Blair Starting Next Season?

[Kori Ellis]

Blair played mostly backup center to Spurs superstar Tim Duncan. Will he play behind Duncan again next season?

“No I’m going to be a starter next season,” Blair said. “I’m going to move to power forward..."

Rest of the article (http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2450:blair-gives-back-to-city-that-gave-him-everything&catid=42:sports&Itemid=41)

(Forgive me if this was posted already, but I searched and didn't see it.)

[lurker23]

Interesting. A little hard to believe considering Splitter being brought into the fold, but interesting nonetheless.

The one thing I definitely cannot see happening is this:

"...And starting at center, standing at 6'11" from Wake Forest, Tim Duncan!"

Maybe the Spurs will be like some college teams, where they list 3 guards and 2 forwards as starting. :)

[ChumpDumper]

Keep shooting those jumpers.

[montgod]

For some reason... it just sounds like Blair is joking and the interviewer didn't catch it. Who knows... the starting lineup will always be influx with Pop at the helm.

[024]

don't worry, bonner will start again.

[Kori Ellis]

For some reason... it just sounds like Blair is joking and the interviewer didn't catch it...

That's what I thought it could be too. I wish we could have heard the interview.

[tdunk21]

thats not a bad idea though.....timmy and dejuan starting, with dice and splitter coming off the bench and bonner getting some minutes looks fine i guess....dejuan hustles for rebounds let it be offensive rebounds or defensive rebounds...so starting blair along side timmy could take some pressure off of timmy ....

[lurker23]

In some small way, this could make some sense if true. In the past, Pop has used the starting lineup to manage the minutes of particular players one way or the other.

Part of the reason Pop likes to bring Manu off the bench is that it helps decrease his minutes, keeping him more fresh both for the 4th quarter of individual games and for later in the season.

Part of the reason George Hill has started at SG is to guarantee him some minutes beyond the 7-15 he gets backing up Tony. He had become too good and too much of a minutes eater durability-wise to keep his minutes that low.

Similarly, moving Blair into the starting lineup could make some sense if Pop wants to find a way to guarantee him more minutes. He's a very talented player, but matchups could easily find him buried behind Splitter, Bonner, and McDyess.

Or maybe DeJuan was just joking around. But the idea seems more plausible to me than it did at first glance.

[TDMVPDPOY]

at leasts its not bonner starting

[alchemist]

at least it's not *bogans* starting
:toast

[DesignatedT]

Wouldn't surprise me. It seems a little unrealistic since we hardly saw a Blair/Duncan lineup last season from Pop but I wouldn't object. I love Blair and think he will continue to grow as a player.

[timvp]

I'd like it.

1) Blair has the highest ceiling of any bigman on the team outside of TD. Yes, Splitter should be good but Blair's ceiling is higher. He's not too likely to reach his ceiling due to his knees and his height ... but the Spurs might as well begin the season with him in the starting lineup to gauge his progress.

2) It guarantees Blair a healthy amount of minutes. With Splitter, Bonner and McDyess splitting minutes next to Duncan, Blair could hypothetically get lost in the shuffle if he's coming off the bench. Starting Blair forces Pop to keep him involved.

3) McDyess doesn't begin trying until the All-Star break ... so there's no reason to waste starts on him early on. Bonner shouldn't start, period.

4) It keeps the pressure off of Splitter. Early in his Euroleague career, the pressure would get to him and he had a tendency to meltdown late in games. In this transition to the NBA, there's no guarantee that he'll react well to pressure in the NBA. Building up his confidence slowly is the way to go.

5) Splitter could fit better off the bench anyways. With his Spanish team, they ran pick-and-rolls with him a ton. They also posted him up a ton. With Duncan on the court, Splitter wouldn't get those opportunities. Off the bench, he could anchor the reserve unit. Plus, having one of Duncan or Splitter on the court at all times gives the team a bigman who can defend centers on one end and key the offense with passing on the other end.

:tu @ Blair in the starting lineup to begin the season.

[lurker23]

For what it's worth, the idea that Pop wouldn't play Blair next to Duncan is a false one. In terms of minutes played, Parker-Bogans-Jefferson-Blair-Duncan was the 3rd most played 5-man combo for the Spurs last regular season.

1. Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-McDyess-Duncan- 230.5 minutes, +46 on plus/minus
2. Parker-Bogans-Jefferson-McDyess-Duncan, 191.3 minutes, +45
3. Parker-Bogans-Jefferson-Blair-Duncan, 123.6 minutes, +0
4. Hill-Ginobili-Bogans-McDyess-Duncan, 75.3 minutes, -15
5. Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-Bonner-Duncan, 70.9 minutes, +21

http://www.82games.com/0910/0910SAS2.HTM

[DesignatedT]

For what it's worth, the idea that Pop wouldn't play Blair next to Duncan is a false one. In terms of minutes played, Parker-Bogans-Jefferson-Blair-Duncan was the 3rd most played 5-man combo for the Spurs last regular season.

1. Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-McDyess-Duncan- 230.5 minutes, +46 on plus/minus
2. Parker-Bogans-Jefferson-McDyess-Duncan, 191.3 minutes, +45
3. Parker-Bogans-Jefferson-Blair-Duncan, 123.6 minutes, +0
4. Hill-Ginobili-Bogans-McDyess-Duncan, 75.3 minutes, -15
5. Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-Bonner-Duncan, 70.9 minutes, +21

http://www.82games.com/0910/0910SAS2.HTM

Pop loves to play new/different lineups during the regular season. Looking at the games that count (the playoffs) would be the measure we should look at, seeing as that's the only games that really matter.

[Chieflion]

lurker23 just whipped out 3 lineups that had Keith Bogans on it on the top 5 with his plus and minus being a net positive. Shit, he is in for it.

[lurker23]

Pop loves to play new/different lineups during the regular season. Looking at the games that count (the playoffs) would be the measure we should look at, seeing as that's the only games that really matter.

Okay, if you want to base it off the playoffs, here are the top 5 units involving DeJuan Blair, in terms of minutes played:

Parker-Hill-Ginobili-Bonner-Blair, 22 minutes
Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-Bonner-Blair, 18 minutes
Temple-Bogans-Mason-Blair-Mahinmi, 9 minutes
Parker-Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-Blair, 7 minutes
Parker-Hill-Mason-Bonner-Blair, 6 minutes

http://basketballvalue.com/teamunits.php?year=2010%20playoffs&team=SAS

:p:

Frankly, I'm not looking forward to seeing any of those lineups this year. :lol

[lurker23]

lurker23 just whipped out 3 lineups that had Keith Bogans on it on the top 5 with his plus and minus being a net positive. Shit, he is in for it.

Please don't kill the messenger. :( :oops

[Leonard Curse]

Okay, if you want to base it off the playoffs, here are the top 5 units involving DeJuan Blair, in terms of minutes played:

Parker-Hill-Ginobili-Bonner-Blair, 22 minutes
Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-Bonner-Blair, 18 minutes
Temple-Bogans-Mason-Blair-Mahinmi, 9 minutes
Parker-Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-Blair, 7 minutes
Parker-Hill-Mason-Bonner-Blair, 6 minutes

http://basketballvalue.com/teamunits.php?year=2010%20playoffs&team=SAS

:p:

Frankly, I'm not looking forward to seeing any of those lineups this year. :lol

its going to be great seeing these kinda stats next year with splitter's +/- 's cant wait to see when/if they pair him up w/duncan.

[Leonard Curse]

at leasts its not bonner starting


:chestbump WOHOOOOO!!!

[Bruno]

Blair starting could be the right choice at the start of the season.

McDyess should be put in the freezer until the ASG. Bonner should be matched against 2nd stringer. Not starting Splitter will allow to ease his transition to the NBA.

The success of Blair starting will mainly depend on his man to man defense. He will need to be significantly better than his rookie season to be a legit starter. If he can also hit some midrange J, it would also be great.

[Muser]

Just as long as we don't see a Blair/Bonner pairing i'll be okay.

[The Truth #6]

Interesting to see Pop guarantee minutes. But he pretty much does it every year.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

I'd like it.

1) Blair has the highest ceiling of any bigman on the team outside of TD. Yes, Splitter should be good but Blair's ceiling is higher. He's not too likely to reach his ceiling due to his knees and his height ... but the Spurs might as well begin the season with him in the starting lineup to gauge his progress.

2) It guarantees Blair a healthy amount of minutes. With Splitter, Bonner and McDyess splitting minutes next to Duncan, Blair could hypothetically get lost in the shuffle if he's coming off the bench. Starting Blair forces Pop to keep him involved.

3) McDyess doesn't begin trying until the All-Star break ... so there's no reason to waste starts on him early on. Bonner shouldn't start, period.

4) It keeps the pressure off of Splitter. Early in his Euroleague career, the pressure would get to him and he had a tendency to meltdown late in games. In this transition to the NBA, there's no guarantee that he'll react well to pressure in the NBA. Building up his confidence slowly is the way to go.

5) Splitter could fit better off the bench anyways. With his Spanish team, they ran pick-and-rolls with him a ton. They also posted him up a ton. With Duncan on the court, Splitter wouldn't get those opportunities. Off the bench, he could anchor the reserve unit. Plus, having one of Duncan or Splitter on the court at all times gives the team a bigman who can defend centers on one end and key the offense with passing on the other end.

:tu @ Blair in the starting lineup to begin the season.

I reckon number 3 is really important for both Dice and TD - get them as much rest as possible in the first three months of the season. It'll help them at the end of the season when they need their legs, and it gives Pop an opportunity to play as much of Blair and Splitter as he wants. Bonner can play in spots.

I think we should become the first team in the NBA to truly utilise the 15-man depth of the squad over the breadth of the season to spare the older players the full wear and tear of the 82-game schedule. No team has yet truly adopted this idea, and I'd like to see us be the first. I've written about this before but never really got much comment on it.

BTW, any idea who the 6th big might be this year?


Blair starting could be the right choice at the start of the season.

McDyess should be put in the freezer until the ASG. Bonner should be matched against 2nd stringer. Not starting Splitter will allow to ease his transition to the NBA.

The success of Blair starting will mainly depend on his man to man defense. He will need to be significantly better than his rookie season to be a legit starter. If he can also hit some midrange J, it would also be great.

:tu

[xellos88330]

If he has improved his post defense, and shows a respectable jumper from around 14ft, then I am on board with it!

Let the little big man play!

[Obstructed_View]

As long as we don't see RJ at center I'll be happy.

[quentin_compson]

As long as we don't see RJ at center I'll be happy.

I think there'll be a surprise signing bringing a backup C on the team ...

*cough* Finley *cough*

[SenorSpur]

Blair starting could be the right choice at the start of the season.

McDyess should be put in the freezer until the ASG. Bonner should be matched against 2nd stringer. Not starting Splitter will allow to ease his transition to the NBA.

The success of Blair starting will mainly depend on his man to man defense. He will need to be significantly better than his rookie season to be a legit starter. If he can also hit some midrange J, it would also be great.

Agree.

Recall, that Blair made several starts for the Spurs during the first half of last season. This came during a time where Dice was still "on ice" and well into his annual, prolonged, offseason hibernation.

If Pop does decide to start Blair, it would do two things:

1. Reward him for his offseason dedication and skills improvements
2. Allow Splitter to adjust and learn without pressure

Blair could do as a starter for against most opponents - except...the Fakers. Even with an improved outside shot and increased offensive arsenal, Blair will always be outmatched against the Fakers frontline because he's just too small.

If there was ever a flashpoint game of the season to watch for Pop making a lineup change, it would be against the defending champs. If Splitter does become the eventual starter next to Tim, I'd be willing to bet it would come in a regular season game versus the Fakers.

[Brazil]

I think blair was joking around with the tim is a center

[Samr]

I think we should become the first team in the NBA to truly utilise the 15-man depth of the squad over the breadth of the season to spare the older players the full wear and tear of the 82-game schedule. No team has yet truly adopted this idea, and I'd like to see us be the first.

This.

With a guard rotation of parker/ hill/ anderson/RJ-or-FA-signee/ manu, and a big man rotation of duncan/ blair/ splitter/ mcd/ bonner, Spurs have a legitimate second squad. As in, there's another five guys after the starters who you can put into the game and not immediately break out into nervous sweats.

During back-to-backs or rough stretches against physical teams, even if you get another combined 15-20 minutes per game out of the extras (like Hairston, Gee, et al), it could make a huge difference in the long run. When the Spurs hit the playoffs and the main guys have, essentially, played in 5-6 games less because the extended rotation managed their minutes, that could provide a major advantage in a series.

Which could make a difference in June.



I like Blair starting, if for no other reason than for what timvp said: it'd force Pop to play him. And if he finds his ceiling as a Paul Millsap or even Chuck Hayes? Never mind Parker's return -- "How Blair Got His Groove Back" could be the biggest "addition" of the off-season.

[spursfaninla]

I reckon number 3 is really important for both Dice and TD - get them as much rest as possible in the first three months of the season. It'll help them at the end of the season when they need their legs, and it gives Pop an opportunity to play as much of Blair and Splitter as he wants. Bonner can play in spots.

I think we should become the first team in the NBA to truly utilise the 15-man depth of the squad over the breadth of the season to spare the older players the full wear and tear of the 82-game schedule. No team has yet truly adopted this idea, and I'd like to see us be the first. I've written about this before but never really got much comment on it.

BTW, any idea who the 6th big might be this year?

:tu


The reason no-one uses an 15 man rotation, as opposed to the traditional 8 man rotation, is because:

1) if you propose everyone gets like 15 minutes or whatever, that is not enough minutes from our best players to win, simply.

2) also, in that case, players need a a sense of each other, and need lots of repetitions with each other; mixing and matching all the time harms that.

3) If you propose switching the rotation 8 back and forth, so that the "second team" gets minutes during the beginning of the season, we will be out of the playoffs for sure. Our deep bench will not be good enough to win games as starters.


With that said, I like the idea of keeping Duncan's minutes in the 20's by playing blair and splitter extensive minutes, and Manu too by letting hill eat 35 mpg between pg and sg. Parker can play lots of minutes too, since he is not coming back anyway, and wants to pad his stats for his payday.:greedy

Rather than make our rotation too big, just lean on the secondary players more during the regular season. You don't win as many games, but they improve and you don't completely miss the playoffs like the 15 man rotation.

[smrattler]

I bet even if they DID start Blair, he'd be announced as a center. :p:

The reason I think this was tongue in cheek is because outside of Tim and Parker, I don't think Pop tells anyone they are penciled in as the starter. And he changes lineups so often, looking for mixes, that outside of those two, you don't know who else is usually starting.

In other words, Pop doesn't usually guarantee starting spots to anyone.

But Blair might just be very confident he's going to leave Pop with no choice. Maybe he knows Pop wants to keep Dice fresh... he knows what Bonner has... and he's seen enough Splitter video to not be impressed. :lol

I think this was all good fun from a very confident 20 year old kid.

[bigzak25]

In Pop I trust. :toast

Spurs are title bound. :flag:

[dbestpro]

1)He's not too likely to reach his ceiling due to his knees and his height ...


Irony.

[ducks]

pop did not guarantee blair minutes
i bet he told blair if he improves his jumper the starting job is his to lose

[Bruno]

Blair could do as a starter for against most opponents - except...the Fakers. Even with an improved outside shot and increased offensive arsenal, Blair will always be outmatched against the Fakers frontline because he's just too small.

If there was ever a flashpoint game of the season to watch for Pop making a lineup change, it would be against the defending champs. If Splitter does become the eventual starter next to Tim, I'd be willing to bet it would come in a regular season game versus the Fakers.

Yep, Lakers are a really bad matchup for Blair. Duncan, Splitter and Dice will play most of the minutes against them. Blair could only play short stints against Bynum and Bonner some minutes against Odom.

[Spurs Brazil]

5) Splitter could fit better off the bench anyways. With his Spanish team, they ran pick-and-rolls with him a ton. They also posted him up a ton. With Duncan on the court, Splitter wouldn't get those opportunities. Off the bench, he could anchor the reserve unit. Plus, having one of Duncan or Splitter on the court at all times gives the team a bigman who can defend centers on one end and key the offense with passing on the other end.

This. We need to have TD or Tiago on the court all the time. Last season combo of Blair/Bonner was a nightmare on defense.
Start Blair is a good idea

[Man In Black]

Let me think back to a time where a small BIG PF played alongside a HOF on the downside.
I give you Charles Barkley and Moses Malone. Okay, we all know Blair ain't Barkley, but...if we take Barkley's 14 and 8 and scale back a bit, to get 12 & 7 would that be good? I'd take it. Incidentally, Malone went 24 & 11 that year. I think Tim gets 18 & 10.

[dbestpro]

Let me think back to a time where a small BIG PF played alongside a HOF on the downside.
I give you Charles Barkley and Moses Malone. Okay, we all know Blair ain't Barkley, but...if we take Barkley's 14 and 8 and scale back a bit, to get 12 & 7 would that be good? I'd take it. Incidentally, Malone went 24 & 11 that year. I think Tim gets 18 & 10.

I know we can't expect Blair to match Barkley's play on offense, but what about defense?

[smrattler]

I know we can't expect Blair to match Barkley's play on offense, but what about defense?


That's my biggest question about Blair's upside.

His offense is mostly the dirty work for now, hopefully he develops a jumper, but that's not my concern.

When shots goes up, his size is not an issue either, the guy can go get the boards. So, rebounding is fine.

On the ball defense, can he use his strength to become a good defender on the ball? Make guys take shots away from their preferred spots? Not let them establish themselves in good position? Or will the more talented bigs with height always get good quality shots over him?

And what about off the ball? Will he be a non-factor protecting the rim from the weak side due to a lack of height?

[BlairForceDejuan]

Blair starting could be the right choice at the start of the season.

McDyess should be put in the freezer until the ASG. Bonner should be matched against 2nd stringer. Not starting Splitter will allow to ease his transition to the NBA.

The success of Blair starting will mainly depend on his man to man defense. He will need to be significantly better than his rookie season to be a legit starter. If he can also hit some midrange J, it would also be great.


This. Blair starting is basically process of elimination. Dice needs to chill for 2/3 of the season; he proved last season he can be a beast come playoff time. Splitter is a noob. Bonner is Bonner. Blair it is.

[20beastie45]

Blair and Timmy Starting....hmmmm.....It could work.....But who will finish the games?
Timmy and ?

[doobs]

Duncan and Blair do not play well together. Maybe if Blair develops a midrange jumper they can coexist . . . but even then his height is such a liability on both ends that I can't see giving him starter minutes.

I love Blair, but realistically (on a good team) he will never be anything more than a solid rotational player.

[ohmwrecker]

I'm pretty sure Blair was making a joke at Duncan's expense. He has inherited Timmy's dry sense of humor. Hopefully, he will inherit his jumpshot too.

[barbacoataco]

Yep, Lakers are a really bad matchup for Blair. Duncan, Splitter and Dice will play most of the minutes against them. Blair could only play short stints against Bynum and Bonner some minutes against Odom.

Sometimes I wonder why, since the Lakers are the team to beat, the Spurs aren't building a team that is suited to beat them. Maybe they are doing what they can. Splitter will hopefully contend with Gasol. And Parker/Hill could be a nightmare for Derek. I'm hoping for the best.

[mingus]

I'm for it. I think Blair is getting overshadowed by Splitter a little bit. Blair could end up being the nicest surprise next season. I created a thread questioning his role for next year a while back. some people said it would b the same as last year but I disagree.

[mingus]

I think if Blair can utilize his lower body strength and positioning better he can do better against bigger players defensively. See chuck hayes. offensively he can b a force if he better his jumper. he can take bigs out and beat them to the basket. he's got deceptively quick first step.

[SCdac]

Blair started over 20 games last season (largely in part to Bonner breaking a bone in his shooting hand), and his production generally increased all around in those games. Eventually McDyess with his reliable jump shot and savvy defense came to be the starter, and rightly so I thought (his man-to-man defense on Dirk Nowitzki in the post season has gone criminally under appreciated, imo). But, if Blair can continue to improve his shooting range, and defensive acumen, he'll become a solid fit alongside 34 year old Duncan. I don't mind it, would allow Splitter to provide a post presence off the bench, which has been hard to come by.

[Sigz]

I like Blair... but he's so damn short. He's as tall as Manu, and every other SG in the league.

[silverblk mystix]

What about starting all three...

TD
Splitter
Blair

with

TP
RJ or Anderson

keep the twin towers and let RJ/Blair defend forwards????

would Pop experiment?

Blair has quick feet and could probably defend combo forwards, IMO

[Obstructed_View]

I like Blair... but he's so damn short. He's as tall as Manu, and every other SG in the league.

And it's incredibly important how long a guy is from his shoulders to the top of his head. Don't pay any attention to his reach, his rebounds or his production.

[Obstructed_View]

What about starting all three...

TD
Splitter
Blair

with

TP
RJ or Anderson

keep the twin towers and let RJ/Blair defend forwards????

would Pop experiment?

Blair has quick feet and could probably defend combo forwards, IMO

If Splitter can provide some shot blocking, or at least some shot intimidation, Blair could be really effective in that role. You could also actually use Bonner at that position to spread the floor on offense in certain situations.

[mystargtr34]

I could see a scenario where Blair starts to begin the season.. but i dont think it will take long for Splitter to show he is the superior player.. and i can see him starting for the majority of the season.

[HighLowLobForBig-50]

if bonner is here at the start of the season, then unfortunately , we paid him for a reason
i lurv the idea of having a fresh dice come all-star break/playoffs

[Blackjack]

Blair Starting Next Season?

I sure hope so. :)

[DPG21920]

Gimmie dat Tiago

[Blackjack]

Gimmie dat Tiago

Let Tiago ease his way in and bide time. He's coming off a long summer and it's going to be a transition -- no matter how smart he is.

Dyess needs the minutes managed and is a second-half player.

Bonner's not a starter.

Blair's their second most talented big and the guy who needs the most court-time to develop and be the player the Spurs hope and need him to be to win big.

Hoping to see Blair start the year and Anderson earn a starting role by year's end. Hoping, that is -- infinitely more optimistic Blair will be starting.

[DPG21920]

I don't see Anderson beating Hill or RJ out. I have not seen enough of James to even begin to know what type of player he is.

With regards to Tiago, I feel the spurs need an injection of size and grit up front and Tiagos potential fits that mold the best.

[Blackjack]

I don't see Anderson beating Hill or RJ out. I have not seen enough of James to even begin to know what type of player he is.

With regards to Tiago, I feel the spurs need an injection of size and grit up front and Tiagos potential fits that mold the best.

It's about skill-set for me with Anderson. Much as the starter in past years didn't beat out Manu, it was for the betterment of the team - Ginobili created a bench and better continuity.

If Anderson proves to be a solid defender for the position and RJ's adequate, I like having Indy and Manu coming off the bench together. Again, skill-set.

Don't have a problem with Tiago starting at some point but I'd ease him in to start. Let him get a read on everything and find a little better footing, not put too much responsibility on him early, and then try to give him the reins.

As far as development, the grind of a long season and the big picture, Blair just seems the logical choice right out of the gates.

[Spurs Brazil]

I sure hope so. :)

If Blair can do a decent job on those mobile bigs like West, Green and Dirk I think he must start.

And from what we read so far with the work he did on the summer he can do that

[Obstructed_View]

I always interpreted this quote from Blair as a tongue-in-cheek announcement that he was looking to compete for Duncan's starting spot.

[DesignatedT]

Tiago getting hurt isn't going to help his chances to start the season. I expect Pop to go with Dice for the first quarter of the season and then Tiago should be ready to make the jump. I'd be fine with Blair also, just don't start Bonner. I don't mind the red rocket off the bench for some minutes but not in the starting lineup. Dice would make an easy and smooth transition to the bench.

[MaNu4Tres]

It's about skill-set for me with Anderson. Much as the starter in past years didn't beat out Manu, it was for the betterment of the team - Ginobili created a bench and better continuity.

If Anderson proves to be a solid defender for the position and RJ's adequate, I like having Indy and Manu coming off the bench together. Again, skill-set.

Don't have a problem with Tiago starting at some point but I'd ease him in to start. Let him get a read on everything and find a little better footing, not put too much responsibility on him early, and then try to give him the reins.

As far as development, the grind of a long season and the big picture, Blair just seems the logical choice right out of the gates.


Pretty much this..

[Waps1980]

Okay, if you want to base it off the playoffs, here are the top 5 units involving DeJuan Blair, in terms of minutes played:

Parker-Hill-Ginobili-Jefferson-Blair, 7 minutes
Parker-Hill-Mason-Bonner-Blair, 6 minutes

Shit those 2 lineups lack some serious inside defense, suprised they even lasted that amount of minutes.

[ezau]

Sometimes I wonder why, since the Lakers are the team to beat, the Spurs aren't building a team that is suited to beat them. Maybe they are doing what they can. Splitter will hopefully contend with Gasol. And Parker/Hill could be a nightmare for Derek. I'm hoping for the best.

Parker and Hill are already a nightmare to Derek and that bag of shit called Steve Blake

[TDMVPDPOY]

has blair added a jumpshot to his game?

[anonoftheinternets]

this seemed more like a jab ,, dont think it was serious ...

[analyzed]

If the Open practice is any indication one thing is for sure TD and Blair will see a lot of action together , which hardly happened last year especially in the playoffs