Summer League Game 1 - Game Thoughts

[timvp]

The first game of San Antonio's 2009 summer league action resulted in a 92-86 win over the New Orleans Hornets. The Spurs were rocky on both ends of the court for the first three and a half quarters but really locked in to pull out the victory.

The Hornets got good efforts out of their starting guard tandem of Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton. Julian Wright also flashed his potential with a number of talented plays.

While the Spurs had a lack of cohesiveness for much of the game, that was to be expected due to the limited number of practices. Expect the team to play better as the week progresses.

George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
31 minutes, 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, four turnovers
7-for-13 from the floor, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 11-for-11 at the line

Entering his second summer league, George Hill looked much improved over last season. The aspect that stood out the most was his increased confidence level. Hill played like he knew he was in charge and paced himself well throughout the contest.

In the first three quarters, Hill didn't have many opportunities to run the pick-and-roll but that changed in the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, he took control by attacking New Orleans' defense off the pick-and-roll and either created for himself or a teammate. The biggest shot of the game -- a three-pointer by Malik Hairston -- was created off of a Hill pick-and-roll.

When Hill shot from perimeter, everything about his release looked improved. His balance was better, he took his time and he put more arc on the ball. If he can add a jumper from off the dribble, his effectiveness in the halfcourt offense would greatly improve.

Defensively, Hill was hit and miss. Sometimes he seemed to be going through the motion, but at other times he illustrated his elite potential at that end of the court -- especially in the last few minutes of the game.

Hill still needs to work on beating the halfcourt trap with the dribble, making the smart pass in transition and keeping his foot on the accelerator at all times but overall this was a very positive summer league debut. He looked like he was the best player on the court and did so while playing within his capabilities.

DeJuan Blair
http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2009/06/small_BLAIR.jpg
22 minutes, 13 points, 10 rebounds, one steal, two turnovers
4-for-7 from the field, 5-for-6 from the line

This guy is simply a beast on the boards. There's no other way to put it. Last year, he averaged 18.1 rebounds per 40 minutes at Pittsburgh. In his first summer league game, Blair pulled down 18.2 rebounds per 40 minutes. Even more impressive is the fact that he pulled down 10 rebounds in 22 minutes, while the rest of the team pulled down 18 rebounds in 178 minutes.

Blair has a wide body, long arms and a pair of giant suction cups for hands. He also has impeccable timing and isn't afraid to throw his weight around. While summer league isn't the NBA, this is undoubtedly a very good sign that his rebound rate in college wasn't a fluke.

Offensively, Blair had a few good moves. He can jump quickly and already has a crafty feel around the rim that allows him to get his shot off despite being undersized. Blair also displayed a smooth face-up jumper. He had a few possessions where he tried to do too much and his size became a liability but that is to be expected as he adjusts.

On the defensive end, Blair needs a lot of work. His pick-and-roll defense was sub par and he was slow to get back to defend the rim. It will probably take most of his rookie season to get him up to speed defensively.

All in all, there's no reason not to be excited about San Antonio's first pick in the 2009 draft. He appears to be at least as good as advertised.

Ian Mahinmi
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3954.jpg
25 minutes, eight points, four rebounds, one blocked shot, seven fouls
1-for-3 from the field, 6-for-6 at the line

Ian Mahinmi's stats don't look very good but there were some bright spots. Compared to last year's summer league action, Mahinmi was much more energetic and played with more heart. He also had a very good move late from out on the perimeter to give the Spurs a two-point lead.

That said, the Spurs need to see much more production out of Mahinmi if he's to remain in their long-term plans. His upper body looks stronger but his lower body remains extremely skinny. He's not a graceful athlete and he can get pushed around down under the basket.

In the forthcoming games, Mahinmi needs to translate some of his energy into positive contributions. He had quality moves and was putting up a fight but he rarely finished off a possession well. Considering that he's been out of action for a year, rust had to be expected. It'd be fair to wait a couple of games before counting him out.

Malik Hairston
http://image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com/pics9/160/IV/IVQOLVELYDJJECW.20071211235940.jpg
29 minutes, 16 points, one rebound, one assist
7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers

It was a story of two halves for Malik Hairston. In the first half Hairston played poorly on both ends of the court. He appeared destined to another first game disappointment. Then came the second half.

After going 0-for-3 in the first half, Hairston poured in 11 points in the first four minutes of the third stanza on 5-for-5 shooting. He came out with much more tenacity and more confidence in his outside shot. With 18 seconds remaining in the game, Hairston's three-pointer gave the Spurs a four point advantage.

Seeing Hairston drain outside jumpers is a very good sign. He struggled shooting in summer league and in the NBA last year. To survive in San Antonio's system, Hairston has to show the type of shooting he provided on Sunday afternoon.

Defensively, Hairston had some good moments but he has a lot of room to improve. He was playing too close in man-to-man defense and allowed the opponent to beat him off the dribble. He also didn't crash the defensive glass well enough.

On offense, Hairston was best when spotting up or driving the ball directly to the basket. His ballhandling looked extremely shaky when he tried to create off the dribble. He also clogged the lane too much at times when he prematurely tried to hit the offensive boards.

Hairston's 16 second half points were a big part of the victory. If he can give a more consistent effort and clean up some of the smaller aspects of his game, he'll give himself a very good chance of making the Spurs regular season lineup.

James Gist
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/rivals/full.48103/768d6dbd83e734380a291f9ca8732201/james-gist.jpg
23 minutes, four points, three rebounds, one steal, one blocked shot
1-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-4 at the line

Last year in summer league, James Gist looked like a stud in the making. His 2009 summer league campaign didn't start off nearly as hot. He looked worse in this game than he did at any point last year.

It appeared as if Gist was trying to make the adjustment to play more out on the perimeter but he ended up looking uncomfortable. He hesitated on a few jumpers and didn't look like he was sure where he was supposed to be on the court.

Defensively and on the boards, I thought Gist looked rather weak. He got pushed around and his physicality was missing in action. He wasn't making up for his lack of bulk with his athleticism like he did last year.

It's not time to push the panic button but Gist needs to show a lot more if he wants to have a chance at making the team. Right now, a second year in Europe appears like it could do him some good.

Jack McClinton
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/61/612038.jpg
16 minutes, two points, two rebounds, two turnovers
0-for-2 from the floor, 2-for-2 at the line

There's no way to sugarcoat it -- Jack McClinton was really bad in his summer league debut in every aspect of the game. He didn't do anything offensively, played poor defense and just didn't look like an NBA player.

Offensively, McClinton played like he didn't know when and where to pick his spots. Constant second-guessing caused him to do next to nothing on the offensive end. In his few minutes running the team, he proved that he's not much of a point guard prospect.

On defense, McClinton's lack of size was obvious. Fellow second round pick Marcus Thorton ate him alive a number of times. McClinton is too small to be much help on the boards but he needs to do a much better job of boxing out and staying between his man and the basket.

The good news is that a lot of McClinton's struggles can be attributed to rookie jitters. If he can settle in, nail a few open shots and realize he can be aggressive when looking for his shot, there's a chance he can bounce back. And as we saw last year with Hairston, a poor summer league opener isn't the end of the world.

Romel Beck
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_l5ZsM8CSuYE/R7KZXxHuLzI/AAAAAAAAACk/_k5W0zJfxaM/s320/79497.jpg
24 minutes, 13 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal
5-for-10 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line

Aggression isn't a lacking trait for Romel Beck. From the moment he stepped onto the court, he was ready to fire. When it comes to a polished offensive game and a sweet outside stroke, Beck might lead the team in both areas.

The problem with Beck is he has a few glaring holes in his game. First of all, he's a poor ballhandler for a perimeter player. He dribbles with a high bounce and doesn't change directions well. Beck also doesn't have a good feel when it comes to passing the ball or spotting the open man.

Defensively, Beck's slight frame hurts him. He gives good effort on that end but he gets pushed around and bumped out of position with regularity. He also appears to have below average quickness.

Beck could earn a spot in training camp but he'll have to show that his ability to put the ball in the hole outshines the rest of his flaws.

Stephane Lasme
http://photo.adriaticbasket.net/albums/userpics/other/stephane_lasme.jpg
10 minutes, three points, one assist, one blocked shot, two turnovers
1-for-1 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers

Stephane Lasme has changed his game from the last time I saw him play. On the offensive end, he was trying to play much further out on the perimeter. Although he hit a three-pointer, he didn't look too comfortable out of the lane.

Defensively, he wasn't helping out much. He went for a number of blocks but he was playing soft and didn't help out on the glass at all. For Lasme to become an NBA player, he'll have to figure out how to mix in his elite shotblocking ability with the rest of his defensive responsibilities.

Alonzo Gee
http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/PROSPECT/PHOTO/ALONZOGEEADIDAS150.JPG
11 minutes, four points, one rebound
1-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 from the line

Though he appears to be a very good athlete, Alonzo Gee didn't show many perimeter skills. He played much more like an undersized power forward rather than a small forward. There were a number of time he didn't make the simple pass.

On the defensive end, he showed some promise. He has a good combination of strength, quickness and leaping ability. Keep an eye on his defensive play the rest of the week to see if he can possibly win a spot in training camp due to his potential on D.

Donnell Taylor
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3998.jpg
Nine minutes, four points, one assist, one steal, one blocked shot, one turnover
1-for-5 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line

The backup to George Hill in the summer league opener was Donnell Taylor. Unfortunately, he played the position like a poor man's Roger Mason, Jr. -- which may be appropriate because Taylor and Mason were teammates with the Washington Wizards.

Taylor struggled handling the ball, rarely made the right pass and overall just looked like a 6-foot-5 shooting guard playing out of position. Will Squeaky Johnson get a shot as the backup point guard or will Taylor keep the job? Stay tuned.

[ducks]

if blair works on getting back on d
will his o boards drop?

[siraulo23]

Thanks :toast

[skervy]

Nice summary. I hope Gist and McClinton show a little something the next game.

[oligarchy]

Ian Mahinmi
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3954.jpg
25 minutes, eight points, four rebounds, one blocked shot, seven fouls
1-for-3 from the field, 6-for-6 at the line

Ian Mahinmi's stats don't look very good but there were some bright spots. Compared to last year's summer league action, Mahinmi was much more energetic and played with more heart. He also had a very good move late from out on the perimeter to give the Spurs a two-point lead.

That said, the Spurs need to see much more production out of Mahinmi if he's to remain in their long-term plans. His upper body looks stronger but his lower body remains extremely skinny. He's not a graceful athlete and he can get pushed around down under the basket.

In the forthcoming games, Mahinmi needs to translate some of his energy into positive contributions. He had quality moves and was putting up a fight but he rarely finished off a possession well. Considering that he's been out of action for a year, rust had to be expected. It'd be fair to wait a couple of games before counting him out.


I think Mahinmi actually spaced himself fairly well and could have a number of backdoor cuts, but it seems anyone running the pointing wasn't noticing any of this. Of course, he didn't post-up well when he was down low. I agree, and hope as well, that he needs to shake off a bit of rust.

[SonOfAGun]

I'm watching Thabeet right now.

7/19/09
Blair and Thabeet go at it.

[timvp]

if blair works on getting back on d
will his o boards drop?

I'm hoping Pop just lets Blair hit the offensive boards. It'd be a shame to neuter Blair's biggest strength.

[straight out of bren]

Thank you for the great info.How many minutes do you think Blair gets this year?20-25 maybe.He could turn out to be a big part of our rotation.I am so excited about this kid.Blair has the potential to be our best rebounder since Dennis Rodman.

I am stunned with McClinton's performance.I saw him play several times in college and i always came away impressed.Dude has a beautiful jump shot.One of the best college shooters ever.His lack of size could be a major problem.I am also concerned about his basketball IQ.He looked lost out there.....Very disappointing.

[Spurs Brazil]

Thanks timvp :tu

[timvp]

I think Mahinmi actually spaced himself fairly well and could have a number of backdoor cuts, but it seems anyone running the pointing wasn't noticing any of this. Of course, he didn't post-up well when he was down low. I agree, and hope as well, that he needs to shake off a bit of rust.Yeah I think Mahinmi was better than his stats indicate. Last year I wasn't pleased with his effort. This game, effort wasn't a problem.

He's big, mobile, physical and skilled. Now if he can just start putting it together there's no reason why he can't be an NBA player. We'll see if he can figure it out.


Thank you for the great info.How many minutes do you think Blair gets this year?20-25 maybe.He could turn out to be a big part of our rotation.I am so excited about this kid.Blair has the potential to be our best rebounder since Dennis Rodman.At first I didn't like Blair coming off the bench but it ended up looking like the right move in this game. He looks like a player who produces best in bursts.

I think he'll be a player who is best when playing 18-22 minutes per game. Especially when you factor in his knees, you don't want to play him much more than that. But as a spark off the bench, he looks like he could be very good in that role.


I am stunned with McClinton's performance.I saw him play several times in college and i always came away impressed.Dude has a beautiful jump shot.One of the best college shooters ever.His lack of size could be a major problem.I am also concerned about his basketball IQ.He looked lost out there.....Very disappointing.
Even if McClinton bombs out in summer league, I hope that the Spurs invite him to training camp. The wide open shots he'd get playing with Duncan will probably be more open than anything he'll get in summer league.

But yeah, not the greatest of starts.

[Libri]

This was a very informative summary.

After reading everybody's comments its good to see that Hill is playing with confidence and that Blair is the real deal. Yet, its a little disappointing that Ian and Gist didn't show more, but there are still enough games for them to get more involved.

If both of them end up with mediocre performances, I think that the Spurs will be willing to give Ian extra opportunities because of the time and work they have invested in him and because big men with untapped potential are rare commodities.

[RodNIc91]

Thanx Timvp! I wasnt able to watch all the game, but I guess the thoughts make up a summary of it. Ive got a question, How many times a player can participate in the Summer League

[timvp]

Thanx Timvp! I wasnt able to watch all the game, but I guess the thoughts make up a summary of it. Ive got a question, How many times a player can participate in the Summer League

There's no cap. I think the record is nine years.

[oligarchy]

The problem with McClinton, even if getting those open looks and knocking them down, is that he may be too much of a liability defensively. Thorton was eating his lunch, let alone what some real points in the NBA may do. We'll see over the next few games if this might be an isolated case. It was his pro debut and I'm sure he knows he has tons to prove, and sometimes that weighs a bit heavily on some of these guys.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

George Hill, baby, Chosen Son of San Antonio.

Like elliott said...this kid gonbe a spur for a looooong time.

[timvp]

The problem with McClinton, even if getting those open looks and knocking them down, is that he may be too much of a liability defensively. Thorton was eating his lunch, let alone what some real points in the NBA may do. We'll see over the next few games if this might be an isolated case. It was his pro debut and I'm sure he knows he has tons to prove, and sometimes that weighs a bit heavily on some of these guys.

Speaking of McClinton's defense, I wonder why Newman didn't let Hill defend Thornton and McClinton defend Collison. Hill is bigger and has a history of being able to defend shooting guards. In theory, part of the reason why McClinton's lack of height wasn't as big of a deal in the Spurs' system is because Hill (and even Parker) can guard shooting guards.

Then again, that's expecting a lot from Newman. Although he wasn't as bad as last time, his random substitution drive me crazy. When Mike Bud or Brett Brown coach summer league, they seem to have some sort of logic behind their subbing. Newman makes the game choppy with his substitution pattern.

[Thompson]

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

'Spurs Rookie Blair Ready to Contribute'

[Spurs Brazil]

timvp my audio wasn't working well.

Did Lindsey say something important during his interview?

[Libri]

If Blair continues to impress, he could be the first big man off the Spurs bench during the regular season.

[oligarchy]

Speaking of McClinton's defense, I wonder why Newman didn't let Hill defend Thornton and McClinton defend Collison. Hill is bigger and has a history of being able to defend shooting guards. In theory, part of the reason why McClinton's lack of height wasn't as big of a deal in the Spurs' system is because Hill (and even Parker) can guard shooting guards.

Then again, that's expecting a lot from Newman. Although he wasn't as bad as last time, his random substitution drive me crazy. When Mike Bud or Brett Brown coach summer league, they seem to have some sort of logic behind their subbing. Newman makes the game choppy with his substitution pattern.

Yeah, that's why is I said PG instead of SG, because Hill or Parker would move over on defense.

You'd figure with Snyder there, there might some sense to it all, but it was somewhat baffling with the rotations. Do you think they'll keep trying McClinton at 1, or try to run a Hill/Jack back-court?

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I'm not sure I buy the chat about Hill being able to defend shooting guards yet.

I think most shooting guards will still be too big for him, and will shoot right over him. Even with his length advantage. I'd say he can defend about 1/3 of the shooting guards, the ones, like Larry Huges, for example, that are themselves a little undersized. Like the 6'2"-6'5" range.

[angelbelow]

thanks for the recap!

[RodNIc91]

George Hill, baby, Chosen Son of San Antonio.

Like elliott said...this kid gonbe a spur for a looooong time.

I hope so! I wanted Camby very badly but Im glad that trade wasnt pulled off. I would have hated to see him go.

[iilluzioN]

timvp, I love your articals!

[duncan228]

McDonald's thoughts.

Summer League recap, Game 1 (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/07/summer-league-r.html#more)
By Jeff McDonald

Couple of thoughts from this afternoon's summer league game, which the Spurs won 92-86 over New Orleans.

* DeJuan Blair really is as good a rebounder as advertised. He finished with 10 rebounds. Three of them came on the offensive end, all of which he put back for 3-point plays. He had five rebounds in his first six minutes of floor time. And the numbers really don't do his abilities justice. Blair appears to have a knack for getting his body into the best rebounding position. He could average double figures, if the Spurs give him enough playing time.

* Blair came off the bench Sunday. James Gist started at power foward, which should say something about what the Spurs think of him. Gist is not under contract with the Spurs at this time, and there are already six big men on the roster. Gist has to hope a strong summer will force the Spurs hand somehow.

* Malik Hairston showed off a shooting stroke not seen in his 15-game call-up with the Spurs last year. He scored 16 points in the second half, including 11 during a three-minute stretch of the third quarter. He was 2-of-2 from 3-point range. If Hairston continues to play like this, the Spurs probably won't re-sign Ime Udoka.

* Jack McClinton, the Spurs' "other" rookie, started at shooting guard. He just couldn't seem to find his shots in 15 minutes of floor time. He was 0-for-2. He played a little bit of point guard in the second half, with George Hill at the two.

* Speaking of Hill ... he was 7-of-13 from the field and scored 25 points, but what the Spurs have to be most encouraged about was the way he ran the team. He had the look of an NBA point guard, which is what the Spurs need him to be.

* Rough day for Ian Mahinmi. At one point early in the game, he found himself mano-a-mano with Earl Barron. Barron pretty much abused Mahinmi, stuffing a turnaround jumper in the post. Mahinmi finished 1-for-3 from the field, and committed seven fouls. He will have to be better than that for the Spurs to find a place for him on their roster this season. We're willing to give Mahinmi a pass for now. It was his first game since November, so maybe he just needs a while to get his timing back.

[GSH]

Nice summary, and really appreciated. Hill and Blair are obviously the bright spots. Which is good, because those two are probably the most important. I'm especially happy to see the two of them getting to the line so effectively. That was one of the most glaring deficiencies on the team last year. If they can get to the line in the regular season, it's going to be a big improvement.

I hope some of the other guys settle in and pick things up a little bit. I wonder if some of us are expecting Mahinmi to be something he's not? If we had Channing Frye, for instance, I think we might be talking about him a lot the same way. I don't think Frye is the perfect complement for Tim in the low post, but in the right system he has value. Maybe the same is true for Mahinmi.

[spurs_2108]

Thanks for the recap. Didn't want to spend the whole night reading the game blog.

[siraulo23]

George Hill's Second Act (http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-63/George-Hill-s-Second-Act.html)

July 12, 2009 9:05 PM

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

The Spurs' George Hill was horrible in 2008 Summer League.

How bad?

He shot 8% from the field.

You read that correctly.

But a year with the Spurs' coaching and development staff can do wonders for a young guard. The results were evident on Sunday in the Spurs' first Summer League game. Hill scored 25 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the field, and a perfect 11-for-11 afternoon from the stripe. Hill was aggressive going to the hoop, and a menace in transition.

We caught up with him after the game.

http://sports.espn.go.com/videohub/video/video?id=4322884

From espn

[Borosai]

∞

+1
You're the best timvp!

[Spurs_9_20_21]

McDonald's thoughts.
* Speaking of Hill ... he was 7-of-13 from the field and scored 25 points, but what the Spurs have to be most encouraged about was the way he ran the team. He had the look of an NBA point guard, which is what the Spurs need him to be.

I'm very glad to hear this. Do you think he had the look of a NBA point guard?

[ElNono]

I thought Hill looked good. He's not your typical PG, and his assists numbers reflect that.
He definitely looks more seasoned than the rest of the players, but you kinda expect that with a full NBA season under his belt.
I expect his assist numbers to increase as everyone on the team get to know eachother a little better, and Hill also learns what's the best situation for each one of his teammates.

[Spurs_9_20_21]

I thought Hill looked good. He's not your typical PG, and his assists numbers reflect that.
He definitely looks more seasoned than the rest of the players, but you kinda expect that with a full NBA season under his belt.
I expect his assist numbers to increase as everyone on the team get to know eachother a little better, and Hill also learns what's the best situation for each one of his teammates.
Thanks for your opinion! Yeah, I agree, he's not your typical point guard, and I do hope his assist numbers increase.

[Ace9]

Hill looks more like a shooting point guard than a pass first point guard. I'm hoping the ability to set up plays with passes is a skill he'll acquire as he goes along.

[duncan228]

Do you think he had the look of a NBA point guard?

I didn't see today's game, but I liked how Hill performed as a rookie. I think he's got potential, and expect him to grow this season in any role Pop gives him.

[kbrury]

OMG Hasheem Thabeet only had 2 rebounds in his debut he must be a bust like Mahinmi...

[yavozerb]

Probablly the game I looking forward to the most is on thur. against OKC..I think they have the best talent in LV and watching blair and Mahinmi go against Ibaka, mullins, and harden should be fun

[SenorSpur]

Thanks much Timvp! Great summary, as always.

After reading the blurb about McClinton, I'll say that I'm glad that he wasn't the Spurs first choice at pick #37. I know it's way early and he certainly has time to redeem himself, but there's just no question that the Spurs getting Blair at that pick and having him as a rotation big is going to really benefit the team much more than having a 6ft SG.

[mookie2001]

romel beck cant dribble worth shit we all saw that

it looked like me trying to dance on thispego like my name was zab judah

[kbrury]

Probablly the game I looking forward to the most is on thur. against OKC..I think they have the best talent in LV and watching blair and Mahinmi go against Ibaka, mullins, and harden should be fun
They got owned today, but it will be interesting to see how hill plays against Westbrook.

[poeticism707]

Great write up!:toast

Very informative!

Blair is on the road to being everything Spurs fans expect.

George Hill will be a more than capable backup PG, and maybe more.

Hairston should step into Udokas old role rather well, and should be able to do things Udoka couldn't: drive, and hit the 3 with some consistency.

I hope Ian turns it around and puts together a strong showing.

I agree about McClinton: the Spurs may invite him to camp even with a bad showing, if they think he can hit the open 3 well, which he can. I think he'd have to at least be solid defensively in SL, which he hasn't been yet.

Romel Beck may well steal an invite to camp if he can take his game up a notch.

[Cry Havoc]

What's really encouraging from this Summer League game is that if you think about the way playoffs work, we are already looking at a roster that's getting pretty deep for playoffs.

PG - Parker, Hill
SG - Mason, Manu
SF - Jefferson, Manu
PF/C - Duncan, McDyess, Blair, Bonner (still can drain the 3 so I think we have to add him for now).

That's deeper than some teams run in the playoffs. We have the ability to absolutely abuse teams if they try to put in subs against our top 5 players. I could see Blair really Ding up Bynum very well if it comes to that.

[Spursmania]

OMG Hasheem Thabeet only had 2 rebounds in his debut he must be a bust like Mahinmi...

What were his total stats?

[ElNono]

What's really encouraging from this Summer League game is that if you think about the way playoffs work, we are already looking at a roster that's getting pretty deep for playoffs.

PG - Parker, Hill
SG - Mason, Manu
SF - Jefferson, Manu
PF/C - Duncan, McDyess, Blair, Bonner (still can drain the 3 so I think we have to add him for now).

That's deeper than some teams run in the playoffs. We have the ability to absolutely abuse teams if they try to put in subs against our top 5 players. I could see Blair really Ding up Bynum very well if it comes to that.

It's July dude.

[Sigz]

That better had been rust with Ian.

Shit.

[Spursmania]

Thanks Timvp for the game thoughts. It's always nice to have a summary like that.

I was impressed mostly with Blair's physicality and the presence he brings to the court. We know he's a beast on the glass, and you can see he has a natural feel for the game.

I think Hill's passing needs to improve still much more, but he did a great job overall. He looked more confident and his shot has clearly improved. Thanks Chip.

McClinton's play was really disappointing. RC said of all the guys at the pre-draft camps, Pop was most impressed by McClinton's defense. Of course, RC said, they thought he was the best shooter in college, as well. Well, we didn't see any D from him and we didn't see him hit any shots.

Fortunately, it's only one game , so he has time to improve. Can't wait for the next game.

[Danny.Zhu]

Thanks.

[Cry Havoc]

It's July dude.

So I'm being incredibly optimistic. Shoot me. I see a team with the potential to challenge for the NBA title.

[Avitus1]

Sounds like all was great.

[coyotes_geek]

I think McClinton is in for a tough summer league just because how the games are played. McClinton's game at the NBA level (assuming he gets there) is going to depend on defenses giving him open looks because they're more worried about guys like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. In the summer league those opportunities do not exist because the defense is damn near exclusively plain old man to man. There are no zones, no double teams. Teams just don't have time to put together complicated team defensive schemes, and they pretty much just want to see how guys do as individual defenders. That's going to leave McClinton in a lot situations where he's guarded and if he wants to score he's going to have to create his own shot. Creating his own shot isn't his game though. He's undersized, he doesn't have exceptional athleticism and he's not that great at putting the ball on the floor. That's going to make it tough for him to impress us in the summer league. That doesn't mean he's not capable of being a useful piece though. Put him on the floor with someone who commands a double team and he'll be the guy who will kill you if you take your eye off him for a second. But in summer league there aren't going to be that many times someone takes their eyes off of him.

Basically what I'm going to be looking for out of McClinton is how good is he at finding open spots in situations where the defense isn't set and how good is he at knocking down the clean looks he does get. And his defense of course.

[Blackjack]

Summer League Notes: SAS vs. NOLA


San Antonio Spurs 92, New Orleans Hornets 86


It makes absolutely no difference who wins or loses these games but I guess it feels better to win.

It’s difficult to believe the George Hill I just watched play is the same player who turned in such a mediocre performance during the 2008 summer league. Hill had 25 points on 7-13 shooting and turned in a pristine 11-11 mark from the line. He also led the team with 3 assists.

Hill’s ball-handling has improved noticeably. He looks particularly confident when headed into the lane. In the first half he threw down a nice dunk, and continued to reach the rim and finish smoothly throughout the game. In the words of David Thorpe, “[Rodrique] Beaubois is the best pure pg I’ve seen this summer. Until George Hill.”


If you like reading shameless praise of DeJuan Blair, than you have come to the right place. Blair turned in an impressive double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) during a productive 22 minutes of floor time.

I’ll be frank: I love watching Blair work under the boards. He has a mature sense of spacing and soft, accurate hands. His rebounding was particularly notable on the offensive end, where he consistently turned misses by his teammates into open layups and trips to the line (where he went 5-6). As will be the case with during the regular season, Blair was by no means the tallest player on the floor. But he was the only player on either team whose rebounding count reached double digits.

Blair’s offensive contributions weren’t limited to put-backs; he showed promising signs that a well-rounded offensive game may be in his future. On the first play we ran specifically to him, Blair turned and hit a smooth 12 footer. On the next play, he received the ball at almost the exact same spot and used his defenders over-adjustment to take him off the dribble and draw the foul. Blair’s mechanics are a little loose, but the origins of a reliable offensive arsenal are there.

Jack McClinton did not play well this afternoon. His 2 turnovers, 4 fouls and 2 points during 15 minutes did not exactly resemble the offensive spark I had hoped to see in him. He struggled to create space with or without the ball in his hand. His first FGA was well-contested; his second was blocked.

After his performance today, I can see why the Spurs went ahead and signed Malik Hairston this past week. He was easily the best Spur on the floor behind Hill and Blair. His 16 points on 11 attempts came a variety of ways: At the rim, beyond the arc, catching and shooting, dribbling into shots. He even showed a bit of poise as he nailed a 3-pointer to put the Spurs ahead by 4 with 10 seconds left. If he can continue to play at this level, the Spurs might be deeper at the small forward position than we thought.

Ian Mahinmi, although very talented, has a reputation for being soft. This afternoon, he didn’t do much to dispel that reputation. He was consistently out-muscled on both ends of the floor. This is partly because of his sheepish attitude but it’s also caused by his weak lower body. Mahinmi’s arms and chest are strong but, if he is going to consistently establish position beneath the basket, he is going to have to develop below the waist.

Although there is almost zero chance that either Alonzo Gee or Romel Beck will be on the Spurs next year, both played well today. If either of them ended up on the Toros this upcoming season, that’d be just fine.

Our next game is against the Nuggets on Tuesday night at 10 Eastern/9 Central.

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/07/12/summer-league-notes-sas-vs-nola/

[Spursmania]

Summer League Notes: SAS vs. NOLA


San Antonio Spurs 92, New Orleans Hornets 86




Ian Mahinmi, although very talented, has a reputation for being soft. This afternoon, he didn’t do much to dispel that reputation. He was consistently out-muscled on both ends of the floor. This is partly because of his sheepish attitude but it’s also caused by his weak lower body. Mahinmi’s arms and chest are strong but, if he is going to consistently establish position beneath the basket, he is going to have to develop below the waist.


Our next game is against the Nuggets on Tuesday night at 10 Eastern/9 Central.

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/07/12/summer-league-notes-sas-vs-nola/


Ian just does not come off very physical to me. This worries me...:depressed

[HarlemHeat37]

Ian's softness doesn't really mean that he can't be a significant player..he'll have to be a finesse player, which suits his game very well..he clearly has some nice moves and touch around the basket, and he's athletic..

I would have liked to see Haislip play in the SL, but I guess we'll have to wait..

[Libri]

Ian Mahinmi, although very talented, has a reputation for being soft. This afternoon, he didn’t do much to dispel that reputation.Ian has a reputation? He hasn't played long enough to have a reputation.

[timvp]

I disagree with the take that Mahinmi is soft. He's actually pretty damn physical -- too physical in fact and struggles with foul trouble. He has skinny legs and he's top-heavy but his style of play is the opposite of soft. It's true he can get rooted out of position, however that's more just due to how he's built.

[loveforthegame]

Thanks for the game thoughts. :tu

Missed the 4th quarter. Sounds like I missed some of Blair's best work but I loved what I saw before that.

Here's hoping Gist and McClinton have better outings next time.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Cool little interview with George Hill from ESPN today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGF2EJIaw40

Interesting to hear him say he's been working with Chip alot

[Blackjack]

Appreciate the recap, timvp.:toast

First off, I'd encourage my Spurs brethren not to jump to any conclusions one way or the other after one SL game. This a talented collection of individuals, for SL standards, but it's definitely a work in progress. Players haven't much of a clue for each other's tendencies or abilities and players dependent on others, (usually bigs) are going to have a harder time than most starting off.

With that said, a couple thoughts from what I've been able to gather.

George Hill- Glad to see my boy Havoc doing his thing and starting to reward all the faith I've put into him. He's got a year under his belt, knows what's expected and looks to be going out there and playing his game; not the game he feels he's supposed to be playing. It's amazing how much better someone can look when there not thinking about how to play a position, but just going out there and being the player that got them drafted.;)

DeJuan Blair- Has there ever been a more expected impressive outing by a 37th overall pick? Some things just don't need to be over-thought. What Blair does he does extremely well, and what he does well is probably one of the easiest things to translate at the next level. The Beast can rebound, folks. He carves out space, uses his body, and is going to make some guards think twice about running too hard through a screen. The defense is going to be a work in progress but it's hard not to get excited about the type of player the Spurs added with the 37th pick.:hungry:

Malik Hairston- Good to hear that Malik's stroke seems to have been found and maybe even improved on. I think it's pretty well documented the type of player I think he is, and can potentially be, but I'm glad to hear he's gotten off to a pretty nice start. I'd like to see a better effort on the boards and hear that he's making more significant strides as a primary defender, but I'm pretty confident it'll come.

Ian Mahinmi- Sounds like a mixed bag from what I've gathered. On one end, he has all the tools and shows the flashes of a player that could be extremely helpful. On the other end, he's a foul-prone awkward athlete who's thought to be soft or at least a little too light in the ass. I've never thought of Ian as soft in terms of his play, light in the ass and capable of being taken advantage of in the post, but not soft, really. He does tend to look like some awkward newborn deer that lacks the requisite coordination in it's limbs but it's not something I'm extremely worried about. The guy has to be rusty in his game after this much of a layoff and the confidence in his body can't be exactly where it needs/should be at the moment. Hopefully, the guy can get the needed time to knock the rust off and gain the confidence back in his body, health-wise, to begin to fulfill the potential no one disagrees is there.

Jack McClinton- As for Jack.. I tend to agree with coyotes_geek. (good post.:tu) Having said that, let's not see this board go all George Hill on Jack after one, and his first, SL outing. I still remember defending Hill on this board, even after I was one of the first to target Chalmers in the draft, by pointing out the type of percentages he shot for his career and the paralysis by analysis that was seemingly taking place having to play out of position against a much better athlete. I'm not going to compare the two's game, but lets not understate the difficulty of being an undersized 2 trying to make your way in the league. I'm sure Jack knows that he's not being asked to be a full-out point, but any indecision for a guy with his measurables is going to make him look a lot worse than he should. It's the kind of thing that may start with a couple of missed shots, turnovers, or blown assignments but quickly snowball into every other aspect of the game. Hey, he might not be the next Eddie House (apparently Thornton is now getting a more favorable comparison:() but I'd preach patience with a player like Jack.

[Obstructed_View]

Jack McClinton is this year's Anthony Tolliver.

[Blackjack]

Jack McClinton is this year's Anthony Tolliver.

Not so much..

[timvp]

Jack McClinton is this year's Anthony Tolliver.

If so, McClinton better heat up. Tolliver was Larry Bird last year in summer league.

[Blackjack]

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2009/7/12/946942/san-antonio-spurs-summer-league

[Obstructed_View]

If so, McClinton better heat up. Tolliver was Larry Bird last year in summer league.

I mean from a Pop-crush standpoint.

[Blackjack]

I mean from a Pop-crush standpoint.

There's no doubt Pop wants his own E. House, just look at the Salim Stoudamire experiment, and I do get the feeling Jack will get the opportunity to fill that role if he exhibits any type of game during SL.

[raspsa]

I was expecting more defensively from McClinton. The poor offense I can understand and maybe its just rookie jitters but he has to be able to hold his own defensively otherwise he'll just be one in a long lkine of great shooters who couldn't make the grade. His defensive skills were what was said to have caught Pop's eye.Hopefullfyhe picks it up at the defensive end in the coming games.. Pop could care less if you're a great shooter but you give it up and possibly even more on the defensive end.

[Obstructed_View]

Pop has a blind spot for the defensive inadequacies of guys who like to jack up threes.

[timvp]

I'm very glad to hear this. Do you think he had the look of a NBA point guard?

Maybe not of a typical NBA point guard but he showed more than enough to handle the backup duties. Pop would be thrilled if Hill played like he did tonight more often. It's all about energy, aggression and attacking with Pop and his point guards -- especially his backup point guards.

Hill definitely has room to improve but this was a great start. Massive improvements from years one to year two. If he can keep it up, he will fill his role well.

Speaking of Hill, I'm glad that he finally saw him drive the lane and dunk in traffic. As a rookie, he'd often go up weakly when driving down the lane. If he starts using his athleticism to finish, he'll really start being a headache. Plus his free throw attempts will shoot skyward.

And it's odd that it took this long for the Spurs to include that backpick for the alleyoop to Hill play. IUPUI ran that play all the time and it worked well. I'm going to guess that we see that quite a bit this year.

In the upcoming summer league games, I want to see Hill run as much point guard as possible. It's a waste for Newman to play him at shooting guard. Let him run the show and get the valuable experience.

[Darkwaters]

http://www.nba.com/video/games/spurs/2009/07/12/nba_noh_sas_1520900009_recap.nba/

Video game recap on the NBA website. I love the final stats at the end. Apparently Romel Beck had 13pts and 10 rebounds. Who knew?

[johnnyblues]

Ian's softness doesn't really mean that he can't be a significant player..he'll have to be a finesse player, which suits his game very well..he clearly has some nice moves and touch around the basket, and he's athletic..

I would have liked to see Haislip play in the SL, but I guess we'll have to wait..

I'm sorry if I missed out on this info, but why is Haislip NOT playing in the summerleague?

[Chieflion]

http://www.nba.com/video/games/spurs/2009/07/12/nba_noh_sas_1520900009_recap.nba/

Video game recap on the NBA website. I love the final stats at the end. Apparently Romel Beck had 13pts and 10 rebounds. Who knew?
Apparently, Romel Beck was mistaken for being Dejuan Blair. Those fucktards.

[Bruno]

McClinton is a shooter. SL isn't the best situation to show his skills but he had to take more than 2 shoots.
I quite expect to see Spurs' coaching staff asking him to shoot more in the second game, even if it means taking bad shots.

[DespЏrado]

My write up:

Ian:
Ditch Ian, no I'm serious the guy has nothing going for him, he doesn't look like he has any part of the game that he excels at. I've watched him this year and last, and while I think he has slightly improved. The guy is never going to be a legitimate nba center. He lacks focus and he has never imposed himself on a game in a meaningful way. The few minor flashes that he shows are only the delusions of spurs fans hoping he's another diamond in the rough. To be perfectly honest there is not a single moment I wouldn't want a different player on the court over Ian. I would love to love this kid, he has all the capability in the world, but none of the winning drive that makes a good player in the nba. The first word I think of when I think of Ian- tentative. Tentative is the death nell of an nba potential. This is my prediction- he will never average more than 5 minutes a game for any team in the nba.

McClinton- Here's a guy who looked a lot worse than he is. He looks like someone who absolutely depends on a structured offense. Someone who would make a killing on a team with someone like John Stockton. That being said, he's going to have to find a way to put it together to warrant a long term investment. But I sure as hell am not going to count out the best shooter in college last year on one SL game.

George Hill- The guy is a stud. I don't care if he's not a pure point guard. The Spurs don't need a pure point guard. They've won most of their championships with a scoring point guard. One of the worst decisions the Spurs ever made was to give up Antonio Daniels because he was not a pure point guard. Daniels would have made a more dependable backup to Tony than anyone we've put in that role since then.

Blair- My god man. Whoever so appeased the basketball god's with whatever sacrifice it took, I can't help but sing your praises. This guy fits our deficiencies so well, it's as if we had the number 1 pick in the draft. It's early yet, his knees did look a little less stable when you actually stared just at them, and the spurs will have to retool their transition defense or something for him, but I can't say I am anything but impressed by our luck at drafting this kid.

Hairston/ Gist- What a role reversal from a year ago. Gist looked lost and Hairston was the man. I can't help but wonder if the Spurs knew what they were doing when they kept what appeared to be the lesser of the two players last year. That said Gist can take his time to work on his game this year because I don't think they will make a decision about either of them until after camp.

That's all I've got for now. Feel free to eat me alive on the Ian thing, but I stand by it until proven otherwise. I'll gladly eat the Crow if need be, but I really doubt I will ever be in any danger of that.

[timaios]

Feel free to eat me alive on the Ian thing, but I stand by it until proven otherwise. I'll gladly eat the Crow if need be, but I really doubt I will ever be in any danger of that.

1 real game in 1 year.
Ian was injured all season.
Seriously... :rolleyes

[spursbird]

Damn Ian is so disappointing... I really hope he can make the team the next season, but now it seems like it could only be a dream.

[El Jefe]

I only got to catch the first half in the gym, some obligations popped up and I had to step out for the 2nd.

I think most everything has been covered. McClinton struggled, but that was to be expected. Being a 6'1" gunner, he was going to have problems when everyone got bigger, it's all about how he adjusts now. I thought he was game chasing Thornton thru screens. Even if he makes the roster, I can't imagine him contributing much this year. He's at least a two year project.

The good thing I saw from Mahinmi that I haven't noticed anyone mention is his mobility. He showed flashes of being able to jump the P&R, and completely deny the PG any sort of path. If he can consistently bring that to the table, while being passable on the boards and protecting the rim, he may have some value yet. Offensively I thought he was a train wreck, and out of nowhere he pulled out the dribble drive right, spin left, left handed hook shot. If only he looked that comfortable all the time I'd feel much better about his chances, really hoping the 1st half was just rust.

George Hill really did make an effort to run the team. He was calling out plays, talking on defense, and even did a little bit of coaching from the bench. He had the two highlight plays of the portion of the game I watched (the aforementioned back-pick alley oop, and a play where he was trapped on the sideline, didn't panic or pick up his dribble, split the defenders and went hard to the rim for a dunk) as well as several more very solid plays. Had a few sloppy turnovers or near turnovers in transition, but at least it was from him being aggressive. I really liked what I saw from him, and I'm looking forward to seeing him more in the upcoming season.

DeJuan Blair. It's all been said, so I'll just say this. At times it looked like you would need a crowbar to take the ball away from him. If he decides the rebound is his, it's best to just nod and let him have it. Doing anything else might get you hurt.

Bummed that this was the only Spurs game I got to attend while in Vegas, but it was an interesting experience. It was a pretty good sized crowd in the gym, much bigger than I expected. Next year I'm definitely going to attempt to stay a bit longer.

[K-State Spur]

McClinton is a shooter. SL isn't the best situation to show his skills but he had to take more than 2 shoots.


Agreed. A big difference (one of many) between NBA and summer league is that guys do not understand how to space the floor. It looked like there were 20 guys on the court at any given time.

[DespЏrado]

1 real game in 1 year.
Ian was injured all season.
Seriously... :rolleyes


Ian might one day be as good as Francisco Elson. After a few more years of coaching he might be able to play as many games as Elson, but he has no place on a championship level team other than as a human victory cigar. Ian sucks, there is nothing about him to think he might have a future in the NBA. He excels at exactly nothing.

He's not naturally a good rebounder.

He is at best an average shot blocker.

He isn't particularly gifted offensively. Nothing stands out to say he might ever score more than the occasional 4-6 garbage points.

He doesn't defend well, and is extremely hit or miss as to whether he is even in the right position on the court.

He has poor ball handling and is extremely tentative.

He isn't decisive and the moves he does make are more often than not wrong.
---------------------------

I can guarantee this. The opposing player will almost always be a better basketball player than Ian. Overall I just don't see any of the tell tale signs of a good basketball player in development with Ian. It boggles my mind that any Spurs fan actually sees even the glimmers of potential there. And bear in mind that when I say this I was one of the first to defend George Hill during his horrible summer league last year. It is as obvious to me now that Ian is not a basketball player as it was to me then that Hill had a future with the Spurs.

[polandprzem]

The worst thing about this summer leauge is that we didn't get vbookie for mma event.

But overall it's okay.

[ElNono]

McClinton is a shooter. SL isn't the best situation to show his skills but he had to take more than 2 shoots.

I would say this is mostly a myth. It worked fine for Tolliver last summer.
McClinton simply looks too undersized out there. Let's not forget that he has a very quick release, yet one of his two shots was cleanly blocked.
I do expect him to be slightly more effective as the team develops some flow, so we'll see how he does in a couple of games.

[ElNono]

1 real game in 1 year.
Ian was injured all season.
Seriously... :rolleyes

I was hoping he would hit the weight room while he was out. Just like what Nene and Bynum did, and build more muscle. But he looks exactly like last season and I agree he doesn't seem to particularly excel at anything. We'll see where he's at in a few games.

[Darkwaters]

I was hoping he would hit the weight room while he was out. Just like what Nene and Bynum did, and build more muscle. But he looks exactly like last season and I agree he doesn't seem to particularly excel at anything. We'll see where he's at in a few games.


I've really never been too impressed with Mahinmi since we signed him two years ago. He might come out and play great this year. But I think the assumption, that some have made, that Mahinmi will be a heavy rotation player this season is pretty far fetched. He hasn't even proven that he can play spot minutes in the NBA. Hes completely unproven.

[iilluzioN]

hes injurys slowed him down a bit... we must just give him time to get back into it.

We must trust POP.

[DBMethos]

Great thoughts. :tu

Hill got better as the game went on...Blair beastly as advertised...Hairston looks like he has a shot at making an impact this year...Ian showed his rust...Gist showed nothing...Jack showed less. So that's basically 3 guys up/3 guys down for the "Summer League Six". We'll see how the latter 3 respond in the next game.

[coyotes_geek]

I can guarantee this. The opposing player will almost always be a better basketball player than Ian. Overall I just don't see any of the tell tale signs of a good basketball player in development with Ian. It boggles my mind that any Spurs fan actually sees even the glimmers of potential there. And bear in mind that when I say this I was one of the first to defend George Hill during his horrible summer league last year. It is as obvious to me now that Ian is not a basketball player as it was to me then that Hill had a future with the Spurs.

There's no denying Ian has NBA caliber size and athleticism. So I don't think it's entirely fair to Ian to say there's no potential there. But he still doesn't have a clue as to how to use his physical gifts and until he figures that out he's never going to amount to much. It's certainly fair to wonder whether he'll ever be able to do that though.

[nkdlunch]

Ian will play behind Bonner. Book it. :(

[coyotes_geek]

So booked. Ian has a long ways to go before he's going to be earning meaningful minutes ahead of Bonner.

[silverblackfan]

I watched the game and loved how much Hill has developed. His aggressiveness and decision making looks a lot better. Running the point for the SL will only help out come training camp.
Blair was a very pleasant surprise. I was not sure if he was going to be able to continue the board cleaning effort he started in college. After seeing the ball go into the middle of a 'scrum' and Blair bounce out not once, but twice with the ball for a put back was awesome.
Nice to see Hairston developing his 3 point shot. He seemed confident and worked thru the issues from the first half. I have always liked his athleticism, but worred about his size. If his 3 is reliable, he is a legit option for coming off the bench at 3.
I am hoping that Gist has a better next couple of games. Same for McClinton.
Ian was not too impressive except for that beautiful move in the second half. That was smooth, confident and effortless. It had me going, where did this guy come from? Here hoping we can see more of that guy in the future.

[Drom John]

Since winning this game doesn't count, maybe McClinton was guarding Thornton to see what McClinton could handle. Hill is going to make the Spurs, so it's McClinton that needs the test.

[superbigtime]

Thank you for the summary TIMVP. It's encouraging to see solid games from Blair and Hairston and GH especially. Disappointing about McClinton, but I'm not expecting much from him. Mahinmi's SEVEN fouls are pretty alarming. I'm still worried this team does not have enough capable big man depth, and I really hope there is some way to get Gooden signed.

[TDMVPDPOY]

ian mahinmi = busts

seems like only french posters and ianfans are tryin to back him up...excuses im tired of that shit...2yrs waiting and counting....

[spursdotcom]

Not sure if it's been posted, but if you missed the game you can check out the video highlights here - http://www.nba.com/spurs/gameday/090712.html

:toast

[kace]

ian mahinmi = busts

seems like only french posters and ianfans are tryin to back him up...excuses im tired of that shit...2yrs waiting and counting....

i'm not sure i even saw french posters defending him. :)


i'm not especially a Ian fan but i think many people tend to forget that he has always responded well at all the challenges the spurs offered him.

he was good with the very few time he had in the NBA and he was very good when he had to be the main man with the toros. after that, his injury happened. so, right now, i don't think he ever failed with this franchise.


and these SL games are just awful: no gameplans, all one one one.........don't really know what conclusions could be made from these games.


still, there's a long long way to be a useful NBA big man, but i don't see any reason to bash him right now.
he'll probably have to fight for some time behind tim and dice, since blair seems as good as expected and i expect Bonner to have a solid season (helped by the fact that the other 3 pts shooting big man, Haislip, will be a fail IMO).

[jimo2305]

hey guys you can check out these games as well as other games on summerleague at justin.tv/jimo2305

[Ace9]

So what its been 2 years. Ian is only 22. I say since we don't have many good big man depth options, continue to roll with him. A lot of the Ian haters are giving McClinton a pass, but trashing Mahinmi for one SL Game. Seriously Ian hasn't played in a year, if that's the case he did pretty well. For our team's sake, I'm just hoping he pans out.

[Da Spurs]

I think Jack McClinton is going to have to move to the PG position to have any chance in this league. It may take a year or two in the development league or overseas or something to hone his skills but he is just too small for shooting guard in the NBA. If he had unbelievable quickness like AI or something then maybe he could. But who has that? He will be limited offensively at the 2 and will get dominated by bigger players on the defensive end.

I watched enough of him on video to see that he has good ball-handling skills. He can create his own shot. If he could develop a PG mentality with the passing game, he would have a shot at the league. But not at SG.

[tomtom]

great recap

[timvp]

I really don't understand the rage against Mahinmi. As the roster is contructed, Mahinmi is the 6th out of 6 bigs on the roster. There aren't any expectations for him to do much of anything. In fact, the signing of Haislip probably means Mahinmi will be wearing a suit for most of the season.

After watching the game again, Mahinmi had a few flashes of competence. Most notable was that play near the end where he received a pass at the three-point line, took a dribble, executed a spin move and finished with a left-handed hook. If that's not a flash of talent, I'm not sure what is.

His first move of the game was also pretty damn good. He got rejected but that was an advanced move for a 22-year-old big.

There's definitely a chance he never amounts to anything but he's at the very least intriguing. 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, can jump, run, has some offensive polish and was arguably the best big in d-league at the age of 20. I don't understand why him having a bad game after missing the last year is cause for a meltdown. It's not like the Spurs are counting on him for big things this year.

And even though Mahinmi played pretty bad, he still outplayed Earl Barron -- a player who is six years older and was starting in the NBA a couple seasons ago. We'll see how summer league progresses but after one game I don't see reason to label Mahinmi as a bust for life.

[Marcus Bryant]

I really don't understand the rage against Mahinmi. As the roster is contructed, Mahinmi is the 6th out of 6 bigs on the roster. There aren't any expectations for him to do much of anything. In fact, the signing of Haislip probably means Mahinmi will be wearing a suit for most of the season.

After watching the game again, Mahinmi had a few flashes of competence. Most notable was that play near the end where he received a pass at the three-point line, took a dribble, executed a spin move and finished with a left-handed hook. If that's not a flash of talent, I'm not sure what is.

His first move of the game was also pretty damn good. He got rejected but that was an advanced move for a 22-year-old big.

There's definitely a chance he never amounts to anything but he's at the very least intriguing. 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, can jump, run, has some offensive polish and was arguably the best big in d-league at the age of 20. I don't understand why him having a bad game after missing the last year is cause for a meltdown. It's not like the Spurs are counting on him for big things this year.

And even though Mahinmi played pretty bad, he still outplayed Earl Barron -- a player who is six years older and was starting in the NBA a couple seasons ago. We'll see how summer league progresses but after one game I don't see reason to label Mahinmi as a bust for life.

Agreed. Summer League never fails to expose Spurs fans.

[anjlbitz]

After watching the game again, Mahinmi had a few flashes of competence. Most notable was that play near the end where he received a pass at the three-point line, took a dribble, executed a spin move and finished with a left-handed hook. If that's not a flash of talent, I'm not sure what is.

His first move of the game was also pretty damn good. He got rejected but that was an advanced move for a 22-year-old big.

Thank you! He played subpar most of the game but that last play was astonishing to watch. Not a lot of big men in the NBA have that move in their arsenal and yet 22 year old Ian Mahinmi has it down.

[ElNono]

I really don't understand the rage against Mahinmi. As the roster is contructed, Mahinmi is the 6th out of 6 bigs on the roster. There aren't any expectations for him to do much of anything. In fact, the signing of Haislip probably means Mahinmi will be wearing a suit for most of the season.


So you think that if he doesn't show significant improvement in the rest of the games the Spurs are better off letting him walk and potentially saving the money? Honest question.


After watching the game again, Mahinmi had a few flashes of competence. Most notable was that play near the end where he received a pass at the three-point line, took a dribble, executed a spin move and finished with a left-handed hook. If that's not a flash of talent, I'm not sure what is.

His first move of the game was also pretty damn good. He got rejected but that was an advanced move for a 22-year-old big.

There's definitely a chance he never amounts to anything but he's at the very least intriguing. 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, can jump, run, has some offensive polish and was arguably the best big in d-league at the age of 20. I don't understand why him having a bad game after missing the last year is cause for a meltdown. It's not like the Spurs are counting on him for big things this year.

And even though Mahinmi played pretty bad, he still outplayed Earl Barron -- a player who is six years older and was starting in the NBA a couple seasons ago. We'll see how summer league progresses but after one game I don't see reason to label Mahinmi as a bust for life.

Me neither. I definitely want to see more games. Although I do think that if he's not able to bring anything to the table, I rather use his roster spot on somebody like Bowen.

[spursballer21]

i know and while ago i was checking some clips and highlights of eddie house and how we compare him to mcclinton if mcclinton wants to be succesful in nba he will have to hit that three like he did in college every time hes open because thats what eddie house does give him some time and ian manhimi hes young we gotta be patient

[Spurs Brazil]

Day Three Summer League Roundup

July 13, 2009 3:35 AM

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz


One of my favorite matchups of the day was Darren Collison-George Hill. As David Thorpe pointed out in his twitter thread, Hill is a brutal guy for Collison to have to deal with on the first day of class. Hill was able to shoot over Collison, shake him off the dribble, and beat him in transition with his combination of handle and speed. But Collison put together a few nice sequences of his own, including one in the third quarter on a screen-and-roll with Earl Barron: Collison was able to penetrate off the screen, then lob a pretty floating pass to Barron, who slammed it home. In general, Collison marshaled the floor with confidence. The most notable feature of his halfcourt game as a point guard: Patience (hello, UCLA). He attacked only when he had an invitation, rarely forced a pass, and executed high-percentage feeds to the right guys on numerous occasions.
DeJuan Blair: As advertised -- intuitive, beastly rebounder (10 in 23 minutes), goes up with force on the putback, great at drawing contact inside, but occasionally lacks a plan of attack in the post. He finished with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field, and 5-for-6 from the strip in his very Millsapian effort.

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-42-64/Day-Three-Summer-League-Roundup.html

[timvp]

So you think that if he doesn't show significant improvement in the rest of the games the Spurs are better off letting him walk and potentially saving the money? Honest question.This coming season Mahinmi's contract is guaranteed. The Spurs have to decide whether or not to pick up his 2010-11 contract before the start of the regular season. If Mahinmi doesn't show signs of improvement, I'm fine with the Spurs not picking up that option and letting the season play out.

Would I want the Spurs to salary dump him somewhere this year to erase his contract? Probably not. He doesn't make that much and roster spots don't seem to be a problem yet at this point. If he looks like he has regressed to the point that he'd never play and the Spurs need a roster spot, then yeah a salary dump would be fine as long as it doesn't involve more than cash.

[beachwood]

I'm eager to see what Mahinmi has in the 2nd game. Hopefully some of the rust will wear off.

The guy I'm still iffy about is Hairston. I guess I fail to see why a lot of people on this board are hyped up about him. He did hit those 5 shots in a row and the 4th quarter clincher, but I still can't see much potential in him. To me, it seems he has a low Bball IQ and bad hands. He fumbles passes, has bad handle in traffic. Maybe i'm just expecting too much out of him, but I hope he does much better the next game.

[Hillcrest]

McDonald's thoughts.

Summer League recap, Game 1 (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/07/summer-league-r.html#more)
By Jeff McDonald


* Rough day for Ian Mahinmi. At one point early in the game, he found himself mano-a-mano with Earl Barron. Barron pretty much abused Mahinmi, stuffing a turnaround jumper in the post. Mahinmi finished 1-for-3 from the field, and committed seven fouls. He will have to be better than that for the Spurs to find a place for him on their roster this season. We're willing to give Mahinmi a pass for now. It was his first game since November, so maybe he just needs a while to get his timing back.


it was james gist, not mahinmi, that barron stuffed.

[ElNono]

This coming season Mahinmi's contract is guaranteed. The Spurs have to decide whether or not to pick up his 2010-11 contract before the start of the regular season. If Mahinmi doesn't show signs of improvement, I'm fine with the Spurs not picking up that option and letting the season play out.

Would I want the Spurs to salary dump him somewhere this year to erase his contract? Probably not. He doesn't make that much and roster spots don't seem to be a problem yet at this point. If he looks like he has regressed to the point that he'd never play and the Spurs need a roster spot, then yeah a salary dump would be fine as long as it doesn't involve more than cash.

Sounds like a plan. Thanks. :tu

[Darkwaters]

Making Mahinmi your 6th big and putting him in a suit probably makes the most sense at this point. Honestly, hes probably a better prospect than anybody we could simply will onto this team at this point. However, I just don't think hes really ready to contribute much at all right now.

[AFBlue]

it was james gist, not mahinmi, that barron stuffed.

Barron had a few blocks in the first half...and yes, one of them was against Mahinmi. The play he's referring to is when Mahinmi executed about 3 post moves (apparently one too many) and ended up getting snuffed out by Barron.

So, McDonald wasn't wrong about that. He may have been a little harsh on him overall though, considering the guy was playing his first game back in about a year.

[Marcus Bryant]

Once Bonner leaves, Mahinmi will be the 4th or 5th big.

[Darkwaters]

Once Bonner leaves, Mahinmi will be the 4th or 5th big.

The question is this: does Bonner leave this season or next?

[Marcus Bryant]

The question is this: does Bonner leave this season or next?

I think before the Feb. 2010 trade deadline. Maybe Pop opts to keep him as the 4th or 5th big owing to his outside shot, but presumably part of the reason they signed Haislip was due to the range he showed in the ACB.

[AFBlue]

Making Mahinmi your 6th big and putting him in a suit probably makes the most sense at this point. Honestly, hes probably a better prospect than anybody we could simply will onto this team at this point. However, I just don't think hes really ready to contribute much at all right now.

It's been one game. What makes sense at this point is for Mahinmi to get as much PT during summer league and preseason as possible. Right now the Spurs have Duncan, McDyess, Bonner and probably Blair (especially if he keeps beasting) slotted for regular minutes...there's plenty of time and opportunity for Mahinmi (the only true Center) to earn some PT.

[Darkwaters]

I think before the Feb. 2010 trade deadline. Maybe Pop opts to keep him as the 4th or 5th big owing to his outside shot, but presumably part of the reason they signed Haislip was due to the range he showed in the ACB.

Acknowledged. If Haislip can ball (and hit the 3 to boot) then Bonner seems like an endangered species on the squad...with an expiring conract to boot.

Honestly, in the end we might just hold fast until the deadline and upgrade where we think we have the biggest hole.

[AFBlue]

Acknowledged. If Haislip can ball (and hit the 3 to boot) then Bonner seems like an endangered species on the squad...with an expiring conract to boot.

Honestly, in the end we might just hold fast until the deadline and upgrade where we think we have the biggest hole.

That's a big IF. By the trade deadline the Spurs should be in a position to add another piece (if necessary) for the stretch run and Bonner's contract is likely to be a part of that...but that means they have to get his contributions back in the trade or elsewhere on the team.

Keep in mind, the guy shot close to 50% from behind the arc for most of last season...he fills a definite role on this team.

Having said that...I hope you and MB are right.

[kace]

Once Bonner leaves, Mahinmi will be the 4th or 5th big.


Acknowledged. If Haislip can ball (and hit the 3 to boot) then Bonner seems like an endangered species on the squad...with an expiring conract to boot.

Honestly, in the end we might just hold fast until the deadline and upgrade where we think we have the biggest hole.

i just don't see Haislip doing well, and i expect Bonner to be the most solid in the role of 3 pts shooting Big. so for me, Ian will be the 5th Big man of the roster and i have hope he could be good enough for that.

[Libri]

It's been one game. What makes sense at this point is for Mahinmi to get as much PT during summer league and preseason as possible. Right now the Spurs have Duncan, McDyess, Bonner and probably Blair (especially if he keeps beasting) slotted for regular minutes...there's plenty of time and opportunity for Mahinmi (the only true Center) to earn some PT.

Yes, there is still time for Ian to demonstrate his talent. I think that Ian could be to tentative because he hasn't played in a while. Also, he is now surrounded by competitors who are going all out in order to impress. He just needs to get into a rhythm and be more aggressive.

[Tully365]

Agreed. Summer League never fails to expose Spurs fans.

This is very true, but to be fair, aren't some spurstalk luminaries also conveniently lowering the bar now in terms of expectations? Early last summer, one of most the popular pictures all over spurstalk was of Mahinmi dressed as Jesus with the word Savior underneath... but now it seems the hope is that Mahinmi plays a few back up minutes behind Matt Bonner. I still remember posting last season that I hoped Mahinmi could average 6 points and 3 or 4 rebounds a game for the Spurs and other posters responded incredulously, as if I'd committed heresy.

[Libri]

That's a big IF. By the trade deadline the Spurs should be in a position to add another piece (if necessary) for the stretch run and Bonner's contract is likely to be a part of that...but that means they have to get his contributions back in the trade or elsewhere on the team.

Keep in mind, the guy shot close to 50% from behind the arc for most of last season...he fills a definite role on this team.

Having said that...I hope you and MB are right.

The only thing that Bonner has going right now is experience and his familiarity with the Spurs system. I think he loses confidence to easily. As soon as Gooden was signed, Bonner started to miss shots and ended shooting 0.231 for the playoffs. Now Bonner has to compete with three other Bigs who are stronger and more athletic. Can Bonner get his confidence back, knowing very well that there are younger players waiting to replace him at any moment?

[timvp]

This is very true, but to be fair, aren't some spurstalk luminaries also conveniently lowering the bar now in terms of expectations? Early last summer, one of most the popular pictures all over spurstalk was of Mahinmi dressed as Jesus with the word Savior underneath... but now it seems the hope is that Mahinmi plays a few back up minutes behind Matt Bonner.

Uh, pretty big difference from last season. The Spurs didn't have McDyess, Blair or even Haislip. Bonner had never proven he could stay out of Pop's doghouse. Mahinmi was thought as the only hope that could save a season which looked doomed from the beginning on paper. We all knew what players like KT and Oberto were going to bring to the table.


I still remember posting last season that I hoped Mahinmi could average 6 points and 3 or 4 rebounds a game for the Spurs and other posters responded incredulously, as if I'd committed heresy.

Do you have a link to that?

[Marcus Bryant]

Of course, we're also assuming the Spurs don't use some of their expiring contracts (including Bonner) to deal for a better rebounding bigman.

[Marcus Bryant]

RC said one of the Spurs' offseason goals was to land an "ass-kicking forward." If that isn't an indication of how the Spurs view Bonner I'm not sure what is.

[Darkwaters]

RC said one of the Spurs' offseason goals was to land an "ass-kicking forward." If that isn't an indication of how the Spurs view Bonner I'm not sure what is.


Does RJ not fill that role? If Richard Jefferson doesn't kick ass I don't know who does.

PS: Nocioni would definitely fill that role.

[Tully365]

Uh, pretty big difference from last season. The Spurs didn't have McDyess, Blair or even Haislip. Bonner had never proven he could stay out of Pop's doghouse. Mahinmi was thought as the only hope that could save a season which looked doomed from the beginning on paper. We all knew what players like KT and Oberto were going to bring to the table.


Very true, but it still amounts to a big re-evaluation of the expectations. Just the fact that Marcus Haislip could push Mahinmi from Savior to hopefully he makes the team is saying a lot.


Do you have a link to that?

:lol As far as I can see the archives don't go back to July of '08. I'd be happy to look if I had access.

[duncan228]

As far as I can see the archives don't go back to July of '08. I'd be happy to look if I had access.

Bottom left of the Spurs Forum main page, under 'Display Options'. You can change the default of two weeks to as far back as the beginning of the board. :)

[Tully365]

Bottom left of the Spurs Forum main page, under 'Display Options'. You can change the default of two weeks to as far back as the beginning of the board. :)

Thanks.

[BackHome]

The problem with Ian was that he has been hurt the last two years not just last year. He has limited basketball experience which makes it even harder for a big to be able to develop. I hope the kid can rebound but I just don't see it and I hope RC is talking to teams about getting a big.

[Bruno]

It'sridiculous to see some people drawing conclusions after 1 SL game. At least, wait until the end of the SL...

[DespЏrado]

It'sridiculous to see some people drawing conclusions after 1 SL game. At least, wait until the end of the SL...

How is it that Ian has only played 1 SL game in his entire career? I guess that was someone else that I saw wearing his name and number last year. :lol

But let me say this Ian isn't in any way shape or form a bust. Nothing was risked by taking him and nothing is lost by giving him another 6-12 months to see if he ever develops something more than what he is. I just don't see him progressing enough to project him as anything more than a scrub.

Even the year off works against him in this case. In order for him to be capable of playing at the NBA level he needs to be on a much steeper learning curve. That just hasn't been displayed at all. And here's the kicker, he isn't good enough at any specific area of the game to stick around long enough to see if he ever develops an NBA game. He doesn't fill a niche role so that he can get significant enough number of minutes to develop the little talent he has. He's going to be a pretty good 5th-6th big man on the bench, but I really see no other future for him.

The first time I saw Duncan play it was during a visit to Stanford University and we just happened to walk by a dorm room with the Wake Forrest/ Stanford game. I saw him play for five minutes. It took all of those five minutes to know he was going to be one of the best centers ever (I had no idea he had this fetish for the letters P and F.) Coming away from that game, I said I don't know how but I know he is going to play for the Spurs next year and we are going to have a few banners because of it.

It took 5 minutes for Duncan to demonstrate to me what he was. Not what he had the potential to be, but what he already was. I have watched Ian play at least 4-5 hours of basketball, and not once has he shown me anything more than B-level talent. Nor does he appear to have the heart, drive, and will to overcome his deficiencies.

For Ian's sake I hope he proves me wrong. He has all the opportunity in the world to prove me wrong, and the chance to live the NBA dream. I hope he can do it, but my gut says no.

[HarlemHeat37]

So you're comparing Ian Mahinmi, a late first-round pick, to the best PF to ever play in the NBA/a top 10 player of all-time?..

There are plenty of guys that turned out to be serviceable players that didn't show much at Ian's age..

[Hillcrest]

Barron had a few blocks in the first half...and yes, one of them was against Mahinmi. The play he's referring to is when Mahinmi executed about 3 post moves (apparently one too many) and ended up getting snuffed out by Barron.

So, McDonald wasn't wrong about that. He may have been a little harsh on him overall though, considering the guy was playing his first game back in about a year.

right on. thanks. i must have missed the other "embarrassing" dunk stuffs.

i didn't think mahinmi looked particularly good at all, but, shoot, it's 1 summer game.

[Spurs Brazil]

Blair another Spur steal?
by Dave McMenamin / July 13, 2009

He fell and he fell and he fell on Draft night, all the way to No. 37 to the Spurs.

On Sunday at the third day of the Las Vegas Summer League, DeJuan Blair rose to the occasion. Playing in San Antonio’s first game of the summer session and his first since he plummeted from a first-round talent to a second-round gamble after a pre-Draft medical checkup revealed that he was missing both ACLs from high school surgeries, Blair barreled his way to a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“I’m here to show I can play and show everybody what they missed out on,” Blair said after the game, with a big smile on his face.

Weighing in at 265 pounds, the former Pitt Panther showed cat-like reflexes on the glass. It wasn’t just the rebounds that were impressive, but what he did with them afterwards. By either looking up immediately and finding a guard to outlet to on the defensive end, or taking it right to the rim for offensive putbacks, Blair made plays.

He showed polish with his power, hitting 5-for-6 from the free throw line. He even looked down right nimble finishing a reverse layup. He’s not very tall – his 6-foot-7 listing reeks of Charles Barkley-like inflation – but he knows how to make the most of his frame. He flat out erased the defender guarding George Hill on a couple of possessions to free him up on the pick and roll, when he rebounded (10 boards in 22 minutes) he pursued the ball hard, using his trunk of a lower body to bounce bodies out of the way and then corralling loose balls with his long arms and big mitts.

GAME 1: San Antonio Spurs (1-0) 92, New Orleans Hornets (0-1) 86

STUDS: Marcus Thornton, drafted by Miami with the No. 43 pick and traded to New Orleans, was always looking to score. Sometimes that’s considered chucking, sometimes ballhogging, but with Thornton it was simply getting buckets. He made the game easier on himself by running the floor and finishing uncontested gimmes on the break. Thornton finished with a team-high 22 points on 8-for-19 shooting.

New Orleans’ other rookie, No. 21 pick Darren Collison, was steady with the ball and really managed the team at the point, finishing with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds. He showed off different aspects of his offensive game, hitting a buzzer-beating jumper, mixing in a couple of floaters and hitting a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.

The most complete players on the court were Hill for San Antonio (25 points, four rebounds, three assists) and Julian Wright for New Orleans (15 points, seven rebounds, three blocks). Hornets coach Byron Scott, who was in attendance, said he is toying with the idea of starting Wright and bringing Peja Stojakovic off the bench next year.

DUDS: A couple people got dunked on, and that’s always fun. Malik Hairston of San Antonio threw one down on Anthony Tolliver and Brian Cusworth out of Harvard put one on James Gist’s head.

Gist had a rough day, going 1-for-6 from the field and 2-for-4 from the line, while the rest of his team shot 31-for-32 on free throws. He got into it a bit with Marc Salyers (Samford grad who has been playing in Europe) of the Hornets at one point, causing the referee to warn both players to knock it off and prompting Salyers to quip, “I thought the UFC fight was yesterday.”

http://hoopshype.com/articles/vegas09_03_mcmenamin.htm

[DespЏrado]

There are plenty of guys that turned out to be serviceable players that didn't show much at Ian's age..

Duncan is one of many benchmarks along the bell curve. Players like Robinson, Blair, Rose, Elson, Rasho, Oberto, Bonner, Samaki Walker, Ely, Hairston, Gist, Thomas, Finley (thanks pop for making us watch him try to play as a 4) and countless others all have their place as bench marks as well.

Ian doesn't compare favorably to any of those players except maybe Walker.

Frankly I have to ask, how would Ian have fared at the college level? Could you imagine him ever leading a team to even the sweet 16? I can't. I think he would look alot like this:

Played two seasons at Kilgore (Texas) Junior College before completing his college career at California … appeared in 59 games for the Golden Bears over two seasons, starting 42 times … finished seventh all-time on the school's blocked shots list with 64 … helped lead Cal to the NIT Championship as a senior … averaged 5.4 ppg and 4.8 rpg in his two seasons in Berkeley.

That is Francisco Elson's college career.



JUST FYI:
MVPs of the NIT include the following
Jayson Williams, St. John's (1989)
Adam Keefe, Stanford (1991)
Bryant Stith, Virginia (1992)
Voshon Lenard, Minnesota (1993)
Erick Strickland, Nebraska (1996)
Robert Traylor, Michigan (1997)

[Obstructed_View]

Game one for Ian is a microcosm of his career with some folks: Premature judgment that he's never going to amount to anything based on WAY too little information. There are maybe four or five bigs in the league that can make that move he made yesterday from the three point line. For what he's making, he can take the Mengke Bateer or Sean Marks role on this team until we have more information to go on.

[DespЏrado]

Game one for Ian is a microcosm of his career with some folks: Premature judgment that he's never going to amount to anything based on WAY too little information. There are maybe four or five bigs in the league that can make that move he made yesterday from the three point line. For what he's making, he can take the Mengke Bateer or Sean Marks role on this team until we have more information to go on.

This is not just one SL game. Anyone who has cared to has seen him play far more than that, and I'd venture to say he has played more professional games than anyone else on the court last night in his career, except perhaps Barron and Wright.

[Mark in Austin]

A couple observations from David Thorpe's Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/coachthorpe

Mahinmi is someone I've always been intrigued with. His lack of leg strength has always been a major issue. Just can't stay balanced.

DeJuan Blair. 1 minute. 3 boards.

George Hill just had a monster dunk, but it was the least impressive play of the sequence. He set up the entire set by talking to his guys. He directed them to the right spots and then split the ballscreen.

George Hill was the 2nd worst player of all the first rounders last summer. He's fantastic now. Credit him, and his organization.

Blair with the double-double in 17 mins.

Manu and Tony are going to make Blair's Christmas very special. He's going to be crushing guys on ballscreens and pin downs.

Mahinmi is a talent. But he still does not get much done. 6 and 4 with 6 fls in 22 mins. Remember-mental is to physical as 4 is to 1.

[barbacoataco]

Is Haislip insurance for Mahinmi? Even with all his potential, if the Spurs think Mahinmi is a work in progress, and they're hoping to lessen Bonner's role, then Haislip might be the guy to save the day and get 10-12 mpg.

[Marcus Bryant]

Cool. Waive Mahinmi and play Bonner as he's shown more on a NBA court and wasn't injured last season. Better yet, give him to Houston as he's worth nothing.

[poeticism707]

Cool. Waive Mahinmi and play Bonner as he's shown more on a NBA court and wasn't injured last season. Better yet, give him to Houston as he's worth nothing.

Ian is going to surprise A LOT of people this year with his solid contributions.

He has the tools, he hasn't played in a year, but unless he is seriously injured again, just sit back and watch him come into his old skill with all the new knowledge he's gained through the Spurs.

Ian is going to be very solid this year.

[Spursmania]

Ian is going to surprise A LOT of people this year with his solid contributions.

He has the tools, he hasn't played in a year, but unless he is seriously injured again, just sit back and watch him come into his old skill with all the new knowledge he's gained through the Spurs.

Ian is going to be very solid this year.

I think MB was being facetious...:toast

[poeticism707]

I think MB was being facetious...:toast
Yeah, I know!:king

MB was obviously making light of Spurs fans impatience with Ian.

I understand Spurs being impatient, because the Duncan window is closing, but now that the Spurs are stacked, don't give up on Ian now that is taking his first steps towards being a solid contributor for the Spurs!

Show some patience, Spurs fans, for patience is rewarded with fulfillment: the fulfillment of Ian starting to fulfill his potential.

[Da Spurs]

I would be extremely grateful if he turned out as good as Francisco Elson. I personally don't think he'll ever contribute. Blair has shown more in 1 outing than Ian has showed in 3 years in anything he's done.

[TDMVPDPOY]

A couple observations from David Thorpe's Twitter feed:
http://twitter.com/coachthorpe


George Hill was the 2nd worst player of all the first rounders last summer. He's fantastic now. Credit him, and his organization.



This is a load of horse shit, GHILL was putting up 20ppg on some nights when parker was out injured earlier in the season, and when he return ghill minutes went down and pop stopped him from playing as point in favor for mason. Ghill also had some nice defensive assignments also...

2nd worst player, who let the attention horse out

[timvp]

Cool. Waive Mahinmi and play Bonner as he's shown more on a NBA court and wasn't injured last season. Better yet, give him to Houston as he's worth nothing.

:lol

It's amazing how quick Spurs fans forget how good Mahinmi was the last time he actually got to play. He was the best bigman in the d-league. Last time I checked, he freakin' has the highest PER in the history of the d-league. He is also in the career leaders in win shares, defensive win shares, offensive win shares, true shooting percentage, field goal percentage and a couple of other stats.

[Spursmania]

Yeah, I know!:king

MB was obviously making light of Spurs fans impatience with Ian.

I understand Spurs being impatient, because the Duncan window is closing, but now that the Spurs are stacked, don't give up on Ian now that is taking his first steps towards being a solid contributor for the Spurs!

Show some patience, Spurs fans, for patience is rewarded with fulfillment: the fulfillment of Ian starting to fulfill his potential.


Yeah, I would love nothing more than for Ian to fulfill his potential. I think it's easy to forget he's only 22.

[Ice009]

:lol

It's amazing how quick Spurs fans forget how good Mahinmi was the last time he actually got to play. He was the best bigman in the d-league. Last time I checked, he freakin' has the highest PER in the history of the d-league. He is also in the career leaders in win shares, defensive win shares, offensive win shares, true shooting percentage, field goal percentage and a couple of other stats.

Timvp did someone post here during that season that a few scouts where pretty high on Ian and said he has All-Star potential? I'm sure I read it here in a post back then when Mahinmi was in the D-League.

[timvp]

Timvp did someone post here during that season that a few scouts where pretty high on Ian and said he has All-Star potential? I'm sure I read it here in a post back then when Mahinmi was in the D-League.

Yeah, there was something like that posted a year ago. Forgot the source but supposedly some scouts were extremely high on Mahinmi after what they saw of him in the d-league.

[Marcus Bryant]

I think that was last summer, though I could be mistaken.

[Marcus Bryant]

And make no mistake, San Antonio will continue to do well, with help waiting in the wings. Power forward Ian Mahinmi, San Antonio's top pick in the 2005 draft, came over from France before the season and averaged 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds with the Austin Toros, San Antonio's D-League affiliate. Still overseas is Tiago Splitter, a lottery talent who slid to the bottom of the first round in the '07 draft due to a hefty buyout in his Spanish League contract. The 6-foot-11, 232-pound Brazilian averaged 14 points and five rebounds this season with Spanish power Tau Ceramica. SI.com

"Mahinmi has the potential to be an All-Star," an Eastern Conference executive said. "He needs to get a little stronger, but he has the skill set to play inside and outside. I can see him being a very good player on a contending team." SI.com

With the season now over, the Spurs will look to address that need in the draft, where they will have a first- and two second-round picks. Expect at least one of those selections to be spent on an unheralded international player. And expect, at some point, for that player to be a contributor. SI.com

link (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2567895&postcount=1)

[Ice009]

Yeah, there was something like that posted a year ago. Forgot the source but supposedly some scouts were extremely high on Mahinmi after what they saw of him in the d-league.

Thanks. I was sure I read that here either when Ian was in the D-league or before last season. That is why I don't understand people that are ready to throw Ian to the curb straight away after 1 SL game.

I recalled reading that and it is probably the reason I have higher expectations for Ian.

[timvp]

Nice find, MB :tu

Yeah, last summer Mahinmi is a possible All-Star according to someone whose job it is to scout the NBA. This summer, Mahinmi should be waived to give Bonner more playing time.

[poeticism707]

Game one for Ian is a microcosm of his career with some folks: Premature judgment that he's never going to amount to anything based on WAY too little information. There are maybe four or five bigs in the league that can make that move he made yesterday from the three point line. For what he's making, he can take the Mengke Bateer or Sean Marks role on this team until we have more information to go on.

Exactly. Ian really does have the potential to be a VERY UNIQUE BIG: the most notable and king of unique bigs, being of course, Lamar Odom.

There are very few bigs in the NBA that could've spun right and finished WITH THE LEFT IN TRAFFIC as the game wore down against NO.

Am I saying he'll duplicate Lamar Odom's success?

How would I know that?

But the point is, Ian really posses some unique basketball skills, skills that not just every NBA player posses.

If he hadn't been derailed by the ankle injury last summer, Spurs fans would already be acquainted with this, but if healthy Ian will develop into that a very unique game, an athletic big that other bigs WILL HAVE MATCH-UP problems with, even if they're better.

But not playing in OVER A YEAR, he obviously needs more time.

[Ice009]

MB found the post. Awesome work. So it seems someone is pretty high on him.

[Marcus Bryant]

To me, you move a player if he's holding someone better back. Right now that would be Bonner and/or Haislip. I don't get it. Everyone and their dog is sick of Bonner, wants the Spurs to 'go young', be aggressive, etc...With the Spurs signing McDyess, you'd think the board would be even more in favor of the Spurs being aggressive in giving their young bigman talent a shot.

It's not like Mahinmi had demonstrated that he couldn't handle the league over the course of at least a 20 game stretch. Even then that would be too early to give up on a young talented athletic bigman who was one of the best players in the NBDL. Especially when you consider that the Spurs are looking to break early and often, at least during the regular season. Mahinmi is tailor made for that kind of game.

[Kindergarten Cop]

This is a load of horse shit, GHILL was putting up 20ppg on some nights when parker was out injured earlier in the season, and when he return ghill minutes went down and pop stopped him from playing as point in favor for mason. Ghill also had some nice defensive assignments also...

2nd worst player, who let the attention horse out

He was referring to Hill's summer league play last year, not his play during the NBA regular season. Remember how many posters were blasting the Spurs drafting Hill over CDR, Chalmers, etc. after seeing his horrendous shooting performance in the summer league?

[barbacoataco]

Am I right in thinking the Spurs carry 5 bigs on the 12 man active roster?

If so then - Duncan, McDyess, Blair, Bonner, Haislip, Mahinmi-- that is 6 players. IMO they need to dump Bonner and go with the young guys. Haislip is way cheaper than Bonner as a 5th big.

[Marcus Bryant]

Yes, it looks like Bonner's days are numbered in SA, especially after the Haislip signing.

[Tully365]

Ian Mahinmi's place in the D-league record book:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/leaders/per_season.html

PER: 10th highest in D-league history
Defensive Win Shares: 26th
Offensive Win Shares: 29th
Win Shares: 16th
True Shooting %: 4th
FG%: 10th

[timvp]

Ian Mahinmi's place in the D-league record book:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/leaders/per_season.html

PER: 10th highest in D-league history
Defensive Win Shares: 26th
Offensive Win Shares: 29th
Win Shares: 16th
True Shooting %: 4th
FG%: 10th

Mahinmi's career PER is 23. That PER would be second in the career list. Your link is season leaders.

[EricB]

Did the waiving Mahinmi idea just come out of left field?

[Tully365]

Mahinmi's career PER is 23. That PER would be second in the career list. Your link is season leaders.

Ah, yes, just a full point behind Courtney Sims. Also, if we are are going by career D League stats, then Ian drops to 87th in offensive win shares, and 86th in win shares. In the D league.

Though I would be willing to bet that he does have a shot at a better career in the nba than his statistical twins in the D-league, Sims and Nick Fazekas.

[DespЏrado]

Did the waiving Mahinmi idea just come out of left field?

I don't think anyone is saying we should waive Ian. When I said ditch Ian, I meant that emotionally we should ditch the hope that he is going to be a solid contributor. Even then I think we should let him play out some if not all of his contract to see if he can prove me wrong. I give him about a 3% shot of ever cracking the spurs rotation (barring injuries of course.) I just don't think he has what it takes to take his game to the next level. Tentative is about the worst thing you can say about a big man in the nba, and Ian personifies the word.

[Marcus Bryant]

You're full of shit. He wasn't "tentative" with the Toros.

[ohmwrecker]

After being out a year with an injury, I don't think we should expect a whole lot from Ian in summer league. He's getting his legs back. Everybody needs to settle down a bit.

[The Truth #6]

2 years ago he played sparingly with the Spurs early in the season and showed some great, brief moments with blocks and jump hooks in the lane. I thought they should have brought him back later in the season just to see what he could do. But as is often the case with the coaches, we wanted to bring him along slow. And then the next season he gets injured for the whole year.

I think it's been bad timing as far as his injuries and the timing of when we could have used him. While he was putting up incredible D League stats it seemed odd to me that we didn't give him more of a chance on the Spurs when we could. It's not like our backup bigs were that great that year either.

[koriwhat]

ah i am so happy! just found a site with archived summer league games on it. i was just about to purchase that nba summer league plan but screw that!

can't wait to watch that spurs/hornets game in a bit.

[bigdog]

ah i am so happy! just found a site with archived summer league games on it. i was just about to purchase that nba summer league plan but screw that!

can't wait to watch that spurs/hornets game in a bit.

What's the website? I'd LOVE to see that game.

[Blackjack]

Ian Mahinmi’s Movement



I just re-watched Sunday’s game, and my thoughts on the game run along the same line as Graydon’s, with one exception. Unlike Graydon, whose assessment found Ian Mahinmi lacking, I thought the Spurs’ big man played well. But of course the difference in our opinion owes everything to context–Graydon was evaluating Ian Mahinmi in the context of the game (his piece was a game recap, after all), but I watched the game in context of the previous two seasons. So don’t see this as a competing opinion so much as an alternate perspective.


Wayne Vore caught up with Ian Mahinmi after the game, and he confirmed what many of us assumed true: Sunday’s game was Mahinmi’s first competitive scrimmage in a year.

I have watched Mahinmi play on at least a dozen occasions. Probably more. With that exposure as a backdrop, I can say that Mahinmi looked rusty on Sunday. He was a shadow of his pre-injury self, but–and this is the important part–didn’t seemed hobbled. He moved well.

In the past, Mahinmi has seemed lackadaisical showing up top or, say, sealing the baseline with a crisp rotation. He did those things fairly well on Sunday. He drew an important charge late in the game, and on another possession he altered a shot that led to a George Hill block. His value to the Spurs’ roster is not as a scorer–Duncan, McDyess, Blair, Bonner and, perhaps, Haislip can bring offense. The best thing Mahinmi could provide for San Antonio is a player who is able to compliment or spell Duncan for short stints. Functioning within the system is 75% of that struggle. I was encouraged by what I saw.

The best way to think of Ian Mahinmi as a Spur is Francisco Elson with more talent and a higher ceiling. But truth be told, he’s not far from Elson-like production right now.

And while it’s undeniable that Mahinmi was a little bit of a ghost on offense in his first game off the shelf, remember he’s shown a reliable offensive repertoire in the past. During his season with the Toros, Mahinmi dominated several games with a variety of post moves and good roll work off screens. As the summer grinds forward, I suspect we’ll see some of that from Mahinmi. On Sunday, the Spurs did not do a good job of getting him involved.

Let me put it this way: we won’t know if Mahinmi will crack the rotation until late in the preseason. It’s going to take all summer for him to kick off the rust. Don’t pass judgement too quickly. These things take time.

I’m already convinced that George Hill and DeJuan Blair will be part of the regular season rotation, and not without significant contribution. Much like Mahinmi, I watched Malik Hairston carefully when he was with the Toros. By the end of this game, it was obvious to me that he’s taken at least one significant step forward this offseason. He logged a lot of minutes at power forward in college and didn’t seem comfortable on the perimeter for the better part of last season. That’s changed. Unless he lays an egg over the balance of the summer, Hairston is a near lock to make the team, and he has an outside shot at the minutes available behind Richard Jefferson. With Hill, Blair and Hairston, the Spurs already have a good idea of what they have to work with. They need to dig a little deeper with Mahinmi.

Going forward, I’d like to see Coach Newman call Ian’s number early and often. This has the duel advantage of working George Hill through multiple ball screen scenarios each game. Both players need to find a steady rhythm of read, recognize, and react. Going through those motions will shake the injury rust loose.

In the meantime, it’s best to evaluate Mahinmi against the continuum that is the offseason. It’s a process. Right now, Mahinmi is merely a figure standing against a distant horizon. He’s out of focus. His task this summer is to gradually emerge in the foreground. Put simply, I’ll place far more stock in his last two summer league games than his initial two, and October is more important than July.

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/07/14/ian-mahinmis-movement/

[Solid D]

You know, timvp, getting back to McClinton... he was tentative but I think I saw McClinton's contribution a bit differently when he was running the team in the 3rd qtr.. It was the one time Jack was effective. Not that he has grat PG skills, but he was given several high screen plays and he did a nice drive and kick to Hairston for a 3-ball and another feed to Malik for a jumper, plus he got to the line for 2 FTs. The Spurs actally saw their brief lead expand during that time.

I see him as a scorer, not a playmaker, but he did a couple of nice things when he had the ball at the top.

I believe if Jack can knock down a couple of early jumpers in the next game, his confidence will build and we'll see less hesitation and tentativeness in his
game.

[bishopospurs]

This may be premature, but does anyone have any links for the game tonight?

[Solid D]

This may be premature, but does anyone have any links for the game tonight?

http://summerleague.istreamplanet.com/nba/player/default.asp

[ace3g]

You know, timvp, getting back to McClinton... he was tentative but I think I saw McClinton's contribution a bit differently when he was running the team in the 3rd qtr.. It was the one time Jack was effective. Not that he has grat PG skills, but he was given several high screen plays and he did a nice drive and kick to Hairston for a 3-ball and another feed to Malik for a jumper, plus he got to the line for 2 FTs. The Spurs actally saw their brief lead expand during that time.

I see him as a scorer, not a playmaker, but he did a couple of nice things when he had the ball at the top.

I believe if Jack can knock down a couple of early jumpers in the next game, his confidence will build and we'll see less hesitation and tentativeness in his
game.

I saw the exact same thing, he started to play well when he was playing the the PG spot. He had some nice drive and kick outs to Hairston for 3's in the corner.

If he is more comfortable at the 1 in the NBA, maybe the Spurs should develop as a 1 instead of a primary shooting guard

[Mr. Body]

1. Mahinmi hasn't played in a long time. He needs to knock off the rust. These players aren't much different than D-League guys, so he'll be okay, at least here.

2. McClinton hasn't played in an environment where he's not the main guy, and where the defense is much faster and athletic. He needs to adjust.

[Russ]

The best way to think of Ian Mahinmi as a Spur is Francisco Elson with more talent and a higher ceiling. But truth be told, he’s not far from Elson-like production right now.[/URL]

That's what I've never understood about the Elson-basher/Mahinmi-supporters. The two players are very similar -- slight Afro-European players who can run but lack physical play and, possibly, "basketball IQ." Elson made significant contributions to the '07 title run. The Spurs soured on him the next year, but it's not like their bigman situation has had any credibility since with the guys they kept.

The Spurs still need a long athlete who can run, defend, rebound (and, God forbid, "rotate.") Hopefully Mahinmi (or someone else) can be that guy.

[timvpluva]

The first game of San Antonio's 2009 summer league action resulted in a 92-86 win over the New Orleans Hornets. The Spurs were rocky on both ends of the court for the first three and a half quarters but really locked in to pull out the victory.

The Hornets got good efforts out of their starting guard tandem of Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton. Julian Wright also flashed his potential with a number of talented plays.

While the Spurs had a lack of cohesiveness for much of the game, that was to be expected due to the limited number of practices. Expect the team to play better as the week progresses.

George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/4.0/global/basketball/nba/players/4488.jpg
31 minutes, 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, four turnovers
7-for-13 from the floor, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 11-for-11 at the line

Entering his second summer league, George Hill looked much improved over last season. The aspect that stood out the most was his increased confidence level. Hill played like he knew he was in charge and paced himself well throughout the contest.

In the first three quarters, Hill didn't have many opportunities to run the pick-and-roll but that changed in the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, he took control by attacking New Orleans' defense off the pick-and-roll and either created for himself or a teammate. The biggest shot of the game -- a three-pointer by Malik Hairston -- was created off of a Hill pick-and-roll.

When Hill shot from perimeter, everything about his release looked improved. His balance was better, he took his time and he put more arc on the ball. If he can add a jumper from off the dribble, his effectiveness in the halfcourt offense would greatly improve.

Defensively, Hill was hit and miss. Sometimes he seemed to be going through the motion, but at other times he illustrated his elite potential at that end of the court -- especially in the last few minutes of the game.

Hill still needs to work on beating the halfcourt trap with the dribble, making the smart pass in transition and keeping his foot on the accelerator at all times but overall this was a very positive summer league debut. He looked like he was the best player on the court and did so while playing within his capabilities.

DeJuan Blair
http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnewssports/2009/06/small_BLAIR.jpg
22 minutes, 13 points, 10 rebounds, one steal, two turnovers
4-for-7 from the field, 5-for-6 from the line

This guy is simply a beast on the boards. There's no other way to put it. Last year, he averaged 18.1 rebounds per 40 minutes at Pittsburgh. In his first summer league game, Blair pulled down 18.2 rebounds per 40 minutes. Even more impressive is the fact that he pulled down 10 rebounds in 22 minutes, while the rest of the team pulled down 18 rebounds in 178 minutes.

Blair has a wide body, long arms and a pair of giant suction cups for hands. He also has impeccable timing and isn't afraid to throw his weight around. While summer league isn't the NBA, this is undoubtedly a very good sign that his rebound rate in college wasn't a fluke.

Offensively, Blair had a few good moves. He can jump quickly and already has a crafty feel around the rim that allows him to get his shot off despite being undersized. Blair also displayed a smooth face-up jumper. He had a few possessions where he tried to do too much and his size became a liability but that is to be expected as he adjusts.

On the defensive end, Blair needs a lot of work. His pick-and-roll defense was sub par and he was slow to get back to defend the rim. It will probably take most of his rookie season to get him up to speed defensively.

All in all, there's no reason not to be excited about San Antonio's first pick in the 2009 draft. He appears to be at least as good as advertised.

Ian Mahinmi
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3954.jpg
25 minutes, eight points, four rebounds, one blocked shot, seven fouls
1-for-3 from the field, 6-for-6 at the line

Ian Mahinmi's stats don't look very good but there were some bright spots. Compared to last year's summer league action, Mahinmi was much more energetic and played with more heart. He also had a very good move late from out on the perimeter to give the Spurs a two-point lead.

That said, the Spurs need to see much more production out of Mahinmi if he's to remain in their long-term plans. His upper body looks stronger but his lower body remains extremely skinny. He's not a graceful athlete and he can get pushed around down under the basket.

In the forthcoming games, Mahinmi needs to translate some of his energy into positive contributions. He had quality moves and was putting up a fight but he rarely finished off a possession well. Considering that he's been out of action for a year, rust had to be expected. It'd be fair to wait a couple of games before counting him out.

Malik Hairston
http://image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com/pics9/160/IV/IVQOLVELYDJJECW.20071211235940.jpg
29 minutes, 16 points, one rebound, one assist
7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers

It was a story of two halves for Malik Hairston. In the first half Hairston played poorly on both ends of the court. He appeared destined to another first game disappointment. Then came the second half.

After going 0-for-3 in the first half, Hairston poured in 11 points in the first four minutes of the third stanza on 5-for-5 shooting. He came out with much more tenacity and more confidence in his outside shot. With 18 seconds remaining in the game, Hairston's three-pointer gave the Spurs a four point advantage.

Seeing Hairston drain outside jumpers is a very good sign. He struggled shooting in summer league and in the NBA last year. To survive in San Antonio's system, Hairston has to show the type of shooting he provided on Sunday afternoon.

Defensively, Hairston had some good moments but he has a lot of room to improve. He was playing too close in man-to-man defense and allowed the opponent to beat him off the dribble. He also didn't crash the defensive glass well enough.

On offense, Hairston was best when spotting up or driving the ball directly to the basket. His ballhandling looked extremely shaky when he tried to create off the dribble. He also clogged the lane too much at times when he prematurely tried to hit the offensive boards.

Hairston's 16 second half points were a big part of the victory. If he can give a more consistent effort and clean up some of the smaller aspects of his game, he'll give himself a very good chance of making the Spurs regular season lineup.

James Gist
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/rivals/full.48103/768d6dbd83e734380a291f9ca8732201/james-gist.jpg
23 minutes, four points, three rebounds, one steal, one blocked shot
1-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-4 at the line

Last year in summer league, James Gist looked like a stud in the making. His 2009 summer league campaign didn't start off nearly as hot. He looked worse in this game than he did at any point last year.

It appeared as if Gist was trying to make the adjustment to play more out on the perimeter but he ended up looking uncomfortable. He hesitated on a few jumpers and didn't look like he was sure where he was supposed to be on the court.

Defensively and on the boards, I thought Gist looked rather weak. He got pushed around and his physicality was missing in action. He wasn't making up for his lack of bulk with his athleticism like he did last year.

It's not time to push the panic button but Gist needs to show a lot more if he wants to have a chance at making the team. Right now, a second year in Europe appears like it could do him some good.

Jack McClinton
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/61/612038.jpg
16 minutes, two points, two rebounds, two turnovers
0-for-2 from the floor, 2-for-2 at the line

There's no way to sugarcoat it -- Jack McClinton was really bad in his summer league debut in every aspect of the game. He didn't do anything offensively, played poor defense and just didn't look like an NBA player.

Offensively, McClinton played like he didn't know when and where to pick his spots. Constant second-guessing caused him to do next to nothing on the offensive end. In his few minutes running the team, he proved that he's not much of a point guard prospect.

On defense, McClinton's lack of size was obvious. Fellow second round pick Marcus Thorton ate him alive a number of times. McClinton is too small to be much help on the boards but he needs to do a much better job of boxing out and staying between his man and the basket.

The good news is that a lot of McClinton's struggles can be attributed to rookie jitters. If he can settle in, nail a few open shots and realize he can be aggressive when looking for his shot, there's a chance he can bounce back. And as we saw last year with Hairston, a poor summer league opener isn't the end of the world.

Romel Beck
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_l5ZsM8CSuYE/R7KZXxHuLzI/AAAAAAAAACk/_k5W0zJfxaM/s320/79497.jpg
24 minutes, 13 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal
5-for-10 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line

Aggression isn't a lacking trait for Romel Beck. From the moment he stepped onto the court, he was ready to fire. When it comes to a polished offensive game and a sweet outside stroke, Beck might lead the team in both areas.

The problem with Beck is he has a few glaring holes in his game. First of all, he's a poor ballhandler for a perimeter player. He dribbles with a high bounce and doesn't change directions well. Beck also doesn't have a good feel when it comes to passing the ball or spotting the open man.

Defensively, Beck's slight frame hurts him. He gives good effort on that end but he gets pushed around and bumped out of position with regularity. He also appears to have below average quickness.

Beck could earn a spot in training camp but he'll have to show that his ability to put the ball in the hole outshines the rest of his flaws.

Stephane Lasme
http://photo.adriaticbasket.net/albums/userpics/other/stephane_lasme.jpg
10 minutes, three points, one assist, one blocked shot, two turnovers
1-for-1 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers

Stephane Lasme has changed his game from the last time I saw him play. On the offensive end, he was trying to play much further out on the perimeter. Although he hit a three-pointer, he didn't look too comfortable out of the lane.

Defensively, he wasn't helping out much. He went for a number of blocks but he was playing soft and didn't help out on the glass at all. For Lasme to become an NBA player, he'll have to figure out how to mix in his elite shotblocking ability with the rest of his defensive responsibilities.

Alonzo Gee
http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/PROSPECT/PHOTO/ALONZOGEEADIDAS150.JPG
11 minutes, four points, one rebound
1-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 from the line

Though he appears to be a very good athlete, Alonzo Gee didn't show many perimeter skills. He played much more like an undersized power forward rather than a small forward. There were a number of time he didn't make the simple pass.

On the defensive end, he showed some promise. He has a good combination of strength, quickness and leaping ability. Keep an eye on his defensive play the rest of the week to see if he can possibly win a spot in training camp due to his potential on D.

Donnell Taylor
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/basketball/nba/players/3998.jpg
Nine minutes, four points, one assist, one steal, one blocked shot, one turnover
1-for-5 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line

The backup to George Hill in the summer league opener was Donnell Taylor. Unfortunately, he played the position like a poor man's Roger Mason, Jr. -- which may be appropriate because Taylor and Mason were teammates with the Washington Wizards.

Taylor struggled handling the ball, rarely made the right pass and overall just looked like a 6-foot-5 shooting guard playing out of position. Will Squeaky Johnson get a shot as the backup point guard or will Taylor keep the job? Stay tuned.


WOW! This has to be one of the best posts I've ever read! Do you work for ESPN or Hoopshype? great work!

[Cant_Be_Faded]

:lmao

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:rollin

[gtownspur]

:lol

[Solid D]

If awmyplace and poet had offspring...

[mookie2001]

rofl

thank kori for me too, we all love this site and its free too!, yall dont even charge

[gtownspur]

:lmao,

We have diverse oppinions, an amalmagation of international talents like RuffnReady, Smeagol, and Kill Bill Pana, we're a Cyber Ihop in this age of information.

Thank God for all the foreigners who were Spurs fan's from the begining before their countrymen were drafted by Buford.

When i was interviewed as a Law school applicant, they asked what publications i read, i putdown Timvp.