McDonald: The Gist Conundrum

[duncan228]

The Gist conundrum (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/10/the-gist-conund.html#more)
By Jeff McDonald

Fact: The Spurs like James Gist, and believe he can be an NBA player.
Fact: The Spurs consider Gist to be a part of their plans down the road.
Opinion: Gist is probably could enough to make an NBA roster right now.

Two facts, one opinion, all of which adds up to one more counterintuitive fact:

James Gist won't play for the Spurs this season.

Gist, the Spurs' second-round pick in 2008, was denied an invitation to training camp for the second summer in a row. He was denied an invitation precisely because the Spurs believe all of the above.

It's a simple matter of arithmetic. The Spurs have 14 players with guaranteed contracts in camp. They can only keep 15 players. The final spot is likely to come down to a battle between Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams.

By leaving Gist unsigned and likely allowing him to sharpen his game overseas for another season, they retain his NBA rights.

In an alternate universe somewhere, the Spurs sign Gist to a training camp contract and he doesn't make the team due to an already loaded frontcourt. The Spurs are forced to waive him, which in turn makes him available to every other team in the NBA.

It is precisely because they think so highly of him that the Spurs didn't invite Gist to camp.

Meanwhile, his exclusion underscores the competitiveness of the Spurs' current camp. The team sincerely believes all 18 players here are good enough to play in the NBA. The fight for the final spot could be a battle royale.

"We'll do it like 'Dancing With the Stars,' " Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "We could have a vote for who is going to stay."

The disheartening thing is, the three players who don't make the cut could have trouble latching on elsewhere. Though the Spurs are expected to fill a full 15 roster spots, more teams will keep fewer players due to the sluggish economy.

One Western Conference owner is rumored to have asked his front office if they could live with 13 players in training camp (the answer, of course, was no).

"The way the league is, there aren't going to be many teams carrying 14 or 15 people, just because of economics," Popovich said. "There may be some guys out of a job in the league this year that were on a team last year."

In a way, Gist is one of the lucky ones. He isn't on an NBA team, but there is still the possibility of an NBA job in his future someday.

[Dex]

At least we can all still pick on Jeff. This journalism is just not could enough.

[benefactor]

I'm wondering how much good another year in Europe will do for him. He is going to more of a PF over there and I just don't see him being big or strong enough to make it as one in the NBA. IMO he should go to the Toros so he can play some SF and work on his ball handling and passing.

[Mel_13]

Jeff really doesn't understand how these things work and doesn't mind publishing the proof.

[Russ]

The Gist conundrum (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/10/the-gist-conund.html#more)
By Jeff McDonald

It's a simple matter of arithmetic. The Spurs have 14 players with guaranteed contracts in camp. They can only keep 15 players.

Parlez vous?

[Kobayagi]

At least we can all still pick on Jeff. This journalism is just not could enough.

lol

[lurker23]

I like Gist (and apparently so do the Spurs) but the roster is just too crowded this year, especially at the big man positions. Hopefully he'll have a shot next year when some of them are gone, barring another flurry of quality signings next summer. After the signings of Blair, Haislip, McDyess, and Ratliff, I had a feeling there wasn't any room for him this year...


I think if it was a done deal, it would have happened already.

I still think they'll try to get one or both of them to go to Europe.


True, but from the sound bites I've heard from the organization, it sounds like they're high on Hairston, Williams, Gist, and McClinton. If you sign all 4 to camp, you're guaranteed to lose the rights to 2 of them, and potentially 3 if you choose to carry 14 guys into the season. I guess the Spurs could be looking at this from a different angle than me, but if I'm the Spurs, that kind of decimation of domestic rights is unacceptable.

[phyzik]

At least we can all still pick on Jeff. This journalism is just not could enough.

Ahh yes, even on the bad days when the Spurs lose we still have Jeff to show our angst to, Im thankfull he's at least could enough for that. :lol

[timvp]

Gist deserves credit for not pulling a McClintock (or whatever that guy's name was :smokin) and not turning down the request to go overseas. He obviously wanted to come to the NBA this year but luckily he's willing to delay that once again and wait until next season.

Hopefully he uses the time to figure out which position he wants to play and return to his high energy style he illustrated in his first summer league campaign.

[coyotes_geek]

I'm wondering how much good another year in Europe will do for him. He is going to more of a PF over there and I just don't see him being big or strong enough to make it as one in the NBA. IMO he should go to the Toros so he can play some SF and work on his ball handling and passing.

More money for him in europe. Which is fine. We should just be thankful because he's doing the Spurs a favor. He could have forced his way into free agency just like McClinton did.

[timvp]

In Jack's defense, he is good enough to play in the NBA right now
Not sure about that. He was one of the worst players on any team in summer league. If the Spurs wouldn't have had some investment in him, he probably would have played less than Squeaky Johnson.

Maybe he was in a massive slump but he hasn't shown anything on the pro level that he's close to being ready.

[SenorSpur]

Perhaps with Gist's poor SL showing, it was easier to convince him to do another tour of duty in Europe. That, along with the prospects for an already-stacked frontcourt, the handwriting was on the wall for this year. He obviously trusts the Spurs braintrust and believes that he's got a future with this organization.

[benefactor]

More money for him in europe. Which is fine. We should just be thankful because he's doing the Spurs a favor. He could have forced his way into free agency just like McClinton did.
Yeah...I know its more money and less grinding. I still worry about him playing out of position over there because the competition is not as big as the NBA. He is the size of a Euro PF but not an NBA PF.

[Kori Ellis]

Slumps happen. Hot shooting happens. Tolliver could shoot and he happened to go lights out at summer league. As soon as he couldn't hit shots in the NBA he was cut. Jack signed with the right team. When Al jefferson passes the ball out to him out of double teams Jack will hit the shot. He could have been good with the Spurs, but he got involved in the numbers game.

Statistically I believe he was the best shooter in the NCAA last season.

Whatever he did in college doesn't mean he's going to get his shot off in the NBA. Even ignoring the slump, he's going to have to work extremely hard to actual make it because of his size.

[coyotes_geek]

Yeah...I know its more money and less grinding. I still worry about him playing out of position over there because the competition is not as big as the NBA. He is the size of a Euro PF but not an NBA PF.

It's a valid concern. Hopefully the Spurs sent him off with some things they'd like him to work on.

[The Truth #6]

Hopefully our European posters can keep us up to date on Gist. If he can add skill to his game and maintain the high energy play he showed his first SL, then he could be a prospect. Perhaps if he shows good improvement he can replace Bonner when his contract expires at the end of this season?

[EricB]

Just to let you guys know, I got word that Gist is going to return to Europe.

Good for him.

Hope he improves.

[DPG21920]

What did JM say that was incorrect?

[EricB]

What did JM say that was incorrect?

Nothing, its just the journalist geniuses had to get their say in..

[Kori Ellis]

Nothing, its just the journalist geniuses had to get their say in..


Opinion: Gist is probably could enough to make an NBA roster right now.

[Kori Ellis]

notice how nobody scoffs Kori Ellis for her typo

:lol Except, I'm writing on my personal forum, not being paid to write for the newspaper.

But you can scoff me if you want. I don't really care obviously, or I would have fixed it.

[DPG21920]

Ya, I saw the typo, but it seemed like people were at odds over something he said factually.

[Darkwaters]

How about we trade Gist's rights and McDonald for another journalist.

[crc21209]

Gist must really wanna be on the Spurs more than any other team or otherwise he would've pulled a McClinton on us and said "Fuck going overseas." :lol

[mountainballer]

I'm wondering how much good another year in Europe will do for him. He is going to more of a PF over there and I just don't see him being big or strong enough to make it as one in the NBA. IMO he should go to the Toros so he can play some SF and work on his ball handling and passing.

I share your point, but I don't see how D-league would solve this. so I think another year in Europe will be better for him, the important question will be, what team is the right one for him.
btw. Biella might be even more the right team than the season before. they brought in a lot of size (Plisnic, Kieron, Pervis), but at the wing there is still room after the departure of Jerebko.
I wonder if they are still waiting for Gist. if he goes back to Biella, he should see more minutes at SF. and this might be the best for his further development.

[Bruno]

Biella will have to waive one of its American players if they want to sign Gist.

[tav1]

Biella will have to waive one of its American players if they want to sign Gist.

It may not be Angelica...