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Not sure I buy the Blair and Scola comparison.
Indeed.
Not sure I buy the Blair and Scola comparison.
definitely not
I'm not sure I want to go too far with it either but it just occurred to me.
Basically Blair in NCAA was like Scola in Euroleague. Undersized, below-the-rim PF. Solid post presence on offense with an array of up and under moves, tip-ins, showing success against non-NBA defenders. Good rebounder (but will it translate to the NBA)? In Scola's case, pretty much his whole game has translated well to what the Rockets are doing.
So just going by rep alone, I could see some similarities in their pre-NBA games. We shall see if Blair can show some of the qualities of experience and poise that Scola has gained by playing pro for several years already.
If you wanted to go a step further (which I won't) you could say that we wouldn't have needed to draft Blair at all this year if we had gotten Scola years ago.
i agree and im sure you watched a lot of scolas euroleague games and pitt games over the last few yearsBasically Blair in NCAA was like Scola in Euroleague. Undersized, below-the-rim PF. Solid post presence on offense with an array of up and under moves, tip-ins, showing success against non-NBA defenders. Good rebounder
blair was a great selection and he looks good, but wait until at least december or january until we compare him to scola or duncan, or give the guy ROY
Wait... there's Hooter's girls here? I'm going to put on a better shirt and some cologne...
OK seriously, I'm with you on the intangibles. Bonner doesn't have any of them. He can knock down a shot but he's not a guy I want on the floor with the game on the line. It's only pre-season and we haven't seen much crunch time (none in a real NBA game for tha matter) from DeJuan (Mr. Blair if ur nasty); but I have to think with the energy and tenacity that he's showed us so far, he's a guy who wants to be on the court and make a difference when the game is on the line. You can't teach that. You have it or you don't. In all fairness to Bonner, he hits open shots. If you were an NBA baller would you be scared to face him? Probably not. Blair on the other hand, has the potential to be a monster. Let's hope Blair turns out to be the compe ive Beast he's showing signs of becoming. If his short pre-season stint is any indication, he's got the intangibles. Only time will tell
Of course; I'm all over that Euro stuff like the 3 wheel cars, capri pants and what-not. I take siestas too just to learn how they roll in the Spanish leagues.
But seriously everyone knows that's what Scola does -- it's common knowledge and doesn't take a railpass to go to all the games to find out. It's like saying Jordan's pre-draft profile said he was an athletic SG with a questionable J.
And I'm not comparing their NBA games. I just mention their characteristics and questions about them before entering the NBA as a comparison and I see some vague similarities that could or could not create discussion.
Blair is showin Pop more than Hill did last year. If he gets in some games and plays like this against the vets, he'll get minutes. If he was a legitimate number 2 draft pick, then those guys usually can step into a playing role of some kind with their team.
The DeJuan Blair Project (and Thabeet roles on)
Well, Shazam!: The Man with No Knees can Play!!
Remind me again why DeJuan Blair was "redflagged" this summer? Oh, yeah, Chad Ford explained to us that some namby-pamby doctors felt Blair's knees were a risk, or that he had no knees, or no feet, or no shins, or something like that. Well, in the wake of Blair's recent performances it seems that a bunch of GMs are "kicking themselves" for listening to those doctors and passing on Blair. You don't say??? (what a bunch of morons. Could you imagine Red Auerbach heeding the advice of some doctor who was telling him to pass on Bill Russell? Not likely... "This is unreal, fella?!!".)
Well, I hope they're not kicking themselves in the asses, because half of them would suffer brain damage. (note: the tweet actually says they are "cursing" themselves, but how does that set up my punch line?)
San Antonio's DeJuan Blair continues to put up weirdly Nintendo-like numbers during an exhibition season that has seen nearly every other rookie struggle. In his first exhibition game, he grabbed 19 rebounds in something like 23 minutes. Tonight, in his second NBA exhibition, he shot 11 for 13 from the field. All of which was suggested he could do by his college record, none of which, of course, was taken seriously by draft sites -- which ludicrously rank high school point guards with "poor decision making skills" as number one overall draft picks -- or GMs who tend to follow what other GMs think in a way that would make traditonal Groupthink seem highly diversified.
Two others who are having lesser, but still impressive success are Denver's Ty Lawson and Memphis' Hasheem Thabeet. Neither player is putting up dazzling numbers, but each is playing the efficient kind of productive basketball that will win their team games.
(I liked Lawson a lot coming into the draft, but actually thought Thabeet would struggle a bit more, due to pressure to expand his game beyond its parameters. But as long as he concentrates on rebounding, blocking shots, and making easy baskets, he will make a strong win contribution to the Memphis Grizzlies this season. But, similar to the reception given to Greg Oden's rookie season, I'll bet no one will notice).
Not that I agree that any GM's are kicking themselves right now over Blair, that was funny.Well, I hope they're not kicking themselves in the asses, because half of them would suffer brain damage.
PTI and Around the Horn have both talked about him more than once now, and it's been to clown on all the other GMs in the league.
If the ESPN daily talking heads are discussing his play, you can bet he'll get all the exposure he needs if he keeps it up.
Did he steal your girlfriend or something?
Your hate on Blair is reaching ducks-on-Manu proportions.
Rebounds are to Pop as crack is to a junkie....plus hopefully he'll realize he's got a ROY caliber rookie.
Also, looking back on it, when Pop has truly great rookies that are ready to play, they get their minutes. He doesn't hold them back just because they are rookies.
Spurs rookie Blair learns quickly
By Gary Graves, USA TODAY
MIAMI — DeJuan Blair's NBA development is just starting, but the San Antonio Spurs rookie forward is showing he can do a lot in a hurry.
He led Sunday's 95-93 victory against the Miami Heat with a game-high 28 points in 26 minutes off the bench, including the winning layup with 1:01 left.
The University of Pittsburgh product scored 13 points on seven of eight possessions during a late four-minute stretch in helping to erase a nine-point deficit.
"He threw some good passes to people out of the post, so it wasn't like he caught it and shot it every time," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Blair made his debut Oct. 6 against the Houston Rockets with a 16-point, 19-rebound effort, which Popovich said was more indicative of his ability. No wonder Popovich kidded the 20-year-old Sunday after one of his four rebounds against the Heat came on defense.
"He's a mobile, agile player even with the girth he has," Popovich said of the 6-7, 265-pounder. "He has great quickness, along with that rear end he was given. I thought he had a pretty good all-around game — except for that (one) board."
Blair leads the Spurs after three games in scoring (17.7-point average) and rebounding (8.3). But he figures to play the waiting game on a team that traded for Richard Jefferson and signed veterans Antonio McDyess and Theo Ratliff during the summer.
"They gave me the opportunity, and I'm going to take full advantage of it," said Blair, a second-round pick (37th overall) after teams worried about his history of knee trouble in high school. "Me just learning everything is going to be the key part and everything else I do is a bonus.
"That (Heat game) was just me playing off me, just showing them I can score and being the person they picked."
Itd be pretty sweet but i really dont think he will get the court time needed to put up good stats.. I hope he has the chance tho, big Blair fan !
Spurs fans who hate on DeJuan Blair have short penises.
At this point and time (pre-season) Blair is basically doing what he is asked to do by the coaching staff.
They are testing every element of his productivity that they can see and utelize in the future.
He hasn't disappointed. It's obvious through interviews with other members on the team and coaching staff that Blair is not only willing to absorb...but produces that absorbtion on the court.
I've noted in the beginning that I think he will eventually start. A projection I still hold. But in the reality of an 82 game season...the verdict is still out if he can uphold the rigors of that type of schedule. But he is being tested by the staff. If he keeps putting up the numbers and seems to absorb not only mentally but produces physically in games...there will be no doubt he deserves a starting role next to Duncan in the near future. They would compliment each other too significantly to not have that happen if the learning curve and ability both presents itself over the course of the season.
Also...IF this young man proves to be that good...it would be a shame to ride him for a season or two off the bench knowing also that he might not have 10, 8, or even a minimal of 6 seasons to garnish his ability if his physical condition of his knees should wane the longer he plays in this league. If he proves to be a steal...a what should have been top 5 to 10 pick...he should be utelized as much and as soon as possible before the event of career ending injury might take place.
If it never happens...then the better off for him and the Spurs it would be. If it does...then at least he will have given this team more than they could have ever expected in the near (Duncan) future....maybe even another trophy.
Pop was making a joke when he made the 'only one defensive rebound' comment.
Dude does not compare to Scola at all. Scola plays like Kevin McHale and he can't jump at all. However, based on his rebounding and style of play and large rear end, he is more like Sir Charles Barkley more than anything else. Dude scraps for rebounds, and scores in the low post even though he's short.
Round Mound of Rebound II indeed.
Bonner shot 268 3PA in 08-09 at .440; for the most part, he hits his shots.
not in big games except against boston
That's cool.
Just wasn't sure if you were taking an unnecessary cheapshot or being an ignorant jackass.
I see now that it wasn't an either/or.
Nice.That's cool.
Just wasn't sure if you were taking an unnecessary cheapshot or being an ignorant jackass.
I see now that it wasn't an either/or.
pop on blair seems pretty straightforward:
"I don't want to denigrate anything he's done in the past, and I don't want to over-emphasize anything he's doing well," Popovich said Tuesday, albeit before Blair went all Dennis Rodman on the AT&T Center. "I don't know exactly where to put him yet, as far as what kind of impact he might make."
"When you're an undersized big in this league, the first thing you learn is, offensively, is it's a whole lot tougher than you thought it was going to be. When you're going after 6-10 and 7-foot guys every night, it's a lot different than college, when your ass got you over every night. Offensively, it's a comeuppance. Or, maybe he'll say, 'Pop, you're full of it,' and he's Barkley.
"We know it's not going to happen, but I want to wait and see what's going to happen offensively, because of that. Will he get down? If he does get down, how long will he be down? How will he fight back? But rebounding-wise, he can rebound with anybody. He's a monster on the boards."
I wouldn't say barkly, more like wes unseld!
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