Blair

[Spurs Brazil]

I'm tired of his stupid play and lazy D. He thinks he's a start but he's just a scrub. This guy is too dumb to get minutes.

Worst starter in the league. Pop better wake up and start Tiago

Send Blair back to Russia

/rant

[Cry Havoc]

Yeah, he's certainly worse than Bonner, getting more rebounds in just over half the minutes.

[Texas_Ranger]

Blair is a fucking retard.

[mystargtr34]

Blair is seriously worse than Bonner.. that gap is actually getting wider.

[siraulo23]

blair and bonner needs to gtfo

[Bill_Brasky]

Blair just needs to quit making stupid plays. He's good enough to be a monster in this league, but his stupidity holds him back.

[Xevious]

He has the ability to be a good passer, but he's a black hole most of the time, forcing up bad shots whenever he touches the ball. And I'm tired of him batting the ball out of bounds with one hand instead of going up with two hands for the rebound.

[loveforthegame]

It's a toss up as to who's worse between Blair and Bonner.

[Spurs Brazil]

It's a toss up as to who's worse between Blair and Bonner.

After TD and Tiago we have nothing. Blair and Bonner would be 4th or 5th bigs in most of the teams

[Obstructed_View]

In other news, Mahinmi's on the floor to end the game for the Mavs. He has five fouls so that automatically means he can't play though.

[timtonymanu]

He regressed back to his "I can take you 1-on-1" BS and of course he smiles at the refs when they call something on him when it was his own fault.

[MI21]

Blair is clearly a bench big. His weaknesses are less exploited and his strengths more pronounced, especially if the Spurs have a playmaker next to him in the second unit.

He should not start.

[TDMVPDPOY]

blair does alot of stupid shit in the game that cannot be explain, dump the ball down low to him, you will never see it dump out...
did pop gave him the right to roam free on t he offensive end chuckin up shots....
plays no defense, doesnt rebound

as for bonner, he might miss shots here and there, and gives up alot of points on the other end, but he usually makes shots when we need them....still better then blair

as for RJ, him and blair should go suck dick

[loveforthegame]

After TD and Tiago we have nothing. Blair and Bonner would be 4th or 5th bigs in most of the teams

Why not give Thomas a try? He's no savior but he has energy and hustle that Blair and Bonner wished they had. He's only played a few minutes and he's made a good impression.

[Capt Bringdown]

Debatable whether Blair even deserves to be in the NBA, and yet Pop has visions of turning him into an NBA starter.
When Blair slips off the Spurs duds for the last time, his NBA career is most likely over (How many others on the current roster of which we could say the same? Therein lies the Spurs problem.)
A novelty act, ala Spud Webb.
Except he ain't as talented or as smart as Spud Webb.

[Texas_Ranger]

Can't stand this guy, his defense is pathetic and on offense he's playing like a moron. Lets all hope Lorbek comes next year and we get some solid FA big.

[TheProfessor]

Blair just needs to quit making stupid plays. He's good enough to be a monster in this league, but his stupidity holds him back.
Kind of hard to work on and improve intelligence. This is what Blair is - an undersized energy guy that will have several mental lapses a game. He can contribute, but not as a starter.

And while it's clear Splitter needs to start, the lack of frontcourt depth is a real issue. Does this mean we're back to Blair and Bonner off the bench? Or even worse, seeing stints with RJ at the 4 getting destroyed by guys like Patrick Patterson? There's just no easy rotation solution, and I think (or maybe hope) that is why Pop has been hesitant to insert Splitter as a starter.

[siraulo23]

blair does alot of stupid shit in the game that cannot be explain, dump the ball down low to him, you will never see it dump out...
did pop gave him the right to roam free on t he offensive end chuckin up shots....
plays no defense, doesnt rebound

as for bonner, he might miss shots here and there, and gives up alot of points on the other end, but he usually makes shots when we need them....still better then blair

as for RJ, him and blair should go suck dick

what are you talking about, bonner is just as bad/worse, he just made a couple of shots tonight, he is not better than blair

[Buddy Holly]

Oh please oh please.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7goqr88

[therealtruth]

Kind of hard to work on and improve intelligence. This is what Blair is - an undersized energy guy that will have several mental lapses a game. He can contribute, but not as a starter.

And while it's clear Splitter needs to start, the lack of frontcourt depth is a real issue. Does this mean we're back to Blair and Bonner off the bench? Or even worse, seeing stints with RJ at the 4 getting destroyed by guys like Patrick Patterson? There's just no easy rotation solution, and I think (or maybe hope) that is why Pop has been hesitant to insert Splitter as a starter.

You start your best players. The FO has known about the lack of depth for a while.

[ElNono]

And while it's clear Splitter needs to start, the lack of frontcourt depth is a real issue. Does this mean we're back to Blair and Bonner off the bench? Or even worse, seeing stints with RJ at the 4 getting destroyed by guys like Patrick Patterson? There's just no easy rotation solution, and I think (or maybe hope) that is why Pop has been hesitant to insert Splitter as a starter.

But Pop has no qualms closing games with RJ playing SF?

I agree with the rest of your take though.

[ElNono]

Oh please oh please.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=7goqr88

:lol I did that trade on 2K12 about 3 months ago, but instead of Tony+Blair+Anderson, I did it for Tony+Bonner.

tbh, I rather keep Tony.

[SenorSpur]

During his rookie season, Blair was as much of a beast on the glass, as he was in college. Now, I don't know where that skill has gone. As much as I've been rooting for him, it's obvious that he SHOULD NOT be a starter in this league. Watching him try to challenge Dalembert, and repeatedly getting stuffed was awful.

[DMC]

If the Spurs bench Blair, they are doomed. Just as Obstructed_View who conveniently only responds when Blair has a good game.

[timvp]

Blair is clearly a bench big. His weaknesses are less exploited and his strengths more pronounced, especially if the Spurs have a playmaker next to him in the second unit.

He should not start.

This is where I'm at.

Splitter has to start for the Spurs to do anything this year. Blair off the bench as the third big wouldn't be a disaster; he can guard bench bigs and his lack of size won't be too much of an issue next to either Duncan or Splitter. Bonner as a fourth big is fine.

If Duncan and Splitter combine for 60 minutes, Blair can play 15-20 minutes and Bonner can play the rest. There's no reason that can't work. And then in the playoffs, bump Duncan and Splitter up to about 70 minutes and let Blair OR Bonner fill in the rest. It'll be a three-man bigman rotation in the playoffs ... like it always is.

It's so damn obvious at this point. And, tbh, it was obvious before the season started.

[HarlemHeat37]

Blair could be a starter on a team like the Raptors or Bobcats, where he could pad his stats and go up against good teams that underestimate him, tbh..

He has no business starting for a playoff team..his physical limitations are obvious, but it's evident that he plays low-IQ basketball on both ends, you can't fix that..

Another flaw of Blair's is that he hasn't accepted a niche as a Reggie Evans type player, which is the role he is suited for IMO..he's trying to be Charles Barkley, which is a mentality that would be better suited for the bench..

[Cane]

Spurs need another shot alterer in the paint and a healthy and versatile guard. Having to rely on a tandem of both Blair and Bonner coming off the bench will just kill whatever momentum the twin towers of Splitter and Duncan can get, imo. And the Spurs are too predictable and easily stopped when Tony Parker is the only versatile ball handler and playmaker, just check out how crappy the Knicks are doing for an extreme example of a team with poor PG depth at the moment

[NASpurs]

He should stop smiling every time he fucks up with his over-and-back fouls. Remember when we were enamored a couple of years ago because he played with a chip on his shoulder? That extra level of toughness is long gone. Kind of reminds me when Malik Rose lost what made him special and started to shoot jumpers in the latter stages of his duration with the Spurs. Stop being something you're not.

[ElNono]

What you guys are saying is Splitter taking the role of DRob and Blair the role of Malik, from Spur's yesteryear championship winning team.

The problem is that apparently we no longer have the same coach.

[ElNono]

He should stop smiling every time he fucks up with his over-and-back fouls. Remember when we were enamored a couple of years ago because he played with a chip on his shoulder? That extra level of toughness is long gone. Kind of reminds me when Malik Rose lost what made him special and started to shoot jumpers in the latter stages of his duration with the Spurs. Stop being something you're not.

I pointed this out a few games ago. When you get in foul trouble for stupid fouls you're hurting the team. Drop the smirk and start playing like a pro.

[Obstructed_View]

If the Spurs bench Blair, they are doomed. Just as Obstructed_View who conveniently only responds when Blair has a good game.

Huh?

[Obstructed_View]

This is where I'm at.

Splitter has to start for the Spurs to do anything this year. Blair off the bench as the third big wouldn't be a disaster; he can guard bench bigs and his lack of size won't be too much of an issue next to either Duncan or Splitter. Bonner as a fourth big is fine.

If Duncan and Splitter combine for 60 minutes, Blair can play 15-20 minutes and Bonner can play the rest. There's no reason that can't work. And then in the playoffs, bump Duncan and Splitter up to about 70 minutes and let Blair OR Bonner fill in the rest. It'll be a three-man bigman rotation in the playoffs ... like it always is.

It's so damn obvious at this point. And, tbh, it was obvious before the season started.

Given the stats for the guy he's covering, it's pretty clear that the damage done is mitigated if the people he's guarding aren't starters.

[DMC]

Huh?



Blair could be a 20/10 guy right now. He's starting, and he's playing well. Give him 30 minutes a night.

You went on and on about how Pop fucked the Spurs out of a 70 win season by benching Blair last year, but Blair did the same things he's doing now, which is to fuck up on both ends.

Like I said, you have some of the shittiest takes on this forum, and that's saying a lot.

Stand behind your assertions.

[Buddy Holly]

Blair has too much mental shit going on. Dude tweets nonstop, it's insane. It's almost always depressing stuff too. It's a daily emotional roller coaster with him putting it on full public display. :bang

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Given the stats for the guy he's covering, it's pretty clear that the damage done is mitigated if the people he's guarding aren't starters.

That's an interesting point, and I was thinking that I'd like to see Grizz come off the bench to see how his improved offensive post game goes against 2nd stringers.

I can't see how experimenting with starting Splitter and going to Grizz more in the second team against good matchups isn't worth trying.

[DMC]

That's an interesting point, and I was thinking that I'd like to see Grizz come off the bench to see how his improved offensive post game goes against 2nd stringers.

I can't see how experimenting with starting Splitter and going to Grizz more in the second team against good matchups isn't worth trying.
It killed us last year. That's the point. We were on a 70 game tear and bam, like that, Blair is benched and we lose in the 1st round.

[Obstructed_View]

You went on and on about how Pop fucked the Spurs out of a 70 win season by benching Blair last year, but Blair did the same things he's doing now, which is to fuck up on both ends.

Like I said, you have some of the shittiest takes on this forum, and that's saying a lot.

Stand behind your assertions.

Actually, the quote you attribute to me was from a thread a month ago when Blair was playing well, and it was in response to several other posts. The first of which being:


That's insane. Guy is a potential 20/10 guy. He might not develop into it, but he's got intangibles you don't often see.

lol shittiest takes. lol standing behind assertions. lol research.

[Obstructed_View]

That's an interesting point, and I was thinking that I'd like to see Grizz come off the bench to see how his improved offensive post game goes against 2nd stringers.

I can't see how experimenting with starting Splitter and going to Grizz more in the second team against good matchups isn't worth trying.

Yeah, Ruff, I think it's worth it. Though it doesn't seem as drastic to watch him, clearly the numbers show alarming deficiencies in his defense. At some point you have to try to make his numbers matter. It's odd because he seems to just lose interest, as he's clearly not playing the same way he did at the beginning of either this season or last. We saw what moving him to the bench did before. Has he grown up?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

It killed us last year. That's the point. We were on a 70 game tear and bam, like that, Blair is benched and we lose in the 1st round.

So Blair was benched for Splitter? Um, no. He wasn't. But that is what is being proposed. This is a different season. Splitter has improved vastly, while Grizz is erratic and frustrating, but might thrive against bench guys. So how about we try it?

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Yeah, Ruff, I think it's worth it. Though it doesn't seem as drastic to watch him, clearly the numbers show alarming deficiencies in his defense. At some point you have to try to make his numbers matter. It's odd because he seems to just lose interest, as he's clearly not playing the same way he did at the beginning of either this season or last. We saw what moving him to the bench did before. Has he grown up?

Just took a look at his Twitter, and I do worry about his maturity a little. We can hope that benching might be good for him, wake him up to the fact that consistency of effort is crucial, but it's a gamble. Looks like he has a very fragile ego.

The best possible result would be for him to go to the bench and become a solid post option and rebounder for the second team. We can hope.

[Obstructed_View]

I wish he'd learn to use his fragile ego to take it out on the other team once in a while. He's certainly gotten over the insult of sliding in the draft, which is probably a bigger contributing factor to his rebounding numbers plummetting than his knees.

Jordan used to manufacture insults in his mind so he could get himself fired up to punish people. Maybe Blair should figure out how to do that. He plays well when he has something to prove for himself. That he doesn't play well to prove something for his teammates shows his maturity level as well.

[Spurs Brazil]

The biggest blame should be put in the front office.

Last year against Memphis: Blair got a DNP-CD in the last 2 games because he sucks. RJ didn't play the 2nd half of the most important game last season because he's soft. Bonner is a chocker.

Instead of trying to trade those guys 2 of them were rewarded with starting spots this season. Now we see in the regular season what we already knew from last season playoffs. Those 3 guys can't play. What Spurs FO did: NOTHING

[TDMVPDPOY]

tellin blair to fkc off on twitter is like him tellin us to stop posting nonsense on here about him lmao...

[MI21]

The thing for me is, I don't love the idea of trading Blair away either. For what the Spurs are paying him, he is a nice piece. I actually think he can be a very valuable asset.

There is a history of undersized PF guys being valuable pieces. Nearly all of them come from the bench though. Think Paul Millsap, Corliss Williamson, Malik Rose, Chuck Hayes etc... That's where Blair belongs. Most 2nd units would struggle to contain him and his defensive liablities (that Scola drop step today was the most basic post move I've ever seen to embarass an NBA player) are hidden more.

It just makes sense.

[MannyIsGod]

What you guys are saying is Splitter taking the role of DRob and Blair the role of Malik, from Spur's yesteryear championship winning team.

The problem is that apparently we no longer have the same coach.

Blair is no where near the defender Malik was. He's got a much better touch but Malik was serviceable as a center against guys like Shaq at times.

[spurs4real]

Blair only plays well against his friends in the league, like Blake Griffin. And even then he's hurting us.

[ElNono]

Blair is no where near the defender Malik was. He's got a much better touch but Malik was serviceable as a center against guys like Shaq at times.

I agree, but that's why I said roles. Tiago would also take on the role Tim had back then, and I'm pretty sure we all agree that Tiago is nowhere near what Tim was back then. I'm not comparing skillsets, just the style of ball the team played.

[mountainballer]

from an outside look Blair seems to be a decent player on a very attractive contract.
pretty good PER, decent per 40 minutes numbers, improved efficiency, proven durability. (as opposed to what was suspected before the draft)
from that point of view he might look more intriguing for some teams, than we imagine.
I would try to trade him at this point, b/c from this point his trade value will only go down. (I know, the contract thing is tricky, b/c of the low numbers on Blair's contract)

[TD 21]

from an outside look Blair seems to be a decent player on a very attractive contract.
pretty good PER, decent per 40 minutes numbers, improved efficiency, proven durability. (as opposed to what was suspected before the draft)
from that point of view he might look more intriguing for some teams, than we imagine.
I would try to trade him at this point, b/c from this point his trade value will only go down. (I know, the contract thing is tricky, b/c of the low numbers on Blair's contract)

This is what I've been saying for a while. Spurs fans criticize him to no end, but the reason he comes off as a disaster is because of the role he plays and the team he plays it on. Put him on some team not hoping to contend and have him come off the bench and he'd be a valuable player.

They could work around his small contract. By packaging him with Anderson and Thomas, they could get themselves a player who makes in the $3 million range, such as Thompson. Or, they could do something radical like, I don't know, get creative. Offer Jefferson/Thomas for Okur (in addition to this, I'd ask for the Nets to either throw in their 2nd or swap 2nds), then add him to Blair, Anderson, their 1st and if need be, the Nets 2nd and all of a sudden, they could afford a player making in the $12-13 million range. Mainly because of the length of his contract, I don't think they'd trade for Thomas. But just for example, they could probably acquire him and White for Okur, Blair, Anderson and their 1st.

[jjktkk]

This is what I've been saying for a while. Spurs fans criticize him to no end, but the reason he comes off as a disaster is because of the role he plays and the team he plays it on. Put him on some team not hoping to contend and have him come off the bench and he'd be a valuable player.

They could work around his small contract. By packaging him with Anderson and Thomas, they could get themselves a player who makes in the $3 million range, such as Thompson. Or, they could do something radical like, I don't know, get creative. Offer Jefferson/Thomas for Okur (in addition to this, I'd ask for the Nets to either throw in their 2nd or swap 2nds), then add him to Blair, Anderson, their 1st and if need be, the Nets 2nd and all of a sudden, they could afford a player making in the $12-13 million range. Mainly because of the length of his contract, I don't think they'd trade for Thomas. But just for example, they could probably acquire him and White for Okur, Blair, Anderson and their 1st.

Why would you want Okur?

[TD 21]

Why would you want Okur?

Because he has a big expiring contract. Even in the event they couldn't turn him, Blair, Anderson, their 1st and maybe another minor asset or two, into a starting PF, I'd still do it. They'd get rid of Jefferson's contract, which would allow for Leonard to start in perpetuity, free up the log jam on the wings and allow them to start Splitter, while having a center off the bench and one that can shoot.

[DMC]

Any time the Spurs have one of the big 3 out, the role players catch shit. They are what they are going to be for quite some time, so putting more weight on their shoulders isn't going to make them look better, but worse.

If we lost our best player and played better, that wouldn't make sense.

[BillMc]

This is where I'm at.

Splitter has to start for the Spurs to do anything this year. Blair off the bench as the third big wouldn't be a disaster; he can guard bench bigs and his lack of size won't be too much of an issue next to either Duncan or Splitter. Bonner as a fourth big is fine.

If Duncan and Splitter combine for 60 minutes, Blair can play 15-20 minutes and Bonner can play the rest. There's no reason that can't work. And then in the playoffs, bump Duncan and Splitter up to about 70 minutes and let Blair OR Bonner fill in the rest. It'll be a three-man bigman rotation in the playoffs ... like it always is.

It's so damn obvious at this point. And, tbh, it was obvious before the season started.

I generally agree with this. But most us Spurstalk fans (myself included) need not be so trendy. Weren't we all just talking how Pop's replacing Blair last year with Dice was what began our downward trend? Now, we want him out because Tiago is playing well. Just like Danny Green was the fad 2 weeks ago. And Blair "the Grizzly" 2 years ago. Roger Mason was a hero on this board for half a season...

I don't think it matters who starts, and Blair might be best as a starter, if in part, because he showed he was immature and sulked last year when benched. And also apparently resided at the "All You Can Eat" table.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Tiago getting more time. But only a few weeks ago we were all taking about he plays so much shorter than he is and tries to fake out air, etc. He has a few big games and now he's the answer. Larger sample sizes are needed. (For me at least).

And it doesn't matter too much who starts and who comes off the bench as long as:

1. The player is mature enough to handle it. (Not Blair apparently)
2. The wonderful Blair and Bonner team is seldom or never used.

[TJastal]

I generally agree with this. But most us Spurstalk fans (myself included) need not be so trendy. Weren't we all just talking how Pop's replacing Blair last year with Dice was what began our downward trend? Now, we want him out because Tiago is playing well. Just like Danny Green was the fad 2 weeks ago. And Blair "the Grizzly" 2 years ago. Roger Mason was a hero on this board for half a season...

I don't think it matters who starts, and Blair might be best as a starter, if in part, because he showed he was immature and sulked last year when benched. And also apparently resided at the "All You Can Eat" table.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Tiago getting more time. But only a few weeks ago we were all taking about he plays so much shorter than he is and tries to fake out air, etc. He has a few big games and now he's the answer. Larger sample sizes are needed. (For me at least).

And it doesn't matter too much who starts and who comes off the bench as long as:

1. The player is mature enough to handle it. (Not Blair apparently)
2. The wonderful Blair and Bonner team is seldom or never used.

Whether you agree or need more "sample sizes" Blair's defense & rebounding is regressing at an alarming rate. To the point where he cannot be used in either lineup (starting or off bench). His offense hasn't evolved to compensate for this. And let's be honest, his offense pretty much sucks anyway. No jumpshot, no spacing, very few post moves, shots swatted easily by bigger players, etc, etc. The spurs can only hide his growing deficiencies so long and the dam will burst. Pop had better recognize and do something about it fast before the spurs find themselves in a deep hole they can't climb out of. The only sane solution is to move him to the bench. Hell, I'd be satisfied if they cut Blair out of the rotation completely and went with a Bonner / Leonard small ball bench. Stick either Green or Neal in the starting lineup and give Anderson another shot at redemption.