McDonald:Decision day for Hairston

[Spurs Brazil]

Decision day for Hairston
By Jeff McDonald on Jan 5, 10 06:37 PM |

In the 19 months since being drafted into the NBA, Malik Hairston's career has enjoyed more ups and downs than a pogo stick.

The Spurs have waived him twice, re-signed him twice and sent him to the NBA Development league three times. Now comes the latest most important date in Hairston's pro hoops odyssey.

Come Wednesday, the Spurs must decide whether to keep him on the roster — and thus guarantee the remainder of his contract — or waive him to keep from doing so.

Basically, before the end of official business tomorrow, Hairston will know whether he still has an NBA job or not. As of Tuesday evening, the Spurs' brass was still weighing the merits of keeping the second-year swingman, or cutting him loose.

The argument for keeping Hairston: The Spurs like him. He is young, athletic and a capable defender, a player they believe has some sort of future in the NBA. He played well enough during summer league and in the preseason to warrant a contract, and really hasn't had a chance to prove himself this season. He should probably be back in the Development League, where he can get minutes and sharpen his game — but Michael Finley's sprained ankle in early December required an extra body on the big club. It's not Hairston's fault he isn't getting more playing time to show what he can do.

The argument for not keeping Hairston: Times are tough, and the payroll already puts the Spurs over the luxury tax threshold. Including the dollar-for-dollar tax bill, waiving Hairston before his money is guaranteed saves the Spurs somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.4 million. That's chump change, but in a season in which the Spurs are sure to lose money, every cost-cutting measure helps. Plus, losing Hairston would free up a roster spot, giving the Spurs a bit of flexibility should they feel the need to add a more substantial piece later on.

Which way will the Spurs go? In less than 24 hours, everyone — including Hairston himself — will know. Right now, it could go either way.

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2010/01/decision-day-fo.html

[dbestpro]

Cut everybody that is labled as having "some sort of future in the NBA" and only keep players who can play now.

[Blackjack]

Plus, losing Hairston would free up a roster spot, giving the Spurs a bit of flexibility should they feel the need to add a more substantial piece later on.

And that would be the reasoning I'd expect they'd use if they did decided to let him go. I just can't believe the guaranteeing of his contract (chump change, really, when considering where they're already at) would be what prevented him from sticking this time; they're going to need cheap options to fill the roster next year and they're not likely to find better options than Hairston to do so.

You're my boy, 'Lik! (in his best Will Ferrell)

[koriwhat]

i say keep him. hairston is the shit!

[ffadicted]

Hairston has done nothing to impress me. I wouldn't care either way

[PDXSpursFan]

waive him and open roster spot for another big

[thispego]

1.4 mill is not chump change, especially to the spurs.

[z0sa]

Hairston has done nothing to impress me. I wouldn't care either way

Has Pop given him much of a chance?

[easy7]

With the Spurs being over the cap I don't see him staying...

[Mel_13]

If Mark Stein is right, Malik's contract became fully guaranteed at some point in December. From his Weekend Dime:

Four other players had partially guaranteed deals that, as stipulated in their contracts, became fully guaranteed in December: Boston's Lester Hudson ($150,000 of his $457,588 salary was guaranteed); Cleveland's Danny Green ($140,000 of his $457,588 salary was guaranteed); Indiana's Luther Head ($250,000 of his $884,861 salary was guaranteed); and San Antonio's Malik Hairston ($50,000 of his $736,420 salary was guaranteed).

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100101-02/weekend-dime-best-worst-decades-five

[ffadicted]

Has Pop given him much of a chance?

No, but that's what I mean. If he's not gonna be used outside of garbage minutes, why not clear a spot and save 1.4 mil? If he's sent to the D-League or something cuz the spurs want him to develop and comes back at a later date to produce, so be it. But the truth remains that he hasn't done anything at the NBA level to impress anybody.

That's why I say I didn't care lol

[admiralsnackbar]

I say we let him go.

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll320/snackbar50/Pee-Wee-755784.jpg

JK

[silverblackfan]

I like this guy, its a shame he hasn't got many minutes. He is good on both sides of the court and improving. I honestly would rather see him play than Finley.
I think next year we will wish we still had him if he is cut.

[Baseline]

Unfortunately for Hairston, the Spurs are paying Haislip about what Hairston would be getting.

So I don't see the Spurs keeping Malik. I think they'll try to save the 1.4M. You can't really blame them if Pop isn't going to play Malik anyway.

But I agree with the posters who have said they'd rather see Malik play rather than Finley. Finley is making 2.5M this year. We could have Malik for three years for that kind of money.

[JR3]

cut him. He won't see the floor so whats the point? I'd feel better knowing the Spurs save 1.4 million. Holt deserves that. If we are going to be over the cap, we should make every dime worth it. This is not worth it. Not now anyways... he wont play this year. I'd rather take my chances and let him go. The spurs can draft someone just as good, if not better next year. He is not a rare talent.

[Spursfan 87]

I think next year we will wish we still had him if he is cut.

:tu

[blkroadrunners]

I don't care what they do w/ him. He's already closing in on 23.

[Supergirl]

My one-game analysis is that this guy is not worth keeping if there's someone else who is available for the roster spot. I went to the game against the Heat and since it became a blow out by the fourth quarter I got to see plenty of Haislip and Hairston. My observation is that the latter (I had to double check his number, which is #1, to make sure the one I noted was the right one) is terrible. He turned over the ball repeatedly and failed to make shots, rebound, or defend. Yes, it's garbage time, but that's your time to shine. And in that game, he didn't do so.

Haislip, on the other hand, looked pretty good. FYI

[DPG21920]

That is such faulty analysis. Yes, in that one game Malik played poorly and Haislip played well all things considered.

But so far, Malik has shown much more than Haislip, although neither have proven to be a sure thing at this level.

[HarlemHeat37]

LOL @ one-game analysis..

Cutting Hairston would make no sense to me..he DOESN'T affect the 2009-2010 Spurs, but he would affect the future, as soon as next year..with Finley and Mason on expiring contracts, with the Spurs hoping to bring in Splitter, with the Spurs having to shell out some $ for some of our other free agents..having a guy like Hairston that is on a cheap contract makes a lot of sense, especially if we lose Mason..

Hairston HAS produced on every level when he's been given the playing time..

He had 5 NBA games last year where he played 20 or more minutes..22 minutes, 9.2 PPG, 56% FG, 3.4 RPG, 1 steal and 1 block per game against other team's rotation/bench players..very respectable numbers for a rookie role player..he also outplayed his counterpart in the majority of those minutes..

He outplayed his opposition in every SL game, and he was the most consistent performer we had..

The past preseason was the same thing..he impressed enough to get a contract with a team that pretty much knew he wasn't going to play..

The Spurs franchise desperately needs project players..this is one of them..getting rid of him and continuing to rely on old role players would be stupid IMO..

[Baseline]

LOL @ one-game analysis..

Cutting Hairston would make no sense to me..he DOESN'T affect the 2009-2010 Spurs, but he would affect the future, as soon as next year..with Finley and Mason on expiring contracts, with the Spurs hoping to bring in Splitter, with the Spurs having to shell out some $ for some of our other free agents..having a guy like Hairston that is on a cheap contract makes a lot of sense, especially if we lose Mason..

Hairston HAS produced on every level when he's been given the playing time..

He had 5 NBA games last year where he played 20 or more minutes..22 minutes, 9.2 PPG, 56% FG, 3.4 RPG, 1 steal and 1 block per game against other team's rotation/bench players..very respectable numbers for a rookie role player..he also outplayed his counterpart in the majority of those minutes..

He outplayed his opposition in every SL game, and he was the most consistent performer we had..

The past preseason was the same thing..he impressed enough to get a contract with a team that pretty much knew he wasn't going to play..

The Spurs franchise desperately needs project players..this is one of them..getting rid of him and continuing to rely on old role players would be stupid IMO..

All good points. The reality is that the decision will have more to do witht he 1.4M than with Malik.

However, it they keep him, it will speak volumes.

[Libri]

i say keep him. hairston is the shit!

Yup, I would also like for the Spurs to keep him. He usually makes a good play as soon as he gets in the game.

[Thompson]

So is it official yet? Did they keep him, or was he waived? I hope spursdotcom or someone provides us with an answer soon.

[DPG21920]

Probably won't know until later in the week.

[024]

i thought it would be an easy decision to keep hairston . apparently not. him being on the team may not be justified this year but next year when bogans, mason, finley, and ginobili's contracts all expire, he would be a cheap option.

[Spurs Brazil]

Hairston stays
By Jeff McDonald on Jan 6, 10 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share Yahoo! BuzzYahoo! Newsvine del.icio.us Facebook Google Reddit Fark
The happiest man in the AT&T Center tonight: Malik Hairston.

Hairston, a second-year swingman, survived the NBA's contract cut day. All players still on a roster by the close of business today have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

By not waiving him, the Spurs have agreed to pay the balance of his $736,420 contract. In a general sense, it probably means Hairston will have a job for the rest of the season.

He'll hang on to the Spurs' 15th roster spot, and will probably head to Austin once Michael Finley recovers from his ankle sprain.

"He's worked very hard the last couple years," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He has improved. He has shown the skills we appreciate, so he was rewarded."

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2010/01/hairston-stays.html

[Thompson]

I assume if he's on the bench he's here to stay, right? I hope they wouldn't play him and then say "Great game, now get out."

[Thompson]

(double post)

[TheProfessor]

"He's worked very hard the last couple years," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He has improved. He has shown the skills we appreciate, so he was rewarded."
:tu

[DPG21920]

This is great news and a surprise. I am very happy for Malik :tu

[ChumpDumper]

I assume if he's on the bench he's here to stay, right? I hope they wouldn't play him and then say "Great game, now get out."Well, they'd have to pay him his full salary. That would seem to be kind of a waste.

[SenorSpur]

Hairston stays
By Jeff McDonald on Jan 6, 10 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share Yahoo! BuzzYahoo! Newsvine del.icio.us Facebook Google Reddit Fark
The happiest man in the AT&T Center tonight: Malik Hairston.

Hairston, a second-year swingman, survived the NBA's contract cut day. All players still on a roster by the close of business today have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

By not waiving him, the Spurs have agreed to pay the balance of his $736,420 contract. In a general sense, it probably means Hairston will have a job for the rest of the season.

He'll hang on to the Spurs' 15th roster spot, and will probably head to Austin once Michael Finley recovers from his ankle sprain.

"He's worked very hard the last couple years," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He has improved. He has shown the skills we appreciate, so he was rewarded."

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2010/01/hairston-stays.html

:tu :tu to the Spurs on making this sound decision.

...and a big :tu to HarlemHeat for his keen observation on how it makes sense for the Spurs to invest in some cheap project players. Couldn't agree more. With the salary situation stretched the way that it is and in order to build depth, the Spurs SHOULD replace the older, end-of-the-line, veterans, with some up-and-coming, younger, cheaper, talent. Hairston is a good start.

[loveforthegame]

Congrats to Hairston. It's shame he won't see any playing time this year unless the Spurs make a trade freeing up some minutes for him.

I'm glad they recognize his improvement and willingness to work hard but I'm a little surprised they're paying him since he isn't playing much.

[dbestpro]

Waste of money. Glad it ain't my money. Maybe he can be used in a trade.

[benefactor]

Waste of money. Glad it ain't my money. Maybe he can be used in a trade.
Maybe you can be used in a trade.

[murpjf88]

I can't see him ever being an impact player this year or beyond for the Spurs. But, who knows, maybe one day, he can be a nice role player for some team.

[JR3]

Waste of money. Glad it ain't my money. Maybe he can be used in a trade.

I agree. Hairston is a good player, but not worth it.

[benefactor]

I can't see him ever being an impact player this year or beyond for the Spurs. But, who knows, maybe one day, he can be a nice role player for some team.
He's got a lot of upside, especially on the defensive end. He has been developed through the Toros so he already knows the system very well. With several wings coming off the books he is not a bad depth option to keep around to see how he continues to develop...especially at $854,000 next season.

[murpjf88]

He's got a lot of upside, especially on the defensive end. He has been developed through the Toros so he already knows the system very well. With several wings coming off the books he is not a bad depth option to keep around to see how he continues to develop...especially at $854,000 next season.

Yeah, he has an upside. At that price, its worth giving him a shot. Sending him back to Austin will give him some much needed playing time.

[TD 21]

Hairston shows the potential to be a solid 4th or 5th wing down the line. Next year is likely when his time will come to, if not be in the rotation, at least be active regularly, because the Spurs have five natural SG's under contract and all 5 (including Hairston) are free agents after this season. I expect the Spurs to re-sign Ginobili and Bogans and Finley to retire. That leaves Mason, who I expect the Spurs to attempt to re-sign, but not to break the bank for. Assuming Splitter comes over, both he and Mason will have to be paid out of the MLE and it's doubtful that the Spurs could squeeze both of their salaries into that.

[CGD]

Assuming Splitter comes over, both he and Mason will have to be paid out of the MLE and it's doubtful that the Spurs could squeeze both of their salaries into that.

Spurs possess RMJ Early Bird Rights, therefore if they re-sign him for up to 175% of his salary from this year ($3.7M) the Early Bird Exception applies. This is different than the MLE.

[CGD]

Good for Hairston!

[team-work]

Congratulations, Mr Hairston. Keep working hard!

[silverblackfan]

Great news for Hairston! I am glad the Spurs continue to show they are a class organization that rewards hard work and improvement. Not only does he provide good backup insurance for the possible loss of some of the wings next year, but he is cheap and plays good defense.
Even better, how many guys are going to see that the Spurs are rewarding the hard effort and persistance? This will have ripples far beyond this signing for future role players.

[ulosturedge]

They are obviously thinking of the future. Finley won't be resigned, Mason might possibly not get resigned, and even Manu isn't guaranteed to be a Spur next year. I can't believe some of you guys are just writing him off. Just for the sheer fact that it seems we are doing fine without him yall are all ready to throw him under the bus now. I think he still has plenty of upside we haven't seen yet. It's not his fault he hasn't had a chance to prove himself or contribute to the team, and it's also obvious that Pop has seen alot more from him then we have behind closed doors. Good for Malik.

[angelbelow]

I think this is a good move.. granted we don't have roster flexibility but there is no guarantee that we'll be in position to use it.

[raspsa]

Malik is there to provide insurance at SF position. For nest year, things may open up and he should get more PT.

[HarlemHeat37]

I think it's much more than insurance..Finley went down and Hairston still hasn't received any minutes, so I don't think that's the case..

I think it's clear that they view him as a guy that will help the Spurs as soon as next year, which is the only possible reason they would keep him and keep talking about him in such a positive way IMO..

Chances like this are big for guys like Hairston..he's already proven to be a very hard worker, which is clear for anybody that has followed him..he had to transition his game to the pro game, which wouldn't have been possible had he kept his college playing style..it's also obvious with the improvement he made in 1 year, which speaks volumes on his work ethic..

You combine his work ethic + his natural abilities + the chance to play a role for a franchise/coach that is known to have a system that emphasizes role players as well as any system in the NBA, and he'll have a chance to be a long-term role player IMO..a lot of guys fall out of the NBA because they don't receive the right opportunity + they don't work hard..barring a trade that will help get the Spurs a significant piece, he'll get a very legit opportunity next year as the #4 wing player IMO..

[lurker23]

I think it's much more than insurance..Finley went down and Hairston still hasn't received any minutes, so I don't think that's the case..

I think it's clear that they view him as a guy that will help the Spurs as soon as next year, which is the only possible reason they would keep him and keep talking about him in such a positive way IMO..

Chances like this are big for guys like Hairston..he's already proven to be a very hard worker, which is clear for anybody that has followed him..he had to transition his game to the pro game, which wouldn't have been possible had he kept his college playing style..it's also obvious with the improvement he made in 1 year, which speaks volumes on his work ethic..

You combine his work ethic + his natural abilities + the chance to play a role for a franchise/coach that is known to have a system that emphasizes role players as well as any system in the NBA, and he'll have a chance to be a long-term role player IMO..a lot of guys fall out of the NBA because they don't receive the right opportunity + they don't work hard..barring a trade that will help get the Spurs a significant piece, he'll get a very legit opportunity next year as the #4 wing player IMO..

As weird as this may sound only a few months into Keith Bogans tenure as a Spur, perhaps Bogans' current role is a prototype of how they might throw Hairston into the fire next year.

[HoopsCzar]

If Mark Stein is right, Malik's contract became fully guaranteed at some point in December. From his Weekend Dime:

Four other players had partially guaranteed deals that, as stipulated in their contracts, became fully guaranteed in December: Boston's Lester Hudson ($150,000 of his $457,588 salary was guaranteed); Cleveland's Danny Green ($140,000 of his $457,588 salary was guaranteed); Indiana's Luther Head ($250,000 of his $884,861 salary was guaranteed); and San Antonio's Malik Hairston ($50,000 of his $736,420 salary was guaranteed).

http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-100101-02/weekend-dime-best-worst-decades-five

No Mel,..

That piece states that $50,000.00 thousand of Hairston's contract was guaranteed at that time. In non guaranteed NBA contracts there are generally " two " important obligatory time lines in regards to agreement. The first being a partial sum guarantee and the later being the total contract guarantee.

In this case what Stein pointed out was the partial being obligated to fulfill and now comes the all too important remainder of the contract agreement being retained for full payment.

[HoopsCzar]

Hairston stays
By Jeff McDonald on Jan 6, 10 06:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share Yahoo! BuzzYahoo! Newsvine del.icio.us Facebook Google Reddit Fark
The happiest man in the AT&T Center tonight: Malik Hairston.

Hairston, a second-year swingman, survived the NBA's contract cut day. All players still on a roster by the close of business today have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season.

By not waiving him, the Spurs have agreed to pay the balance of his $736,420 contract. In a general sense, it probably means Hairston will have a job for the rest of the season.

He'll hang on to the Spurs' 15th roster spot, and will probably head to Austin once Michael Finley recovers from his ankle sprain.

"He's worked very hard the last couple years," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He has improved. He has shown the skills we appreciate, so he was rewarded."

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2010/01/hairston-stays.html

Great news for Hairston,..

But beyond that he hasn't developed any shot range accuracy and at his position and what this team needs it's not a plus for this version of the Spurs.

[mountainballer]

I think it's much more than insurance..Finley went down and Hairston still hasn't received any minutes, so I don't think that's the case..

I think it's clear that they view him as a guy that will help the Spurs as soon as next year, which is the only possible reason they would keep him and keep talking about him in such a positive way IMO..


I see him as kind of an insurance, but not for this season and not for injury issues.
he is an insurance for the Spurs bargaining marathon for the wing position in the 2010 off season.
4 contracts expire (Manu, Mason, Fin, Bogans) and to make things even more complicated, the plan A seems to use the MLE (or a big part from it) to bring in Splitter. Spurs would be forced to either sign minimum players as replacements (not good if you want to stay competitive), or they will be in a weak negotiating position with the own FAs.
Having Hairston under contract doesn't solve this dilemma, but it certainly helps a bit.

[SpurNation]

Good decision IMO. I believe Hairston could be as productive as Bogan's if given more minutes. It's just that it's hard for him to get those minutes when others are playing just as well or better and making more money than he.

Having someone else on the team that makes more money and playing less just to let Hairston get more minutes would be more of a waste than the situation now.

Plus...even after his ankle heals...Finely might not be able to play at a high level anymore. And...If (heaven forbid) Bogan's should get injured...who else on this team could step in to that role?

[Mel_13]

No Mel,..

That piece states that $50,000.00 thousand of Hairston's contract was guaranteed at that time. In non guaranteed NBA contracts there are generally " two " important obligatory time lines in regards to agreement. The first being a partial sum guarantee and the later being the total contract guarantee.

In this case what Stein pointed out was the partial being obligated to fulfill and now comes the all too important remainder of the contract agreement being retained for full payment.

Actually, yes. Read the article in the link.

Stein presented three categories of players:

1. Players with no partial guarantees.

2. Players with partial guarantees who had to make it past Jan 6th to have the remainder of their contract fully guaranteed.

3. Players with partial guarantees who had contract provisions that fully guaranteed their contracts at some point in December. Hairston and three other players fell into that group.

If one believes that Stein has better sources than McDonald then there was no decision to made on Hairston yesterday. That decision had already been made at some point in December.




There was discussion at the beginning of November about Malik's future after the date passed on which the 50K guarantee was fulfilled. The Spurs have apparently made the decision speculated about at that time. That is, the extra expenses this year are justified to insure a cheap rotation player next year.


If everything we thought we knew about Malik's contract situation is true, specifically that the Spurs are now incurring costs beyond the 50K guarantee, what does that say about Malik's future with the Spurs?

I'd like to believe that it means that the Spurs have decided that Malik has a future with the team beyond this season. With Manu, Mason, Finley, and Bogans all in the last year of their contracts, the Spurs may have decided that it is worth the extra expense this year to be guaranteed a cheap wing player for next year.

[timvp]

Props again to Peter Holt and the ownership group. Even though the Spurs aren't off to a great start, they are willing to throw more money into the team in hopes of bringing another championship. $1.4 million is a lot of money to spend on a player who is unlikely to see a meaningful minute this season.

As far as Hairston is concerned, he just hasn't played enough to get any kind of read on him. He's play poorly at times in garbage minutes but that doesn't mean much. We'll get a better idea when he goes to Austin.

One skill that Hairston continues to display is his ability to block the shots of jumpshooters. I haven't seen somebody that good at blocking jumpshots since Dee Brown in his prime.

[silverblackfan]

Props again to Peter Holt and the ownership group. Even though the Spurs aren't off to a great start, they are willing to throw more money into the team in hopes of bringing another championship. $1.4 million is a lot of money to spend on a player who is unlikely to see a meaningful minute this season.

As far as Hairston is concerned, he just hasn't played enough to get any kind of read on him. He's play poorly at times in garbage minutes but that doesn't mean much. We'll get a better idea when he goes to Austin.

One skill that Hairston continues to display is his ability to block the shots of jumpshooters. I haven't seen somebody that good at blocking jumpshots since Dee Brown in his prime.

Yeah, he has surprising hops and that gets to the release faster than the shooter expected. One has to wonder if shooters will compensate for this when he is playing more regularly. If only he had the length of Hill, boy would we have a jumping bean...

[DaBears]

I dont ever see the guy be a top player in the league, but he does have his monents and is a capable fill in.. If spurs cut him im sure he'll get a shot later down the road or on another team.

[dbestpro]

I dont ever see the guy be a top player in the league, but he does have his monents and is a capable fill in.. If spurs cut him im sure he'll get a shot later down the road or on another team.

The way the league is right now, his next stop would be Europe. Many teams do not want to be anywhere near the 15 man limit. It does allow for issues regarding trades. His salary does do much for a trade. If he starts to get more minutes then the team could be setting up some of the more expensive players in front of him for a trade. Otherwise, he is just here for practice, If it is just about the future you will see him sent to the D league as soon as he is active. Sure wish Pop would do someting with Ian. Trade him, play him, let him carry the water. Also, Haislip looks like he could be a rotation player and should start getting some time. Actually, our third string is pretty tough when you think aout it.

[Phenomanul]

Props again to Peter Holt and the ownership group. Even though the Spurs aren't off to a great start, they are willing to throw more money into the team in hopes of bringing another championship. $1.4 million is a lot of money to spend on a player who is unlikely to see a meaningful minute this season.

As far as Hairston is concerned, he just hasn't played enough to get any kind of read on him. He's play poorly at times in garbage minutes but that doesn't mean much. We'll get a better idea when he goes to Austin.

One skill that Hairston continues to display is his ability to block the shots of jumpshooters. I haven't seen somebody that good at blocking jumpshots since Dee Brown in his prime.


That block to end the game last night was pretty impressive... on a hook shot no less... :wow

Very few NBA forwards have the tools to do what Hairston did on that one play....

As long as his handles keep improving, and with that type of work ethic... he will continue giving the FO fits... In this case, I believe they made the right choice in keeping him around...

[SenorSpur]

It's too bad the kid is so far down on the SG food chain that he's not getting any minutes. I expect he will head back to Austin once Finley returns. It's very important that this kid continue to develop and keep getting better, so he'll be ready to step into the rotation next season.

[NFGIII]

That block to end the game last night was pretty impressive... on a hook shot no less... :wow

Very few NBA forwards have the tools to do what Hairston did on that one play....

As long as his handles keep improving, and with that type of work ethic... he will continue giving the FO fits... In this case, I believe they made the right choice in keeping him around...

Agreed. The FO made the right decision on Malik. All he needs is time to continue his development.


It's too bad the kid is so far down on the SG food chain that he's not getting any minutes. I expect he will head back to Austin once Finley returns. It's very important that this kid continue to develop and keep getting better, so he'll be ready to step into the rotation next season.

:tu

Next year will most likely be his make or break year. Frankly I can't believe what I'm about to write. I want Finley back now so Malik can go to Austin and play more. This kid just needs to play as much as possible.

[Quiet Strength]

I'm glad he's staying. I think if any other team got him and gave him enough playing time he would be a pretty good player maybe better. He would probably kill the spurs like every other player does when they leave. Since the spurs are keeping him.. I hope he gets more playing time.