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You can feel the anger in Pop's voice, he ing hates that Blair is under 30..
Blair proving to be another draft steal for Spurs
Jeff McDonald
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For 31 glorious minutes, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich watched as rookie DeJuan Blair took a wrecking ball to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
He grabbed rebounds. He scored dunks. He had tip-ins. He blocked shots. He did it all, including some things a hydrant-shaped NBA center should never be able to, en route to his 28-point, 21-rebound performance in the Spurs' 109-108 victory Wednesday.
It was the first 20-20 game by an NBA rookie since a guy named Tim Duncan did it in 1998, and enough to make Popovich rethink everything he thought he knew about basketball.
“I don't know how he does it,” Popovich said. “I have no clue what his moves are. He's just a basketball player. We didn't teach him any of it.”
A 6-foot-7 center, Blair is about as rare an NBA specimen as a 7-foot point guard. Only Houston starts a shorter man at center, and the 6-6 Chuck Hayes got the nod this season only because 7-6 Yao Ming is injured.
All Popovich does know about his 20-year-old rookie: He produces at a level uncommon for a second-round draft choice.
The 37th pick in last June's draft, Blair is the first rookie not taken in the first round to post a 20-20 game since Houston's Larry Smith did it in 1981, eight years before Blair was born.
“The guy is like a stat machine,” Popovich said. “He's got no moves on the post. He's not a shooter. He just figures out a way to get it in the hole.”
Entering tonight's game in Charlotte, Blair is averaging 7.1 points and 5.8 rebounds.
He is outperforming most of the big men selected before him in June, when his lack of NBA size, any semblance of a post game and, bizarrely, an ACL in either knee triggered a dizzying draft-day slide for the All-American from Pittsburgh.
Expecting to be a lottery selection, Blair freefell to the second round, where the Spurs eagerly snapped him up. He emerged with a new perspective that has since become his nightly fuel.
“I know I have to earn my respect in the NBA,” Blair said. “Nobody is just going to give it to me.”
A year after nabbing George Hill at No. 26, the Spurs have again snagged an immediate rotation player from a draft position at which immediate rotation players aren't typically available.
Never dreaming Blair would drop to them — most in the organization figured, at worst, he'd be gone after the first pick in the second round — the Spurs did not work him out prior to the draft. A 15-minute interview with general manager R.C. Buford and other Spurs staffers at a camp in Chicago was the only pre-draft contact between the team and the player.
With the 37th pick, the Spurs gladly would have selected Blair's college teammate, Sam Young. When Young went off the board at No. 36 to Memphis, the Spurs jumped on Blair.
For Popovich, initial euphoria at pilfering Blair gave way to the realization that his new center was vastly undersized, owned zero post moves and could not consistently score outside 3 feet.
Ignoring the urge to immediately fix what Blair could not do, Popovich decided to let Blair be free to do what he already could — rebound, make put-backs and play like his lunch money depended on it.
“It's important to know a player's natural habits and how he plays before you try to adjust or add to it,” Popovich said. “It's better to understand what he does well, and go from there.”
It's a hands-off approach Popovich plans to continue for the foreseeable future. He doesn't quite understand the magic that is DeJuan Blair, but he certainly won't argue with the results.
“He's got a good future ahead of him,” Popovich said, “as long as we don't screw him up.”
You can feel the anger in Pop's voice, he ing hates that Blair is under 30..
"As long as we don't screw him up". sounds a lot like what Pop has said abouth is success with the Spurs, in that they had Tim and DAvid and didn't screw it up to get les and be contenders for a long time. I think Blair has the potential to get a lot better once he gets a mid range jump shot, no telling where this kid can go.
From a piece in the Preview thread, thought it belonged here.
Brown on Blair and trade possibilities
Plenty of candid comments by Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown at practice Thursday.
On whether they would have chosen San Antonio Spurs rookie DeJuan Blair, had he lasted three more spots to the Bobcats' No. 40 overall pick: "Absolutely. Michael (Jordan) loved him. We all did, but there was an issue about his knee. To take a gamble with an early first-round pick, we all weighed, (knowing power forward) was a need of ours. They thought the risk might be too great (in the lottery), but with the second round, yeah. We had him rated really high. He was rated in the top 15.''
There's a number of big men in the first round I really have to question where they were picked. Guys like Jordan Hill down to BJ Mullins. Even in the late 1st round picking Blair was worth it.
This quote, coupled with Hill's great play recently, proves the Spurs are the greatest drafters in modern history.
Hey, at least Pop plays him. That's probably the best compliment you can get from him...
For real? I don't feel it at all.
No post moves? I think he showed flashes of it in the Boston game.
You mean, the same way in which you're screwing up Ian?
Nicely done by McDonald. That was some Ludden-esque inside information. Great jobWith the 37th pick, the Spurs gladly would have selected Blair's college teammate, Sam Young. When Young went off the board at No. 36 to Memphis, the Spurs jumped on Blair.
I would have been PISSED if the Spurs had selected Young instead of Blair. I know some Spurs fans wanted Young but there's absolutely no way you pick him over Blair. Young is four years older, can't pass to save his life and doesn't have too high of a ceiling. Pretty good pick if Blair was gone but would have been a disaster to pick instead of Blair.
Agreed.Nicely done by McDonald. That was some Ludden-esque inside information. Great job
I would have been PISSED if the Spurs had selected Young instead of Blair. I know some Spurs fans wanted Young but there's absolutely no way you pick him over Blair. Young is four years older, can't pass to save his life and doesn't have too high of a ceiling. Pretty good pick if Blair was gone but would have been a disaster to pick instead of Blair.
I also enjoyed that lil' nugget from McDonald. I watched the draft intently and was hoping like for the Sam Young slide to the Spurs. Of course, I assumed that Blair would've been long gone by pick #37.
I didn't know Young had so many warts. I guess we'll be looking for a SF in the next draft.
luckily it didn't happen and as I read it, there is no prove that they would have in fact picked Young over Blair, if the Grizzlies didn't pick him at 36.Nicely done by McDonald. That was some Ludden-esque inside information. Great job
I would have been PISSED if the Spurs had selected Young instead of Blair. I know some Spurs fans wanted Young but there's absolutely no way you pick him over Blair. Young is four years older, can't pass to save his life and doesn't have too high of a ceiling. Pretty good pick if Blair was gone but would have been a disaster to pick instead of Blair.
I can see that the Spurs did have Young on top of their wish list, just because it was really out of any projection, that Blair might be there at 37. young was projected 20-30 by most scouts, so there was a small but still realistic chance he falls to 37.
I really doubt that, if the Spurs learn they could pick either Blair or Young, they take Young. I think they change their mind as quick as they did 2007, when suddenly Splitter was still on the board, something the Spurs didn't expect at all.
(reportedly they were already prepared to trade the pick).
09' Blair
08' Hill
07' Splitter
04' Udrih
03' Barbosa
02 Salmons, Scola
01' Parker
99' Ginobili
Starting line up
Parker
Hill
Salmons
Scola
Blair
Bench
Ginobili
Barbosa
Udrih
Splitter
Not a bad line up, and then factor in that they've all been pick very late 1st round/2nd round.
Blair had a of a game against the Thunder. What I wonder is what will be his consistant production. He's had an off the chart game to games where you wonder if he was even there. He needs to constant motor in every game to combat the bigs of the NBA. Showing that motor every game is the only way he will get the NBA respect that he longs for.
Exactly. I loved watching that Celtic front line bouncing off him like gnats.
The Kid is legit and only going to get better. Maybe the FO calls in good old #50 back (D.R.) to help this kid with some post moves and/or a jumper.
In any case, highway robbery by the Spurs. Good pick.
I agree with Pop. Blair has no "post moves" or goto post moves. He just has an excellent feel for the game. A lot of his post moves appear to just be instinctual and reactions to defense. Either that or all power lol.
Blair baby!
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