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Has the TS or anyone else seen (or heard?) how Ian is doing at practices?
Free mahinmi !
Has the TS or anyone else seen (or heard?) how Ian is doing at practices?
Why not try it? I mean they couldn't play any worse than they already have, can they?
Good writeup. I am honestly surprised Mahinmi hasn't even been given a minute of action. Or even one game in uniform on the bench. Haislip over Mahinmi didn't make much sense to me.
That said, how would you fit him in? Which of McDyess, Blair or Bonner would you drop out of the rotation? The problem for Mahinmi is that the bench bigs might be the one area where this team is stronger than expected. Playing four bigs consistently is difficult enough ... five would be impossible.
Pop and the brain trust will not play Ian regardless even if the entire front line goes down. By not renewing his contract they are afraid that he might play too well thus showing up the brain trust. They want to actually resign Ian at the vet minimum for next year, when they will allow him to play and declare that they knew he had it in him all along.
The problem with that theory is that it could potentially put our chances this year in jeopardy just to save a few bucks down the line. I don't think Holt would go for broke this year with his spending and then let them blow this season by not playing Ian (if Ian was really that good, as in your scenario). I don't know what the deal is, but I wish they'd give him a shot.
Why does somebody have to drop out of the rotation?..
Ratliff doesn't even play, the team is obviously using him as an emergency guy and/or saving his fragile body for the playoffs..so why not have Ian on the 12 man roster?..there have been many times where one or 2 or even all 3 of McDyess/Blair/Bonner haven't played well..there's also been foul trouble issues at times..I don't really see the harm of having Ian in for a trial run or something at least..at least against some bad teams where his performance shouldn't hurt us enough to cost the game..
Physically, he remains the best/cheapest option to fill a need..the odds are that he won't fill it properly for the team, but what's the harm in trying him out?..
It just seems odd to me that the FO loved him so much, and then all of a sudden they've just given up on him..he didn't have a good preseason, but it certainly wasn't bad..especially when you consider that Haislip was activated ahead of him and Haislip had one of the worst preseasons I've ever seen..something is up IMO..maybe Ian doesn't work hard enough or has done something to upset the organization..I don't really see how it could hurt to see him from a basketball standpoint..
I'm for it to get length in there, but the real weakness surprisingly is the wings. Manu, Mason, Jefferson, Bogans - all have been trash. That's the biggest issue.
He should be on the roster instead of Ratliff. Ratliff is dependable, he won't forget how to play if he's inactive.
I would then start by sitting either Duncan or McDyess on either end of back-to-backs. They've played the fewest games in the league and not too many B2Bs, but that's about to change. That's how I get him in first.
Then if McDyess is still having his feast or famine games, bring McDyess off the bench. He's said before that he prefers the bench role, and that might be the way to go with him.
Then that leaves either Blair or Bonner as the starter. I'm not naive enough to think even with a miracle that Ian gets starting right off (or ever). But that's where it starts again. If Blair is starting foul trouble can't be far behind, so the fouls will act to curb his minutes naturally.
And Bonner starting makes him more up-and-down, and in games where he's not 'on', Bonner makes it hard to keep him on the court.
That will create the opportunities for Mahinmi to play. All he needs is to be on the active roster when things are going great (blowout wins), not so great (foul trouble or poor play from McDyess/Blair/Mahinmi), poorly (sprained ankles by any of the other bigs), or badly (blowout losses). Any of those situations if Pop swallows his pride he can look down the bench and see Ian sitting there and send him in.
IF Mahinmi plays even semi-okay, the other things he brings (size, shot contesting) will be hard to ignore, and will be a good problem to have with regards to the rotation.
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And just to follow up on what I already wrote, I feel bad for Ian that he gets his injuries held against him when they all happened when he was trying to improve his game. The pec injury in summer 07 that kept him out of summer league happened when he was working out here in the practice facility. The ankle injury misdiagnosed by the Spurs doctors with the invisible bone chips happened at a big man camp.
He's done everything the Spurs have asked him to do. Sign with a Euroleague team? He did it, when he probably could have thrown a stink over the Spurs signing Jackie Butler as their young big instead of bringing him. Bulk up? He's done that. His natural body type has limited what he could do, but he's put on muscle. Go the d-league? He did that. Learn the system? He did that. Improve his scoring skill after being drafted, when all he had was dunks? He did that. Go to a big man camp? He did that. Have season-ending ankle surgery? He did that. Work with Roy Rogers? He did that.
Time and again he's done everything they've asked to put himself in a position to play, but they won't even give him a chance to play so badly that fans on internet boards can retort, "See! He sucks! No wonder he wasn't playing! Objective you're a moron!"
If Ian was any good he'd play.
If only it was so simple..
Good argument. Hard to make a case against dressing Ian against selected opponents and then playing him when specific situations arise.
I hate saying "there's nothing to lose" because usually there is something to lose, but having Ian in uniform to use in emergencies or in blowouts would seem to be almost completely risk-free. In this case, there's nothing to lose.
it would have been interesting to see him playing against mobile bigs like Thompson and Greene tonight..they gave us trouble..it would have been a good test IMO..
Good point. It would have been very interesting to see what Ian could do against players of his own limited experience level.
That's exactly the point of my frustration with Pop. It seems that every opposing team has either active bigs, active wings or both. Players whose energy, quickness and athleticism seem to cause the Spurs trouble. Outside of Hill and Blair, the Spurs simply don't have other players that can match up with these kinds of opposing players - or should I say if they do, Pop simply refuses to play them.
It's tough for old guys to match the quickness, speed and relentless nature of young, energetic guys - especially on back-to-back games. Still Pop seems unfazed, as he seems to totally discount the need for these skills.
Agree. Free Ian. I wish they start it asap.
Dude, when did Greene become a big? It is tough for them not to give us any trouble when there is no transition defense.
It is. You act like they don't know what they have. He's had 3 training camps, a full season in Austin, and hundreds of practices to show his stuff, and he's wearing a suit every night.
Greene is 6'11", or so Sean said on the telecast.
He is listed 6 foot 11 but plays like a tweener. His real height is around 6 foot 9. I would not call him a legitimate big. He is more perimeter based but is still a raw player. The reason why Ian is not playing cause he did not impress during practice, or is just stupid on the court. He got his option declined, shows just how useless he has been. I agree with you on this.
If by "Free" him, you mean cut him I'm on board. I'd rather see any minutes that would be given to Ian given to Blair to accelerate his development or Theo, if we really need a D-first big.
We need size in the lane. Too many points in the paint. As a result the perimeter defense can't crowd the shooters, then there are too many outside shots. Our interior defense is just too slow or too short to get to where they need to be in time.
Free Ian. Free Haislip.
Inactivate Hairston/Finley/Theo or whoever is most hurt for just 4-5 games.
We had absolutely nothing to lose by playing Ian early in this current season, but Pop chose not to do so. Now we're only 10-9 and we need all the wins we can get, so it doesn't look good for Ian unless Dice and some other bigs go down.
I think Objective's post is fantastic, and I totally agree. I just think Pop is a total idiot when it comes to things like this, and I think he has grossly mishandled Ian. I can see the kid going somewhere else and eventually being a productive player. Maybe not an all-star player, but a guy who can give you solid minutes underneath, rebound, and block some shots.
I sincerely wish Pop had the same a en for developing young players that a Phil Jackson has. I hate the Lakers with a fiery passion, but Jackson has developed guys like Pippen, Horace Grant, and Bynum and has done wonders. As for Pop, the only guy I can say he has kind of developed as a young guy is Parker, and Parker is the fastest guy in the league, so he's super-talented. I can't give credit to Pop for Duncan's development or for Manu's because they were both very good players when they arrived in San Antonio. In fact, we all know how long it took Pop to let go and let Manu play his game.
I just don't see the downside in letting Ian play some minutes with the Big Four. If he embarrasses himself, so be it. But the point is we have absolutely nothing to lose and EVERYTHING to gain if he shows some spark. I just don't see it hapening with Popovich because unfortunately Pop is Pop.
Well done, Objective. I concur.
Last night I had this wild dream of trading Ian for Courtney Lee - is it because of this thread?...
Too bad the Spurs didn't draft David Lee, who went two spots after Ian.
Theo Ratliff is averaging 1.22 blocks in 8.8 minutes. That's all the situational interior defense we need, and a of a lot more than Ian could provide.
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