News Ian Mahinmi

[FreshPrince22]

I disagree...I think the guy has so much upside its scary. The guy's body is freakishly athletic, and he moves extremely well. His body alone is very much in the Amare- KG - Robinson mold than anyone else. This kid is going to be good, with a potential to be a superstar. He is saying all of the right things about developing that potential too. 20-10 may be unrealistic but I am willing to bet he will be a 16-8 guy once he finally gets a year or two under his belt.

I would take that bet. What makes you think a guy whose bio reads "doesn't score much outside of dunks and FTs" makes you think he'll be able to score 16 points per game against NBA level players as a 21-23 year old (assuming he waits one more year)?

For reference: Johan Petro is easily the better prospect of the two with his size, athleticism, wingspan, and overall skills yet he put up 5ppg and 4rpg this year.

Big men that can score do not grow on trees. Thinking everyone the Spurs grab late in the first or 2nd round is going to be the next Robinson/Duncan (or even remotely close) is getting your expectations up way too high. I can assure you that Spurs management doesn't look like at it like that.

[SilverPlayer]

I'd say they are really hyped about him...You need to read this. I don't think Sam Presti was this excited about an 18 year old for nothing. This kid is going to be our biggest draft steal, not Manu, not Parker. (I say that because he is a big man and getting one this good this late in the draft is what will make him a bigger steal.)

When the 28th pick was announced last night, clearly no one had any idea who Ian Mahinmi was. The name was pronounced deliberately, as if consulting a pronounciation guide. The commentary was vague and didn't venture beyond what could be gleaned from a draft primer--along the lines of "tall young athlete who might contribute down the road." There was no video on hand for us to review.

But no one had the balls to say it was a bad pick, simply because of who was picking--the maestro of San Antonio, R.C. Buford.

Buford got Beno Udrih with a late pick last year, and of course Manu Ginobili (speaking of, have you seen the comment explosion here?) with the 58th pick before that.

So, what were they thinking in San Antonio? Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News has done his homework. The selection of Ian Mahinmi comes down to Director of Player Personnel Sam Presti, who fell in love with the 6-10, mobile 18-year-old power forward last summer at a tournament in Spain:

"Last year Sam Presti came back from the European junior tournament in Zaragosa and said, 'I've got our next guy that I really want us to focus on,'" Buford said. "Sam doesn't come that strong very often, so it made an impact. Between myself and Danny (Ferry, the director of basketball operations) and Sam we spent enough time over there this year we felt very comfortable evaluating the growth curve."

Link

/also in reference to a couple of years under his belt, I am saying his second or third NBA year. Not the first year he gets here. 10 and 6 are more reasonable until after his sop re funk.

[whottt]

I would take that bet. What makes you think a guy whose bio reads "doesn't score much outside of dunks and FTs" makes you think he'll be able to score 16 points per game against NBA level players as a 21-23 year old (assuming he waits one more year)?

For reference: Johan Petro is easily the better prospect of the two with his size, athleticism, wingspan, and overall skills yet he put up 5ppg and 4rpg this year.

Big men that can score do not grow on trees. .

Have you seen the guy play?


#1.He's 6'10 and still growing.
#2.He can jump out of the gym. Higher than Petro.
#3.He's fast. Faster than Petro.
#4.He's a of a longer than Petro.
#5.He hustles like a career CBA journeyman getting his last chance to play in the NBA. It's funny because you can tell he's pretty much the top prospect they are developing...but he plays like a guy trying to hold on to the last spot in the rotation.




IOW...he bears a whole lot of resemblance to a guy named David Robinson...Not as fast, not as athletic...but works just as hard and may actually end up being longer and taller than the Admiral.

Petro plays with the effort of Shaq playing D in a preseason game, after a big lunch...even in the French Leagues Games I have seen him in.


The Admiral wasn't exactly drafted for his J or his arsenal of post up moves... But when you get a guy that's 7'1, who can jump out of the gym, and hustles...good things happen.

He's big, fast, athletic and plays hard...He'll be in the NBA. He probably won't be the next Drob, an absolute freak of nature with a genius level IQ...but he'll be something if he keeps working and playing that hard.

Thinking everyone the Spurs grab late in the first or 2nd round is going to be the next Robinson/Duncan (or even remotely close) is getting your expectations up way too high. I can assure you that Spurs management doesn't look like at it like that

Dunno...but the Spurs grabbed Luis Scola late in the second round and he would have graded out as a high lottery pick in last years draft. He's probably not a 20 10 guy, ok he's definitely not...but he's still a high lottery pick that the Spurs got late.

Nowitzki didn't have a lot of hype...either that or the Bucks are really stupid.

You are right that you don't find 20 10 guys deep in the draft very often, because scouting in the states is so thorough.....but since no one knows what 20 10 Euro looks like(since there has only been on IIRC)...if you are going to get lucky on one...it will be on a European player and it will be before he starts to show that kind of potential.

BTW, David Robinson wouldn't have even been drafted at 18, and if he had been by some miracle it would have been as a guard.

And neither would have...*ahem* Dennis Rodman...a 7 and 18 guy that was taken in the second round.

[whottt]

Mahinmi looks to me like an athletic rebounder, shotblocker, garbage bucket type of guy. Good young prospect but "20 and 10 franchise player"? Come on. Have you even seen him play outside of maybe a highlight clip or two?

Last year we had some links to complete games of him in action...One of them was playing alongside Petro...

Mahnimi blew Petro off the court in terms of effort in the game I saw...and he was the guy jumping the ball up....and it was no contest every time. Without a doubt he was longer, could jump higher, and was already a better defender and harder worker than Petro. Petro was definitely the more polished of the two...but Mahnimi looked to have way more upside to me...just based on hustle.

[Bruno]

A little update :
Mahinmi has played Saturday his last game of his season with Le Havre. It was too his last game with Le Havre and reports says he was very affected.

I have seen no news concerning his new team and I think he would wait to know which team will play the euroleague next season before making a choice.

His stats for the season :
9.6 pts (54% FG%, 60% FT%)
5.2 rebounds (2.2 offensive rebounds)
3.4 fouls (4.5 fouls drawn)
0.9 blocks
0.6 steals
1.7 turnover
0.5 assists
in 19.3 minutes (37 games played)

He has made a good season with a lot of progress on the offensive end but he is still inconsistent and often in foul trouble. He has also been slow down by an ankle injury for the last part of the season.

[venitian navigator]

One more year in Europe in a very good team at the best possible level... At this point is the best thing to do! The only thing I'm worried about is that in a not so good tem he pleyed only 19 minutes a game...and probably not 'cause of foul trouble! The best reason for let him in Europe is to give him time to develop...and that' possible only if you play as much as possible!

[Bruno]

The only thing I'm worried about is that in a not so good tem he pleyed only 19 minutes a game...and probably not 'cause of foul trouble!

You're wrong.
He played 19min per game because of foul trouble. When he was at 100% (that is to say when he wasn't injured), his coach put him on the floor as long as he can.

In euro basket, foul trouble is more frequent that in nba. Mahinmi plays too against 30 years old men (it's not like the ncaa) : these guys aren't very talented, big or athletic but they have a lot of experience and that's why Mahinmi is often in foul trouble.

[venitian navigator]

Thanks...and this is, I suppose, another good reason why he needs one more year before coming here! It's necessary for him to develop the ability to adjust at every kind of situation...and that's the first step (the next will be in his first one/two years of nba)!

[SequSpur]

Mahinmi < Beer Seller

[Bruno]

Thanks...and this is, I suppose, another good reason why he needs one more year before coming here! It's necessary for him to develop the ability to adjust at every kind of situation...and that's the first step (the next will be in his first one/two years of nba)!

Yep, he needs time, he is very young and raw.
He is at least 2 years away from contibuting in nba (next year in europe + rookie season in nba).

[exstatic]

Mahinmi < Beer Seller

From the one who brought you: Manu = Manure.

Ian is a lock on the Sequmeter.

[clubalien]

Thinking Mahinmi will be a "20 and 10 franchise player" as you said guy is not only optimistic. It's unrealistic. There are very few 20 and 10 guys in the league today. And all of them are top players. It's next to impossible to have a big man like that fall through the cracks to a point where it was a shock he was even drafted, much less in the first round. Guards are a different story. Guys like Arenas, Redd, Manu, Tony, etc. That's not uncommon, but 20 and 10 bigs? How many franchise big men fall to the late 20's early 30s?

Mahinmi looks to me like an athletic rebounder, shotblocker, garbage bucket type of guy. Good young prospect but "20 and 10 franchise player"? Come on. Have you even seen him play outside of maybe a highlight clip or two?

You have to remember 3 things
1the spurs are gods team personaly blessed by him
2The spurs since david robinson always end up gettign the best big man david then tim and now ian we just happen to get them with first pick just the people we needed to save our franchise. obviously we won't be losing any time soon so there is only soem ways we can get a top pick, we trade rasho for a pick and that team ends up losing badly and we end up with top pick .. god forbid we have another injury ;[ or we soem how recruit soem tall dude from iran or something no one has every heard of (please no sucky tall people like yao)
3ian has been compared to a yougn david robinson or a keven garnett. if it isn;t ian there are only say 5 years or less untill we need a new bigman. Sure tony is great but we God has gifted us with great bigman and the tradition will live on

[Bruno]

Just a quick update to say that Mahinmi is at San Antonio since few days. He follows a training program. One thing is sure, this guy is a hard worker. He will split his summer between training at San Antonio, French second national team and summer league.

It was Spurs Front Ofiice who asked him to come in SA, maybe they want to sign him as soon as this summer.

http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/stb.com/actus/250506.html

[T Park]

EXCELLENT!!! great to hear ;smokin

[strangeweather]

It was Spurs Front Ofiice who asked him to come in SA, maybe they want to sign him as soon as this summer.

[ChumpDumper]

[picnroll]

I'm sure he was coming as soon as his team in France was finished playing so he could work with the Spurs trainer no matter what. Unless the article says something about him signing I doubt that's changed.

[picnroll]

Here's the babblefish version

Hardly its season with the finished STB, Ian Mahinmi was contacted by the leaders of San Antonio Spurs who asked him to come to involve itself as of now! Ian thus took the first plane available, direction San Antonio where an intensive program awaits it. Can be that the defeat of Spurs in half finale of conference vis-a-vis in Dallas Mavericks is for something in this decision. The leaders of Spurs do not hide that they would like to renovate their growing old manpower... with the re-entry of Ian Mahinmi as of the next year?!

[Bruno]

I'm sure he was coming as soon as his team in France was finished playing so he could work with the Spurs trainer no matter what. Unless the article says something about him signing I doubt that's changed.

I will do the translation.

[Bruno]

His season with the STB just finished, Ian Mahinmi was contacted by San Antonio Spurs Front Office who asked him to come at San Antonio for traning as soon as now! Ian thus took the first flight available, direction San Antonio for an intensive training program. Maybe the defeat in WCSF against Dallas Mavericks is linked with this decision. Spurs Front Office don't hide that they would like to go younger... with the signing of Ian Mahinmi as soon as this summer ?

[ducks]

are spurs trying to move rasho to?

[boutons_]

Should be an interesting summer to help pass the time until pre-season games.

[picnroll]

Sounds to me like just speculation on the part of the reporter. I wouldn't be unhappy to see him. No matter how raw he is if he can move his feet, jump and he's long he can give Dirk a few minutes of difficulty.

[ducks]

like ahf says send him to austin when spurs are not in town
and make him go against duncan at practice

[picnroll]

like ahf says send him to austin when spurs are not in town
and make him go against duncan at practice

Screw that. If he comes give him ten minutes a night and let him get used to the league by playoff time.