Full Games of Ian in action.

[whottt]

Courtesy of Fiba Europe:

FibaEurope (http://www.fibaeurope.com/Default.asp?pageID=%7BEB2F8835-A4D7-4CC8-8E36-4EF5A1FA4C34%7D&cid=%7BA440F8BD-44CB-4159-9FC6-547E93455FE2%7D&compID=%7B2248A846-FA78-40FF-B03C-54B460890F45%7D&season=2004&roundID=3592&)

He looks like a young Drob(less coordinated and strong, but same type of athleticism)..

[timvp]

I've just watched the first half of the France vs. Turkey game but our guy looks pretty good. He's no doubt the best defender on the court. He can really move and already has a good concept of help defense than Nazr Mohammed :). He doesn't get the ball too much on offense, with most of the reason being that the French guards suck. They dribble the ball the whole clock and then launch horrible shots.

Petro is also in that game and he looks pretty good. He's huge (legit 7'1) and seems pretty very mobil. But you can see that Mahinmi is a much better defender and really does a lot of small things on the court. He boxes out in every play and really hustles. Petro plays like he knows he's a star and doesn't really do much away from the ball.

The only downside with Mahinmi is he looks kinda short ... but that could just be because Petro is so big. Hopefully Mahinmi is at least 6-foot-9.

[timvp]

One funny thing is that Mahinmi does the jump ball even though Petro is so much taller. The Turkey guy doesn't even attempt to jump :lol

[Horry For 3!]

Damn, it won't work for me.

[whottt]

I think our boy looks about 6'9, 6'10 ish...Petro is supposedly 7 feet tall.

I tell you one thing...that big Turk is a beast...he pretty much erased both of the French Bigmen...he was also part of the reason they couldn't get the ball...he was throwing both of them around like ragdolls...

If Petro goes 7' 260 lbs that Turk has gotta be pushing 300....he's like a big farm boy or something...no game but he can block out the sun...

[whottt]

BTW....our guy has a bigger role in the second half...Petro doesn't do squat in the second half because he's in foul trouble.

[whottt]

The thing is...both Petro and Ian are probably still growing...18 years old? I think there is a very good chance they'll both gain a couple of inches, at least an inch...Ian looked very tall at the draft.

[whottt]

Damn, it won't work for me.


You need windows media player...there is no reason it shouldn't work for you.

[whottt]

I just noticed that video is a year old or so...he was 17 in that game.

Edit...the stat sheet from that tournament has him listed at 205cm that converts to 6'7...

Maybe he's grown 3 inches in a year and is still growing ;)

[grjr]

I had just noticed the date on that also. He sure looked all of 6'10" when he was up on the stage with Stern. I wish I had that taped so I could compare him to some of the others.

[Kori Ellis]

the stat sheet from that tournament has him listed at 205cm that converts to 6'7...

Actually that converts to ~6'8 3/4.

JUUOT says that the latest figures have him at 206cm, which is a tad over 6'9.

[atlfan25]

he definately has skillz, in a few years it seems he will be good player for the spurs.

[timvp]

Man what a choke job by France. They surrendered that second half lead without a fight (no pun intended). I could almost see them waving the white flag :lol

Mahinmi played well throughout. He was the only player trying to win that game. His defense is freakin' far advanced for being a 17-year-old who had just started to play basketball. He can pick up from beyond the three-point line without any problems. He's a very good rebounder and a willing shotblocker.

If I was a scout and just saw that game, I'd be shocked that Petro was picked before Mahinmi. Mahinmi is a lot more mobile than Petro and can jump a lot higher. Again, the only question I have (and the only advantage Petro has) is height. If Mahinmi is 6-foot-9 without shoes, then the Spurs have found themselves a player. Even if he's not, he has really long arms and might be able to make up for it.

He's not as skinny as he looked in pictures. He's skinny, but it'll be easy for him to gain weight. If he can get to 240, he'll be fine in the NBA. Right now he looks to be around 220.

It's hard to compare him to anybody in the NBA. What struck me in that game was how hard he tries. Petro and the rest of his team was going through the motions. He was involved in every play. If I had to compare him, he's plays like a Stromile Swift if Swift played all out every play.

Offensively, I don't see that he has any game ... but he never got the ball so it's hard to tell. His free throw form is smooth. He dunks the ball around the basket. It seems like he can draw fouls already.

After seeing that one game (which was France's most important game of the tournament ... if they would have won they would have gone to the championship game), I say the Spurs made a good pick. I'm not going to say it's a lock that he'll be a solid NBA player, but he has the tools. He can run, jump, move quickly and has a very good motor. If he gets bigger and stronger and continues to get better, he could be an NBA player down the road.

[whottt]

Actually that converts to ~6'8 3/4.

That's even better...I was starting to think our next bigman was going to be the size of Bruce Bowen...



JUUOT says that the latest figures have him at 206cm, which is a tad over 6'9.

Cool...I guess it's fair to round that up to 6'10...at least it's not adding 3 inches to his height like they did with Sato.

He might still be growing...maybe that's a secret or something...that he is having a growth spurt...if he grows into his arms he's going to be about 7'3.

[whottt]

Man what a choke job by France. They surrendered that second half lead without a fight (no pun intended). I could almost see them waving the white flag :lol

Mahinmi played well throughout. He was the only player trying to win that game. His defense is freakin' far advanced for being a 17-year-old who had just started to play basketball. He can pick up from beyond the three-point line without any problems. He's a very good rebounder and a willing shotblocker.

If I was a scout and just saw that game, I'd be shocked that Petro was picked before Mahinmi. Mahinmi is a lot more mobile than Petro and can jump a lot higher. Again, the only question I have (and the only advantage Petro has) is height. If Mahinmi is 6-foot-9 without shoes, then the Spurs have found themselves a player. Even if he's not, he has really long arms and might be able to make up for it.

He's not as skinny as he looked in pictures. He's skinny, but it'll be easy for him to gain weight. If he can get to 240, he'll be fine in the NBA. Right now he looks to be around 220.

It's hard to compare him to anybody in the NBA. What struck me in that game was how hard he tries. Petro and the rest of his team was going through the motions. He was involved in every play.

Offensively, I don't see that he has any game ... but he never got the ball so it's hard to tell. His free throw form is smooth. He dunks the ball around the basket. It seems like he can draw fouls already.

After seeing that one game (which was France's most important game of the tournament ... if they would have won they would have gone to the championship game), I say the Spurs made a good pick. I'm not going to say it's a lock that he'll be a solid NBA player, but he has the tools. He can run, jump, move quickly and has a very good motor. If he gets bigger and stronger and continues to get better, he could be an NBA player down the road.



LOL that was a choke of epic proportions wasn't it?

I think the major culprits were #6...he tore it up in the first half but choked butt in the second...and Petro...

The big Turk outplayed him and got him into foul trouble...Petro actually looked like the 3rd best bigman in that game.

Edit: and supposedly he weighs 230 right now...that puts him at about the size of Horry...he didn't look as big as Horry though when he was drafted...

[timvp]

That Turkey team wasn't too impressive. Their center was a huge fat guy with minimal skill. Their guard Cenk Anyol was drafted by the Hawks as the 59th pick in the draft. He didn't look like a point guard to me, but he has a very good looking jumper and plays very composed. He could be something in a couple years.

After the draft, RC Buford said that Anyol was a steal. The odd thing is the Hawks had that pick from the Spurs in the Viktor Sanikidze draft. I wonder if the Spurs are higher on Sanikidze or Anyol. Sanikidze hasn't exactly done much in Europe, even though he's a year older than Mahinmi.

[whottt]

Where was that turkish SF that the Spurs were interested in? Shouldn't he have been in that game too if he's just now 18?

[whottt]

Here are the leading scorers from that tournament:


Points Per Game
Name Team G Points Avg
1. Kurbanov, N. RUS 8 169 21.1
2. Ivanov, D. BUL 7 143 20.4
3. Suarez, C. ESP 8 161 20.1
4. Slaveykov, S. BUL 7 138 19.7
5. Antelo, J. ESP 8 154 19.3
6. Rodriguez, S. ESP 8 152 19.0
7. Sakota, N. GRE 8 149 18.6
8. Nir, J. ISR 8 148 18.5
9. Shabalkin, N. RUS 8 148 18.5
10. Milosevits, I. GRE 7 126 18.0
11. Pocius, M. LTU 7 126 18.0
12. Markoishvili, M. GEO 7 125 17.9
13. Sanikidze, V. GEO 5 88 17.6
14. Andriuskevicius, M. LTU 7 118 16.9
15. Ivanov, K. BUL 7 116 16.6
16. Belinelli, M. ITA 8 131 16.4
17. Aleksandrov, N. SCG 8 128 16.0
18. Jeromanovs, E. LAT 7 110 15.7
19. Demirel, H. TUR 8 124 15.5
20. Aleksandrovas, A. LTU 7 108 15.4
21. Voronov, E. RUS 7 108 15.4
22. Berkowitz, N. ISR 8 115 14.4
23. Petro, J. FRA 8 110 13.8
24. Zavoruev, V. RUS 8 110 13.8
25. Strupovics, O. LAT 7 94 13.4

Sandick played pretty well in that tourney....

[TheTruth]

Loved how quickly he goes up with the ball after getting offensive rebounds. You can definately see the athleticism talked about by the Spurs FO. Looked like he set some good screens, boxed out, and was very active on the defensive end. The guy has some long arms, I think I saw him scratch his knee caps whils standing up straight.

[timvp]

Where was that turkish SF that the Spurs were interested in? Shouldn't he have been in that game too if he's just now 18?

I think he was injured. But Ersan Ilysova (the guy you are talking about) is going to play with Turkey this year with Cenk Akyol. They are one of the favorites going into the U18 Tournament this year. It looks like its going to be from July 15-24.

France hasn't announced their roster, but Mahinmi should be on that team. Petro turned 19, so I assume he can't be on the team. Hopefully France has cultivated better guards than they had last season.

Viktor Sanikidze played in this same tournament but I don't see any game tape of him on that site. He was one of the leading scorers and rebounders in the tournament. He also turned 19 so he's not playing this year.

[timvp]

Hmmm ... I just found an article saying that Mahinmi will play in the U20 tournament. So either you have to be 17 or under to play in the U18 tournament or he's actually 19-years-old. I've seen a couple places that have listed his DOB as 1-5-86, which would make him 19. And the local news said he was 19.

Not sure. Here's the article. Maybe some European poster can tell us what the age restrictions are for the U18 tournament and find Mahinmi's real DOB.


France Coach Commeres Has Low Expectations

France coach Jacques Commeres believes inexperience and numerous distractions give his side very little chance of winning a medal at the U20 European Championship for Men in Moscow next month.

The French lost three consecutive matches to Russia (83-68), Greece (74-64) and the Czech Republic (64-63) in a preparation tournament that took place on the Greek island of Syros over the weekend, and Commeres told PA International: "The qualification to the second stage of the Euro will be very tough to get.

"We have had a very short preparation and it's been difficult for us to build up on a game.

"We've shown good periods of play but failed to be consistent enough throughout any of our games."

Commeres believes his players simply have not logged enough minutes in international competitions to be able to compete with Europe's best squads next week.

"We don't have much experience," he added, "what we lack is the experience of international basketball.

"My players have athletic and technical qualities but they need that little extra thing to be able to win.

"We must defend better and be more patient offensively.

"The good thing about the tournament in Greece is that it gave us that sort of experience as my guys had to be confronted to very tough matches in a difficult context."

On top of having a short time to prepare his men, Commeres has recently had to deal with injuries and drafts of some players in the NBA.

In Greece, he was without Yannick Bokolo, who injured his shoulder against Germany in Vittel.

The youngster will be back at the weekend for their last preparation event in Lyon where they will take on Italy in two contests.

However, Commeres will have to do without Chalon's Mickael Mokongo, who needs surgery on his knee and will miss out on the Euro.

Johan Petro of Pau Orthez and Ian Mahinmi of Le Havre, meanwhile, have missed most of the preparation while getting ready for the NBA Draft.

Both were taken late in the first round, Petro by Seattle, and Mahinmi by San Antonio.

Commeres hopes they will be back with the national side before the start of next week.

"We are in a waiting situation at the moment," added Commeres.

"But with all that, it's difficult to have a team that is used to play together."

France will start their Euro championships on July 8 against Slovenia before taking on Russia on the ninth and Croatia the following day.

"I fear all three teams," Commeres said.

"Qualification to the next round will be very difficult.

"But if we manage to do it, then it will have probably been after very tough battles.

"At the Euro, the level of play is going to be extremely high.

"The other teams are at the level of the professional outfits.

"In the current state of affairs with our team, I think the focus will be on its coherence and its organisation rather than on the elaboration of any strategic plan to progress to the next stage.

"The good thing about the Euro is that it will allow my players to gain that international experience they are missing so much and get as close as possible to what real basketball is."

Before travelling to Russia, France will play two matches against Italy in Lyon on Saturday and Sunday.

"We will try to play more as a team," Commeres added.

"The fact that there were not so many decisive crosses in our recent matches show that the players are not used to playing with each other.

"This is what we are going to try to improve."

Commeres will then announce his final team ahead of the Euro on Monday.

"Against Italy this weekend, the team will be less open and the aim will be to decide on the right combinations ahead of the Euro," he said.

[whottt]

Doesn't U18 mean under 18? So 17 is the max age you can be and still play in it?

Makes sense...

[TheTruth]

Maybe he is soo good they moved him up a classification. :eyebrows

[whottt]

I read something at the FIBA Europe site that may have some meaning here...It says the U20 eligible players don't always play in that tourney becasue of NBA or National Team commitments...maybe you can play in a higher age bracket as a younger player if they let you....

[timvp]

Doesn't U18 mean under 18? So 17 is the max age you can be and still play in it?

Makes sense...

That's what I thought but Petro played in the U18 tournament last year and he was born in January of 1986 ... so he was already 18 this time last year.

I don't get it :pctoss

[whottt]

U18 does stand for under18...so maybe they have to be....under 18 to play for that team :smokin...this was a piece of cake compared to defending Brent Barry all season.

[whottt]

That's what I thought but Petro played in the U18 tournament last year and he was born in January of 1986 ... so he was already 18 this time last year.

I don't get it :pctoss


That's a good point...now I am confused too...damn Euros...

[Kori Ellis]

That's a good point...now I am confused too...damn Euros...

To play in the U18 in 2005, players need to be born on January 1, 1987 or after.

So to play last year, it was January 1, 1986 or after. So though he was already 18, he was still eligible.

[timvp]

To play in the U18 in 2005, players need to be born on January 1, 1987 or after.

So to play last year, it was January 1, 1986 or after. So though he was already 18, he was still eligible.

Awesome find. Thanks. Doesn't make much sense but oh well.

:makeout

[Kori Ellis]

If you want to read more about it (and a lot of their other regulations, etc.)

Here you go (http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:QwcYQCi5cM0J:www.fibaeurope.com/files/FIBAEuropeRegulations_2.pdf+under+18+league+basket ball+age+limit+fiba+european+championship&hl=en&start=19).

[timvp]

Another find is it looks like Georgia didn't qualify for the U20 tournament so Viktor Sanikidze won't play in it.

[Kori Ellis]

Off Topic (sort of):

I know that they called him a "volleyball player" on the night of the draft (and they also said 20-year-old). But RC said that he isn't a volleyball player and doesn't know where they got that.

I just figured it out -- they must have been reading the bio of Tiago Splitter :lol He's 20 and a volleyball player.

[Useruser666]

I think Ian will grow another 3 inches. Remember Drob's spurt in the Navy? You can still grow up to the age of 25.

[timvp]

Another find is it looks like Georgia didn't qualify for the U20 tournament so Viktor Sanikidze won't play in it.

Actually timvp, Sanikidze is in the tournament -- Georgia is just in Division B.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I hate it when we are deprived of true knowledge of a players height (like whottt said about Sato)

But i guess this guy is still a baby and it doesnt matter. Hopefully hes taking supplements so he can get mad tall haha

[Ocotillo]

They dribble the ball the whole clock and then launch horrible shots.



I didn't know Steve Francis also played in the French league.

[Gino2882]

Are any of these videos of Viktor Sanikidze?

[batman2883]

oh man i just finished watching this guy beasting people from Turkey the boy looks very athletic on defense, a very very big plus for the spurs. Can't wait to see what he can do once he is taken under the wing of big TD

[boutons]

"Can't wait to see"

ETA: 2 - 4 years, during which time, anything can happen for the Spurs, w or w/o Ian.

He appears to be now, effectively, an inexperienced, uncoached highschool senior playing city league ball, probably way behind, in skills and experience, where Tony and Manu were at 18 yrs old.

[Gino2882]

Is there any video of Sanikidze?

[Mr. Body]

I know that they called him a "volleyball player" on the night of the draft (and they also said 20-year-old). But RC said that he isn't a volleyball player and doesn't know where they got that.

Exactly. It's amazing how hard it is to stamp out bad information spouted by supposed authorities on well-produced television. 'There are WMD in Iraq.' 'Mahinmi is a former volleyball player.'

[BadlyDrawnBoy]

Ian is 15 and Petro is 10, correct?

[Gino2882]

Just wanted to know if anyone has longer videos of either Scola or Viktor Sanikidze.?

[timvp]

BDB, yes you are correct. Gino2882, I've never seen video of Sanikidze.

[caspian]

Courtesy of Fiba Europe:

FibaEurope (http://www.fibaeurope.com/Default.asp?pageID=%7BEB2F8835-A4D7-4CC8-8E36-4EF5A1FA4C34%7D&cid=%7BA440F8BD-44CB-4159-9FC6-547E93455FE2%7D&compID=%7B2248A846-FA78-40FF-B03C-54B460890F45%7D&season=2004&roundID=3592&)

He looks like a young Drob(less coordinated and strong, but same type of athleticism)..

I'd say he is quicker than DRob...and that's okay cuz he's also shorter.

And boy...he just tries to dunk it every time, doesn't he? Good stuff.

[whottt]

I don't think he's quicker than Drob...not the young Drob...if he is it's not a factor because he's not as coordinated...

[caspian]

I don't think he's quicker than Drob...not the young Drob...if he is it's not a factor because he's not as coordinated...

Agree to disagree.

Also, this guy is 17 (in the video) playing only his 3rd year of basketball in the middle of a growth spurt...his coordination will develop as he grows accustomed to his body.

[whottt]

I diasagree about agreeing to disagree...

[caspian]

I diasagree about agreeing to disagree...

Then we must duel...got your banjo?

[timvp]

I watched the first half of the Italy vs France Bronze medal game earlier today. Mahinmi didn't start because Italy had the shortest and skinniest basketball team I ever saw. It didn't look like any of the players were over 6-foot-6 or weighed over 200 pounds.

They started Petro at center and he had his way just because he's so much bigger than they are. Petro only has one post move and thats a short right handed hook. It works well against the Italian midgets, but I'm not sure how well it will work in the NBA.

When Mahinmi came in, he had an awesome block right away and then had a drop step move that would make Kevin McHale blush. The whole first half he was playing with a bruised right leg or hamstring that he suffered in that Hungary game. He was limping out there but in the first half had two monster blocks and two slick post moves.

In the three halves of tape I watched on Mahinmi, I can confirm that he's an awesome athlete who tries hard on every play. He's a really good defender already and has good energy.

Petro to me has a lot of Jerome Mioso in him ... meaning he plays in spurts and doesn't really give it his all. Petro is huge and is talented, but from what I've seen it doesn't look like he has much heart. Mahinmi, on the other hand, is oozing heart.

It should be interesting over the next couple seasons. SpursTalk has gained a couple sources in France that work for Mahinmi's French team who will keep us informed of all the latest happenings. They told me that before he left to come to America, he was practicing for two hours a day with one of the team's assistant coaches. Right now, they say he's flying in and will play with the French U20 team. They have a couple of exhibition games on July 2nd and 3rd before the tournament starts on the 8th.

[Solid D]

The Le Havre team site at basketinfo.com, a good site for French basketball, shows Ian with a November (November 5, 1986) birthdate, which supports what RC Buford had said (November) after the draft. That would make him 18 1/2 right now.

http://www.basketinfo.com/club.php?no_club=109

Ian Mahinmi Pivot 2.06 102 05/11/1986 Français

[whottt]

Then we must duel...got your banjo?

LMAO

[picnroll]

I read somewhere in a translated article where they expect Mahinmi to top out at around 6'11". If that's a true 6'11" that's pretty good.

[Solid D]

http://www.basketinfo.com/stats_match.php?no_match=2524

Here's a link of when Le Havre played Dijon. It looks like Sanikidze played more minutes (20) than Mahinmi (14), but Ian outscored Viktor 10-4.

The game was played on May 12, 2005.

[Kori Ellis]

The Le Havre team site at basketinfo.com, a good site for French basketball, shows Ian with a November (November 5, 1986) birthdate, which supports what RC Buford had said (November) after the draft. That would make him 18 1/2 right now.

http://www.basketinfo.com/club.php?no_club=109

Ian Mahinmi Pivot 2.06 102 05/11/1986 Français

Yeah there's a discrepancy with the birthdate. His club lists it as 1/1/86, but a variety of places list it as Nov 5 and Nov 6 of 1986.

[timvp]

I read somewhere in a translated article where they expect Mahinmi to top out at around 6'11". If that's a true 6'11" that's pretty good.

If he becomes a true 6'11", then the rest of the league should all hire new scouts. 6'11" and that kind of athlete should translate into a lottery pick.

[picnroll]

Article about Ian in l'Equipe :

IAN MAHINMI PASSAIT SON BAC (1ef TOUR, N° 28, SAN ANTONIO) Choisi par la franchise numéro 1, au même rang (28) que Tony Parker il ya quatre ans, le jeune Havrais (2,08 m, 19 ans) est l'énorme surprise de la soirée. À tel point que la NBA a pani¬qué au moment du choix des Spurs, le seul des champions cette année, et a dû laisser une case vide pendant quelques minutes sur le grand tableau où s'inscrivaient au fur et à mesure les noms des élus. Stats et images introuvables, commentaires évasifs... L'agent Bouna Ndiaye, qui représente aussi Turiaf et Gelabale, a réussi un très joli coup, que personne n'a vraiment vu venir. D'autant que Mahinmi (17 minutes de moyenne au Havre), cinq ans de basket der¬rière lui, s'est peu exposé, n'a fait aucun essai et envisageait de retirer son nom afin de préserver ses chances pour les années futures ! « Les Spurs, par l'intermédiaire de RC Buford (le chef de l'exécutif), sont venus le voir plusieurs fois en Nor¬mandie et ont été très insistants. Ils veulent le laisser progresser en Europe comme Ginobili ou Scola. Leurs méthodes ont fait leurs preuves... »,.commentait Ndiaye. Arrivé quelques heures plus tôt à New York, le jeune Havrais, sourire ingénu aux lèvres, n'en revenait pas. « C'est une grosse surprise pourmoi, alors, j'imagine pour les Américains, souriait-il dans son costumé écru. Cette année, je pensais observer, me faire connaître. Je n'ai fait aucun essai avec des franchises car je passais mon bac (STT), ce qui était très important pour moi. » Plus tard, il fera état d'un appel de Gregg Popovich, le coach des champions. « C'était impressionnant. Il a l'air super gentil. Je dois le rencontrer demain (aujourd'hui), s'exclamait-il. Il m'a dit qu'il pensait vraiment que j'étais un Spurs. Et que c'était le début d'un long travail. » Pour Mahinmi, qui tient à disputer l'Euro des moins de 20 ans avec les Bleus cet été, les choses semblent claires : « J'ai besoin de rester en Europe, apprendre, travailler. » Encore en plein développement, prévu à 2,10 m dans les mois qui viennent, il patientera un an ou deux au Havre avec la bénédiction des Spurs pour, semble-t-il, 2,2 millions de dollars sur trois ans. Mahinmi ? Un vrai bachelor !

[Kori Ellis]

2,10 m

Yeah, that translates to a little over 6' 10 1/2. He's already 2.06 m. So he's going to be good size.

[timvp]

That would be pretty awesome. Also in the article it says he didn't workout for any NBA franchises because he was concentrating on completing high school.

CIA strikes again.

:smokin

[Sense]

6 8" 6'9" 6'10"? Who gives a shit. no matter how tall he is, he can play. he looked taller than me on draft night (meaning he is over 6'8"). He is incredibly long

You don't know if he can play, obviously the R.C. knows what he is doing, but how will he be able to play in the NBA.


....and I think we might give a shit...thought of that?

[Horry For 3!]

You need windows media player...there is no reason it shouldn't work for you.
I do have that and it wouldn't work, something about the site.

[TheTruth]

You don't know if he can play, obviously the R.C. knows what he is doing, but how will he be able to play in the NBA.


....and I think we might give a shit...thought of that?
Dude, shut Up. If you watch the Video you'll see that he can play.

[Horry For 3!]

I got it to work now, I had to use 100k