Blair seeking more playing time

[duncan228]

Blair seeking more playing time (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10144/1060399-175.stm)
After standout rookie season he is after more time
By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

DeJuan Blair was having fun playing the part of emcee at the prom lineup for Schenley High School students Friday afternoon in Highland Park. But with all due respect to his alma mater, playing master of ceremonies is not what Blair wants to be doing when the NBA playoffs are going on.

Blair, an All-American at Pitt who just completed his rookie season in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, would rather be performing his usual role as master of the boards.

San Antonio's season ended unceremoniously when the Spurs were swept out of the playoffs in the second round two weeks ago by the Phoenix Suns, who are now playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

It was a disappointing end to a terrific rookie season for Blair, who left Pitt after two seasons to fulfill his dreams of playing in the NBA. Blair was the only member of the Spurs to play in all 82 regular-season games. He started 23 contests and averaged 7.8 points and 6.4 rebounds a game.

Blair played mostly backup center to Spurs superstar Tim Duncan, but he did show flashes of his potential in several strong outings. He played his best game in the final contest of the regular season against the Dallas Mavericks.

Blair was in the starting lineup because Duncan was resting before the playoffs, and Blair played like someone who was auditioning for a bigger role on the team next season. He scored 27 points and grabbed 23 rebounds.

It was the second time in his rookie year that he scored 20 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in the same game. He scored a season-high 28 points and had 21 rebounds in a game against Oklahoma City in January.

Blair was the first rookie not selected in the first round of the draft to post a 20-20 game in 29 years.

"It was wonderful, just getting experience," Blair said. "That was the best thing. I'll know next year what's going to go down. I was just trying to have fun."

Blair helped the seventh-seeded Spurs upset No. 2 seed Dallas in the first round of the playoffs, 4-2. He averaged 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in the series, his first exposure to the heated in-state playoff rivalry between the two teams.

"That rivalry is like West Virginia and Pitt," Blair said. "It was crazy. I loved it."

But the Spurs, who were looking for a fifth NBA championship in 12 years, were denied a date with the Lakers by a hot-shooting Suns team that shredded San Antonio's defense game after game in the short series.

"Phoenix was a tough matchup for us," Blair said. "They made a lot of 3-pointers. They shot well. We played well, but their shots went in. It was a big learning experience for us."

Blair is back home for a while visiting with friends and family. He will play host to the DeJuan Blair Basketball Camp July 6-9 at Robert Morris University, where he hopes to pass on some of his expertise to boys and girls ages 9-18.

After his camp, Blair will turn his attention to the NBA summer league. He said his main goal during the summer league is to play power forward well enough to convince the Spurs that he can play that position full-time next season.

At 6 feet 7 and 265 pounds, Blair was an undersized center and sometimes encountered difficult matchups that got him into foul trouble or put him on the bench. If Blair can demonstrate the skills necessary to play power forward he can earn a bigger role on the Spurs.

For Blair, it has been a whirlwind 12 months. Last year at this time he was going through pre-draft medical testing that revealed neither of his two surgically repaired knees had anterior cruciate ligaments.

That fact was the biggest reason he fell to the second round of the draft. Blair put up a confident exterior after the ordeal, but he revealed Friday that underneath it all he questioned whether he would fulfill his dreams of making it to the NBA.

"My favorite part of my first season was just making it," Blair said. "I didn't think I was going to make it at all. I went through all of that stuff, my name not being called . I had some doubts. I definitely had some doubts."

Those doubts are gone now, replaced by a desire to improve his game and take the next step in what is shaping up as a promising professional career.

"I'm just trying to get better in all aspects of my game," Blair said. "I want to keep having fun and keep getting better."


http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/images/201005/fong_dejuan_blair_spt_330.jpg
[I]DeJuan Blair was the emcee for the Schenley High School prom lineup at the Highland Park Reservoir Friday.

[TIMMYD!]

It's great that he's showing us that he wants to improve and he most likely will improve. :tu

[jason1301]

If he develops a mid-range jump shot this off-season, he ll get his playing time

cheers

[Man In Black]

DeJuan...please watch all the tapes you can of the following players:
Wes Unseld
Larry Johnson
Malik Rose
Mix in some Charles Barkley

So...Watch Video of players listed above, Test Moves, Implement in practice and summer league to muscle memory....DOMINATE next year!

Do that, and you won't be home in Pittsburgh in May of next year.

[Mel_13]

Blair seeking more playing time (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10144/1060399-175.stm)
After standout rookie season he is after more time
By Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


After his camp, Blair will turn his attention to the NBA summer league. He said his main goal during the summer league is to play power forward well enough to convince the Spurs that he can play that position full-time next season.

At 6 feet 7 and 265 pounds, Blair was an undersized center and sometimes encountered difficult matchups that got him into foul trouble or put him on the bench. If Blair can demonstrate the skills necessary to play power forward he can earn a bigger role on the Spurs.

Good to see he plans on playing in the summer league. Figured he would, but good to see it confirmed. Circle July 9th on your calendar.

Also good to see he plans to work on the skills that will get him minutes at PF. That matches with what Pop said about Blair working on his mid range jump shot. There clearly is a plan of action in place.

[Blackjack]

So "Mr. Wonderful" is playing summer league, eh?

[admiralsnackbar]

Beyond his play, his easy confidence and apparent absence of douche-ness is really helping him become a real Spur. In contrast, look at someone like Jefferson, who makes cocky (no gay jokes, please) statements all the time while simultaneously seeming completely insecure.

[benefactor]

If he develops a mid-range jump shot this off-season, he ll get his playing time

cheers
This...and work on conditioning. If he gets some McDyess/Kurt Thomas range on that jumper and sheds another 15 pounds he will get all the minutes he wants.

[ducks]

he will get more playing time because duncan needs more rest
but it would be great if he improves

[ducks]

hopefully he is not but hurt spurs get splitter here though

[DesignatedT]

Hope Blair can continue to improve. Defensive should be a big priority as well as shooting.

[sananspursfan21]

i'm excited :)

[narmerguy]

hopefully he is not but hurt spurs get splitter here though

I wouldn't hold your breath.

[DesignatedT]

Even when and if Splitter does come over, Blair will still see the floor a lot. especially with the way Pop is going to limit Duncan + Dice in the regular season. He will have plenty of chances to prove himself. Now lets just hope the spurs don't bring back Bonner.

[TIMMYD!]

Even when and if Splitter does come over, Blair will still see the floor a lot. especially with the way Pop is going to limit Duncan + Dice in the regular season. He will have plenty of chances to prove himself. Now lets just hope the spurs don't bring back Bonner.

Bonner is the odd man out and hopefully Pop recognizes that as well as we do.

[admiralsnackbar]

Bonner is the odd man out and hopefully Pop recognizes that as well as we do.

After consecutive PO failures by Bonner, I don't think there's a question. He's history.

[hater]

:tu

[cantthinkofanything]

DeJuan...please watch all the tapes you can of the following players:
Wes Unseld
Larry Johnson
Malik Rose
Mix in some Charles Barkley

So...Watch Video of players listed above, Test Moves, Implement in practice and summer league to muscle memory....DOMINATE next year!

Do that, and you won't be home in Pittsburgh in May of next year.

As much as I like Blair, I don't think he is anything other than a good role player at best. He will never be Barkely, Larry Johnson, or Unseld. He will probably be better than Rose. As mentioned before, he will have to develop a consistent 15 footer to make any kind of decent impact. He's an undersized Oliver Miller at best.

[wildbill2u]

He is going to have to change position to PF because of his physical stature.

Does he have the defensive speed and the mid-range shot to make that move? He's spent his whole career at the 5 and learning a new position isn't going to be easy.

[eisfeld]

As much as I like Blair, I don't think he is anything other than a good role player at best. He will never be Barkely, Larry Johnson, or Unseld. He will probably be better than Rose. As mentioned before, he will have to develop a consistent 15 footer to make any kind of decent impact. He's an undersized Oliver Miller at best.

What Blair can accomplish with his limited size is stunning. Comparing him to Oliver Miller is well just... wrong. Blair showed flashes of what he can do this season. An he is only rookie. The only question is when he hits the rookie wall and how he can improve after that.

He has obviously a lot of work to do and he may indeed never be Barkley, Johnson or Unseld but he has the potential to be better than just a good role player.

With a lot of work and minutes he may become a player averaging +15 and +10 for a couple of seasons.

[SpursTillTheEnd]

If blair would of played more this dude would of avg. 18 and 15 no doubt. He will be a monster this year look what he did when he played alot in the game, and even in the rookie game

[TheSpursFNRule]

Anyone who thinks Blair will just be an average role player is crazy. He wants you to think that....

[Man In Black]

What Blair can accomplish with his limited size is stunning. Comparing him to Oliver Miller is well just... wrong. Blair showed flashes of what he can do this season. An he is only rookie. The only question is when he hits the rookie wall and how he can improve after that.

He has obviously a lot of work to do and he may indeed never be Barkley, Johnson or Unseld but he has the potential to be better than just a good role player.

With a lot of work and minutes he may become a player averaging +15 and +10 for a couple of seasons.

I will say that he may never be a Barkley, Johnson, or Unseld. But if he's Malik Rose 2002-2003 every day for 10-11, he's bad ass. And he can learn tons from watching Unseld. I don't think he needs to really perfect a 15 foot jump shot. He needs to be able to optimize the space he can gather with his body position. Unseld's ability to outwork people to get better position and to clear space and go with either hand around the boards, helped negate the size differential of length. Let's say DeJuan only takes 10-12 shots per game but makes over 50% of them...then, it's all good. He already rebounds well.

[760Spursfan]

He is going to have to change position to PF because of his physical stature.

Does he have the defensive speed and the mid-range shot to make that move? He's spent his whole career at the 5 and learning a new position isn't going to be easy.


I agree with you I think he is just too "small" to play his current position.

[HarlemHeat37]

Blair's peak is a great 6th man IMO, nothing wrong with that..I don't think he can be a legit starter unless the Spurs can acquire another franchise big man, which unlikely..

[dbestpro]

As much as I like Blair, I don't think he is anything other than a good role player at best. He will never be Barkely, Larry Johnson, or Unseld.

Larry Johnson at the same age as Blair just finished community college and began his first year at UNLV. He spent two years there before he entered the NBA. To believe Blair could not develop as well as Johnson is a misconception. Blair is way ahead of Johnson at the same age and time in their basketball play. Don't know if he will improve but there is no reason to believe he won't based off of past performance.

[ShoogarBear]

Larry Johnson at the same age as Blair just finished community college and began his first year at UNLV. He spent two years there before he entered the NBA. To believe Blair could not develop as well as Johnson is a misconception. Blair is way ahead of Johnson at the same age and time in their basketball play. Don't know if he will improve but there is no reason to believe he won't based off of past performance.

I don't know exactly what Blair's ceiling is, but to say that he is "way ahead of Johnson at the same age and time" is wrong.

Johnson was a 20-10-4 machine with reasonable range whose college game translated immediately to the pros. At the age of 23, he was second-team All NBA. While he wasn't a great defender, he wasn't nearly the liability on the perimeter that Blair is.

Blair shows signs of being an elite NBA rebounding, and has enough court smarts and hustle to make up for some of his weaknesses. But I don't see him projected to being an All-NBA player in 3 years.

[TheSpursFNRule]

In my opinion saying what Blair can be and what he cannot be at this point is arbitrary. The guy has shown enough flashes of brilliance as well as struggles in limited minutes to be conceived as either. We will simply have to wait and see if he has a sophmore slump or a breakout season. In my opinion I feel he will be looking at somewhere around 10-10 given his ability to pound his way around the post and hustle down boards.

His pump fakes are exceptional as well as his foot work and soft hands. Where he struggles is getting beat on defense and fouling to much when his man beats him. If DeJuan can get smarter on the defensive end he is a force to be reckoned with, I disagree with what most say about his size effecting his defensive lacking. If that is true explain to me why all the guys he's been compared with that have been listed at 6-7 by previous posters (Barkley, Rose, Johnson etc.) were all above average defenders.

[pawe]

Learn to shoot FTs first.

[widowmaker]

DeJuan...please watch all the tapes you can of the following players:
Wes Unseld
Larry Johnson
Malik Rose
Mix in some Charles Barkley

So...Watch Video of players listed above, Test Moves, Implement in practice and summer league to muscle memory....DOMINATE next year!

Do that, and you won't be home in Pittsburgh in May of next year.

I say the FO needs to hire hakim alajuan to show this guy some foot work and low post moves. Blair isn't a tall guy and a little finesse and good foot work will help him preserve those knees that everybodys watching. Kobe hired that guy last year, why wouldnt the spurs hire him for blair?

[Man In Black]

Hakeem Olajuwon's game is like Tim Duncan's. While the postwork is fine, they also had the length and/or athleticism to get off the jump shots needed. That's why I think, Wes Unseld's game is the one that would suit DeJuan the best.

Read this excerpt:

In his second season, Unseld scored a career-best 16.2 ppg. His rebounding numbers remained impressive, and it became clear that he contributed in ways that didn't show up in the box score. He set solid picks, grabbed rebounds, whipped outlet passes to trigger fast breaks, and consistently prevented opposing centers from establishing position in the lane. His 16.7 rebounds per game earned him second place in the league's rebounding race again, this time to San Diego's Hayes. The Bullets were solid in 1969-70, running up a 50-32 record and claiming third place in the Eastern Division.

The NBA realigned for the 1970-71 season, creating two conferences and four divisions. The Bullets were moved to the Central Division, where they ran off five consecutive division titles, although their record fluctuated wildly. (They were as bad as 38-44 in 1971-72 and as good as 60-22 in 1974-75.)

During those years Unseld carved out his reputation in the paint. He ranked second in the league in rebounding in each of his first four seasons, slipped to fifth one year, had a down year due to injury, then claimed the rebounding title in 1974-75. He was an All-Star five times during that stretch, despite doing most of his work against players who were much taller, including 7-footers Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Unseld was listed at 6-7, but after he retired, he admitted that he actually had been just a hair under 6-6 all along. However, what Unseld lacked in height, he made up for with his powerful 245-pound frame and sheer determination.

"I know that night in and night out the guy I play against will have more physical ability," he told the Washington Post. "But I feel like if I go out against a guy and play him 40 or 48 minutes a game or whatever, toe to toe, head to head, he is going to get tired or beat up or bored for two or three minutes. That will be enough to make sure he doesn't win the game for his team."

For all his might, Unseld also had great hands, both for grabbing a rebound and for delivering a pass. And, as former Bullets General Manager Bob Ferry told the Washington Post, "He has great anticipation and imagination. He can see something develop, and he gets the pass there at the right time." In addition, while he was not fast, he was very quick, an attribute that was made even more deceptive because of his massive body.

I know it was way back, but Unseld is one of the few to win ROY and MVP in the same year. It shoud've happened for Tim as a ROY too but Stern's NBA is too political/marketing affected. That's why we've seen ties at ROY and 1st team ALL-NBA and ALL-NBA D for players who don't belong.

[024]

he should study some millsap.

[Manufan909]

Like others have said, it is pointless to guess at what Blair could become, but I would like to reinforce that the games he was let loose in (Dallas and OKC) as well as several games where he wasn't let loose but still went ape shit (1st game against Boston), were all very promising.

And for those with a sharper eye than mine, did he significantly improve on D as the year went on, or no?

[dbestpro]

I don't know exactly what Blair's ceiling is, but to say that he is "way ahead of Johnson at the same age and time" is wrong. .

The comparison was based on age. Blair played at an age this year the same year Johnson was a junior at UNLV. The point is Blair's game is as good now if not better as Johnson's game was as a junior in college.

[8FOR!3]

Shame though, he's 5 inches and two knees from being an all-star future hall of famer.

[Budkin]

Blair was one of the bright spots of this season... he can only get better.

[slick'81]

he'll definitely have an increased role and hopefully will be far more consistent this coming season

[Fabbs]

Blair will have to prove himself and earn minutes with Pop.
Like Bonner and Finley.

[TIMMYD!]

Blair will have to prove himself and earn minutes with Pop.
Like Bonner and Finley.

He already proved to be better than them.

[Fabbs]

He already proved to be better than them.
Sorry you must not know I am not one of the PollyAnna Poppers.
I was being sarcastic TIMMYD!.

[TIMMYD!]

Sorry you must not know I am not one of the PollyAnna Poppers.
I was being sarcastic TIMMYD!.

I had a hunch you might have but I wasn't too sure so I just played it safe.

[Fabbs]

I had a hunch you might have but I wasn't too sure so I just played it safe.
Great! Can't have enough of you realists on board.

Blair so earned minutes already this his rookie year, altho they weren't granted esp in the playoffs. :depressed

[wildbill2u]

People comparing Blair to some of the players he resembles physically (Barkley, Unseld, Johnson and Rose) need to go back to the record and check their facts.

Larry Johnson and Charles Barkley were always power forwards. As far as I know they never played a minute at the 5. Barkley said last night he was never a good defender but did other things like rebounding and shooting to make up for his lack of quicknesss on defense.

Even Wes Unseld was listed as a F/C and often played the 4 when his teams had a legitimate 5.

Malik was also a F/C but all Spur fans can remember is when Pop put him on Shaq at the 5 as a sacrificial animal for a few minutes per game. It's a romanticized view of a bench player who became a fan favorite

You will/should remember that Malik had to develop a midrange jumper in order to increase his minutes. However when he fell in love with his new shot and started to think of himself as a 'scorer' his days were numbered as a Spur.

Blair has played the 5 for his entire basketball life. I still think a 6'6" guy will have to learn/prove he can play PF and not plant himself under the basket to succeed over time. After all, how many players other than those named above were that short and had long and successful NBA careers? The reason they come to mind so easily is that they were the exceptions that proved the rule: Height matters.

The players named above all made that transition, some with more success than others. I think Blair will have to do the same.

[SenorSpur]

People comparing Blair to some of the players he resembles physically (Barkley, Unseld, Johnson and Rose) need to go back to the record and check their facts.

Larry Johnson and Charles Barkley were always power forwards. As far as I know they never played a minute at the 5. Barkley said last night he was never a good defender but did other things like rebounding and shooting to make up for his lack of quicknesss on defense.

Even Wes Unseld was listed as a F/C and often played the 4 when his teams had a legitimate 5.

Malik was also a F/C but all Spur fans can remember is when Pop put him on Shaq at the 5 as a sacrificial animal for a few minutes per game. It's a romanticized view of a bench player who became a fan favorite

You will/should remember that Malik had to develop a midrange jumper in order to increase his minutes. However when he fell in love with his new shot and started to think of himself as a 'scorer' his days were numbered as a Spur.

Blair has played the 5 for his entire basketball life. I still think a 6'6" guy will have to learn/prove he can play PF and not plant himself under the basket to succeed over time. After all, how many players other than those named above were that short and had long and successful NBA careers? The reason they come to mind so easily is that they were the exceptions that proved the rule: Height matters.

The players named above all made that transition, some with more success than others. I think Blair will have to do the same.

Excellent points. :toast

[cantthinkofanything]

I will say that he may never be a Barkley, Johnson, or Unseld. But if he's Malik Rose 2002-2003 every day for 10-11, he's bad ass. And he can learn tons from watching Unseld. I don't think he needs to really perfect a 15 foot jump shot. He needs to be able to optimize the space he can gather with his body position. Unseld's ability to outwork people to get better position and to clear space and go with either hand around the boards, helped negate the size differential of length. Let's say DeJuan only takes 10-12 shots per game but makes over 50% of them...then, it's all good. He already rebounds well.

Yeah, I would take Malik Rose all day. But I think alot of Blair's success comes from him being an unknown quantity for the most part. At some point, taller defenders will know that he's going to double clutch under the goal and I think even more of his shots will be blocked. If he developed a 15 footer, combined with his quickness, he would be a tough cover for most big men.

[Man In Black]

People comparing Blair to some of the players he resembles physically (Barkley, Unseld, Johnson and Rose) need to go back to the record and check their facts.

Larry Johnson and Charles Barkley were always power forwards. As far as I know they never played a minute at the 5. Barkley said last night he was never a good defender but did other things like rebounding and shooting to make up for his lack of quicknesss on defense.

Even Wes Unseld was listed as a F/C and often played the 4 when his teams had a legitimate 5.

Malik was also a F/C but all Spur fans can remember is when Pop put him on Shaq at the 5 as a sacrificial animal for a few minutes per game. It's a romanticized view of a bench player who became a fan favorite

You will/should remember that Malik had to develop a midrange jumper in order to increase his minutes. However when he fell in love with his new shot and started to think of himself as a 'scorer' his days were numbered as a Spur.

Blair has played the 5 for his entire basketball life. I still think a 6'6" guy will have to learn/prove he can play PF and not plant himself under the basket to succeed over time. After all, how many players other than those named above were that short and had long and successful NBA careers? The reason they come to mind so easily is that they were the exceptions that proved the rule: Height matters.

The players named above all made that transition, some with more success than others. I think Blair will have to do the same.

NO...Wes was a center his entire life. Elvin Hayes was his power forward. And besides, it's a post thing here. They are supposed to be interchangeable but haven't been because the other guy lacks the needed skill set. I agree it's hard to find another David Robinson. But I think, in limited cases, I can easily see Duncan and Blair go the Elvin Hayes/Wes Unseld route.
But screw careers. The NBA history is littered with undersized players who perform well enough to make a huge difference. Besides, it's not really the career of Blair that needs to be talked about. It's Duncan's career that needs to be PRESERVED. In order for Tim to get that potential ONE FOR THE THUMB, then all Blair has to do to help, is to play within the reach of the players I listed. If not them, then this tier: Paul Milsap or Larry Smith.
Same physical stats but all of them...double-digit rebounders with limited offensive game, although...Milsap has gotten more polished under Coach Sloan.
I remember when people were talking about Chuck Hayes of the Rockets. 6'6" 245 lbs. DeJuan is better than Chuck and once he starts shooting 50% regularly...I'm telling you, he'll be a force that can't be left unchecked.

[cantthinkofanything]

The NBA history is littered with undersized players who perform well enough to make a huge difference.

Really? What undersized centers/PF have made huge differences? Nothing against Blair. Glad to have him. But this whole idea of him being something other than a potentially good role player is ridiculous. His knees were not the only factor in him sliding down the draft board.

[Man In Black]

Really? What undersized centers/PF have made huge differences? Nothing against Blair. Glad to have him. But this whole idea of him being something other than a potentially good role player is ridiculous. His knees were not the only factor in him sliding down the draft board.

Speaking of knees, ask Blake Griffin how being #1 for the Clippers was a better experience than Blair slipping because of stupid team docs?

Even better...ask the Grizzlies what they think of Thabeet at #3?

Wes Unseld 6'6 ...Center. Have you not been reading anything?

Larry Smith 6'8 Center
Clifford Ray 6'9 Center
Dan Roundfield 6'8 PF-C
Len Truck Robinson 6'7 PF


See, some of you guys aren't old enough to know. It's not like basketball wasn't played in the early 70's to 80's at a lower level. It was always played at a high level but with less complicated offense and defense. And if you're going to tell me that health and nutrition is the difference maker, then I remind you that the things we see Kobe, LBJ, and DWade do...are the same things I've already seen in Gervin, Magic, & Jordan.


And again, I ain't saying he's an all-star or an all-time great. All he's really done, is made the All-Rookie team...just like Tony did, just like Manu did. It just means he has the potential to be a starter and contribute more, ESPECIALLY if he learns to play the game the way those all time greats mentioned did, maybe not with as much success, but with the same amount of heart and determination. The Spurs need that from everyone, and it will be awesome if he can do it. SO...It's not about Blair going 20-10 every day. It's more about him going 12 points at 50%FG and 8 rebounds in about 20-25 minutes on the court...That's all I think the Spurs would need from him. Just another important cog in the sum is greater than all it's parts mantra the Spurs run.

[The Truth #6]

I think people are getting too caught up with labels. Is Blair a 5? Is Duncan a 4? No matter what we call Blair he's going to need to improve his defensive movement and offensive skills. People bring up Barkley and Johnson but those two were way superior athletes. Barkley was an elite leaper and Johnson (pre-back surgery) had great mobility, leaping, and also had a jumpshot.

I agree that Blair should learn how to back a player down in post, improve his mid-range jumpshot, and how to make quick defensive rotations. Easier said then done but if he improves in just one of those categories he'll be a much improved player. But whether he's a 4 or 5 on Pop's teams is beside the point. Finley played power forward. Jefferson played power forward. Labels are tricky on this team. He just needs to work on his skills and let the rest figure itself out.

[cantthinkofanything]

Speaking of knees, ask Blake Griffin how being #1 for the Clippers was a better experience than Blair slipping because of stupid team docs?

Even better...ask the Grizzlies what they think of Thabeet at #3?

Wes Unseld 6'6 ...Center. Have you not been reading anything?

Larry Smith 6'8 Center
Clifford Ray 6'9 Center
Dan Roundfield 6'8 PF-C
Len Truck Robinson 6'7 PF



This is your list to back up your comment about the NBA being "littered" with undersized players who made huge impacts????

[Man In Black]

Agree with you on the labels T6. I'm just saying that it's in his best interest to learn and implement what works. That's why Wes Unseld is a perfect model. Same size, build, and strengths. It has nothing to do with being a superior athlete, what it is...is the ability to outwork your opponent using what you got. A sort of basketball Jeet Kune Do.

Bruce Lee once said:

There is only one type of body, 2 arms, 2 legs, etc that make up the human body. Therefore, there can only be one style of fighting. If the other guy had 4 arms and 2 legs, there might have to be a different one. Forget the belief that one style is better than the other, the point of someone that does not just believe in tradition, but actually wants to know how to fight is to take what you need from every martial art and incorporate it into your own. Make it effective and very powerful, but don't worry if you are taking moves from many different arts, that is a good thing.

Hence my request for Blair to watch, learn, and implement. It's sound. It's Bruce Lee sound. It's MAN IN BLACK SOUND.

[Man In Black]

This is your list to back up your comment about the NBA being "littered" with undersized players who made huge impacts????

It's a fine short list. I could add other but you know what?
Do the research on your own. I gave you a list. If you don't know about the games those undersized guys listed provided for their respected teams...Get off your ass and do research. LEARN SOMETHING. Then go point and counter point with me and tell me why I'm wrong...if you're capable.

[cantthinkofanything]

Bruce Lee once said:



There is only one type of body, 2 arms, 2 legs, etc that make up the human body. Therefore, there can only be one style of fighting. If the other guy had 4 arms and 2 legs, there might have to be a different one. Forget the belief that one style is better than the other, the point of someone that does not just believe in tradition, but actually wants to know how to fight is to take what you need from every martial art and incorporate it into your own. Make it effective and very powerful, but don't worry if you are taking moves from many different arts, that is a good thing.


The fact that Bruce Lee said that doesn't mean it's worth quoting. That's a ridiculous premise if that's the full context.

[Man In Black]

All it really means, is you're truly who you say you are.

YOU CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING.

It's an apt name indeed.

And apparently you don't understand the philosophical context...again, you're aptly named.

[cantthinkofanything]

All it really means, is you're truly who you say you are.

YOU CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING.

It's an apt name indeed.

And apparently you don't understand the philosophical context...again, you're aptly named.

no way. You could have said "It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog". But you didn't. You threw out some quote by Bruce Lee to show everyone how deep you are. The problem is that half of the quote is just plain nonsense. At a certain point physical limitations do come into play. There isn't just one body type. And no matter how hard someone may try and want to win, they just aren't going to be as effective as someone with superior physical characteristics. Don't get me wrong. I'm a huge Blair fan and nothing gets me as psyched as when he gets 20+ boards or makes a monster dunk and I realize heart counts for something. But it only goes so far.

[Man In Black]

Wrong...again...so what else is new.
All he meant was the following. Because everyone has 2 arms and 2 legs, there isn't going to be a huge difference in how one fights. It matters not where you learn it from. You just try to advance your own human potential.

I will say that since Basketball is a game that's usually played outside in, that being taller could be construed as an advantage. It's only an advantage if you can place yourself in a position to use that height. If a smaller man with a wide base can hold his position against the taller opponent, than that height advantage is negated. That is all.

I see you and I both want positives from Blair. I just see the Unseld thing as a strong foundation to go from. Him playing like Pau, Tim, or Amar'e isn't going to work because he's not blessed with their type of length. But again, Unseld is dead on....right down to the bad knees later in Wes' career.

[Mal]

Good luck, DeJuan

[cantthinkofanything]

Wrong...again...so what else is new.
All he meant was the following. Because everyone has 2 arms and 2 legs, there isn't going to be a huge difference in how one fights. It matters not where you learn it from.

Again, I don't know the complete context of the quote but there will be a huge difference in how someone fights depending on their own personal attributes. There's no need to try to find something deeper. It is what it is.



You just try to advance your own human potential.

100%


I will say that since Basketball is a game that's usually played outside in, that being taller could be construed as an advantage. It's only an advantage if you can place yourself in a position to use that height. If a smaller man with a wide base can hold his position against the taller opponent, than that height advantage is negated. That is all.

Yes, but as an absolute, taller is better. It doesn't matter how much I want to win, how large my BBIQ is, or how good my technique is. Sean Bradley will always be picked before me. Blair can take up a square yard on the court, but a 7' player will capture the top feet of that box if you extend it upwards.



I see you and I both want positives from Blair. I just see the Unseld thing as a strong foundation to go from. Him playing like Pau, Tim, or Amar'e isn't going to work because he's not blessed with their type of length. But again, Unseld is dead on....right down to the bad knees later in Wes' career.
I'm not quite old enough to know much about Wes Unseld so I probably shouldn't have disputed that. I do know he is mostly considered as elite.
Obviously we all want Blair to be the best player he can. But he isn't Barkely. I don't think he is even Milsap or Stucky but I'm willing to be wrong.

[JonNOKC]

Blair definitely compares to Unseld at this point in his career - but in todays NBA he will have to add the 12-15ft jumper to go to next level as player - his rebounding, hands (the way he taps alot of rebounds to control them), and his ability to quickly get the ball on the rim/backboard after rebounds all look alot like films you see of Unseld - however Unseld was a better defender as a young guy and the other thing was his ability to ignite the fastbreak - after most rebounds the ball left his hand within a second and suprisingly low turnovers

[Vic Petro]

Pop won't just replace Bonner with Splitter in the rotation. It's like we just met coach Pop yesterday. He must have a stretch 4. He has a boner for stretching the floor with a PF. They've tried to compensate for Bonner's sucking in all sorts of ways...Anthony Tolliver, Haislip, etc. Rest assured, there will be a 3-point shooting PF on this team for better or worse. If they can't find anyone they like better than Bonner, they'll bring him back.

Sad, I agree, but Pop likes what he likes.

[ALVAREZ6]

Unless you grow a few more inches, sorry pal, you are simply too short to start for a championship caliber team.

[ShoogarBear]

The comparison was based on age. Blair played at an age this year the same year Johnson was a junior at UNLV. The point is Blair's game is as good now if not better as Johnson's game was as a junior in college.

Larry Johnson as a junior in college was averaging 21/11, a first-team All American, and leading his team to an NCAA title with a much better all-around game that translated to the NBA with zero dropoff. Three years later he was an All-NBA second teamer.

Blair is a better rebounder, but other than that I don't know how one would say his game is better than Johnson's. You see him being All-NBA second team in three years?

[cutewizard]

DeJuan...please watch all the tapes you can of the following players:
Wes Unseld
Larry Johnson
Malik Rose
Mix in some Charles Barkley

So...Watch Video of players listed above, Test Moves, Implement in practice and summer league to muscle memory....DOMINATE next year!

Do that, and you won't be home in Pittsburgh in May of next year.


Greetings!

I completely agree with you man.

Lets hope Blair continues to improve. Regards.

[howbouthemspurs]

hes proved his worth.... give him what he wants

[Thomas82]

Wrong...again...so what else is new.
All he meant was the following. Because everyone has 2 arms and 2 legs, there isn't going to be a huge difference in how one fights. It matters not where you learn it from. You just try to advance your own human potential.

I will say that since Basketball is a game that's usually played outside in, that being taller could be construed as an advantage. It's only an advantage if you can place yourself in a position to use that height. If a smaller man with a wide base can hold his position against the taller opponent, than that height advantage is negated. That is all.

I see you and I both want positives from Blair. I just see the Unseld thing as a strong foundation to go from. Him playing like Pau, Tim, or Amar'e isn't going to work because he's not blessed with their type of length. But again, Unseld is dead on....right down to the bad knees later in Wes' career.


I'm not quite old enough to know much about Wes Unseld so I probably shouldn't have disputed that. I do know he is mostly considered as elite.
Obviously we all want Blair to be the best player he can. But he isn't Barkely. I don't think he is even Milsap or Stucky but I'm willing to be wrong.


Keep in mind that Wes Unseld is one of only 2 players (Wilt Chamberlain) to win the ROY and MVP in the same season. He even led the league in rebounding in 1975, and FG% in 1976. I can definitely see some of him in Dejuan Blair, as far as his brute strength and sheer determination. But if he could ever learn to set picks and pass like Unseld could, WATCH OUT!!

[SpurCharger]

If Dejuan Can get That 15ft jump shot to fall consistently, His Game Will improve Drastically

[Nathan Explosion]

no way. You could have said "It's not the size of the dog in the fight but the fight in the dog". But you didn't. You threw out some quote by Bruce Lee to show everyone how deep you are. The problem is that half of the quote is just plain nonsense. At a certain point physical limitations do come into play. There isn't just one body type. And no matter how hard someone may try and want to win, they just aren't going to be as effective as someone with superior physical characteristics.

Obviously not much of a Bruce Lee fan. He developed Jeet Kune Do as a response to the rigidness of other fighting styles. In a sense, Jeet Kune Do was superior (in his mind) to other fighting styles because of the adaptiveness of the style to any situation.

Also, Bruce Lee was not the biggest of people, yet defeated guys many times his size based on his ability to adapt and respond as well as his smarts. If you can gain an advantage using smarts and positioning (like Tim Duncan) you can overcome some physical limitations (like Bruce Bowen on the perimeter).

Physical skills diminish over time, but smarts only grow, hence why a player's "prime" is about the 26-29 age range. It's the time when the smarts and physical skills are at the peak. While a player continues to get smarter as he gets older, he doesn't have the physical skills to match anymore.

You know, what Bruce Lee said seems to also resemble what Sun Tzu says in the Art of War about knowing yourself and your opponent. If you know your opponents weaknesses and your strengths, then you know how to defeat the opponent 100% of the time by using your strengths to exploit those weaknesses. Of course, he said it better than I could.

[dbestpro]

Larry Johnson as a junior in college was averaging 21/11, a first-team All American, and leading his team to an NCAA title with a much better all-around game that translated to the NBA with zero dropoff. Three years later he was an All-NBA second teamer.

Blair is a better rebounder, but other than that I don't know how one would say his game is better than Johnson's. You see him being All-NBA second team in three years?

If he develops an outside game, then yes. That was the whole point of the discussion. Nice stats for LJ in college, but it was mostly against 2nd and 3rd tier college teams. Don't get me wrong. LJ was a fantastic player. The point is DeJuan, at his age, has the ability to improve and be just as good.

[ducks]

so is ian

[BronxCowboy]

I still think the player with the most similarity to Blair at this point is the guy I compared him to when he was first drafted: Danny Fortson. I think Blair definitely could be better than Fortson; Fortson never really developed a jumpshot, never learned to play D with getting into foul trouble, and his conditioning got worse as his career progressed. Blair can do better. To get better he needs (1) to work on his defensive fundamentals (2) to improve his conditioning/mobility and (3) if he really wants more minutes, he will have to fit better alongside TD, meaning he needs to develop a little more range.

[dbestpro]

I still think the player with the most similarity to Blair at this point is the guy I compared him to when he was first drafted: Danny Fortson. I think Blair definitely could be better than Fortson; Fortson never really developed a jumpshot, never learned to play D with getting into foul trouble, and his conditioning got worse as his career progressed. Blair can do better. To get better he needs (1) to work on his defensive fundamentals (2) to improve his conditioning/mobility and (3) if he really wants more minutes, he will have to fit better alongside TD, meaning he needs to develop a little more range.

If I remember correctly, he was pretty good at the foul line, as far as big men go.

[BronxCowboy]

If I remember correctly, he was pretty good at the foul line, as far as big men go.

Blair does need some help there doesn't he? :lol I think I kind of try to forget about free throws. It makes it easier to be a Spurs fan.

[cantthinkofanything]

Obviously not much of a Bruce Lee fan. He developed Jeet Kune Do as a response to the rigidness of other fighting styles. In a sense, Jeet Kune Do was superior (in his mind) to other fighting styles because of the adaptiveness of the style to any situation.

Also, Bruce Lee was not the biggest of people, yet defeated guys many times his size based on his ability to adapt and respond as well as his smarts. If you can gain an advantage using smarts and positioning (like Tim Duncan) you can overcome some physical limitations (like Bruce Bowen on the perimeter).

Physical skills diminish over time, but smarts only grow, hence why a player's "prime" is about the 26-29 age range. It's the time when the smarts and physical skills are at the peak. While a player continues to get smarter as he gets older, he doesn't have the physical skills to match anymore.

You know, what Bruce Lee said seems to also resemble what Sun Tzu says in the Art of War about knowing yourself and your opponent. If you know your opponents weaknesses and your strengths, then you know how to defeat the opponent 100% of the time by using your strengths to exploit those weaknesses. Of course, he said it better than I could.

I can't say I know a lot about Bruce Lee. Just some odds and ends. But if someone asked me who the Michael Jordan of martial arts is, I would probabaly have said Bruce Lee. Somone who's mental makeup and wherewithall were in the top 1% of their fields. It's be nice for Dejuan to be in that category but chances are that he's not.

I totally agree that one can improve one's odds by always learning and being a step ahead of your opponent.

But at some point, physical limitations do put a cap on what someone can do.

Although it seems easy enough to compare bball and martial arts, I really don't think it's a good analogy. Martial arts has close to an infinate amount of moves, counter moves, and styles that allow for a large amount of improvment for one wiling to put in the study time. But we're talking about Blair's ability to make a basketball play. Compared to martial arts, there is a limited about of things that can be done on any one 2-3 second play. Also, Blair might be able to learn everything about his 7 foot opponent and capitalize on his mistakes. But in the end, that other guy is still 7 feet and will still have a good chance to block Blairs shot or pull down the rebound.

IMO, he's going to have to develop a decent jumper to make himself just a good role player and have some time in his career.

[SequSpur]

DeJuan...please watch all the tapes you can of the following players:
Wes Unseld
Larry Johnson
Malik Rose
Mix in some Charles Barkley

So...Watch Video of players listed above, Test Moves, Implement in practice and summer league to muscle memory....DOMINATE next year!

Do that, and you won't be home in Pittsburgh in May of next year.

Malik Rose sucks Dbag.

[Obstructed_View]

If he develops an outside game, then yes. That was the whole point of the discussion. Nice stats for LJ in college, but it was mostly against 2nd and 3rd tier college teams. Don't get me wrong. LJ was a fantastic player. The point is DeJuan, at his age, has the ability to improve and be just as good.

Wow. Time to back away from the crack pipe. LJ put up the same numbers in the NBA.

[dbestpro]

Wow. Time to back away from the crack pipe. LJ put up the same numbers in the NBA.

This is what happens when you try to interpret a conversation based off of one reply. The point was a comparison od LJ and Blair at the same age. LJ was a junior in college, while Blair was in his first year in the NBA at the same age. This has nothing to do with LJs NBA career.

[jdev82]

This...and work on conditioning. If he gets some McDyess/Kurt Thomas range on that jumper and sheds another 15 pounds he will get all the minutes he wants.

why do all you idiots want him to lose weight and become soft? he just needs to work on footwork, get a couple more post moves, and post and pick and roll defense. hes a great player already. dont mess with perfection

[Fabbs]

He really needs to be that guy who can spell TD for games and for that to happen he needs to be able to do more than hit point black put backs.
Uggg! Why does Blair have to be in only when Duncan is out?

[Fabbs]

Never said he did. My point is SA need to find ways of giving TD games off while making sure we have a chance to win those games he does not play. In order for us to do that Blair needs to refine his game an develop a post up game.
Oh i've agreed with this since 2005. But Pat Riley ain't walking thru that door and a cementhead isn't walking out or being shown the way out so....:depressed

[Snik]

DeJuan...please watch all the tapes you can of the following players:
Wes Unseld
Larry Johnson
Malik Rose
Mix in some Charles Barkley

So...Watch Video of players listed above, Test Moves, Implement in practice and summer league to muscle memory....DOMINATE next year!

Do that, and you won't be home in Pittsburgh in May of next year.

Good advice. He's almost a clone of Malik Rose...not a bad thing to be. To put him in the company of the others is a reach right now, but who knows.

[Fabbs]

I actually think Blair has the skills to be that guy, but he needs to work his ass off this summer.
Ya everyone seems to agree he needs to add a consistent midrange jumper.
FTs also but I'm not holding my breath.
Snaq and Wilt stayed at 50%.

[benefactor]

why do all you idiots want him to lose weight and become soft? he just needs to work on footwork, get a couple more post moves, and post and pick and roll defense. hes a great player already. dont mess with perfection
So losing a little more weight so that he can become quicker and better conditioned = softness? Do explain.

[ChumpDumper]

lol perfection

[The Truth #6]

From what I remember they tried to get Malik to lose weight and be more of a 3. It didn't work and he went back to his strengths. I do think Blair can improve his outside or mid range shot and defense. But rather than having him play outside more I would like him to learn how to play to his strengths better, such as learning how to score in the post better. After that then they can slowly work at broadening his game. I wouldn't rush it too fast or he could lose his confidence.

[mingus]

consistent energy and a jumpshot for next year would be great. at times, he was non-existent in games this year. he's go from looking like rookie of the year-type player (ie against Oklahoma and Dallas), to looking like the 37th pick (or whatever it was). Spurs need to know what to get from him on a nightly basis. i think what will help him with that is getting more involved offensively, hence why he should work on a jumpshot.

[Darkwaters]

Blair could be very good. I still think the biggest factor in the way of his development is his knees. If they hold up over the years he could be really really good. As long as they hold up, I'm sure the rest of his development will follow suit. Hes shown the determination and drive to make it happen otherwise.