minutes. I'd say he's earning them, not just with those dunks but solid defense and rebounding. His lack of a consistent jumpshot is his main drawback, but his fundamentals look solid so he should be fine if he puts in the work with Chip.

The problem is that Ime is a mediocre shooter, but he has been getting court time over Hairston. Hairston is showing that he might be better than Udoka is almost every other phase of the game. I do not get it. I guess Pop goes with Ime because he has had experience starting almost the whole season in Portland a couple of seasons ago?

Malik has earned more court time IMO and he should be out there to learn the Spurs system like G Hill did at the start of the season.

In that Denver game where the big 3 sat out I thought Malik was our second best player behind Mason, yet I don't understand why Pop hasn't given him more real opportunities out there to get integrated into the team by learning the system. This was his first real extended playing time since that game and he came up with a good game again.

[tav1]

I'm late to this conversation, but I agree with what many of you are saying regarding Hairston's defensive potential. The two things I'd like to see him work on this offseason are 1) his range and 2) his lateral quickness. He's not slow, but he could have a career in the NBA if he refines his natural defensive ability. Also, I think he is closer to 6'4'' than 6'6''. I could be wrong. My point? I think he projects out as a 2, not a 3.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Malik deflected a lebron pass, layed it up on lebron, and blocked lebron all within 1 minute...

[Obstructed_View]

The problem is that Ime is a mediocre shooter, but he has been getting court time over Hairston. Hairston is showing that he might be better than Udoka is almost every other phase of the game. I do not get it. I guess Pop goes with Ime because he has had experience starting almost the whole season in Portland a couple of seasons ago?

See Finley, Michael and Horry, Robert.

[Obstructed_View]

I'm late to this conversation, but I agree with what many of you are saying regarding Hairston's defensive potential. The two things I'd like to see him work on this offseason are 1) his range and 2) his lateral quickness. He's not slow, but he could have a career in the NBA if he refines his natural defensive ability. Also, I think he is closer to 6'4'' than 6'6''. I could be wrong. My point? I think he projects out as a 2, not a 3.

Hairston plays bigger than he is. If you're going to feed him to Carmelo, Lebron and Kobe every night he's going to have trouble, but no more than every other team in the league. He's also going to score more than Bowen and not be a liability from the line so it's probably a wash if he can continue to develop into a rotation player and the Spurs can get an actual shot blocker to help Duncan. Bonner is a very good defender but he NEVER blocks shots.

[The Truth #6]

The problem is that Ime is a mediocre shooter, but he has been getting court time over Hairston. Hairston is showing that he might be better than Udoka is almost every other phase of the game. I do not get it. I guess Pop goes with Ime because he has had experience starting almost the whole season in Portland a couple of seasons ago?

Malik has earned more court time IMO and he should be out there to learn the Spurs system like G Hill did at the start of the season.

In that Denver game where the big 3 sat out I thought Malik was our second best player behind Mason, yet I don't understand why Pop hasn't given him more real opportunities out there to get integrated into the team by learning the system. This was his first real extended playing time since that game and he came up with a good game again.

I can't tell if you think I'm referring to Ime in my post. To clarify, I'm writing about Malik. But yes, I agree that Ime is a mediocre shooter.

But to address a point you raised about why Malik isn't getting more minutes, I would guess Pop is deciding if Ime has anything to offer, or, more to offer than Malik. Pop went with Ime early in the Cleveland game but after realizing that wasn't working, went to Malik and Ime didn't get back in.

Perhaps in the next few games Pop will have made up his mind? Or, he wants to keep both sharp (or at least as sharp as they can be for bench players). Obviously, mind-reading Pop is rarely an easy thing to do. He's usually over-cautious with everything so this is probably another example of that.

[The Truth #6]

I agree that Malik is going to be a 2 rather than a 3, and he looks shorter than 6'6", even though he plays large for his size. That's probably for the best as Gist is being groomed to be a 3.

[Marcus Bryant]

And to think the Spurs got an extra pick.

[AFBlue]

Aside from a limited range, Hairston displays all of the necessary skills to be an immediate contributor. And with Ime's shot currently AWOL, I think it's much more likely Hairston spends the rest of the year up with the big club, instead of continuing his development down in Austin.

This summer though, that kid has GOT to work on his jumpshot!

[SpursFanInAustin]

For some reason when I see Hairston....I get flashbacks to 2001 Derek Anderson, as far as taking it strong to the rack. Maybe it's the #1

[mazerrackham]

For some reason when I see Hairston....I get flashbacks to 2001 Derek Anderson, as far as taking it strong to the rack. Maybe it's the #1

Ha, It's true, I always liked Derek Anderson, and then when he got injured and left for the Clippers or wherever he went, he dropped off the map completely. I always thought that was strange, he did so well that one year for us.

[Obstructed_View]

Ha, It's true, I always liked Derek Anderson, and then when he got injured and left for the Clippers or wherever he went, he dropped off the map completely. I always thought that was strange, he did so well that one year for us.

He played for the Clippers the year before he came to SA. He was traded to Portland. He was injury prone his entire career and the season that ended with Juwan Howard separating his shoulder in the playoffs was probably one of his healthiest seasons as a pro.

[mazerrackham]

Yeah, but not taking into account his injuries, he went from being a 17 ppg player for the Clippers do being a 16 ppg player for the spurs, and next season he dropped down to 10 ppg for pretty much the rest of his career and shooting a worse percentage.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

And to think the Spurs got an extra pick.

:lol

[mystargtr34]

I'm late to this conversation, but I agree with what many of you are saying regarding Hairston's defensive potential. The two things I'd like to see him work on this offseason are 1) his range and 2) his lateral quickness. He's not slow, but he could have a career in the NBA if he refines his natural defensive ability. Also, I think he is closer to 6'4'' than 6'6''. I could be wrong. My point? I think he projects out as a 2, not a 3.

Hes 6'4.25" without shoes. In NBA height, thats about 6'6", 99% of the league is listed about an inch and a half above their height without shoes. But everyone probably already knows that. He has a pretty good wingspan, 6'9" and standing reach 8'7.5". He also has a 38 inch Vertical which is probably in the top 5% of the League.

Consider some other guys...

A SpursTalk favourite, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute - Standing Reach 8'7.5", Height 6'7"
Ronnie Brewer - Standing Reach 8'7.5", Height 6'7"
Danny Granger - Standing Reach 8'7", Height 6'9"
Caron Butler - Standing Reach 8'7", Height 6'7"
Jomario Moon - Standing Reach 8'7", Height 6'8"
Corey Brewer - Standing Reach 8'7", Height 6'8".
Jeff Green - Standing Reach 8'7", Height 6'9"
Carl Landry - Standing Reach 8'6", Height 6'8"
Brandon Roy - Standing Reach 8'5", Height 6'6"

[mystargtr34]

You dont block or contest shots, shoot or rebound with the top of your head.

[Ice009]

I can't tell if you think I'm referring to Ime in my post. To clarify, I'm writing about Malik. But yes, I agree that Ime is a mediocre shooter.

But to address a point you raised about why Malik isn't getting more minutes, I would guess Pop is deciding if Ime has anything to offer, or, more to offer than Malik. Pop went with Ime early in the Cleveland game but after realizing that wasn't working, went to Malik and Ime didn't get back in.

Perhaps in the next few games Pop will have made up his mind? Or, he wants to keep both sharp (or at least as sharp as they can be for bench players). Obviously, mind-reading Pop is rarely an easy thing to do. He's usually over-cautious with everything so this is probably another example of that.

I was just trying to say that I think Ime is a mediocre shooter, as in, he's not in a slump, but an average shooter to begin with. I could be wrong but I'm just saying that because some of his misses are way off.

I also remember a person that went to the game saying that most players were hitting every shot in warm ups and that Ime was barely hitting 50% of his shots.

[ILoveOranges]

See Finley, Michael and Horry, Robert.

Don't forget Van Exel, Nick. I'm pretty sure he was the worst drain of both playing time and offense/defense... etc. wise.

[Obstructed_View]

Yeah, but not taking into account his injuries, he went from being a 17 ppg player for the Clippers do being a 16 ppg player for the spurs, and next season he dropped down to 10 ppg for pretty much the rest of his career and shooting a worse percentage.
Well, it's probably not fair to ignore his injuries, but he did best in his two contract years, and obviously showed his true colors when he forced that trade because he was angry that Duncan and Robinson were higher priorities to the team than he was. That newsclip at his house where he was whining about money was pretty damning, too.



Don't forget Van Exel, Nick.

Oh yeah, I did. The ultimate example of Pop's unnatural love for vets.

[exstatic]

I was just trying to say that I think Ime is a mediocre shooter, as in, he's not in a slump, but an average shooter to begin with. I could be wrong but I'm just saying that because some of his misses are way off.

I also remember a person that went to the game saying that most players were hitting every shot in warm ups and that Ime was barely hitting 50% of his shots.

Make no mistakes: Pop broke Ime. He did the same thing to Beno. Maybe he has a hard-on for players who's last name starts with a 'U'.

Ime, in his three major seasons, POR,SA,SA, shot as follows:

POR 75 games 46 FG% 40 3G%
SA 73 games 42 FG% 37 3G%
SA 41 games 37 FG% 32 3G%

Just for giggles, last year's playoff numbers

SA 16 games 46.5 FG% 40 3G%

He's shown that he can shoot the ball in this league, and shoot it well. He just needs to do it somewhere else.

[Beaverfuzz]

Hairston is good for taking the place of Ginobli's spot when needed but he won't be around much longer after Manu's back.

[exstatic]

Hairston is good for taking the place of Ginobli's spot when needed but he won't be around much longer after Manu's back.

Considering they signed Malik to a deal for the remainder of the season, with an option for next, he'll be around.

[The Truth #6]

Make no mistakes: Pop broke Ime. He did the same thing to Beno. Maybe he has a hard-on for players who's last name starts with a 'U'.

Ime, in his three major seasons, POR,SA,SA, shot as follows:

POR 75 games 46 FG% 40 3G%
SA 73 games 42 FG% 37 3G%
SA 41 games 37 FG% 32 3G%

Just for giggles, last year's playoff numbers

SA 16 games 46.5 FG% 40 3G%

He's shown that he can shoot the ball in this league, and shoot it well. He just needs to do it somewhere else.

I agree in the sense that Ime's confidence is way down and this has affected his play. I never get a sense that Pop disrespects Ime in the way that he did Beno. Unlike Beno, Ime does seem tough enough to prosper under Pop.

Outside of the playoff stats, there is a gradual decline from Portland to this season. Is it completely confidence issues or something else?

Finley, for the most part, though still inadequate in many ways, has played better this year and Ime is stuck behind him, though I can easily imagine if Finley was playing worse than last year he'd still be ahead of Ime in the rotation.

I hope that after this season Ime is able to land on another team with another contract. Things haven't worked out the best for him here but he seems like a solid person and deserves another chance.

[exstatic]

Outside of the playoff stats, there is a gradual decline from Portland to this season. Is it completely confidence issues or something else?

Portland 28 mins
SA - year 1 18 mins
SA this year 12 mins, tons of DNPs

...

I hope that after this season ime is able to land on another team with another contract. Things haven't worked out the best for him here but he seems like a solid person and deserves another chance.

+1

[angelbelow]

zLoVc-wEhkc&ap=%2526fmt%3D18

awesome!

[Spur-Addict]

I always enjoy watching the reaction of the opposing bench when a play like that(^^) occurs.

[Manufan909]

Any links to the dunks he had last night?

[MI21]

That Malik dunk is more impressive than Pops' dunks that everyone was creaming themselves over.