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I didn't mind Blair on the team given his tiny salary. That is where I drew the distinction between him and Bonner, though Matty played well in these playoffs.
Blair was good value for where he was selected and is a quality player. He just does not fit this team.
I didn't mind Blair on the team given his tiny salary. That is where I drew the distinction between him and Bonner, though Matty played well in these playoffs.
Blair is one of my favorite non-Big 3 players of the Big 3 era. He came into the league with a sizeable chip on his shoulder ready to prove the doubters wrong. With sheer determination...and enormous backside...he was able to do so right out of the gate.
Unfortunately, he never took the big step forward skill-wise and to grow beyond (insert WhataBurger joke here) the "energy big" role. Like others have said, he took his fluctuating role and minutes mostly in stride, and seemed to be a well-liked member of the team. I hope he goes to a team that can more effectively utilize his strengths and give him a more prominent role.
I understand the FO's decision to move on from him, but I wish him well.
where was bonner vs the heat....................... blair would've dominated miller/birdman/battier ...................................
Bonner is a matchup guy that comes into play when the other team has 2 relatively immobile bigs, like the Lakers and Grizzlies. This is why he was effective there but not against small ball teams like the Warriors or Heat. I don't trust Blair's defense against a team like Miami thats going to have him out in space. He's not quick enough to hang with perimeter guys. Even if he's matched up on a guy like Mike Miller, a screen or two and he's going to end up on the likes of LeBron or Wade. He's too short and too slow to match with LeBron, and he's too small to be an effective help defender against Wade/Bron.
Pros:
- Huge 7'2" wingspan
- Shoots a high FG% (just under 53% for his career)
- Still only 24 years old
- Historically a good rebounder (one of the most prolific ever in NCAA history)
- Good Pick n' Roll player
- Very nifty, and underrated, passer out of the post
- Possesses a great floater in the lane
- Knee issues have not plagued his career, as many had thought likely
- Seems to have overcome issues with weight
- Streaky. Has rare occasions where he gets hot and goes off
- As a result, had some monstrous games early in his career (20/20's)
- A ball of energy; serves as a great energizer for the team
Cons:
- Woefully undersized at 6'6.5" (in shoes) for a center
- Exclusively a center, has no capacity to play PF
- Among the league's worst defensive bigmen
- Not an enforcer; blocks very few shots and cannot guard the lane
- Struggles to understand team defensive concepts, despite 4 years in the system, and also in man-to-man D
- Low BBIQ
- Has consistently, lacked consistency
- Has no jump shot to speak of; purely a post scorer
- Not a threat in the Pick n' Pop
- Shoots a horrible FT% (60% for career, almost 63% last year)
- Despite coming into the league at age 20, has shown no real improvement in 4 seasons
- Per 36M rebounding numbers have been steadily declining since rookie season except for a minor rise this last season (.48 RPG)
- Possible future knee issues will always be a concern, especially as he gets older and puts more miles on them
- Limited playoff experience, despite ample opportunity. Through 36 playoff games with the Spurs hes only averaged 8.2 MPG
- Additionally has very limited 4th Quarter experience (except garbage time), as he was largely used early in games when in the rotation
- Has been consistently dropped from the rotation prior to the playoffs basically his entire career
- Has historically struggled and sulked when not starting, somewhat mitigating his utility as an energy big
I think thats a fairly balanced assessment of Mr. Blair. Although I've no doubt playblair will object within 2 minutes of this post.
Reading that analysis, and without knowing the player's name, would you be interested in this guy? I wouldn't. You seem to credit him losing his job to other, more capable, players coming in. That is definitely true. But the Spurs had been needing bigs for sometime when they drafted Blair. He came into a house that was vacant and prime for squatting. It's only natural that the team upgrade and move past him, as he was occupying a spot he was only worthy to fill out of sheer desperation (reference: see 2008-2009, otherwise known as the year Matt Bonner started 67 games).
Now, I definitely think that Blair is an NBA player. Hes proven that he can play in the league. But hes a very deeply flawed player that also comes with some probably overstated but legitimate injury concerns. He definitely deserves a contract from someone, but considering his limitations I wouldn't take it too far. But, of course, this league is filled with teams like the Raptors and Bobcats. Teams with GM's just itching to draft poorly and offer ill-advised contracts. Some GM will take a flyer on him, maybe overpaying in the process, in the hopes that a change of scenery will unleash him.
Personally, as a Spurs fan, he has no place on this team. Hes always struggled to understand where to be and what to do, and has basically been a regular season minutes eater. For the money, he was a great buy - just like Neal. But while I'd gladly accept Neal back, Blair just has no place on this squad. I wish him luck in Washington or wherever he goes.
Last edited by Darkwaters; 07-22-2013 at 12:56 AM.
Blair is a PF, only on a team like the Spurs would he get called a center...
And yet he is deficient in PF skills and can't guard them either.
The only reason you're saying that is because of his height. But if he were 6'10 you'd tell me that hes a center and shouldn't be called a PF.
If you go by height, he's not even a PF. If you go by his game, he absolutely IS a center.
Great post Darkwaters. Excellent summation of what Blair is and is not.
blair played very well defensively vs pf's ....................... blair was a legit defensive threat vs griffin.......... pau.......... ibaka........
not to mention blair gave dirk fits .....................................
the blair cant defend myth was started because no one wanted to blame dice ............................
Any tiny smidge of credibility you might have maintained just evaporated.
You're just a joke.
playblair, just admit it:
You got nothing.
Blair and Neal for Ariza. Would upgrade 2 positions; backup sg and backup pf-c, while we get depth at sf. Blair and Neal's constructed so that it meets the minimum to be sent out for return.
If this doesnt work Its because either, we're not high on Ariza or the Wizards are.
Could also be that Pop is too high on Bonner.
How would that affect the cap since we're technically not sending any salary out...just gaining Ariza's contract for basically nothing.
What the is a PF skill?
Positions are not about skills, there's shooting guards who can't shoot, plenty of them...
Blair guards PFs, he's decent against players like Griffin and is certainly not guarded by the other team center... So when you play PF on both ends well you're a PF, same thing with Duncan who is a center and has been for a few years...
So you're of the opinion that PF's do exactly the same thing as centers?
Hmmm, curious.
Or because the Wizards aren't high on Neal.
Or because Neal isn't high on the Wizards.
Or because the Wizards already have 14 guys under contract and aren't interested in a 2 for 1 swap.
In all seriousness, can you name one person that's high on the Wizards?
Wow, 22 pages of nothing. Seriously, I hope the Spurs s&t him and Neal or package him with Bonner for a player, ANY player who can help the Spurs. That'd be a win for them imo, since they get a player that can help them AND keep a roster spot open.
Depends how much money is being offered.
So is the AK47 deal dead for sure?
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