duncan228
01-15-2010, 04:30 PM
Why DeJuan Blair Went So Late (http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/01/15/why-dejuan-blair-went-so-late/)
By Bethlehem Shoals
On Wednesday, Spurs second-rounder DeJuan Blair went for an ungodly 28 points and 21 boards against the Thunder. Blair, a rebounding machine who came out of some unknown school called "Pitt," hit the OKC with exactly what that team needs to make its cipher complete. Though for the record, some of us yet believe that Serge Ibaka will grow into that duty.
Regardless, OKC could've easily had Blair on their roster, as could every other team in the NBA. For once, the Spurs didn't pull off a move that required genius; they just picked up a player whom some had projected to go mid-first.
These are the days of miracles and wonders, which is why things are jumping the eff off over at Darnell Mayberry's Thunder Rumblings (http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2010/01/14/the-desire-for-dejuan-blair/?custom_click=lead_story_title). Perhaps drunk off the novelty of Sam Presti having made a mistake, a whole city wonders why they have B.J. Mullens, not Blair, on their roster.
Mayberry, ever the peacemaker, arrives at the following special place:
But the draft, as we all know, is based on potential. Are we to assume Blair has more upside than Mullens? The Thunder might have made the right call in passing on Blair. OKC might have blown it. Only time will tell. But where will Blair be when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Jeff Green are hitting their strides five years from now? How will those knees, with their missing ACLs, have held up? Will Blair still be the same outstanding dirty worker or just an ordinary 25-year-old with no lift?
How you like them apples, Mr. 20/20? The plot thickens, though. The Thunder aren't the only team that passed on Blair. I'm pretty sure all of them did, which means all local papers might do well to ask Mr. Mayberry to work his magic on their picks. Or, they could read this post, where myself and Tom Ziller will offer each NBA team who passed on Blair their very own personal rationalization. If any of these ever find their way into the press, the fee is two dollars.
Note: We started with the teams that had picked once all the better players were off the board. The Kings will never have to apologize for taking Tyreke Evans over Blair.
Atlanta: Getting Blair would have guaranteed a bloody fistfight between the rookie and an angered Kendrick Perkins. Stern did early damage control, convincing Rick Sund that Blair was missing those ACLs and one of his lungs. Too risky.
Utah: The Carlos Boozer situation, resigning Paul Millsap, and exactly how those two pieces fit together, gave us the closest the Jazz gets to a circus. Sloan doesn't even tell his kids about elephants. So they really needed another power forward?
New Orleans: Life under Chris Paul is delicate, and bulls like Blair upset gravity a little too much in breakable situations. Besides, Ike Diogu was a free agent!
Portland: Let's just say it again, Ike Diogu is a great person. Wasn't he on Portland? No? Whatever, the Blazers had to take Spanish SF Victor Claver for the fans. When a kid likes a doughnut, you give him another one.
Sacramento: Mayor Kevin Johnson's well-timed executive order forced Petrie's hand with Omri Casspi. The "Make Sacramento Attractive to New Yorker Ex-Pats Plan" continues to develop.
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki, devotee of stretching, don't trust anyone missing ligaments. Veto power.
Oklahoma City: Case already closed.
Chicago: Taj Gibson was an even bigger reach.
Memphis: Even more the case for DeMarre Carroll! This is unreal. It's like everyone was so busy looking for steals at this point, they overlooked the guy who slipped. When a player drops, his stock slips, and ergo, he stinks. A sleeper is like falling in love at Starbucks: special.
Minnesota: "Forget rebounding. Look at Blair's awful assist-to-turnover ratio!" -- David Kahn, June 2009
New York: Part of the workout for the Knicks was "Empire State of Mind" karaoke, and Blair is always flat with his middle-C's. Also he pointed out that the chorus made no sense, then threatened to leak to track. Donnie Walsh was not pleased. Toney Douglas has great soup recipes.
Cleveland: Dan Gilbert is a businessman first, pro sports team owner second. And some foreign tax software contracts just can't be passed up. Hence, Christian Eyenga. Sorry, Blair. Get birthed in central Africa next time.
Sacramento: They knew Brockman would be available later.
Washington: Trading both Wizards picks wasn't an attempt to win now and avoid massive tax payments. It was just prevented Blatche Shoe the Sequel.
Portland: Dante Cunningham isn't just a hard worker, he's also tall. Plus, he's perfect for Brandon Roy.
Houston: In two years, we'll be writing explanations as to why everyone but the Rockets passed up Sergio Llull! More Ls than New Jersey, that kid.
Detroit: DaJuan Summers of Georgetown was the closest anyone else came to picking Blair before the Spurs. That has to count for something, even if it's mildly offensive, right?
Memphis: Drafting veterans is so Next Level. Chris Wallace knows all about Sam Young's rookie savvy.
*********************
The Mayberry piece referred to.
The Desire for DeJuan Blair (http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2010/01/14/the-desire-for-dejuan-blair/?custom_click=lead_story_title)
Darnell Mayberry
I received an e-mail this afternoon from a fan who, like many Thunder fans, is wondering why OKC didn’t draft DeJuan Blair instead of Byron Mullens. In this e-mail, the author talks about how every explanation he’s heard about why the Thunder and other teams passed on Blair was because of his well-documented knee concerns (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/sports/basketball/13dejuan.html?_r=1).
But the writer goes on to question how much risk really was involved if all it cost the Thunder was a second-round pick after Blair fell out of the first round. Then, the e-mailer pens one of the best lines I’ve read since the Thunder relocated:
San Antonio got a steal and the Thunder got stomped in this matter. The glaring weakness for the Thunder this year has been a constant lack of rebounding, and Blair would have been the answer to this deficiency. We could have had Wes Unseld but instead we have Steve Stipanovich.”
I can’t honestly say I was familiar with the career feats (or lack thereof) of Stipanovich until looking him up. And I have no idea whether Mullens will prove to be Stipanovich, Swift, Schintzius or Smits. But one thing we definitely ought not to do is declare Blair the second coming of Unseld.
Blair can ball, no doubt. He’s a beast on the block and a bully on the boards. His 28-point, 21-rebound performance Wednesday night against the Thunder marked only the fifth time since 1992-93 that a rookie has posted a 20-20 game and the first time since his teammate, Tim Duncan, did it in March of ‘98. Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Joe Smith are the other three.
But Blair might not have been a good fit on the Thunder. Sure, that might sound silly after seeing him slay the Thunder on Wednesday night. The thing to remember, though, is the Thunder is building for the long haul. In San Antonio, Blair is cheap production off the bench for a Spurs team that is a championship contender as currently constructed. In Oklahoma City, the outlook is for five, six years down the line.
The Thunder didn’t have a second-round pick in 2009, but I certainly can’t argue with anyone’s logic if they reason that OKC should have sent cash to any team drafting early in the second immediately when Blair slipped out of the first 30 picks. Cash-strapped teams like Washington, Portland and Denver, drafting 32nd, 33rd and 34th, respectively, all ahead of San Antonio at 37, certainly would have listened.
But the draft, as we all know, is based on potential. Are we to assume Blair has more upside than Mullens? The Thunder might have made the right call in passing on Blair. OKC might have blown it. Only time will tell. But where will Blair be when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Jeff Green are hitting their strides five years from now? How will those knees, with their missing ACLs, have held up? Will Blair still be the same outstanding dirty worker or just an ordinary 25-year-old with no lift?
Strange, though, that the e-mailer cited Stipanovich. My quickie research informed me that he was the second overall pick behind Ralph Sampson in 1983. He played five fairly productive seasons before, of all things, knee injuries derailed his career.
Suppose the Spurs drafted Stipanovich?
-DM-
By Bethlehem Shoals
On Wednesday, Spurs second-rounder DeJuan Blair went for an ungodly 28 points and 21 boards against the Thunder. Blair, a rebounding machine who came out of some unknown school called "Pitt," hit the OKC with exactly what that team needs to make its cipher complete. Though for the record, some of us yet believe that Serge Ibaka will grow into that duty.
Regardless, OKC could've easily had Blair on their roster, as could every other team in the NBA. For once, the Spurs didn't pull off a move that required genius; they just picked up a player whom some had projected to go mid-first.
These are the days of miracles and wonders, which is why things are jumping the eff off over at Darnell Mayberry's Thunder Rumblings (http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2010/01/14/the-desire-for-dejuan-blair/?custom_click=lead_story_title). Perhaps drunk off the novelty of Sam Presti having made a mistake, a whole city wonders why they have B.J. Mullens, not Blair, on their roster.
Mayberry, ever the peacemaker, arrives at the following special place:
But the draft, as we all know, is based on potential. Are we to assume Blair has more upside than Mullens? The Thunder might have made the right call in passing on Blair. OKC might have blown it. Only time will tell. But where will Blair be when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Jeff Green are hitting their strides five years from now? How will those knees, with their missing ACLs, have held up? Will Blair still be the same outstanding dirty worker or just an ordinary 25-year-old with no lift?
How you like them apples, Mr. 20/20? The plot thickens, though. The Thunder aren't the only team that passed on Blair. I'm pretty sure all of them did, which means all local papers might do well to ask Mr. Mayberry to work his magic on their picks. Or, they could read this post, where myself and Tom Ziller will offer each NBA team who passed on Blair their very own personal rationalization. If any of these ever find their way into the press, the fee is two dollars.
Note: We started with the teams that had picked once all the better players were off the board. The Kings will never have to apologize for taking Tyreke Evans over Blair.
Atlanta: Getting Blair would have guaranteed a bloody fistfight between the rookie and an angered Kendrick Perkins. Stern did early damage control, convincing Rick Sund that Blair was missing those ACLs and one of his lungs. Too risky.
Utah: The Carlos Boozer situation, resigning Paul Millsap, and exactly how those two pieces fit together, gave us the closest the Jazz gets to a circus. Sloan doesn't even tell his kids about elephants. So they really needed another power forward?
New Orleans: Life under Chris Paul is delicate, and bulls like Blair upset gravity a little too much in breakable situations. Besides, Ike Diogu was a free agent!
Portland: Let's just say it again, Ike Diogu is a great person. Wasn't he on Portland? No? Whatever, the Blazers had to take Spanish SF Victor Claver for the fans. When a kid likes a doughnut, you give him another one.
Sacramento: Mayor Kevin Johnson's well-timed executive order forced Petrie's hand with Omri Casspi. The "Make Sacramento Attractive to New Yorker Ex-Pats Plan" continues to develop.
Dallas: Dirk Nowitzki, devotee of stretching, don't trust anyone missing ligaments. Veto power.
Oklahoma City: Case already closed.
Chicago: Taj Gibson was an even bigger reach.
Memphis: Even more the case for DeMarre Carroll! This is unreal. It's like everyone was so busy looking for steals at this point, they overlooked the guy who slipped. When a player drops, his stock slips, and ergo, he stinks. A sleeper is like falling in love at Starbucks: special.
Minnesota: "Forget rebounding. Look at Blair's awful assist-to-turnover ratio!" -- David Kahn, June 2009
New York: Part of the workout for the Knicks was "Empire State of Mind" karaoke, and Blair is always flat with his middle-C's. Also he pointed out that the chorus made no sense, then threatened to leak to track. Donnie Walsh was not pleased. Toney Douglas has great soup recipes.
Cleveland: Dan Gilbert is a businessman first, pro sports team owner second. And some foreign tax software contracts just can't be passed up. Hence, Christian Eyenga. Sorry, Blair. Get birthed in central Africa next time.
Sacramento: They knew Brockman would be available later.
Washington: Trading both Wizards picks wasn't an attempt to win now and avoid massive tax payments. It was just prevented Blatche Shoe the Sequel.
Portland: Dante Cunningham isn't just a hard worker, he's also tall. Plus, he's perfect for Brandon Roy.
Houston: In two years, we'll be writing explanations as to why everyone but the Rockets passed up Sergio Llull! More Ls than New Jersey, that kid.
Detroit: DaJuan Summers of Georgetown was the closest anyone else came to picking Blair before the Spurs. That has to count for something, even if it's mildly offensive, right?
Memphis: Drafting veterans is so Next Level. Chris Wallace knows all about Sam Young's rookie savvy.
*********************
The Mayberry piece referred to.
The Desire for DeJuan Blair (http://blog.newsok.com/thunderrumblings/2010/01/14/the-desire-for-dejuan-blair/?custom_click=lead_story_title)
Darnell Mayberry
I received an e-mail this afternoon from a fan who, like many Thunder fans, is wondering why OKC didn’t draft DeJuan Blair instead of Byron Mullens. In this e-mail, the author talks about how every explanation he’s heard about why the Thunder and other teams passed on Blair was because of his well-documented knee concerns (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/sports/basketball/13dejuan.html?_r=1).
But the writer goes on to question how much risk really was involved if all it cost the Thunder was a second-round pick after Blair fell out of the first round. Then, the e-mailer pens one of the best lines I’ve read since the Thunder relocated:
San Antonio got a steal and the Thunder got stomped in this matter. The glaring weakness for the Thunder this year has been a constant lack of rebounding, and Blair would have been the answer to this deficiency. We could have had Wes Unseld but instead we have Steve Stipanovich.”
I can’t honestly say I was familiar with the career feats (or lack thereof) of Stipanovich until looking him up. And I have no idea whether Mullens will prove to be Stipanovich, Swift, Schintzius or Smits. But one thing we definitely ought not to do is declare Blair the second coming of Unseld.
Blair can ball, no doubt. He’s a beast on the block and a bully on the boards. His 28-point, 21-rebound performance Wednesday night against the Thunder marked only the fifth time since 1992-93 that a rookie has posted a 20-20 game and the first time since his teammate, Tim Duncan, did it in March of ‘98. Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Joe Smith are the other three.
But Blair might not have been a good fit on the Thunder. Sure, that might sound silly after seeing him slay the Thunder on Wednesday night. The thing to remember, though, is the Thunder is building for the long haul. In San Antonio, Blair is cheap production off the bench for a Spurs team that is a championship contender as currently constructed. In Oklahoma City, the outlook is for five, six years down the line.
The Thunder didn’t have a second-round pick in 2009, but I certainly can’t argue with anyone’s logic if they reason that OKC should have sent cash to any team drafting early in the second immediately when Blair slipped out of the first 30 picks. Cash-strapped teams like Washington, Portland and Denver, drafting 32nd, 33rd and 34th, respectively, all ahead of San Antonio at 37, certainly would have listened.
But the draft, as we all know, is based on potential. Are we to assume Blair has more upside than Mullens? The Thunder might have made the right call in passing on Blair. OKC might have blown it. Only time will tell. But where will Blair be when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Jeff Green are hitting their strides five years from now? How will those knees, with their missing ACLs, have held up? Will Blair still be the same outstanding dirty worker or just an ordinary 25-year-old with no lift?
Strange, though, that the e-mailer cited Stipanovich. My quickie research informed me that he was the second overall pick behind Ralph Sampson in 1983. He played five fairly productive seasons before, of all things, knee injuries derailed his career.
Suppose the Spurs drafted Stipanovich?
-DM-