Reply With Quote
called cia
Blair is still a great unknown for Spurs
Jeff McDonald
PHOENIX — Twenty-one games into his rookie season, Spurs forward DeJuan Blair is still confounding his head coach.
“He's a strange dude,” Gregg Popovich said. “Those things he does out there, I don't know how he gets them done. I don't know what his game is. I don't know what to do with him.”
At 6-foot-7, Blair is undersized for an NBA big man and possesses little semblance of a traditional offensive game. He makes up for those shortcomings with a natural sense for the geometry of rebounding and a motor always turned to its highest setting.
The youngest player to earn a spot in Popovich's rotation since Tony Parker was a teenage rookie, the 20-year-old Blair is averaging 6.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in just 14 minutes, 30 seconds per game. He ranks first among NBA rookies in field goal percentage (61.1 percent) and rebounding rate (17.7 per 48 minutes).
Blair heads into tonight's game against Phoenix fresh off one of his best outings of the year — a 14-point, nine-rebound effort in Sunday's victory at the Clippers.
“He's staying within himself, which is the best part,” Tim Duncan said of Blair. “He's going out there and making the plays we want him to make and playing hard. That's all we expect of him.”
Truth be told, Popovich doesn't know what to expect of Blair each time he dispatches the rookie to the scorer's table. All Popovich does know is that he plans to keep calling Blair's number.
“I'm just going to keep putting him in the game, and whatever he does, he does,” Popovich said. “Because, honest to God, I don't know.”
Bench boost: Blair's production against Los Angeles was part of another stellar outing for the Spurs' bench. Their reserves outscored the Clippers' 57-32, a gulf that would have been wider had L.A. coach Mike Dunleavy not opted to bring Baron Davis (20 points) off the bench for the first time this season.
Through 21 games, the Spurs rank first in the league in bench points (42.9), first in bench rebounds (17.1) and second in bench assists (8.2).
Red Rocket warning: It took an elbow to his right ear during Sunday's game to remind Duncan of something he thought he already knew — it's probably a good idea to avoid Matt Bonner.
The two collided during the third quarter against the Clippers while chasing the same rebound.
“The closer I am to Matt, I end up getting hurt,” Duncan said. “So I try to stay away from him. He's hit me more than one time, and I don't think he's ever apologized.”
called cia
Pop know exactly what to do with him but he's just being CIA.
Don't be fooled. That's actually the highest praise that Pop can have for a new Spur -- once reserved for Ginobili and, before him, Parker.
Pop must see big things ahead to say that (and well he should).
If you mean bench him when he plays well, then I agree.
Always the pessimist.
I can't help you if you can't detect the joke.
I really don't see how that's a joke. Seems more like a grumpy guy eating stale potato chips while he scowls at the computer, inadvertently snorting "Bah, humbug!" when he reads anything remotely optimistic.
Did you watch how Blair was pulled out of the game when he was playing well in the 1st half for small ball?
You don't know how to use him, Pop? Here's a clue: add ten minutes more per game playing time, and watch the out.
+1 but where do the minutes come from?
Bonner. He's a good shooter, but he should be limited to spot minutes. It just seems like there are 5-10 minute stretches when he's just running up and down the court.
I would give Blair an uninterrupted 10-11 minutes per half to get his motor running. Maybe late 1st to early 2nd quarter and late 3rd to Early 4th quarter.
Sounds like hes being sarcastic.
Pop knows good things are likely to happen with Blair on the floor. He's obviously very special for a rookie to get the kind of minutes he's been getting..
Pop is just holding his secret weapon until its needed.
Like the Hiroshima bomb, Blair is going to all over the opposition when Pop decides to push the button.
I actually take Pop at his word. It astounds him that a rookie who only speaks one language and can't even drink wine yet - wine! - could contribute to the team. Does not compute...
chieflion, are you a female or a male? because i always think youre a girl for some reason, prob the pic, but if you arent i didnt mean to be an ass it was just a ques.
oh yeah you just made me remember hearing pop say " wow hes wild out there its amazing but he has to settle down, i just dont know what to do with him!" about manu, and you never see pop really at a loss for words . Its obviously a very good sign!! san antonio has good karma you know, of course we have an amazing FO but we should also be thankful for the players we've acquired. i wonder if blair would be at the top if griffin was around? prob not as high, but if pop played him 10 or 15 min more who knows? without blair our chances of getting back to the finals wont be as high
I am male. Not everyone who doesn't post sexy pictures of women are female.
Pop trolling spursfans
He ranks 1st-2nd in rebounding rate amoung ALL NBA players, not just rookies. (Actually he and DHoward keep flip flopping 1st and 2nd 17.8 to 17.7)
FG% he is 3rd amoung ALL NBA players.
Yet PopaFinley doesn't know what to do with him.
I wonder if Blair's numbers would go up half as much if he got half as much PT. I'm guessing yes.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
