First off, good move and thanks. I didn't want that thread to get hijacked and off the topic.
Secondly, I wasn't arguing the Spurs' interest in the players. My fandom and opinion of Hairston I'm sure is well known by now but I'm not insinuating that the actions of the Spurs or the individual cir stances are favored one way or the other. I've tended to believe that Hairston's future on the team was pretty promising from all I had heard -- from players and coaches alike -- and from the belief I have in him as a player. But I'm fully aware of the numbers Sham revealed recently and the facts that led to Gee's re-acquisition.
But if you're going to compare Hairston and Gee solely on a lack of a handle and on their strength of attacking the rim, I'm just going to have to disagree. Yes, they do share that in common, but there's another end of the court and that's not all Hairston is and can do.
I'm much more knowledgeable about Hairston than Gee, so I can't say with complete certainty what kind of intangibles or intelligence Gee has for the game, but I do know Malik isn't lacking in those categories. And Hairston didn't just have a hot-shooting Summer League or shoot well with the Toros after never being known to hit a shot (Tolliver was a post player making the conversion to a stretch 4), he showed a steady progression in his shooting at Oregon, finishing with percentages of 42 and 43-percent from the three in his final years.
It may turn out that Malik just isn't the right type of player for the role they need him to assume and his skills would be served better in a different system; Temple and Mahinmi excelled because they 'fit'. Their skill set and placement (areas of operation) on the floor was a pretty easy mesh. But there's a good possibility Hairston could be an approximation of Tony Allen with a jumper if given the time and trust to go out there, get a rhythm and find a way to make it work (or for the coaching staff to find a way to utilize him and make it work with a tweak or two -- should they deem him someone they believe they'd be well-served in keeping around).