I like that roster.
Hill really needs to play to work on his point guard skills and give the Spurs confidence that he can play the position. If he lays an egg, the Spurs will probably go find a cheap third string PG.
Mahinmi and Blair should be a very interesting starting twosome at the PF and C. I think it should be a good mix. Mahinmi is a good scorer and shotblocking, while Blair can rebound. Mahinmi really needs to show something to enter training camp at a high note. If it doesn't look like he has improved, that will probably be the first step to the end of his Spurs days. He needs to play better than he did last time.
How Blair looks will like decide how many bigs the Spurs sign this summer. If Blair looks like a beast and can post a high rebounding rate, the Spurs might pencil him in has a 15-20 minutes per night player. If he doesn't look healthy or he struggles against the bigger compe ion, the Spurs will have to make a point of getting two above average bigs.
I think Gist is mostly a bonus. If he plays really well, that's great and could help him make the team. If he still looks raw, another year in Europe is likely.
I'm glad Hairston is still in the Spurs' plans and will be given a shot to redeem himself after last year's bad summer league showing. He has good defensive potential and plays a very complementary game. I'm also glad Marcus Williams isn't on the team. Williams is a guy who could eat up tons of touches and I'd rather those touches go elsewhere. Without Williams, players like Mahinmi and Gist should get the ball a lot more.
I hope McClinton is used off the bench to see if he can succeed in the role of instant offense.
Antonio Anderson is a player to watch. From Larry Brown:
Anderson averaged 10.2 points a game last season. If he's drafted next week, it's not expected to be until the second round. But Bobcats coach Larry Brown thinks his defensive skills could earn him a spot in the NBA. Brown compared him to Bobcats guard Raja Bell and San Antonio veteran Bruce Bowen.
"He's long, athletic and he's really been well coached,'' Brown said. "The things that John Calipari demands are things that we talk about all the time. I think he could be a lockdown defender and he's a great kid. He's going to get better.''
Compared to Raja Bell and Bruce Bowen? At least deserves a look.
Regarding De Colo, there's no harm in putting him on the summer league roster now even if his situation isn't settled. Teams can change their roster any time. Come the first game, there seems to always be a surprise player on the team and a surprise player not on the team.
Reply With Quote
This team could beat Sacramento in a best-of-seven.
