Learning curve

[SPARKY]

Why wait to bring Mahinmi and Sanikidze in? It's not like the Spurs couldn't use an athletic 4 or a big 3 over the next couple of seasons. Bring them in, give them bit parts next season and roll from there.

[timvp]

If they are decent in the summer league, I'm all for bringing them in.

What is scary is that it seems that Sanikidze might have to be the answer to the Long Three. I just don't see any other options.

[SPARKY]

With the MLE they can go after a 3 such as Jumaine Jones or a 4 like Reggie Evans. Again, we're back to hoping that Udrih in his 3rd year can be the backup point.

[Mr. Body]

Is there any indication of Sanikidze's skills at this point? I don't hear anything about him at all.

Mahinmi I could see come over, now moreso with Petro's success. But Javtokas is stacked in front of him at the same position and seems the better bet. Physically developed, has played against top competition (NBA players in the Olympics), has the athleticism they need.

[SPARKY]

Javtokas for significant rotation minutes, Mahinmi for a cup of coffee in the 1st year.

[Nbadan]

Tim's clock is running. Do you really want to waste the best player the Spurs will ever have training Euros?

[Parker 09]

I don't know about victor he has spent most of the season rehabing so give him a season to see how he goes, but i'm all for bringing in Ian and Javtokas

[SPARKY]

Yes, I bumped my own thread. This is a topic which underlies this summer for the Spurs. Do they approach the offseason as 'we were one dumb foul away from a 4th title' or as 'it's time to shake things up'?

The one thing that Pop has avoided to some extent in his tenure has been playing young raw players and letting them learn on the job (Parker is the exception. Hmmm...was that so bad?) This has been understandable, as Pop tends to go postal when a player does something wrong.

But, what happens when you have the talent, but the talent is raw? Mahinmi and Sanikidze definitely fit the profile of what the Spurs are looking for. At least in Mahinmi's case, there are other ways to address the Spurs' need, not so much for Sanikidze.

Maybe the Spurs need to take the leap and bring those guys in this offseason. This is no longer a league in which rookies who didn't play 4 years of college ball are the exception. It's not like Pop didn't start a 19 year old rookie from France at point a few year's back. Why is it so hard to get from there to giving a kid a shot at 10 to 15 a night next season?

If you don't give players a chance to play, then they might never ever.

[Doc Jerome]

"Baptism by Fire." That is the fate of Ian at this point. Spurs can't coddle the kid forever; especially when he has everything you need and lack. Also, time is ticking on Timmy's clock, . . . tick-tock tick-tock.

The kid will not disappoint. Goooooooo Ian!

[exstatic]

Timmy's clock is fine. If you rush the kid, maybe you wind up with a Jonathan Bender or an Amare: kids with serious knee problems (and in Bender's case, career ending) at a young age, probably because they were overused before their growth plates closed.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I am all for bringing in Ian, simply for the fact that he can dunk easily.

step 1: make him work out 3 hours a day, Robinson style

step 2: bring him in

it's stupid to wait on something like that, why must the spurs draft people they want to develop for 5 years in europe

[Buddy Holly]

I'd just like to see some sort of highlight reel for Viktor.

Anything. 10 seconds a minute, whatever.

[Leetonidas]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=k_Lg9oOzGQU&search=Mahinmi

Mahinmi vs. Paris Racing

[Doc Jerome]

After seeing the video, . . . YES! He is raw, offensively; but looks like there is a very strong foundation already there. He runs the floor extremely well and has great energy on the boards and he will get his share of rebounds and blocks. I think the guy can contribute now, but we'll wait to evaluate him during Summer League, against semi NBA level talent.

Personally, I don't think the Spurs will be able to do any better than Ian and possibly Javtokas this offseason, in the athletic and young department. J. R. Smith would be nice too, at SG.

[ChumpDumper]

Timmy's clock is fine. If you rush the kid, maybe you wind up with a Jonathan Bender or an Amare: kids with serious knee problems (and in Bender's case, career ending) at a young age, probably because they were overused before their growth plates closed.Austin plays 48 games in a season.

[Solid D]

Nice video. Thanks for posting the link TexasBalla1001. As a Spurs fan, the reaction after watching Ian is to think he looks sort of like a "young David". I've got to stop doing that.

It will be interesting to see him in the Summer League.

Who's that band playing in the video? They sound sort of like the garage band from down the street.