They guy can shoot. If he could only make those same shots DURING games he would have seen more minutes and moved up in the rotation. He hesitates too much with open looks and that hurt him more than anything else.
Now having said that. He hustles on Defense and looked great despite hiccups on ing up rotations, played well on back door moves to the rim on offense and showed that he has athleticism to be in this league. His defense is what gave situational minutes from Pop to be out on the floor, but there is an obvious lack of faith on the offensive end.
He finds his stroke during summer league and into preseason he'll get a spot out on the floor with this roster.
Yes, but he shouldn't have gone to the D league in the first place, as he outplayed Bogans for a rotation spot that he never got. When he was with the Spurs his minutes were scattered and inconsistent; hardly a situation that helps someone's shooting rhythm. And again, eleven attempts in the NBA is not enough to draw a conclusion.
Yet Hairston was a better player in every way in the D league, scoring twice as many points and shooting a far better percentage from the floor and from three point range. Temple got more consistent minutes than Mahinmi and Hairston combined simply because he happens to play a pos ion at which the Spurs were particularly thin with Parker injured.
Agree that Hairston's minutes were scattered and few and far between. With that said when Hairston did play he did not make the most of these minutes passing up many open shots in the process. He seemed to play nervous and scared of making a mistakes while on the floor where players like Gee and Temple seemed to play much looser. Going into the season Hairston is competing with Gee for a roster spot and I would predict Gee will be the winner. Then again I say package Gee and Hairston for Wilson Chandler. This would free up more $ for the knicks (cutting both Gee and Hairston) and Chandler gives more depth at sf.
Hairston made the most of his minutes in the preseason and got nothing for it.
c'mon OV you should know preseason is simply preseason, nothing more...By now you should know that if Hairston was truly going to take away minutes he was going to have to play lights out in regular season games, which he did not with spot minutes. It should not come as a shocker to anyone who follows the spurs that POP will always give leg up to veterans, but that he would give munutes to a rook if that player is playing really well (ie temple)
Last edited by yavozerb; 06-30-2010 at 09:46 AM.
For Guys like Hairston, there never will be the perfect scenario where he gets plenty of minutes each game to get into a rhythm. Fair, or unfair, Hairston needs to to produce when given the oppurtunity.
No, he is not better than RJ. That's ridiculous. Even with all his faults and struggles, RJ is/was the best SF the Spurs have.
Hairston is an athlete. No doubt. His basketball skills are raw and unproven though. You can't unequivocally say his defense is better than Bogans because no one saw enough of it to make that judgment. Considering that both Bogans and Hairston (and Mason as well) were "injured" going into the playoffs and Popovich put Hairston on the IR, speaks volumes.
I'm not down on Hairston, but he doesn't automatically get a spot on this roster. He is going to have to earn it. It will undoubtedly come down to Malik or Alonzo, but neither one is a guarantee. Especially if the Spurs can score a FA wing.
I think his ceiling is Tony Allen. He might be more athletic than Allen at this stage. I think his defense and intensity is good enough to were he could play 25 mins in the right situation. his horrible offense is what will keep him from getting consistent minutes.
Nobody plays lights out with spot minutes.
No but some people preform well enough in those spot minutes to earn more playing time instead of being lackluster and disappearing. Its fightening how some people are now positing him with the opt out of jefferson as a starting SF option next year.... Scary.
Opportunity is a small window. You must take advantage of this window while it is open. Hairston has not been able to go through the window, while the window has been open. He gets a limited time to prove himself because there are hundreds of guys just as talented waiting for their shot, as well.
Temple seemed to play pretty well in spot minutes early and even took over the starting role from what I remember. Sure, injuries helped but temple earned more minutes by contributing not only on defense but also on offense.
Hairston earned the starting spot in preseason and it was given to Bogans. People who point to the 2 minutes he was given every third blowout as evidence that he can't play are simply fooling themselves.
Last edited by Obstructed_View; 07-02-2010 at 05:53 PM. Reason: grammar BAAAD!
Ya think? Temple benefitted from injuries to the one position at which the Spurs have been horribly thin for several years. I'm pleased with the way the kid played, but Pop's crush on Finley and Bogans played a much larger part in Hairston's playing time than anyone's ability or performance.
If you think we are going to win a championship with Hairston starting then you must be smoking some good ! So he did great in D League so what it is what he does when he gets minutes on the Spurs that counts.
The one thing that I like about the Anderson signing is tha the Spurs are finally going to have to make a choice either Gee or Hairston at SF. Even at that I hope that the Spurs look at the new rookie class to see if they can find someone better because neither has the outside shooting I think we need.
Stop this Fascination with Malik Hairston, Alonzo Gee and Temple.. Dude they are flat out scrubs... You guys are thinking what ifs.......... MOVE THE EFF ON!!!! Tired of this ish thinking they will be a somewhat help.
News Flash they are not!!!!!
I'm not willing to say temple is a scrub.... he seems like as a second year player he's a capable enough sub getting 7 minutes at og and 8 or so at SG per night. I don't ever think he'll be an all star or even in the mention for it but I do think he's going to have a pretty good long career bouncing around the NBA as a useful combo guard to eat minutes and provide a steady hand to teams. I'm not as sold on Gee but he is essentially coming into his first full season in the NBA and don't see why he can't eventually hope to be a pretty decent back-up somewhere. Temple on the other hand has the poential to start games and see major minutes as a rotation player and back-up on teams with injuries.
What do you do during the offseason?
Malik Hairston fascinates me.
Guess they should've never given Devin Brown, Stephen Jackson or Bruce Bowen a chance to perform with solid minutes and a defined role? None of those gambles paid off at all. Oh, and I guess Utah shouldn't have gambled on Wesley Matthews or Golden State should've never given either Kelenna Azubuike or Anthony Morrow a chance?
Not everyone that makes an impact, whether small or huge, in the NBA is a 1st round pick or coveted free-agent. Sometimes teams have to dig for those diamonds in the rough that can shine when given an opportunity. In his short NBA career Malik's chances have been sporadic. Pop must see something in him, and likely on the defensive side, to hold on to the guy going on three summer now. Hopefully Malik makes the best of what is likely his last opportunity as a Spur and "shows out" during Summer League and the pre-season.
Last edited by J_Paco; 07-02-2010 at 10:04 PM.
How quickly we forget guys like Bruce Bowen, Jaren Jackson and Stephen Jackson (or even George Hill during Summer League). Or how quickly we forget the growing pains of guys like Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. I certainly hope the same people ing about how old the Spurs are aren't the same ones pronouncing every draft pick a bust. Again, Malik outplayed Bogans in the preseason. Those of you that think the Spurs can't win with Hairston can't be making a case that Bogans was somehow a better solution, right?
Teams don't win without role players. Hairston and Mahinmi are better defenders than just about anyone that laced them up for the Spurs this last season. It's amazing how a few years of smallball can make people forget what put those banners in the rafters.
Preach, Reverend O_V!!!
I like the guy well enough. It's clear the coaches didn't think he was ready, but they've had several opportunities to ditch him and he's still around...says something. He needs to work on becoming Bowen-esque and develop a corner 3pt shot, because he's already got the defense part down. I can definitely see a role for him if he does.
I wasnt the biggest fan of him but Bogans wasnt handed his minutes. He actually played pretty well early in the season during that stretch where the Spurs couldnt win a road game/stay healthy to save their lives. Remember those Church of Bogans threads and people being in love with his 'tenacious' defense? I dont think Pop went into the season with the mindset that Bogans was going to be a 'centerpiece' especially after the way he played in the pre-season, Bogans actually played his way into the rotation. Although later in the season he played himself out of it and deserved to be yanked.
Thats the thing though, people see glimpses of Hairston like they did with Bogans early in the season and assume he can be a vital piece when in reality he's a 10-12th man just like Bogans. The guy is a below average player, with a horrible shot and handles. He wouldnt have done any better than Bogans.
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