Translating RC Buford's Summer League Interview

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-pre-...ce=All&sort=15

George Hill was timed at 12.20. One of the slower times you will see for a player his size and defense was average at worst.
Hollis Thompson was timed at 9.21. At 6'8 is one of the best agility times ever. Is on the SL team and take a look at his defense. No better than DT's at times.

My point is without a doubt quickness is only a small factor in becoming an average NBA defender. That is all DT needs to become since his scoring is his primary attribute to any team he plays for. Hustle, desire, and playing smart are bigger factors in my opinion in becoming an average defender than athletci quickness. If we were talking elite defender then yes agility is a bigger factor but with DT not so much.

I agree with this assessment. Like so many former vet players have said, the Spurs teach the proper techniques to improve your defensive awareness and positioning, and everyone of them have said they became a better defender after joining the Spurs.

If Thomas is willing to be coached (which he obviously does) and puts in the necessary work to improve, their is no doubt in my mind he can at least be an average to good NBA defender. He doesn't have the lateral quickness, length and overall defensive mindedness of the elite defenders like Bowen, Cooper, Rodman, Pippen, etc.

Thomas is an offensive minded player. If he can just become an average NBA defender, that be a huge win for him and the Spurs.

[wildbill2u]

There are always shooters coming through the pipeline, just like there are athletes who can jump out of the arena but can't shoot or don't have basketball IQ on the court. We may be seeing two prototypical types in Thomas (shooters) and Ryan (low BB IQ).

You can't teach permanent deficiencies like speed or height. And the knock on this site against our shooting specialists like Neal and Bonner is that they can't defend because they lack speed. Some folks always are looking for the SL phenom--but overlook the deficiencies because they want to 'believe' in a new player so much that they think coaching will develop BB IQ or conditioning will develop speed.

The coaches are paid to spot the hopeless cases whose deficiencies can't be cured and to try to find development leagues for those who are marginal. But the number of marginal players who can find a spot for their talents via development is miniscule. For every Bowen or Danny Green there are a 100 James Whites or Gists or ....

[exstatic]

There are always shooters coming through the pipeline, just like there are athletes who can jump out of the arena but can't shoot or don't have basketball IQ on the court. We may be seeing two prototypical types in Thomas (shooters) and Ryan (low BB IQ).

You can't teach permanent deficiencies like speed or height. And the knock on this site against our shooting specialists like Neal and Bonner is that they can't defend because they lack speed. Some folks always are looking for the SL phenom--but overlook the deficiencies because they want to 'believe' in a new player so much that they think coaching will develop BB IQ or conditioning will develop speed.

The coaches are paid to spot the hopeless cases whose deficiencies can't be cured and to try to find development leagues for those who are marginal. But the number of marginal players who can find a spot for their talents via development is miniscule. For every Bowen or Danny Green there are a 100 James Whites or Gists or ....

[Baam]

And sometimes a late pick make it like Isaiah Thomas.

[playblair]

Saying it's so doesn't make it so.

Pre-draft camp

Kawhi - lane agility 11.45 3/4 court sprint 3.15
Deshaun - lane agility 12.94 () 3/4 court sprint 3.53

Thomas is a plodder. Everyone else is playing on a hard surface while he plays in quicksand. He's never even going to be an average defender, no matter how much effort he gives.

To put that into perspective, here are the numbers for a VERY fat

DeJuan Blair - lane agility 11.5 () 3/4 court sprint 3.45

blair had 2 30/20 games .................. started on a # 1 seeded team twice................. you point is invalid...................... thomas = steal..........

[TheGoldStandard]

Incomplete on Thomas until we see what he does at camp.. Needs a compliment of actual Spurs players to measure how much he grows within the actual system.

[Libri]

I haven't kept tabs on Hairston other than to know that he's never made it back over here.



Is it just me, or is that a "you dumb son of a " expression on RC's face?

Who can forget McClinton's SL performance, one of the worst.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

It's no secret the Spurs have no backup SF. They didn't in the playoffs as TMac was never really in serious consideration for it and played mostly SG in Houston when he WAS good. Basically, letting SJax go and picking up TMAC was just letting SJax go...

The Spurs still have no true backup SF. They might be able to make due w/ Ginobili and/or Green but that's still building for the regular season. In order to defeat strong playoff teams 4 out of 7 times, they will need a true SF or at least someone who can defend the SF position while Belinelli, Ginobili and Bonner do most of the 2nd unit scoring.

There are still some options that might be available for portions of the MLE - Ronnie Brewer, Corey Maggette (although he's probably too expensive), Mikael Pietrus and Luke Walton. There are probably others. I'd take a flyer on Pietrus if he can pass a physical.

[Chinook]

It's no secret the Spurs have no backup SF. They didn't in the playoffs as TMac was never really in serious consideration for it and played mostly SG in Houston when he WAS good. Basically, letting SJax go and picking up TMAC was just letting SJax go...

The Spurs still have no true backup SF. They might be able to make due w/ Ginobili and/or Green but that's still building for the regular season. In order to defeat strong playoff teams 4 out of 7 times, they will need a true SF or at least someone who can defend the SF position while Belinelli, Ginobili and Bonner do most of the 2nd unit scoring.

There are still some options that might be available for portions of the MLE - Ronnie Brewer, Corey Maggette (although he's probably too expensive), Mikael Pietrus and Luke Walton. There are probably others. I'd take a flyer on Pietrus if he can pass a physical.

If anything, whoever the team gets to backup Leonard projects to be out of the playoff rotation. Simply put, there's no reason to take minutes from Ginobili, Green or Leonard. Belinelli will probably eat any minutes that Pop decides to not give that trio. Depending on how Green develops, I could see him being the backup three along with the starting two-guard to give Ginobili and Belinelli enough time.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

If anything, whoever the team gets to backup Leonard projects to be out of the playoff rotation. Simply put, there's no reason to take minutes from Ginobili, Green or Leonard. Belinelli will probably eat any minutes that Pop decides to not give that trio. Depending on how Green develops, I could see him being the backup three along with the starting two-guard to give Ginobili and Belinelli enough time.

Belinelli is Ginobili's replacement (notice how both are on short term contracts) - the SG who plays PG for the 2nd unit (Cory Joseph will be w/ that unit for defensive reasons). If Ginobili and Belinelli play at the same time, Ginobili will guard the SF.

Green is the starting SG and should remain so. Playing backup 3 will take away from his ability to start at 2.

It all comes back to the point that Buford already announce - the Spurs need a backup SF.

[Chinook]

Belinelli is Ginobili's replacement (notice how both are on short term contracts) - the SG who plays PG for the 2nd unit (Cory Joseph will be w/ that unit for defensive reasons). If Ginobili and Belinelli play at the same time, Ginobili will guard the SF.

Green is the starting SG and should remain so. Playing backup 3 will take away from his ability to start at 2.

It all comes back to the point that Buford already announce - the Spurs need a backup SF.

We're talking playoff rotations, though. I think Belinelli's minutes will be marginalized unless Joseph falls out of the rotation. If the Spurs are playing a team with a strong small-forward, I think we'll see Green get those minutes. Sort of like we saw in the Finals. I think Green and not Ginobili will be on Durant if the Spurs face the Thunder again in the post-season.

[illusioNtEk]

Lol damn when did this happen

[Tyrone Jenkins]

We're talking playoff rotations, though. I think Belinelli's minutes will be marginalized unless Joseph falls out of the rotation. If the Spurs are playing a team with a strong small-forward, I think we'll see Green get those minutes. Sort of like we saw in the Finals. I think Green and not Ginobili will be on Durant if the Spurs face the Thunder again in the post-season.

Diaw, who seemed very unlikely to me to get the assignment, was better at defending the SF than Green was. Durant is too much for Green or Ginobili in that particular matchup.

Playoff basketball requires that your starters get adequate rest for the latter parts of the game (to include OT). Notice LBJ missed the 3 pt of game 6 but a bench player made his (Allen). A true backup SF who has lateral quickness (and some length) to guard Durant, Corey Brewer or Gallinari, Harrison Barnes, Paul George and/or Danny Granger, Caron Butler and/or Lamar Odom when Clipps go big, Rudy Gay, Gordon Hayward, Nicolas Batum, Chandler Parsons and Chase Budinger is needed.

Keep in mind the Spurs need to be planning on injury replacements as well as times when Kawhi needs an extended break during a close game.

[Kindergarten Cop]

Lol damn when did this happen

November 2011

[Chinook]

Diaw, who seemed very unlikely to me to get the assignment, was better at defending the SF than Green was. Durant is too much for Green or Ginobili in that particular matchup.

Playoff basketball requires that your starters get adequate rest for the latter parts of the game (to include OT). Notice LBJ missed the 3 pt of game 6 but a bench player made his (Allen). A true backup SF who has lateral quickness (and some length) to guard Durant, Corey Brewer or Gallinari, Harrison Barnes, Paul George and/or Danny Granger, Caron Butler and/or Lamar Odom when Clipps go big, Rudy Gay, Gordon Hayward, Nicolas Batum, Chandler Parsons and Chase Budinger is needed.

Keep in mind the Spurs need to be planning on injury replacements as well as times when Kawhi needs an extended break during a close game.

Diaw's defense on James is seriously overrated. He was better than expected, but he was good good unless James was trying to back him down in the post.

James made the first three that got the Heat to within two.

Green's as tall/long as most small-forwards. He can get the nod in most cases, especially since Leonard will play almost all of the minutes against elite threes.

It would be nice to have an Ariza-like player. But there's no way Pop is going to play five wings and Diaw in the playoffs.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

Diaw's defense on James is seriously overrated. He was better than expected, but he was good good unless James was trying to back him down in the post.

James made the first three that got the Heat to within two.

Green's as tall/long as most small-forwards. He can get the nod in most cases, especially since Leonard will play almost all of the minutes against elite threes.

It would be nice to have an Ariza-like player. But there's no way Pop is going to play five wings and Diaw in the playoffs.

That's exactly the point - Diaw's defense was OK at best and he was the best 2nd unit player to defend LBJ. Leading up to the Finals, the Spurs most challenging 3 they had to defend was Harrison Barnes (who is good but certainly not the feature of his team). Next year that might be Durant or Gay that's out there in the latter half of the 3rd qtr when Kawhi needs a breather.

TP, Green, Kawhi, Duncan and either Splitter or Diaw make for a great starting unit (Splitter starts in cases of other teams possessing 2 dominant big men - like Memphis or LA w/ Kaman and Gasol). That unit will do OK vs. most teams.

But, the combo of a not very good decision making PG (like Joseph, Colo or Mills), Ginobili or Neal, Green or Diaw at the 3, Bonner or Pendegraph at the 4 and Baynes at the 5 is pretty turnover prone and has little inside scoring capability. If you insert Belinelli in at PG, you do get some scoring and better decision making but now have horrible perimeter defense.

Backup back court will need to be Belinelli, Ginobili or Neal and a new SF who can play defense and create shots on his own so that Diaw, Bonner, Pendegraph (and sometime Splitter) and Baynes can offer both D and O from the 4 and 5 positions.

Just my thought process but the Spurs REALLY need a backup SF...if DeShaun Thomas ends up maturing/learning the system and capable of decent defense by playoff time, excellent. But I wouldn't count on that if I were RC/Pop. Ronnie Brewer is still available but he has ZERO offense and outside shooting. Luke Walton is intriguing but is fairly old and isn't really stellar offensively or defensively. Mikael Pietrus is my choice for someone who can help out and be happy w/ the remainder of the MLE the Spurs have (if he checks out medically).

[Baam]

Diaw's defense was impressive as who are you two kidding? Everyone who watched it thought so...

[Tyrone Jenkins]

Diaw's defense was impressive as who are you two kidding? Everyone who watched it thought so...

It was OK. LBJ had 32 in game 6 and 37 in game 7. He didn't score all of those on Kawhi...

How well do you think LBJ would've played had he had Kawhi and Stephen Jackson guarding him all game?

[Baam]

It was OK. LBJ had 32 in game 6 and 37 in game 7. He didn't score all of those on Kawhi...

How well do you think LBJ would've played had he had Kawhi and Stephen Jackson guarding him all game?

I don't know but Diaw is underated as a defender, he can guard the 5 positions as well as anybody, he did work on Curry and Lebron and also guarded Bogut.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

I don't know but Diaw is underated as a defender, he can guard the 5 positions as well as anybody, he did work on Curry and Lebron and also guarded Bogut.

I've never heard of Diaw being a defensive great. If he's underrated, it's been a LONG time that he has been.

I'm not saying his D is garbage, but he's no Tony Allen or Metta World Peace in his prime.

[Baam]

I've never heard of Diaw being a defensive great. If he's underrated, it's been a LONG time that he has been.

I'm not saying his D is garbage, but he's no Tony Allen or Metta World Peace in his prime.

He's just the only player who can guard the 5 positions along with a scrub called Lebron James or something...

Besides he clearly had an impressive run defensively, not sure what else you can say, if you were not impressed everyone else was.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

He's just the only player who can guard the 5 positions along with a scrub called Lebron James or something...

Besides he clearly had an impressive run defensively, not sure what else you can say, if you were not impressed everyone else was.

Ok, hold on. You just got ahead of yourself a lil...

Diaw guarding 5 positions now? You'd put him on Chris Paul, Kobe, Harden, Durant, Pau or Marc Gasol, Howard or LeMarcus Aldridge?

Note: this is a make or break question. If your answer is yes and you TRULY feel that way, then you and I are on completely different levels of thought when it comes to playing defense in the NBA. Frankly, if you'd have no problem w/ doing that w/ Diaw as a HC, then you and I have nothing further to debate...

[Baam]

Ok, hold on. You just got ahead of yourself a lil...

Diaw guarding 5 positions now? You'd put him on Chris Paul, Kobe, Harden, Durant, Pau or Marc Gasol, Howard or LeMarcus Aldridge?

Note: this is a make or break question. If your answer is yes and you TRULY feel that way, then you and I are on completely different levels of thought when it comes to playing defense in the NBA. Frankly, if you'd have no problem w/ doing that w/ Diaw as a HC, then you and I have nothing further to debate...

You won't see Lebron on Roy Hibbert either, but for limited period of times these two can obvious do it as well as anyone.

[Tyrone Jenkins]

You won't see Lebron on Roy Hibbert either, but for limited period of times these two can obvious do it as well as anyone.

I don't know anyone who seriously thinks that Diaw's defensive abilities is anywhere near Lebron's. Diaw may be underrated, as you state, but he's NOT Lebron. He's not even Metta World Peace. He can guard the 4 adequately, some smaller 5s and a few 3s when called upon for small stretches. Diaw isn't going to guard Kobe or Chris Paul - ever.

[Baam]

I don't know anyone who seriously thinks that Diaw's defensive abilities is anywhere near Lebron's. Diaw may be underrated, as you state, but he's NOT Lebron. He's not even Metta World Peace. He can guard the 4 adequately, some smaller 5s and a few 3s when called upon for small stretches. Diaw isn't going to guard Kobe or Chris Paul - ever.

Because Kobe is harder to guard than Curry?