Spurs Mahinmi, Washington likely headed to D-League

NBA Rumors
Add to My Yahoo! RSS
Spurs Mahinmi, Washington likely headed to D-League

Monday, Nov 12, 2007 6:47 am EST
Ian Mahinmi

Getty Images

Eventually, the San Antonio Spurs will assign rookie forward Ian Mahinmi, their first-round pick in the 2005 draft, to the NBDL's Austin Toros, and it's possible he'll be joined by rookie guard Darius Washington.

However, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he might wait a bit before moving Mahinmi, who scored 12 points and blocked two shots in 10 minutes, 26 seconds in the Spurs' Sunday night victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. "(The Toros) are in their initial practice sessions and they're doing two-a-days, and (he doesn't) need to do that. So Ian will probably stick with us for a while longer."

Source: San Antonio Express-News

I want to see how this kid plays. I'm more excited seeing Splitter with the Spurs though.

Uh. I'll take D-Wash's defense with occasional mental lapses over Vaughn. Anyone else? Vaughn would be better if the playoffs started TODAY, but Washington has an entire season to improve in our system. Ugh. How did we go from having Beno as 3rd string to not even being able to fit a solid 3rd point guard into the rotation?

WTF. Washington > Vaughn.

No question.

Uhm. D-Wash would benefit more playing with us than with the Toros. Maybe Ian would be the first one to go there. Eventually.

I hope they don't send D-Wash to the Toros before Thursday. I want to see how he fares in a backup role versus the Mavs.

I'm getting way ahead of myself, but looking towards the end of the season. Eventually the Spurs will have to either--- use only washington or vaughn on the 12 man roster/ or / not have Udoka, Bonner or someone else on the active roster.

I'm sure that the D-League is the best place for Mahinmi. I'm not so sure it's the best place for Washington, but the numbers just don't work out once Vaughn is available again.

What will be interesting is what happens if when Vaughn comes back he turns out to be not nearly as effective as Washington has been. Will Pop risk a Van Exel II with him? Because this time, the guy behind him will be trying.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cry Havoc

Uh. I'll take D-Wash's defense with occasional mental lapses over Vaughn. Anyone else? Vaughn would be better if the playoffs started TODAY, but Washington has an entire season to improve in our system. Ugh. How did we go from having Beno as 3rd string to not even being able to fit a solid 3rd point guard into the rotation?

---

I personally think that Washington will benefit the most out of going to Austin, and here's why....

It's clear that Washington has NBA-level talent, but he has struggled with his confidence when receiving playing time against regular reserves. I think he would benefit extremely from running the point in Austin against for a few games and getting his confidence level up.

For example, when he missed the wide open layup late in the game last night it was all mental. Let him get comfortable playing the game and I guarantee he doesn't miss that shot.

It's like the USCs of the world that start out Div II Georgia Southern just to establish a rhythm and build confidence. It can't hurt. And Vaughn will be fine, continuing to provide his 10-12MPG of energy and efficiency off the bench.

Bottom Line: I certainly don't doubt that Washington is more talented than Vaughn, but right now he has to establish just how good he is and raise his confidence level. What better way to do that than against inferior competition.

I also think the D-League will be good for Mahinmi, but I do have concern about the level of instruction he'll receive there.

I understand the need for regular game-play, but I also see the benefit of being Tim Duncan's practice dummy and gleaning fundamentals off of one of the game's best.

Hopefully Mahinmi can spend a good amount of time learning his craft before spending a good amount of time applying it at the lower level. At least he has at least a couple more weeks to learn from the big guys....then it'll be showtime.

D-Wash should never leave the active roster... even with Vaughn healthy Beno ws there last year... i don;t hink Pop will play Van Excel II this time...
D-Wash > Vaughn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PHAT TONY

I personally think that Washington will benefit the most out of going to Austin, and here's why....

It's clear that Washington has NBA-level talent, but he has struggled with his confidence when receiving playing time against regular reserves. I think he would benefit extremely from running the point in Austin against for a few games and getting his confidence level up.

For example, when he missed the wide open layup late in the game last night it was all mental. Let him get comfortable playing the game and I guarantee he doesn't miss that shot.

It's like the USCs of the world that start out Div II Georgia Southern just to establish a rhythm and build confidence. It can't hurt. And Vaughn will be fine, continuing to provide his 10-12MPG of energy and efficiency off the bench.

Bottom Line: I certainly don't doubt that Washington is more talented than Vaughn, but right now he has to establish just how good he is and raise his confidence level. What better way to do that than against inferior competition.

---

Yes Washington is more talented, the problem is he's not as experienced or as smart as Vaughn. That's not an insult to Darius or to infer in any way that he lacks basketball IQ. The simple fact is that Vaughn has 12+ years of experience so he's seen damn near everything. Pop trusts him as a psuedo-coach on the floor. These are the intangibles that Pop, or any coach, for that matter, value come playoff time. Provided he's healthy, expect to see
Vaughn on the playoff roster, instead of Darius. To that end, he could benefit from D-league experience.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PHAT TONY

I personally think that Washington will benefit the most out of going to Austin, and here's why....

It's clear that Washington has NBA-level talent, but he has struggled with his confidence when receiving playing time against regular reserves. I think he would benefit extremely from running the point in Austin against for a few games and getting his confidence level up.

For example, when he missed the wide open layup late in the game last night it was all mental. Let him get comfortable playing the game and I guarantee he doesn't miss that shot.

It's like the USCs of the world that start out Div II Georgia Southern just to establish a rhythm and build confidence. It can't hurt. And Vaughn will be fine, continuing to provide his 10-12MPG of energy and efficiency off the bench.

Bottom Line: I certainly don't doubt that Washington is more talented than Vaughn, but right now he has to establish just how good he is and raise his confidence level. What better way to do that than against inferior competition.

---

It's just baffling to me that we had to put up with Beno for so long, and now we have a really decent 2nd/3rd string PG, and he isn't going to be staying.

As others have said, he'll benefit greatly from just having some regular playing time in Austin. Before he can make steps towards mastering the X's and O's I think he needs to just get himself under control so that his energy can be a reliable asset for the Spurs. And if we keep him around, when Horry and Vaughn come back who would be deactivated? Bonner, even though he's playing like ass at the moment, is there to keep Horry's minutes down. Given the age of the Spurs wings I think it makes as much sense to keep them stocked as best as you can. And if Vaughn goes down in a game I'm confident that Barry/Gino can do back up duty for a night.

I agree about Washington. Why put him in the D-Leauge, when for the past 3-4 seasons, we've had Beno on the team + some other PG? Why not do it again? Because it's obviously clear that Washington >>> Beno and Washington has lots of potential to grow and improve moreso than Vaughn. Bad idea to move Washington to the Toros. :td

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cry Havoc

It's just baffling to me that we had to put up with Beno for so long, and now we have a really decent 2nd/3rd string PG, and he isn't going to be staying.

---

I agree that it baffles me how long we kept that sloth Udrih on the roster. But Vaughn has proven effective at times running this team and Ginobili has more than removed any doubts that he couldn't operate the point as well. We know what they are capable of and we know that we can win with that production. In that sense, Darius is a risk, despite his obviously higher upside. We just don't know what he will bring.

While I personally would keep Washington active in place of Vaughn, I can understand the desire to temper his abilities at that lower level. Regardless of whatever happens, I think Washington should spend some time in Austin, but my preference would be for it to be on quick trips with several games in succession...missing as few NBA games as possible while maximizing his D-League games. But thats just me.

Mahinmi should go to the D-league since that is the only place where he will get enough PT to develop but I like what I've seen out of DW. It may be better for him to go and get more PT with the Toros but I want him to stay here. I like his energy, hustle and aggressiveness which I think are superior to JV's. JV is smarter and has more experience at this point which will most likely give him the nod in Pop's eyes. I'd personally put JV on the inactive list as an insurance policy. Use JV as a tutor for DW. Bur frankly this is a reaction to the '06 situation with Van Excel. We paid dearly for that.

I think sending DWash to Austin is a great thing. I think the most beneficial thing is regular playing time, learning the game. And Mahinmi, no question, needs the regular practice and increased playing time. I am so happy with his learning curve and performance thus far.

Am I wrong, or is there a preclusion against Mahinmi and Washington practicing with the Spurs if they are sent down? I thought it was the best of all worlds - that they could continue to practice for the Spurs, and potentially play for the Spurs if needed, while getting regualr playing time under the Spurs eyes in Austin.

I think that gettin Vaughn back and into regular playing time will make him ok. He did well enough at the end of the season, and he's got a year under his belt. No, he's no great shakes offensively, but you can't afford DWash's mistakes in a crunch time situation, you know? I think the best way for DWash to get those out is in Austin.

We got DWash to counter Harris I promise you that. If Pop isn't matching him up against Harris come gametime I will be really rally reehehehellly shocked.

Quote:

---

No, he's no great shakes offensively, but you can't afford DWash's mistakes in a crunch time situation, you know?

---

Agreed. Does anyone seriously think that Pop is going to go completely shelve a guy who had a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio last season for a rookie who's hovering around 1-1? Washington has great potential and already does things Jacque can't, but he's a long way from being the bench performer he needs to be to help this team when it really counts. The Toros give him two things that the spurs won't be able to -- extended practice time and 30+ minutes of playing time per game. I would have had some reservations in the past about sending a player down for an extended period because the Toros used a different system with only a few plays or schemes from the NBA team implemented, and there was much less player support in the way of conditioning and the like. The Spurs' purchase of the team has erased all those concerns. The only real downside is level of competition in practice and games, but if either player becomes too dominant in the D-League it will be apparent and he'll be driving south in no time.

From the DX D-League season preview:

Austin Toros

2006-2007 Record: 21-29

Training Camp Roster:

PG: Squeaky Johnson/ Daryl Dorsey/ Ashanti Cook/ Melvin Council
SG: Keith Langford/ Kenton Paulino/Levi Stukes/Ronald Blackshear
SF: Marcus Williams/Justin Bowen/ Patrick Fields/Joseph Works
PF: Kevin Pittsnogle/Eric Dawson/Tim Bush
C: Anthony Fuqua/Brad Stricker

Roster Outlook: Carldell ‘Squeaky’ Johnson lacks ideal size for a point guard, but could turn into an excellent distributor for the Toros. He is smart and steady and really knows how to push tempo and lock down on the other end of the floor. Keith Langford will play both guard spots, but is at his best off the ball. His perimeter jumper still needs work, but he has a rare ability to create his own shot. Marcus Williams joins the Toros after failing to make the Spurs out of camp, and will really need to focus on his outside jumper. His mid-range game and all-around scoring instincts could make him a potent scorer this season, though. Kevin Pittsnogle may make or break the season for the Toros this year. He reportedly enters training camp at 270 pounds, so it may take him time just to get back into shape. Athletic Anthony Fuqua returns as the probable starting center after a solid season off the bench last year.

NBA Affiliates: San Antonio Spurs

Potentials Assignment Candidates: The Spurs bought the Toros in the offseason, becoming the second NBA squad to own a D-League team. Rookie center Ian Mahinmi from France will most certainly play for the Toros this season. Mahinmi possesses an amazing body combined with freakish athleticism, but must further develop his offensive game, and focus on staying out of foul trouble on the defensive end. Undrafted rookie free agent Darius Washington played surprisingly well during the pre-season, and earned himself a roster spot with the Spurs. He might be sent to the Toros when Jacque Vaughn returns from injury, however.

Season Outlook: The Toros have more talent than last season, but could struggle with their depth up front. Last season, their biggest weakness was at the lead guard spot, which they have improved entering this season. If Langford steps up and leads the team like he did in Fort Worth two years ago, a playoff run will be a possibility for the Toros. Without Mahinmi, interior defense might turn into a problem, but every indication seems to point to a full D-League season for him this year. Otherwise, the Toros will really need to find some depth in their frontcourt, which appears pretty weak at the moment.

Feedback for this article may be sent to [email protected]

http://www.draftexpress.com/blogs.php?blogid=6

Pretty fair assessment. If the Toros had more scorers I'd want to see how Langford could handle the point. The team should be pretty competitive depending on how much time Ian and Darius spend there.

10 points, five rebounds.

ChumpDumper, do you take the over or under on Marcus Williams' production on the Toros?

I'll take the over, if only on points. There is going to be a lot of playing time available at the swing spots.

Price range for Toros seats?

What's the over/under for points, blocks, rebounds for Mahinmi?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by boutons_

Price range for Toros seats?

---

$10-26 in the stands.

In San Antonio you can actually pick your seats if you buy them at the Rock Box on Perrin Beitel

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by picnroll

What's the over/under for points, blocks, rebounds for Mahinmi?

---

After seeing what he's done so far with the Spurs, I'd probably say:

12 points, 8 boards, 1.75 blocks and 4 fouls.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

After seeing what he's done so far with the Spurs, I'd probably say:

12 points, 8 boards, 1.75 blocks and 4 fouls.

---

That's fair. He might go over on the rebounds if he is able to stay in the games.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

That's fair. He might go over on the rebounds if he is able to stay in the games.

---

What do you predict he'll get as far as MPG this year in Austin?

And I can't remember if D-League games are 40 or 48 mins.

They play 48 minute games. I'm sure the plan will be at least 30-35 minutes per game each for Ian and Darius if and when they are sent down.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

After seeing what he's done so far with the Spurs, I'd probably say:

12 points, 8 boards, 1.75 blocks and 4 fouls.

---

I'd expect more blocks if he can stay in the game. Points I think will depend on the PG creating for him.

Rock Box

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...wloc=addr&om=1

great, my exit is Starcrest/410

thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by boutons_

Rock Box

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...wloc=addr&om=1

great, my exit is Starcrest/410

thanks

---

Here's a seating map you can zoom in on.

http://www.nba.com/media/dleague/aus...icemap2008.pdf

Section 5 sucks a little, but everything else is pretty good as far as sight lines go.

I think the Rock Box distributes for two ticket services; the Toros use GetTix.