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Thanks!!!
Thanks!!!
Thanks.
Nice interviews. Blair seemed worn out.
god im an official spursdotcom junkie
Thanks!
man u gotta love McDyess man he a class act
spurs.com has really picked it up over the summer with exclusive interviews and live streaming videos.
Love the quality and love seeing Mcdyess smiling like that during the interview. You can tell by the
expression on his face that he landed in a good situation.
Can't wait.
Thanks.
The best thing about #5 would be McDyess getting a ring.
Can't wait to see this team in action.
Great stuff. Appreciate the access, you guys have really stepped it up.
Blair is not very enthused. He's been like that in all the interviews I've seen or heard.
I guess that's just his demeanor.
i wuz thinkin da same thing maybe he jus nt a camera guy? or he jus tired of answering questions lol
The rookie's first day
By Jeff McDonald on Sep 29, 09 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) Save & Share Yahoo! BuzzYahoo! Newsvine del.icio.us Facebook Google Reddit Fark
On his first day of training camp with the Spurs, rookie DeJuan Blair was greeted with a blast from his not-so-distant past.
Jamie Dixon, Blair's old college coach at Pittsburgh, was on hand at the Spurs' practice facility this morning to offer his former pupil moral support.
"I'm glad he came up to see how it is," Blair said after his first official workout alongside Tim Duncan, Antonio McDyess and other bona fide NBA big men. "I'm just trying to work hard and earn some respect."
That process began in earnest this morning. Blair, the 37th overall pick in the June draft, was a hit at the Las Vegas summer league in July. He averaged 16.5 points and 8.7 rebounds in the three games there, wowing the NBA glitterati in attendance.
One NBA coach there marveled at Blair's "NBA butt." Byron Scott called him "a man."
What Blair learned today, however, will serve him well: Summer is over. The NBA is a bigger, badder animal than summer league.
"The players are tougher, more vets," said Blair, a forward generously listed at 6-foot-7. "It's a learning experience. I'm going to keep working, and hopefully the best is still to come."
The Spurs hope so, too. Even on a roster substantially upgraded from the end of last season, there ought to be playing time for a player who can rebound the way Blair can. For him, training camp is about earning more than respect. It's about earning the trust of coach Gregg Popovich, who has cast a traditionally wary eye at rookies.
Can Blair bang with the bigger bodies in the NBA? Can he pick up the nuances of the Spurs' offensive and defensive systems, which Popovich says will be simplified this season, for the sake of Blair and a half dozen other newcomers? Is he willing to play defense?
If so, the 20-year-old Blair ought to become the youngest player to figure so heavily into Popovich's rotation since a teenager named Tony Parker burst onto the scene in 2002.
There is a long way to go before Blair can reach that point. The fortunate thing is that Blair seems to know it.
"I've still got a lot to learn, but I'm going through the motions and trying to work," he said.
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...okies-fir.html
Thanks for the notes Phila_Chamberlain. This is great. Hill too, I think he's going to shine.
Blair has amazing hands, if the ball comes near him he is getting it.
i am so pumped. can not wait for opening night.
interesting how all newcomers make the same observation. the system is demanding and the spurs are a first-class, tight knit organization.
I think it's part that and part him just not being comfortable in front of a microphone yet.
+1 on coyote..
It's rare to find a rookie that can talk on camera and talk to the media..look at Derrick Rose..he's probably the worst speaker I've ever seen..also look at Carmelo Anthony in his rookie year, beyond horrible(watch him on e TV's top 100 NBA plays where he co-hosted with Bill Walton)..
heck, george hill took a whole year to come out of his s . and he still is somewhat camera shy.
Could be too that he is so focused on trying to make the right decisions that he is thinking about what was just said in practice that he is even thinking about it during an interview.
I'd love to see McDyess get a ring too. You can see the enthusiasm all over his face in the interview. The fact he feels so positive about his choice is great news.
And yeah, I'm also dying to get a look at the team in action.
That might just be the way he handles himself when he knows he's in front of cameras.
awesome and awesomer
I don't think he was interested in the interview.
I'm finally starting to feel the excitement. Thanks Spurs.com. I'm ready to get this thing started!!!!!!!!!
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