Summer League Game 3 - Game Thoughts

The Spurs got their third victory in three games on Thursday night against the Thunder. As has been the case so far in summer league, the Spurs struggled a bit early on before stepping on the gas at the end of the game. This time around, San Antonio outscored Oklahoma City 29-17 in the fourth stanza to win 85-76.

It took a while but the offense started rolling near the end of the contest. The turnovers were held in check and the summer league stars were able to take over for the Spurs.

All in all, it was another impressive outing and there were a lot of positives that arose from this performance.

George Hill
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/.e1d/img/...ayers/4488.jpg
30 minutes, 20 points, nine assists, five rebounds, three steals, six turnovers
7-for-11 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers, 6-for-7 at the line

To begin the ballgame, George Hill didn't answer the bell. He was sloppy with the basketball and his lack of playmaking was stagnating the offense. But as the game went along, Hill became more and more productive. By the end of the contest, there was no doubt that he was the best player on the court.

In the first two outings, Hill didn't get to show off many point guard skills. Tonight, especially in the final three quarters, he ran the show smoothly. He found shooters in rhythm, hit cutters as they moved toward the rim and fed the bigs on time.

Hill's ability to finish at the rim during these summer league games has been especially impressive. Depending on the situation, he's choosing the correct way to finish -- whether it's a teardrop, a reverse layup, a pull-up jumper or a thunderous dunk.

Defensively, he had another quality showing and his playing of the passing lanes made life difficult for the Thunder. He's also proving to have a knack for picking up loose balls before others can react.

On paper, his turnovers are a concern but the coaching staff has been adamant that they'd rather have Hill turn it over too much rather than play passively. With that in mind, they surely will overlook his six turnovers and smile at the rest of his stat line.

DeJuan Blair
http://blog.pennlive.com/patriotnews...mall_BLAIR.jpg
27 minutes, 20 points, five rebounds, one steal, two turnovers
8-for-11 from the field, 4-for-4 at the line

With the ink dry on his new four-year contract, DeJuan Blair was back in action. Although he's known for his rebounding, against Okahoma City he illustrated that he's not a one-trick beast. This beast can also score.

Surprisingly, his scoring came in a variety of shapes and sizes. He penetrated off the dribble from the three-point line. He authored a few masterful post moves. He hit soft, quick shots in the lane. And, as expected, he powered through defenders have corralling offensive rebounds.

I'm also increasingly more impressed with his basketball IQ. Although he's built like a brute, he understands the game, makes the right pass and plays with a high amount of confidence.

His rebounding wasn't as dominant in this game but there were a lot of long boards in the affair. He usually gobbled up the rebounds in his vicinity. Against more athletic players, he'll need to boxout a little bit better but I'm confident he'll figure that out.

The only other critiques I have are on the defensive end. He doesn't use his strength as well as possible, yet. He also isn't aggressive enough when it comes to coming back into the lane and protecting the rim. The good news is those are correctable issues that should quickly be ironed out.

Overall, Blair is displaying an exciting amount of talent and potential for a 20-year-old second round pick. At the moment, he appears to be destined for the regular season rotation.

Ian Mahinmi
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/3954.jpg
31 minutes, 13 points, five rebounds, two blocked shots, three turnovers
3-for-4 from the field, 7-for-8 at the line

Ian Mahinmi continues to make strides in a positive direction. His number weren't as eye-catching as his last outing but this was arguably his best game to date. Perhaps most importantly, Mahinmi totaled only two personal fouls in 31 minutes -- a major improvement from his ten fouls in 28 minutes a couple days ago.

Compared to the first summer league game, his mobility is night and day. He played extremely light on his feet, ran well and his bursts of quickness were impressive. In a matter of a few days, Mahinmi seems to have put the ankle injury behind him.

Rebounding is another area where he showed good potential. He plucked a number of boards out of the air that required a lot of coordination. For a guy whose clumsiness is one of his weaknesses, that's definitely an encouraging sign.

Due to his improved mobility, Mahinmi also was able to alter a number of shots in addition to his two blocks.

Right now, he's rounding into a legit NBA prospect in front of our eyes. He still needs to work on making his game more fluid and not being as robotic when he has the ball in traffic, but he's getting there. It's still difficult to figure out how his game will translate when he's going up against NBA players but at least the rust seems to have been shaken off.

Malik Hairston
http://image.cdnl3.xosnetwork.com/pi...1211235940.jpg
34 minutes, 16 points, six rebounds, one blocked shot, four turnovers
7-for-13 from the field, 0-for-1 on three-pointers, 2-for-2 at the line

In a word, Malik Hairston was solid. He just played 34 minutes of rock solid basketball.

Defensively, Hairston had a few spectacular moments. He's starting to really buy into being a defensive stopper and showed a good amount of promise in that department. He moves his feet well, he's not afraid to body up to his opponent and he uses his explosive springs to challenge shots.

On the offensive end, he's been really good when he has kept it simple. Sometimes he tries to do too much but when he just shoots open jumpers or attacks the rim with two dribbles and a power jump, he's very efficient.

After a pair of underwhelming efforts on the glass, Hairston led the team in rebounding. If he can add consistent rebounding to his repertoire, he has a real chance of carving out an NBA niche.

From here on out, let's see if Hairston can keep up this consistent level of play. If he can, his chances of making the team should be high.

James Gist
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/rivals/full...james-gist.jpg
12 minutes, five points, four rebounds
2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-1 at the line

James Gist continues to look discombobulated. Somehow, that season in Europe altered his game to the point that he doesn't utilize the strengths that made him a summer league phenom last year. Instead of being a hustle, energy bigman, he's now a hesitant, unconfident perimeter player.

Here and there, he goes back to the basics and his athleticism allows him to make plays. But those plays aren't occurring often enough and, as a result, Gist appears to be much more of a project than he looked last summer.

After the summer league is complete, the Spurs and Gist need to sit down and figure out whether he's going to be a small forward or a power forward and whether Europe or Austin is the best venue for his development.

Jack McClinton
http://media.scout.com/Media/Image/61/612038.jpg
14 minutes, two rebounds
0-for-4 from the field

The summer league struggles continue for Jack McClinton. He's now 0-for-8 in the three games and has the appearance of someone who is totally overwhelmed.

The Spurs have been running plays to try to get him going but it hasn't worked thus far. One made basket would probably do wonders for McClinton's confidence -- but that one basket is proving to be more difficult than anyone could have imagined.

Defensively, he didn't look very good tonight. He didn't get an opportunity to run the show for any length of time. McClinton's only positive impact were a couple of long rebounds.

Hopefully in one of these final two games McClinton can hit his first shot and find a groove. Until then, it's going to continue to be ugly.

Romel Beck
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_l5ZsM8CSuY...s320/79497.jpg
26 minutes, six points, two rebounds, two turnovers
1-for-4 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers, 3-for-4 at the line

Romel Beck was in the starting lineup but didn't do much to justify the promotion. His negatives -- ballhandling, dribbling and passing -- were on full display. His positives -- shooting and scoring -- were missing in action.

For the Toros, Beck could be a very useful piece. For the Spurs? I don't see it.

Stephane Lasme
http://photo.adriaticbasket.net/albu...hane_lasme.jpg
10 minutes, five points, one rebound, two turnovers
2-for-3 from the field, 1-for-2 at the line

Stephane Lasme played well his last time out. This time, he came back down to earth. Lasme's effort was there but he couldn't sustain any positive momentum.

In one of the final two games, I expect Lasme to get a long run so that he can show more of what he can and can't do.

Donell Taylor
http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/images/ba...ayers/3998.jpg
13 minutes, two rebounds, two assists, three turnovers
0-for-4 from the floor

Wow. This guy was really bad. How Donell Taylor has played nearly 100 games in the NBA is a mystery. He hasn't shown anything resembling NBA talent so far in the three games. Taylor has literally fallen down while dribbling half a dozen times, routinely dribbles the ball off of his leg and his passing instincts are non-existence.

Let's hope he has at least cashed well in the casinos.

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...George Hill didn't answer the bell.

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:lol

Thanks for the insight. And the humor.

Incredible job once again TiMVP!! Thanks for the effort, I know we all appreciate it.

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Hill's ability to finish at the rim during these summer league games has been especially impressive. Depending on the situation, he's choosing the correct way to finish -- whether it's a teardrop, a reverse layup, a pull-up jumper or a thunderous dunk.

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Wow, this was an area that Hill needed to improve dramatically. Last season he looked awkward trying to finish at the rim.

Interesting note - Pop said the beck was hurt for the past 2 years and theyve been looking at him for awhile.

Also, there was some chatter (not sure how serious) that Lasme put up better numbers and/or was a better player than Haislip was last year. Is there any truth to this?

yeah thanks for the insight couldnt watch the game but from the highlights blair is silky smooth around the rim and hill and hairston are getting some things done

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To begin the ballgame, George Hill didn't answer the bell.

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Did he answer to it?:lol

Appreciate the recap:toast

It really blows not being able to watch these games..

I've been saying Blair can score. As long as he's healthy he'll end up being a solid 15-10 guy. Mahinmi=MEHinmi. I'm encouraged by the development of George Hill. One thing is apparent to me, that Blair and Hill seem to have the intangibles to succeed at the highest level, while the other guys are still up in the air. Thanks for the breakdown TimVP!

Here's a link for highlights of last night's game.

http://www.nba.com/video/games/warri...033_recap.nba/

Dejuan Blair = Beasting

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Originally Posted by timvp

In the first two outings, Hill didn't get to show off many point guard skills. Tonight, especially in the final three quarters, he ran the show smoothly. He found shooters in rhythm, hit cutters as they moved toward the rim and fed the bigs on time.

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Some of that (the first two games) was on Hill, but some was on the other guys. The PG can only find guys, he can't move them to where they're supposed to be. And when Denver uglied-up that second game, the other players sure as hell didn't do anything to help him out.

Hopefully this was more than just a good outing for Hill, and shows what he is capable of now that the players have all had some time to get used to each other. The thing I am most happy about (even in the first two games) is that he has looked very confident and comfortable on the floor, like someone who knows he belongs at the next level. He's grown a lot in the last year.

Excellent take as always timvp.

Hill, Blair, Mahinmi, and Hairston seem to really be developing some good chemistry on the court. Blair and Mahinmi worked well together down low. Hill and Hairston seem to be in a groove as well. I am hoping that these 4 players will be in the regular rotation for the Spurs this season. If their chemistry can adapt this quickly, these guys look to be ready to contribute in a big way come season opening.

Blair had some really nice&crafty offensive moves! Looked awsome! :)

Holy shit, I just noticed Thabeet had 7 points and 3 rebounds vs Clippers :o

Is it really possible that we have the second best player in the draft?

thanks timvp!

great work!

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Originally Posted by Kamnik

Holy shit, I just noticed Thabeet had 7 points and 3 rebounds vs Clippers :o

Is it really possible that we have the second best player in the draft?

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I wouldnt bet on second best, coz some of these PG's should work out pretty fine.

But I think, Blair ha a good chance of beeing the second best big man and probaly a top5 overall pick!

Whatever...Who cares about something like these rankings? Its just important, that we have a nice piece in him!

About georgy...

last season games where he played 30mpg+ when TP was out, he was scoring 20pts on some nights...

can he provide that sort of production coming of the bench this season with less minutes and im sure the offense will not run through him....

i wonder if pop will allow Georgy to run the offense like parker, hog it down the court instead of a layup floater, maybe he jams it on every possession....

Hill, Blair, Mahinmi, Hairston - the next big 4

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Originally Posted by timvp

James Gist continues to look discombobulated. Somehow, that season in Europe altered his game to the point that he doesn't utilize the strengths that made him a summer league phenom last year. Instead of being a hustle, energy bigman, he's now a hesitant, unconfident perimeter player.

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I don't think it has that much to do with his role in Europe. this role wasn't that much different from what he player in last years summer league.
IMO the problem started, when he learned that he only has a future with the Spurs, when he can play the SF mostly. Gist also stated that his NBA future is the SF spot. but this just doesn't work, neither does he have the skill set, nor was he able to adjust his game between end of Italian season and summer league.

as you said, Spurs need to discuss his role in the future, otherwise he won't develop any NBA level skill. if they really try to make him a SF, maybe the Toro's are a better place than Europe. (can't believe that I just said this). in Austin they can play a player at whatever position and in whatever role Pop wants them. and he likely won't be very productive in the first months. in Europe a team will want to use him as is best for the team's success and that is at the 4. you won't find a team that is willing to a.) pay him money, b.) teach him the fundamentals of SF play c.) sacrifice a non EU player slot and d.) therefore risk to reduce the teams overall success. I fear, if the Spurs decide he should transform to a full time SF, they need to play him in Austin and exclusively in this role and still give him tons of minutes, even if he struggles.

I really like the fact that Hill improved. I also liked what I saw from Hairston. Having him as the 4th or 5th wing should be a good thing if he can keep up his play.

Nothing left to say about Blair. If he can stay healthy he should contribute right away with some quality minutes off the bench. (15-25 based on matchups)

I am also curious to see what Haislip can do in the NBA.

Right now it looks like the Spurs will be able to have a nice mix between young and experienced players.

I think much praise should be given to Hairston, he's been very consistent in the last 3 games.

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Originally Posted by Kamnik

Holy shit, I just noticed Thabeet had 7 points and 3 rebounds vs Clippers :o

Is it really possible that we have the second best player in the draft?

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it's summerleague and we saw 2 or 3 games from most players.
otherwise the Blazers fans could also claim that they got the 2nd best player in the draft, b/c Dante Cunningham averages 21.5 PPG.
this doesn't mean that Thabeet didn't have a lot of bust potential, but it's quite a bit premature to call Blair the 2nd best player from the draft.
(and btw. Tyreke Evans, Jodie Meeks, Darren Collison, DaJuan Summers, James Johnson,
Brandon Jennings, Austin Daye and some others from the 2009 draft didn't look bad in summerleague either.)

any chance you'll post a recap on Pop's interview, LJ? I had the shittiest feed on my PC. It either skipped through whole chunks of the interview, or Pop's voice was as quiet as a 14 year-old Japanese girl in public or both.

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Originally Posted by angelbelow

Interesting note - Pop said the beck was hurt for the past 2 years and theyve been looking at him for awhile.

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I'll listen again but I'm pretty sure Pop was talking about Mahinmi.

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Originally Posted by angelbelow

Also, there was some chatter (not sure how serious) that Lasme put up better numbers and/or was a better player than Haislip was last year. Is there any truth to this?

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I didn't hear anything about Haislip.

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Originally Posted by roycrikside

any chance you'll post a recap on Pop's interview, LJ? I had the shittiest feed on my PC. It either skipped through whole chunks of the interview, or Pop's voice was as quiet as a 14 year-old Japanese girl in public or both.

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Yeah, I'll post the recap at some point this afternoon.

Great Post!

I really think that we have the 2nd best player from the draft this year. The way Blair is playing....Jesus we are gonna be REALLY good!

Blair will be 2010 NBA Rookie Of the Year!

I hope McClinton snaps out of his funk tough.

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To begin the ballgame, George Hill didn't answer the bell.

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Nice! :lol

It seemed to me that Blair/Ian's rebounding #'s were lower this game, but it wasn't due to lack of trying. In fact, several times when they were going after the ball, they ended up knocking it around between themselves, and the ball just slipped out to someone else afterward. I'll take that kind of aggression on the boards anyday.

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Originally Posted by timvp

With the ink dry on his new four-year contract

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Is that a typo, or did I miss something? I thought it was a three-year deal?

Edit: I didn't read the other thread. It is indeed a 4-year deal. noob.. :depressed

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Originally Posted by timvp

...George Bell didn't answer the hill..

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Fixed :toast

I've been really impressed with Mahinmi's defense the last two games. He's anchored the D.

A lot to be very happy about with Hill. Nit picking. His long range shot hasn't been on. Remains to be seen how he handles pressure in the backcourt. Most importantly, I don't think he's played the P&R well. He could have gotten the ball to players, particularly Mahinmi on the roll when he should have. That's something Buford noted in particular about William's game.

unforunately Hill and Hairstons dunks mean theyll get waived asap

thanks for posting the highlights, really athletic bunch on the floor, nice to see some promising youth in the Spurs pipeline

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Originally Posted by Kamnik

Holy shit, I just noticed Thabeet had 7 points and 3 rebounds vs Clippers :o

Is it really possible that we have the second best player in the draft?

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Ahem.

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Originally Posted by Marcus Bryant

Ahem.

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:lol

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Originally Posted by Libri

Wow, this was an area that Hill needed to improve dramatically. Last season he looked awkward trying to finish at the rim.

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Last (regular) season Hill went to the rim strong to begin with, but got rejected hard a lot of the time. That's when he started playing more passively. We'll see how he does with that this season against NBA regulars.

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Originally Posted by GoSpurs99

Here's a link for highlights of last night's game.

http://www.nba.com/video/games/warri...033_recap.nba/

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Damn, I found the Nuggets highlights, but not the Thunder.

Whoops, spoke too soon.:toast

Hit the link for the video, it's a one minute clip.

Video: Malik Hairston sparks the Spurs in NBA Summer League
by Molly Blue, The Oregonian

Former Oregon guard/forward Malik Hairston has helped the Spurs to a 3-0 record through Thursday at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He talks about his goals with the team and his future with San Antonio.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbla...sparks_th.html

Great read timvp

Thanks for the awesome write-up, Timvp! :tu



I love it that this summer league team has four guys on it who look like they deserve a shot at playing with the big boys. Last year I wasn't too confident in anyone on the SL roster. Amazing for a guy like Hill the difference a year can make. Hairston, too, for that matter.

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Originally Posted by GoSpurs99

Here's a link for highlights of last night's game.

http://www.nba.com/video/games/warri...033_recap.nba/

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Sweet thanks for that!

I think Blair/Hill could turn into a nice little duo.

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Originally Posted by duncan228

Hit the link for the video, it's a one minute clip.

Video: Malik Hairston sparks the Spurs in NBA Summer League
by Molly Blue, The Oregonian

Former Oregon guard/forward Malik Hairston has helped the Spurs to a 3-0 record through Thursday at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He talks about his goals with the team and his future with San Antonio.

http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindbla...sparks_th.html

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228, did I spy Presti and Buford mulling over a stat sheet in the hallway behind Hairston? It was difficult to identify the second person.

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Originally Posted by tav1

228, did I spy Presti and Buford mulling over a stat sheet in the hallway behind Hairston? It was difficult to identify the second person.

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I can't tell who the second one is either.

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Originally Posted by tav1

228, did I spy Presti and Buford mulling over a stat sheet in the hallway behind Hairston? It was difficult to identify the second person.

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Haha, how funny. Yea, not sure who the other guy is.

How come Marcus Haslip hasn't been playing in the SL?

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Originally Posted by TMSKILZ

How come Marcus Haslip hasn't been playing in the SL?

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His contract is guaranteed

Hill is gonna be a star.

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Originally Posted by MmP

Hill is gonna be a star.

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Personally, I'm more high on this George Bell guy.

Thanks for the great write up as usual. I really hope that Hairston can continue to play well and make the team.

I told you guys that Hairston was going to make this team and that Gist wouldn't.

It's all shaping up now.

I'm pretty much sold on Hill, Blair and Hairston as guys who will make contributions to the big leage club. I'd like to see Ian continue taking steps forward, and McClinton and Gist to salvage something. I'd also like to see Donnell Taylor's Spurs jersey burned at center court after tomorrow's game.

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Originally Posted by timtonymanu

Hill, Blair, Mahinmi, Hairston - the next big 4

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You might want to add Haislip to make a nice five players.

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Originally Posted by mountainballer

I don't think it has that much to do with his role in Europe. this role wasn't that much different from what he player in last years summer league.
IMO the problem started, when he learned that he only has a future with the Spurs, when he can play the SF mostly. Gist also stated that his NBA future is the SF spot. but this just doesn't work, neither does he have the skill set, nor was he able to adjust his game between end of Italian season and summer league.

as you said, Spurs need to discuss his role in the future, otherwise he won't develop any NBA level skill. if they really try to make him a SF, maybe the Toro's are a better place than Europe. (can't believe that I just said this). in Austin they can play a player at whatever position and in whatever role Pop wants them. and he likely won't be very productive in the first months. in Europe a team will want to use him as is best for the team's success and that is at the 4. you won't find a team that is willing to a.) pay him money, b.) teach him the fundamentals of SF play c.) sacrifice a non EU player slot and d.) therefore risk to reduce the teams overall success. I fear, if the Spurs decide he should transform to a full time SF, they need to play him in Austin and exclusively in this role and still give him tons of minutes, even if he struggles.

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I have a hunch that with Haislip, Gist is irrelevant. Haislip is as athletic, as long, and a much more polished player who can drive, hit the 3, block shots, etc.