All I want for Christmas....

[MannyIsGod]

Is for Gary Neal not to regress Roger Mason style.

Please Santa, OH PLEASE let Gary Neal be the TRUTH.

[SequSpur]

Rmj jr!!!!!

[MannyIsGod]

RMJ once had big nuts too

ZzPQBwSWIO0

PLEASE LET NEAL BE THE TRUTH

[timvp]

I'm hopeful because Neal has moves to counter a hard closeout. But gotta wait until at least March to see if scouting reports catch up to him.

[cheguevara]

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9176/neal.png

[ducks]

2 games against denver who had time to scout him
he got 22 against them both games

[SpursDynasty85]

Gary neal has yet to show he will pass up a shot. This was Pop's big complaint about the role players.

[timtonymanu]

Mason was one-dimensional. Neal isn't.

[L.I.T]

Neal definitely has a much more varied offensive arsenal, he's not a one trick pony like RMJ was. As well, he's got a nasty streak on defense, even if he's not a really good defender. Not to mention that nasty streak on offense that RMJ didn't have.

He's not going to be this good, but I think he's demonstrating he'll be much better than RMJ all-around.

[MannyIsGod]

I'm hopeful because Neal has moves to counter a hard closeout. But gotta wait until at least March to see if scouting reports catch up to him.

He also seems to be mentally stronger than Mason. He had to do years overseas but I'm still afraid and I'll be that way until the playoffs.

[MI21]

Yeah, Neal has some decisive moves that allow him to a few more things than RMJ offensively. The fact he is so shot happy makes him hard to defend because the opposition must always be on guard. He seems comfortable shooting from any spot on the floor as well.

If the Spurs can just get him to stop committing so many shooting fouls... (well, it seems like he does anyway)

[spurspokesman]

Gary neal plays defense and has some handle. Even if he regressed he could still be useful

[SequSpur]

I wonder if tpark got a neal jersey...

[MannyIsGod]

I wonder if tpark got a neal jersey...

Bro *I* am about to get the Neal Jersey. Tpark already has the jersey for the guy the Spurs are drafting in 2015 so of course he has the Neal jersey. Thats how Tpark rolls.

[8FOR!3]

Mason might've been clutch at one point, but he was a product of his environment for that short amount of time. Gary Neal is the much more complete player on the offensive and defensive end. Not to mention he's been this kind of player ever since college, it's nothing new, people just didn't think he'd translate it to the NBA (I really don't understand why.)

[MannyIsGod]

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

I just did a search for Gary Neal images on google and this came up on the first page

http://runningtrain.org/images/running-train-logo-large.png

It was because of this thread:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=165079&page=6

[TDMVPDPOY]

lol pop better lock him up in a extention or else some team comes knockin.....

[SequSpur]

Bro *I* am about to get the Neal Jersey. Tpark already has the jersey for the guy the Spurs are drafting in 2015 so of course he has the Neal jersey. Thats how Tpark rolls.

lmao...

[Frenzy]

Yeah hopefully he is consistent.

[jestersmash]

He wont.

Gary Neal has a very fundamentally sound shot. He shoots with his feet set, he has a terrific release and subsequent rotation.

RMJ shot 90% of his 3s moving to one side or the other/off balance.

[Spurologist]

RMJ doesn't have the jump shooting purity of Neal

[ShoogarBear]

Neal has much better shooting mechanics than Mason. Even when RMJ was hitting, his release could make you cringe. With Neal, you're almost surprised when they don't go in.

And like timvp said, once somebody closed on Mason, the best you could hope for was that he didn't turn it over on the dribble.

[jag]

Gary neal has yet to show he will pass up a shot. This was Pop's big complaint about the role players.

RMJ always let 'em fly. People forget that he and Hill carried the Spurs scoring when Tony went out early in 08. It's more about mental toughness than no-conscience shooting.

[Mugen]

RMJ never had the floater that Neal has.

everytime mase would get run off the 3, he'd either:

a) miss the jumper
b) get blocked/miss the layup

[Drachen]

lol pop better lock him up in a extention or else some team comes knockin.....

We have him for 3 years buddy. Pop already locked him up for peanuts!

As for that picture MiG, freakin classic.

[spurs1990]

Spurs fans blowing up on Twitter.

Gary Neal!

[ohmwrecker]

RMJ once had big nuts too

ZzPQBwSWIO0

PLEASE LET NEAL BE THE TRUTH

Neal has already surpassed RMJ. Dude was never as clutch as Neal.

[Kool Bob Love]

NEAL >>>>> mason

[SpursDynasty85]

RMJ always let 'em fly. People forget that he and Hill carried the Spurs scoring when Tony went out early in 08. It's more about mental toughness than no-conscience shooting.

Agree. But he had his up and downs with his confidence during his spurs days.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

My thoughts:

1) Neal's release is higher and better pure form than Mason's low-arcing forward leaning shot.

2) Neal is a better athlete than Mason. His first step after a 3 pump fake is much quicker.

3) Neal has better moves at the rim than Mason. Not only better, but faster. Mason's layups took longer than Bonner's. Neal has shown an ability to move the ball quickly, and even dish it for a quick assist or two. Last two games he's even shown better ability to get to the foul line than Mason ever did.

4) I still believe a large part of Mason's struggles was Pop trying to wedge a square peg into a round hole, forcing Mason to do a lion's share of ball-handling duties towards the end of his first season here. We won't make Neal do that.


I want to believe Neal is the truth as much as you, Manny, but these observations also give me some optimism going forward.

[ElNono]

He got handles and he can drive. He's also an underrated passer. The more I look at his game, the farthest away it's from the unidimensional Mason. Plus he tries to compete on D even though he's still making a bunch of mistakes here and there. Mason rarely tried.

The only question to me is if he's going to implode when the playoffs come around. It's a different atmosphere and the pressure really adds up. Although if Mason is the measuring stick, I feel pretty confident be can play better than that.

[NRHector]

Neal has much better shooting mechanics than Mason. Even when RMJ was hitting, his release could make you cringe. With Neal, you're almost surprised when they don't go in.

And like timvp said, once somebody closed on Mason, the best you could hope for was that he didn't turn it over on the dribble.this :toast

[BOHOLANO#21]

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9176/neal.png


:nope

[BOHOLANO#21]

He got handles and he can drive. He's also an underrated passer. The more I look at his game, the farthest away it's from the unidimensional Mason. Plus he tries to compete on D even though he's still making a bunch of mistakes here and there. Mason rarely tried.

The only question to me is if he's going to implode when the playoffs come around. It's a different atmosphere and the pressure really adds up. Although if Mason is the measuring stick, I feel pretty confident be can play better than that.

this:toast

[100%duncan]

Oh santa can you hear us? We have been so good this year

[MI21]

Hopefully Gary Neal makes love to pressure.

even if the pressure doesn't want it

[ShoogarBear]

If he just was able to hold hands with it it would be a step up.