The injuries were in high school and he managed to be the Big East player of the year, 1st team AA, runner up for national player of the year, etc.
You can't do much better with the 36th pick, especially when he fills a big need, rebounder/enforcer.
He has been on those knees since highschool, and it didn't seem to effect him in collage. He is a risk yes but at 37 you just cant go wrong. If he stays healthy he will be a beast if he doesn't we did not lose much. The good totally outweighs the bad here.
The thing is, taking it to Thabeet, an overrated second pick if there ever was one is one thing, taking it to Gasol, who's made a HUGE leap in the past two years from perennial all-star to bonafide superstar is quite another. (By the way, saying I'm not a Laker fan is an understatement.)
If we got Blake Griffin at 37, I wouldn't . The guy's a legit 6'10" who can jump out of the building, and is all muscle. Plus, he has good knees.
A guy who weighs as much as Blair does on two bad knees is a bit scary. To ignore that is foolish.
The splash I'd really like to see at big man is Tiago Splitter first and foremost. After that, a cagey veteran who can play some D and is tough in the interior would be my preference. I'm just saying, some scouts are smarter than you think they are, and if something is legitimately wrong with Blair, they'd know about it. Just because mock drafts have him going high doesn't mean he's the real deal. He needs to prove it, and until he does, I remain dubious.
All I ask is that he prove me wrong come April, May, and hopefully June.
The odds of getting a guy who can contribute at 37 aren't all that great. The odds of getting a guy who can potentially compete for a starting spot and really help your team immediately are horrible. Of course there are concerns, but you aren't seriously questioning the wisdom of the pick, are you?
Yesterday, Draft Express had him ranked as the 11th best player in the entire draft. End of story. Great, great pick for the Spurs.
I'm not questioning the wisdom of the pick. I just refuse to get as excited as everyone here, especially when we're discussing a guy who's undersized, overweight for his size (unless he's a tight end), has two bad knees and is expected to play an 82 game schedule plus more (over 100 games is what we expect in San Antonio every year).
Remember, the goal isn't to win games, it's to win games that matter most, in the playoffs. And if the Spurs are to achieve the ultimate goal, they'll have to go to the Lakers, as much as us Spurs fans hate to say that.
And going through LA means matching the Lakers size. Unlike the masses, I fail to see how this pick helps in that regard. If he's to be the immediate frontcourt help that you all claim to be, then I'm a bit worried.
The Big East isn't the NBA folks. Thabeet isn't Gasol or KG or Dwight or Amare, and so on and so forth. So I just ask one thing of Blair, go out and prove it. Is that so wrong?
I once saw a draft expert panel claim Ryan Leaf was as good as Peyton Manning. , just recently people claimed that Darko was a better pick than Wade or Carmelo.
Fact is, these experts aren't as right as they claim to be.
You know Vitale claimed Stephen Curry would be the Rookie of the Year? And he's supposed to be a college b-ball expert too.
The thing is, he's not undersized, based on his standing reach and wingspan. He's not overweight for his size, when you compare him to NBA players, and he has two surgically repaired knees, not two "bad" knees. He's also 20 years old, and any problems he might have with his knees are most likely several years down the road. The biggest risk is to the length of his career, not to the quality of his play before it becomes a factor.
Tim is 6'11" 260. The only guys that were his height and size that I can think of off the top of my head are Lebron, Karl Malone and Chuck. Is this guy an athletic freak like those guys?
When I see 6'7" 277lbs, I think of guys like Oliver Miller (6'9" 315 lb) and Tractor Traylor (6'8" 284 lb).
Again, being that I'm a realist, I remain cautious.
All he has to do is go out and show it on the court against the best talent in the world and I'll be happy.
Am I the only one who gets a bit worried when I see a guy being compared to Malik Rose and Reggie Evans? That doesn't scare anyone? Really?
ESPN had him listed as 6'7" 265, which is a long ing way from 315 lbs.
I got the 6'7" 277 lbs from ESPN as well. Clicked on the link on his name when he was drafted. How about being 7 lbs from 284? No mention there? By the way, in the NBA 6'7" is also a long way from 6'9". Especially when those 6'9" guys have long wingspans like they tend to do in the NBA.
No ACLs over 82 games plus playoffs is a concern. Undersized PF is a concern. Overweight is a concern. Count me as concerned, that's all.
And finally, remember, this is the NBA, not the Big East. The best play here. And if he needs a reminder, all he has to do is look at his teammate, the one with the 21 on his jersey who practically hung those 4 banners in the rafters.
This is the big time now, and what he did in college means squat. The Spurs need him to show it, not have the fans talk about it.
I agree with all that, but the Spurs got a guy with lottery talent at 37, and you're ing before he's even assigned a number.
I didn't really think it worth mentioning, particularly since Robert Traylor is still playing basketball, despite having been overweight his entire life.
If you call this ing, then I'd make you all cry if you worked with me and I had to make you all do something. I thought the guys I worked with were sensitive (the girls I work with have thicker skin).
ing is irrationally saying the guy sucks. What I said was not to get extremely excited about a 6'7" PF who's overweight for his size, has essentially no ACLs and who's being compared to Malik Rose and Reggie Evans.
Those aren't reasons to be cautious instead of head over heels in love?
In Turkey no less, not the NBA. Big, big difference.
Getting lottery talent in the second round isn't?
Bravo for you if you can find something bad in that.
So now were quantifying professional, got it.
When talking quality, yes. If you get played to play in a Rec league game, you're technically a professional. A ringer at that, but a professional nonetheless.
As for finding something bad in a lottery talent at 37, lottery talent in a poor draft isn't saying too too much now is it?
BTW, seeing as how I'm studying to be a spin doctor, I can go all night finding ways to spin good out of bad or bad out of good. Just to let you know.
But I also have some sleep to get before tomorrow so I can enjoy my day off.
Lottery talent is lottery talent.
In a bad draft or good draft, getting it at 37 is freaking awesome.
Whatever though, your the only one I've ever seen that hates getting lottery talent in the second round.
No, it involves running and jumping and having knees. You mentioned his weight as though it has something to do with his knees, and acted like you'd caught me in a lie when I called you out for comparing him to Oliver Miller (he weighed 315 during his comeback, not when he was a good NBA player).
Robert Traylor is ten years older than Blair, heavier than Blair, and is still playing pro basketball for a living. Traylor being in Europe has to do with his talent level. If Blair has no talent, then we'll have something to agree about. Still doesn't mean the Spurs were wrong to pick him.
This issue simply can't be debated until you see how he does, because time's going to be the only thing that determines if he's fat and has bad knees. Either stop being a pussy and make a case that the Spurs should have passed on him, or shut up about it, because you sound like you're just trying to get your whining down on the record in case he fails so you can tell everybody how ing smart you are.
Trust the Spurs FO. They did their due dilligence, consulted the specialists... they know a lot more about Blair and yjey think he's an acceptable risk. The upside is so much greater than the downside IMO.
The downside is the Spurs got both guys they wanted at 37 and ended up with an extra pick, where they took a risky lottery player. If Blair steps in front of a bus tomorrow, this draft is a success.
There's no way Blair's a bad pick. Less than 10% of second round picks ever make it. In five years, under 5% of second round picks are still in the league. I'd say Blair's chances of staying healthy and being able to make it around above 10%, so it's a good pick.
Bottom line. If the Spurs had passed on LeBron or Dwight Howard at 37, that'd be different. But they absolutely got the player with the highest ceiling who was left on the board. That's all you can really ask. Risk? Yes. But there's also a relatively huge reward if his knees hold up and he can adjust.
I say this guy will be great, he has a warrior type mentality in him. He's what the Spurs could definetely use, toughness, and energy. Sure he's undersized at 6ft 7, but look at players like Barkley and Elton Brand, they could do it with their lack of height, I'm not saying he's as great as them, but he's going to kick some ass for us.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
