Did the Spurs end up with one of the top 2 players in the draft?

[Marcus Bryant]

If you believe in made up numbers like "PER" then perhaps they just did. He had the best PER of any prospect in the draft, including that weird looking dude from OU.

Blair was definitely the best rebounder in the draft, if not in many drafts. He made the great imposing #2 pick his woman when they went head to head in the last NCAA season.

While his knees were a major factor in his slide down the draft board, Blair is an excellent test of the use of SABRmetrics in basketball as a player evaluation tool. Despite the acceptance and use of quantitative analysis in the NBA, perhaps old habits die hard.

:stirpot:

[joyner]

I'm not sure I'd say Top 2, but I'd say he could be as good as Top 5.

[Marcus Bryant]

So, "PERhaps"....

[TDMVPDPOY]

hollinger is laughin...i love stats


fuck that shit, lets see what he can do in camp and nba first.

[Marcus Bryant]

Of course. But that holds true for all draftees. The Spurs appear to have ganked one of the top 2 players in the draft.

[Solid D]

All three picks appear to be great picks. Things could go bad, as they have been known to do, but this could turn out to be one of the Spurs' best 3 drafts.

[JamStone]

Great pick where the Spurs got him, but one of the top 2 players in the draft? Uhh no.

I'd say with the combination of skill, strength, and readiness to play, he's probably close to a top 15 player in the draft right now.

[Marcus Bryant]

Among the NCAA players in the draft, who produced more than him last season? He destroyed the #2 in the draft head to head.

[rascal]

I dobn't pay any attention to PER. Didn't Bonner have a better PER than Duncan last year?

[Marcus Bryant]

Right, which is why you look at things like a player's rebounding rate and actual play, including head to head matchups. Blair had the best rebounding rate of any prospect in the last ten drafts.

While the rest of the league was sitting with their thumbs up their asses, the Spurs took one of the draft's best players.

[coopdogg3]

I like Hollinger - he is who he is, and doesn't pretend to be anyone else.

He's a stat guy, he tells you the stats he uses, how he uses them, and then ranks the players. Nothing wrong with that in my book. Obviously stats don't tell the whole story - but it's certainly part of it.

Watching Blair toss Thabeet around like a ragdoll is a good part of the story as well.

[Cry Havoc]

I hope the guy can contribute. If he can give us 5-7 boards per game in limited minutes, we'll call it a win and be VERY happy.

[kace]

I dobn't pay any attention to PER. Didn't Bonner have a better PER than Duncan last year?

????? NO

Spurs were very friends with PER last year. While any other team has two players in the TOP 13, the spurs third player in PER ranking was 11th (manu, behind tim at 5 and tony at 8).

Bonner wasn't even in the TOP 50.

While i wouldn't use PER as a sure thing to rank exactly players, you usually don't see many scrubs among the TOP10, not to talk about the TOP 1 as Blair is.

How does it translate to NBA is the question, but that's the same for every pick.

[Das Texan]

Production is still king over potential in my book.


If you can get a guy who has essentially out produced all the competition on the collegiate level, how can you not like the guy?


Potential doesnt win titles anyway. Production does.

[rascal]

Right, which is why you look at things like a player's rebounding rate and actual play, including head to head matchups. Blair had the best rebounding rate of any prospect in the last ten drafts.

While the rest of the league was sitting with their thumbs up their asses, the Spurs took one of the draft's best players.


He should be a beast of a rebounder. Could play bigger than his size like Barkley did. For him to be top two he would need a more polished offensive game.
But he should pan out as a should of been drafted in the lottery type of player.

[Mel_13]

Production is still king over potential in my book.


If you can get a guy who has essentially out produced all the competition on the collegiate level, how can you not like the guy?


Potential doesnt win titles anyway. Production does.


+1

Millsap led the nation in rebounding for three straight NCAA seasons. He somehow fell to the second round. Worked out pretty well for the Jazz.

[Marcus Bryant]

He should be a beast of a rebounder. Could play bigger than his size like Barkley did. For him to be top two he would need a more polished offensive game.
But he should pan out as a should of been drafted in the lottery type of player.

If only he had the polished offensive game of a Hasheem Thabeet.

[JamStone]

Among the NCAA players in the draft, who produced more than him last season? He destroyed the #2 in the draft head to head.

The problem with your argument is that the #2 pick in the draft is/was not a top 2 player in the draft either. For me personally, I don't think Thabeet was a top 10 talent in this draft. He's big and can block shots. That's about it. I thought he was a bad pick by the Grizzlies.

Aside from Blake Griffin, you could argue Stephen Curry, James Harden, Tyler Hansbrough, Jordan Hill, Lester Hudson, Eric Maynor were more productive than Blair.

And statistics aside, you can argue guys like Earl Clark, Ricky Rubio, James Johnson, Terrence Williams, DeMar Derozen, and Toney Douglas project to be better NBA players than Blair.

Like I said, Blair was a great pick where the Spurs got him. And, as a "college" player, he was definitely one of the more productive players in the draft. That college production doesn't necessarily make him a top 2 player in the draft.

[rascal]

If only he had the polished offensive game of a Hasheem Thabeet.


Thabeet is more of a low post intimidator- shot blocker. A different type of player and no he does not have an offensive game. The spurs can use a low post shot blocker.

[Marcus Bryant]

Right, those guys "project" to be better. But who was actually better on the court?

[rascal]

The problem with your argument is that the #2 pick in the draft is/was not a top 2 player in the draft either. For me personally, I don't think Thabeet was a top 10 talent in this draft. He's big and can block shots. That's about it. I thought he was a bad pick by the Grizzlies.

Aside from Blake Griffin, you could argue Stephen Curry, James Harden, Tyler Hansbrough, Jordan Hill, Lester Hudson, Eric Maynor were more productive than Blair.

And statistics aside, you can argue guys like Earl Clark, Ricky Rubio, James Johnson, Terrence Williams, DeMar Derozen, and Toney Douglas project to be better NBA players than Blair.

Like I said, Blair was a great pick where the Spurs got him. And, as a "college" player, he was definitely one of the more productive players in the draft. That college production doesn't necessarily make him a top 2 player in the draft.


Good post. There will be other good players better than Blair picked after the top two.

[GSH]

So what kind of contract do you offer a player who almost certainly would have been in the Top 10, if not for concerns about his knees? You've got guys from last year's draft like Donte Green, Kosta Koufos, and Alexis Ajinca - all making over $1M per season, and putting up crap numbers. They got drafted in the first round because they might have potential to develop into decent players. Then you have Blair who most people think will be able to contribute his first season, who didn't get drafted in the first round, because teams are worried that he might not last. Do you offer him something closer to the bottom of the first-round scale, and make the contract contingent on health? Do you offer him somthing in the middle, like the $800K that Houston gave Joey Dorsey? Or do you give him something closer to the minimum, and ride him for a couple of seasons as cheaply as possible?

[JamStone]

Right, those guys "project" to be better. But who was actually better on the court?

Ike Diogu was one of the most productive players in his draft class, Michael Wright, Sam Clancy, Lonny Baxter. You can go down every draft and find a guy that ripped shit up in college but simply doesn't translate as well at the NBA level. If you want to amend your argument and say Blair "was one of the most productive players in college" in this draft, that's more than a fair statement. To say he's a top 2 player in this draft is most likely inaccurate. It's not just about production on the court on the college level.

[Drom John]

Not that you have slots for the 2nd round, but you give the 37th guy slot money, with no reward for being unwanted by other teams. The only time you give more is if you are competing with a foreign team.

[EricB]

Ike Diogu is probably a stud, for some reason all of his teams never play him.

[SonOfAGun]

Listening to natl. radio and natl. websites, lots of people are picking the Spurs as the draft winner.

The Spurs needed a Bass, BigBaby, Millsapp type of bigman to bang in the paint. I hope this guy can do some of that.

[robbie380]

i like the blair pick but jamstone makes good points. also, his knees are worse than mine. there is no way he can have a healthy career in the nba. finally, let's not forget he is a 19 year old 6'6 PF. the guy is not going to come in and be an instant contributor. it's gonna take him time to figure out how be effective in the nba with such a size disadvantage.

[Mel_13]

So what kind of contract do you offer a player who almost certainly would have been in the Top 10, if not for concerns about his knees? You've got guys from last year's draft like Donte Green, Kosta Koufos, and Alexis Ajinca - all making over $1M per season, and putting up crap numbers. They got drafted in the first round because they might have potential to develop into decent players. Then you have Blair who most people think will be able to contribute his first season, who didn't get drafted in the first round, because teams are worried that he might not last. Do you offer him something closer to the bottom of the first-round scale, and make the contract contingent on health? Do you offer him somthing in the middle, like the $800K that Houston gave Joey Dorsey? Or do you give him something closer to the minimum, and ride him for a couple of seasons as cheaply as possible?

Two major questions:

Can they?: to offer him more than minimum, the Spurs would have to use a small slice of their MLE. So, if they use their entire MLE on a FA Big, then they will only be able to offer a minimum deal (2yrs which may be all or partially guaranteed plus the right to tender a QO in third year to make him an RFA). If they have a small slice of the MLE left over, say 700-800K, then they can sign him to a 4 yr deal with the first two years guaranteed and two years of team options. This allows the Spurs to push off his first FA year to his fifth year instead of his third year.

Will they?: If they have the money to do it and believe he will perform well, then the slightly larger guarantees for the first two years buy the team his services for two additional low-cost years before free agency.

This is done quite often. You mentioned Dorsey. Chalmers, CDR, and Bill Walker are some other recent examples. Doing this prevents a situation like Boston now has with Big Baby. They got two cheap years and tendered the QO for next year. To keep him will probably require giving him a 3-5M raise and a long-term deal.

[Marcus Bryant]

TOP 2 PLAYER? LOL

Don't get me wrong, I love that we were able to get a guy that averaged 12 boards in college, but come on. Get real.

Where would you rank Millsap out of his draft class? How about Boozer?

[Marcus Bryant]

i like the blair pick but jamstone makes good points. also, his knees are worse than mine. there is no way he can have a healthy career in the nba. finally, let's not forget he is a 19 year old 6'6 PF. the guy is not going to come in and be an instant contributor. it's gonna take him time to figure out how be effective in the nba with such a size disadvantage.

:wtf

What "size disadvantage"? He has the wingspan and standing reach of a player 6'10" tall. How are defenders going to be effective against him?

[bigdog]

Anyone that is being serious about a size disadvantage is on some really good stuff. The guy has a hugeeee wingspan, and like MB said, the standing reach of most 6'10" players. just because his head isn't level with everyone else's doesn't mean he's SMALL. he plays like he's 6'10"

[Solid D]

i like the blair pick but jamstone makes good points. also, his knees are worse than mine. there is no way he can have a healthy career in the nba. finally, let's not forget he is a 19 year old 6'6 PF. the guy is not going to come in and be an instant contributor. it's gonna take him time to figure out how be effective in the nba with such a size disadvantage.

Sean Elliott probably had worse knees than you too but it was his kidney disease, not his knee without an ACL, that induced retirement.

In other words, you don't know, robbie, how healthy a career Blair will have.

[Marcus Bryant]

I would rank Millsap and Boozer as having ACLs.

BFD. There are plenty of players who have had injuries to their knees and continued to play exceptionally well. You should be familiar with one of those...

[EricB]

I would rank Millsap and Boozer as having ACLs.


Way to totally 100% avoid the question.

[Marcus Bryant]

When the only other college bigman to dominate the NCAA like Blair was the #1 overall pick, I think it's safe to say Blair was a "steal." And that will likely be an understatement.

[Marcus Bryant]

First, I cannot believe that DeJuan Blair didn't go in the lottery, let alone the first round. I understand that there are knee issues, but the guy routinely beat the hell out of people in college. He's huge; he's got a California Condor-like wingspan; he looks to be a hard worker; he has some offensive game. I don't get it. I'm not opposed to taking projects and guys with upside, but how does passing on a guy who can help a team tomorrow, a good idea. As Blair kept getting passed over, each time a team was on the clock, I'd think, "Ok, this team could really use Blair…" and each time they passed.

link (http://blog.seattlepi.com/undraftedfreeagent/archives/172495.asp)

[SouthTexasRancher]

Of course. But that holds true for all draftees. The Spurs appear to have ganked one of the top 2 players in the draft.


I gotta agree with you. R.C. did good......AGAIN & as USUAL...!!!

[Marcus Bryant]

Ryan Blake, the NBA’s assistant director of scouting, gave Blair high praise in a story last week by Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

“The guy’s the best offensive rebounder we’ve had (come into the NBA) in 10 years,” Blake said. “He eats glass.”

link (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sacultura/50354512.html)

[Basketball Jones]

They did a fine job.

[Libri]

I wonder if, given the opportunity, Blair would have a chance of competing for ROY.

[rjv]

most solid rebounders in college translate to solid rebounders in the NBA as well. he is going to be a nice addition to the frontcourt indeed.

[coyotes_geek]

I wonder if, given the opportunity, Blair would have a chance of competing for ROY.

That opportunity only exists on a team that isn't the Spurs. Blair won't get the minutes here that he'd need in order to put up the kind of numbers he'd need.

That being said I have no doubts that Blair is going to make a lot of people wish he had never ended up in San Antonio.

[angelbelow]

i think its arguable that he was a top 2. i personally agree with jamstone in saying that hes more likely a top 15 player. either way this was a huge steal.

[angelbelow]

I wonder if, given the opportunity, Blair would have a chance of competing for ROY.

RC said he expected 20 mins a night, if hes real productive and effective he could get up to 25 minutes. if he does get 25 minutes, look out, cause hes got a nice shot at the award.

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.nba.com/summerleague2009/summerleague_blair.html




Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair aims to eat up space

Art Garcia, NBA.com
Posted Jul 12 2009 8:35PM

LAS VEGAS -- He's been called the steal of the second round, but DeJuan Blair wants to be known for something else.

"I'm a space eater," Blair said with a grin.

The 37th pick in the 2009 Draft by the Spurs didn't waste any time gobbling up real estate and rebounds Sunday afternoon, throwing his 265 pounds (and considerable backside) around as soon as he checked into his first Summer League game.

A jumper from one of his new teammates went up and Blair made a beeline for the paint. Clearing room against a taller New Orleans defender, the 6-foot-7 Blair snatched the rebound and went back up. He missed but got it back before muscling the ball in.

"You cannot teach space," Spurs assistant and Summer League coach Don Newman said. "He's a space eater. He knows how to take it up, he knows how to hold his space and he's a physical guy by nature.

"He's going to get accustomed to how the game is called and those things will come, but one thing you don't want to do is back him off. You want to play like he plays. He'll continue to take that space."

Blair hadn't even broken a sweat and he began to fill up the box score. In five first-quarter minutes, the Pitt product had five points and five boards. The line after Blair's first pro game read 13 points and 10 rebounds, including three offensive, in 22 minutes.

"I'm not here to score, I'm here to play," he said. "I've been going a good job of preparing myself to come in and rebound, and I feel good. I think I played good. I went out there to rebound. The points just happened."

Blair just happened to fall in the Spurs' lap. Projected by many as a possible lottery-worthy talent after deciding to leave school as a sophomore, knee concerns sent Blain spiraling out of the first round. Specifically, he's missing the ACL in both knees.

An MRI done during the scouting combine in Chicago revealed the unique condition. Blair had surgeries to repair both ACLs in high school and hasn't had any issues since. He doesn't play with a brace on either knee and, if not for the test, wouldn't give the situation a second thought.

"I'm not worried about that," he said. "The knee problems are over."

Twenty-nine other teams felt differently about his medical prospects. As much as San Antonio is credited for pulling off a Draft steal, picking Blair was a no-brainer. General manager R.C. Buford admitted as much, adding that the team never expected the Big East player of the year to still be on the board seven picks into the second round.

Blair has found himself in the enviable spot of joining a title contender that had a need for frontcourt bulk behind Tim Duncan. Along with the recent signing of Antonio McDyess, Blair will be playing behind and learning from two of the premier power forwards of the last decade-plus.

"It doesn't matter what happened in the Draft," Blair said. "I went when I went and I ended up being on a team with great players, great coaches and great fans. I'm not complaining about it."

[in2deep]

could they? yes

probably? no

most likely? Blair will be a top 10 rookie pickup

[poeticism707]

So, "PERhaps"....
:lol

[Galileo]

:wtf

What "size disadvantage"? He has the wingspan and standing reach of a player 6'10" tall. How are defenders going to be effective against him?

According to the combine reports, Blair's standing reach is 8' 10.5", one and a half inches more than Blake Griffin's 8' 9".

Griffin is 6' 10" and Blair is 6' 7", so Blair's arms are 4.5" longer than Griffins.

[FireDavidStern]

In response to the "we want production not potential" argument, I present number seven on Hollinger's Draft Rater 2006 Adam Morrison

That is the same spot as Blair :wow

[exstatic]

most solid rebounders in college translate to solid rebounders in the NBA as well. he is going to be a nice addition to the frontcourt indeed.

Rebounding is one basketball trait that directly translates to the next higher level. That's because it's about desire more than anything else. An illustration of this is Amare. He's 6'10" and can jump out of the gym, and wouldn't be in the league if he didn't score. His pathetic rebounding surely wouldn't keep in here. Are you kidding me? He's played 34+ minutes per game over his career and averaged 8.9 rebounds? If Blair gets those 20 minutes, he'll average that and more as a rook.

[Tully365]

Blair destroyed Thabeet in their first match up last year, but in the second one Thabeet had the better game.

Game 1 Pitt vs UConn

Blair: 22 points, 23 rebounds, 1 block
Thabeet: 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks


Game 2

Blair: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks
Thabeet: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks

Pitt won both games.

[peskypesky]

definitely top 5. maybe top 2.

[sabar]

Very possible, need to see how it pans out though. I'm sure this thread will be bumped in the near future.

[peskypesky]

i like the blair pick but jamstone makes good points. also, his knees are worse than mine. there is no way he can have a healthy career in the nba. finally, let's not forget he is a 19 year old 6'6 PF. the guy is not going to come in and be an instant contributor. it's gonna take him time to figure out how be effective in the nba with such a size disadvantage.

Hmmm. Wes Unseld came in to the NBA as a 6'7" CENTER and was not only Rookie of the Year, but the MVP. Now, I'm not predicting anything near that for Blair (all I'm hoping is that he starts and grabs 10 boards a game), but it's quite possible Blair will be able to contribute right away. In fact, I'd bet on it.

[Ace9]

If you guys have ever looked at Wikipedia's NBA Drafts; the ones that list the pick, the team, the player, highlighted if they were all-star/something like that, etc, etc; than you will notice how many players are busts, only average players, backups and scrubs are picked in the top 10, top 20 and the first round in general. Not to mention the second round is even worse, haha. But seriously a ton of the guys picked in the top 15 will either bust/not live up to expectations. I say 2 or 3 guys in the top 20 live up to the hype/become an all-star.

Saying Blair is one of the two best players in this draft is a little far though. I would say Blake Griffin is definitely ahead and there are those Guards that don't bust there in the 1st round. We'll see how this whole thing pans out.

[Tully365]

I agree with what some other posters have written about rebounding being a skill that tends to translate better from college to the NBA than other skills. The other thing Blair has going for him is the luck of having been picked by the Spurs, who need more rebounding but are in pretty good shape in most other areas. As a rookie whose main job it will be to rebound, I think he has a good chance to be extremely successful. If he'd been drafted by a lottery team that planned on using him as a 6'6.5" PF centerpiece, I think those odds drop a bit.

[peskypesky]

I agree with what some other posters have written about rebounding being a skill that tends to translate better from college to the NBA than other skills. The other thing Blair has going for him is the luck of having been picked by the Spurs, who need more rebounding but are in pretty good shape in most other areas. As a rookie whose main job it will be to rebound, I think he has a good chance to be extremely successful. If he'd been drafted by a lottery team that planned on using him as a 6'6.5" PF centerpiece, I think those odds drop a bit.

good point. the one thing the Spurs need from him just happens to be his specialty: eating glass.

[Nathan Explosion]

You know how it's foolish to start thread demanding to cut players after one summer league game? Well, it's also foolish to claim we had a top two pick after one summer league game.

Unless that guy's name is Tim Duncan. Other than that, how about a little patience. Let's wait until the guy goes a full 82 before deciding where he belongs in reference to this year's draft.

[Russ]

In the near term, Blair might be one of the top 2.

Down the line (4-5 years), unlikely.

In any event, he's a complete heist as a second round pick!

[Marcus Bryant]

You know how it's foolish to start thread demanding to cut players after one summer league game? Well, it's also foolish to claim we had a top two pick after one summer league game.



It's foolish to avoid making strong opinions on the internets. And this claim was not made after one summer league game.

[ducks]

Blair destroyed Thabeet in their first match up last year, but in the second one Thabeet had the better game.

Game 1 Pitt vs UConn

Blair: 22 points, 23 rebounds, 1 block
Thabeet: 5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks


Game 2

Blair: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks
Thabeet: 14 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks

Pitt won both games.minutes each game PLEASE

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Blair_bangs_the_boards.html


Spurs' Blair bangs the boards

Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News

LAS VEGAS — A mere 65 seconds after checking into his first NBA summer league game, Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair hip-checked his way through a pair of defenders, snatched an offensive rebound away from two defenders and double-pumped the ball back into the basket.

From his courtside seat at UNLV's Cox Pavilion, New Orleans coach Byron Scott shook his head in amazement.

“That is a man down there,” Scott said, motioning in the direction of the wide-bodied Blair.

On the day that the Spurs made him the 37th overall pick in the NBA draft, Blair swore he would make sure every team that had passed on him regretted it.

He wasted little time scratching one team off his hit list Sunday.

In his highly anticipated summer league debut, Blair — a 6-foot-7 All-American from Pittsburgh — finished with 13 points to go with 10 rebounds as the Spurs beat New Orleans 92-86.

After it, Blair was in too good of a mood to say, “I told you so.”

“I was just having fun,” Blair said, flashing a quick smile. “I showed a lot of people what I can do, what they missed out on.”

Widely regarded as the best rebounder in college basketball last season, Blair thrived as advertised in his maiden summer league foray.

He entered the game with 5:10 left in the first quarter. Thirty-five seconds later, he recorded his first rebound, bird-dogging a defensive rebound into the corner.

Six minutes into his stint, Blair already had five rebounds.

“If there's a rebound, he's going to go get it,” said Spurs assistant coach Don Newman, who is guiding the summer league squad. “He has such a knack for that. He does it better than anybody did it in the college game.”

Blair scored most of his points on putbacks. Three of his four field goals resulted in 3-point plays.

In that, he did not show the Spurs anything they did not already know.

“That's what I do,” Blair said. “That's what's on the scouting report.”

It can be folly to project too much from one summer league game. Often, what happens in Vegas really does stay in Vegas.

Just as it was for George Hill, the last top Spurs rookie to come through the Cox Pavilion.

A year ago, Hill missed 23 of 25 shots during the Spurs' first three summer league games, leading to knee-jerk doubts about his ability to play in the NBA. He led the Spurs with 25 points Sunday, going 7 for 13 from the field, including a pair of soaring dunks.

By the end of the first quarter, Hill had made twice as many field goals (four) as he did all last year in Vegas.

Malik Hairston scored all 16 of his points in the second half for the Spurs, including 11 in a three-minute stretch of the third quarter. The 6-foot-6 swingman showed off a shooting range rarely seen in his 15-game stint with the Spurs last season, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.

It was Blair, however, who generated the most silver-and-black buzz. He was the last Spurs player to leave the arena after the game, held up by a media horde clamoring for his attention.

Blair seemed unimpressed by the whole affair.

“I just did what everybody thought I could do,” Blair said, shrugging. “I rebounded.”

Even though it was only a summer league game, the Spurs believe Blair will be producing similar statistical lines in NBA arenas someday soon.

If he does, Blair would be as significant an offseason addition as any for a team that ranked 18th in the league in rebounding last season.

In the meantime, the Tour de Vengeance goes on, though Blair says he came to terms with his draft-night snub on draft night.

“It's in the past,” Blair said. “I'm not really worried about that now. Fans don't know who got drafted where.”

Fans don't, but Blair does. He is out to show the rest of the NBA what it missed out on.

One team at a time.

[K-State Spur]

people need to give it up with the 6'6 or 6'7 talk. his reach is TALLER than blake griffin's. WTF cares where the top his crown is?

[jag]

people need to give it up with the 6'6 or 6'7 talk. his reach is TALLER than blake griffin's. WTF cares where the top his crown is?

I agree, but it'd be dumb to compare him to Griffin who can jump out of the gym.

[Tully365]

It's foolish to avoid making strong opinions on the internets.

:lol H.L. Mencken would be proud.

:stirpot: Montaigne might disagree.

[Demo Dick Marcinko]

I agree, but it'd be dumb to compare him to Griffin who can jump out of the gym.

Good point, but irregardless if Griffin jumps like a gazelle, it ain't gonna do him any good if Blair has boxed him out and he finds himself near the free throw line.


Out of all the PF drafted in the 1st round, how many are better then Blair. I think that Griffins overall game is more refined especially offensively but mark my words Blair will push Griffin around.

I say that Blair overall is the 2nd best, most productive Pf drafted in the first round.

[Chieflion]

The answer would be no. Hell, Brandon Jennings might turn out to be really special. People thought he was talking trash. He is playing very well now.

[Pauleta14]

I dobn't pay any attention to PER. Didn't Bonner have a better PER than Duncan last year?

no

[K-State Spur]

I agree, but it'd be dumb to compare him to Griffin who can jump out of the gym.

yeah, but nobody (or at least very few) have claimed that griffin is undersized, but makes up for it with jumping ability. most are willing to give him the size right off the bat, because the top of his head - which is never used to provide a basketball skill - is higher off the ground.

[Nathan Explosion]

It's foolish to avoid making strong opinions on the internets. And this claim was not made after one summer league game.

And it would be foolish not to have stupid takes on the internet either. What's you point.

And yes, the comment was made after one game because remember, from SL on forward, what you did in college doesn't matter, it's what you do against the pros that counts.

And Blair had one good game against the JV pros. One good game doesn't define a career, just like one bad game doesn't ruin it.

Spurs fans are starting to sound just like Cowboys fans right now. If you need proof, see one Troy Hambrick.

I'm not denouncing the guy, just saying give the guy time to prove himself against the real big boys, not just the JV squads before ejaculating all over yourself.

Remember, premature ejaculation can be cured.

[Marcus Bryant]

:violin

La de dah. Fear of premature ejaculation is for fools like you.

[Nathan Explosion]

Embracing premature ejaculation is for fools like you.

[angelbelow]

Although I wouldn't say that he is top 2, I wouldn't say that its far fetched to call him one of the top two players. It's definitely arguable.

[Marcus Bryant]

Nah, it's for those who aren't scared of the fools of the internets.

[bigdog]

I agree, but it'd be dumb to compare him to Griffin who can jump out of the gym.

lol @ your sig :lol

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_rookie_impresses_in_preseason_loss.html

Spurs rookie impresses in preseason loss

http://media.mysanantonio.com/images/P1_SPURS_gamer_1007.ART_GSP6FU1N.1_PRE_SPURS_ROCKE TS_KMH_7.14981833.jpg
KIN MAN HUI/[email protected]
Spurs forward DeJuan Blair grabs a rebound between Houston's David Andersen (left) and Carl Landry.

By Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted: 10/07/2009 12:00 CDT

The game was over, the sweat had dried, the media horde had finally vacated his locker. At long last after the Spurs' 99-85 preseason-opening loss to Houston on Tuesday night, Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair was ready to go home.

The only hold-up? In just his second semi-official visit to his new home arena, Blair didn't quite know which way was out.

“That way, DeJuan,” someone called out, helpfully pointing Blair in the direction of outdoors.

It was quite a contrast from what had happened for four quarters prior, when Blair always seemed to know which way to go. Namely, wherever the ball was.

Blair was a smash in his preseason debut, scoring a team-leading 16 points and grabbing 19 rebounds in 22 minutes.

“I did what they asked me to, and that's rebound,” Blair said. “Everything else came off of that.”

Only Gregg Popovich could keep Blair, a second-round pick out Pittsburgh, from becoming the first Spurs player to grab 20 boards in the preseason since Will Perdue in 1996.

He sat Blair for most of the fourth quarter, choosing to look at other players.

After the game, Popovich pronounced himself pleased with Blair's first-game performance. Before it, the coach had cautioned about expecting too much, too soon from the 6-foot-7 rookie.

“I don't want to denigrate anything he's done in the past, and I don't want to over-emphasize anything he's doing well,” Popovich said. “I just don't know exactly where to put him yet, as far as what kind of impact he might make.”

Popovich chose to rest many of his would-be regulars — basically anyone over 32, plus Tony Parker — choosing instead to give a long look to several of his youngsters.

Blair and Ian Mahinmi shared big-man minutes, with vastly different results, while second-year man George Hill — whom Popovich has been calling his favorite player in camp — enjoyed a solid outing in relief of Parker at the point.

It was Blair, however, who stole the show — and, apparently, the hearts of 15,545 fans at the AT&T Center with his see-ball, get-ball ethos.

Raw offensively and undersized for a big man, the 20-year-old Blair is still very much a work in progress. Popovich wants him to fight the urge to do more than he is capable of.

“I don't want him to go out and show me how good he is,” Popovich said. “I want him to go out and just play his game, and not try to get more minutes by showing me all these different parts of his game.”

Both sides of Blair were on display in the first quarter. Then, he ill-advisedly posted up Rockets center Chuck Hayes — not Blair's game — and missed badly on a turnaround. Yet he was able to birddog his own rebound for a put-back basket.

Blair missed 9 of 15 shots Tuesday, which helped account for at least some of his eight offensive rebounds.

As he proved at Pitt, and as he proved in July while demolishing the Las Vegas summer league circuit, Blair certainly has a flair for that. His new teammates have been impressed equally by the number of rebounds Blair gets as the manner in which they come.

“If an arm was close, he would have broken a couple,” Manu Ginobili said.

Still, Ginobili notes what Popovich does. There is still a ways for the rookie to go. He needs to learn the intricacies of the Spurs' pick-and-roll. There will be nights when it will be difficult to find someone for Blair to match up with defensively.

In the meantime, Blair can always do what comes natural. He can rebound.

He might not always know where he's going yet. But he certainly knows why he's here.

“That's what they brought me here for, to rebound,” Blair said. “I've got a knack for the ball. I just go get it.”

[Agloco]

Perhaps. Get back to me at the All-Star break.

[Tbiggums47]

If you believe in made up numbers like "PER" then perhaps they just did. He had the best PER of any prospect in the draft, including that weird looking dude from OU.

Blair was definitely the best rebounder in the draft, if not in many drafts. He made the great imposing #2 pick his woman when they went head to head in the last NCAA season.

While his knees were a major factor in his slide down the draft board, Blair is an excellent test of the use of SABRmetrics in basketball as a player evaluation tool. Despite the acceptance and use of quantitative analysis in the NBA, perhaps old habits die hard.

:stirpot:

YUP!...Looks that way!:lobt2:

[Kool Bob Love]

yes...8o

[peskypesky]

Blair is definitely in the top 5. And possibly top 2.

[SpurNation]

Right, which is why you look at things like a player's rebounding rate and actual play, including head to head matchups. Blair had the best rebounding rate of any prospect in the last ten drafts.

While the rest of the league was sitting with their thumbs up their asses, the Spurs took one of the draft's best players.

It's why I think he will eventually start by season's end. If he proves the same ratio against top post players in the league...there will be no other realistic option other than to start him next to Duncan.

Duncan will have a field day if Blair proves to be a top 5 pick worthy of starting next to him. And Blair will have a field day being able to bask in the luxury of playing with other teammates that will command attention away from him. (Much like Duncan in his rookie season with a legend named Robinson to play next to)

Win Win.

McDyess will be able to produce better if coming off the bench and help Manu and himself be a better performer knowing there is at least another worth while (experienced) player on the court the same time he is with the second unit.

If this keeps up (Blair's ability)...the options will be salivating.

[Manufan909]

Hey MB, you think if I told you after the first SL game that Blair would increase his points and boards by almost half as much in his first preseason? Going against Landry and Scola no less?

[peskypesky]

McDyess will be able to produce better if coming off the bench and help Manu and himself be a better performer knowing there is at least another worth while (experienced) player on the court the same time he is with the second unit.

if McDyess comes off the bench, he'll play with Manu and another experienced vet, Michael Finley.

my line-up:
starters
PG Parker
SG Mason
SF Jefferson
PF Duncan
C Bonner (first half of season)/Blair (second half)

bench
PG Hill
SG Manu
SF Finley
PF McDyess
C Ratliff/Bonner

[lennyalderette]

Ike Diogu was one of the most productive players in his draft class, Michael Wright, Sam Clancy, Lonny Baxter. You can go down every draft and find a guy that ripped shit up in college but simply doesn't translate as well at the NBA level. If you want to amend your argument and say Blair "was one of the most productive players in college" in this draft, that's more than a fair statement. To say he's a top 2 player in this draft is most likely inaccurate. It's not just about production on the court on the college level.
well how about his numbers last night? or is that not good enough either, bet you ass blake griffin isnt going to get 16pts and 19reb

[iManu]

What matters to me is, would he be our preference for top 2 players in the draft based on our needs.

I wanted to trade up to the 5th with the Wiz some how if he were still there. Of course, I didn't know about knee problems...

but, he doesn't either.

Watching him play for Pittsburgh reminded me of watching Michael Vick play for Virginia Tech. He was the Center for the #1 rated team in college basketball, and that was undeniable. He was the Center out there.

I didn't know he was 6'6 and frankly, my dear
I don't give a damn. He looked like he was more like 6'9 out there.

Sure Blake would have been a nice pick at #1, but Thabeet at #2 for the best bigs in the draft for the Spurs? Fuck no.

Beast. :toast

[iManu]

I'm glad I didn't watch the draft. I would have had a heart attack. After the 1st pick, I would be wondering where Blair was going the whole time and I would sit there and piss my pants on the couch if I had to once he dropped to 30.

[Marcus Bryant]

http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/files/2009/03/blair.jpg

[Marcus Bryant]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

*sniff*

:cry

[baseline bum]

14 points
11 rebounds
7/10 FG
Spurs +11 with Dajuan on the floor

:toast

[Marcus Bryant]

Double double in 22 minutes.

:cry

[Agloco]

Double double in 22 minutes.

:cry

:hat

Hell yeah, that's my boy.

[MannyIsGod]

So beast.

[Das Texan]

Good fortune smiling upon San Antonio.

[callo1]

DB has done nothing that suprises me.

I don't know why the national media is so suprised. Yes, he will do well against the elite teams...he is simply that strong, determined, and good.

[DPG21920]

DB had a very solid game, but he still has a lot to do on the defensive end. He got abused by Okafor on almost every possession down low. I think that is why Pop starts Bonner. He wants to play Blair, but cannot bring Bonner and him off of the bench at the same time.

Either that or McDyess is not ready to start yet.

[Marcus Bryant]

Man. Just. Man.

[EricB]

DB had a very solid game, but he still has a lot to do on the defensive end. He got abused by Okafor on almost every possession down low. I think that is why Pop starts Bonner. He wants to play Blair, but cannot bring Bonner and him off of the bench at the same time.

Either that or McDyess is not ready to start yet.


Seriously?

I mean, really?

[DPG21920]

Seriously?

I mean, really?

Problem? Do you think he played perfectly and was good defensively? Saying that he needs to work on something that is obvious, is not knocking the guy.

It is a fact and I don't think you can have Bonner and Blair on the floor at the same time and have too much success. Do you disagree and why? All things considered Blair did faaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr more good than bad. Just pointing out that one thing.

[EricB]

Problem? Do you think he played perfectly and was good defensively? Saying that he needs to work on something that is obvious, is not knocking the guy.

It is a fact and I don't think you can have Bonner and Blair on the floor at the same time and have too much success. Do you disagree and why? All things considered Blair did faaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr more good than bad. Just pointing out that one thing.

Name me one college player entering the NBA that didn't suck on Defense to begin with.

[DPG21920]

Name me one college player entering the NBA that didn't suck on Defense to begin with.

Is that a joke? Tim Duncan.

Fact is you have to look at it like a coach would sometimes. Blair played amazing and was extremely productive in limited minutes. When they watch game film, Pop is not going to felate Blair, he is going to help him work on his defense.

I want Blair to be able to play a ton, in order to do so, he has to continue to work and grow defensively. But a great start overall for the man and it should come with time.

[EricB]

Is that a joke? Tim Duncan.

Fact is you have to look at it like a coach would sometimes. Blair played amazing and was extremely productive in limited minutes. When they watch game film, Pop is not going to felate Blair, he is going to help him work on his defense.

I want Blair to be able to play a ton, in order to do so, he has to continue to work and grow defensively. But a great start overall for the man and it should come with time.


Duncan actually was pretty mediocre coming out of college on the defensive end.

[ivanfromwestwood]

Name me one college player entering the NBA that didn't suck on Defense to begin with.tim duncan? he's been all defense team since his rookie year. he holds a record with 12 according to Wikipedia

[DPG21920]

Duncan actually was pretty mediocre coming out of college on the defensive end.

Stop it. Just like David Lee is an excellent jump shooter and shot blocker? You are really trying to say no one coming out of college was a good defender in their first year?

Not the point, but a ridiculous statement.

[EricB]

Stop it. Just like David Lee is an excellent jump shooter and shot blocker? You are really trying to say no one coming out of college was a good defender in their first year?

Not the point, but a ridiculous statement.


Good? no

Decent to mediocre lots

horrible even more.


But I'll stop Mr forum expert.

[Agloco]

Name me one college player entering the NBA that didn't suck on Defense to begin with.

Deke. His finger was wagging from day one.

[EricB]

Deke. His finger was wagging from day one.

Shotblocking and defending are two different things.

[HarlemHeat37]

I think you're reaching a lot here EricB, you're really going to see Duncan wasn't a good defensive player at the time?..

Blair's defense was passable in the 1st half, I didn't have a problem with it at all, especially his help D..he didn't look like he gave too much effort after picking up the fouls though, he let Okafor get by him without too much resistance..the fouls were also careless and rookie mistakes, I'm sure Pop will clean that up..

[duncan228]

Just for clarification, Duncan was on the second All-Defensive team his rookie season.

[Agloco]

Shotblocking and defending are two different things.

:lol

Maybe for a weakside shotblocker like Camby. Deke was packing shit straight up. That requires pretty good defensive technique.

I'll take you back to your original question though:


Name me one college player entering the NBA that didn't suck on Defense to begin with.

[DPG21920]

Good? no

Decent to mediocre lots

horrible even more.


But I'll stop Mr forum expert.

Why do you say ridiculous things, act like you know everything, then say things like "drink drain-o" and "Mr Forum Expert".

If timvp came in here and said you were wrong (like everyone else has) you would just stop. But anyone else can say it and you do this.

[EricB]

Why do you say ridiculous things, act like you know everything, then say things like "drink drain-o" and "Mr Forum Expert".

If timvp came in here and said you were wrong (like everyone else has) you would just stop. But anyone else can say it and you do this.



You told me to shut up, so I'm shutting up sir.

[DPG21920]

I think you're reaching a lot here EricB, you're really going to see Duncan wasn't a good defensive player at the time?..

Blair's defense was passable in the 1st half, I didn't have a problem with it at all, especially his help D..he didn't look like he gave too much effort after picking up the fouls though, he let Okafor get by him without too much resistance..the fouls were also careless and rookie mistakes, I'm sure Pop will clean that up..

It is just nit-picking, and like I said, Blair does far more good than bad. But Okafor, in the 2nd half, had like 4 straight baskets on Blair (late 3rd quarter I believe).

[EricB]

:lol

Maybe for a weakside shotblocker like Camby. Deke was packing shit straight up. That requires pretty good defensive technique.

I'll take you back to your original question though:


Eh, I saw Deke have some pretty shitty nights with bad positioning letting guys slower than him beat him to spots and what not.

Oh well.

[DPG21920]

You told me to shut up, so I'm shutting up sir.

Where did I tell you to shut up? Anyways, back on topic. Great game for Blair, I am hyped. Tonight he looked great with the second unit.

[EricB]

I think you're reaching a lot here EricB, you're really going to see Duncan wasn't a good defensive player at the time?..

Blair's defense was passable in the 1st half, I didn't have a problem with it at all, especially his help D..he didn't look like he gave too much effort after picking up the fouls though, he let Okafor get by him without too much resistance..the fouls were also careless and rookie mistakes, I'm sure Pop will clean that up..


He was decent, but he got beat by guys from time to time that he wouldn't later in the season.

e started out OK on the defensive end out of college. Alot better than others, just not great.

Expecting Blair to is foolish and that was my only point.

[DPG21920]

Where did I say I expect him to be? I said if he wants to continue to get solid minutes and grow as a player, he has to work on the defensive side of the ball. It is not going to come over night, but it was an observation.

[slick'81]

14/11 in game one blair was a fckn steal.

[timvp]

I thought MB made this thread post-nightcap.

Now?

I'm no so sure :smokin

[koriwhat]

Why do you say ridiculous things, act like you know everything, then say things like "drink drain-o" and "Mr Forum Expert".

If timvp came in here and said you were wrong (like everyone else has) you would just stop. But anyone else can say it and you do this.

because tpark is a bitch!

[ShoogarBear]

I thought MB made this thread post-nightcap.

Now?

I'm no so sure :smokin
All his posts are post-nightcap. He just may have been right this time.

[Marcus Bryant]

The amusing thing is that a player like Blair was a stathead's dream in the draft, and NBA front offices lauded for their use of spreadsheets passed on him, namely Houston. The Rockets bought the 32nd and 34th picks and used those on Jermaine Taylor and Sergio Llull, with Blair still on the board.

:shootme

Not to mention the perennially acquisitive on draft night, such as Portland, who dealt for Sacto's pick at 31 and used it on Jeff Pendergraph.

Considering how much those two front offices in particular have stalked the Spurs in the draft and elsewhere over the years, that's quite enjoyable.

[Marcus Bryant]

Also, the Spurs go with the best NCAA player on the board instead of opting for an international talent. The rest of the NBA follows the Spurs abroad, and they stay at home and take one of the top two players in the draft...at 37.

[ShoogarBear]

Romain Sato, Robertas Javtokas, and Giorgos Printezis were all part of a master plan leading to a head fake on the 37th pick of the 2009 draft.

[Marcus Bryant]

Actually Portland passed on Blair twice in the 2nd round as well.

As much as the Rockets' stat geek extraordinaire is held in high esteem for drafting Aaron Brooks, he deserves to be derided for passing on the second round draft steal of the decade.

Cue Bill Worrell jocking Chase Budlinger.