Blair is horrible

[spurs4real]

Blair should never attempt an unbalanced shot, put back rebounded shots, or go one on one against a defender. There was a time when I thought you cant trade this guy, but he's a liability on offense and defense.

[spurs4real]

Time start Duncan and Splitter.

[Giuseppe]

Unless Pop can teach him to grow 5 inches it's Pop's fault.

[TDMVPDPOY]

is he on a contract year or someshit, why is his forcing shit to get his stats...

[boutons_deux]

He's always unbalanced and leaning forward because he doesn't patiently, controllably keep his feet under him.

A bad habit, probably difficult to fix.

Spurs ain't doing shit, like make the playoffs, with Bonner, Blair, and RJ in the main rotation.

[Dex]

Speaking of putting back rebounds (didn't feel this really needed its own thread), that's a lesson to Kawhi needs to learn as well. He's got a decent touch around the basket and he's gotten a few buckets on putbacks, but every time he gets an offensive board in the paint, he always tries to go back up with it, even if he's totally in jail. I understand the Horry-mentality, but if you don't have chip shot after that board, you need to toss it out and run your some offense, otherwise it's just another wasted possession.

[spurs4real]

As disgusted as we are on Blairs play, Sure it needs its own thread to vent. Why vent on Blair on someone elses thread about Bonner? And you make absolute sense about every board he gets Blair rushes his put back surrounded by 3 or more defenders and never passes it out to run a new play. But K. Leonard has a higher IQ than Blair at this stage. Just terrible play.

By the way I love this new spurs team without Blair and Bonner. And instead of looking for a SF in the off season we should have concentrated on a Big.

Jefferson has no toughness in him AT ALL, but he's better than starting new on a new guy.


Starting 5 looks amazing

T. Parker
M. Ginobili (when he gets back)
K. Leonard
T. Splitter
T. Duncan

[8FOR!3]

Parker, Ginobili, Leonard, Splitter, and Duncan sounds great and everything, but then you don't really have shit coming off the bench. Jefferson's got to step up if he became the 6th man.

[Spurs da champs]

Blair is improving, you can see it now hes making post moves......they dont always go in but its a sign he still has great upside. Like to see his D improve a bit more, and show more on the Def glass but if he keeps up doing what hes doing, hes another guy who could avg 18ppg and 10rpg easy.

If the spurs could find a way to pair him with a long athletic big who can block shots Blair could really be a player for us.

Blair always looks like this at the beginning of the year then he comes back to life, Blair is a fat,undersized scrub who just throws up a prayer all the time is game is junk. And yeah he could defiantly get those stats on the Wizards, but not a winning team.

[angelbelow]

I think he is eligible for an extension after this season. Might be a season for the dumb plays and obvious stat padding.

He started off the season so well but has regressed since then. He desperately needs to refocus so that he can help this team.

[DMC]

I've said since day one that Blair has potential, but that seems to be the most commonly uttered phrase for players who never get over the hump.

With his missing ACLs and his weight and job duties, his years to improve aren't going to be nearly as many as an outside shooter. He could begin a downhill much sooner than anyone expects if his legs don't hold up.

[SpursNextRomanEmpire]

Funny how much this site has fallen off of him. Regardless of whether it's warranted or not. Everyone used to be so excited about him.

I must say though, just looking at his Twitter account.. wow. :huh

[InK]

Funny how much this site has fallen off of him. Regardless of whether it's warranted or not. Everyone used to be so excited about him.

I must say though, just looking at his Twitter account.. wow. :huh

The new trend is to hate on anyone who is taking away Splitter minutes. And its probably justified, with the way he played last few games.

[therealtruth]

Blame Pop. He's been bad at developing players the past few years. I am sure Blair with the right coaching could be more effective. I remember him being proud of the fact he had never coached Blair in his rookie season.

[spurs4real]

I think the dilemma here is that he has the starting Center position over Splitter and thus takes minutes away from Splitter. Id still love his youth on the spurs coming off the bench. But cmon, anyone with good reason (Pop) should see that pairing Splitter next to Duncan is a no brainer.

Cmon Pop do it now before its too late and our record is 36-30 and the 8th seed with Blair at Center.

[mercos]

Blair has potential, but until he has realized that potential he should be coming off the bench. I believe he should be there anyway since he lacks the height to defend the paint well. I realize he fell off a cliff last year when he went to the bench, but we can not leave him in the starting line up for fear of him quitting. He would fare much better battling opposing teams bench bigs.

[jwmann2]

I'm sure he doesn't practice unbalanced, just playing and reacting. I wouldn't look too much into it. If he was making them, you wouldn't call him out for lacking fundamentals.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I wonder if he's even an NBA player anymore.

Yikes.

[SequSpur]

your horrible...

[MaNu4Tres]

Blair/Anderson for Jason Thompson please R.C?

[timtonymanu]

It sucks that we have to start him because he acts like a pussy once he gets benched and starts eating fast food. It's pissing me off more that he thinks his spot is so safe that he can play like a dumbass while Tiago is actually fighting hard for playing time.

[Mugen]

lowest BBIQ on the team and its not even close.

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol Blair has potential to be a stat-padder on a team like the Raptors or Bobcats..

He's undersized and has disturbingly low basketball IQ..he's one of the worst defensive players I've ever seen, in the frontcourt..he's always out of position or gambling..

He's constantly taking poor shots..instead of accepting a niche as a superior version of Reggie Evans, he tries to be Charles Barkley, which will lead to his eventual demise..

[timtonymanu]

I agree. Save the dumb plays for pick-up games. Don't do that shit in the NBA!

[Sean Cagney]

He has let me down the last two years after a promising rookie year to say the least.

[MaNu4Tres]

He has let me down the last two years after a promising rookie year to say the least.

Blair is nothing more than a 10-15 minute energy/clean up the garbage type big off the bench.

Always has been, always will.

[TD 21]

Blair/Anderson for Jason Thompson please R.C?

I'm not certain, but I think the Spurs would have to throw in Thomas to make it work financially. Either way, that's of minor concern. Value wise, that's fair. Unfortunately, there's no reason for the Kings to have interest in either player.

Without Thompson and with Whiteside not yet ready for prime time, they'd be down to one big who's over 6-9. Hickson is basically in the mold of Blair, only with a jump shot and Hayes, while a completely different player than Blair, physically is in the same mold. And between Evans, Thornton and Salmons, they don't need another scoring shooting guard.


:lol Blair has potential to be a stat-padder on a team like the Raptors or Bobcats..

He's undersized and has disturbingly low basketball IQ..he's one of the worst defensive players I've ever seen, in the frontcourt..he's always out of position or gambling..

He's constantly taking poor shots..instead of accepting a niche as a superior version of Reggie Evans, he tries to be Charles Barkley, which will lead to his eventual demise..

Excellent post.

He's one of the most deceptive players in the league. If you don't watch the Spurs regularly, you'd wonder why Spurs fans constantly complain about him. After all, he does have a star caliber PER. But he's a classic case of the stats not telling the whole story.

I completely soured on him from his rookie season to his sophomore season. A lot of his issues are role related. He has no business starting, particularly not for a non basement dweller. But even if he were playing the role he should be, as a 15 mpg energy big off the bench, I'm not sure he's mentally capable of handling that at this stage of his career.

[MattBonnerExperience]

I wouldn't say Blair is Horrible he gets rebounds and scores pretty well inside for being 6'6. The real problem is the spurs have no front court out side duncan and splitter so have to play Blair so much.

[pgardn]

Funny how much this site has fallen off of him. Regardless of whether it's warranted or not. Everyone used to be so excited about him.

I must say though, just looking at his Twitter account.. wow. :huh

It was a good pick at the time imo. Hindsight is easy. The season seems a bit long for him. His intensity and focus appear to be tidal. I personally did not think this would be a problem.

[therealtruth]

I'm not certain, but I think the Spurs would have to throw in Thomas to make it work financially. Either way, that's of minor concern. Value wise, that's fair. Unfortunately, there's no reason for the Kings to have interest in either player.

Without Thompson and with Whiteside not yet ready for prime time, they'd be down to one big who's over 6-9. Hickson is basically in the mold of Blair, only with a jump shot and Hayes, while a completely different player than Blair, physically is in the same mold. And between Evans, Thornton and Salmons, they don't need another scoring shooting guard.



Excellent post.

He's one of the most deceptive players in the league. If you don't watch the Spurs regularly, you'd wonder why Spurs fans constantly complain about him. After all, he does have a star caliber PER. But he's a classic case of the stats not telling the whole story.

I completely soured on him from his rookie season to his sophomore season. A lot of his issues are role related. He has no business starting, particularly not for a non basement dweller. But even if he were playing the role he should be, as a 15 mpg energy big off the bench, I'm not sure he's mentally capable of handling that at this stage of his career.

He's got to ask Chuck Hayes how to play defense as an undersized big. Maintain good defensive position and contest the shot.

[therealtruth]

It was a good pick at the time imo. Hindsight is easy. The season seems a bit long for him. His intensity and focus appear to be tidal. I personally did not think this would be a problem.

The problem is he's being asked to do much. He's being asked to cover the best forwards in the NBA. He should be coming of the bench were he can focus on energy and rebounding and his defense isn't important.

[spurs4real]

Did anyone notice at the end of the game when Duncan hit the game winning shot, the whole bench was standing up with 5 seconds left and Blair is sitting down never saw what happened. He stood up to see the ruckus with no reaction whatsoever. It's that "Me" attitude that sucks. He's pissed he didn't play the 4th Qtr. I wouldn't be surprised someone on the Spurs video team points that out to Pop. I see the doghouse coming out soon.

[ElNono]

As long as he doesn't take out his frustration on 2 dozen burgers, he should be able to rebound from this bad stretch.

[spurs4real]

Someone mentioned twitter so I got curious and checked out his Twitter and dude is still awake right now 2:30am, don't they play tomorrow?

[ElNono]

Someone mentioned twitter so I got curious and checked out his Twitter and dude is still awake right now 2:30am, don't they play tomorrow?

They play Wednesday night

[spurs4real]

They play Wednesday night

Yes my bad.

[Hooks]

Blair is nothing more than a 10-15 minute energy/clean up the garbage type big off the bench.

Always has been, always will.


This is 100% true unfortunately I don't think Blair wants to accept that role at all. Someone posted earlier that Blair didn't even stand up when Duncan hit that game winner. Blair doesn't have that mentality the Spurs covet, he wants to be in the spot light.




He's got to ask Chuck Hayes how to play defense as an undersized big. Maintain good defensive position and contest the shot.


They're both small but physically their builds aren't really the same. Blair is a huge guy, very big upper body, BUT his legs look like he's never squatted in his life. I haven't seen his thighs but his calves are very thin, you don't see any muscle definition whatsoever, it looks pretty weird. Just google any pic of Blair and you'll see it.

Meanwhile Hayes has tree trunks for calves, they're HUGE, they've got to be at least 20 inches around. Those extremely strong calves allow him to keep his position, he's got a very solid base and his low center of gravity makes him very hard to budge, he's also got very quick feet.

[therealtruth]

This is 100% true unfortunately I don't think Blair wants to accept that role at all. Someone posted earlier that Blair didn't even stand up when Duncan hit that game winner. Blair doesn't have that mentality the Spurs covet, he wants to be in the spot light.


Blair seems like the kind of guy that would enjoy putting up big numbers on a bad team.

[BillMc]

This is 100% true unfortunately I don't think Blair wants to accept that role at all. Someone posted earlier that Blair didn't even stand up when Duncan hit that game winner. Blair doesn't have that mentality the Spurs covet, he wants to be in the spot light.


I agree. I think Blair is ambitious, and wants to be much more than he is. He's mentioned Barkley a dozen times in interviews over the years. The problem (as I see it) is two-fold:

1. In concentrating on all these offensive Barkley "moves" he's neglecting his one true NBA skill - rebounding.

2. He's unwilling to take a bench, energy role, as he wants to be more than that.

It may take a few years for him to accept himself as a role-player (even a starting role-player). The question is will his knees outlast his immaturity?

[Gagnrath]

Blair is a huge guy, very big upper body, BUT his legs look like he's never squatted in his life. I haven't seen his thighs but his calves are very thin, you don't see any muscle definition whatsoever, it looks pretty weird.

A few things with that and I'm amazed no trainer has pointed it out. When you have an injury you aren't going to work that part in the weight room while trying to stay in shape, you are going to do the doctor suggested rehab and likely not much else. In high school when his frame was developing is when Blair had his knee injuries.He developed a reputation as a hard working gym rat in this time frame. Want to bet that a slightly over balanced upper body is a result of that?

In the time since he has constantly had concerns stressed about his knees and over working them, its hard to develop muscle without alot of reps. Same is likely true with running. Add in any soreness and you likely have continued reluctance/unbalanced upper body to lower body work out regimentation which is also probably not helping by making his upper body heavier. I think/wish he would develop better lower body strength and think it would be helpful to him. I just don't see any really practical way to do it short of in the off season having him get on a low speed treadmill at a moderate incline and walk building up to hours per day while feeding him glucosamine, chondroitin and anti-inflammatory laced protein shakes.

[TD 21]

Did anyone notice at the end of the game when Duncan hit the game winning shot, the whole bench was standing up with 5 seconds left and Blair is sitting down never saw what happened. He stood up to see the ruckus with no reaction whatsoever. It's that "Me" attitude that sucks. He's pissed he didn't play the 4th Qtr. I wouldn't be surprised someone on the Spurs video team points that out to Pop. I see the doghouse coming out soon.

I didn't notice this, but I'm not surprised. It's always been obvious that Blair is not the hand in glove fit for the Spurs culture that virtually all of the other young players are that have been brought in the past three and a half years.

I'm guessing they wanted to acquire a top three big in the off season, with him as the trade bait, but were reluctant to include Anderson and/or the 1st round pick. They probably couldn't find what they deemed as a clear cut upgrade with just Blair and McDyess' contract being offered, so they decided to give him one final chance to see if he'd mature and improve. He's done neither and at this point is the weakest link on this team, because of the role he plays.

With Green's emergence as a rotation caliber player, Anderson struggling mightily and it becoming more obvious by the game that Splitter is the fourth best player on the team and should be a no brainer to start, the writing is on the wall. I'd be surprised if they're not offering Blair and Anderson around for a third big (such as Thompson) that would enable Splitter to start right now.

[pgardn]

I agree. I think Blair is ambitious, and wants to be much more than he is. He's mentioned Barkley a dozen times in interviews over the years.

and he is a dreamer...

I guess its ok. As long as you put in the work because no way he has this type of talent, no way ever.

[Calispursfan11]

If only Blair could be like Charles Barkley in his prime... But, he can't.

[Paranoid Pop]

I think he's really the defensive black hole of the team, against the Hornet Neal's D looked a better, he was very active, Bonner had a Scooby-Doo moment when the ball hit his back and that ended up being an interception but I guess these things happen when you are active even if you suck. But Blair's D looked passive and terrible, he has arguably the worst defense on the roster and he's a starter... If he could trade either Blair or Bonner, I would probably trade Blair just because it's so fucked up that he's a starter.

[therealtruth]

I think he's really the defensive black hole of the team, against the Hornet Neal's D looked a better, he was very active, Bonner has had a Scooby-Doo moment when the ball hit his back and that ended up being an interception but I guess these things happen when you are active even if you suck. But Blair's D looked passive and terrible, he has arguably the worst defense on the roster and he's a starter... If he could trade either Blair or Bonner, I would probably trade Blair just because it's so fucked up that he's a starter.

Blair would do fine bringing his energy of the bench.

[Paranoid Pop]

Blair would do fine bringing his energy of the bench.

I don't know, people were saying that he was losing his motivation whe he was benched last year.

[therealtruth]

I don't know, people were saying that he was losing his motivation whe he was beched last year.

Last year benching him for Dice probably didn't make sense. I think Pop overreacted to the Lakers game where they were blown out. Blair had developed pretty good chemistry on offense with the starting unit and Dice stabilizing role of the bench was perfect for him. The only reason you make that switch is if the upside of the move beat the negatives. In this case the negatives were Dice getting tired sooner and the disastrous Bonner/Blair defense. The supposed benefit of improved defense wasn't enough to overcome the worse starting offense and worse defense of the bench.

Now if Pop had chosen to start Splitter the upside might have been worth it. Splitter could have improved the defense and been able to develop on offense and Dice is still on the bench to prevent Bonner and Blair from playing together. The Spurs likely don't lose in the first round.

[dbestpro]

Against Atlanta, Blair looks like a junior varsity player in a scrimmage against the varsity team.

[spurs4real]

I think the reason Blair has been exposed is because before Manu got hurt, Manu would set Blair up running to the basket. Now without Manu, theres no one to feed him the ball in scoring position. He now posts up and looks for his own shot. Some genius in the Spurs coaches should see this and tell him "do not post, that is not your game!" It aggravates me to see him get the ball from Tim Duncan when Timmy is supposed to be posting up not Blair. WTF!!!

[Spurs7794]

I think the reason Blair has been exposed is because before Manu got hurt, Manu would set Blair up running to the basket. Now without Manu, theres no one to feed him the ball in scoring position. He now posts up and looks for his own shot. Some genius in the Spurs coaches should see this and tell him "do not post, that is not your game!" It aggravates me to see him get the ball from Tim Duncan when Timmy is supposed to be posting up not Blair. WTF!!!

Exactly. Tim Duncan is the biggest enabler on this team.

[dbestpro]

Blair is an offensive juggernaut against third stringers in garbage time.

[underdawg]

It won't happen, but if by some chance the Spurs could move blair for a pick and bring in another young big (Marcus Cousin?) that could have potential benefits come the playoffs.

The spurs have experimented with wings over the years - gee, owens, haislip, green, etc. - why not experiment with a couple of young bigs in case a trade isn't possible?

There's no denying that the Spurs are going to need another "legit" big to work in the rotation and hopefully get Splitter on the floor with Duncan at the same time. Why not try it on the cheap side once TJ is back and Joseph can go back down to the Toros? Let Thomas and the hypothetical big battle it out for Blair's minutes and maybe steal some of Bonner's.

[portnoy1]

It won't happen, but if by some chance the Spurs could move blair for a pick and bring in another young big (Marcus Cousin?) that could have potential benefits come the playoffs.

The spurs have experimented with wings over the years - gee, owens, haislip, green, etc. - why not experiment with a couple of young bigs in case a trade isn't possible?

There's no denying that the Spurs are going to need another "legit" big to work in the rotation and hopefully get Splitter on the floor with Duncan at the same time. Why not try it on the cheap side once TJ is back and Joseph can go back down to the Toros? Let Thomas and the hypothetical big battle it out for Blair's minutes and maybe steal some of Bonner's.When have Bonners minutes ever got stolen, taken away , reduced or challenged?

[therealtruth]

It won't happen, but if by some chance the Spurs could move blair for a pick and bring in another young big (Marcus Cousin?) that could have potential benefits come the playoffs.

The spurs have experimented with wings over the years - gee, owens, haislip, green, etc. - why not experiment with a couple of young bigs in case a trade isn't possible?

There's no denying that the Spurs are going to need another "legit" big to work in the rotation and hopefully get Splitter on the floor with Duncan at the same time. Why not try it on the cheap side once TJ is back and Joseph can go back down to the Toros? Let Thomas and the hypothetical big battle it out for Blair's minutes and maybe steal some of Bonner's.

I agree the Spurs are going to need a legit big that can defend to contend. They look to be covered on the perimeter defense with Manu, Kawhi, and Green.

[therealtruth]

I have read the new CBA allows restructuring contracts. That would seem to give teams more wiggle room. It's almost like amnestying but they get to keep the player.

[Spurs Brazil]

Pop to Spurs’ Blair: ‘Just be who you are’
Posted on January 28, 2012 at 11:03 pm by Jeff McDonald

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/01/28/pop-to-spurs-blair-just-be-who-you-are/

[elemento]

He is not horrible. He just isn't a starting material PF. Coming off the bench with his contract, he would be a steal.

[wildbill2u]

I've been trying to think of any 6'7" player who successfully started at center in NBA history.

Some might say Wes Unseld, but he also had Elvin Hayes on the Bullets for most of his career. Blair is no Wes Unseld.

Malik Rose may have started a few games when we had injuries or no one else but that was a short-lived desperation move and he was mostly a backup.

Teams have quickly learned to lure TD out on the floor, leaving Blair exposed against bigger and faster players.

Blair usually does the most he can with the skills and physical ability he has, but it is still a big man's game at the 5. It is dispiriting to see taller, journeymen centers and forwards with hops simply soar over him for rebounds, even when he has inside position.

[Paranoid Pop]

Blair starting on the bench is one of the key, and he's reacting badly like last year then just have him be the last man on the bench by getting another decent big and trade his ass.

[Donut]

Pop to Spurs’ Blair: ‘Just be who you are’
Posted on January 28, 2012 at 11:03 pm by Jeff McDonald

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2012/01/28/pop-to-spurs-blair-just-be-who-you-are/

Careful what you ask for Pop, or there may be a lot of late night runs to Whataburger in the near future...

[DesignatedT]

Good article.

[dbestpro]

Blair understanding that the Spurs need him for what he is best at (rebounding and energy) may be the first step to recovery. Rodman made a hall of fame career doing just that.

[therealtruth]

That's why I though the perfect role was off the bench where he could infuse energy into the team. Starters need to be more consistent and better defenders.

[SpurNation]

Blair's not horrible. He just isn't a starting caliber player. If the team had a better option to starting...Blair is still a very serviceable big in limited minutes for any team. He looks so bad because he has to be more than what he's ever going to be on a team that doesn't have better options. In fact...it's not about getting Timmy help anymore...it's about getting Splitter help for the future.

The team will be lucky if Duncan can play more than 16 minutes of productive basketball from here on out...his body just won't let that happen anymore on a consistent basis.

[dbestpro]

10/10 for this thread.

. Blair, RJ & 2nd round pick for Kaman and filler. Do it Mitch (Holt/Stern).

Salaries don't match.
If Blair could learn to just do the things he can do well, and forget about trying to be an MVP (his own quotes) then he could be of value.

[Spurs7794]

10/10 for this thread.

Blair is the worst "big" we've had since I began watching the Spurs (very late '90s).

He's not the Malik Rose close that Spurs fans once perceived him to be. Malik was actually nimble and nifty on offense, especially in the paint, because he actually worked year round to keep himself in shape instead of acquiescing to weighing a billion pounds.

Malik actually worked on his jump shot in the offseasons and in practice which got progressively better and better; his form was very good and he shot a high percentage (while actually getting off the ground!)

Malik, like Blair, frequently committed loose ball fouls trying to get offensive rebounds against taller players. But his rate of success was much higher since he actually used the correct boxing out technique instead of sticking his arm out and trying to bulldoze the tree. And Malik had a better sense of situation -- how many team fouls the Spurs had, etc.

Malik, through the championship runs and beyond, was known for the fact that he played within himself offensively. He wouldn't force anything, try to dance or get cute, he would pass out of double teams and when the shot wasn't there he wouldn't try to spin and manufacture something horrible. Basically, he was an efficient offensive player who didn't work out for us against every team but was a matchup nightmare for teams with slow bigs who were mediocre defenders.

Blair makes me cringe whenever he has the ball with a man guarding him; it seems like nine out of ten times, we end up with a turnover, offensive foul, ugly-ass brick, or at best we lose ten seconds before Blair's extended brain fart finally passes by and he passes it out and someone else has to throw up a prayer. Get a damn grip -- you're 6'6". You're not going to be an effective post player in the NBA against bigs, even if you weigh 700 pounds. There's no way. I've had it with the idiot Spurs fanbase that blames Bonner for everything (granted, Bonner is terrible sometimes but decent others) but gives Blair a pass because he's shorter and "trying". No, you assholes, you don't get it. Trying to teach a pig to sing is stupid; it wastes your time and annoys the pig.

Malik was actually physical on defense and never gave up in the low block -- he did fail to get back after a turnover at home against Sacramento in the '05 season, and he wasn't tall enough to guard many of the twin-tree lineups in the NBA such as Seattle and Detroit; thus he got traded for Muhammad. Blair, on the other hand, plays porous defense, then gives up when his man gets past him, won't take a hard foul even on the worst foul shooters. He is the definition of a defensive pussy.

We must make a similar trade, this year, before we fall out of contention and Blair's stock is reduced to zero by injury or otherwise. Blair, RJ & 2nd round pick for Kaman and filler. Do it Mitch (Holt/Stern).

Word for word this is pretty much what I think.