Can't wait to see Theo reject someone in a regular season game.
Thanks a lot timvp, no TV and radio yesterday.
And also big thanks to Blackjack21, NoOptionB and Libri for the updates on the blog
Can't wait to see Theo reject someone in a regular season game.
Thank you very much timvp
Thanks for the game thoughts as usual.
Dice has pretty good passing abilities and I was impressed. It sure was a pleasure seeing all three playing together again.
Bonner won't start in the regular season. Pop is probably just playing him there to keep Dyce's min low and help him ease along into learning the sets and getting comfortable.
timvp, thank you! I have been away from this thread for months. Well, ever since our season ended on such a sour note. Reading your notes on this game is ten times better than reading a game summary from a sportswriter in the SA sports page. I had high expectations after Pop formed this year's version of the Spurs. Your summary "keeps hope alive." Can't wait to see them when they visit the Wizards here.
Thanks a lot for the thoughts. I thought Tony looks like he's in top form right now. I like what I'm seeing from George Hill and how he's attacking the basket a lot more. He seems to have a lot more confidence this year and that will be good for him. As for Manu I also thought he was getting beat by his man too much and was getting burned on defense but he did contribute including some crazy passes that some of the new guys are going to have to learn to catch and be ready for . By the way I was wondering why he was talking to a lot of the guys and coach on the team and I didn't realize how close he was to being on that team at one time.
Dude, get a life. It's the 2nd preseason, doesn't count for squat game.
I would say that Pop not playing Blair is anything but a bad sign. He could be looking at other backup bigs (before he gets his heart set on one), he could be resting Blair, he could be trying to take the edge off the hype and keep Blair from getting a big head (though it'd be unlikely).
I am sad to see Haislip doing so poorly, though it's not entirely unexpected.
Pretty sure starting Bonner falls into the same category as starting Bogans. Just getting a better look at him.
Anyone who watched the game -- I know Williams improved, but was it enough to challenge Hairston?
Anyone who knows a bit about the CBA -- Is there any possibility the Spurs cut Bogans and keep both Williams and Hairston?
I think Mahinmi will make a decent backup big, and it is good that he's finally starting to take that step in the right direction.... even if it's at the 11th hour.
That makes a lot of sense after hearing Coach Brown rave about Hill's defensive ability, even in regards to 2-guards; even going as far in saying that there's a little bit of a Bowen aspect to him.
Brutal honesty, timvp... What did RJ's lateral quickness look like to you defensively and is he looking any more capable of being a high-quality perimeter defender?
Should we be worried about eventual foul-trouble?
It sounded like he played significantly better, but it's good to hear it from someone who actually saw it.
I'm glad you mentioned him getting to the free-throw line, as well.
Between Hill, RJ, Blair, Mahinmi -- if he gets his act together -- and Hairston -- if he's on the roster -- this team's ability to get to the free-throw line is one of the most intriguing, and pleasantly surprising, things for me going into the season.
Brett Brown also was pretty excited about Theo after the game; definitely good to hear.
So how fresh and fluid did his body look?
His shot-blocking is really uncanny for a guy of his build. He's just a really unique package of size, skill, and instincts that I've never really seen before; sneaky athletic..
Malik 'The Sneak' Hairston?
I've still yet to scout him for myself but there's nothing wrong with having 6-11, young, and talented players wanting to join your team. And if Pop says he reminds him of Divac and you've taken away a little bit of an Okur impression, it sounds to me like he could be a rotation big; something that's not such a bad thing to have in the pipeline.
Timvp said that he is applying to much pressure defensively. Even Bowen would get beat if he didn't provide the necessary spacing.
timVP I'm always interested to read your take, and especially on nights when I couldn't watch the game. Thanks.
Question: Hairston vs. Bogans straight up, who looked better?
Pre season games may not count in the win/loss column but they are important for preparing a team for the season opener not only physically but mentally for establishing what type of roles players are going to be playing on a squad.
And the earlier the rank and file is established, the better. With so many new faces the spurs are going to need time to gel and get chemistry established.
Unless Popovich plans on using Bonner as a starter all he is doing by starting him in the pre-season is prolonging the time its going to take for the team to figure out their roles and gel together.
If he IS planning on using Bonner as a starter god help us all....
Guys if you want a good center you should sign Sofo(baby Shaq). Bourousis is overrated and i say this although i am Olympiakos fan. Also nba league is different than Euroleague and baby Shaq fits better in nba league
Schortsianitis is a far far far better player than Blair. Blair is too weak for this beast
We won't know the effect of Parker playing on the FNT late in the season. Obviously playing all summer will have him sharp in the beginning of the season -- that was never in question. The thing to look for is if he prematurely runs out of gas.
Manu was defending the point guard position for a lot of his time on the court so he was in more situations in which he could get burnt. I liked the intensity of his defense and he's making plays on that end. But yeah, if he's going to keep defending point guards, he's going to have to give more space so that he can stay in front.
I wouldn't worry much about foul trouble. As far as his defense, it's tough to say how good he'll end up being.
Bowen was such a lithe defender and could apply pressure no matter what. Jefferson can't play that style of defense because he's not nearly as quick and his body is a lot bigger. He'll need to use his strength and length more -- kinda like a hybrid between Elliott and Elie.
He's giving the effort so hopefully we see results. But it will be the regular season before we really figure out if RJ can be anything resembling a defensive stopper.
Ratliff looks good. He's running well and his springs are functioning.
But, unfortunately, it'll probably be all downhill from here. Injury prone bigs like Ratliff usually start the season strong and then from there you just have to hope he's upright for the playoffs. It'll be interesting to see what type of role Pop gives him. If Pop is really valuing defense, Ratliff could see 10-15 minutes a game considering he's likely the second best defensive big on the team.
Thanks for the recap!
Somehow I just knew Pop would "throttle back" on Blair for this game.
Good to get a gauge on all the newcomers.
Thanks for the recap. It's the next best thing to being there.
Tough to say since they are such different players. Bogans is a very fundamental defender who establishes position extremely early on the defensive end. On offense, he can't do much else other than catch and shoot. Hairston lacks some defensive fundamentals but he's a much better athlete and he takes a lot more gambles. Offensively, he can score on the move, finish at the rim and hit the open jumper. His catch and shoot game is a little questionable if he isn't wide open.
Right this second, I'd say Bogans is slightly better because he's a low-mistake type player that Pop likes who fits well into a specific role. His ability to catch and shoot would make it easy for him to be the fifth option on the court. Hairston is still a bit untamed for being a role player and he doesn't yet provide much spacing on the offensive end. That said, there's no question Hairston has the higher upside.
Bogans got his chance playing with the first unit this game. I hope Hairston gets a similar chance. If he can show off a polished game, it'd be difficult for the Spurs to let him walk considering the impressive tools he has.
Hill will help with the horrid scoring droughts. Especially when he has Blair and Manu to help him. Then you have Hairston's physicality on D to slow the game down while the starters rest, oh my.
There is just a little problem, I think the Los Angeles Clippers own the NBA rights to Sofoklis Schortsanitis.
They've owned his rights for years. I'm not sure why but Sofo has never come over.
For whoever wants to see the 1st preseason game...
Just google : NBA Preseason - Houston Rockets @ San Antonio Spurs (10.06)
And look at one of the first 2 links.
I don't know if I can post the name of the site here.
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