Notes from the RC Buford Interview

I'm sure RC will be excited for Marcus whenever he finally sticks on an NBA roster, wherever that may be.

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-Replacing the defense of Kurt Thomas will be a taller task than Blair will be ready for in his rookie season since Thomas is one of the post defenders -- maybe ever.

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O RLY?

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But at the end of the day Pop says "we am who we am" and that starts and stops at the defensive end of the floor.

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Then Bruce better come back.

will my post disappear if i post in this thread?

So jeff is off the hook as RC didnot even mention him

The FO of the Spurs has to be applauded for their work in the draft in recent years: late first round pick Hill is solidly in the NBA, Mahinmi is almost assured of making it, and second round picks Blair, Hairston, Gist, and Marcus Williams are all likely to play in the NBA. That's an amazingly successful track record.

I've thought that Williams would be the team's third point since they signed him. I'll echo what CD has already said, but this is the direction Williams was going at the end of last season. I had always been low on Williams, but he really looked the part of a point forward.

He wont be fighting for MIN with Hairston.... Marcus is a Guard.... a 6'7 guard I might add... 1 inch taller then Kobe :)

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Originally Posted by timvp

-Replacing the defense of Kurt Thomas will be a taller task than Blair will be ready for in his rookie season since Thomas is one of the post defenders -- maybe ever.

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KT's going to be a bigger loss than most know or want to admit, and counting on 'Dyess and Mahinmi to fill that role isn't the best of scenarios.

It's why it remains my belief the Spurs still need another proven defensive big, 6' 10'' or greater, to be added/acquired.

'Dyess may be KT on steroids offensively but he's not capable of making up for his size defensively like Kurt. And Mahinmi has a lot of nice tools defensively but is an unproven/unknown quantity.

The only two bigs the Spurs know what they have in are: Duncan and 'Dyess.

Duncan needs one more big that eases the burden of guarding the legit size of the top contenders.

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Originally Posted by timvp

-The Spurs have expanded the paradigm on how they are evaluating Williams. He may be able to be a backup point guard -- kind of a utility player on the perimeter playing three different position. He can defend two or three different positions. He's a really good rebounder. Snyder did a great job of expanding Williams' ballhandling ability and getting him comfortable with the ball in his hands. With Austin, he became a really good pick-and-roll player in regards to how to read the pick-and-roll and how to find the right players.

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Originally Posted by timvp

RC was giddy when talking about Williams. It sounds like he has a pretty damn good chance of making the team.

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I absolutely love the idea of a successful Williams, I've just wondered if he had the footspeed and athleticism to compete at the NBA level.

He's a hell of a rebounder, he can get to the line, he plays the passing lanes well with that wingspan, (a very good potential team defender) and his point-forward abilities at 6' 7'' make him an ideal fit with the players on this roster.

Hopefully R.C.'s enthusiasm is well warranted..

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Originally Posted by timvp

-If you don't score points against the Lakers, you aren't going to be able to beat them. You have to get offense and that's where Richard Jefferson can help the Spurs significantly. Jefferson joining the team will give the team four scorers -- with three scorers on the court at all times. But at the end of the day Pop says "we am who we am" and that starts and stops at the defensive end of the floor.

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Anyone who watched the Spurs in '08 realizes their offense needed an upgrade to hang with the Lakers, but I think it's pretty significant the way Pop looked to alter his defense (in the mold of Boston) and has been looking to find his own Eddie House.

Looking at Boston, and how they were able to defeat the Lakers, I think Pop envisions that being the best model for his Spurs to do the same.

K.G. is a face-up big who was more complimentary than dominant offensively, (something Pop's been looking to make Tim more of) Pierce was the unquestioned closer (ala Ginobili) and Rondo, while not at the same level, is a point that made his living in the paint. (ala Parker)

The Spurs lack a Posey-type player but Jefferson's overall ability might be enough to overcome that. It's not like there's one way to skin a cat.

I think you might've been on to something, timvp, when you suggested the Spurs might be looking for a more physical, even if smaller, defender at the 4/5 to combat a Gasol or Bynum. Blair would fit the bill as their Powe/Davis, but it'd be pretty dicey depending on one rookie to come through like that.

When I look at:

Garnett/Perkins/Brown/Powe/Davis/Scalabrine

Duncan/'Dyess/Mahinmi/Blair/Haislip/Bonner

I like Boston's size/length better but there are some similarities, and optimism, that the Spurs aren't too far off.

Someone in the Foster mold, would make a lot of sense.

I agree we need to get another big in case Timmy knees flare up again and I think Foster would fit in nicely. He is a banger and he can guard some of the more bigger centers that we will be facing during the playoffs.

Williams did light it up when he was playing with the Toros...scoring and rebounding the kid did it all. The issue with Williams I think is that he thought his game was NBA ready which it was not. He should have listened to the people who were telling him to stay in Arizona one more year that he wasn't ready. You read alot about his maturity or lack of during his first summer and it seems he has grown up which could be a good thing for us.

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Originally Posted by timvp

[I]-Buford loves Mahinmi's activity level in Game 2 of summer league. It's a challenge for him because Denver is doing a great job of running the floor. Their big guys are running and their guards push it and throw the ball ahead to the bigs. The pace of play is good for Mahinmi's habits.

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Mahinmi has to be the most enigmatic (and longstanding) Spur prospect of all time.

RC makes a good point about the summer league pace being good for Ian. He has fared best in up tempo formats like the summer league and the D league. Can he transition from fire drill free-for-alls to half-court rotations? At this point, he looks like a long-legged Bambi bounding around the court. Can he root himself under the basket for a tough rebound against a wiley veteran?

The Spurs brass has been uniformly noncomittal in their public statements about Mahinmi -- as if repeating talking points. RC pointedly volunteers that they don't know what to expect of him. In response to a question about Ian's great potential, Lindsey hestitates and replies "that's what we would hope."

They clearly want to get Mahinmi's attention and they appear to have it -- he's playing with urgency. This little subplot will be interesting to monitor until October 31 when the Spurs must decide upon his '10-'11 option.

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Originally Posted by BLACKJACK21

KT's going to be a bigger loss than most know or want to admit, and counting on 'Dyess and Mahinmi to fill that role isn't the best of scenarios.

It's why it remains my belief the Spurs still need another proven defensive big, 6' 10'' or greater, to be added/acquired.

'Dyess may be KT on steroids offensively but he's not capable of making up for his size defensively like Kurt. And Mahinmi has a lot of nice tools defensively but is an unproven/unknown quantity.

The only two bigs the Spurs know what they have in are: Duncan and 'Dyess.

Duncan needs one more big that eases the burden of guarding the legit size of the top contenders.






I absolutely love the idea of a successful Williams, I've just wondered if he had the footspeed and athleticism to compete at the NBA level.

He's a hell of a rebounder, he can get to the line, he plays the passing lanes well with that wingspan, (a very good potential team defender) and his point-forward abilities at 6' 7'' make him an ideal fit with the players on this roster.

Hopefully R.C.'s enthusiasm is well warranted..



Anyone who watched the Spurs in '08 realizes their offense needed an upgrade to hang with the Lakers, but I think it's pretty significant the way Pop looked to alter his defense (in the mold of Boston) and has been looking to find his own Eddie House.

Looking at Boston, and how they were able to defeat the Lakers, I think Pop envisions that being the best model for his Spurs to do the same.

K.G. is a face-up big who was more complimentary than dominant offensively, (something Pop's been looking to make Tim more of) Pierce was the unquestioned closer (ala Ginobili) and Rondo, while not at the same level, is a point that made his living in the paint. (ala Parker)

The Spurs lack a Posey-type player but Jefferson's overall ability might be enough to overcome that. It's not like there's one way to skin a cat.

I think you might've been on to something, timvp, when you suggested the Spurs might be looking for a more physical, even if smaller, defender at the 4/5 to combat a Gasol or Bynum. Blair would fit the bill as their Powe/Davis, but it'd be pretty dicey depending on one rookie to come through like that.

When I look at:

Garnett/Perkins/Brown/Powe/Davis/Scalabrine

Duncan/'Dyess/Mahinmi/Blair/Haislip/Bonner

I like Boston's size/length better but there are some similarities, and optimism, that the Spurs aren't too far off.

Someone in the Foster mold, would make a lot of sense.

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Great post, BlackJack!

Just excellent perspective. The comparisons between Boston 2008 and the Spurs in 2010 are just EERIE.

Also, I think the addition of a players like Ian and Hairslip have SO MUCH POTENTIAL, to overload the LA's height and size, but in different ways.

Ian is so athletic and fast that even in a supporting role, all long as the Spurs pass confidently, his speed in the post area can really rack up foul trouble on LA's bigs in a hurry.

Hairston, on the other hand, has the potential to take a big, any big, whether Odom or Gasol or Bynum, and FORCE them to leave the the place they're most effective in: the painted area. And while Odom is certainly more able to chase Haislip, that will cause the Lakers to sorely miss his freakish rebounding and deceptively good defensive presence, allowing Blair and co. to pull down EVEN MORE REBOUNDS. And even if the Lakers bigs can chase Haislip of the 3, he can go by them easily and attack the rim and finish- WITH AUTHORITY. It's easy to see the fouls racking up on the Lakers, and LA not having much answer for Haislip. If they put Artest on Haislip, then Manu/Jefferson go nuts.

So all the while, the Spurs are adding and preparing a plan of attack that Boston ALREADY EXECUTED, and while Boston had somethings SA does not (ie Posey, the Kobe defender: but perhaps Hairston will at least do admirable job), the Spurs have some things Boston did not (a perimeter athletic freak in Haislip, a point guard like Parker, a insane rebounder like Blair, a 6-11 fast and agile big like Ian, though it could be argued that he is the Spur's Powe).

Otherwise, most of the other factors even out.

Hopefully, the Spurs can repeat Boston's "long armed" success against the Lakers.

All other things, as you said, equal out.

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

Hairston, Williams, and Mahinmi each have a better shot at making the active roster than they did before. The funny thing is that they are all 22 years old. And don't forget about Hill, Blair, and Gist.

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Put the pipe down dude. There really isn't even room for 5 of that group making active roster.

I think it's Hairston or Williams fighting it out for a spot and then Mahinmi or Gist for the other.

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Damn, those are some impressive numbers from Williams. I wonder if he will actually make the team this year and be a nice surprise. I don't think anyone here was really thinking about him to do anything next year.

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I don't know what happened to that poster named Austin Toros, but he had "M-Will" on the brain...

certainly his biggest fan.

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Originally Posted by 50 cent

Put the pipe down dude. There really isn't even room for 5 of that group making active roster.

I think it's Hairston or Williams fighting it out for a spot and then Mahinmi or Gist for the other.

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So there's not a better shot for those three this year? Assuming the current roster will stay the same is assuming a lot, especially with Bonner and Finley's expiring contracts and that the Spurs didn't want Finley back. Lay off the sauce. Change is afoot and you're late in recognizing it.

I love when MB turns his hatred of humans into quality posting.

I'm going to assume that when RC said Kurt Thomas might be one of the best post defenders ever that he meant in the history of recent Spurs that played beside Tim Duncan.... and not that he thinks Thomas is a better post defender than, say, Hakeem or Bill Russell. :lol

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

So there's not a better shot for those three this year? Assuming the current roster will stay the same is assuming a lot, especially with Bonner and Finley's expiring contracts and that the Spurs didn't want Finley back. Lay off the sauce. Change is afoot and you're late in recognizing it.

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Do we know for sure the Spurs didn't want Finley back?

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Originally Posted by timvp

RC was giddy when talking about Williams. It sounds like he has a pretty damn good chance of making the team.

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At whose expense ?

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Originally Posted by tmtcsc

At whose expense ?

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Gist and McClinton early "leaders" in this race.

Parker/Hill
Mason/Ginobili
Jefferson/Finley/Hairston/Williams
McDyess/Haislip/Blair
Duncan/Bonner/Mahinmi

That's 14.

It seems like almost overnight a change has occurred, with the prevailing opinion being that Marcus Williams has a better shot of making the team than Gist. That definitely wasn't the case even a week ago.

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Originally Posted by Tully365

I'm going to assume that when RC said Kurt Thomas might be one of the best post defenders ever that he meant in the history of recent Spurs that played beside Tim Duncan.... and not that he thinks Thomas is a better post defender than, say, Hakeem or Bill Russell. :lol

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RC is far from the first person to claim that Kurt Thomas is one of the best post defenders ever. A number of coaches have gone on record with the same opinion.

One-on-one in the post against a power player, KT is one of the best I've ever seen.

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Originally Posted by timvp

During the second game of the summer league schedule, RC Buford was interviewed during the third quarter. Here are the notes on what was discussed.

-The Spurs are excited about what they've been able to accomplish this summer. The ownership group really stepped up in a big way and it allowed the Spurs to make some addition that can hopefully really help.

-The Spurs aren't the favorites; the Lakers are the champions. As long as they are wearing the rings and the trophy is residing in the Staples Center, we're all chasing them.

-George Hill did a nice job of learning this year. Pop gave him some confidence in a couple different directions -- playing with Tony Parker and then playing by himself when Parker was injured. Hill grew a great deal, especially in the playoffs against Dallas when he came in and played well when others weren't playing well. Summer league is another good learning experience.

-The Spurs don't know what to expect this season out of Ian Mahinmi. Two years ago he had a great season in Austin and ended up being the first-team All D-League center. Then last year in Las Vegas he suffered a bad ankle injury and now these are the first games Mahinmi is playing in a year. The Spurs don't know where Mahinmi stands. Due to the age of the team last year, the Spurs weren't able to practice much even when Mahinmi got healthy so they're not sure about what he's capable of doing.

-Buford loves Mahinmi's activity level in Game 2 of summer league. It's a challenge for him because Denver is doing a great job of running the floor. Their big guys are running and their guards push it and throw the ball ahead to the bigs. The pace of play is good for Mahinmi's habits.

-A lot of times during the draft, it takes until the last second of the allowable time to figure out who to pick. That wasn't the case with DeJuan Blair.

-The Spurs have a lot to learn about Blair -- he's very young, he just turned 20 years old. The Spurs need to learn a lot about his body and find out what he's capable of doing.

-Blair could have great opportunities or he could be put into a situation where it's tough to live up to the expectations. Due to the expectations in San Antonio, there's not much of a growth curve that is allowed when every night the Spurs are expected to win.

-It's still to be seen if Blair can fill the toughness void left by trading away Kurt Thomas and Bruce Bowen. Blair is a great rebounder, a great screen-setter and has really good hands. An underrated skill of his is his passing ability. The Spurs will find out what he's capable of doing but they liked what they saw of him in college.

-Replacing the defense of Kurt Thomas will be a taller task than Blair will be ready for in his rookie season since Thomas is one of the post defenders -- maybe ever.

-Spurs are trying to learn about Blair's body so they didn't play him. Plus, the Spurs are trying to get a good read on what they have in James Gist. In forthcoming games, other bigmen might sit to give Blair more minutes.

-Malik Hairston has become a very capable defender. In Austin, he grew as a passer and a leader. Hairston has always been a really high character guy but his role with the Toros gave him the confidence that he could step into an NBA game and be ready to play. In college, Hairston played a lot of power forward so playing in Austin allowed him to get comfortable playing a at a natural guard position.

-Marcus Williams really blossomed this year. Toros coach Quin Snyder did a great job working with him -- not only helping him mature as a player but also helping him mature as a person.

-Williams took great strides. By the playoffs, he was averaging 30+ points, 10-11 rebounds and 10-11 assists. It was a really good learning experience for Williams and the Spurs are excited about what he can bring to the team this year.

-The Spurs have expanded the paradigm on how they are evaluating Williams. He may be able to be a backup point guard -- kind of a utility player on the perimeter playing three different position. He can defend two or three different positions. He's a really good rebounder. Snyder did a great job of expanding Williams' ballhandling ability and getting him comfortable with the ball in his hands. With Austin, he became a really good pick-and-roll player in regards to how to read the pick-and-roll and how to find the right players.

-Hill was 2-for-25 to start summer league last year but the thing the Spurs were most impressed with was his maturity and how he attacked last year's summer. And though last year it didn't play out particularly well for him, Hill didn't bat an eye and instead kept working. He continued to grow and then suddenly -- a half a dozen games into the season -- Tony Parker got hurt and Hill had to play significant minutes. Hill responded by really playing well.

-Hill playing 1,200 minutes as a rookie with the Spurs and with the high expectation level that Duncan, Ginobili, Pop and Parker bring was an incredibly burdensome responsibility. Hill handled it tremendously. Pop normally shortens the rotation in the playoffs and he did that at the end of the season with Mason playing a lot of the backup point. When things didn't go well for Mason in the playoffs, Hill stepped in and was one of the team's better players in the minutes that he got.

-If you don't score points against the Lakers, you aren't going to be able to beat them. You have to get offense and that's where Richard Jefferson can help the Spurs significantly. Jefferson joining the team will give the team four scorers -- with three scorers on the court at all times. But at the end of the day Pop says "we am who we am" and that starts and stops at the defensive end of the floor.

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Did you write this yourself? Great post. Kori is lucky she nabbed you before I could find you:married:

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Originally Posted by timvpluva

Did you write this yourself? Great post. Kori is lucky she nabbed you before I could find you:married:

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stalker alert, stalker alert :eyebrows

As someone who was there in the beginning, it was TimVP who "nabbed" Kori.
He knew what he wanted and came out here to So Cal to get it.
:bking

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Originally Posted by timvp

RC is far from the first person to claim that Kurt Thomas is one of the best post defenders ever. A number of coaches have gone on record with the same opinion.

One-on-one in the post against a power player, KT is one of the best I've ever seen.

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I'd love to see a link where someone of note calls him the best post defender ever.

I agree, he's very good. Just not the best ever.