Haislip: How does he fit in the rotation?

[lotr1trekkie]

Hopefully this is not the 32nd thread about him. Watching the videos of him he does not seem to be a 3 in the Spurs' system. He appears to be most effective in the lane or on the run. Traditionally our 3's[Elliott/ Bowen] play perimeter defense and can hit the 3 when they collapse on Tim. Does that mean he is primarily a 4 replacing Duncan? Finally, I think Kori does a great job monitoring this forum. Like Nurse Ratchett she keeps the inmates in line until it is too late.

[angelbelow]

F up clips..

Dunks...
Dunks

Dunks

and More Dunks

Nothing about his skills..Shooting..Some handling...How does he play pick in Role D..How does ect ect...

Then a 1 min credit role...

punch that guy in the nut sack

That's why he called him a wildcard. Hes obviously got athletic talent but how are his skills and will they translate? Those simply aren't questions we can answer at this point.

[Pucho!!!]

I agree, I too c him as an atheletic bigman that gets all those hustle rebounds and blk sum shots. I also see him guarding those big SFs in the league along with mobile PF/C (Dirk, Bosh, etc)

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I'm pretty confident he'll make the active roster. The Spurs need to and should easily be able to incorporate a guy with his level of athleticism into the rotation. Does anyone remember the last time the Spurs have had a guy with the same athleticism as Haislip?

[ohmwrecker]

At worst he is Birdman. At best he is our answer for how to stop Odom.

[benefactor]

I really hope he makes the team...and the fact that his contract is mostly unguaranteed and he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder gives him plenty of motivation.

[Ditty]

Stephen Jackson... as athletic..but he is a big long tough three.. A big as athletic..

Never Never never... The only one I can think of is a pre back injury David Robinson ...talking about 96 and talking about a Hall of Fame FIVE not a four..this is a first for the Spurs...If the Spurs had Robert Horry at 28 then He has a young Robert Horrys physical skills and some of a young Robert horrys basketball skills..but none but Rob has the Big shot skills..no question

stephon jackson was a horrble defender when he played for the spurs

I don't know who haslip reminds me of but at 6'10 and the way he blocks shots and defends he could give odom fits and finally match up well with him I may call haslip a poormans lamar odom but haslip is more athletic

[024]

hopefully he replaces matt bonner. the only other attribute that bonner brings to the table other than 3 pt shooting is that sadly, he was the most mobile big on the spurs. haislip's athletcism and range could be a nice compliment next to duncan. i'm not too optimistic about haislip as his stats dramatically drop when he plays against tougher competition. maybe he can be just good enough to beat bonner in the rotation. that would be great.

[lurker23]

I have no clue if he'll make the team, much less crack the rotation. However, from the clips I've seen, I'm salivating at the idea of this team in the transition game:

Parker
Ginobili
Jefferson
Haislip
(Whoever you want to play at center)

Parker and Ginobili would have more fun with passes and alley-oops than they have had in their entire career.

[dougp]

I have no clue if he'll make the team, much less crack the rotation. However, from the clips I've seen, I'm salivating at the idea of this team in the transition game:

Parker
Ginobili
Jefferson
Haislip
(Whoever you want to play at center)

Parker and Ginobili would have more fun with passes and alley-oops than they have had in their entire career.

Or a bench lineup of:

Hill
Manu
Haislip
Blair
Ian

Slowest person there is Manu ...

[TIMMYD!]

Or a bench lineup of:

Hill
Manu
Haislip
Blair
Ian

Slowest person there is Manu ...



I don't think manu is the slowest it's between Ian or Blair.

[angelbelow]

I don't think manu is the slowest it's between Ian or Blair.

Ian is quick as hell. During the summer league the commentators said multiple times that Ian beats most guards down the flloor.

[Manu-of-steel]

i have only seen videos of haislip from his games in europe. And he's not with the summer league team. Why is he not in the SL? I would greatly appreciate answer to my querry. thanks.

[Dr Cox]

im not saying he is n e thing as of right now, but if he is our answer to odom and he is good at it...then give us the trophy, if we can match up with a big lineup with odom in it, we will win it all this year

[Darkwaters]

a more important question is how are we going to play him? you can only have 5 big men active and he wont play over duncan,mcdyess,blair,mihinmi,and ratliff. so that leaves bonner and hailsip. why did we even sign him if we are not going to play him?

Haislip looks like he could probably play the 3 and would be an ideal small ball 4. Hes versatile in ways that none of the other bigs are, making him an obvious candidate for the active roster. Plus, I'm pretty sure Ratliff will be IRed much of the season. Hes injury insurance and little else. Then at that point all he has to do is beat out one more person. Bonner seems like an obvious choice, but both Mahinmi and even Blair are unproven on the big court. Haislip has as good a chance as anyone to make the active roster at this point.

[wildbill2u]

Haislip will be the most athletic big on the roster, not excluding Ian. My pick for surprise of the year on our team and a fan favorite with his blocks and dunks. Ratliff signing is old age insurance

[buttsR4rebounding]

a more important question is how are we going to play him? you can only have 5 big men active and he wont play over duncan,mcdyess,blair,mihinmi,and ratliff. so that leaves bonner and hailsip. why did we even sign him if we are not going to play him?

My theory is that first he will be given an opportunity to take Bonner's role. He shot a good percentage from the Euro 3 pt line as his team's primary option. He should get more wide open looks as the 4th or 5th option on the floor. If he can shoot near 40% from 3 then his superior athleticism should put Bonner in the back of the pack. If he doesn't shoot well he gets cut.

Assuming that he stays, I believe Pop will sit Duncan and McDyess on alternating nights of back-to-backs at some point in the season. This will create more opportunities for Mahimni and Blair to develop and create the need for another big. I also think he would be used in situational match ups with players like Odom, Dirk, Okur. His perimeter defense according to some of the scouting reports is better than his interior D.

Finally, I disagree w/ your Ratliff take. If Mahimni can give solid minutes and block shots like he has shown flashes of being able to do I think Ratliff is in a suit most nights. I see him as Ian's mentor and as an insurance policy if Ian craps out.

IMO the best scenario for the Spurs is for Ian and Blair to be able to combine for about 35 minutes a game of effective play. Duncan to play closer to 30 minutes/game and McDyess around 25 minutes. That would leave about 6 minutes a game for the other bigs.

[buttsR4rebounding]

I don't think manu is the slowest it's between Ian or Blair.

Blair won't be running. He will be throwing his 10th outlet pass of the game...

[Spursfan 87]

While Josh Childress (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Josh-Childress-1988/) has been the major attraction for scouts evaluating this year’s overseas free agent crop, Marcus Haislip (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Marcus-Haislip-2681/) has provided quite a bit of intrigue in his own right. A former lottery pick of the Bucks in 2002, Haislip played only 79 games in his three year NBA career. Discouraged with his lack of development, Milwaukee cut ties with the incredibly raw 6’10 power forward only two seasons into his rookie contract. After spending a season in Indiana as an insurance policy off the bench, he found himself out of the NBA.

Four years later, Haislip has established himself as not only one of Europe’s most exciting players, but his skill set is radically different than it was when he left Indianapolis for Istanbul. While Haislip definitely looks like an NBA player at this point, some of the things that kept him from being successful in the League initially are still present in his game.

With three years of European experience under his belt, Haislip is now is his second year with Spanish powerhouse, and Euroleague Final Four contender, Unicaja Malaga. With former Spanish Olympic Team Head Coach Aito Garcia Reneses at the helm, Haislip has led Unicaja’s to arguably the most impressive start in club history. Despite playing next to a handful of other former NBA players in Boniface N'Dong, Robert Archibald (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Robert-Archibald-1524/), Jiri Welsch (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Jiri-Welsch-4812/), and Omar Cook (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Omar-Cook-2055/) (as well as Spanish national team PG Carlos Cabezas (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Carlos-Cabezas-5357/)), Haislip is unquestionably the team’s top option and most dynamic presence.

Through twenty-five games this season (sixteen in the ACB where Unicaja is 12-4, and nine in the Euroleague where they are 7-2) Haislip has put together some very impressive statistical outings, especially in domestic play where he is averaging 16.1 points per game in only 27 minutes of action per-contest. While the athleticism that made Haislip a lottery pick is responsible for some of his success, it’s the development of his offensive repertoire that earns him mention here.

Coming off of a three year career at Tennessee that was characterized by little except a big junior season littered with highlight reel dunks, Haislip lacked the polish to make an impact offensively on the NBA level. Over the last few years, Haislip has become a much more complete player on the offensive end. He has slowly but surely developed the perimeter shooting stroke, ball-handling ability, and scoring instincts that he desperately needed to make a productive NBA career.

This season has been a mixed bag for Haislip as a shooter. His stroke is significantly sounder than it was during his NBA career –now featuring great lift, good mechanics, and a pretty quick release. He shoots a very respectable percentage from three (40.0% in ACB play but only 28.6% in Euroleague games), and shows some inconsistency from the outside. After starting the season on a tear, he’s cooled off significantly, due in part to a groin injury that has limited him since December. Haislip is the definition of a rhythm shooter –connecting at a great clip when he can step into his shot in transition or in drive and dish situations. However, his mechanics don’t allow much room for error, and Haislip has struggled mightily since hurting his groin, which has limited his ability to elevate like he usually does. After spending the first few months of the season amongst the most efficient three point shooters in the ACB, Haislip has fallen back to earth –missing all eight of his attempts over Unicaja’s last three games. Despite these struggles, Haislip has become a legitimate three point threat, and his current shooting percentage seems to reflect his true shooting ability better than it was early in the year. On the season as a whole, he is shooting 34/91 from beyond the arc, or 37%.

In addition to adding a perimeter shot to his repertoire, Haislip has also become more comfortable attacking the basket when he receives the ball on the outside. He’s not a flashy ball handler, but his explosive first step makes it tough for the majority of power forwards to stay in front of him, which helps him draw plenty of fouls. The improvements in his outside shot force defenders to respect his range, and this allows him to take advantage and attack the rim. Aito Garcia Reneses does a very good job creating space for Haislip to go one-on-one against his defender in his offensive sets. Despite showing solid mechanics on his pull up jumper, Haislip prefers to take the ball to the rim when he puts it on the floor. He’s a fantastic finisher at this level due to his athleticism, and does a nice job taking contact and getting to the line when he can’t blow past the defense and create an easy look. His ability to recognize when he should and shouldn’t drive has helped him significantly, and his perimeter shot selection appears much better for this reason.

While Haislip is significantly more polished in some aspects of the game, he still struggles in others. Despite being taller and vastly more athletic than the players attempting to defend him, Haislip struggles to score on the block. The mechanics on his jumper don’t allow him to make many shots off balance or attempting to maneuver away from defenders. His tendency to force some shots from the post only makes this feature of his shot more apparent. While he’ll knock down a periodic turnaround jumper or short-hook shot, he could stand to develop better shooting touch around the basket, face up more often, and look to pass out of the post more often.

While Haislip still struggles in some areas offensively, his lack of progress in other areas is more troubling. Averaging only 5.2 rebounds in ACB play (4.6 in Euroleague games), it is apparent that the athletically gifted forward isn’t making a concerted effort to make an impact on the glass. Though some of this lack of production can be attributed to the presence of good rebounders such as Boniface N’Dong, Robert Archibald (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Robert-Archibald-1524/), and Unicaja mainstay Carlos Jimenez (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Carlos-Jimenez-5429/), Haislip often doesn’t look to rebound outside of his area. In addition to not showing ideal effort on the glass, Haislip shows even less effort on the defensive end. His 7.8 rebounds per-40 minutes is an extremely poor figure, and is indicative of the type of rebounder he’s been throughout his entire career.

Despite being able to come up with an occasional highlight reel block, Haislip usually looks disinterested on the defensive end. He has the tools to alter some shots each game, but doesn’t show great awareness when defending the weak-side. His lack of bulk will get him into some trouble on the block, but he actually does a nice job going straight up and not fouling –though he doesn’t do a great job keeping up with pump fakes and up-and-under moves.

Even though he isn’t all that engaged on the defensive end, he is more than capable of defending perimeter oriented big men effectively. Given his lateral quickness, wingspan, and leaping ability, Haislip has all the tools to be at the very least a solid defender. However, it seems somewhat unlikely that he will begin to buy into that end of the floor at this point in his career. While this is something that he could definitely stand to work on, Aito has shown that Haislip’s inconsistent defensive intensity isn’t impossible to plan around with the right personnel in place.

Despite still having some nagging weaknesses, there is absolutely no question that Haislip has developed into an NBA player. With that said, he'll likely need to rebound from his shooting slump and carry his team deep into Euroleague play to draw serious enough offers to make the economics of a return trip across the pond worthwhile. If he shows a bit more defensive intensity and continues to produce as such a high rate, he should have no problem finding interest come this summer. Whether or not NBA teams can compete with the multi-million dollar offers that are likely coming his way in Europe remains to be seen, though.


http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Marcus-Haislip-2681/

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

If Haslip can defend he'll be on the active roster.

[spursfaninla]

the draft express was a great read.

Seems that he could be useful as a long 3/small 4 perimeter PF type, which has been a problem historically for us. For instance, against Dirk/odom type players, he could get significant burn at the 4 if he buys into the defensive goals of the team.

I don't see this guy playing much if he doesn't. He knew what he was getting into...unless he thought he could beat out all of the rookies and old men on the front line...

This will be interesting. This guy has a chance to be a solid contributor if he gets his crap together defensively against the right teams. Against teams with 2 post threats, this guy would probably be a liability.

[portnoy1]

I think the Linup maybe

G Parker / Hill
G Mason Jr. / Manu
F Jefferson / ( rotation of Haislip / Hairston / Finley )
F Duncan / Blair
C Mcdyess / ( Rotation of Ratliff / Mahinmi / Haislip at 4 going small )

If anyone of the bigs including haislip plays decent Bonners behind is in a suit, massaging guys backs. Or even better, He is thrown in with someone
( rights to Javotkas,Gist or sanditze or whatever his name is ) on a another team in exchange for a wing defender.

[mudyez]

This video really got me excited about him. We can actually expect these types of plays from him since this video is only highlights from the last two seasons.

5aXqwUXy2cw

while these vids are worth nothing (you just dont see anything else than some athletic playes), its nice to see him dunk over Splitter :)