Malik Hairston

[timtonymanu]

Will we see him back in a Spurs uniform next year? I hope so. Please move this thread if it doesn't belong here.

[Ditty]

i hope so also

i really had alot of man love for him this year even if he blew some defensive assignment

he could be a special player

bring him back RC

[Obstructed_View]

Like I said, if Pop can't see his value as a defender, nobody else will, and he'll still be available once a roster spot opens up. When can the Spurs start jettisoning roster flotsam?

[HarlemHeat37]

he better be working on his J every day from now until the summer league..

[Destro]

he can't shoot

[SenorSpur]

Malik has 2 flaws that probably do not endear himself to the Pop

Doesn't shoot enough 3 pointers;
Drive the ball to the basket and dunks too much

[ChumpDumper]

I can see his playing on the summer league squad. He'll end up in some team's training camp -- we'll see if it's the Spurs.

[afireinside20]

He's the kind of player the Spurs need, explosive to the rim and brings energy. Pop needs to keep this guy, and bring him along slowly next year.

[crc21209]

Hairston, Gist, and Mahinmi are the 3 young guns to watch coming into next yrs training camp.

[Rogue]

It's bound that the Spurs will sign him back in the summer to make up a 15-roster squad after the spurs make a 3-for-1 trade for another superstar like sheed or carter. Malik is inexperienced but his size and athletism are more than enough to match up even the best wing players like Paul Pierce and Lebron, I mean on the defensive end. Surely Malik still has many things to learn before becoming a consistent power in offense.

[Obstructed_View]

People that say he's a bad shooter completely failed to check the stats this year.

[poop]

correct i dont want to see another player on our team who fucking shoots 3's....all i care about is defense and the ability to penetrate/get to the rim. which is what Malik can do. fuck shooting. we died by having guys who could 'shoot' and not do fuck all else, come playoff time they start bricking and thus become 100% useless.

getting to the rim >>>>>>>> jumpshooting

[Austin_Toros]

When you consider who he was waived for, who cares?

[TheProfessor]

When you consider who he was waived for, who cares?
:lol It wouldn't bug me to see Williams take the third PG spot, seeing spot minutes when match-ups dictate, and Hairston spending time in Austin working on his jumpshot.

[poop]

'working on his jumpshot'

'he cant shoot'

WTF do people want another fucking mason/bonner????

he plays defense well, is young and athletic, and can get to the rim. im sick of outside shooting, id rather have someone who can penetrate and therefore get a high percentage shot, draw fouls, create plays/space,etc..than another jackass who can only stand still and jack up outside shots. thats all we had this year and we all know how that worked out.

[TheProfessor]

'working on his jumpshot'

'he cant shoot'

WTF do people want another fucking mason/bonner????

he plays defense well, is young and athletic, and can get to the rim. im sick of outside shooting, id rather have someone who can penetrate and therefore get a high percentage shot, draw fouls, create plays/space,etc..than another jackass who can only stand still and jack up outside shots. thats all we had this year and we all know how that worked out.
If he can't hit a jumpshot, teams will just back off and allow him to take it uncontested. Same problem you have with guys like Jacque Vaughn on the floor, you're essentially playing 5 on 4 offensively.

[spursbird]

'working on his jumpshot'

'he cant shoot'

WTF do people want another fucking mason/bonner????

he plays defense well, is young and athletic, and can get to the rim. im sick of outside shooting, id rather have someone who can penetrate and therefore get a high percentage shot, draw fouls, create plays/space,etc..than another jackass who can only stand still and jack up outside shots. thats all we had this year and we all know how that worked out.
+1
Pop should allow his player to DUNK.

[TDMVPDPOY]

:lol It wouldn't bug me to see Williams take the third PG spot, seeing spot minutes when match-ups dictate, and Hairston spending time in Austin working on his jumpshot.

do you see williams is a late bloomer like matt barnes?

cause i dont wanna end up not signin him and he goes on another team having a breakout year.....

[TheProfessor]

do you see williams is a late bloomer like matt barnes?

cause i dont wanna end up not signin him and he goes on another team having a breakout year.....
I see him more as a homeless man's Boris Diaw. I just don't know if he can stick in the league defensively. The contract at the end of the season was a vote of confidence, clearly the Spurs have seen enough improvement that they wanted him in camp. Beyond that it's hard to say.

[SenorSpur]

Personally, Hairston has displayed enough to warrant another opportunity to make the roster. I trust he'll improve his jump shot over the summer.

Also, I'd like to see Williams get another shot, also. Spurs should bite the bullet and, if these guys perform well over the summer, give these guys a shot at being real contributors next season.

[SenorSpur]

If he can't hit a jumpshot, teams will just back off and allow him to take it uncontested. Same problem you have with guys like Jacque Vaughn on the floor, you're essentially playing 5 on 4 offensively.

Do you really think that Williams can man the backup PG at the NBA level? I was thinking the Spurs would want to invest a spot in a guy like Jason Hart. However, if Williams can excel at 2 positions (backup SF and backup PG), the Spurs would be better off for it.

[Manufan909]

People that say he's a bad shooter completely failed to check the stats this year.

Toros stats don't count, only NBA stats. Just like AToll, he couldn't bring his 3shot to the big stage. But his defense on Lebron/Melo, and his slashing ability should earn him a contract. Hope his jay is showcased in the preseason.

[pad300]

he better be working on his J every day from now until the summer league..


He's the kind of player the Spurs need, explosive to the rim and brings energy. Pop needs to keep this guy, and bring him along slowly next year.


When you consider who he was waived for, who cares?

Both Hairston and Williams need to spend a lot of time working on their shots this summer. They also need to work on consistent defensive effort (and skill - knowing switches, and sticking on the right man) within the confines of the Spurs system. If they do that, both have potential to be useful additions both next year and down the road...

[pad300]

Do you really think that Williams can man the backup PG at the NBA level? I was thinking the Spurs would want to invest a spot in a guy like Jason Hart. However, if Williams can excel at 2 positions (backup SF and backup PG), the Spurs would be better off for it.

As a PG, not really. But I see the potential to be a Barry/Manu/Boris Diaw level offensive facilitator at the wing positions.

PS. You see him as a backup 1 and 3, but not 2. At the 2 he would have a size advantage, and doesn't have the footspeed disadvantage he sees at the 1...

[TheProfessor]

Do you really think that Williams can man the backup PG at the NBA level? I was thinking the Spurs would want to invest a spot in a guy like Jason Hart. However, if Williams can excel at 2 positions (backup SF and backup PG), the Spurs would be better off for it.
I think he's a situational back-up. He's not a legitimate third PG option, but then what good is it to have a vet on the roster that Pop will inevitably give minutes to instead of Hill? Also, Williams can bring the ball up the floor and initiate offense with Hill playing off the ball and guarding the other team's PG. Manu and even Mason (yes, I know...) can handle spot minutes if necessary. It just gives our roster some versatility rather than having the "obligatory PG veteran."

[Manufan909]

With Hill and Manu, Mason should never play PG again.

[spurtech09]

Hairston played pretty good for a rookie....i like his energy and hes very athletic

[Obstructed_View]

Toros stats don't count, only NBA stats.

I think he went 0 of 1. He went 44 percent in the regular season for Austin, and 64 percent in the playoffs, so any suggestion that he can't shoot based on a single shot attempt in the NBA is fucking ludicrous.

[SouthTexasRancher]

Will we see him back in a Spurs uniform next year? I hope so. Please move this thread if it doesn't belong here.

I sure hope so. We've had a nice run with the 50 year olds. Time to start developing the young studs and prepare for another decade of 4-5 Championships. We have plenty of them in the barn...time to open the barn doors and let em run!!!

[Taking it to the Hole]

As long as Finley & Bowen are around, your never going to see Hairston get any minutes. I don't see Pop planning on putting him as a shooting guard if he can't shoot. That position is already going to be overloaded with Manu, Mason, and now possibly Hill...just not any minutes there. If Hairston can at least hit a midrange jumper consistently and play solid defense, he has a chance of cracking the rotation should the Spurs add him to their summer league team and then roster.

[SouthTexasRancher]

Malik has 2 flaws that probably do not endear himself to the Pop

Doesn't shoot enough 3 pointers;
Drive the ball to the basket and dunks too much


I've often wondered what Pop would do if LA, Cleveland and Miami all called the same day and said to Pop, we'd like to trade Kobe, LeBron and Dwayne to the Spurs but, only if none of them ever shoot the 3. I wonder what would go through his head. He may just have to go against his preference of outside shooters and not dunkers. :toast

[Obstructed_View]

Yet people still stick to the myth that he can't shoot. Don't let facts get in your way, folks.

[ChumpDumper]

Eh, he only shot two three pointers per game over thirty games -- about one three point shot for every twenty minutes of game play. It's not a super sample size. I will say he shot best in clutch situations late in the shot clock or game. Those shots probably make up close to half of his total for the season. In the regular course of games his shot seemed much less reliable.

[Obstructed_View]

Eh, he only shot two three pointers per game over thirty games -- about one three point shot for every twenty minutes of game play. It's not a super sample size. I will say he shot best in clutch situations late in the shot clock or game. Those shots probably make up close to half of his total for the season. In the regular course of games his shot seemed much less reliable.

I'll certainly defer to your scouting report, and there's always improvements to be made, but I'm forced to challenge the myth that he "can't shoot" by people who don't have any basis for making that claim. There's not much more you can do than hit the shots you take. I suppose I should just ask those people if they'd be in favor of Hairston on the roster if he improved his jumper to the point that he's shooting better than nearly everyone on the team.

One of the reasons I'm in this kid's camp is because I know the likelihood of ever finding a Bowen replacement is small, and having more good defenders is going to have to be the way the Spurs go forward.

[ChumpDumper]

I like Malik too. I'll just qualify it to say the three pointer needs to be a more regular part of his offensive arsenal.

[Obstructed_View]

Yeah, if he developed it to the point where it was a consistent weapon that had to be respected, it would open up his game tremendously.

Shouldn't this thread be in the brain trust forum?

[SenorSpur]

If he can create his own shot, is reliabe enough in the midrange area, that's should be good enough. It certainly shouldn't be a detriment to him being on the roster. He can develop 3-pt range as his career moves on. Besides, that would make him the opposite of what we have now - 3-pt shooters that can't create their own shot.

[EricB]

Hes got a ways to go before he can be a solid role player.


I wouldn't say that.

He's on the cusp. If he can develop that shot this summer then theres no reason why he couldn't compete for a rotation spot this fall.

[Jace]

He isn't that small.. Just an inch shorter than Pierce/J.Howard..of course the height could be wrong as we see so often with NBA players

[EricB]

I would love to agree but, his shot is real bad, he looks very small for the SF spot and his ball handling is spotty. To me he looks like a more athletic Udoka without the jump shot.

His shot is not real bad.

Good lord get a clue.

[Ocotillo]

If we get this guy signed he needs to work with Chip as does all the young guns who hope to be on the squad this coming year.

After summer league, the Spurs need to have Hairston, Williams, Hill and Mahinimi working with Chip.

Also if Sandkidze makes it over, him too.

[tp2021]

I would love to agree but, his shot is real bad, he looks very small for the SF spot and his ball handling is spotty. To me he looks like a more athletic Udoka without the jump shot.

He seems to hold his ground as well as if not better than Ime. If nothing else, he and Hill share the trait that they aren't intimidated by the bigtime players of the opposition.