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I agree 100% on Ian. His lack of effort and the way he seems uninterested is alarming to me. I don't know what it will take to motivate the guy to play hard, but you would think having his first real chance to prove himself would be enough.
For those of us who can't wait for the 2009-10 San Antonio Spurs season to begin, Sunday's intrasquad scrimmage was a much anticipated sneak peek of what's to come. With each member of the team in action and each side running regular season plays, it was really a fun event to behold. Thanks to spursdotcom for streaming the live video of the scrimmage.
-Tim Duncan didn't play much basketball in the offseason -- and it was obvious during the scrimmage. He didn't have much success when calling his own number. However, to be fair, Duncan seemed to concentrate mostly on trying to get Richard Jefferson involved.
-It was great to see Manu Ginobili back on the court. He was very active on both ends of the court and, most importantly, he looked healthy. His highlight play of the day was when he stole a pass and went coast-to-coast for dunk.
-Tony Parker was easily the best player on the court. He appears to be in good shape and his speed was on full display. When he was on the court surrounded by four shooters (for example, McDyess, Bonner, Finley and Mason), Parker created havoc on each possession. Much like last season, Parker played some shooting guard in the halfcourt sets.
-Richard Jefferson gave a preview of what he can bring to this team. For the first time in a long while, the Spurs have a swingman who can shoot, drive to the bucket and post-up around the rim. In halfcourt sets, Jefferson was constantly in motion and moved well without the ball. He took a few ill-advised midrange jumpers but it's expected that he'll take some time to find his niche.
-Admittedly, Antonio McDyess spent most of the summer resting up for the long NBA grind. While it was obvious he's not in game shape yet, McDyess' tools are already obvious. On defense, he puts in his work early and competes on each possession. Offensively, his jumper should create a lot of room for others to operate.
-I was a bit worried that Matt Bonner would come into this year hesitant after the dismal way his year ended last season in the playoffs. But in the scrimmage Bonner was relatively impressive. He still has his weaknesses (namely rebounding and physicality) but his offensive repertoire appeared to be more well-rounded. Bonner not only shot with confidence, he also authored a few notable forays off the dribble.
-DeJuan Blair did not disappoint -- to say the least. He's entering his rookie season with an ungodly amount of hype for a second round pick and he showed exactly why so many are high on his potential. Blair was a beast on the boards, had fantastic touch around the basket and hustled all around the court. He's very capable of scoring after contact and he's unafraid to throw his body around. If he can stay healthy and stay aggressive, he could be a key bench cog this season.
-George Hill wasn't too efficient but he looks like a totally different player from last season. He wasn't passive and he actually tried to make plays on a somewhat consistent basis. If anything, he was trying to do too much. Defensively, he had trouble with Parker's speed -- but he's not the first.
-Michael Finley looks like he's in good shape. His defense was decent and he was getting good elevation on his jumper. It'll be very interesting to see what type of role he settles into this season.
-Even though Roger Mason, Jr. struggled at the end of last season with ballhandling and playmaking, it appears as if the Spurs will give him another chance to show that he can create. When paired with Parker, there were many times that Mason would assume the point guard duties. Overall, his offseason weight loss appears to have made him a bit quicker, which should help him on both ends.
-Marcus Haislip played the role of a perimeter power forward and did so decently well. He is confident to shoot or penetrate when he catches the ball out on three-point line. Haislip also got his hands dirty on the boards, which isn't something seen much to date in his basketball career. In this role, his success will likely depend on whether he can shoot a high percentage from outside.
-Theo Ratliff didn't play many minutes but he moved well and jumped well. He has a lot to learn on the defensive end to fit into San Antonio's system but his raw shotblocking talent is exciting.
-Keith Bogans had a few decent defensive possessions but he didn't do anything to stand out. I'm not sure how secure his roster spot is at this point, but I assume he'll have to play better to make the final roster.
-Ian Mahinmi had flashes of good and bad. On his jumper, he had good balance and illustrated a healthy amount of range. He also moved his feet well on the defensive end at times. But Mahinmi is still very green and he too often moves awkwardly and slowly. It'd also be nice if he turned his effort level up a notch or two.
-Malik Hairston has to be the leader so far in the race for the 15th roster spot. He utilized his power-based game to his advantage on both offense and defense. He still needs to prove he can shoot against NBA athletes but he has a number of characteristics that make him an interesting prospect.
-Marcus Williams is a billed as a swingman who can do a bit of everything. I didn't see it in the scrimamge. He played some point guard but struggled to run offensive sets against pressure. His passing was also very underwhelming. Unless he begins to show a high level of talent, it's difficult to imagine Williams overcoming his slow feet, slow release and limited athleticism.
-Curtis Jerrells had the unenviable task of backing up Parker but he continuously improved as the game progressed. Defensively, I like how he competed and applied frenzied pressure. He was aggressive in looking for his shot -- especially late. It's going to take a great training camp and preseason to make the team but he started off on the right foot in this scrimmage.
-In his few minutes, Dwayne Jones showed that he has a live body for a player his size (6-foot-10, 250 pounds).
All in all, the scrimmage highlighted the depth of this Spurs squad. A lot of work still needs to be done but the talent is at hand.
Next up, the start of preseason on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets.
I agree 100% on Ian. His lack of effort and the way he seems uninterested is alarming to me. I don't know what it will take to motivate the guy to play hard, but you would think having his first real chance to prove himself would be enough.
timvp's thoughts are back, my life is complete again.
Thanks timvp
It was really good to see Manu healthy again
TP is playing great and Blair will be good, he plays with A LOT of energy
Awesome job Timvp. Always appreciated.
Woohooo!!! I missed Timvp's game thoughts.
Thanks for the write up!
Sucks the stream just didn't seem to work for me but this helps me get an idea of how everyone looked.
Nice write up.
I got to the arena around 11 A.M. and it was completely worth it. I had great seats, great food, and the atmosphere in the stands was electrifying, especially for a scrimmage. The 6 free tickets I ended up with after the event itself was worth the price of standing in the same spot for 2 and a half hours with flies, and bees swarming around my head.
timvp, you should start a website with your own articles
A bit discouraging for me. I really hope that Pop doesn't continue with this experiment if Mason doesn't show vast signs of improvement from last season. I know he lost some weight, but I think Mason should still just stick to being a spot up shooter, plus being quicker doesn't mean he's now got the talent and other skills it takes to be an effective back up point guard. Even though this year, Pop has more room to play around with the lineup and can afford to make a mistake or two, hopefully he doesn't kill Mason's confidence and he ends up in a slump at the end of the year like last year. Either way, the season should be exciting. Nice writeup!
Bogans contract is guaranteed.-Keith Bogans had a few decent defensive possessions but he didn't do anything to stand out. I'm not sure how secure his roster spot is at this point, but I assume he'll have to play better to make the final roster.
The only real big concern for me is Ian. He does not seem to be playing like he wants to be a part of this team. I would think that he would take advantage of a stage like this to show the coaches and fans that he is ready to contribute.
Oh...and Marcus Williams is not an NBA player.
Give Williams to the end of preseason at least, he might have been nervous. If he and Hairston do play strongly enough, -Bogans is only guaranteed the minimum I think- would they cut Bogans or do something else (it's a big 'if,' I know).
Thanks for the notes timvp.
Great write up
I hope Hairston makes the team, like you said Williams doesn't look like what the Spurs are hoping from him at least for today. Also happy to see Haislip being active.
The scrimmage got me even more excited for the season to begin. We arrived about 12:45 and still ended up with excellent seats. I thought Hill played with a lot of confidence. It seems like he did a better job at finishing around the rim. Manu seemed to be back to being Manu and played more minutes than I thought he would. The funniest part of the day was the mini three point contest at the end, which Tim won by making 5--they really should think about having him shoot from the top of the key once in a while.
I got there about 11:30 and couldn't believe how many people were already in line ahead of me. And yes, the flies were terrible!!Nice write up.
I got to the arena around 11 A.M. and it was completely worth it. I had great seats, great food, and the atmosphere in the stands was electrifying, especially for a scrimmage. The 6 free tickets I ended up with after the event itself was worth the price of standing in the same spot for 2 and a half hours with flies, and bees swarming around my head.
What game are the 6 free tickets for? I didn't get those.
I can only imagine what seats I wouldve gotten. I wanted to be there by 12! lol
too bad I couldnt make it
Timvp is baaaaccckkkkk!
Thanks for the thoughts, they are always illuminating.
I hope Manu can keep his health 100%. Blair was good, I hope we can see much of him this season, maybe even becoming a starter? He's a great player, im really glad we got him out of the draft.
Bogans' contract guarantee isn't that big of a deal. The Spurs would eat some money, but not much if they decide to go with, as an example, Hairston and Jerrells.
Between Haislip, Finley and Hairston, I'm not sure how much playing time he'd receive...
I am very skeptical of Haislips true range as well. He has a very active game and he could be useful, but if the Spurs are expecting him to be Bonner, then I think they will be disappointed.
Dope! THanks for the recap.
And thanks everyone for the play by play. I couldn't watch at work with crappy aircard. Only thing I saw was the 3p contest at home on lunch.
You are a Spurs nerd when ya read every comment on the practice thread. Shieet, wifey just don't know
Glad it wasn't just me who thought Blair looked great. I'm excited!
They were vouchers for two free lower level tickets to one of three pre-season games (Houston, Greece, LAC). I got three. lol I'll be sitting really close.
When and how did you get those? I was there and didn't know anything about it. Was it for the first 500 people or something? Or was it after the game?
At the exit after the game. I'm not sure which one exactly. It was really close to the entrance though. I don't think it was for the first five hundred or anything either. It seemed as though everyone had one.
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