http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...s-next-season/
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... really?Quote:
[“It definitely made me stronger, but it definitely kept my head down. It happened the last two years. I really don’t know what’s going on. It messes my head up. It’s tough. Boris came and was a better fit. At the same time, I stayed positive and had a great attitude and kept going and had a lot of class. I grew up a lot.”
Blair turned 23 as the post-lockout season concluded in late April. What has happened since requires maturity.
“The Spurs are excellent,” he said. “They used me to get everybody going and just get to the playoffs. That’s what it’s seemed like the last two seasons. But it’s a business, and everybody has their role, and I played mine, obviously, in the season. That’s proved right now.
“We were No. 1 the last two seasons when I was starting, and then lost in the playoffs when I wasn’t. That’s just, well, I don’t know, common sense.
No surprises there...
We lost in the 1st round with Blair starting, and made it to the WCF with Blair out of the lineup. We "lost" (no championship) both years. I don't understand the point he was trying to make with that line.Quote:
“We were No. 1 the last two seasons when I was starting, and then lost in the playoffs when I wasn’t. That’s just, well, I don’t know, common sense.
Blair thinks he's a difference maker.:lmao
If he's not trade by the start of the season then there isn't even close to a reasonable deal on the table.
:lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Bottomtooth
That was just great...
In a delusional kind of way. :lmao:lmao
Quote:
Originally Posted by jestersmash
This is just what he tells himself rather than recognize that he has been a regular season minutes eater who was a starter in name only.
Btw, Blair has never started a playoff game.
The guy started the majority of the last two seasons, and then was benched going into the playoffs.
His frustration is easily understandable. He needs a fresh start tbh. Hopefully an EC team.
This should go over well.
I wish he would have trimmed down earlier. It may have made a difference.
I can only imagine how frustrating it would be to start most the season and then be benched in the playoffs 2 years in a row.
If he's traded I wish him well. The Spurs need something else now.
I think Blair's comments are pretty dumb, but it could have possibly just been taken out of context. Possibly.
I can't hate Blair even though I've been one of his haters the last two years simply because he stayed ready in the playoffs and played decent against OKC.
He does need a fresh start somewhere. It's been said numerous times, but he would do well on a team that has no shot to make the playoffs.
He's more than likely gone after this, tbh...Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Bottomtooth
Agreed. His record while starting in the regular season is outrageously good. It's understandable that he'd want to continue starting in the playoffs. Yes, he gained weight. Yes, he doesn't really fit. Yes, he's not physically capable of being a good defender. But he has a right to wonder what would happen if the Spurs kept starting him. Any type of competitor would think the same thoughts.Quote:
Originally Posted by spurs1990
I don't really have a problem with anything Blair said. He admitted Diaw was a better fit. He didn't have anything too bad to say about anyone and doesn't come across as overly bitter.
If the Spurs can't trade him, he'd make a great fifth big. But, yeah, for all parties involved it's probably best to sell him whenever a team is ready to give up decent value.
I'm sure thr FO is pricing tickets to Siberia as we speak.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. John R. Brinkley
Blair is a solid player , the problem is that he is not much better then he was when he entered the league, he really has no post game or post defense. We have seen him make a mid time to time but not consistently, he is really one demensional. He really needs to hit the gym and work on his game a bit more. I dont mind what he said, his frustration is reasonable, I see him gone before next season
Off topic though I really wish we would have gotten Mario chalmers instead of him in the draft, we wouldnt have Gary Neal at backup pg right now.
Sounds like he recognizes what's going on:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mel_13
Quote:
"They used me to get everybody going and just get to the playoffs. That’s what it’s seemed like the last two seasons. But it’s a business, and everybody has their role, and I played mine, obviously, in the season."
I don't want Blair traded, as I think the Spurs would have a hell of a time finding someone better in trade at his salary. Best to keep him on the team another year. It sucks for DeJuan personally, but he's still more valuable to the team than what he can get back in trade.
This sounds about right....Quote:
Originally Posted by baseline bum
timvp with the goods again!Quote:
Originally Posted by timvp
but where does "decent value" start?
is a late 1strounder (in a weak draft) enough? I'm just not sure where to rank him? has he George Hill value or is he just a late bench guy nobody would give up anything of real worth for?
maybe he can be the piece to get other teams biting on Bonner?
http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=cvwjeky
I was on the fence about Blair as far as liking him, character and all..
I hope leaves.
I almost started the same thread when I saw the SAEN article.
It seems Blair has a hard time understanding what may be easily understandable for us i.e. used mainly during the regular season and benched in the POs. From his quotes he seems to have some insight but that cannot completely prevent his ego from being hurt. Hope the Spurs FO can find somewhere for him to prove himself, and above all, the young guy can turn his frustration to motivation.Quote:
Originally Posted by timvp
Agreed that Blair's growing maturity kept him from turning his frustration into personal attack and ruining the team chemistry.
dejuan is only speaking the truth.
only natural to wonder what the problem is. obviously he hasn't been told directly by pop or whoever. it's not like we won the championship and he's complaining about not getting playing time. we fucking lost. and the guys playing in his spot didnt do shit.
Blair doubts he will be with Spurs next season.
And Bonner never doubts that?
Didn't he pretty much rip apart the Thunder most of the times we played them?
And then he never played against them in the playoffs?
actually I think he did well in those minutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by davidbowie
its all understandable and I don't see real bad feelings. he should be unhappy with the situation (even if pop explained him everything).
if we can use him going forward everything will be perfect...if not (probably) I wish him all the luck with another team and hope we can get something like a firstrounder for him.
I have no real problem with what he's saying tbh. We do have a damn good record with him as a starter. It's obvious he's not on Pop's favorites list when he goes from being a starter to the last guy on the bench in the matter of a couple weeks. Besides, we drafted him in the 2nd round.. can you really be mad that he didn't turn out to be a great player? I wouldn't be surprised if he wan't here either. Thank him for his time here and move on.
Dejuan has definitely matured. But then again, comments like these will only help his image around the league. Reacting negatively to his lack of playing time in the post season (again) would only red flag him and get him into more trouble. I'm glad that he, his agent, or his management realized that and steered him towards a more mature approach.
The dude with delicate knees admitted to eating his way out of the lineup last season and looked like shit this season and he says the spurs won when he played. He's basically saying "Fuck you Pop even though i suck"Quote:
Originally Posted by loveforthegame
Screw that Blair BITCH!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Body
Yep.............people in here aren't very bright. Blair didn't even get a chance to play in the playoffs. Not even when we were getting our asses handed to us by OKC. Pop fucked that one up big time.
Two things are clear:
1. Pop views him as a regular season minutes eater, since the "starting Matt Bonner" experiment produced well, crap, and the Spurs lost a quality veteran big when Dice retired.
2. Pop doesn't pay attention to matchups by changing lineups so easily. Sure, there were no-brainers (like starting Kawhi against OKC to hold down Durant, or starting Tim and Tiago together against the Lakers the last two games of their series) but it required time for him to adapt (see the file under Andrew Bynum and 30 rebounds).
He's not being conceited, he's just saying what his agent told him to, I reckon. Dudes don't talk about having class or successfully getting their weight down or leading the Spurs to the #1 seed two years running (even if it were true).
Kid's not dumb -- he knows he's an extremely undersized big with a tendency to put on weight (and lug it cross-court on iffy knees) and sloppy offensive/defensive skills that have not improved appreciably in his time in SA. He got where he is because he wants to be an NBA player really, really bad, but that's a lot of strikes to have against you going into what may be your most important contract season on what will likely be a new team with a new system.
Absolutely no problem with what Blair said. That mentality is part of what makes him a still decently effective big man at 6'7.
Doesn't mean that the Spurs shouldn't continue to look for upgrades and/or move him. I don't believe he's a rotation player on a championship team. But I have zero issue with HIM thinking that he is.
The Spurs can move him while he still looks like a 10 and 6 guy, tbh...
Of course once they trade him the team that takes him would be hard pressed to put him in the rotation, especially since he doesn't get Tony or Manu to set him up anymore...
It would have been interesting to let Blair go against OKC. His forte is scoring in the paint and we could have certainly used more paint points. However I hope Pop is not thinking of starting him again next season to eat minutes and then switching up at the playoffs. Like Blair said it is idiotic.
I think Pop wants one of him or Bonner traded, even for another wing...
move blair+bonner...play leonard and jax (+diaw) extended minutes at 4 and use duncan+splitter at the 5.
we don't need a 3rd real big.
I'll imagine these lineups to be used:
Most regular season games:
Parker/SG(Green?)/Leonard/Diaw/Duncan
Lakers/Pistons/Twin Towers teams:
Parker/SG/Leonard/Duncan/Splitter
OKC/Miami/Small ball teams:
Parker/Manu/Leonard/Jackson/Duncan
Methinks Blair is a bit delusional on this statement. That said, I really don't have a problem with his statement and he has a right to wonder about his future. He also has a right to want to go elsewhere. I can't blame him for that.Quote:
Originally Posted by jestersmash
Despite his physical limitations, Blair hustles, aggressively plays with passion and is productive when given minutes. Can't say the same for Bonner. Given the choice, I'd rather have Blair on this roster than Bonner.
If the Spurs really want to contend in Duncan's final couple of seasons, they need to upgrade the frontline and move on from both Blair and Bonner.
Have you seen his tweets?
Here is one of his deep thoughts....Quote:
Originally Posted by racm
" The fact that we can't kiss our elbow is enough to make us realize that some things in life are very close to us, but still beyond our reach"
Lmao
That's tumblr worthy stuff there.
I still don't get why he didn't play more. The second he came in in game 4 we got right back into the game and if KD doesn't go Jordan on us we win that game and most likely the series.Quote:
Originally Posted by therealtruth
He had a positive +/- in Game 4.
Of course, Pop decides a choking stretch 4 who won a ring riding the pine is somehow better than a young undersized 4 in the playoffs.
DB's inability to come into camp in shape and remain that way throughout the season is a testament to his immaturity.
He's in the freakin NBA as an undersized "big" who you would think would put in a lot of extra work just to stay in the league.
Pop and the Spurs benching him is a lot of his own doing.
I'd rather have Chuck Hayes, tbh...
Hill was a better choice than Chalmers. Without Hill we wouldn't have Leonard at starting SF right now.Quote:
Off topic though I really wish we would have gotten Mario chalmers instead of him in the draft, we wouldnt have Gary Neal at backup pg right now.
OTOH, Blair has a better win share than any player drafted after him. Blair's is 7th in his draft class win share. The best careers so far for those available at the time are:
Marcus Thornton
Jodie Meeks
Chase Budinger
Jonas Jerebko
Danny Green
Derrick Brown
Jon Brockman
A. J. Price
Patty Mills
Taylor Griffin
Lester Hudson
Blair was a very good choice.
I regard Blair as a case of unrealized potential. If he had the work ethic exemplified by Tim Duncan, he wouldn't be wondering why the coach went away from him in the playoffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by weebo
Compare him to Leonard who was a poor 3 point shooter in college. Without the benefit of summer league, access to team staff last summer, or a full training camp, he developed into a very good NBA 3 point shooter during the course of the season.
What upgrade to his game has Blair added in 3 seasons? Still can't make a shot outside of the paint. Got fat during the season. Still gets lost on defense.
Still a good value for the price as a minutes eater when the games matter less, but he hasn't raised his game to justify anything more.
Yeah after "he proved them wrong" after his rookie season, he's fallen off tbh. He lost the chip on his shoulder.
2009 second round was STAAAAACKED :wowQuote:
Originally Posted by Drom John
If he were still killing the glass he'd be a great trade asset now I doubt he can bring in a 2nd rounder, he has a point if for nothing else but to sell himself to another team. He needs to get Malik Rose type game or he'll be out the league soon
That's why I wanted a guy like Bass. Not significantly worse at rebounding than Blair, but dang, the guy can put the ball in the hoop.
And like Malik Rose, he could shoot.
Agreed. DB is the type of player that has to out work everyone in the offseason just to be on an NBA team. His game did not grow from year one to now, and infact, you can say it actually regressed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mel_13
I guess playing basketball over the summer and stuffing your face with junk food is putting in work for DB.
Blair a draft steal they said
Sure, he's talented but doesn't have a good work ethic.
I don't even think the biggest problem is work ethic. While he had those weight problems the first season, the Spurs simply have a different need inside. You just couldn't throw him at Zach Randolph/Marc Gasol, or Favors/Jefferson or Griffin/DJ on a 7 game series. The extra inches he needs to cover those guys just isn't there, and they ain't going to magically appear.
The "Malik Rose" model worked when Duncan was in his prime and could protect the rim all on his own. Those days are long gone.
I just hope the Spurs can move DeJuan before the next season starts. I understand his contract is cheap, but I'm not sold his head is going to be there.
The Rockets have a glut at PF too...
Some guys make up for their shortcomings with work ethic. The only thing that has expanded in DB time here is his waistline. That should tell you enough about the guy.Quote:
Originally Posted by ElNono
Reading between the lines...
"I can help more in the playoffs than Matt Bonner, you morons."
i hope he does get traded. his talents are better used somewhere else. the spurs need to get some assets out of him though because right now his contract is very low for the value he provides.
You can fixate on his waistline while overlooking the fact he's just not tall enough to play a position where we've needed size for a while, especially against playoff teams all of which more or less have decent frontlines.Quote:
Originally Posted by weebo
Any chance he had of overcoming his lack of height was reduced to zero because he never expanded his game. His value would be much higher to himself and his team if he had worked hard enough to improve his game, even if that improvement still kept him from getting meaningful playoff minutes. There's really no excuse for the stagnation, even regression, in his game.Quote:
Originally Posted by ElNono
Yeah, it's quite a mystery as to why his rebounding numbers have plummeted.Quote:
Originally Posted by galvatron3000
What a fuckin idiot. Just go already.
Can't say I didn't see this coming. Surprised he bit his tongue for this long tbqh.
So is this going to be a red flag for teams interested? Blair makes it seem like he wants to start wherever hes going.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MR-Clutch
Can't help, but it's not like there was a lot of interest in him when the Spurs shopped him before the draft.
It is a concern, although he was still at 9.3 rebounds/36, which isn't terrible.Quote:
Originally Posted by SenorSpur
And while his rebounding %s have fallen every year in the league, the team's as a whole have remained pretty steady, which would indicate that it's teammates taking his boards (i.e. Kawhi averaging an extra 2 boards over what RJ gave the Spurs) and not opponents.
I don't like Blair. I didn't see him improve since he arrived. I hope the Spurs and Blair find a good deal for both sides and move on
I think he's improved. He's gotten more efficient around the rim. Added that floater. FTs are no longer a liability for him. Found out how to get his shot off against bigger defenders. Learned how to use his quick hands to knock the ball away from opponents backing him down.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spurs Brazil
He's regressed in rebounding, but that may, or may not, be due to his knees. We'll find out over the next few years regardless of where he ends up.
But, at the end of the day, he's just two short to defend competent post players and offers no rim deterrent as a help defender. A lesser team might be able to live with that, but not a title contender.
Maybe Brooklyn could use him beside Howard.
I agree with this. He's lost some athleticism. Probably not from weight because he always had that but degeneration of his knees as you suggested.Quote:
Originally Posted by K-State Spur
I think he improved his post play immensely. Before this year he didn't even have a post game. He was REALLY raw. This year he learned to back players down and better use his size.
Yeah, he should have tried to improve his jumper but I think he was wise to improve what he was good at first before trying to go outside of himself. Sounds silly but I think it was the right approach.
His shooting is horrible but he's not the only one. Look at Splitter. No one complains to the same degree about his awful shooting. In fact, Blair improved his free throw shooting so I think the work was there. In games he was just trying to play to his strengths. He didn't have enough leash to try shooting outside shots. No way Pop has patience for that learning curve.
All said, I think he should be traded for everyone's benefit. But no reason to bash him. He's a young guy trying to figure it out on a team full of old men who talk about wine and European politics.
So what teams would you guys imagine even have interest in Blair? Obviously GS considering that was the only team we heard of on draft day but anyone else? I imagine the Thunder could use him considering they don't have anyone with as good of a feel at rolling towards the basket as Blair does...not much else comes to mind except maybe some team like Charlotte that's in desperate need of help everywhere.
:lolQuote:
Originally Posted by stxspurs
u trade him + green to the hawks for a package
A short Kevin Duckworth.
Maybe trade Blair and a pick to Brooklyn for Brooks? They're trying to get another 1st to improve the offer for Dwight.
Blair has ALWAYS been too short to defend competent post players. The problem is, with the exception of Duncan, all the Spurs bigs have serious limitations and deficiencies (lack of size, athleticism, skill) which makes for an inadequate pairing of whatever combination Pop decides to throw out on the floor.Quote:
Originally Posted by K-State Spur
That leaves the Spurs frontline extremely vulnerable and susceptible to the opposition's ability to score on the inside, attacking the rim and getting second-chance shots. It also places an inordinate amount of workload on Duncan, who as we all know, is in decline.
His first offseason here he shoudlve worked on his jumpshot with the spurs coaching staff. Instead, he decides to work on his own, on that stupid floater, while making music videos for that stupid music group, that has no shot at being mainstream, or even resembling anything worth listening to at all. I think once he gives up on his music dreams and realizes he can have more sucess at basketball is the day that well see him dedicate himself.
Blair should've adopted the Kawai Leonard model for hard work and improving his game. Hell, for that matter, he should've worked out with Glenn "Big Baby" Davis. The limitations to his game were nearly the same as Blair. Except now, Davis is a very good midrange shooter.
To be fair, Davis is 3 years older and been in the league for 2 more years..Good comparison though. Blair is only still 23, so he still has time to turn his career around with some hard work. Only time will tell, just probably not with SA.Quote:
Originally Posted by SenorSpur
Quote:
Originally Posted by team-work
I don't think we can never understand more than a player or what goes on inside the Spurs organization. We all like to speculate (me included) about the Spurs. It just seems to me that Blair new what was going on but still is disappointed at Pop's decision.
This. As much as I hate to admit it, all Blair had to do was put in the time to develop a reliable 12-15ft jumpshot. That's the key to undersized bigs being effective in this league, and especially with this team.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mel_13
He still has value for sure, but not developing a mid-range jumpshot has absolutely limited his effectiveness as a player on this team and off it. Hopefully his offseason regimen includes losing weight and working on that shot. Without it, he's nothing more than what he's been the past two seasons; a regular season minute-eater.
And to think I had such high hope for the kid. He came in with a chip on his shoulder and it unfortunately sounds like he'll be leaving with a different one.
What happened with Diaw has really hurt Blair which in understandable.
During 3 years, Pop has been behind Blair to ask him to stay in shape. He even called him out and put him in the doghouse for being in poor shape. At the end Pop gave his spot to Diaw who was fatter.
For both Spurs and Blair, a trade is the best outcome. Hopefully, Spurs will be able to get a solid backup PF for a package with Blair. A Duncan, Diaw, Splitter and solid backup PF would be a fine bigmen rotation.
1) Davis had a little bit of a midrange game even at LSU.Quote:
Originally Posted by SenorSpur
2) I wouldn't say that he's a "very good" midrange shooter. He makes enough to confuse some people, but with TS% in the 47% range, the guy really shouldn't be shooting period. Offensively, Blair is superior to Davis because he knows what he is and what he isn't. Not to go all Hollinger, but there's something to be said that every year Dejuan has posted a PER 3-4 points higher than Big Baby's career high.
The one advantage Davis has over Blair is a better understanding of how to overcome his lack of height to a certain degree by using his girth to maintain good defensive position (a la Malik).
spurs1990 and timvp nailed it.
He was all but guaranteed to be gone anyway, but this sealed it. The Spurs never retain players who don't want to play for them and he's made it clear that he doesn't, if he's going to be a non rotation player (and he would be). So even if they can't find a trade to their liking, they'll probably cut him. Which would be ridiculous, because even if he's not part of a bigger trade, you can't tell me that on his own, he can't at least fetch a legit 2nd (legit meaning, not a top 50-55 protected 2014-16 2nd). But I wouldn't put it past them to cut him.
They will not cut him
It would be beyond stupid to cut him. And the Spurs do have a history of hanging on to players who have wanted out. James Anderson and RMJ being two recent examples.
I agree and I think it's highly unlikely, but that's why I said, "I wouldn't put it past them". If someone is not going to give them a legit offer, they might figure "why should we give a productive/useful, inexpensive young player to a team for free?". That would obviously be a last resort type option.
Can't believe the Mason example slipped my mind. I was thinking (and should have clarified), guys that complain publicly . . . there goes that.
Of course, Bonner played 2 minutes in game 4, 1 min in game 5 and NONE in game 6. Would putting in a shooter not have helped in those 3 games instead of saying "he has disappeared from sight"?Quote:
Originally Posted by racm
Actually, Blair played quite a bit in April, but never played in the playoffs and I for one dont understand why. He produced in April. He produced against the Thunder during the season and then sat on the bench while Perkins and Ibaca had a field day against the great Diaw.Quote:
Originally Posted by weebo
:lmao that was not this season, he did quite well at watching his weight. The only reason he was taken out of the starting lineup was DIAW came in and Parker wanted him to start. Otherwise, Blair continues to get 20 mins and produce 9 and 7 on regular basis.Quote:
Originally Posted by weebo
He regressed because other teams began to put a body on the short guy who was dominating the boards.Quote:
Originally Posted by K-State Spur
Blair produced all season. He played the minutes until Diaw showed up. Diaw really put up great scoring and rebounding numbers 5 points and 4 boards. He also shut down Ibaca on an 11 for 11 night against him. Dont you wonder if Blair might have harrassed Ibaca a little?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bruno
Blair is not a star player, but I would rather see him working on the court than Diaw. At least, he does something even if it is a mistake. Diaw went away when things got tough.
Blair is in a weird position. I understand he has to look out for his career in a contract year. This next contract might be his last. Better to politely pave the way for his own exit. The only thing is, it sounds like the Spurs already tried to trade him and no one wanted him (unless he was tethered to that boat anchor Matt Bonner in a trade scenario). Anyway, hopefully he does get traded and everyone wins.
IIRC, the Heat almost traded a late second rounder for Roger Mason Jr. but it expired before the deal could be done. I think that might be the most realistic asset the Spurs can get in return for Blair. And one that's probably not worth it. Spurs still need Blair's energy and tenacity on the boards even if his knees keep declining.
Blair is basically in a Richard Jefferson situation. Spurs kept starting RJ, even when there were other options, in order to give RJ some trade value and while not being completely useless to the Spurs. But benching Blair towards the end of seasons and in the playoffs is a red flag, along with Blair's weight gain and lack of range. I wanted to like Blair since he's an underdog story with rare flashes of 20/20 talent, but he's not what the Spurs need, not even the past squads that desperately needed rebounding
You would think with his cheap salary, he would be easy to trade. I wonder if the Spurs are looking to dump somebody else with him or would just rather stick with the cheap body.
I haven't this much fail in one post in quite some time.Quote:
Originally Posted by maverick1948
I award you no points and my God have mercy on your soul.
It's pretty amazing looking at the roster that the Spurs don't have one bad contract. Not one. In many respects this is a year to ship players like Neal, Blair, Bonner, Manu, and Jax out given their expiring natures or quasi-expiring in the case of Bonner (last partially guaranteed).
I bet whoever the Spurs have contacted about trades at this point are asking them to assume too crappy of a contract in return for whatever approx $5M-6M cap relief (Bonner/Blair/Neal combo) could mean to them next summer.
He's gotten better at taking charges but I agree no jumpshot and his rebounding has decreased. Maybe all he needs is a coach that's willing to work with him to improve his game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mel_13
I don't even think that's how the Spurs post deficiencies mostly manifest themselves. It think the frontline's vulnerabilities manifest themselves more when our defenders can't stay in front of perimeter guys because they're helping so much and afraid of getting beat.Quote:
Originally Posted by SenorSpur
At this point, maybe he's not willing to put forth the effort after watching the coach go with somebody else when the playoffs came around. (two times in a row at that)Quote:
Originally Posted by therealtruth
It would be great if we could package Bonner and Blair and bring back a stretch 4 who can also defend, but I think that's impossible.
I'd be happy with Blair as 4th/5th big depending on matchups.
I don't see anything wrong with what he said. He needs to understand that Diaw brings more to the Spurs on both ends then he does. As for Bonner getting more minutes than him in the playoffs...he would have a legitimate complaint.
Hopefully Blair stays. He'll be more productive than any third string nobody or late second round draft pick.