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damn i missed the RMR game today. I was at the gym playing basketball.
Munch showed some real potential for team play if nothing else.
It'll be interesting to see if the Spurs continue the Jamar Smith SF experiment. He didn't look completely lost, but was definitely more comfortable when playing PF. It'll be the only way he could make the team this season and couldn't hurt his chances for sticking in the NBA a la Noel Felix.
The only guy who showed the kind of dominance you like to see in SL (aside from Melzer's last 2 minutes) was Sanders, and was due in no small part to his outrunning everyone.
damn i missed the RMR game today. I was at the gym playing basketball.
It's on again at midnight.
Finished watching the game. My scouting report:
Ian Mahinmi - He's going to be an NBA player. Good athlete with a very good motor. Not only can he jump out of the gym, he also works hard. The question is how long it'll take before he's worth bringing over. Right now he's a too much of a hack and still a little skinny. He's not as skinny as I've seen previously, so that's good that he's going in the right direction. Offensively he doesn't have much other than just a fearlessness in taking the ball up I haven't seen on the Spurs in forever. A couple times he tried to dunk it over like four people. Overall, good draft pick by the Spurs. He's a guy who I can easily see averaging 10 points, 8 boards and a couple blocks a night in the not too distant future.
Rich Melzer - Looked pretty bad at the beginning but as the game went on, you can tell why the Spurs like this guy. He's tall with long arms and knows how to play the game. For being a converted power forward, he is a good ballhandler, a good passer and can take the ball off the dribble. I liked his passing ability and he really has a team oriented game. The main problem I see is I'm not sure he's quite an NBA athlete. He doesn't move his feet that quick and he doesn't jump that well. Whether he can make up for it with his length will be seen. A couple times he was blown by defensively and with the ball on offense, he's not a guy who is going to hurt you with his speed. I wasn't overly impressed by the mechanics of his jumper but he's tall with a high release so he shouldn't have any problems getting it off. Actually making it will be another matter. If he can get a little bit quicker or prove that he's long enough to make up it, then the Spurs might have finally found their Long Three. He's still a project though and probably wouldn't be ready for real game action until at least a full year in the Spurs' system.
Melvin Sanders - I'm always Sanders' harshest critic but I thought he looked better out there. He's always the most in shape player in summer league but he had an at ude about him that I'd never seen before. He's always been a tough player but he took it up to another level. I just wish he wasn't so damn short. This guy has all the heart you'd ever want but I don't think he has an NBA frame. Too short with too flat a jumper and not an explosive enough athlete to make up for it. Too bad.
Sergei Karaulov - He went from sucky last year to just bad. Eventually he might be worth a training camp invite. That time isn't now, though.
Jamar Smith - This guy is like the opposite of Melzer. He's a damn good athlete but I don't think he has what it takes to be a Long Three. It looks like the Spurs are trying to see if he can make the transition but I don't see it. His footwork and his movements defensively are of a player who spent most of his time in the paint. He's even more of a project than Melzer but could be a guy to keep an eye on to see if he can ever make the transition.
Andre Brown - I don't think this guy ever makes the league. He's more of a summer league phenom than anything else. He's a good athlete and is good around the basket but I think he's just too slight and too undisciplined to ever make it. However, he's gotten a lot better since the last time I saw him play. He's more aggressive and puts out more effort. I think he's worth a training camp invite, just not for the Spurs.
Donta Smith - It sucks that this guy went to summer league out of shape. He's normally a damn good athlete but he looked fat and not really into it. I don't know how a guy could be that close to an NBA job and not come prepared to fight for a job. He was out of breath after a couple minutes and was horribly slow.
Watson and Dean aren't NBA players. They both should get decent Euro contracts and might have a shot down the line.
Next game on TV I believe is one where Mahinmi put up his best stats. Should be interesting to watch.
Thanks for the scouting report.
Quality post. Thanks for the player updates
My impression after SL game one of Mahinmi is that short of the wonders of anabolic steroids he is at least two years away from the NBA. In the post he gets bounced around like a pinball and his lack of strength affects all facets of his game down low. All the clips you see of Mahinmi from Le Havre play show him developing back to the basket skills but he has nowhere near the strength to pull that off in SL play. I can’t see him ever being a center, in fact I think he likely can only put on enough weight/muscle to be a small, quick type PF. He’ll need to develop more of a perimeter and penetrating type game imo.
On the plus he has very good instincts, IQ and athleticism. He doesn’t have great handles but better than some reports said. He has nice form on his shot but he only showed it at the FT line. I think he can be a nice player, particularly for an end of first round pick, but there’s a lot of work to be done between here and there. Maybe 2008 he and Sankidze and all that garnered cap space will give the Spurs a nice boost.
...game against mavs is on in about one hour.
I'll add a couple of comments:
Melzer can pass...in fact, he's an excellent inbounds passer.
Mahinmi will have to learn when to back off. He fouls so much because he's just in reaction mode like a young pup Labrador Retriever getting under foot. He uses his long arms and leaping ability well but he doesn't use his hands, legs and hip leverage very well when positioning for rebounds. That limits his range to get to the ball.
Sanders is fast and he looks like Devin Brown did in his second summer league.
Jamar Smith needs polish but he can block shots and rebound pretty well. His hands look a bit suspect, but I'll reserve judgment until after seeing him play again.
fyi, the Spurs vs. Hawks game is on tomorrow @ 4pm. i believe that is the game where Ian had 16 points and 7 boards.
Yeah I want to see how he did that against John Edwards and Shelden Williams. Against the Mavs, the Spurs posted him up like one time so we couldn't get a good look to see if he has any offensive moves or not.
im touching myself
we need an f-ing rottweiler on the glass. not in 2015. now.Mahinmi will have to learn when to back off. He fouls so much because he's just in reaction mode like a young pup Labrador Retriever getting under foot. He uses his long arms and leaping ability well but he doesn't use his hands, legs and hip leverage very well when positioning for rebounds. That limits his range to get to the ball.
Tmi
true. im usually partial to dobermans
I watched the game and was pretty disappointed with Mahinmi's lack of agressiveness on the offensive end. I know he had a bigger game against Hotlanta and plan on watching the game tonight to see if his 16 points were trash buckets or if he was as aggressive offensively as he is defensively.
For what it's worth, Sheldon Williams might have been the biggest disappointment in the SLs.
A lot of people seems excited by Ian.. so am I.
But he is not ready for the NBA.
Being a center, especially in the NBA, is a long process.
The spurs needs a center now but Ian isn't the solution.
Moreover Ian can't be a true center (too small too skinny).
Does it mean the spurs draft a bust? I don't think so.
Ian would have been a lotery pick if he were
1) ready
2) a 7 footer
3) bigger
And now he would play for Portland or Atlanta
Big news : Oden will not be available as a late first round pick.
Ian has a bright future but don't ask him to help us now!
Does anyone see Ian and Jackie being Twin Towers: The Next Generation?
Finished watching Spurs vs. Hawks. It wasn't a very interesting game. The Spurs looked tired and played poorly.
Mahinmi put up good stats but I was more impressed with him in the first game I watched. He got the ball more offensively but defensively he wasn't as active. He also seemed tired and that translated into a lot of dumb fouls. He's going to be pretty good but he's going to have to get stronger and learn to play without fouling. As is, he'd foul out in five minutes of an NBA game. A nice thing is that it seems like he has pretty good range on his jumpshot out to the college three-point line. That'll be key if he's going to one day play power forward in the NBA.
Sanders couldn't hit a shot to save his life. He had bigger defenders on him and just couldn't score. I like his aggressiveness and energy but he's just not big enough for the NBA.
Melzer didn't do much except show that he's a good passer. He makes smart, quick passes to open players. He also has a knack to find players the split second they become open. I still question whether he's a good enough athlete for the NBA. We'll see in preseason.
Jamar Smith and Andre Brown continue to show themselves as good athletes. Smith sounds like he'll get invited to training camp and I'd say he has an outside chance of making the team.
Karaulov is so raw. You can tell he doesn't play much in Europe. His size and quickness are good enough that he's worth bringing over again next year for summer league.
A nice thing is that it seems like he has pretty good range on his jumpshot out to the college three-point line.
cool
so he has an outside shot
Mahinmi reminds me so much of Robinson I half expect him to start preaching -- in French.
I half expect Steven A. Smith to start calling him soft.
I half expect him to show in a Navy outfit.
I half expect Larry Brown to give up on him.
I half expect people to demand that the Spurs sign Chris Webber instead of him.
It's bleeping uncanny, the way they both run and that resemblence.
Did they play Jamar any more at SF?
Karaulov runs with his feet in V formation.
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