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Can someone cut up a youtube video of his performance? Thanks.
Blair's burst locks up Spurs victory
Mike Monroe
MIAMI — About 20 seconds remained in a timeout called with 3:02 remaining in Sunday's Spurs-Heat preseason game, but DeJuan Blair couldn't wait.
Veterans from both teams leaned against the scorer's table, waiting for the referees to whistle them back, but Blair walked to center court and stood, hands on hips.
Nobody could blame the Spurs rookie for being eager for the game's resumption. If his pose seemed moderately defiant, well, he had earned the moment.
The precocious rookie from the University of Pittsburgh had scored 13 of the Spurs' previous 15 points, dragging them from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to a three-point lead with 3:02 remaining.
If anyone thought him guilty of unearned hubris, he followed by punctuating his performance with a basket that provided the Spurs their margin of victory in a 95-93 win. His game-winning layin, off a nice feed from Malik Hairston, gave him his 27th and 28th points of the game.
By the time he headed to the locker room to receive a dose of instant humility, delivered by coach Gregg Popovich, Blair had scored 15 of the Spurs' 33 fourth-quarter points, all in the final six-and-a-half minutes.
Sunday's fourth-quarter explosion produced the second set of eye-popping statistics of the 6-foot-7, 265-pound post man's preseason. In the first preseason game, against the Rockets, he scored 16 points and grabbed 19 rebounds.
Drafted in the second round because the Spurs believed him a legitimate NBA rebounder, Blair got a none-too-subtle reminder from Popovich that rebounding must remain his forte.
“He had a tough night,” Popovich said, straight-faced. “He only had one defensive rebound.”
Then, Popovich failed to suppress a grin as he told reporters from Florida, “He's really going to enjoy reading that in the San Antonio paper.”
In truth, Popovich was thrilled with the way Blair stayed within the Spurs' offense to earn his scoring opportunities. As impressive as his shooting was, Popovich was equally stirred by Blair's ability to create for teammates.
“He threw some good passes to people out of the post, so it wasn't like he caught it and shot it every time,” Popovich said. “He had a pass to (Michael Finley) for a 3-point basket and another pass for a basket out of a double-team in the post.
“I thought he played a very good all-around game — except for the one board.”
Blair has proved a quick study since training camp began two weeks ago. His teammates praise his willingness to seek advice and then to apply lessons taught.
“I'm getting a lot more comfortable,” Blair said. “My teammates are putting a lot of trust in me. I'm still here for rebounding. The points will come from what they come from each night.
“The rebounds weren't falling my way today. I know (Popovich) said, ‘He only had one defensive rebound today,' but if you look at the tape, they hit every shot.”
In fact, the Heat missed 39 of their 75 shots, so Blair will get a reminder of his shortcomings on the glass when the tape rolls.
“I can't wait until the film session,” he said. “It's going to be fun. But that's just me being me.”
Popovich is apt to be Popovich during the viewing, too, but he made it clear that Blair has had a great training camp thus far, despite his tepid results in tracking down misses on Sunday.
“He's a real mobile, agile player, even though he's got the girth that he has,” Popovich said. “He has great quickness, so it's a heck of a gift, along with that rear end he was given.”
Blair's teammates already value his physicality and aggression. They remain perplexed at his availability to the Spurs in the second round of the 2009 draft.
“He listens,” said 35-year-old veteran power forward Antonio McDyess, “and he's a good guy. He's different that way than a lot of young guys that come in the league.
“Plus, he's a beast. A lot of teams need to kick themselves in the butt. He's a heck of a player.”
Can someone cut up a youtube video of his performance? Thanks.
Round Mound of Rebound Part 2.
I'm starting to think ROY isn't out of the realm of possibility for Mr. Blair. This kid might be the first second rounder to contend for and possibly win the ROY. How f'ing sweet would that be?
Hopefully we get an idea of how feasible that is after the next game as he (again, hopefully) faces his biggest rival for the award.
You saw what happened to Thabeet, right?
I hope Blair continues to work hard and impress all the GM's out there who didn't want to take a chance on him. He seems to have a great work ethic and working with Duncan has got to be amazing for him.
The funny thing is at Pitt he said his favorite player was Shaq. Wonder if he's mentioned that to Duncan yet.
Blair has 53 points, 25 rebounds, six assists, five steals and two turnovers in 59 minutes so far in preseason. Those numbers are got damn disgusting. Add in his near 60% field goal percentage and Hollinger's PER calculator would implode if he tried to enter those stats.
I'm thrilled with Blair's production so far ... but I don't think he finishes in the top five in ROY voting. He simply won't play enough minutes. Hopefully I'm wrong and Blair just keep proving doubters wrong but I just don't see him playing more than 20 minutes per game.
Yeah he won't get the minutes. He would have to try and bite into Dice's, Bonner's, and even Ian's minutes to even have a shot. Which I don't see that out of the realm of possibility, but it's still highly unlikely.
His numbers are sick. He's been most impressive and showing sides of his game I didn't know existed.
I don't care if he wins rookie of the year or not. Sure it would be nice but I'll be happy with him continuing to work hard and learning everything he can from the vets. And to stay healthy and hungry.
Seriously how the did this guy fall to us?
I mean I get the fact that Duncan was drafted because of Robinson's broken foot (amongst other ailments to the team), and that was just good timing.
I get that Manu was an unheard of foreign kid at a time when foreigners were still overlooked.
I understand that Parker might have dropped because he was just a fast kid who couldn't shoot and never stood out in the assist category.
But everything about Blair should have merited a top 5 draft pick. This is ridiculous. The Spurs are ridiculous. And I just want to laugh at every lame ass troll that ever said we tanked to get Duncan, because when it comes to Blair, they will have no one to blame but their own team's stupidity.
At the rate he is going 20 minutes is all he needs.
Spurs are very lucky, perhaps blessed to get DeJuan Blair drop down to 37.
I think everyone is exaggerating Pop's willingness to play a rookie. He played Parker at the age of 19!
I think you need to factor in, though, that he's already caught everyone's attention. If he puts up good numbers that are relative to his minutes played, I seriously think he'll be considered. It seems that much of the voting system in the NBA comes down to who is being talked about a lot.
I don't see Blair getting the minutes or marketing-push -- this is the Spurs we're talking about -- to be a real serious threat to win ROY, but I guess it's not out of the realm if he can put up Horford-type numbers on a winner.
If Griffin's Clippers are getting their head's beat in on a pretty regular basis and his numbers aren't ungodly.. I guess it wouldn't be crazy to think DeJuan might have a shot.
I really couidn't care less about the award, TBQH.
I'm just ecstatic the kid's a Spur and I'm having a hard time knocking the smile off my face every time I read an article like this or see stats like timvp just threw out.
no he hasnthe's already caught everyone's attention
yes he has
no
yes
http://www.rotoworld.com/content/pla...=118567&spln=1
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/..._clTAD9B97J480
http://mvn.com/bucksdiary/2009/10/th...-roles-on.html
http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/...a-Cop-Out.html
http://www.sbnation.com/2009/10/7/10...nger-than-your
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=13982
Blair will get the minutes. Rookie or no, it's clear he's probably the second best big man on the Spurs right now.
DeJuan Blair !
I do not think he will get the minutes. Pop just doesn't seem to play rookies that much. Hill showed great promise last year and could not get in the Dallas series even though he was by far the better back up pg.
Blair will probably post some incredible numbers for the time he does play. I just don't think he gets 25 minutes a night, which is what he will need to get ROY consideration.
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