I'm thinking it might have been that preseason where he came over with Pilsen.
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If this guy becomes anything other than an end-of-bench player, I'd say it was another coup.
I guess those scouts in Spain who are supposed to keep an eye on Splitter kept calling in glowing reports about Haislip to the point where the Spurs just couldn't ignore them anymore. With Blair and a free agent PF likely coming aboard, I can't imagine the Spurs expect more than 12 minutes a game out of Marcus. If he can steadily provide 6 points, 3 rebounds, and the occasional intimidating block, he'll be a steal.
San Antonio Spurs sign former Vol Marcus Haislip
Kris Budden
Former Tennessee basketball standout Marcus Haislip (1999-2002) has signed a contract to play for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs, the organization announced Wednesday. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Haislip, a 6-10, 230-pound forward, spent the past two seasons playing for Unicaja Malaga in the Spanish ACB League and in Euroleague competition. Last year he appeared in 35 games in Spanish League play, averaging a team-high 15.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in 28.0 minutes per game. He shot .555 (117-211) from the field and .394 (65-165) from three-point range. In 14 Euroleague games, he averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game. In 2007, Haislip helped lead Efes Pilsen Istanbul to the Turkish National Championship.
Originally drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 13th overall pick in 2002 NBA Draft, Haislip spent three seasons in the NBA before making the move overseas. He played two seasons with the Bucks before signing with the Indiana Pacers for the 2004-05 season. For his NBA career Haislip has appeared in 79 games, averaging 3.6 points and 1.5 assists.
During his three seasons as a student-athlete at UT, the Lewisburg, Tenn., native averaged 8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. His best season came as a junior in 2001-02-after which he made the leap to the NBA-as he posted career-highs in scoring (16.7 ppg), rebounding (6.7 rpg) and minutes (33.5 mpg). He was honored by the Southeastern Conference coaches following that season, earning second-team All-SEC recognition.
Haislip is the third Vol ever to play for the Spurs, joining former Tennessee greats Dale Ellis (1992-94) and Reggie Johnson (1980-82).
Another expiring contract next summer.
link
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/bal...urn=nba,175339
Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:00 pm EDT
Shocking Dialogue: Coach Pop works for Marcus Haislip
By Kelly Dwyer
I couldn't believe the San Antonio Spurs actually wanted Marcus Haislip. Until I was handed a rather disturbing, because it was in mp3 format, recording of Spurs GM R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich discussing the deal. Here is what I was able to transcribe.
R.J. Buford: Hey Pop. I just had stop in to clarify something. I've gotten the two mixed up since 2002, as well, but you meant "Chris Wilcox," right?
Gregg Popovich: No, Haislip.
Buford: Marcus Haislip?
Popovich: Same guy.
Buford: Not really the same guy. He's much worse. Much, much worse. Pretty awful, actually. Are you sure that-
Popovich: You don't think I actually want to play the guy, do you? Or even sign him?
Buford: Why did you ask me to call around about him?
Popovich: You know what people think about us, right?
Buford: What "people?"
Popovich: The "people." They're always around. Working through my socks. I could have been a spy, you know. Right out of a le Carré novel. Instead, you gave me Jackie Butler(notes). You cut me at the hamstrings. You outed me. You hurted me. I want something back. I want to mess with people.
Buford: Why? And with Haislip?
Popovich: I can't tell you, and yes.
Buford: You can tell me. I saved you after your last Miles Raymond-moment, drinking that Chartar beurre blanc at a Burger King after we traded Luis Scola(notes) to the Rockets.
Popovich: First of all, it was a Cheval ...
Buford: Doesn't matter.
Popovich: And I was hardly at a burger joint, rather, a Ruby ...
Buford: Doesn't matter. What are you on about?
Popovich: I just want to [mess] with people.
Buford: That's admirable. In what way?
Popovich: Signing Marcus Haislip.
Buford: Not admirable. Why?
Popovich: I want to keep them on edge. They think we do everything right. We're so fundamentally-sound. So, how do you say, internationale? We got Richard Jefferson(notes) for expiring deals, we picked up DeJuan Blair(notes) in the second round, we made monsters out of Parker and ...
Buford: So, you're saying you want to make a low-risk, low-cost transaction, in order to purposely devalue our respect around the league, in order to lower expectations as we work with the possible $23 million in expiring contracts that we could offer to teams as trade bait while rest of the league approaches the vaunted 2010 offseason?
Popovich: No, I just want to [mess] with people.
Buford: Why?
Popovich: Nobody's supposed to be as good as us. We're, essentially, in Cincinnati with better food. I'm awesome, you're hidden, Duncan's underrated, Ginobili and Parker came out of nowhere, and we still scare the piss out of people. You think we're doing anything with Jefferson next year? Probably not. But the rest of the league still thinks of us as the mean computer that gets everything right.
Buford: We're not "mean." We're not even a computer. That's Houston.
Popovich: Doesn't matter. I just want to keep them wondering why we'd go after someone like Haislip.
Buford: Even if we don't take advantage of them underestimating us?
Popovich: Doesn't matter to me. I'm out of here as soon as Duncan splits. I've got an invisible plane to build in Papua New Guinea.
Buford: Hold on, you told me that your involvement with the U.S. Government was ...
Popovich: (Flashes what appears to be an LED light in Buford's eyes, rendering him unconscious, relegating the last 20 minutes of his life unmemorable. Slowly glides him to the concrete floor. Tosses an unlit cigarette onto his chest.
Drinks the dregs of a bottle of Chartar beurre blanc - it does exist, to him - that was placed behind the left rear wheel of his Aston Martin V12 Vantage, slowly drives out of the parking garage humming "Tea for the Tillerman.")
At the practice facility going to talk to the Summer Leaguers and RC.
http://twitter.com/spurs/statuses/2552378048
Let's hope R.C can talk about Haislip and McDyess
Shamports on my FB:
ShamSports.com:
Can someone please sign up to Spurstalk and tell them that Haislip isn't $50k guaranteed, and that I typo'd. It's actually Hairston with the $50k guarantee. Their names are too confusingly similar.
I told that Sham fixed it and that it was Hairston two weeks ago:
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...14#post3616814