The first game of San Antonio's 2009 summer league action resulted in a 92-86 win over the New Orleans Hornets. The Spurs were rocky on both ends of the court for the first three and a half quarters but really locked in to pull out the victory.
The Hornets got good efforts out of their starting guard tandem of Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton. Julian Wright also flashed his potential with a number of talented plays.
While the Spurs had a lack of cohesiveness for much of the game, that was to be expected due to the limited number of practices. Expect the team to play better as the week progresses.
George Hill
31 minutes, 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, four turnovers
7-for-13 from the floor, 0-for-2 on three-pointers, 11-for-11 at the line
Entering his second summer league, George Hill looked much improved over last season. The aspect that stood out the most was his increased confidence level. Hill played like he knew he was in charge and paced himself well throughout the contest.
In the first three quarters, Hill didn't have many opportunities to run the pick-and-roll but that changed in the fourth quarter. Down the stretch, he took control by attacking New Orleans' defense off the pick-and-roll and either created for himself or a teammate. The biggest shot of the game -- a three-pointer by Malik Hairston -- was created off of a Hill pick-and-roll.
When Hill shot from perimeter, everything about his release looked improved. His balance was better, he took his time and he put more arc on the ball. If he can add a jumper from off the dribble, his effectiveness in the halfcourt offense would greatly improve.
Defensively, Hill was hit and miss. Sometimes he seemed to be going through the motion, but at other times he illustrated his elite potential at that end of the court -- especially in the last few minutes of the game.
Hill still needs to work on beating the halfcourt trap with the dribble, making the smart pass in transition and keeping his foot on the accelerator at all times but overall this was a very positive summer league debut. He looked like he was the best player on the court and did so while playing within his capabilities.
DeJuan Blair
22 minutes, 13 points, 10 rebounds, one steal, two turnovers
4-for-7 from the field, 5-for-6 from the line
This guy is simply a beast on the boards. There's no other way to put it. Last year, he averaged 18.1 rebounds per 40 minutes at Pittsburgh. In his first summer league game, Blair pulled down 18.2 rebounds per 40 minutes. Even more impressive is the fact that he pulled down 10 rebounds in 22 minutes, while the rest of the team pulled down 18 rebounds in 178 minutes.
Blair has a wide body, long arms and a pair of giant suction cups for hands. He also has impeccable timing and isn't afraid to throw his weight around. While summer league isn't the NBA, this is undoubtedly a very good sign that his rebound rate in college wasn't a fluke.
Offensively, Blair had a few good moves. He can jump quickly and already has a crafty feel around the rim that allows him to get his shot off despite being undersized. Blair also displayed a smooth face-up jumper. He had a few possessions where he tried to do too much and his size became a liability but that is to be expected as he adjusts.
On the defensive end, Blair needs a lot of work. His pick-and-roll defense was sub par and he was slow to get back to defend the rim. It will probably take most of his rookie season to get him up to speed defensively.
All in all, there's no reason not to be excited about San Antonio's first pick in the 2009 draft. He appears to be at least as good as advertised.
Ian Mahinmi
25 minutes, eight points, four rebounds, one blocked shot, seven fouls
1-for-3 from the field, 6-for-6 at the line
Ian Mahinmi's stats don't look very good but there were some bright spots. Compared to last year's summer league action, Mahinmi was much more energetic and played with more heart. He also had a very good move late from out on the perimeter to give the Spurs a two-point lead.
That said, the Spurs need to see much more production out of Mahinmi if he's to remain in their long-term plans. His upper body looks stronger but his lower body remains extremely skinny. He's not a graceful athlete and he can get pushed around down under the basket.
In the forthcoming games, Mahinmi needs to translate some of his energy into positive contributions. He had quality moves and was putting up a fight but he rarely finished off a possession well. Considering that he's been out of action for a year, rust had to be expected. It'd be fair to wait a couple of games before counting him out.
Malik Hairston
29 minutes, 16 points, one rebound, one assist
7-for-11 from the field, 2-for-2 on three-pointers
It was a story of two halves for Malik Hairston. In the first half Hairston played poorly on both ends of the court. He appeared destined to another first game disappointment. Then came the second half.
After going 0-for-3 in the first half, Hairston poured in 11 points in the first four minutes of the third stanza on 5-for-5 shooting. He came out with much more tenacity and more confidence in his outside shot. With 18 seconds remaining in the game, Hairston's three-pointer gave the Spurs a four point advantage.
Seeing Hairston drain outside jumpers is a very good sign. He struggled shooting in summer league and in the NBA last year. To survive in San Antonio's system, Hairston has to show the type of shooting he provided on Sunday afternoon.
Defensively, Hairston had some good moments but he has a lot of room to improve. He was playing too close in man-to-man defense and allowed the opponent to beat him off the dribble. He also didn't crash the defensive glass well enough.
On offense, Hairston was best when spotting up or driving the ball directly to the basket. His ballhandling looked extremely shaky when he tried to create off the dribble. He also clogged the lane too much at times when he prematurely tried to hit the offensive boards.
Hairston's 16 second half points were a big part of the victory. If he can give a more consistent effort and clean up some of the smaller aspects of his game, he'll give himself a very good chance of making the Spurs regular season lineup.
James Gist
23 minutes, four points, three rebounds, one steal, one blocked shot
1-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-4 at the line
Last year in summer league, James Gist looked like a stud in the making. His 2009 summer league campaign didn't start off nearly as hot. He looked worse in this game than he did at any point last year.
It appeared as if Gist was trying to make the adjustment to play more out on the perimeter but he ended up looking uncomfortable. He hesitated on a few jumpers and didn't look like he was sure where he was supposed to be on the court.
Defensively and on the boards, I thought Gist looked rather weak. He got pushed around and his physicality was missing in action. He wasn't making up for his lack of bulk with his athleticism like he did last year.
It's not time to push the panic button but Gist needs to show a lot more if he wants to have a chance at making the team. Right now, a second year in Europe appears like it could do him some good.
Jack McClinton
16 minutes, two points, two rebounds, two turnovers
0-for-2 from the floor, 2-for-2 at the line
There's no way to sugarcoat it -- Jack McClinton was really bad in his summer league debut in every aspect of the game. He didn't do anything offensively, played poor defense and just didn't look like an NBA player.
Offensively, McClinton played like he didn't know when and where to pick his spots. Constant second-guessing caused him to do next to nothing on the offensive end. In his few minutes running the team, he proved that he's not much of a point guard prospect.
On defense, McClinton's lack of size was obvious. Fellow second round pick Marcus Thorton ate him alive a number of times. McClinton is too small to be much help on the boards but he needs to do a much better job of boxing out and staying between his man and the basket.
The good news is that a lot of McClinton's struggles can be attributed to rookie jitters. If he can settle in, nail a few open shots and realize he can be aggressive when looking for his shot, there's a chance he can bounce back. And as we saw last year with Hairston, a poor summer league opener isn't the end of the world.
Romel Beck
24 minutes, 13 points, three rebounds, one assist, one steal
5-for-10 from the field, 3-for-3 at the line
Aggression isn't a lacking trait for Romel Beck. From the moment he stepped onto the court, he was ready to fire. When it comes to a polished offensive game and a sweet outside stroke, Beck might lead the team in both areas.
The problem with Beck is he has a few glaring holes in his game. First of all, he's a poor ballhandler for a perimeter player. He dribbles with a high bounce and doesn't change directions well. Beck also doesn't have a good feel when it comes to passing the ball or spotting the open man.
Defensively, Beck's slight frame hurts him. He gives good effort on that end but he gets pushed around and bumped out of position with regularity. He also appears to have below average quickness.
Beck could earn a spot in training camp but he'll have to show that his ability to put the ball in the hole outshines the rest of his flaws.
Stephane Lasme
10 minutes, three points, one assist, one blocked shot, two turnovers
1-for-1 from the field, 1-for-1 on three-pointers
Stephane Lasme has changed his game from the last time I saw him play. On the offensive end, he was trying to play much further out on the perimeter. Although he hit a three-pointer, he didn't look too comfortable out of the lane.
Defensively, he wasn't helping out much. He went for a number of blocks but he was playing soft and didn't help out on the glass at all. For Lasme to become an NBA player, he'll have to figure out how to mix in his elite shotblocking ability with the rest of his defensive responsibilities.
Alonzo Gee
11 minutes, four points, one rebound
1-for-2 from the field, 2-for-2 from the line
Though he appears to be a very good athlete, Alonzo Gee didn't show many perimeter skills. He played much more like an undersized power forward rather than a small forward. There were a number of time he didn't make the simple pass.
On the defensive end, he showed some promise. He has a good combination of strength, quickness and leaping ability. Keep an eye on his defensive play the rest of the week to see if he can possibly win a spot in training camp due to his potential on D.
Donnell Taylor
Nine minutes, four points, one assist, one steal, one blocked shot, one turnover
1-for-5 from the field, 2-for-2 at the line
The backup to George Hill in the summer league opener was Donnell Taylor. Unfortunately, he played the position like a poor man's Roger Mason, Jr. -- which may be appropriate because Taylor and Mason were teammates with the Washington Wizards.
Taylor struggled handling the ball, rarely made the right pass and overall just looked like a 6-foot-5 shooting guard playing out of position. Will Squeaky Johnson get a shot as the backup point guard or will Taylor keep the job? Stay tuned.
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