duncan looked good in game one
The Spurs have started Blair for three games now and Duncan has not been nearly as effective as he has been to start the last couple of seasons. He had a great first game but this was a result of Duncan shooting a extremely high percentage from mid-range. After that he had a rough game against the Hornet where Blair played 38 minutes, followed by this game which was much better and coincidentally Blair only played 19 minutes. Is this just a bad start by Tim or is his poor performance the result of playing with Blair who is clogging up the paint on the offensive side of the ball?
duncan looked good in game one
duncan was just playing passive the past few games. i think this up tempo speed the spurs are trying to play at is ruining his rhythm
this.
Although I do agree, against certain teams, blair should NOT be starting.
It takes time for players to adapt to relatively simple systems. San Antonio runs some of the most complex sets in the NBA. Blair is still figuring out his role, and where he needs to be as a starter. Give him time.
Tim is getting older, guys.. you can't expect him to be playing his best game until later in the season. The chemistry between those two needs to improve, too, but if we want Timmy at 95% or better come playoff time, he is just gonna have to take these types of games off, more or less, especially if Pop intends on playing him most b2b's.
Timmy is playing better than usual. I hate to say it but Blair is better from the bench, I would insert Dice in as starter until Splitter is ready to take over. Blair is a great 6th on this team and tends to dominate second units. He plays well when Manu is running point a lot for the second unit. Problem is he can't stretch the floor and doesn't guard well extended from the basket. Until then Dice gets my go ahead call.
Blair is going to be there in a few games. This is just normal growth jitters for a new role. It's an adjustment, give him time, and he will be beasting on his opponents very soon.
I say he might need 2 more games to get his game back... He will lead the Spurs in scoring more than a few times this year. I still think he could average more than Duncan.
It's somewhat disappointing to say, but, I wouldn't be surprised to see Blair lose his starting position sooner than later. He's just not playing well. Period.
Plus, I agree that Blair may be a better option off the bench. If there is one thing he can provide us with, it's being a spark plug, ball of energy off the pinewood.
IMO Blair won't be starting towards the end of the season..
of course Splitter's defensive play will make pop start him and blair will be in a more comfortable role playing from the bench
Who said anything about Splitter starting...DICE is a solid start.....at about 20-25 min tho.
/thread
sad when ducks closes the thread
We need to remember that scoring is secondary for blair. Most of his pts well come of put backs and pick/roll plays mainly with manu. As long as he is rebounding and playing average defense I have no problem with starting. I was watching major league 2 the other day and I couldnt help but to compare blair with willy mays hays. WMH started that 2nd season thinking he was a home run hitter when actually his team needed him most to remain a true leadoff hitter and cause havoc on the bases. I have this feeling that Blair believes he needs to contribute more on offense and is getting away from the things the spurs need him to do the most, which is rebounding, hustle plays, and setting solid screens..just a thought
I think if/once Tiago is ready then Blair goes back to the bench. He seems to be more comfortable wreaking havoc on other team's second units. It also could be that when he starts, Manu is not out there setting him up. Also he has to play PF to Timmy.
I would feel better pairing Blair with McDyess off the bench if Splitter develops fast enough. Blair can work the glass and post and pass out to McDyess who is money with the 15 footer.
Duncan looked like complete and total in the first half last night, and it had nothing to do with Blair, who was in foul trouble for most of that time.
I think Blair is going through a little bit of what Malik Rose went through. He is trying to do a little to much, he will settle in and find his groove, which may be coming off the bench or it may be starting.
Blair has played well on everything except scoring. He does a lot to help the Spurs win. He creates turnovers and he gets rebounds. No reason to freak out over a few bad offensive games. He'll be beasting soon enough.
The twin tower defense last night (Duncan and Splitter) showed promise for the few minutes they were on the court together.
Not worried yet...his BB IQ is really high so it's just an adjustment period. Pop gave him the starting Job for him to get used to the highest level of compe ion.
Hammering 2nd units it's already under his belt after last season. He's still is yet to prove he can hang in with the best out there.
My projection is that he'll get decent but Splitter will take over the starting spot and the beast will play a Malik Rose kind of role. the Bench energy spark to bring hustle![]()
Last edited by urunobili; 11-02-2010 at 12:55 PM.
Blair has sucked, but his sucking has nothing to do with Duncan's sucking when he sucked.
Blair and Parker in the starting lineup is not the perfect fit. Blair plays better with Manu on the floor. It'll take a few games but he should be solid. With Splitter finally playing I wouldn't be surprised if he takes his spot later that season.
Hopefully Bonner and Dice will not start...
Doesn't Manu also start alongside blair and parker?
yes he does but Manu does not handle ball as much when Parker is out there.
But doesn't matter. If Blair wants to start he needs to play well regardless of Manu.
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