So what do you think of Melvin Sanders?

[2centsworth]

I think he's a hustler with good defensive skills, but his offense is hard to watch.

[Manu20]

Somebody please teach him how to make a lay up.:)

[exstatic]

Melvin = Devin his first year.

[2centsworth]

Melvin = Devin his first year.
Devin seemed a lot more polished offensively.

[leemajors]

keep him, the d is worth it. o will come w/work under chip.

[Solid D]

He's improving in the system. He's not a scorer like Devin is... not as athletic either, but he hustles and seems to make some things happen (keeping possessions alive, rebounding, pressure D).

[boutons]

He's very mobile, moves around and up and down the court effortlessly, and is pretty fast.

He also seems to have no fear, will mix mix it up under the boards, moves into the action, not afraid to shoot either, while staying completely placid and blank-faced
(which may just be first-year deer-in-the-headlights face).

I guess I'd go along with Melvin as Devin-in-first-year.

[Leetonidas]

He can score...I believe Kori said he had a 54-point CBA game.

[Bloodline666]

From the looks of it, he'll eventually be the Spurs' next Bruce Bowen.

[T Park]

Hes a dime a dozen player.

Find another, wash, rinse repeat.

[FromWayDowntown]

His burst on a breakaway tonight looked pretty special, but I'd agree that he's extremely rough around the edges and will contribute more by hustle than by talent and skill.

With that said, I'd favor keeping him on the roster and available, since the geriatric set that occupies the wing positions for the Spurs seems likely to encounter plenty of muscular and skeletal problems.

[TDMVPDPOY]

I cant wait for sum scrub team to pick him up if we do drop him, seems like every other team looks at who spurs target in FA, and tries to steal them from us.

[SequSpur]

Melvin Sanders is not even close to Devin Brown.

Only a ding dong like Exstatic would say that. Devin has accolades throughout his entire career. Melvin sucks.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

He had one or two standout defensive plays.
That's pretty much it.

[Kori Ellis]

Good defender for his size.

Sucks on O.

[SequSpur]

He was trying to shoot jumpers from close range, his layups are missed due to rookieitis.

He needs to pick his spots just like Bowen does and stick to them.

He is no Devin Brown.

He shoots like JJ.

[Despot]

Impressive on D, Sucks on Offense

If Pop really thought highly of him, I don't think they would have cut him in the first place. In an interview after the game Pop seemed hard pressed to praise him. WAY TOO much of a liability on O, I noticed the lanes got smaller when he was in the game.

Showed some great speed when he almost got that steal.

[Kori Ellis]

Pop and the Spurs think really highly of his defense. But he needs to work on a lot of stuff offensively. His basics are bad.

[slayermin]

You know, he reminds me of a longer Devin Brown with a little less power. I think he's pretty damn athletic.

[Kori Ellis]

You know, he reminds me of a longer Devin Brown with a little less power. I think he's pretty damn athletic.

Longer than Devin Brown??

He's 6'4 or so.

He also has no lift when trying to finish. He's a horrible finisher.

[howbouthemspurs]

Hes the Next BOWEN....... bowen is getting old and the spurs is trying to keep the same formula for the future. now all he needs to do is work on the corner 3 ball

[Chris]

He's got Malik hustle. Still to early to decide if we want to keep him.

[Notorious H.O.P.]

I completely disagree with the "Devin in his first year" comparison.

Devin is and was ALOT more offensively polished than Melvin. I would think that five years from now, Sanders will not be nearly as good as Devin offensively.

That being said, he is a hustler and has the tools to be a good defender. If he makes it in this league, it will be because of his O, not his D.

Also, he is not the next Bowen. His height is a major disadvantage and his potential contributions on offense will not make up for his liabilities on that side of the court. Defensive potential yes, but "dime a dozen" applies. There is a reason that we didn't keep him to start the season.

[timvp]

Sorry, but at this point Sanders isn't an NBA player. He has the heart and the speed, but his size and his horrible offensive skillset won't allow him to succeed at this level. He just doesn't have enough of an offensive game to last. His form is bad, he doesn't jump on his shots and he can't finish against NBA players. Sanders makes Bowen seem like Michael Jordan offensively.

I need to give myself a pat on the back for my scouting report. I pretty much nailed it a couple months ago.


I like his defense and he's in awesome shape. He can run all day and has some decent offensive skills. The problem is he doesn't get very high on his jumpers and he doesn't jump as high you'd think. When I've watched him play, he doesn't finish at the basket in a manner that will work in the NBA. I don't know if he has small hands but he rarely if ever dunks.

Hopefully he's worked on getting more elevation on his jumper and finishing with more authority around the basket. Defensively, the only thing that will stop him from becoming a premier defender is his height.

He's an awesome finisher against non-NBA players. Against NBA players, I will wait and see. I'm not convinced he can finish on the pro level.

From what I've seen, he doesn't jump very high and he seems to have smallish hands. I always see him going up with two hands and usually finish with a layup.

Maybe he's worked on that over the summer.

Oh and Sanders has no lift on his jumpers. That was another strike I had against him.

Exactly right. He can't finish against NBA players and his jumper is poor.

The Spurs will cut him soon and he'll never find his way back to the league unless he works extremely hard on the offensive end. His defense is good, but he's too short to be a defensive stopper.

Hate to say it because he works hard and seems like a good guy, but it's the truth.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

why cant we just find a guy like him but 4 inches taller

[timvp]

why cant we just find a guy like him but 4 inches taller

You speak of Theron Smith.

Just checked and The Chosen One is currently playing for the Florida Flame of the NBDL.

[SpursIndonesia]

Hes the Next BOWEN....... bowen is getting old and the spurs is trying to keep the same formula for the future. now all he needs to do is work on the corner 3 ball

Well, Bowen is 6'7 and isn't much of liability when guys like Odom, Lewis working on him. Sanders will be killed in the post or guarding those guys jumper in the wing simply because of height and lack of athleticism issue.

[JUUOT]

You speak of Theron Smith.

Just checked and The Chosen One is currently playing for the Florida Flame of the NBDL.

talking about a guy sucking at offense and injury prone...Even taller theron Smith has little more chance than melvin to make it.
I think we will have to wait for a trade or next summer

[spurster]

Sanders = Championships

By adding a 14th player to their roster, the Spurs have shown the NBA that they are ready to repeat.

[pache100]

I think he's young and green, inexperienced in life and NBA caliber basketball, immature. But...I also think he's got excellent potential. And he's in a fantastic place to develop that...whether he stays here long-term or plays somewhere else, his experience in San Antonio with Pop and this team will be invaluable.

[ducks]

Sorry, but at this point Sanders isn't an NBA player. He has the heart and the speed, but his size and his horrible offensive skillset won't allow him to succeed at this level. He just doesn't have enough of an offensive game to last. His form is bad, he doesn't jump on his shots and he can't finish against NBA players. Sanders makes Bowen seem like Michael Jordan offensively.

I need to give myself a pat on the back for my scouting report. I pretty much nailed it a couple months ago.




Exactly right. He can't finish against NBA players and his jumper is poor.

The Spurs will cut him soon and he'll never find his way back to the league unless he works extremely hard on the offensive end. His defense is good, but he's too short to be a defensive stopper.

Hate to say it because he works hard and seems like a good guy, but it's the truth.


yes but alot of people were bashing the spurs for not signing him
he is not even close to being able to take bowen's place

[T Park]

The Spurs will cut him soon

But, wouldn't that make the Spurs cheap?

NO?

Hmmmmmm....................

[BigVee]

I like his body language on the court. Seems to be under control. Hustles, gives defensive effort, no doubt, but right now he shoots like Bo Outlaw and finishes like Hedo.

[Marcus Bryant]

Sanders could use a season in Austin to turn into a useful 5th man. I like his aggressiveness and willingness to attack the basket. Maybe he was nervous last night or trying hard to impress.

[FromWayDowntown]

Sanders could use a season in Austin to turn into a useful 5th man. I like his aggressiveness and willingness to attack the basket. Maybe he was nervous last night or trying hard to impress.

Seeing Melvin live again, I do think there were some nerves. But I don't think that is masking some immense talent. While it's easy to be impressed with his athleticism and effort, the obvious limitations of his offensive game are readily apparent (to me at least).

I was searching my mind for a recent Spur equivalent among guys who've filled that role. Perhaps a smaller, poor man's Ira Newble? Similar sort of effort and results, similar offensive weaknesses. Sanders, though, is not as long as Newble and doesn't seem to me to have the sheer athletic ability that Newble possesses.

[Extra Stout]

IR-caliber players are IR-caliber players.

But he's really inexpensive. What's he making, like $9 an hour?

[Marcus Bryant]

Make that $18 with the lux tax. Ouch. Holt Cat's really stepping up.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Somebody please teach him how to make a lay up.:)

Exactly!!!

How many lay ups has this guy missed? I am thinking he is rapidly approaching 10.

Devin definitely had a more polished offensive game. He was a major scorer in college whose game obviously translated much better than Sanders' game has thus far.

Is he the next Bruce Bowen? I hate to be negative, but I don't think so.

Bruce is a core member of the team. He is integral to the success of the team. He leads by example.

[Extra Stout]

Make that $18 with the lux tax. Ouch. Holt Cat's really stepping up.
Why don't they just find an illegal immigrant to be the fifth swingman?

[MiNuS]

he looks bewildered. He has that look on the eye that says " I can't believe I'm playing ball with the NBA champs". You know everyone of us would get that look if we were thrown in there to lpay along side Duncan,Ginobili,& Parker.

[wildbill2u]

Good defender for his size.

Sucks on O.

"pity those we damn with faint praise" :rolleyes

I had a plug-ugly girl friend once, but for a fat girl she didn't sweat much. :lol

[2centsworth]

IR-caliber players are IR-caliber players.

But he's really inexpensive. What's he making, like $9 an hour?
At 350k or $700k including luxury tax it works out to $1000-$2000 per hour for the season. My math is rough but that should be pretty close.

[GoSpurs21]

Sorry, but at this point Sanders isn't an NBA player. He has the heart and the speed, but his size and his horrible offensive skillset won't allow him to succeed at this level. He just doesn't have enough of an offensive game to last. His form is bad, he doesn't jump on his shots and he can't finish against NBA players. Sanders makes Bowen seem like Michael Jordan offensively.

I need to give myself a pat on the back for my scouting report. I pretty much nailed it a couple months ago.isnt this one of the guys you were calling Holt cheap for not signing at the beginning of the season?

[timvp]

I want the Spurs to sign an NBA caliber 14th man. Sanders, as I've said since summer league, isn't really NBA caliber. He's a very good defender against the shorter scorers in the league, but he's not going to make it in this league. He has too many flaws in his game.

He's not even close to a Stephen Jackson or a Devin Brown (or Ira Newble, Derrick Dial or Charles Smith for that matter). He doesn't have NBA level skills other than being fast and willing to work on defense. That won't get it done.

I'm on record saying that the Spurs should have actively pursued a 14th man. I said that Spurs fans are underrated the value of a second IR player. 90% of the forum laughed and said that the Spurs are too good and that Michael Finely and Brent Barry were more than enough.

Oops.

[Spurminator]

I think we should wait until we have more than 1 loss with Barry and Finley both out before we start overanalyzing the Spurs' supposed swingman depth deficiency. Do we really make up 20 points against Washington with Devin Brown on the roster?

[Marcus Bryant]

Spurs fans act as though the Spurs have never used the IR before this season.

Sanders would be a good candidate to be the 6th swing this season. A guy to put through your system for a year. The real problem is that the Spurs don't have that NBA ready 5th swing.

[2centsworth]

Spurs fans act as though the Spurs have never used the IR before this season.

Sanders would be a good candidate to be the 6th swing this season. A guy to put through your system for a year. The real problem is that the Spurs don't have that NBA ready 5th swing.
we're used to having guys like Sanders, Jason Hart, Deon Glover, Batier, and I forget the rest of their names as IR guys. It's almost a waste of money to invest in these players, no?

[timvp]

I think we should wait until we have more than 1 loss with Barry and Finley both out before we start overanalyzing the Spurs' supposed swingman depth deficiency. Do we really make up 20 points against Washington with Devin Brown on the roster?

Who knows?

But I do know it would be nice to have a real 5th swingman who could play the garbage minutes that the rotational players are forced to play now.

Case in point, Bruce Bowen in the game last night in the second half of the fourth quarter. Wouldn't 23 have been a good option up 20 against the Hawks?

Thought so.

[timvp]

we're used to having guys like Sanders, Jason Hart, Deon Glover, Batier, and I forget the rest of their names as IR guys. It's almost a waste of money to invest in these players, no?

Waste?

Sincerely,

Devin Brown and Stephen Jackson

[Spurminator]

Garbage minutes? That's the concern? Really?

Hey I'm waiting and seeing too, and if injuries at the swing position start causing us to lose half of our games, I'll be right there with you on the 5th swingman bandwagon but I don't see garbage-minute-swingman-in-case-of-injury being much of a priority...

... or cause for an "I told you so."

This is nowhere close to the Ron Mercer/10-10 pantheon yet. ;)

[Marcus Bryant]

we're used to having guys like Sanders, Jason Hart, Deon Glover, Batier, and I forget the rest of their names as IR guys. It's almost a waste of money to invest in these players, no?

What about Stephen Jackson? Malik Rose? Devin Brown? Those were all young free agents the Spurs picked up and developed into contributing role players in SA. The first 2 played a significant part in helping the Spurs to win championships. Jack rode IR for a good portion of his first season in SA.

[Marcus Bryant]

I see it as a matter of the Spurs turning away an opportunity to add talent. Seriously, as a fan, why would you be opposed to having a Glenn Robinson, Devin Brown or a George Lynch on the roster instead of nobody?

Damn. This team suffered for years to have the ability to add quality talent.

Spurs fans act as though the Spurs swept through last year's playoffs.

[Spurminator]

I'm not opposed, and I would tend to agree that it's always preferable to have more depth than less.

I just disagree with any insinuation that it has been a problem so far. The future remains to be seen.

[slayermin]

Longer than Devin Brown??

He's 6'4 or so.

He also has no lift when trying to finish. He's a horrible finisher.

I posted before I looked up how tall he was. I guess on the teli, he looks taller with longer arms.

[2centsworth]

Waste?

Sincerely,

Devin Brown and Stephen Jackson
I'm just not thinking of Devin and Stephen Jackson as coming from the 14th of the bench pool. I think of them more as Beno Uldrich Projects.

[Marcus Bryant]

Well, Jack was more or less the 14th man during his 1st season in SA.

[2centsworth]

Well, Jack was more or less the 14th man during his 1st season in SA.
he was inactive his first year, but i guess the spurs liked what they saw and kept him under contract.

I guess the question is are the spurs giving up on finding an SJAX and Devin because they are cheap, or is it that there's no one like an SJAX or Devin this year. From what I have seen no one seems to have anywhere close to the skills Devin brought to the table not to mention SJAX.

[TwoHandJam]

I'm not opposed, and I would tend to agree that it's always preferable to have more depth than less.

I just disagree with any insinuation that it has been a problem so far. The future remains to be seen.Stop making sense. You have to be polarized on this issue otherwise don't bother.

[Spurminator]

I find moderation to be a polar extreme this day and age... :lol

[T Park]

I agree.

I just don't think theres anyone out there worth blowing money on.


Sanders should be sent back, cause hes a waste of time.


Glenn Robinson?

He'll just go back on IR, so why waste money?

Seriously, if Barry or Finley had injuries that would put them out for a month and a half?
Yeah then you go get a George Lynch or Glenn Robinson.

But if Finley and Barry come back A ok?

Whats the point!?