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I'd put Mahinmi ahead of guys like Saer-Sene and Patrick O'Bryant. True, not saying much.
Do you think he's better than one-time mate, Johann Petro?
Scouts are about the only people there for most of the games.
I'd put Mahinmi ahead of guys like Saer-Sene and Patrick O'Bryant. True, not saying much.
Do you think he's better than one-time mate, Johann Petro?
In today's French newspaper "L'équipe", there are an article about Mahinmi.
The article was written before the showcase.
Mahinmi in minor mode
After some games played with Spurs, the French man flourish with Austin Toros in the D-league.
A little more than hour away from San Antonio, at the end of the I35, there is Austin with his university, his youth, his growing economy and in a great anonymity, D-League Toros. "Sometimes, one thinks that we are an arena football team", said one member of Toros public relations.
On the court, Ian Mahinmi is stretching almost incognito. The rookie, who has played 6 games with Spurs in November (3.5 ppg in 4 mpg), has been send to Spurs affiliate team to improve his game. Even if he is 6'11" high, he could be as well invisible in the Austin convention center where Toros play. The hall 5 has been turned into a basketball court. It's a 1500 people arena where fans , who don't know well players iden y, call them by their jersey numbers. Toros' jersey are sold in a corner, two local journalist are in another one. Mahinmi will stay in Austin until the end of the season according to Gregg Popovich, Spurs coach : "He is doing very, very well. He play a lot and improves his game at a high speed. We supervised his development, it is the perfect situation. He will be in San Antonio next year."
Tonight, "Toros' Duncan", as called him Toros GM Dell Demps, will play against Albuquerque Thunderbirds. But after some good games, Ian falls against in the trouble he had earlier in the season : quick fouls. He spend the biggest part of the bench and Austin loses at home for the first time of the season. In the opposite team, Kevin Pittsnogle has shined. Three days before, he was a Toros' player. "That is the D-League" said Mahinmi while laughing " There are always changes. Sometimes, I go at the practice the morning and I don't know who is the new guy that practice with us." To avoid iden y troubles, all players send by a nba team have a little logo of this nba team on the back of theirs jersey. A sign of a higher status that Ian hasn't even noticed.
At the Toros, Spurs are in everybody's mind. San Antonio, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and the other players are at the same time so close and so far. Mahinmi has understood that, NBA will be really for the next season "I don't think too much at the NBA because of the busy schedule. But, sometimes, when I see Spurs playing on the TV, I told to myself that they need some fresh blood. Anyway, I'm 21 years old. I can wait a little."
With 18.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and a 63% FG%, Ian Mahinmi isn't unnoticed in D-League. He could even be selected for the ASG that will happen in New Orleans during the week end of the true ASG, the NBA one. "Ian can do everything but he still must raise his intensity" said Roy Rogers, former player who is now a Toros assistant coach. "He needs this consistency to play with Pop". His improvement has been impressive but he still needs more playtime. He learns everyday and he is the key of our system. He is our main player. It is the perfect situation. People play hard in D-League and there isn't a team supervised by Spurs in Europe."
Supervising. The word is said. For the moment, only Lakers and Spurs have bought a D-League team to have a full supervising of the development of their young players. A supervising rewarded with LA and Austin leading the league. And the idea is spreading with Toronto that could soon do the same thing.
Bryan Colangelo, Raptors GM, see the D-League as a "basketball incubator". RC Buford, Spurs GM, thinks also that : "Having the opportunity to play our system, with our coaches, our physical trainers is great for Ian Mahinmi. I don't think that he would have made that kind of improvement if he hadn't played in D-League."
However, is the D-League level as good as the French league level ? The former player of Le Havre and Pau thinks so. "In each D-League team, there are one or two players able to play in NBA and a lot of D-League players could do great things in Europe. The game is way faster and higher than in French league. It is a different game with more athleticism and more youth. Sometimes, it is as good as a top game in French league. Sometimes it is closer to the level of French second league."
At 21, this stage seems to be in Mahinmi's career plan. At leasdt, he is sure of that : "I haven't a single regret because I'm improving well my game. Everybody count on me and I'm having a good season. I don't know if I would have as much playtime in Europe. Off course, I thought to play in NBA this year but I've made the right choice. It's a fight in D-League but with NBA rules. Playing here isn't a bad thing. For me, it is a good thing. And the next season is coming soon..."
Before that, He could even won the D-league le, a very serious goal for him " I play to win. you forget development when you are on the court. To win a D-League le would be a quite good thing. I would be proud of that. A le is a le. I play to finish first." He begins to get Spurs' way of mind : there aren't small wins.
nice write-up on Mahinmi's game yesterday at Draft Express:
to read the full section, go to the draftexpress pageIan Mahinmi shines as the best big man in the league . . .
http://www.draftexpress.com/article/...se,-Day-Three/
This is the only messageboard I know of that actually follows D-League games.
Depends on the game you're watching, yesterday he looked great. Today the paint was packed with big men (contrary to most of the time in this league where he had it easy to be honest) and he was obviously pushed around quite a bit by Watkins, N'Diaye & mostly McCoy. He got some double teams on him as well and, again, had a few dumb fouls.
From what I've seen so far he's a quick learner (he's improved tremendously since the beginning of the season, everybody can tell you that) so I think he mostly needs bigger and stronger opposition like he got today to put pressure on him and force him to ajust, to learn how to position and impose himself while keeping out of foul trouble. That's imho what he really lacks right now.
If he learns that (and i can bet you he will) then he'll become a great asset on the spurs next to Tim.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/story/268432.html
Players who made strong cases in Boise for an NBA call-up
BY CHRIS LANGRILL
Edition Date: 01/18/08
The NBA Development League Showcase, which ended Thursday night, was about basketball players showcasing their talent for NBA scouts and personnel who were in attendance this week at Qwest Arena.
With that in mind, we turned to Eric Chapman for his impressions of some players who made their cases for an NBA call-up.
His Chapman Report is a pro basketball scouting and consulting service that is used by about half of the NBA's teams.
Chapman provided 10 players who made a positive impression in one way or another during the Showcase. The first three players are already under NBA contracts, but might be on the verge of a breakthrough. Others are free agents who could be on the verge of their first 10-day contract or another shot in the NBA.
1. Ian Mahinmi, 6-11 center, Austin Toros: The Frenchman has spent some time with the San Antonio Spurs this season. "He has tremendous quickness for a player of his size," Chapman said. "Probably needs to get a little stronger physically to play inside. But he can shoot the ball and he runs like a deer up and down the floor. He's a guy who, a few years down the road, could be an impact player at the next level."
2. Kyrylo Fesenko, 7-1 center, Utah Flash: From the Ukraine, Chapman said playing near the Jazz will allow him to integrate into their system quicker. "He has great hands and feet for a guy his size," Chapman said. "He can get up and down the floor, he's got spin moves, he can shoot the ball with either (his) left or right hand. He's going to come fast because it's hard to find those skills in players his size."
3: Shannon Brown, 6-4 guard, Rio Grande Valley Vipers: His 37-point performance this week made him a lock for this list, as did his call-up to the Cleveland Cavaliers afterward. "He is a scorer who can play both guard positions," Chapman said. "He's obviously a guy that helped himself here."
4: Lance Allred, 6-11 center, Idaho Stampede: "I think his game translates to the NBA level," Chapman said. "He can get his stuff playing off the ball by being a rebounder, running the floor. He gives you a consistent effort every night."
5: Devin Green, 6-7 guard, L.A. D-Fenders: The guard played 27 games with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2005-06 season. "He fits the NBA profile," Chapman said. "He can defend multiple positions and shoot the 3. A very smooth player. He's a guy who NBA people know about and he reaffirmed ... his upside."
6: Maurice Baker, 6-1 guard, Dakota Wizards: Continues to come back from ankle surgery in the summer of 2006. "He had two tremendous games here, probably the two best games he's played this year," Chapman said.
7: Kaniel ens, 6-8 forward, Colorado 14ers: The player out of the University of Idaho is a "classic case of NBA talent, physically and skillwise," Chapman said. "But he has a history of being consistently inconsistent. He needs to show he can dominate and sustain it. He was very solid (this week). Has been shooting well, and is probably the best 3-point shooter in the league. He helped himself here this week."
8: Stephane Lasme, 6-8 forward, L.A. D-Fenders: "He's undersized physically to play power forward at the next level," Chapman said. "But he's what everybody calls an energy. You don't have to throw him the ball. He will be able to contribute without the ball in his hands."
9: Keith Langford, 6-4 guard, Austin Toros: The University of Kansas product has spent some time with the San Antonio Spurs this season. "He's a solid minor-league guy who can play both guard positions and he needs to find his niche," Chapman said. "He has the physical strength and athleticism to get in there with the big guys and still finish and draw fouls."
10: Kasib Powell, 6-7 forward, Sioux Falls Skyforce: Is one of Sioux Falls' No. 1 scoring options, but could make it to the NBA with his other skills. "He's a jack of all trades," Chapman said. "He's an excellent defender. I could see him become a Bruce Bowen-type of player."
With seemingly every other frontcourt player on the Spurs struggling, I'd say you might as well give him a shot.
Then we might finally answer the question of whether Elson is truly better than Mahinmi.
Probably won't happen though....
True that it probably won't happen, and that's disappointing.
If Pop has no problem inserting Bonner to start halves or quarters in search of some energy, why not give Mahinmi and his youthful exuberance a chance to provide some kind of spark?
At worst he makes the kind of non-impact Oberto and Elson are doing that makes Pop turn to small-ball.
At worst he fouls out in one minute and gets no playing time to further develop. He's promising but he's where he belongs right now.
All I know is that if Ian is able to learn moves when being mentored this quickly...
Practicing against Duncan should turn him into a complete beast.
And the guy that can teach him out to block shots, and rebound, and handle players with more mass...is David Robinson.
Physically and athletically Ian is in the Drob mode...I think Drob could teach him quite a bit on the defensive side of the ball.
And young players getting mentored in this fashion can have a huge impact on their development...
Kareem is turning Bynum into future Superstar...
Mose Malone showed Hakeem the NBA game...
I'd like to see the Spurs call on Drob here...
Even if they don't, working with Duncan, learning from Duncan, on both side of the ball...Ian's upside could be huge.
It all boils down to if a talented player has the determination and drive to practice and get better...most don't...but those that do are the ones that go on to be Superstars.
I liked Ian as soon as I saw him play and figured he was a future NBA player...
His jumping ability, quickness and athleticism were unquestionable...
But what sold me on him was that he was the hardest working player on the court, hustling the most...in those French Minor league games I saw, he was perhaps the most talented player on the team, but he played with the effort of a guy afraid he was going to barely make the roster.
Doesn't the D-league season end before the NBA season? Pretty sure it does....
So doesn't that mean Ian could wind up on the roster by the end of the season?
An article about Snyder :
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slu...yhoo&type=lgns
Mahinmi is in the all D-League showcase first team and Langford gets an honorable mention :
http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/shwc...ap_080118.html
I just finished watching this game. Decent comeback but the Toros were ballhogging too much to pull out a win. It sucks that players on the team all of a sudden get selfish due to the Showcase. They almost lost to a horrible Skyforce team for the same reason. I'll do a writeup later in the day with grades.
those all dleague showcase teams solidify that you only have to have one good breakout game to make it.
What did Ian do vs LA Defenders?
Today's Game Sunday, 5:00pm
Austin Toros@at Iowa
Austin Toros, the famous team (14/6, leading the Southwest division) with Spurs draft pick Ian Mahinmi (18.5, 7.7, 1.8) and former Spurs Marcus Williams, Keith Langford and DerMarr Johnson.
Live on NBATV!
http://www.nba.com/dleague/webcastDleague.html
Games on right now, 4 minutes left in the 1st.
Mahinmi with 8 points, 1 rebound, and 1 dumb reaching foul.
What's the direct link without registering?
Nice first half by the whole Toros team outside Justin Reed. Reed is a true ballhog.
No wonder Ian's offense is developing faster than his D. I've seen more defense watching an all star game.
BTW, anybody know if it's possible to pick up a Toros jersey on-line? The away unis look pretty tough but the NBA store has only T-shirts, hoodies, and caps.
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