Will Blair Stay in the Doghouse?

[Calispursfan11]

Benched for the last two games of the series - clearly someone lost confidence in him. Do you think that translates over to next season's playing time?

[xtremesteven33]

Bad matchup for Blair....nothin more than that I suppose

[Calispursfan11]

Bad matchup for Blair....nothin more than that I suppose

True. That begs the question, where does he match up well?

[NewJerSpur]

His strong suit is finishing at the rim, particularly on putbacks from the weakside and off the high screen and roll and sometimes he'll throw in a little floater just below the FT line. He missed some important point blank offensive opportunities that were hampering the team worse than anything he was giving up on the defensive end as they not only cost the team easy points (which were far and few between at times) but put pressure on the other big on the floor with him to have to clean up the mess he was supposed to be cleaning up.

At the end of the day, if he does indeed return, he's going to have to start developing an offensive game because with Splitter in, RR possibly on the way and whoever else that might become available and get a look coming into training camp there might be competition along the frontcourt.

[SpurSpurSpurs]

Isn't Blair's height the same as Randolph's?

[davethedope]

I think that was a silly coaching move. Why bench someone who's
been starting all year. He has a lot of hustle. I don't know why they
even drafted him. He could have been used for fouls or just utility,]
and give Bonner, the hall of famer, a blow.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Blair does not match up well against beasts like Randolph and Gasol. I wouldn't read too much into it.

[G-Dawgg]

Blair would be deadly and would play lots if he developed a money jumper like McDyess's....

[Spurs da champs]

Bad matchup for Blair....nothin more than that I suppose

No, that match up against Randolph suits Blair. He can match him strength and can play physical with him. It's a bad match up for Bonner, Blair with Splitter would've been so much better.

[Roger Freemason Jr.]

If Blair stays on the team (which I hope he does). I bet Pop uses what he studied from Randolph, to try and develop Blair in that sense, which would be very wise of Pop. & to me, Blair is only a defensive liability when he's out there with Bonner, but when he's with Duncan, that makes for a decent front-court (given that he develops on the offseason)

[Interrohater]

Theoretically Blair would match up better with Randolph, but in reality, Randolph was going to shit on anyone the Spurs could throw at him. Every time I see the Spurs play a team with a decent center who has realistic center size, I get depressed wondering why the hell we can't get anyone like that. Splitter's our best bet and he's already being trained in the "Coach Pop School of Don't Go For the Block, Just Stand There With Your Arms Straight Up And Hope They Miss Because Your Fingers Are Maybe Obscuring Their View Of The Rim". Bonner was his first graduate, RJ his second.

Blair is a beast sometimes but he's just too small. Unless he really works on his offensive game (what the shit is that stupid floater that he tried to develop?!), I don't see any reason to not trade him, and it sucks to say that because I championed him like a lot of other people here. To hell with it though, I'd rather have a 7 footer blocking/altering shots and grabbing defensive rebounds than a 6'5" center who has a couple of impressive offensive boards throughout the game. I guess we can have both though since Dice isn't coming back. Whatever. I'm going to shut up now.

[Fireball]

I do not expect a huge improvement regarding the Spurs frontcourt for the next season, so Blair will not stay in the doghouse. Hopefully Spurs coaches work with him extensively ...

[dougp]

No, that match up against Randolph suits Blair. He can match him strength and can play physical with him. It's a bad match up for Bonner, Blair with Splitter would've been so much better.

Splitter matched up well against Randolph, and Bonner was active. Randolph is a really good post player, period. He plays much like a young Shaq, but has some perimeter game.

[8FOR!3]

I kind of think we should look into trading Blair. He should still have a decent stock, he's young, has a lot of potential, but unless they're just going to have a small role on the team and not major minutes, I'd rather not have a PF or C who's under 6'9. There's solid ones out there, but at the end of the day if you take a 7 footer or even someone who's 6'9-6'10 and just as talented, he's going to have the big advantage.

[johnnySpurs]

Blair would be a beast if he could develop a semi-consistent mid-range jumper. He should be more of a SF-PF tweener than a PF-C. If he was equally as effective with a post and face-up game as he is around the rim he would be a very versatile component of our offense. As it stands, he's a huge liability and forces us into pretty bad mismatches.

[Cessation]

Blair will take Dice minutes next season, then he'll face bigger and more skilled big men in the playoffs, and get benched again.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

He's a situational player. He's good at what he does (rebounds) but his size disadvantage is too big to ignore. Splitter and whatever big man we bring in over the summer (Richards? Bourosis? Gasol? lol) should be taking his minutes. He'll get his minutes when Pop plays small ball (which hopefully decreases as well).

[Dex]

I love Blair (no homo), but unless he develops a consistent jumper or a lot better footwork and patience in the post, I'm afraid he is always going to be just a regular season player.

His rebounding tenacity and infectious hustle can definitely be strong attributes against teams with smaller frontlines. Furthermore, his size and lack of defensive ability seems a little negated when you stretch it over the course of a regular season and against 29 different clubs.

Hell, even games like the Rookie-Sophmore Game show you what Blair is capable of doing when he is amongst his own peers.

By contrast, look at the teams left in the West. Memphis, Dallas, OKC, LA....all of them have size. Most of the teams that make the playoffs will. Size is the one thing that Blair can't cope with, and its a pretty common trait to come against in the second season.

[Fabbs]

Why is it Blair did something like 17 and 15 vs Bynum,Gasol and Odum to run the Spurs record to 27-4 and for the season averaged in the top 7 for rebounds per 48? So much for being unable to play vs talls.

Even in the one Memphis game he got burn (20 min in opener, the one we got *blown out* 101-98 and actually led with 20 seconds left) with a suck ass shooting night Blair still got 9/6.

Two of the last three Championship years the Spurs lost their 1st playoff game. Way to panic and go Ginger, Poposcrub.

[Obstructed_View]

Blair's clever around the basket, he's smart, he's energetic and he's young.

The third biggest problem with his game is his defense, and the biggest problem with his defense is NOT his size, it's that he plays like a small guy. He tries to take charges and swats down at the ball instead of going for a block. That's fixable.

The second biggest problem with is game is his inconsistency. That is also fixable.

The biggest problem Blair has is actually a team problem. The Spurs have had Blair, Bonner and Dice playing center. None of whom is particularly big, none of whom is actually a center. Blair played pretty well against the Lakers in the first game, so i's pretty clear that he can be a valuable part of a good team, particularly if the Spurs have two or three legitimate bigs so he can provide a change of pace and take advantage of mismatches.

[Fabbs]

^^ Exactly. The solution, or problem as Poppycock made it is whom you put Blair on the floor with and what Blairs role is. Funny (actually sad now) that the Spurs went 51-11 when you had Blair alongside Timmy Dunks with the third frontliner pitching in (Dick Jefferson the non Soft version or McDyss).

Blair, for that matter Timmy Dunks or ANY big, fark even Dwight Howard. Put them alongside Matty Bonner and Soft Dick as a *PF/SF combo and what big is not going to have problems. :downspin:

[jeebus]

Isn't Blair's height the same as Randolph's?
Randolph is 6'9
Blair is 6'6

[wildbill2u]

I kind of think we should look into trading Blair. He should still have a decent stock, he's young, has a lot of potential, but unless they're just going to have a small role on the team and not major minutes, I'd rather not have a PF or C who's under 6'9. There's solid ones out there, but at the end of the day if you take a 7 footer or even someone who's 6'9-6'10 and just as talented, he's going to have the big advantage.

"I'd rather not have a PF or C who's under 6'9. There's solid ones out there, but at the end of the day if you take a 7 footer or even someone who's 6'9-6'10 and just as talented, he's going to have the big advantage."

Sort of answered your thoughts on possibility of trading Blair. Most GMs will agree with your last comment.

[Cessation]

Blair is a backup pf at best, on a playoff team. Possibly starter on a scrub team. He'd have to develop a hell of an offencive game to make up for his lack of size, defencive ability, and poor bbiq. Otherwise, whatever rebounds and put backs he gets are negated when the opposing team attacks him on the other end.

[DMC]

There's no way in hell Blair ever develops the BB acumen Randolph has. It's not something you pick up over the summer. He also will never have anything close to the outside touch.

[Nathan89]

There's no way in hell Blair ever develops the BB acumen Randolph has. It's not something you pick up over the summer. He also will never have anything close to the outside touch.

This.

We need to ship him.

[Bruno]

It's impossible to say without knowing next year roster.

[Obstructed_View]

There's no way in hell Blair ever develops the BB acumen Randolph has. It's not something you pick up over the summer. He also will never have anything close to the outside touch.

True, Zach Randolph was a superstar coming out of college. Was sort of a no-brainer lottery pick for Memphis.

[mingus]

he's shown a lot potential on the offensive end. but yeah he defense is so poor that he's a liability on the floor. it's hard to know what to expect from him. i was hoping he would blow up this year. i don't expect a lot from him.

in my opinion, he's the only one of our young guys that has "blow up" potential. who knows when or if that happens though. i'd be happy if he and some other big either through FA, draft or trade fill out our frontcourt rotation next year along with TD & Splitter. and Bonner basically becomes the 5th bg. doubt that happens though. we'll probably see Bonner pulling 25 mins. again next year.

[Spurs da champs]

Splitter matched up well against Randolph, and Bonner was active. Randolph is a really good post player, period. He plays much like a young Shaq, but has some perimeter game.

Yes but Pop never played Splitter with Duncan, so you have Splitter and Bonner out their, you'd rather have Splitter guard Randolph & Bonner guard Gasol? If Tim & Tiago played together regularly through out the regular season we wouldn't be eliminated IMO.

[pancakechef]

Blair does not match up well against beasts like Randolph and Gasol. I wouldn't read too much into it.


He matches up better than McDyess. I think that was proven.

And it doesnt matter. Blair started 60 + games into the season. He was statistically better than McDyess. We all know POP cant stand to see youngsters outplaying the vets.

We had to run to win. We changed our style to half court and it F'd us. Same old same old.

Dont do stupid things.

[Capt Bringdown]

Blair has less ability and potential than Malik Rose. Players like this are a dime a dozen. Although Pop wisely benched him against Memphis, I can see him stubbornly returning to him next year. There might be a role for him on the team as a very limited minutes energy guy, but you know how Pop is with his favorites. Best for both the Spurs and Blair to part company IMO.

[spurspokesman]

Benched for the last two games of the series - clearly someone lost confidence in him. Do you think that translates over to next season's playing time?
Why couldn't someone lose confidence in mr bonner?

[The Truth #6]

Sometimes Blair's biggest problem is not his height or lack of a jumpshot but himself. He is an erratic player who has occasional huge games and then many below average ones. It's hard to say what motivates him to play well when he does, but he needs to figure that out. And yeah, he needs a jumpshot. Or at least to show some patience in the post in backing players in instead of doing his out of control spin move every other time.

[Calispursfan11]

Do you guys see a potential Larry Johnson-esqueness in Blair? Hard to remember, but that guy had similar height at least - although I recall much better range than Blair.

[NewJerSpur]

Do you guys see a potential Larry Johnson-esqueness in Blair? Hard to remember, but that guy had similar height at least - although I recall much better range than Blair.

Larry had a jumper with good form and range (which expanded over his career and was one of the things that kept him in the league when back problems took away the athleticism that defined him early on), something Djuan has not developed yet that would help his game in few areas on offense. I got on Dwight for the same reason the last few years and at least he attempted to start banking. Him getting some sort of stroke would help calm him down on offense because he wouldn't be afraid to hold the ball longer than 2 seconds for fear a defender is going to give him space and take away his ability to get to the basket which is his only option at the moment with his limited tools and explains a good deal why he rushes into whatever he feels he can get.

[Obstructed_View]

LJ was a number one pick, and was a beast with hall of fame written all over him from the time he was in junior college.

[outmap]

Blair won't be in the dog house because he will be packaged in a trade with RJ.

BTW, LJ has range.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xlCbpPN8rs

[Interrohater]

Blair won't be in the dog house because he will be packaged in a trade with RJ.
You're out of your mind if you think that RJ will be traded. Nobody in the NBA will take on that ludicrous contract for an overvalued player unless they are looking for a good chance at the lottery in 2012. The only thing that we can hope for is a summer season-ending injury for RJ. I don't want to wish that on someone, but damn dude...

[outmap]

You're out of your mind if you think that RJ will be traded. Nobody in the NBA will take on that ludicrous contract for an overvalued player unless they are looking for a good chance at the lottery in 2012. The only thing that we can hope for is a summer season-ending injury for RJ. I don't want to wish that on someone, but damn dude...

That's what they said with Hedo. :toast