elson sucked.
The best way to think of Mahinmi is a Elson with a higher potential? Can someone remind me of why we gave away Elson?
In the one-and-a-half games I've seen him play so far this year, Ian seemed to make pretty good rotations, which is not something Elson was known for.
I'm grateful for the 4 rings Pop helped the Spurs win, but I don't understand what the heck he's thinking sometimes.
But you have to admit the Elson had a lot of energy especially during the finals.
elson was in the kurt thomas trade a couple years ago. they're equal as far as video game ratings lol.
idk, elson was extremely athletic for his size. they said he could beat everybody on the team but tony parker in a race. how athletic is mahinmi considered to be?
In every game he played, Elson appeared to have been given the objectives and rules of basketball immediately before hitting the court.
Ian Mahinmi = Francisco Elson?
We'll never really know, because Ian never plays.
No, Elson actually got a shot to prove he sucked. Mahinmi hasn't even gotten the chance.
Another difference . . . Elson had already proven who he was as a player before the Spurs even offered him a deal. He successfully proved he was a 30 year old 3rd string center for Denver.
So the Spurs offered him $3 million a year and prayed to God that Denver wouldn't match.
Ian will be better than Elson. , Ian's Points+Rebounding total against NJ alone was better than all but 2 of Elson's games as a Spur and he had over 50 career starts as a Spur.
If Ian was 30 and a proven fringe player . . . his Spur career would be very different.
All I know is the 15 & 9 he racked up versus the Nets. During that game, he displayed a nice touch around the basket, a little 10-12 ft face up jumper from the baseline, and he can block/alter shots. That much I know.
Outside of that, I don't know what the kid has. The body of work is not complete. However, I'm not going to believe he can't play until I see more of hiim for myself.
Because Pop preferred Finley at Power Forward and TD at Center...
Elson reminded me of a baby deer when he played. Legs and speed but had no idea what to do with any of it, stumbling awkwardly around the court. He had his moments but they were FEW and far between. He could run the court but had the basketball IQ of a turnip and seemed like he had no idea what to do with his athleticism.
I'm not a huge fan of Ian, but I still would like to see him at least get a shot to prove he sucks like Elson did. During preseason a friend asked how did Mahimi look and I said "Elson 2.0" Since then he did have the Jersey game but not really any other body of work. Oh wait, Atlanta picked him to shoot Tony's free throws when he went down. Give him some run, if he sucks keep him on the bench.
Didn't Sisco help win a ring?
Cisco helped with the ring in 2007 about as much as Tony Massenburg helped in 2005.
Strictly a guess here, but Mahimni must suck at practice too. Or at the very least Mahimni can't get Pop's system down, whether thats defensive rotations, the playbook,shows not consistant enough, etc... Doesn't say much for Mahimni if a rookie like Blair passed him in the rotation. In the future I can't see Mahimni getting anything but garbage minutes.
I remember in the September when that little article came out with McDyess talking about how impressive Ian was in practice, with Ratliff making similar comments IIRC..
This is also the same team that had Hairston immediately on the Inactive List despite significantly outplaying Bogans in preseason and knowing the system better..
The same team that had Jacque Vaughn playing ahead of Hill last year until Pop ran out of options and played him in the last few games of the year..
I just hope Blair isn't given the same treatment for the 2nd half of the season..
I don't buy the 'not good enough in practice so that's why they don't play' line that a lot of people here like to use..this team simply doesn't like the youth approach unless there are no other options..experience>youth for the Spurs..
Ian's situation is the most puzzling of all..it clearly has something to do with non-basketball related problems, probably related to the Spurs not picking up his option, so they probably feel like there is no point of playing him since another team is going to sign him in the off-season anyways and they wouldn't make a better offer..I don't know the real reason, just speculating and trying to figure it out..he may not end up being good enough, but not getting a chance is ridiculous.. , I bet Ian blocked too many of Finley's shots in practice and Pop hasn't gotten over it yet..
Last edited by HarlemHeat37; 02-03-2010 at 04:01 AM.
Ian Mahinmi = Fransisco Elson? I hope not. No disrespect at Elson, because he did have some good sides for us.
And the dumb just keeps on comin.
Wow, even Mike Woodson is part of the "Free Ian Mahinmi" movement.![]()
Perhaps Pop is bound and determined to win a championship playing the "matchup game" and doesn't care if somebody on the team can contribute to just "winning" a game?
On second thought...Nah...nobody in their right mind would ever do that. Perhaps Mahinmi has other issues other than being tall, athletic, and quick that keeps him on the bench.
He must just be terrible in practice. And you'd think he has to be utterly wretched to not even get a nod when the Spurs could use a rebound or a block here and there. That there's been zero attempt to work him in means he has to really be a bad basketball player and bad teammate when the rest of us don't see it.
I'm not sure about the bad teammate part. He appears to be an easy going person. But the really bad basketball player part has to be the case for not getting playing time when the Spurs on many occasions could use somebody with his physical makeup.
On a common thought...What does that say about Ratliff?
Ian seems like a smart enough guy, who does everything very well on both ends, and like most young bigs, simply needs some time on the floor to get his fouling troubles out of his system. The only thing I can think of that might make sense is that Mahinmi is persona non grata due to Pop's seeming inability to stomach foul trouble, particularly this season.
Latif's record over the last several years is a guy who plays at a very high level when healthy, regardless of when that is, and who suffers debilitating injuries that keep him out for extended periods. Pop is likely saving Latif for a clash with Bynum and Gasol, and trots him out periodically just to keep him interested and to keep his timing up while praying that one of his ligaments doesn't rupture.
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