To be a role player on a good team, you need to have a singular skill that you can hang your hat on. Hairston didn't have one. Pretty good at most things but not great at anything. He needs minutes to improve and he wasn't going to get them on the Spurs, who can't afford to wait and see if he can be a regular contributor. At least with Gee, we know that no matter what he can get to the rim. With Neal we know he can score. With Hairston, maybe one night he'd rebound well. The next night he'd shoot well. The third night he'd D his man up well. But with reserves, the coaching staff needs to know exactly what they are going to get.