Harvey: Popovich believes in Blair, and he doesn't

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Fabbs

But the nights he played him low minutes, he didn't believe in him.

Pop. He's won 4 titles you know.

---

Foul trouble had nothing to do with that right?

Ultimately, I think Pop is paying him a high compliment. I can't tell if he's hyperbolizing when he says he doesn't understand him and doesn't teach him anything, which makes me wonder how they treat the typical rookie as far as coaching.

It's interesting that they've decided to not try and change his game and basically let him be. It's an experiment that Pop is playing and as the results keep coming back positive he'll definitely get more opportunities when they are appropriate.

Not teaching him anything in the sense of rebounding position and fundementals I think.

Pop will roll with young guys if they produce IE Manu his rookie year.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EricB

Foul trouble had nothing to do with that right?

---

He finished with 3 fouls against the Mavs and ZERO fouls against the Lakers...
So yeah, foul trouble had nothing to do with it...

Originally Posted by EricB

Quote:

---

Foul trouble had nothing to do with that right?

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElNono

He finished with 3 fouls against the Mavs and ZERO fouls against the Lakers...
So yeah, foul trouble had nothing to do with it...

---

Oh TParkle, you try don't you? :lol

10-2 with BlairMaster owning the paint.

I'm still waiting for an answer:
Model(s) wanted for Spurs cause
http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/show...=Models+Wanted

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mudyez

was I excited about us drafting blair? yes!

did I think, he is way overhyped especially on this board? yes sir!

was I wrong about the overhyping-part? damn, it really looks that way!

and I love it!

he wont be the duncan sucessor or anything like that, but he will help us a lot for the next 2 years, giving us a chance! after the duncan era, I like a core of Tony, Blair, Hill (maybe even some ian, splitter) as much as some of these young teams (portland, sonics) like theirs.

we really have been lucky to draft timmy, but its not like other temas coldnt have had tony, manu, blair! just another proof, that we have such a great organisation especially when it comes to drafting!

---

Don't forget about Tiago Splitter aswell. That is unless we give him the Scola treatment :depressed

Blair must've read some posts on this forum about him hitting the rookie wall. Looks like he hit it last night and it crumbled.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElNono

He finished with 3 fouls against the Mavs and ZERO fouls against the Lakers...
So yeah, foul trouble had nothing to do with it...

---

So playing with no energy dumb turnovers and missed point blank shots aren't reasons either?

Uh the mavericks game he was in foul trouble his two quick fouls pretty much knocked him out of the game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EricB

So playing with no energy dumb turnovers and missed point blank shots aren't reasons either?

---

Are you talking about McDyess or Blair? This is besides the point anyways...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EricB

Uh the mavericks game he was in foul trouble his two quick fouls pretty much knocked him out of the game.

---

Didn't knock Dice out of the game who also had two quick fouls...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EricB

Not teaching him anything in the sense of rebounding position and fundementals I think.

Pop will roll with young guys if they produce IE Manu his rookie year.

---

Manu was 25 his rookie year.

That wasn't the end of the interview with Popovich. I don't have an exact quote, but he went on to say something to the effect of "He has a great future ahead of him. Hopefully - if we don't screw him up." Then with that ironic grin on his face, he said, "You know, teach him some moves? Then he won't do any of the things he does now."

At first I was disappointed that he didn't just come out and say that Blair had an incredible game, etc. It sort of sounded like he was trying not to be too complimentary. Sort of like, "Yeah he does some good things, but he does them the wrong way." But after that last comment it sounded more like the way he used to shake his head when talking about Manu.

I really like how Pop is dealing with Blair so far this year. Putting Blair in the starting lineup forces Pop to give Blair minutes no matter what. More importantly, Pop is really being fierce with Blair and demanding perfection. In other words, Pop is giving Blair the Tony Parker treatment.

If Blair makes a mistake, he gets yanked, yelled at and put back in. That type of coaching helped Parker grow quicker and Blair seems to be in the same mold in that he can take the criticism. Instead of pouting, Blair just plays harder and learns from his mistakes.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TheSullyMonster

Manu was 25 his rookie year.

---

Doesn't matter. Manu was still an unproven NBA rookie.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EricB

Doesn't matter. Manu was still an unproven NBA rookie.

---

Manu was a basketball god at 24.
At 22 and unknown he had Sasha Danilovic retiring after the first PRACTICE together with Virtus.
He got ME interested in basketball again, well before he went to the NBA.

I'm just thanking lucky stars that a lottery talent rookie dropped to the second round for the Spurs to pick up and help erase all the apparent fail from the Spurs' attempt to build a championship contender this year with Peter Holt's money.

does anyone have the full postgame quotes from pop and spurs players?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dbestpro

Blair heard Ian's foot steps. Time to pick it up a notch and boy did he. Maybe Ian is good to have around to remind the big boys that there is someone in the wings just chomping at the bit.

---

:lmao Ian will never be 35% of the player that Blair is. He's an incredible athlete that has little or no idea how to play basketball. Blair is a basketball player who lives and breathes in the paint.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by exstatic

:lmao Ian will never be 35% of the player that Blair is. He's an incredible athlete that has little or no idea how to play basketball. Blair is a basketball player who lives and breathes in the paint.

---

So 15 pts / 9 rebs in 20 minutes in his first action in 2 years was a fluke?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

I'm just thanking lucky stars that a lottery talent rookie dropped to the second round for the Spurs to pick up and help erase all the apparent fail from the Spurs' attempt to build a championship contender this year with Peter Holt's money.

---

In fairness, Holt wasn't hoping for Parker to come into camp as a ghost of his former self. A lot of the early bumps were blamed on Jefferson when in fact Parker was the one also making a huge adjustment, as he was trying to adapt to playing injured, which, in my opinion, was a big factor in the team playing like crap early on. I still don't think we know the true potential of this team.

But I agree that Blair was a godsend and (not sure if you implied it) that Dice has been a letdown except for a few games here and there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by duncan228

He starts Blair and sees what he is getting, and then he reacts.

---

Frustrating. Especially when you look at Pop's love affair with players like Finley and Bonner. Those guys are allowed to play through their mistakes (which most often only leads to even more mistakes), while other players get singled out for Pop's special emo micromanagement treatment.

Player development and sound rotation strategy hasn't been Pop's strength the last few years, and it's hurting up big time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ElNono

I also think Manu is used to playing with Duncan, who has one of the better hands in the game... so you can always throw a fastball, but not everyone will catch them...

---

In praise of Blair I would also say he has Duncan like hands. He does not fumble a lot of the passes that our past bigs have done. That is why guys like Nazi and Elson didn't dunk 5-6 times a game.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TJastal

So 15 pts / 9 rebs in 20 minutes in his first action in 2 years was a fluke?

---

Not when it's against the WORST fucking team in the NBA. That's what he's got? 15/9? Call me when he drops 28/21 on a playoff caliber team. Forget that. Ian's NEVER going to get 20 rebounds.

I really like when Manu and Blair are on the floor at the same time and Manu is running the point. Blair seem wide-eyed everytime he either set a pic or slipped the screen for Manu. There was a stretch in 3rd and 4th quarter where every posession something positive happened between those two.
Blair looks a little confused on what to do with Parker or Hill has the ball.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by exstatic

Not when it's against the WORST fucking team in the NBA. That's what he's got? 15/9? Call me when he drops 28/21 on a playoff caliber team. Forget that. Ian's NEVER going to get 20 rebounds.

---

Indeed. I don't agree about the Ian never getting 20 boards part, but I bet he won't have done that in his first REAL FIVE YEARS in the NBA. What'd it take Blair, 5 months? And against a team with 6 more Ws than losses. Ian only had his statline against a team that was 3-35 or some shit.

they are teaching blair how to shoot free throws
but not rebound good