Harvey: Spurs see what a lab can never replicate

[antimvp]

Round mound stuck to the ground

lol

[Interrohater]

It's an interesting thought, that Mahinmi has been "created in a lab". It's really starting to seem like Ian is going to be no more than a serviceable backup, if that. I don't know why some of us seem surprised tho, we've tried and failed with the same experiment a few times, i.e. Mohammad, Elson, albeit without as much time invested.

Blair is intriguing because he seems (now don't freak out!!) like he could be a shorter version of Shaquille O'Neal. No hops, but enough length and strength to throw down a monster slam, soft hands for inlet passes and soft-touch putbacks, strong enough grip to keep the ball protected once secured, and a wide body that makes it extremely difficult for an opposing player to grab a rebound or even block a shot without getting a foul called. Of course, it will happen, but more often than not, he's gonna get a call. I do think, however, that one day in the distant future, people wil compare other young prospects to the soon-to-be-infamous Dejuan Blair.

[jcrod]

Ian is still only 22, he could be just coming out of college. Its way too early to give up or call him a bust.

[barbacoataco]

When all is said and done, basketball is still a GAME, and Blair is way better at playing the game than Mahinmi.

As far as Blair struggling on defense with taller players, I'm not so sure. i think he'll have problems with the pick and roll, and missing rotations. But as far as keeping position and playing man up defense, he might do better than expected. He has shown that he can use his lower body strength and large ass to get position on opponents. That is half the battle when it comes to low post defense. As someone pointed out, Chuck Hayes plays great defense on 7 ftrs even though he is only 6'6".

I think Mahinmi is such an enigma that it is all speculation. No one has seen him play for any length of time against quality compe ion. He is weak in the legs and has a hard time banging with the big boys, but his length and athleticism make him a presence in the post. However, with Ratliff available, I don't see the point of playing Mahinmi if the only thing he brings is potential shot blocking.

[MarCowMar]

I honestly think Ian will catch on somewhere eventually. He's not stupid or uncoordinated--just young and inexperienced. (Ok maybe he's a bit uncoordinated, hard to say for sure at this point. )

Think back at how messed up and confused you were at 21. Ian hasn't played in organized leagues to any great extent and thus never had a chance to develop the personality of his game. Every time he hits the floor now it probably feels like a major event. He doesn't have the space or time to make mistakes or be himself or just have fun.

He has a smooth shot, athleticism, and has shown an amazing ability to create offensively on occassion. He may not end up with the Spurs but he'll find a spot somewhere. Or he'll get Kwame Browned...

[Marcus Bryant]

This is asinine. Mahinmi is the young long, athletic, shotblocking big and Blair is the young solid, forceful, rebounding big. I still don't understand why Spurs fans want to run Mahinmi off. To secure Bonner's spot? So that Caldwell Jones Jr or whatever his name is makes the team? What's the ing alternative, geniuses? Ugh.

[diego]

i dont think its about running mahinmi out. Unless you are a hater, you want Ian to fulfill his potential.

but i think the article is fair. Its not about mahinmi vs blair or anything silly like that. Its just that they make for a great comparison- Ian has a great body but learned basketball much later in life so his skills arent as developed as his body. Blair has good skills but his body isnt the prototypical body for his position/skill set. I dont see why stating that should mean you hate Ian or want him off the team. Its a good observation, and up until now neither of them have really proved whether they belong on the team or not.

[Ginobilly]

It's an interesting thought, that Mahinmi has been "created in a lab". It's really starting to seem like Ian is going to be no more than a serviceable backup, if that. I don't know why some of us seem surprised tho, we've tried and failed with the same experiment a few times, i.e. Mohammad, Elson, albeit without as much time invested.

Blair is intriguing because he seems (now don't freak out!!) like he could be a shorter version of Shaquille O'Neal. No hops, but enough length and strength to throw down a monster slam, soft hands for inlet passes and soft-touch putbacks, strong enough grip to keep the ball protected once secured, and a wide body that makes it extremely difficult for an opposing player to grab a rebound or even block a shot without getting a foul called. Of course, it will happen, but more often than not, he's gonna get a call. I do think, however, that one day in the distant future, people wil compare other young prospects to the soon-to-be-infamous Dejuan Blair.

What is with everybody saying Blair has no hops?? Did you ever him play in college? He has plenty of hops! Sure, he's no vince carter, but he has more hops than Duncan and Bonner.

[KenGee21]

I believe the young Marcus Camby comparison if about right, but in Ian's case, I think a young Jermaine Oneal is a bit more accurate. IIRC, dude was a ghost during his first four years in the L, and many people labeled him a bust as well, coming outta high school.

But as we've witnessed with the spurs, its difficult to develop young prospects when you're a le contender every year. There just aren't enough minutes to go around and most coaches would be more inclined to play a dependable vet like Finley rather than endure the inevitable mistake-prone play of a rookie.

[Spursmania]

We need to give Mahini several games in the NBA before we can really judge him. Blair is just a totally different player.

Let him play several games with a lot of minutes. Let him get comfortable and then let's judge...

[Spursmania]

This is asinine. Mahinmi is the young long, athletic, shotblocking big and Blair is the young solid, forceful, rebounding big. I still don't understand why Spurs fans want to run Mahinmi off. To secure Bonner's spot? So that Caldwell Jones Jr or whatever his name is makes the team? What's the ing alternative, geniuses? Ugh.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Blair is a smooth player who doesn't have a classic NBA body but overcomes due to having great instincts. Mahinmi, on the other hand, is an awkward player who doesn't have very good instincts but is a worthwhile prospect due to his NBA body.

Yes. That is exactly what the article said. The level of them both being young and bigmen and spurs makes more than enough basis for comparison.



MB--It is lame for spurs fans to want to run ian out of town....but he hasn't given us much to look forward to yet.


I think it's a great article, and a pretty good metaphor for Ian. All we ever heard about the kid was how raw he is and his potential. Well as it's been said here before, he will be the ultimate test of the spurs farm system. If he fails, then we've been wasting time with the toros because he's the most promising prospect we'll have for a while in that system, and we've been ultra careful and considerate in this "lab experiment".

[barbacoataco]

I think the the Spurs should keep Mahinmi for 2 more years even if he is a "bust." He still is a cheap big. There are no good, cheap, bigs in the NBA, so even as a the 5th big on the roster Mahinmi is worth giving him an extension.

I'm still hoping that Mahinmi develops his game and becomes a great player.