Ian Mahinmi

[Marcus Bryant]

This pick makes sense. The Spurs are not likely to find immediate help at the 3 late in the first round so you might as well draft a young guy who you can stash in Europe or on your IR and work him through your program for a year or two. At a #28 pick's salary and with the ability to drop him after 2 years if there's no hope it's a good bet.

This guy sounds like a great athlete and if he fills out he could work out quite well. If not, hey, it was a late first round pick.

At least he didn't play for Paris Basket Racing...

[NZHayden]

2 French
2 Slovenians
2 Argentineans

1 New Zealander!

[Horry For 3!]

He sounds like the Spurs type of player. Dominates the boards and plays great defense.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Damn LJ beat me to it.

His frame and skill set sound like a future Amare clone.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

BTW, now everyone is giving him cyberhead, we'll probably trade him.

[Mark in Austin]

Sounds like a scrub to me.

Mahinmi=manure?

[NZHayden]

He's tall and black.

like emeka or mumtombo?

[spurster]

This guy has project written all over him. This would be a good 2nd round pick, but lousy for a 1st rounder.

[drpill]

Found this online:

http://www.fedexforum.com/displayArticle.aspx?id=91

World Select Team Announced for 2005 Nike Summit

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

Memphis, Tennessee, March 23, 2005 — Boasting of a 10-player team that features six players measuring 6-10 or bigger, Nike Basketball announced today the players and coaches who will comprise the 2005 World Select Team that will compete in the 8th Annual Nike Hoop Summit on April 9 at FedExForum.


This year's World Select Team participants include 6’10” Nemanja Aleksandrov (Serbia and Montenegro), 6’7” Marco Belinelli (Italy), 6’11” Eric Boateng (England), 6’11” Vilmantas Dilys (Lithuania), 7’0” Semih Erden (Turkey), 6’1” Adam Gibson (Australia), 6’10” Ian Mahinmi (France), 5’11” Michael Mokongo (France), 6’4” Martynas Pocius (Lithuania) and 6’11” Dusan Sakota (Greece).

[E20]

http://www.yahoo.com has a profile for every player drafted except for this guy.

[slayermin]

Ok. Who has video or gifs of this guy?

[ChumpDumper]

Well the only reason SA didn't use all their 1st rounders in the past was cap space -- who knows who they would've taken otherwise.

[timvp]

by the way he is a national team staff favorite. he is considered as good as petro sine he is improving at an incredible rate

Pop has close ties to the French National Team coaching staff. This guy sounds raw but with the Spurs drafting history, this must know what they are getting.

And with the guy sitting in the crowd, I'm sure Mahinmi knew about this.

CIA strikes again.

[dn0]

Sounds like a scrub to me.

[JUUOT]

from lequipe.fr the french sport newspaper called it this morning

Ian Mahinmi (19 ans, 2,04 m), le jeune intérieur du Havre, pourrait être la vraie surprise de cette draft. Alors qu'il pensait se retirer avant la date, Mahinmi a finalement laissé son nom après avoir eu des contacts intéressants avec plusieurs franchises. Certains l'annoncent même au premier tour. Il aimerait rejoindre Marcus Camby, son modèle, à Denver mais pense rester encore une saison en Europe. Utah, qui possède deux choix au premier tour, s'intéresse à lui.

"the young forward from le havre could be the surprise of the draft.when he was going to call out of the draft. he finally stayed after having interesting contacts with several franchise. Some even say he could end up being a first rounder. he would like to go to denver where play his mnodel. marcus camby, but think he might stay in europe one more year to get ready. utah could take him with one of their first round picks."

[50 cent]

Also sounds like a defensive type like Ben Wallace that will clog that paint and focus on rebounds and blocking shots.

In Pop and RC we trust.

[Kori Ellis]

He averaged 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 59.7% from the field in 31 games this year (16.8 mpg).

[beirmeistr]

well the fact that he was in ny for the draft has to say something... but maybe not. no one knows if they'll even keep the pick or if they were drafting for someone else? he looks pretty promising, and it was good to hear the crowd STUNNED in ny. lol

I am just as stunned. I've never heard his name or read about him before. "A Dennis Rodman without the tattoos" is how they described him.

[Horry For 3!]

Sounds like the Spurs' match for Amare Stoudemire. Stoudemire is going to be a top three player in the league soon, so the Spurs had to go out and get someone of his athletic build.

How can you doubt the Spurs draft brass? They always pull off gems.

If the Spurs feel good enough about him to give him guaranteed money, I'm guessing this is going to be a solid pick.

True. Spurs are very good with their draft picks when no one knows about the player that much. This could be one of those picks.

[mrcoon29]

I don't think only the NY crowd was stunned. I know I was.

[AI-square]

I am just as stunned. I've never heard his name or read about him before. "A Dennis Rodman without the tattoos" is how they described him.

If he's a Dennis Rodman without the tattoos, the overall craziness and the badass hair, then I reckon he would be a player most of you guys would like over time.

[ChumpDumper]

He's actually played quite a bit for an 18-year old in the French A league. A couple of double-doubles even.

[sa_butta]

He's tall and black.

So he can probably jump real high.

[Ocotillo]

Jay Bias called it a reach.

[Kori Ellis]

JUUOT -- his team is in the French Pro A League, right? Isn't that the same league in which Sanikidze plays for Dijon?