Report: Spurs refused to release Blair on 3/1 (Buyout deadline)

[cd021]

I'll even go further than Mugen: this is a perfect situation for the Spurs as Blair is in a contract year and knows he won't be offered a contract by the Spurs, which means he has to play his ass off to increase his market worth. I'm actually wondering whether the talk that the Spurs were ready to trade him for, basically, "whatever" at the trade deadline wasn't all just smoke and mirrors just to please him and his agent.

As I said, right now he's in a situation where he absolutely has to play his ass off and shut his mouth, or he's going to play in China or Russia next year... I think we're starting to see exactly that with his suddenly improved play since the All-Star break. Funny what finally giving a can do.

I think he is still gonna be an NBA player. Someone will take him for a year to see what he can do in their system.

[racm]

Isn't Bonner the fourth big not Blair?

Blair got the nod minutes wise over the past few games. Mostly because Diaw's been out for the past couple but still.

[cd021]

Blair is in a rough spot. He went from being the young prospect that was poised to take McDyess spot after the retired in the rotation (Which he did). He started the majority of 2 seasons averaging 20+ minutes per game on a highly successful team. They he gets benched in the playoffs because he lacked any size to defend Randolf. The following season he got benched late in the regular season and the post season in favor of Diaw. Only to return in the best shape of his career and worked his way back into the starting lineup only to play poorly and be benched again while Splitter starts and plays significant minutes. He is in the last season of his contract and has little to show for it this season. I see him signing with a bad team (Charlotte, Portland maybe even Dallas) on a cheap multi-year deal that isn't fully guaranteed.

[cd021]

Does Blair make the Spurs a more formidable opponent? Of course not, when Blair's in the lineup he presents a weak point for attack and exploitation. He's a problem and not a solution to anything.
I wish he was somebody else's problem and not ours.

For 10 minutes on any given game he can put up something like 6 pts, 5 rebs and a couple of assists. He isn't nearly as useless as you're making him out to be. He per minute production is actually strong. He just has had his role change so much in the past 1 1/2. It says alot about his fall from grace with Pop, when Captain Jack returns to the spurs and takes minutes away from you at a position he seldom played over the course of his decade long career. He is more valuable to us than another team at this point in the season. He can still have an impact in the post season. Teams like the Clippers, Thunder and Heat he could be valuable given his ability to maneuver in the pick and roll against generally non imposing front lines

He's Neal but a PF (or "Center" if you will) you know you're not getting great defense. But he can produce and you can always limit someones lack of defense by putting him on the worst offensive player on the floor.

[Rocalcio]

He should be happy he's even getting minutes. No one else in the NBA wanted to take a chance on his ACLs. The Spurs gave him a lot of PT for a contender and a much bigger contract than he deserved. You want to play? Fine. Put up 15 and 8 more often.

When he gets minutes, he often does.