The Blair Project....

[Phenomanul]

After witnessing Dejuan Blair's downward spiral over the latter half of the season... precipitated by and large from an unnecessary demotion (despite playing really well with the starters)... And watching several teams expose his physical shortcomings on the second team (where he was paired mostly with Bonner)... We all saw it (except maybe Pop)... a move that in hindsight contributed to the derailment of the Spurs' momentum post All-Star break...

All that said... I'm not willing to give up on him yet.

Blair would benefit greatly by studying Zach Randolph's game... his positioning, his series of post moves, his patience on the block, etc... and obviously He needs to double (even triple) his effort to develop a more consistent jumper during the course of the off-season (Tiago too, for that matter)...

If Blair had a jumper that was half-way as decent as Z-Bo's he would be equally dangerous down low... perhaps moreso, given his advantage athletically...

During the off-season Blair needs to:

1) Trim down while keeping his overall weight. Afterall, much like Z-Bo, Blair should be able to push people off the block with his low center of gravity and his hindquarters.

2) Spend 3 to 4 hours a day working on his jumpshot. Baseline jumpers, elbow jumpers; basically the range that McDyess possessed (and the range that players like Darrell Arthur used to kill our season).

3) 1 hour a day continuing to develop his free-throw technique (muscle memory is the name of the game). You can't play in the fourth quarter if your FT% is less than desirable.

3) Spend 2 hours a day developing a dependable go-to move down low. No fadeaways (at least not yet... that comes with further seasoning). Edit: and no more tear drops... that shot does not belong in the repertoire of a "Power" player... That's not to say that Blair should abandon the finesse elements of his game, he simply needs to be more patient with his moves... unlike TP's teardrops it almost seems as if Blair rushes his shot to attempt his.

4) Spend some time with Timmy developing a bank shot. Corporate knowledge transfer from the best.

5) Spend 5-6 hrs per week watching game tape of players like Zach Randolph, Carl Landry, Kurt Thomas, Chuck Hayes, Charles Barkley, etc...

6) And finally, spend less time at Whataburger. :p:


If Blair uses the anger and frustration from a disappointing 2010-2011 campaign to fuel his development, I'm positive he can eventually become an All-Star caliber player. The potential is there even if the physical tools aren't.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Blair sucked ass on defense from the very start. He made Bonner look like ALL NBA Defensive First Team by missing rotation after rotation after rotation.

He was at best inconsistent rebounding and no way in hell you can count on him to create offense.

He put on weight and by midseason just looked terrible.

Blair needs to step up his game. We need him.

[Fabbs]

He was at best inconsistent rebounding and no way in hell you can count on him to create offense.
15.6 per 48 good for 7th overall this season.
5 rebounds in 13 minutes, the one and only playoff game Lord Poppycock gave him any amount of burn. Dick Jefferson 4 rebounds in 34 minutes. Bonbon did manage a career high 4 rebounds in 20 minutes this game....

16.4 per 48 good for 5th overall his rookie season.

[BacktoBasics]

Pop spends way too much time and energy searching for the perfect storm in an attempt to address specific personal desires or better yet forcing talented players to abandon their strengths to address one of pops quirky tangents. He should concentrate more on the strengths of his player rather than attempt to avoid being exploited in menial areas.

Blair being a prime example of this. Bonner as well but with the opposite effect.

[cantthinkofanything]

Blair would benefit greatly by studying Zach Randolph's game... his positioning, his series of post moves, his patience on the block, etc... and obviously He needs to double (even triple) his effort to develop a more consistent jumper during the course of the off-season (Tiago too, for that matter)...

If Blair had a jumper that was half-way as decent as Z-Bo's he would be equally dangerous down low... perhaps moreso, given his advantage athletically...

During the off-season Blair needs to:

1) Trim down while keeping his overall weight. Afterall, much like Z-Bo, Blair should be able to push people off the block with his low center of gravity and his hindquarters.

2) Spend 3 to 4 hours a day working on his jumpshot. Baseline jumpers, elbow jumpers; basically the range that McDyess possessed (and the range that players like Darrell Arthur used to kill our season).

3) 1 hour a day continuing to develop his free-throw technique (muscle memory is the name of the game). You can't play in the fourth quarter if your FT% is less than desirable.

3) Spend 2 hours a day developing a dependable go-to move down low. No fadeaways (at least not yet... that comes with further seasoning). Edit: and no more tear drops... that shot does not belong in the repertoire of a "Power" player... That's not to say that Blair should abandon the finesse elements of his game, he simply needs to be more patient with his moves... unlike TP's teardrops it almost seems as if Blair rushes his shot to attempt his.

4) Spend some time with Timmy developing a bank shot. Corporate knowledge transfer from the best.

5) Spend 5-6 hrs per week watching game tape of players like Zach Randolph, Carl Landry, Kurt Thomas, Chuck Hayes, Charles Barkley, etc...

6) And finally, spend less time at Whataburger. :p:


If Blair uses the anger and frustration from a disappointing 2010-2011 campaign to fuel his development, I'm positive he can eventually become an All-Star caliber player. The potential is there even if the physical tools aren't.

If only it were that simple. Just study Z-Bo, lose some weight, and work on your shot. At some point, natural ability comes into the equation. Randolph, while being lazy in the past, has an incredible amount of talent that Blair just doesn't.

[Muser]

Blair can't become a good NBA defender, his height makes it impossible to guard decent bigs. I wouldn't be sad if he was used as a sweetner in some kind of trade.

[Spursfan 87]

You can't teach him height. He can't help in the playoff. Trade him now while he's still has some value.

[Bruno]

7) Trade Bonner.

It may seem unrelated but I do think that Spurs trading Bonner will greatly help Blair. While they are complete different players, they fit the same role of backup PF. Both aren't good enough to be starters and both aren't good enough defenders to play center. Without Bonner, Blair will play his role and it will help him a lot.

If Pop isn't ready to trade his lovely Matty, then Blair should be traded. Spurs bigmen rotation next year should be:
PF: Splitter/Blair
C: Duncan/defensive minded center

[Phenomanul]

Blair can't become a good NBA defender, his height makes it impossible to guard decent bigs. I wouldn't be sad if he was used as a sweetner in some kind of trade.

Zach Randolph is an average defender at best, that hasn't hurt Memphis' chances all that much in this playoff run (Also, if you noticed, most of the people I listed in the OP are also considered 'short' by PF standards -- and don't forget, Blair has a long wingspan)...

Also, Blair is still at an age where he can learn good 'position defense,' if not for the fact that his mental effort on that front is shattered by the confidence-breaking lack of playing time... I agree with Bruno in that trading Bonner can only benefit Dejuan's and Tiago's development because it should give them more continuity and playing time.

I guess a key I was hinting at is that Blair is not as "bad" of a player as the Spurs' Bonner-including, playoff rotations have made him out to be...

This is a guy that put up a 20-20 game on OKC during his rookie season... you don't give up on that... you hone his talent, skill, and focus while building his confidence...

[TD 21]

7) Trade Bonner.

It may seem unrelated but I do think that Spurs trading Bonner will greatly help Blair. While they are complete different players, they fit the same role of backup PF. Both aren't good enough to be starters and both aren't good enough defenders to play center. Without Bonner, Blair will play his role and it will help him a lot.

If Pop isn't ready to trade his lovely Matty, then Blair should be traded. Spurs bigmen rotation next year should be:
PF: Splitter/Blair
C: Duncan/defensive minded center

I agree. One needs to go, because neither is good enough to start and obviously they're a massive liability defensively together.

The only way I could see them trading Bonner (unless it's in a no brainer type trade), is if they get back another big who can stretch the floor. Enter Okur, who's probably the most realistic, quality big they can acquire. I think Bonner and McDyess would get it done.

Here's why: The Jazz now have Jefferson, Millsap and Favors, to build around inside. Okur is now in his thirties, coming off a major injury and going into a contract year. Since they have the aforementioned three and are in the midst of re-tooling, he probably won't be re-signed anyway. So if they can get financial relief (which the Jazz are seemingly always seeking) and a competent, affordable fourth big to fill the same role on offense, I've got to think they'd do it.

Okur would give the Spurs the same thing as Bonner offensively (and unlike Bonner, his three-point percentage doesn't plummet in the playoffs), but defensively he'd give them a much bigger body, at 6-11, 265 and theoretically would be a nice fit next to Blair.

The one reason I could see the Spurs not doing this (besides not being confident in Okur being fully healthy and returning to pre-injury form), would be the fact that they like to play Duncan next to a stretch four. Okur, like Duncan at this point, is more of a five. So when they play teams that aren't overly big inside and have more of a mobile, face up four, they'd be hard pressed to play them together.

[Libri]

2) Spend 3 to 4 hours a day working on his jumpshot. Baseline jumpers, elbow jumpers; basically the range that McDyess possessed (and the range that players like Darrell Arthur used to kill our season).

He worked on his jumpshot last summer but he didn't hire a shooting coach. He needs a shooting coach ASAP.

[TwelveGs210]

No need to hire a shooting coach, we already have one of the best in Chip England, he needs to break him down and build him up like he did for Parker.

Tiago needs even more work, he has a hard time drawing iron on a FT.

[Capt Bringdown]

A lot of effort wasted on a player who doesn't belong in the league. It's cute that for his size he rebounds well on occasion, but this rather minor attribute is the sole extent of his value. He can't defend, shoot or do anything else.

Pop's investment in Blair is emblematic of a big Spurs problem: hubris. The Spurs have fallen in love with their own press clippings about finding diamonds in the garbage dump, and with a basketball philosophy that ignores common sense fundamentals.

[IknowU]

Blair is good and is active on D

Dont you people remember how many entry passes he deflects to the player he is defending?

He has probably the best hustle out of all the bigs except Tim. You cant teach hustle.

And is rebounding is a unique talent that also cant be taught.

[elemento]

Blair is not good defensively. He has quick and active hands and sometimes his gambles work for us.

But he is usually lost in the rotations. Even Bonner makes a better job in the rotations.

Blair could easily be a double double guy, even coming off the bench. He has to work hard to develop a jump-shot and he has to improve his FT shooting.

He is really talented. He just has to work hard this off-season. I still believe in his potential to be a our "Millsap". As long as we dont play Blair with Bonner, he is going to be fine.

Bonner should play at most 10 min. Give him 3-4 open shots. If he makes them, fine, It he does not, keep his ass in the bench. We are not going anywhere with Bonner playing 25 minutes/game

[TJastal]

7) Trade Bonner.

It may seem unrelated but I do think that Spurs trading Bonner will greatly help Blair. While they are complete different players, they fit the same role of backup PF. Both aren't good enough to be starters and both aren't good enough defenders to play center. Without Bonner, Blair will play his role and it will help him a lot.

If Pop isn't ready to trade his lovely Matty, then Blair should be traded. Spurs bigmen rotation next year should be:
PF: Splitter/Blair
C: Duncan/defensive minded center

+1 If it wasn't apparent enough before the debacle that was the grizzly series it should be crystal clear now. One of Bonner or Blair (or both) needs to go. And if I had to pick one I'd defenitely take Blair. I think the spurs have enough shooting/scoring from the perimeter and this whole concept of spreading the floor is overrated, esp now that teams are not even bothering to use a big to cover Bonner out on the perimeter. And Bonner is no Dirk Nowitski who would make a small defender pay the price by either shooting over him or taking him into the post. Mugsy Bogues could probably check Bonner. :lol

I think this trend will continue hence making Bonner's value as a basketball player go down even more. Spurs need to really try to ship him out next year if they can.

[TwelveGs210]

He does have above average hands. I remember him ripping Kobe twice in the first matchup of the season. He and Hill both had some good D on Kobe that game.

I agree he gets his ass handed too him when he tries to have a post game, but if Big Baby can be effective, so can Blair. He NEEDS a solid jumper, bottom line. If he comes back next year and doesnt show improvement right away, get rid of his ass, definitely.

[Capt Bringdown]

You cant teach hustle.

And is rebounding is a unique talent that also cant be taught.

That's precisely wrong. Hustle and rebounding are commitments that can and are taught by coaches around the world at every level. You absolutely can coach and train players to expend more effort. Have you ever played organized basketball?

You can't however, coach size and talent, which is what Blair lacks.

[DMC]

I don't get all the fucking trade talk. Do you guys suppose other teams don't get that Blair cannot defend bigs so they will just snatch him up like he's gold? Fuck no. If Blair is cheap, no need to trade him. He's fine as a rotational player as long as someone else is on the floor to assist. His game has been slow to develop, but I think much of that is because he's a raw talent. In his rookie season, he did what he has learned on his own to do with his talents, and the Spurs just watched him do it. By his 2nd season, coaches had already infiltrated his brain with "I can shoot" when he cannot shoot. They inserted "where are my feet" instead of what he was used to doing under the rim to get rebounds. They have him taking charges instead of getting blocked shots.

It might eventually make him more polished, like boot camp makes a Marine more polished, but those first few weeks are awkward as fuck when the old is out but the new hasn't settled.

Give it time.

[IknowU]

That's precisely wrong. Hustle and rebounding are commitments that can and are taught by coaches around the world at every level. You absolutely can coach and train players to expend more effort. Have you ever played organized basketball?



.............looks at Jefferson and Bonner:toast

[ElNono]

Okur would be a lateral move at best... same weaknesses as Bonner, and potentially a worse shooter. As Bruno indicated, if you're moving Bonner you need a center that can defend. It's clear that Blair's defense is entirely based on hoping the other team misses so he can grab the rebound, so you really need to have another weak side big to help when they go at him.

I'm fed up with 'bigs' that strictly sit on the 3 point line on offense. I can't think of one team that made the playoffs this season that has such a guy on a prominent role (Dirk would be the exception, but he can score from anywhere). Horry retired. He's not walking through that door. He was a special talent. Time to move on.

I'll add that one aspect that doesn't go well with Blair are his 'going solo' attempts on offense here and there, when he simply doesn't have a good offensive game (ugly floater anyone?), and it's especially a problem in the playoffs where execution is (or should be) king. It's on him to work on that aspect so the coach can feel confident on calling a play or two for him and he can get more touches offensively.

[Cane]

Blair needs minutes alongside a 7 footer, a jumper, and more patience.

He's a solid rebounder/energy player however his defense mostly comes from his hands but then again he is quick (and short) for his position.

Bigger opponents that know how to use their size advantage will always be a problem for Blair unless he gets even stronger and physical enough to push players out of their sweet spots like Chuck Hayes....or he could go the way of Big Baby/Splitter and take charges. Blair's got the tools and potential to be a Beast of a pest.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

15.6 per 48 good for 7th overall this season.
5 rebounds in 13 minutes, the one and only playoff game Lord Poppycock gave him any amount of burn. Dick Jefferson 4 rebounds in 34 minutes. Bonbon did manage a career high 4 rebounds in 20 minutes this game....

16.4 per 48 good for 5th overall his rookie season.

Like I said he was inconsistent on the boards. He would disappear at times especially in the second half where we could not get a rebound to save our lives.

Blair took a step back this past season.

[TDMVPDPOY]

how many of his offensive rebs come from his weak ass put backs or his shots?

[temujin]

Blair has shown serious problems in his defensive lateral moves.
That could be in part due to his size (incidentally he was overweight and should definitely lose 10 pounds), but in part this is the consequence of lacking ACLs.
You can make up for that with strong muscle stabilizing the knee, but you are still limited in the quick twists and adjustments required to adjust to the moves of the opponent.

There is nothing you can do about that.

He has very good hands and a natural predisposition for rebounding (by the way, that is NOT taught, it is in part due to eye anticipation of where the shot is falling).

On offense he showed no improvement on his jumper, still non existent.
Unless he acquires one, his minutes in a good team will be limited, at best.

However, he has a very good contract: Spurs will keep him.

[ChumpDumper]

If Blair had a jumper.

[Nathan89]

All that said... I'm not willing to give up on him yet.

Blair would benefit greatly by studying Zach Randolph's game... his positioning, his series of post moves, his patience on the block, etc... and obviously He needs to double (even triple) his effort to develop a more consistent jumper during the course of the off-season (Tiago too, for that matter)...

If Blair had a jumper that was half-way as decent as Z-Bo's he would be equally dangerous down low... perhaps moreso, given his advantage athletically...



I agree if Blair had the skills of Z-Bo he would be pretty good. Problem is he has no touch so he is never going to have an outside shot. Never. Never Ever.

Even though Z-bo is undersized I think he is still a couple inches taller than Blair(6'5).


15.6 per 48 good for 7th overall this season.
5 rebounds in 13 minutes, the one and only playoff game Lord Poppycock gave him any amount of burn. Dick Jefferson 4 rebounds in 34 minutes. Bonbon did manage a career high 4 rebounds in 20 minutes this game....

16.4 per 48 good for 5th overall his rookie season.

Actually in game 1 of the playoffs he played 21:55 minutes in that time he:

Fg- 3-9 for 9points
Reb-6 (5 of which were offensive which basically means he rebounded his missed shots a lot)

but...but... he got 5 rebounds in 13min so that means he would get 10 in 26min and 15 rebounds in 39min. This guy must be a beast on the boards. No it doesn't work like that. He pads his stats by missing a ton of easy shots. He is not that good of a rebounder.


Blair can't become a good NBA defender, his height makes it impossible to guard decent bigs. I wouldn't be sad if he was used as a sweetner in some kind of trade.

This.

Trade him.


A lot of effort wasted on a player who doesn't belong in the league. It's cute that for his size he rebounds well on occasion, but this rather minor attribute is the sole extent of his value. He can't defend, shoot or do anything else.

Pop's investment in Blair is emblematic of a big Spurs problem: hubris. The Spurs have fallen in love with their own press clippings about finding diamonds in the garbage dump, and with a basketball philosophy that ignores common sense fundamentals.

This.

[Fabbs]

Actually in game 1 of the playoffs he played 21:55 minutes in that time he:

Fg- 3-9 for 9points
Reb-6 (5 of which were offensive which basically means he rebounded his missed shots a lot)

but...but... he got 5 rebounds in 13min so that means he would get 10 in 26min and 15 rebounds in 39min. This guy must be a beast on the boards. No it doesn't work like that. He pads his stats by missing a ton of easy shots. He is not that good of a rebounder.
I recorded it, I'll look when i have time. True a fair amount of his rebs are missed shots. Which is a bad thing?? Getting your own missed shot oftentimes for Blair means he makes the putback. Or gets the ball to another Spur for a continued possession. My recollection of Game 1, what pissed me off where his missed jam attempts off rebounds. Did that twice i think.
Anyway, so two years worth of being in the top 10 rebs per 48 means they are mostly off his missed shots? Cmon.

Everytime Blair has played 30+ minutes in a game he is an auto double double, several times being a 20/20.

Screwup move by Popped to go virtually the whole damn regualar season (51-11) with Blair as a starter then do his Popshit as soon as the playoffs start.

[elemento]

Give Blair time

He is still young. I dont see 1 single reason to give up on him. He could easily become our Millsap if he develops a jump-shot. Millsap did not have a jump-shot when he entered the league in 2006. Now he is just fine as a player. And his measurements are almost identical. Millsap is 1 inch taller, but Blair has a longer wingspam and standing reach.

We just have to use him properly

[Phenomanul]

"if Blair had a jumper"

That's what I'm saying he needs to focus on this off-season... Kind of the whole point of questioning why people would want to give up on him so soon, or want him shipped out given he still has alot of unused potential... (and a cheap contract)...

[cantthinkofanything]

That's what I'm saying he needs to focus on this off-season... Kind of the whole point of questioning why people would want to give up on him so soon, or want him shipped out given he still has alot of unused potential... (and a cheap contract)...

I'm not saying to totally give up on him but we don't know if he does have unused potential. We may have seen all we see out of him. Maybe over time, he gets smarter but this might be offset by deterioration in his physical ability. We just don't know.

As to developing a jump shot, his loner wingspan and standing reach are probably detriments to him being able to shoot consistently.

I like Blair as a player but I don't have much expectation for him doing significanlty more than he is now.

At this point, the Milsap comparisons are pipe dreams.

[Phenomanul]

I'm not saying to totally give up on him but we don't know if he does have unused potential. We may have seen all we see out of him. Maybe over time, he gets smarter but this might be offset by deterioration in his physical ability. We just don't know.

As to developing a jump shot, his loner wingspan and standing reach are probably detriments to him being able to shoot consistently.

I like Blair as a player but I don't have much expectation for him doing significanlty more than he is now.

At this point, the Milsap comparisons are pipe dreams.

IMO Blair can be a better player than Millsap as he has better touch around the basket, and better passing skills...

Aside from a consistent jumper Blair needs to learn patience... he needs to let the play develop, analyze the defense, and then make his move... right now it seems there are times when he gets the ball and arbitrarily decides (like ElNono mentioned) to go 1-on-1 without regard for the set... sometimes it works, but many times it leads to a fast break for the other team. And like I mentioned in the OP, he needs to 'drop' the teardrop floater from his arsenal... it tends to exacerbate the problem above.. (patience on the offensive execution)...

[Dex]

IMO Blair can be a better player than Millsap as he has better touch around the basket, and better passing skills...

Aside from a consistent jumper Blair needs to learn patience... he needs to let the play develop, analyze the defense, and then make his move... right now it seems there are times when he gets the ball and arbitrarily decides (like ElNono mentioned) to go 1-on-1 without regard for the set... sometimes it works, but many times it leads to a fast break for the other team. And like I mentioned in the OP, he needs to 'drop' the teardrop floater from his arsenal... it tends to exacerbate the problem above.. (patience on the offensive execution)...

Yeah, the point of the teardrop is to bait your defender into dropping back, then get it off before he can react.

Blair usually fails at the first part of this, which leads to him rushing the second. Plus he's so busy trying to get the shot off quick, he doesn't have the time to evaluate if it's really a good shot or not. The result is a bad fling at the basket.

[Spurtacus]

Maybe if Pop would stop playing Blair & Bonner together he wouldn't have struggled as much. Playing him at center is a joke. We've seen Blair is capable of putting up 20 and 10 games. He needs to shed some weight during the summer and be paired up with a 7 footer next season.

[BackHome]

Blairs game kinda reminds me of Tractor Traylor

[Em-City]

bah... waste of time trying to develop him. there's so much talent out there, no need to have a sentemental attachment to players just because we drafted them and they're a nice person.

[lmbebo]

the dearly departed traylor?

[DMC]

bah... waste of time trying to develop him. there's so much talent out there, no need to have a sentemental attachment to players just because we drafted them and they're a nice person.
Someone said that about Randolph as well as plenty of others. Blair is none of those, but a low paid player with his hands knack for being in the right spot is not a waste of time. RJ is a waste of time and money, Bonner is a waste of time for the minutes he gets and tbh, it's a waste of time pretending Duncan just needs rest.

It's a bad time to put Blair on the trading block. They need to get him exposure that will shadow his removal from the rotation in the playoffs. His stock dropped considerably and there's no reason to move him now. Get him out there in the regular season and by the deadline, his stock might have climbed.

[dbestpro]

Trading Blair will only happen to get rid of salary like RJs.

[Em-City]

Someone said that about Randolph ....

i've always been a fan of zbo.

i also think the few inches of height make a huge difference between the two players. They're not comparable.

[Nathan89]

i've always been a fan of zbo.

i also think the few inches of height make a huge difference between the two players. They're not comparable.

I agree with this. I am tired of seeing Zbo in a conversation about Blair. Blair has zero chance of ever being anything close to Zbo. Stop it now. I beg...I beg...

[big daddy russ]

I usually just read, but let's stop some of this craziness right now.

1.) Blair wasn't a "diamond in the rough." He was a prospect that NBA officials and scouts expected to be taken in the lottery, but fell because of injury concerns. We have a double/double talent with a banger's body and mentality.

2.) Blair's short (came in at 6' 6.5" measured height {i.e. w/shoes--measurements NBA rosters use} at the combine), but has freakishly long arms. Has a 7'2" wingspan and his standing reach came in just shy of 8'11." On top of that, his vert is 33." Who cares about his height?

3.) Offensive game--he's taken steps backwards, no doubt. He was always great at tracking rebounds and "finding" space against bigger players, but he's regressed as a finisher. He once thrived off contact and had a soft touch in traffic. The past couple months, he's been pushing his shots. He'll find his touch again.

4.) It took Tony Parker four years to understand the Spurs' defense, and he's just a point. That's not counting the fact that he's still not a great defensive player, but he's been great for us. Manu's always been a defensive liability. We always had Bowen to defend the perimeter, but now that we don't have a stopper (I've had wet dreams about replacing RJ with Corey Brewer) to help contain the other team's best guards, our lack of length and agility in the post is being exposed. That's not a role Blair can fill, but it's one we're expecting him to.

5.) DeJuan's a junkyard dog. The motor is there on D, he just needs to see the floor better. That will happen with time and experience.


In conclusion, he just finished his second year in the league. Let's not burn down the bakery because of a moldy loaf of bread. If we'd reacted the same way to Parker's early struggles, we'd be in rebuilding mode right now.

Seemed like Blair got a little overwhelmed and started overthinking the game towards the end of the season, a sign that the game is coming to him. He'll get there with time, he'll just go through the typical growing pains before the game slows down. Also, we're going to have to address our lack of length sooner or later. Without the proper complement on defense, Blair will always be overmatched. And Timmy's no longer that player, though he's as close as we have.

[K-State Spur]

Blair can't become a good NBA defender, his height makes it impossible to guard decent bigs. I wouldn't be sad if he was used as a sweetner in some kind of trade.

probably not good - but it's at least possible that he could become competent. he would have to get a lot better at using his body without fouling, using his girth to keep the longer opponents from getting close to the rim.

blair actually has a higher standing reach than blake griffin, which is a more important number than height since you don't use the top of your forehead to play defense.

his biggest issue right now is that he gambles so much. it creates some steals, but also makes it almost impossible for him to maintain good defensive position. now, he does that because when he is forced to defend the post, he gets pushed around like a rag doll anyways, so might as well go for the steal with his above average hands.

his current defensive issues are based more on poor decision making and poor footwork than they are due to his height. the size is an easy scapegoat, but his defensive struggles go well beyond that (not that they can't improve).

i'm not saying he's ever going to be able to effectively guard dwight howard or andrew bynum. he'll never be david robinson defensively - but if he works his tail off, there's no reason he can't be malik rose (who could guard just about anybody in the post and not get embarrassed).

[wildbill2u]

Trading Blair will only happen to get rid of salary like RJs.

Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

"Please Mr. GM we'd like you to take this non-performing SF with a contract for four years at too much money, and we'll sweeten the deal with a 6'5" center that we sat on the bench in the playoffs because we just figured out he can't jump and defend bigger players and has no outside shot."

Unfortunately, Isaiah Thomas is no longer a GM.

[portnoy1]

Malik Rose - Solid post defender, solid jump shot, decent low post game and solid rebounder.

Dejuan Blair - Terrible post defender, no jump shot, no low post game and solid rebounding.

Love his heart, but the guy has to be traded with RJ or Bonner somewhere.

[cantthinkofanything]

2.) Blair's short (came in at 6' 6.5" measured height {i.e. w/shoes--measurements NBA rosters use} at the combine), but has freakishly long arms. Has a 7'2" wingspan and his standing reach came in just shy of 8'11." On top of that, his vert is 33." Who cares about his height?



His height is what is going to limit his offensive game so I think it's pretty important. His wingspan and reach are great assets to have when pulling rebounds but they don't fully compensate for his lack of height.

I don't think they come into play as much when he's shooting the ball. No matter what his ultimate release point is, he still has to bring the ball somewhere near his head for proper shooting form. Being shorter means he has to bring the ball down farther. It also means that he is going to be holding the ball longer from his head to the apex of his shot. Unless he changes to some unorthodox shooting form of holding the ball high and having a short shooting motion, he is going to get his shot blocked over and over again. My guess is that's why he double clutches so much. He's had to find a way to compensate for this over time.

Anyway, I like Blair as a player but a lot of people are trying to make him into something he's not.

[Nathan89]

I usually just read, but let's stop some of this craziness right now.

1.) Blair wasn't a "diamond in the rough." He was a prospect that NBA officials and scouts expected to be taken in the lottery, but fell because of injury concerns. We have a double/double talent with a banger's body and mentality.

2.) Blair's short (came in at 6' 6.5" measured height {i.e. w/shoes--measurements NBA rosters use} at the combine), but has freakishly long arms. Has a 7'2" wingspan and his standing reach came in just shy of 8'11." On top of that, his vert is 33." Who cares about his height?

3.) Offensive game--he's taken steps backwards, no doubt. He was always great at tracking rebounds and "finding" space against bigger players, but he's regressed as a finisher. He once thrived off contact and had a soft touch in traffic. The past couple months, he's been pushing his shots. He'll find his touch again.

4.) It took Tony Parker four years to understand the Spurs' defense, and he's just a point. That's not counting the fact that he's still not a great defensive player, but he's been great for us. Manu's always been a defensive liability. We always had Bowen to defend the perimeter, but now that we don't have a stopper (I've had wet dreams about replacing RJ with Corey Brewer) to help contain the other team's best guards, our lack of length and agility in the post is being exposed. That's not a role Blair can fill, but it's one we're expecting him to.

5.) DeJuan's a junkyard dog. The motor is there on D, he just needs to see the floor better. That will happen with time and experience.


In conclusion, he just finished his second year in the league. Let's not burn down the bakery because of a moldy loaf of bread. If we'd reacted the same way to Parker's early struggles, we'd be in rebuilding mode right now.

Seemed like Blair got a little overwhelmed and started overthinking the game towards the end of the season, a sign that the game is coming to him. He'll get there with time, he'll just go through the typical growing pains before the game slows down. Also, we're going to have to address our lack of length sooner or later. Without the proper complement on defense, Blair will always be overmatched. And Timmy's no longer that player, though he's as close as we have.:lmao

[DMC]

I agree with this. I am tired of seeing Zbo in a conversation about Blair. Blair has zero chance of ever being anything close to Zbo. Stop it now. I beg...I beg...


http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130240&highlight=Randolph

:lol

[wildbill2u]

Wingspan? WINGSPAN! Wingspan is only an important characteristic of an airplane to keep it airborne, not a basketball player.

We've had seveal short players over the years where people pointed out how big their freakish wingspan was. The last one was Romain Sato who didn't last and went to Europe.

I don't care if the guy's knuckles drag on the ground when he walks. His knuckles don't reach higher than a typical 7' foot player when jumping. Wingspan doesn't make up for height and jumping ability on the front line unless you can light up the scoreboard from outside and drive past taller players from outside.

[Cessation]

Blair homers coming out in force. Is there anyone who's is more overrated? Blair's low bbiq limits his potential as much as his height, and lack of acls. This guy is just happy to be in the nba. His numbers are inflated due to him stat padding against weak teams. All the elite teams have size and skill on their front court, though. You saw his pt dwindle as the grizz series progressed. Not to mentioned he actually seems to have regressed from his rookie season. People making to many excuses for this guy, he's as shitty on d and as one dimensional, as bonner, tbqh.

[Spurs Brazil]

Blair averaged 8.8 points and 7.3 rebounds as an unorthodox starting center. In mid-March, he was benched in favor of McDyess, whose defensive chops the coaching staff deemed more valuable in the postseason.

After Blair ballooned to nearly 300 pounds late in the season, Popovich challenged him to shed excess weight. In response, Blair dropped 20 pounds by cutting fast food out of his diet.

Heading into the summer, Popovich has challenged Blair again.

Blair’s future with the Spurs, the coach said, is not aligned with “working on his jumper or developing a jump hook. It’s not defense.”

“It’s personal discipline, responsibility and maturity,” Popovich said. “That will get him to the next level. Short of that, he’ll have a hard time.”

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2011/05/13/pop%E2%80%99s-offseason-goal-discover-duncan%E2%80%99s-sidekick/

[DMC]

Blair homers coming out in force. Is there anyone who's is more overrated? Blair's low bbiq limits his potential as much as his height, and lack of acls. This guy is just happy to be in the nba. His numbers are inflated due to him stat padding against weak teams. All the elite teams have size and skill on their front court, though. You saw his pt dwindle as the grizz series progressed. Not to mentioned he actually seems to have regressed from his rookie season. People making to many excuses for this guy, he's as shitty on d and as one dimensional, as bonner, tbqh.

You really don't know shit about basketball, do you.

Stick to your pithy two word comebacks. You seem a bit less of a retard that way.

[BackHome]

After reading todays paper what Pop said about Blair and him reaching the 300 pd mark I can say without a doubt he is gone. The only way he stays is if he comes into camp looking like a different player, attitude, weight, mid range shot, endurance...and this is if he hasn't been traded.

I think Pops comments pretty much said to Parker, Hill, Bonner, RJ, Blair, you all didn't show up and this summer you better be working on your game cause no more Mr. Nice Guy.

But after those comments I can see a couple of trades this summer...hope they make the right ones.

[Cessation]

You really don't know shit about basketball, do you.

Stick to your pithy two word comebacks. You seem a bit less of a retard that way.

What are you babbling about son? Everything I said is on point.

lol permanetly butthurt dmc

[DMC]

I don't think it matters now what people do in the Summer. Pop and RC have their minds set on trades.

[elemento]

Milsap is also more explosive, Loves basketball more the Burgerking and tatoos, and got better every year he has played. Blair, fat, lazy, game has regressed, still no post moves at all, still cant defend anyone, how many point blank shot can you miss???

To be honest Blair is just as explosive IMO. Millsap did not improve much in the first 2 years. His breakout year was his 3rd. I say give Blair his last chance next season to prove himself as a reliable player coming off the bench. And let us face man, we do not have many options. With only TD, Splitter, Blair and Bonner as our bigs and with a payroll over 70m, we are not in a comfortable situation at all.

Off-court issues are a problem for sure. It looks like Blair lost his focus after the cheerleader thing. By looking at the Pop interview, it looks like he is pissed about Blair. And if Blair does not come in shape this season, I am sure we will move him. If there is something our FO and Pop cannon stand is the lack of work-ethic.

I am not against moving Blair at all. I am just saying that we should give him a last chance to prove himself.

[Cessation]

You can wait all you want, but blair will still be 6-5 and millsap 6-8.

[elemento]

You can wait all you want, but blair will still be 6-5 and millsap 6-8.

Yeah right :rolleyes

Pre-Draft measurements

Paul Millsap

Height : 6'6'25"/ 6'7.25" with shoes
Wingspan : 7'1.5"
Standing Reach : 8'9.5"


Dejuan Blair

Height : 6'5"25 without shoes / 6'6"5 with shoes
Wingspan : 7'2
Standing Reach : 8'10.5"

[Cessation]

Yeah right :rolleyes

Pre-Draft measurements

Paul Millsap

Height : 6'6'25"/ 6'7.25" with shoes
Wingspan : 7'1.5"
Standing Reach : 8'9.5"


Dejuan Blair

Height : 6'5"25 without shoes / 6'6"5 with shoes
Wingspan : 7'2
Standing Reach : 8'10.5"

Fair enough, didn't think nba.com would exagerate to such an extent.

[pad300]

I've said it before and I will say it again. The guy Blair needs to pattern his game on is Chuck Hayes. Not Z-bo, not Milsap. Chuck Hayes...

[Spurs da champs]

I've said it before and I will say it again. The guy Blair needs to pattern his game on is Chuck Hayes. Not Z-bo, not Milsap. Chuck Hayes...

So he can be even more limited offensively?

[Capt Bringdown]

I've said it before and I will say it again. The guy Blair needs to pattern his game on is Chuck Hayes. Not Z-bo, not Milsap. Chuck Hayes...

Is Chuck Hayes a starter?
Bottom line, Blair is not starter, or even rotation player material. Strictly a scrub whose career is being bizarrely promoted by Pop. Once Blair leaves SA (which hopefully will be soon) he'll be out of the league in no time.

[Nathan89]

I don't think it matters now what people do in the Summer. Pop and RC have their minds set on trades.:clap




Yeah right :rolleyes

Pre-Draft measurements

Paul Millsap

Height : 6'6'25"/ 6'7.25" with shoes
Wingspan : 7'1.5"
Standing Reach : 8'9.5"


Dejuan Blair

Height : 6'5"25 without shoes / 6'6"5 with shoes
Wingspan : 7'2
Standing Reach : 8'10.5"

I guess Blair's shoe is a quarter inch thicker than Millsap.

[dbestpro]

Blair needs to drop some weight and focus on his best skill for next year and that is rebounding the ball. He should kick every rebound back out and the only time he should ever shoot is on a pick and roll with Manu. No more smiles from Mr. Blair. It's time for him to mean business. Otherwise, he won't only be off the Spurs he will be out of the league.

[Cessation]

When you're in your second season in the nba, your focus should be getting better, not scoping out your next cheeseburger pit stop.

[dbestpro]

When you're in your second season in the nba, your focus should be getting better, not scoping out your next cheeseburger pit stop.

You know things are going the wrong way when your nickname changes from the DeJuan "the Beast" Blair during your rookie year to DeJuan "Cheesburger" Blair the following year.

[Cessation]

You know things are going the wrong way when your nickname changes from the DeJuan "the Beast" Blair during your rookie year to DeJuan "Cheesburger" Blair the following year.

No doubt, lol. I saw from the start this guy wasn't right mentally, that permanetly blank look in his eye, is a dead give away. It's a real shame that he's going to piss away this golden opportunity to play in the nba. Hopefully spurs have the balls to cut their losses, and get someone who's taller than 6-5 to play center for them.

[DMC]

Hey, is that DeJuan? No, It's DiGiorno!