SB Nation - Malik Hairston

Last Night in the D-League; Big Men Run This League

Jon L — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 15:00:22 -0000

Rod Benson is just one of the many big men playing well so far this season.

Watching and/or reading the boxscores from last night's games solidified a theory I've been developing - centers and power forward are owning this league so far this season. That's not to say that there haven't been guards and swingmen also performing well, it's just that around the league, there are a lot of big guys doing solid-to-excellent work. A lot of shooters and slashers are playing overseas rather than the D-League this year, and the guys in the middle are taking advantage.

Update - the play by play data isn't available, but you can now find a PDF of the LA/Reno boxscore here. I go through it at the bottom of this post.

Erie BayHawks 109, Sioux Falls Skyforce 107 (OT)

Here's a good example of what I was talking about up top - John Bryant. The guy is killing it for Erie. He has double-doubles in all four games he's played so far, and in those four games he's shooting 60.8 percent from the field. Last night was probably his best performance yet - 26 points on 12-17 shooting, 16 rebounds (eight of which came on the offensive end) and a team-high four assists. If there's one thing he could improve on, it's getting to and converting from the free throw line. This was his first game with more than four foul shots and he went just 5-9 (he's shooting 53 percent on the season). If he ever figures that part out, he'll be a monster.

It wasn't just Bryant for the BayHawks. Donell Taylor made 14 of his 22 field goals on the way to 28 points (and had eight rebounds), Cedric Jackson finished with 19 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Jackie Manuel grabbed seven boards of his own. Still, Bryant has been this team's driving force so far. Sioux Falls got a solid performance from their own big man, Greg Stiemsma, who had 15 points on nine shots, 11 rebounds and seven blocks. Stiemsma hasn't shot the ball all that well, but his rebounding has been solid so far and he's now averaging a little over five blocks a game. Reggie Williams with 33 points, David Bailey with 10 assists and only one turnover, Joe Krabbenhoft with 10 boards - this team fought back from an 18-point halftime deficit to tie it at the end of regulation, but Leemire Goldwire missed the potential game-winning three at the end of overtime. Fun game.

The rest of last night's action is recapped for your convenience after the jump.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers 94, Tulsa 66ers 89

Garrett Temple had his best all-around game of the season thus far with 24 points, seven rebounds, six assists and four steals. He shot only 1-4 on threes, but given the rest of it, I'm willing to say whatever (which is different than the will to whatevs). The guys up front also played well, with Joey Dorsey collecting 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks and Mike Harris scoring 22 points. Ernest Scott was key off the bench for the Vipers with 13 points on 5-8 shooting, including making three of six three-point attempts.

This is hyperbole, but DeVon Hardin is killing this Tulsa team. The overall rebounding numbers are there, true, and he had seven last night, but he gets lost on defense and overeager to block shots and allows his man to score too easily (did you see Dorsey's and Harris's numbers in the preceding paragraph?). He also doesn't have the burgeoning offensive repertoire that Byron Mullens does; all Hardin can make at this point are dunks and layups, and even then he blew several layups in this game. I haven't really seen anything from him to justify his starting spot or the 28 minutes-per-game that he's averaging. I've said before that he's talented, but the 66ers have two other talented power forwards, Keith Clark and Latavious Williams, who deserve playing time as well. Williams played just under eight minutes last night, all in the first half, and finished with six points, two rebounds and a steal. He also made both of his free throws, whereas Hardin went 1-4. Even giving Hardin somewhere around 20 minutes a night, upping Williams to 10-12 minutes (consistently, no more of this DNP stuff) and keeping Clark at his 15-17 average (rather than the six minutes he played last night) would help improve all of those players' games in the long run and maybe even send a message to Hardin that he needs to focus.

But enough of my DeVon Hardin rant. Mullens played fairly well, with 21 points and nine rebounds, and Larry Owens had nine rebounds, five assists and four stealas. Mustafa Shakur struggled in this one, though, with 15 points on 12 shots and eight turnovers, and overall the 66ers shot just 2-12 from behind the arc and got just 14 points from their bench (six of which came from Williams, remember). They've played six games in the last 10 days, so maybe they just need some rest.

Austin Toros 104, Albuquerque Thunderbirds 103

This one was close all the way through. Malik Hairston had 20 points at halftime for the Toros, but scored only seven more in the second half and fouled out in 35 minutes of playing time. Alonzo Gee also had a better first half than a second, but he finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Dwayne Jones had 13 points and 10 rebounds, but he was also limited by some foul trouble. Justin Bowen played well, 14 points on 6-9 shooting, and Curtis Jerrells picked up seven assists, but this team still has a three-point shooting problem, and they finished just 1-7 as a team (the one make being Hairston's) from behind the arc.

Kevin Pittsnogle got sent to the bench for this game (he still played, he just didn't start), which was a good move not just because he missed all of his field goals (again, which is kind of remarkable to write), but because his replacement in the starting lineup Cory Underwood played relatively well and finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Yaroslav Korolev chipped in on the boards, grabbing 13 (five offensive) to go along with 11 points. The Thunderbirds were really led by Carlos Powell, though, who had 28 points, including 8-11 shooting from the free throw line, four rebounds and a pair of assists.

Utah Flash 104, Bakersfield Jam 99

This game was a little closer than I expected, but then Bakersfield getting 34 points and eight rebounds from Jared Newson will make that happen. Of course, Newson fouled out after 37 minutes of playing time, so it wasn't all positive for him. The Jam also got nice contributions from John Williams (16 points on nine shots, five assists) and Reece Gaines (18 points), but the talent gap was just too great, especially on the boards. Backup center Terrance Gamble had six rebounds, but otherwise no one other than the aforementioned Newson finished with more than three. Utah didn't have that many more rebounds as a team (31-28), but they got solid contributions in that area up and down the roster.

Andre Ingram shot the ball pretty well for the Flash, with 24 points on 8-12 shooting (including 4-7 on threes), and he added five rebounds and three assists. Dontell Jefferson missed all three of his three-point attempts but otherwise played well, finishing with 18 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals. Orien Greene also had 18 points, but he turned the ball over seven times. Jason Richards was again nice off the bench, with four assists in a little over 20 minutes, and Carlos Wheeler had 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Idaho Stampede 131, Dakota Wizards 99

What makes the Stampede's total even crazier is that it came on 98 possessions. Anthony Tolliver didn't have a great outside shooting night but got to the line and was able to finish with 19 points on 10 shots and 10 rebounds. Idaho owned the boards, in fact, outrebounding Dakota 49-32, and the disparity matches up with the Stampede's 17 offensive rebounds. Mildon Ambres had nine boards, Cedric Simmons and Emmanuel Jones each had seven and Sundiata Gaines added six to go with his 27 points and seven assists. Tolliver aside the team shot the ball well, with Lanny Smith making all three of his outside attempts, Gaines going 3-6, Ambres 4-9, Roberto Bergersen 2-4 and Mike Gansey making three of his four three-point shots. That's hard for any team to beat.

Romel Beck missed all of this threes but still managed to score 14 points on 22 shots, and David Bell had 24 points despite missing five of his eight three-point attempts. Jason Straight played well off the bench with 20 points on 6-10 shooting, though he also had three turnovers and didn't contribute much else. Connor Atchley played in his first game for the Wizards, getting 12 minutes off the bench, shooting 1-3 and picking up three fouls. You know what? Latavious Williams should get some of his minutes, too.

Maine Red Claws 115, Springfield Armor 89

Hey, so uh...these NBA guys are pretty good. They should, like, play in the NBA, or something. Trey Gilder has been coming off the bench for Maine, something he's not unfamiliar with, but he scored 20 points in 17 and a half minutes last night. 12 of those points came in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter, and a lot of them came from the free throw line. Maurice Maxwell just couldn't guard him, and picked up a lot of fouls (he eventually fouled out later in the game). Noel Felix was almost as good, scoring 13 points in 16 and a half minutes. Bill Walker had 17 points and five rebounds, Darnell Lazare also had 17 points, Billy Thomas had 12 points on five shots, and the last time the Armor had the lead was when the score was 5-4.

JamesOn Curry had another nice scoring night, with 20 points on 7-15 shooting, and he added eight rebounds. Of course, he had just three assists (and four turnovers), which helped contribute to a team-wide ball distribution problem; Springfield finished with just eight assists on the night. Major Wingate helped out on his end with 17 points and nine rebounds, although I'm not sure it can be called "help" when no one else was really doing anything. Kentrell Gransberry was limited to playing a little over 17 minutes because of foul trouble, and the other backup center James Cripe had more turnovers (four) than rebounds (three). The Armor fell to 0-4, and I really don't know what the answer is for them, other than maybe "acquire a real point guard." But hey, professional basketball is back in Springfield, MA, am I right?

LA D-Fenders 117, Reno Bighorns 111 (2OT)

This looks like a tough loss for Reno, because several things went right for them. Foremost among them was Desmon Farmer's game. Not just the 37 points and six assists, but also the three turnovers, which is a drastic reduction from what he's done so far this season. The team got double-doubles from Rod Benson (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Marcus Hubbard (11 and 10), Cezary Trybanski had four blocks in 20 minutes, and Doug Thomas gave some solid contributions with 6-7 shooting and six rebounds off the bench.

LA got some nice contributions of their own, obviously. Diamon Simpson played well again with 17 points and 14 rebounds, six of which came on the offensive glass. Michael Fey had 20 points and eight boards while coming off the bench, and Dar Tucker had a good shooting night (for him), 15 points on 10 shots, including going 3-5 from outside.

A lot of guys were in foul trouble, though, and while I didn't see this game and don't know whether that was a function of all the minutes or because the refs were calling it close, I'm inclined to believe the latter. Benson fouled out in less than 38 minutes, Thomas fouled out in less than 25 and Deron Washington fouled out in 32. Trybanski, Hubbard, Russell Robinson and Horace Wormely all finished with at least four fouls, and they played 20, 33 and a half, 34 and 33 minutes, respectively. Plus, James Jackson, Mo Charlo, Farmer and Reno coach Jay Humphries all got T'd up (and the three players got them at the same time), so there were either some jumpy whistles last night or this game was real chippy.

Game Preview #6: Toronto Raptors @ San Antonio Spurs

Tim C. — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:00:24 -0000

The Maglev has left the station. You'd better get used to it, Findog.

After the last 2 games went horribly awry, the Spurs need a win to tread water. Let me just say it up front: I think they'll get that win tonight. But how will it go down? That's why we watch.

Join us after the jump for your preview.

In the last game, we learned that the new-look Spurs are capable of playing defense, thanks in large part to the efforts of Keith Bogans. Pop started the Bogeyman, who hounded Brandon Roy defensively early in the game, and even managed to hit half his shots on the offensive end. With that in mind, I think he'll get the start again, and be assigned to pester rookie DeMar DeRozan. Pop might also start Manu if he's concerned about our starting unit's offensive production. Another new starter is George Hill, but that is definitely not the result of Pop's experimentation. Tony Parker is out, and while we all hope his ankle heals soon, the Spurs are going to have to compete without him for a few games. George's defense should help to make up for his relative lack of offensive prowess.

Toronto Raptors @ San Antonio Spurs
Where: AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX
When: November 9, 2009, 7:30 PM Spurs time
Watch: FSN SW(San Antonio); RTV(Toronto)

How They Stack Up


2-0	Home	2-1
0-3	Road	1-2
98.8	Offense	107.0
98.2	Defense	108.2
46.7	FG%	47.4
31.6	3-pt%	40.7
73.4	FT%	74.7
39.0	Rebounds	41.2
12.4	TOs	11.8
2-3	Last 10	3-3
Lost 2	Streak	Lost 1
3rd, Southwest	Position	3rd, Atlantic


Country/Time Zone	Game Time
Argentina	10:30 PM
West Coast	5:30 PM
Philippines	8:30 AM
Central Europe	2:30 AM
Palestine/Egypt	2:30 AM
Least Coast	8:30 PM
Colorado/Arizona	6:30 PM
Perth, AUS	8:30 AM
Tokyo, JP	9:30 AM
Sydney, AUS	11:30 AM

Spurs (2-3)	Matchups	Raptors (3-3)
George Hill Cubits	Point Guard With all the things I had to say about Parker's absence being a net positive for the Spurs, this game will be a trial by fire for George. A very, very intense fire. Calderon is quite possibly the most underrated PG in the league. This season, he's off to a slow start by his standards, but you won't find his contributions on any normal stat sheet. He's deceptively effective, with a very high b-ball IQ - much like a certain Argentine we all adore(and who might see some minutes at the point as well). Keep an eye on this, because Calderon is smart enough to spot any weakness in George's game and exploit it. Advantage: Raptors	Jose Calderon Smart Player

Manu Ginobili The Batman	Shooting Guard DeRozan is a promising rookie, and the Raptors made a good choice by drafting him. He's quick, and has the length of a SF, even though the Raps use him at the 2 spot. He's a guy that has a lot of tools in his arsenal, but doesn't have one go-to skill that gives him an advantage over everyone yone else(much like our own Malik Hairston). Speaking of Hairston, he should be on the active roster for the first time all season - maybe we'll have our first Malik sighting of the year. Oh and Manu is definitely better than any SG Toronto has to throw at us. Advantage: Spurs	DeMar DeRozan Newbie

Richard Jefferson Overpaid	Small Forward Hedo certainly has changed from the timid player he was when he wore the silver and black. A more confident style of play helped Orlando reach the finals last season, and earned him a huge payday in the offseason. He's the complete opposite of RJ in terms of style, which means it's a mismatch on both ends. Hedo's more of a finesse player, while Rage is at his best when he's driving the lane and attacking the rim(see video below). Both of them are learning how they fit with their new teams, and haven't been as effective as they will probably end up being by the end of the year. This is close, but RJ has looked like he's finding himself as of late. Advantage: Spurs	Hedo Turkoglu Slightly Less Overpaid

Tim Duncan Where's My Ice Thrown?	Power Forward Timmy clearly hasn't been himself so far this season, while Bosh is looking better than he ever has. He's been a monster so far, and is even sinking the occasional 3-ball(he's shooting 100% from deep). He's been the best PF in the league thus far, according to Hollinger(check out #7, too). But Timmeh is cunning, and will probably find a way to limit him, even if he can't jump over a lima bean. And DeBeast is going to eat Amir Johnson's lunch. Advantage: Tied	Chris Bosh Mark Cuban is Salivating

Antonio McDyess Look Ma, I Can Shoot	Center Speaking of Toronto big men having career years, check Bargs out. Go back to that link for Hollinger's PER listings, and look at #9. He takes a lot of long-range shots like Mehmet Okur, and he makes them at a devastating clip. But unlike Okur, his game doesn't end there. He's also a good rebounder, and even blocks shots. Dice has a nice mid-range game, and Bonner has a nice 3-point stroke(sometimes), but both of them are vastly overmatched. Bargs is finally looking as if he may have been worth that #1 overall pick the Raps used to get him. This is our worst mismatch on the floor, and not even Theo Ratliff can defend this guy's inside-out game. Advantage: Raptors	Andrea Bargnani Okur 2.0

Dejuan Blair The Beast	Bench & Role Players Since we can't possibly hope to stop the Raptors' ridiculous frontcourt tandem, maybe a different strategy is worth a try. Toronto really has nobody outside of Bosh who can defend Dejuan, and he can help us play keep-away on the boards. This is probably his best opportunity to give us a boost so far(think foul trouble for their bigs) in the young season, and I hope Pop lets him take advantage. For Toronto, Jarrett Jack gets a lot of minutes off the bench, but that's just an indicator of a weak bench. For us, there's too many guys to mention, but everyone knows we're deep already. As an aside, we might see Rasho get some minutes at some point tonight, especially if Dejuan gives them hell. Advantage: Spurs	Jarrett Jack Less Than Photogenic

Gregg Popovich GOML	Coach Look, I have no idea who Jay Triano even is. That alone is enough to give Pop the nod here. Advantage: Spurs	Jay Triano Uhh... Who?
	images via yahoo.com

	Other Factors
Intangibles
We're undefeated at home, and Toronto is finishing up a pretty nasty road trip. Advantage: Spurs
Mojo
Toronto got taken to the woodshed(to quote Sean Elliot) on Saturday by the Mavs. They're going to be angry. But we're going to be even more angry, and desperate. Advantage: Spurs
Winner: Spurs
Yeah, I get the feeling we're going to trounce them. Even without Tony, we still have an amazing array of weapons to throw at them, plus we play the game on both ends of the floor. Prediction: 110-93, Spurs

Keys To The Game

Defense - The Raptors haven't played much defense so far this year. In fact, they're giving up more points than any Eastern Conference team not coached by Mike D'Antoni. Even without Tony, our guys shouldn't have a problem putting points on the board. So if we can get a decent amount of stops, we win. It's really that simple.
Passing - Without our best point guard, the rest of the guys are going to have to know where each other are, and make the right decisions. George will never be the great passer that Tony and Manu are, but the Spurs have enough good passers to put up a lot of points.
Making Our Threes - There's going to be a lot of open looks tonight. It goes without saying that our long-range shooting has been atrocious so far this year, but we have the personnel to correct that. The rims have been much friendlier to us in our home games, so there's that.

Last Time They Met

The Spurs and Raptors last met in Toronto on February 11th, in the infamous Roko Ukic game . Bargnani had a great game, as he probably will again, and Roger Mason was the only Spur outside of the big 3 to score more than 2 points. That was an ugly, ugly game.

Some Other Reading

Raptors

Raptors HQ - Here you'll find SB Nation's Raptors blog. Intelligent writing and good analysis abounds - go take a look.
Hoop Heads North - This is another one from the Bloguin network, like our friends over at Project Spurs. It's more of a traditional blog, but still good reading.
Raptors Republic - This is one of the busiest blogs on the TrueHoop network, and they seem to have a blog-by-committee approach, sort of like we do here.

Spurs

48 Minutes of Hell: Tim and Graydon still do their thing like nobody else on the TrueHoop Network. We're lucky to have them.
Project Spurs: These guys do a great job with multimedia content, and it's always good to get another perspective. Go say hi, they don't bite.
SpursTalk - Oh yes, I did. There are actually some intelligent people over there, if you can wade through the rampant douchiness of some of the other members.

The (sort of) Daily Twitter

manuginobili Back home after an unsuccessful trip, lots of work 2 do // De nuevo en casa después de un viaje improductivo. Mucho... http://bit.ly/3sSHkj

MoneyMase #dumbquestions do you like playing in the NBA? noooo, I hate playing bal for a living?? Coome on maan? lol

More Analysis

A while back, BlaseE did one of his great "My Team is Better Than Yours" articles on the Raptors. It's a good read, and he came to this conclusion:

I really like the moves they've made. Their starting unit will really compete and probably dominate some teams. If some young guys step up then they can have a pretty solid team, but I just don't see it. I like the Raptors and a lot of their players so I'll be rooting for them to make the playoffs, but I'm not sure they have really separated themselves from the pack despite improving. Rebounding could be the death of their team.

The Magic That Happened

Nothing bad happened! Not changing that until we win one.

Some Other Viewing

You've seen it once, you've seen it a thousand times. And you want to see it a thousand more times.

Where to Tune In

TV

This game will be televised locally in San Antonio(Fox Sports SW) and Toronto(RTV, whatever that is)

Online

As always, NBA league pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area.

Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to dmenendez@gmail.com for more assistance.

Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year if all else fails, so check it out.

Radio

If you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM).

Waive Goodbye, Part 3

Jon L — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:15:16 -0000

by Chris Young - AP

Pops! (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

View full size photo »

We wrap up our look at which players got waived last week and which made their respective teams with the Divisions Atlantic and Southwest. Really, I promise those are the correct divisions. I know some of these cuts happened a while ago, but I think that seeing them all as a group helps give a broader perspective as to which teams around the league are filling out the end of their benches with cheap talent (and it is talent). Here's part 1, and here's part 2 (and ignore the whole "Derrick Byars made the Bulls" thing. It happened, then it didn't happen.) Part 3 is here:

Boston Celtics

Who got cut: Mike Sweetney

Who got kept: No one.

Well, not no one, but their third-string guards are going to be recent draft picks Lester Hudson and the J.R. Giddens Rebounding Machine. Mike Sweetney is trying, he really is, and he's mostly fine on the offensive end. His conditioning is awful, though, which means he gets hurt and that he's several steps too slow on defense when he makes it onto the court. There's been some suggestion that he could try working his way back into shape in the D-League, and it will be interesting to see what he does from here. J.R. Giddens will likely see some D-League action himself, as his shooting is still really bad. I'm guessing Lester Hudson will as well. After all, the Celtics have a team in their own backyard, and they can't make Danny's son look bad by withholding their NBA talent.

Dallas Mavericks

Who got cut: Jake Voskuhl

Who got kept: No one.

What, you want me to talk about Jake Voskuhl? The Mavericks also rid themselves of Nate Jawai, who hadn't been there all that long, but I suspect that was more of a cap move than anything. D-League-wise, ESPN's Marc Stein things that rookie Rodrigue Beaubois could see some time in Alberquerque, as minutes could be hard to come by for him in Dallas. Beaubois is definitely talented, and he had an intriguing Summer League, so he could be fun to watch for the Thunderbirds.

Houston Rockets

Who got cut: Will Conroy, Romel Beck, Garrett Temple

Who got kept: Pops Mensah-Bonsu

The Rockets had to waive Brent Barry in order to keep Pops, so that's something. It's a shame Conroy couldn't stick around, as he played very well in Summer League and decently when he got preseason minutes, but the (ridiculous?) upside is that he hopefully showed other teams around the league that he can run an offense and is ready to play in the NBA. It's great that Mensah-Bonsu made the team, obviously, but it shouldn't really be that much of a surprise. A power forward/center somewhere between 6'6" and 6'9" who rebounds the hell out of the ball? Sounds like the Rockets to me. Add to that the fact that the team doesn't really know what it's going to get from new center David Andersen either, and you can see why they might want some extra frontcourt help behind Scola, Hayes and Landry. Mensah-Bonsu's offense will be up and down, but as Rockets fans are finding out, that's going to be true for a lot of their players. I'd definitely expect to see Jermaine Taylor and hopefully (for his and the team's sake) Chase Budinger in Rio Grande Valley at some point later this season.

Memphis Grizzlies

Who got cut: Mike Taylor, Thomas Gardner, Leon Rodgers

Who got kept: No one.

Again, it's not really "no one," as Trey Gilder is still around after signing a partially-guaranteed contract back in August. Mike Taylor has proven that he can play in the NBA, provided he can keep his turnovers to a minimum. It will be interesting to see what he does, as other players with less NBA experience have already said they're fed up with trying to make it out of the D-League and are heading to Europe. Taylor probably could lead the Euroleague in scoring, but he'd also be perhaps the number one call-up candidate should come back to the D-League, based on his NBA experience and ability.

New Jersey Nets

Who got cut: Bennet Davis, Will Blalock, Brian Hamilton

Who got kept: No one.

I didn't really expect any of these guys to stick around. Blalock and Hamilton are headed back overseas, I suspect, while Davis would do well to go back to the D-League and either develop an offensive game or become a top-notch post defender to go with his elite shot-blocking ability.

New Orleans Hornets

Who got cut: Earl Barron, Larry Owens

Who got kept: No one.

The Hornets are one of those teams that clearly don't care about the D-League, so I'm not really sure what to write here. Pass? Incomplete? Not qualified? Earl Barron has a D-League pedigree, sure, but even given his time with the Miami Heat this was pretty clearly not going to work out for him unless Hilton Armstrong went down with an injury. I'm guessing Barron goes the overseas route, but seeing him in the D-League would be a pleasant surprise.

New York Knicks

Who got cut: Warren Carter, Sun Yue, Ron Howard, Gabe Pruitt

Who got kept: Marcus Landry

Plus, don't forget the team also cut partially-guaranteed guys Chris Hunter and Joe Crawford. This team is all about winning on the cheap, right? And yet they cut several good, cheap players. But hey, have fun with that whole Jared Jeffries thing. Carter is probably going back to Europe, though I think coming to the D-League might be worth his time, because as I've noted several times before he has a David Lee-ish game. Ron Howard may come back to the D-League, though I'm less certain about Sun or Hunter. I wouldn't be surprised if Sun entered the draft, as he's become a semi-prominent example of a Chinese basketball product aiming for the NBA, and to give up on that while he's so young could be somewhat embarrassing. It also would give the D-League someone to market with so many players headed overseas this year. If he does enter the draft, it will be interesting to see both where he ends up and in what round, as the league considers him somewhat of a star, and while NBA stars can play pretty much anywhere, I'm not sure the same is true for the D-League. A crazy thought popped just into my head: would the Spurs/Toros be interested in giving him the Marcus Williams Treatment? Sun's offense isn't nearly at the level that Williams's is and was, but the Toros essentially created an NBA point guard where there wasn't one, which is what Sun Yue is. Or isn't.

Philadelphia 76ers

Who got cut: Stromile Swift, Sean Singletary, Rashad Jones-Jennings, Brandon Bowman, Dionte Christmas

Who got kept: No one.

So the 76ers apparently were comfortable with their roster as it stood. How's that working out? Yeah, yeah, they already had a lot of guaranteed contracts, and it's not like Sean Singletary is the bee's knees, but this is yet another team that doesn't really care about the D-League, or where their end-of-bench guys come from. Singletary could benefit from some D-League time, but a lot of European teams don't really care whether their point guards can distribute the ball as long as they can score, so that's likely where he's headed. Christmas could stay in the U.S., if for no other reason than to be on hand if the 76ers decide they want to sign him to a 10-day and then not play him.

San Antonio Spurs

Who got cut: Marcus Williams, Curtis Jerrells, Dwayne Jones, Jack McClinton

Who got kept: Malik Hairston

San Antonio went with Keith Bogans over Marcus Williams, even though Bogans played pretty poorly in the preseason while Williams barely played. I say that Williams was waived instead of Bogans and not Malik Hairston because Hairston played so well in both Summer League and the preseason that I would've beeen pretty shocked to see him gone. McClinton, Jones and Jerrells have already signed overseas, and Williams is another guy who it will be interesting to watch, because he'd be at the front of the call-up list should be come back to the D-League. He'd probably also be a first-round D-League draft pick and maybe the first player taken overall. As much as we praise him here at RU, Williams does still have some work to do as a point guard, mainly getting his turnovers down. And, if he tries to hang around the Spurs universe he'll have to become a better-than-passable defender. But the fact that he's gone from a gunning wing to a high-scoring, (mostly efficient), high-assist point guard in the span of less than a year is a testament to Williams's talent and how hard he's willing to work to improve his chances, which speaks well to his basketball future.

Toronto Raptors

Who got cut: No one.

Who got kept: No one.

Okay, this is who should get the pass/incomplete/not qualified. They didn't sign any waiver fodder, so they didn't have to cut any waiver fodder. All is not lost, however, as Sonny Weems seems to have landed solidly in Toronto after being traded twice this offseason. He's begun the season on the inactive list, where I suspect he'll see a fair amount of time, but still.

San Antonio Spurs 2010 Season Preview

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:00:34 -0000

The Spurs 2010 season FINALLY starts on Wednesday. I say finally because I have been stoked ever since the trade for Jefferson on June 23rd. I sat and watched us snag DeJuan Blair in the draft. I read about us signing Antonio McDyess. I sat, in an uncomfortable chair I might add, and watched game after game of the Summer League in July as George Hill and Malik Hairston showed how much better they were. Then two months of boring old summer where we signed Marcus Haislip and Theo Ratliff. Lastly, a month of preseason games I couldn't watch. Yet, we made it. All of us together.

The season starts NOW. Holy FSM am I ready for it.

As a Spurs fan, I think we deal with two issues when starting a new season. One, the Spurs organization doesn't seem excited. Do you recall an interview with Pop saying something like "Man, this is going to be a great year! I can't believe the talent on this team. Easily the most talented team we've ever had." No. Me neither.

Two, they will play the regular season without excitement. Not too high. Not too low. How many times over the next 2-3 months do you think we will hear a player or coach say, "We're just trying to get better day-to-day. Each day is a step to the end of the season. We are trying to build on what we learn everyday." 500? At least. You won't hear Tim say, "Man, this team is stacked. We're playing great defense right now and it will only get better. I just can't see how anybody is going to beat us come May." Just business as usual.

News Alert - This Team Is Stacked

Well, I'm here to tell you this team is stacked. Top to bottom, this is a stout team with a great mix of attributes. We have everything we've had in the past and a couple things we have been missing. We have scorers, we have rebounders, we have playmakers, we have 3-point shooters, we have balance, we have depth, we have youth, we have athleticism, we have experience, we have length, and we have Tim.

Me, I have unbounded enthusiasm. I am stoked to the gills. Let me tell you some of the reasons why.

Three

Let's start at the top. We still have the Big 3. You win in the NBA with great players and we have three great players. We have three great players who have been in our system. We have three great players who have won before and still know what it takes to win. We have three great players who are still great. Tim might not be the best he's ever been, but he's not far from it. Manu probably isn't the best he's ever been, but he's not far from it. Tony is still getting better. We have three awesome players who contribute at both ends of the floor.

Four?

Do we have a fourth great? Very possibly. Richard "Rage" Jefferson will fit in wonderfully with this team. He can play off the ball and get shots off the play of others, and he can create shots for himself. He can sit in the corner and bury the open 3, or he can post up his man. He can also take his man off the dribble. He will spend most of his energy on the defensive end bullying the other team's best wing. He'll be a great if he is really good being a bully.

The Quiet Giant

Antonio McDyess is a quiet man and his play will be quiet. His ability to grab tough defensive rebounds, play physical defense, and hit open jumpers will be a huge part of the team's success. I think Antonio is the best big man to play next to Tim since David Robinson retired. He just has a great all-around game that will complement Tim's game wonderfully.

Bomb Brigade

We return three great 3-point shooters, all of whom should flourish with slightly reduced roles. Roger Mason, Michael Finley, and Matt Bonner shot 42.1%, 41.1%, and 44.0% respectively from long range last year. These are fantastic numbers that we want to see replicated. What we don't want to see replicated are 30.4, 28.8, and 23.8. Those were their minutes per game. Due to injuries and a lack of depth in the front court, all three played more minutes than I think is good for the team. I think we had to lean too hard on them. But, they are all back and they should all still be able to shoot.

Cubits, Baby, Cubits

You know I got on the George Hill bandwagon very early during the '08 Summer League debacle. I bought my George Hill jersey just about the time Pop sent him to the bench and declared him not ready for the playoffs. My faith wavered not. I started to really feel good about my decisions at '09 Summer League when George started showing his leadership skills. Now, after a very impressive preseason and effusive praise from Pop, I believe I know what my Halloween costume will be Saturday. Anybody know where I can find some long arms?

Oldies But Newies

The Spurs brought in a couple vets as situational players. Again, these guys are great complements to the team. Theo Ratliff and Keith Bogans were both brought in to play defense. Defense, defense, defense. I don't expect either to play more than about 8 minutes per game, but they should be very effective minutes. Will they score much? No. But if they can harass shooters, bang in the paint, and grab a couple rebounds . . . mission accomplished.

Beast, Man-Child, Freak of Nature

Yep, DeJuan Blair. He of the preseason double-double. He's the great wild card in the season. The greatest point of excitement. The unlimited upside. He can take over a game without ever running a play for him. Will he? On some nights, yes. Other nights, no. Anything he gives us will be a bonus. And I expect him to give us a lot.

Some Things I Will Keep An Eye On

Our defense in the last 3 minutes of games. Who's playing and how effective are we? You know, I know, and my dog knows that Pop will play with lineups during a game. He will play with different defenses. He will see what works. He will see what doesn't work. But, in the last 3 minutes, when it is winning time, he will go with his best. Pop, above all other things, will want to find out who his best defenders are and whether or not they can execute in the crunch. I expect we'll see a lot of Tony, Manu, Rage, Tim, and Antonio at the end of games. Look for George to be a situational substitution for Tony and Manu. Besides who is playing, how they play will be important. Will we play suffocating defense down the stretch of a game? This is the most important question in our season.

Manu's explosiveness. Manu has been the Spurs 4th-quarter master. He's the guy that has found a way to make plays. The 4th quarter is also when he has really looked to be aggressive scoring his own points. He needs his explosiveness to do it. When will he get it back and how much of it will he have? If Manu is able to recapture his 2008 physical form, well, I fear for the league. His explosiveness makes everybody that plays with him much, much better.

The second unit. I completely agree with Stampler. Our bench is the deepest in the league and, unlike the last two years, our second unit will build leads. In fact, as Stampler said, they will blow people out. Last year, everybody after the big 3 was a role player. Somebody that fit in with a particular skill. This year, we have guys that can make plays. Theo can block shots. DeJuan can get offensive rebounds. George can play tenacious defense. Rage can score his own points. This second unit has guys that can run over a team. Oh, and Manu will be leading that nasty second unit. Keep an eye on the second unit. Their ability to open up leads will be a huge benefit. However, their ability to close leads will be even better. How many times last year did it feel like our goose was cooked early in the second quarter? Tim and Tony had started -- Manu was injured -- the other team came out strong and got us down 8 early, then Tim and Tony went to the bench. We were trying to fight our way back into games with Fab, KT, Mason, Ime, and Jacque. This year, it will be George, Manu, FinDog, Blair, and Ratliff (we could also substitute Rage in for FinDog since I think we will rarely see 3 of the Big 4 on the bench). I don't know about you, but that lineup looks pretty damn good. I think it could win some games.

Player Expectations

Tim Duncan. King of the Spurs universe. In some ways, I expect this to be a down year for Tim statistically for anybody keeping an eye from a distance. I expect his points will be lower and you know that is 90% of what people pay attention to. I think his shot attempts and free throw attempts will be down. I think this will largely be because his minutes will be down AND that the team will run very little offense through him. HOWEVER, I think Tim is going to step up as a great garbage man. Expect his offensive rebound numbers to be up. Expect his rebounds per minute to be up. Expect his field goal percentage to go up. I think we will see relatively little of a very efficient Tim Duncan. Yeah, I'm worried about his knee and his mobility. But, we'll never know how he's doing. He'll play. He'll run the court. He won't complain.

Tony Parker. Offensive leader of the team. Tony just gets better every year on the offensive end. His one man fast break is one of the most amazing things in the NBA. The other team's need to game plan for him most likely represents itself in the fact that a relatively poor Spurs rebounding team last year was first in the league in defensive rebounding. Teams have to get back. Look for Tony to maintain his scoring average at 20-21 points per game, but look for his assists to get up in the 8+ range. Tony has better offensive players with him this year, and that will result in more passes to open players who can score.

Manu Ginobili. Leader of the second unit. Manu will be the pseudo-point guard of the second unit. George may bring the ball up the court, but Manu will initiate the plays. Again agreeing with Stampler, look for Manu to have great assist numbers playing with guys who can score on the second unit. Keep an eye on his 3-point shooting. If he gets his average up near 40%, he's going to be a nasty cover for teams.

Richard Jefferson. Defensive stopper. Rage's ability to be the primary wing defender will be critical to the team's overall defensive ability. If he can make the great scorers in the league work hard, then the Spurs will be in great shape. I know he'll fit in offensively. He'll sit in the corner and hit the open 3 when the other guys are doing their thing. He'll spend some time in the post when matchups call for it. And, he will be dangerous in the open floor with Tony and Manu.

Antonio McDyess. Veteran. I expect boring and solid. I expect many games where he doesn't do much but play 16 minutes and grab 4 rebounds. Those won't bother me. It's how he plays against the elite teams in the league that I want to see. Will he give us 10 and 10 against the Lakers? Can he lock up Gasol? Can he harass Dirk? Will he pull Shaq away from the basket? That's what we need from him. Don't judge him by a game against the Kings. Judge him by his ability to make solid plays in big games.

Michael Finley, Matt Bonner, Roger Mason. Shooters. These guys are here to shoot. Period. They will earn court time based on their ability to knock down 3 balls. As I said earlier, these guys can all shoot and I expect all of them to have fewer minutes. If any of them find that they don't have a good stroke this year, expect that person to see extended pine time. Don't get me wrong, they all know the system and be where they need to be. But they have to make shots.

George Hill. Backup point guard. The development of George Hill will be great to watch this season. I think we will see him playing 22 minutes per game. 14-16 as Tony's backup and 6-8 at shooting guard. Two things really impressed me in the game against the Thunder. One, he not only knocked down his corner threes, but he shot them aggressively and with confidence. Two, he attacked the rim and made a Tony-style layup where he extended his arm and flipped it up before the help defender could get over. Last year, he would try to get all the way to the rim and flip the ball up wildly off the side of the rim. He made layups harder than they needed to be. It looks like in one year, his offensive game has developed tremendously. But he's still a better defender. He's in the Bruce Bowen mold. He loves to defend. I think George is going to have a tremendous year. I think he'll end the year as one of the 20 best point guards in the league. I don't even think it will be debatable. Maybe, just this once, Pop isn't snowing us and George really is his favorite player.

DeJuan Blair. Wild card. If he gives us nothing, I think we have a great team. However, he's very capable of giving us 20 and 10 on any night. The best thing about Blair, and what separates him from any other Spur in the last 10 years, is that he can do it without ever having a play run for him. He can do it all without taking anything away from the team. DeJuan has something you don't see in very many hustle rebounders. Great touch. He has fantastic touch around the basket which gives him the ability to score. And score a bunch. DeJuan is a natural scorer. He knows how to use his body. He knows how to use the rim to protect against shot blockers. He has great footwork as well. His ability to put the ball in the bucket is what makes him special. He's not just a rebounder, which he will do plenty of, he's a scorer. And he scores off his rebounds. He's all upside. When you get a chance to watch him, watch his feet and watch how he scores. He's Ginobili-esque in his ability to get shots up in traffic and have them go in. I'm telling you. He's special.

Everybody else. Theo Ratliff, Keith Bogans, Marcus Haislip, Ian Mahinmi, and Malik Hairston. This team is so deep I'm afraid I forgot somebody. I think all these guys can help the team. I don't think any of them are 20 minutes per game guys. The contributions of these guys, along with the development of George and DeJuan, is what will keep our big guns fresh. Their ability to play well is what will get us a one or two seed in the West and home court advantage. They are important, but I think there will be small roles for each of them.

Defense

Back to basics. The team needs to get back to being a tenacious group. Our defense slipped a lot last year. Teams shot really well against us and we didn't cause turnovers and we didn't block shots. We need to get back to making teams uncomfortable. I think we have the personnel to do it. Defense is what the team will work hardest on all year. That's why Jefferson is so important. Look for us to be better in all three areas. Our defensive field goal percentage will be lower, we'll have more steals, and we'll block more shots. In general, I think teams will find us to be much more rugged.

Offense

Easy baskets. Our scoring out of our half court sets will be the same as always with a little less Tim. Tony and Manu will run the pick-and-roll. They'll drive. They'll kick out to 3-point shooters. Wash, rinse, repeat. However, I think we will be on the break more. For three reasons. One, we have more athletic personnel that will flourish in the open court with Tony's speed spearheading the attack. Two, our defense will create some havoc. Turnovers and blocked shots, and even stops, lead to more running opportunities. We wont' be the Suns, but we will get up and down the court some. Three, we will be a better offensive rebounding team. We really can't be worse, but I'd like to see us get to the middle of the pack.

My Outlook

I really think this will be the best team of the Spurs championship era. Pop won't push the older guys during the regular season like he used to. So I don't know if we will win 65 games. We very well might though if our second unit is as good as I think they will be. My schedule analysis said we win 56 games. I think that is worst case. I think we'll win 62-63 games. Best case, this team can win 66-67. Seriously, this is a very good team. This team is significantly better than last year. They are significantly better than every team in the West except the Lakers. This team is significantly better than every team in the East except the Celtics, Cavs, and Magic. This team should blow people out this year. I expect our point differential to be near 10 points per game this year through the end of January. We will be a juggernaut.

If you aren't excited about this season, you might not be a Spurs fan. If you are a Spurs fan, you should be excited about this season. Get ready. Get tickets. Watch games. This is going to be an amazing year. I'm just glad it's getting started. You should be too.

Get To Know Your New San Antonio Spurs #8: Malik Hairston, Last Man Standing

Tim C. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:54:16 -0000

Ed.Note: This is from the fictitious interview notes of Tim C. and silverandblack_davis.

Pop is not impressed.

By now, you probably all know that Marcus Williams has been waived, leaving Malik Hairston as the only remaining competitor in the battle to receive the final spot on the Spurs roster. We wish Marcus well in his future endeavors, but it's time to talk about Malik Hairston. So this isn't his first time being on the official roster, but how much do we really know about Mr. Unguaranteed? Follow us below the fold to learn a little more.

Player History

High School & Oregon

Go to 0:17.

Malik Hairston is a phenom. Wait, let's correct that - was a phenom, back in his AAU days. He led his team, Renaissance High School in Detroit, to a 27-0 record and a Class B state title, was a top 10 rated recruit across all the recruiting boards, and got the usual nod to play in the McDonald's All-Star Game in 2004. That particular game, he showed early flashes of his do-it-all self by finishing with 11 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.

His high school career ended with per-game averages of 18.7 points, 12.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 2.7 steals. Oh, and he was an otstanding student, too, being named all-academic at Renaissance - because you know, the Spurs don't get dum-dums like Crazy Pills.

H-bomb: High school Hairston showing his hops.
(that's one too many H's for ya)

In Oregon, being named to the Pac-10's all-freshman team and becoming one of only two freshmen to start for their team in all 27 games pointed to signs that Har-i-ston was indeed on his way to bigger things. He kept up the pace and even improved on his performance in his sophomore year, leading (not the Mighty) Ducks in scoring. But come junior year, adversity comes quacking on the big time Duck's door. The injury bug bit in the form of a groin pull (causing him to miss 5 games) and an "unusual" soft tissue tear in his left heel.

You know how he handles it? In an un-Mahinmi-like fashion, Malik flips the bird in the face of Mr. Injury Bug and plays 27 games, helps the Oregon Ducks go deep in the NCAA tournament with impeccable scoring and ferocious, Blair-like rebounding (he had an Oregon tournament record 11 rebounds in the second round) before finally falling to Joakim Noah's bad hair day and eventual back-to-back champs Florida Gators in the regional final. Senior year? Ho-hum, more of the same productivity, he's so boring now like the Spurs.

Get that weaker-than-weak sauce outta here.

But really, how many times have we heard about this and that player who's supposed to be the next badass NBA superstart only to find ourselves wondering what in the world happened to Aspiring Jordanaire No. X? We say blame it on the a-a-a-a-a--- scouts. Right, we're blaming them again, just like how the rest of the GMs around the league are strangling their doctors for red-flagging this year's 37th pick.

Despite the productivity in college, draft meisters frowned on his all-around, jack-of-all-trades but master of none, do-it-all, everything but the kitchen sink game. Draft Express pretty much sums it up:

What Hairston needs to work on to stick in the NBA is most likely finding his bread and butter that he can hang his hat on when he comes into a game. He’s a good, but not great athlete (although he’s much improved), has good, but not great ball-handling skills, plays good, but not great defense, is just decent with his pull-up jumper, and definitely needs to improve his overall mid-range game.

So, okay, they're saying he's good but not good enough? WTF NBA STFU. Long story short, he gets drafted in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft by Phoenix then traded to the Spurs for, wait for it... CASH (really, we never thought the team had cash to spend until this offseason) and Goran Dragic's fruit basket. You know you're gonna have a rollercoaster of a pro career when it starts out like this: waived at end of training camp, re-signed, waived again, then re-signed again.

Austin Toros and the D-League: Where Hairston Happens. Or Happened.

Malik started his professional career by playing in the 2008 summer league with other Spurs hopefuls like George Hill and James Gist. He played fairly well, but the Spurs wanted to let him further develop before extending him an invitation to play on the big-league team. So, they sent him where a lot of recent Spurs draft picks are sent to develop: The Austin Toros.

Nice defense.

To a player who's just been drafted into the NBA, a D-League assignment is akin to being sent to remedial courses in school (thankfully, this was never a problem for Malik). But instead of wallowing in the frustration of being assigned to the Toros, Malik lunged into it with a purpose: make it onto an NBA roster by the end of the year. He made his case by putting up some pretty gaudy numbers. Averaging over a block and a steal per game means that you're a pretty smart defensive player, but he also showed a proclivity to be a clutch performer.

Not d-bag but clutch bag. Louis Vuitton inspired.

Malik was one of the best players in the D-league almost from the very beginning of his time in Austin, if under the radar for most NBA fans. We'll let Jon L of Ridiculous Upside provide an explanation:

He clearly can score, and as mentioned in the beginning (and throughout) he's a good rebounder for his position. He also showed he has some passing ability, and while I haven't mentioned his defense at all, he's a good (not great) defender (of course), good enough to hopefully satisfy Gregg Popovich and the rest of the Spurs coaches.

On January 31st, Hairston got the call he had been hoping for. He packed his bags and joined his new team: the Spurs.

The San Antonio Spurs Audition Redux

Hairston's limited Spurs career so far overlaps a bit with his Toros career, but there's still quite a bit to go on here.

Last year, Hairston was able to receive some invaluable NBA experience when he joined the team for the Rodeo Road Trip and for a few more games after that. He appeared in 15 games, including one memorable performance in which he teamed up with the high-flying, Pop rage-provoking Pops Mensah-Bonsu and George Hill to provide an above the rim spectacle that became a great silver lining in a very lopsided loss to Cleveland, and even prompted Mike Brown to bring some of his non-scrubs back into the game to keep the lead.

Interestingly, Malik was subject to several experiments by Pop last season: he played well in the "Pop loses mind, benches big 3 and Finley" game against the Thuggets, and we also remember being impressed with the way he handled guarding Lebron (he even blocked LeSaviour's shot once - unfortunately, all video of the incident has been deleted from its previous home on Youtube), and by the way the "kidz squad" performed in the 4th quarter of that Cleveland game.

But on April 15th, Malik was waived and sent back to the Toros to make way for Marcus Williams, who proceeded to underwhelm as a Spur. Ironically, that decision seems to have now come full circle, since Williams has been waived.

Eat it, Vince.

Malik was back in the Silver and Black for summer league play this year, showing off his jumper after seemingly losing it last year, just like how Roger Mason lost his during the playoffs. Malik shot just over 50%, including an impressive 50% from beyond the arc. He was remarkably consistent, including the game I attended, where he shot (you guessed it) 50%, but had his only missed FT of the summer (he's an above-average FT shooter, which is always an area the Spurs could use help in). His reward? The chance to compete against the aforementioned Marcus Williams for a regular season roster spot in training camp and the preseason.

With the NBA Preseason now in the books, it's safe to say Malik earned his roster spot. Just like in summer league play, Malik was again very consistent, and shot over 50%. His defensive abilities were evident again, judging by radio broadcasts and boxscores (Thanks for that, Stern.). We won't bore you with more stats, but just give one example:

During the waning moments of the final preseason game, Malik stole the ball on an inbounds pass, when inbounding was really all the Pacers needed to do to seal the victory. This set the Spurs up for the final shot, which Keith Bogans missed (what else is new), but it was still an excellent play for Malik. Malik also seemed more comfortable passing the ball, but that may have just been due to the fact that he was essentially playing with the same guys he played with on the summer league team, and learned their tendencies.

I can has krosz-overr.

Hairston's contract is not guaranteed, but he has built quite a case for remaining with the Spurs, and possibly even being a regular rotation player. Stampler recently mentioned that Hairston should see extended minutes in the games when Pop decides to rest Michael Finley or Manu, and this will definitely give him a chance to prove himself. Plus, he's a great insurance policy to have in case (FSM forbid) one of our wing players gets hurt.

Fan Favorite

Malik Hairston, the Hairy Hairstonaires and more bits of wisdom before Malik gets, uh, cut?

Okay, we just made that fan group up. Who want's to be prez? Anyway, given his pleasing personality and all-around game, it's not surprising that Hairston was a fan favorite during his Oregon Duck days. In fact, I think their fans are even crazier than the members of PtR. Who would've thought that was possible? Check out the video below. Because, ya know, you can never have too many remixes of JUST ONE FREAKING DUNK.

The greatest college highlight package EVAAAAH!!!

It's also nice to know that Oregonians still keep track of him with this video interview during the Summer League. And hey, here's a link to the Oregon Ducks SB Nation blog with Malik in it.

Also, remember Rule #1 in dealing with Hairston - Don't mess with someone who has a duck mascot for a friend that beats up friendly, unsuspecting cougars.

Gotta love the swagger on this Duck.

What about a nickname? I mean, Har-i-ston is good, but still not legendary, right? ShamSports' suggestions are "Motown Malik" or "Miki", which feels more associated to the corpse of Miki Moore, so let's not go there.

Malik's name has also been fodder for people who are bored with their lives. There's this weird game that you can play... obviously, Malik makes an appearance, however forced it seems.

People Talkin' 'Bout Malik (quotes)

From Sam Webb, after Hairston's performance in the 2003 Nike Memorial Day Classic:

"Malik quite simply is a big time scorer. Those who favor flash over substance won’t like his game because Malik is a substance player. He doesn't have a freaky crossover or a 40" vertical, but he has that "dog" in him. When I say "dog" I mean he's a kid that's supremely confident, unafraid to fail, and is damn tough! Don't get me wrong,...he has great basketball skills. However, his demeanor is an equal part of what makes him special. He'll go down low to rebound if he needs to, AND he'll throw an elbow or two to send a message while he's down there. If his man comes down court and scores, Malik wants the ball so he can get those points back. If his teammates need encouragement, Malik is the guy that gives it to them.

After seeing Malik play four of five times, I thought a comparison to Jalen Rose was the most appropriate."

Jonathan Givony, Draft Express (apparently a bit more impressed than he was when his first quote way up above was written):

[Hairston] utilizes a fantastic midrange jumper, which will keep defenders just honest enough for him to get a step to the basket on a slashing move. Hairston does a great job of recognizing what the defense is giving him, and taking advantage of it. He is far from explosive, but makes up for it with a patient style of play that makes him a great teammate.

Tim Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell is a Hairston believer, and in fact has written several articles about Malik. Tim also has no doubt about the guy eventually finding a place in the league if he gets waived again by the Spurs:

But maybe, unlike myself, Gregg Popovich is not nearly so enamored by Hairston. In that case I won’t cry for Hairston. He should not have too much trouble finding another contract. He’s earned it. That year in Austin really helped.

Lastly, you gotta love this short quote from Andrew McNeill of atxsports.net:

I was talking to my buddy who works for the Spurs last night during the game, and at one point the Spurs subbed Malik Hairston out of the game.

He said as Malik was walking off the court, Pop got up and gave him a high five. My buddy was taken aback by that and said “not everyone gets that.”

People have had good things to say about Malik seemingly everywhere he's played. His intelligence, work ethic, and relentless nature seems to make people like him, and those are some of the things that have endeared him to us here at PtR as well. He may never be a star, but he's still a very good player, and the opportunity that he's been given this season is well-deserved, possibly even overdue. Here's to a long and fruitful relationship between Malik Hairston and the Spurs.

Previous entries in this series

Richard Jefferson
Marcus Williams (oops, missed it by that much)
[San] Antonio McDyess
Theo Ratliff
Marcus Haislip
DeJuan Blair
Keith Bogans

Well, that wraps it up. This is the last edition of GTKYNS for 2009, unless there's still another trade coming that we don't know about.

San Antonio Spurs waive Marcus Williams

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:59:15 -0000

And then there were 15.

The Spurs have announced that Marcus Williams has been waived. Considering Malik Hairston's play and the fact Marcus didn't play in the last couple preseason games, this isn't a surprise.

The two remaining decision are: 1) Do they keep Hairston? 2) Do they extend Ian?

We'll know the answer in the next couple days. Hairston by end of day tomorrow and Ian by October 31st.

Last Night in the Preseason

Jon L — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:47:49 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

2 months ago: Los Angeles Clippers forward Craig Smith, center, goes after a loose ball ball as Utah Jazz center Kyrylo Fesenko, left, and center Kosta Koufos look on during the first half of their preseason NBA basketball game, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Browse more photos »

Sorry this is late getting up, folks. My computer started making a loud noise as I was writing it last night, which I took to mean "turn off the computer now." But anyway, I also attended last night's Spurs vs. Thunder game, which was played in Austin but which was considered a Thunder home game. It was very odd, and I can only guess that they did it because Kevin Durant went to UT, and they thought people would root for Oklahoma City just because of that. I saw maybe one OKC jersey, the rest were all silver and black. Or maybe they just didn't care and wanted the gate money, which is fine. Whatever the case, it got me ready for the season to start so that I can write about games after watching them, and not just write "so-and-so grabbed three rebounds in three minutes." Not that you shouldn't read that if I write it.

San Antonio Spurs 119, Oklahoma City Thunder 102

So let's talk about this one first. Most of what I saw has to do with players this website doesn't really care about, so I won't bore you with them here, but Shaun Livingston, Curtis Jerrells, Tre Kelley and Malik Hairston all got some playing time, and they looked okay to varying degrees. Livingston had a hard time keeping up with George Hill, but he was decent on the offensive end (he finished with four points on 2-4 shooting). Jerrells played pretty good defense when matched up against Livingston, but his biggest issue was fighting through and/or getting around screens. The Thunder ran him threw several of them and he got lost on all of them. Tre Kelley also was able to take him off the dribble several times, and Kelley made both of his field goals, which came getting to the basket for layups or dunks. Hairston probably played the best of the group, though he took a few minutes to settle down. He made two of his three shots, picked up an assist and generally looked good within the flow of the Spurs offense.

Utah Jazz 108, Portland Trailblazers 97

Kyrylo Fesenko had a solid game, with eight points (though it came on eight shots), six rebounds and three blocks...except he also fouled out in 13 minutes and turned the ball over four times. Oh Kyrylo. Kosta Koufos gave the Jazz the solid rebounding and no turnovers but also no offense. Five boards in a little over 14 minutes and zero points. Oh Kouf. Ime Udoka was okay, 11 points on 3-7 shooting in 16 and a half minutes, although he didn't have any of the rebounding or assists/steals that he'll probably need to regularly produce in order to make the team.

Charlotte Bobcats 94, Milwaukee Bucks 87

Dontell Jefferson didn't have a great night last night, 0-2 shooting with two turnovers in six minutes, but the big story was Raja Bell spraining his wrist. Now, I never root for guys to get hurt, because I'm not a monster. But certainly the opportunity is now there for Jefferson to get more playing time as a lockdown backcourt defender, particularly on a Larry Brown-coached team, and I hope he's able to take advantage of it.

New York Knicks 108, Boston Celtics 103

All J.R. Giddens does is rebound. 0-3 shooting in a little over eight minutes, but he also grabbed five rebounds, including four on the offensive end (who knows how many of those were off his own misses). I have no idea what it's going to take to get him to find a passable offensive game on the NBA level, but if he's given a shot in the NBA I think he could be the greatest rebounding guard ever.

Denver Nuggets 129, Minnesota Timberwolves 100

Jared Reiner finally got some playing time, and while the offense wasn't good (two points on three shots), the rest of it was decent, as he grabbed three rebounds and picked up an assist in eight minutes. No fouls, either.

Last Night in the Preseason

Jon L — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:00:42 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

2 months ago: Houston Rockets guard Will Conroy, center, is drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers center Solomon Jones (44) and guard T.J. Ford during the third quarter of an NBA preseason basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Indiana won 119-104. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Browse more photos »

I know this isn't every game from last night, but not every team has former D-Leaguers on their roster (at least not anymore - thanks a lot, Knicks), and there were some teams that have just one guy who didn't play well. While I'm perfectly willing to call guys out who struggle (as you'll see below), I just don't see the point of making that the only thing I talk about with a particular game.

Indiana Pacers 119, Houston Rockets 104

Will Conroy and Romel Beck finally got in the game for Houston after spending the last few games on the bench. Conroy didn't have the best shooting night, 2-8 overall and 2-3 on three-pointers (which is good, but 0-5 on two-pointers is not), but he made eight of his 10 free throws, picked up nine assists and five rebounds in 26 and a half minutes, and best of all he had only one assist. Fantastic all-around game (aside from the missed two-pointers). Beck didn't shoot the ball particularly well either, with nine points on seven shots, but with Beck you don't get much in the non-scoring categories. Two offensive rebounds and, well, that's it, in 16 and a half minutes. Pops Mensah-Bonsu followed up his fantastic game on Thursday with nine rebounds (six offensive) and four blocks in 20 and a half minutes. But remember when I said he had a problem with scoring efficiency? Yeah, he needed eight shots to get four points. I'm guessing a lot of those offensive rebounds were off his own misses.

San Antonio Spurs 105, Cleveland Cavaliers 98

Rob Kurz hasn't played much this preseason and hasn't shown much when he has, but he played well last night, scoring 10 points on 4-6 shooting and three rebounds. Oh, he also fouled out in a little over 15 minutes. Well there goes that. Ian Mahinmi ran into some foul trouble of his own, picking up five in 11 and a half minutes. Coby Karl shot the ball pretty terribly, 1-7 overall and missing all six of his three-pointers. He's versatile enough to contribute in other areas when his shot isn't falling, but he didn't really do that either, collecting a pair of assists and one rebound. Russell Robinson shot the ball well, 3-5 from the field and 4-4 from the line, but he also paired his three assists with two turnovers. Malik Hairston did a good job of getting to the free throw line, where he made all five of his shots and was able to finish with 11 points on six shots

Chicago Bulls 94, Minnesota Timberwolves 90

Derrick Byars got a fair amount of playing time in this one, 19 and a half minutes, but he needed five shots to get five points, and while he had three rebounds and a steal, he also had three fouls and a turnover. I'd really like to see Byars make this team, but his performance hasn't been as eye-popping as it probably needs to be.

PtR Quick Cap: Spurs survive attack of the sword wielding puerco adobado, Win 105-98

Wayne Vore (ATS) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:20:30 -0000

LeBron sure played well for somebody with swine flu. But his team lost 105-98. Here is your box score.

Pop took the night off and allowed his assistant coaches to run the show. I think he did it to avoid the flu.

"Pop, get out of here. It's the preseason. No reason to risk your health. Do you hear me you crazy old coot?"

via cdn2.sbnation.com

Yep, the last preseason home game is in the books. To be honest, I don't even know what our record is. Tonight Coach Pop, Richard Jefferson and Manu Ginobili got the night off for the Spurs. For the Cavs, Anderson Varejao, Delonte West, and the Boobster got the night off.

For the guys who did play, we had some good performances.

"Dude, you keep gaining weight and I'm losing weight."

"Shit. You know Carl Douglas? Check out these moves."

via cdn0.sbnation.com

Cavaliers

BronBron had 22 points in 19 minutes going 7-14 from the field and 7-9 from the line. If you want to nitpick a great opponent who had a very good game in order to belittle them (like I want to do to LeBron James) you'd point out that he had only 1 assist. His no turnovers and 6 rebounds were nice though.

FatFat grabbed 13 rebounds in 24 minutes, which is good. He also shot 3-11 from the field. Not good.

Mo Williams got warmed up in the third quarter and ended with 15 points and 6 assists.

Jamario Moon, Coby Karl, and Rob Kurz all chipped in with double digit efforts at 12, 11, and 10 respectively.

As always, we don't care about the other team.

I think FinDog just got Manu'd on the Kiss Me Cam. Except he didn't use the back of his hand.

via cdn0.sbnation.com

Spurs

Tony Parker looked like LeBron. 22 points on 7-14 from the field and 8-8 from the line. He kicked in 7 assists (with 1 TO) and 3 rebounds in his 25 minutes.

Tim Duncan had 13 and 9 in 20 minutes. He didn't shoot great, 5-11 from the field and 3-6 from the line.

George Hill was outstanding. Again. He had 13 points -- 11-12 from the line -- 3 assists and 0 turnovers in 25 minutes. Add it all up and our point guards had 35 points, 10 assists, 1 TO, 5 rebounds, and went 19-20 from the line in 49 1/2 minutes. I don't know about you, but I'll take that every night.

Malik Hairston seemed to be really solid again. Another 11 points. He was +9, which was second on the team to Cubits' +11.

DeJuan, our hot topic of the week (by hot, I mean JRW's lusty guilt), only played 10 minutes but got 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in that time.

Your 3 stars

Tim Duncan -- It's always good to see Tim being Tim. You know his name is Tim, right? Old joke, who remembers it?
George Hill -- He's being consistently good each and every game. I likey.
Tony Parker -- Beep! Beep! Paisano!

Stat of the Game Revisited

BlaseE pointed to our assist-to-FGM ratio last game. Tonight, 23 for 33 or 69.7%. Our last two field goals were unassisted in garbage time when we were milking the clock and going one-on-one. And we only had 11 turnovers. These are good trends I'd like to see continue.

Videos

Tony embarrasses Darrell Jackson.

Bonner... blocks Shaq?

Highlights for the game, courtesy of NBA.com. It's great that they could see the game but didn't make it available for fans, isn't it? Anyway, Hairston and DeJuan do their thing near the end, so if they don't crack the rotation this year I might just have to shoot someone.

Preseason Game Preview #5: Cleveland Cavaliers @ San Antonio Spurs

Tim C. — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:01:13 -0000

Lebron is going to leave me for New York.

Tonight, the Spurs play the team that finished last season with the best record in the league. A team that had one superstar, and not much else. A team that was way overrated due to their regular season performance. But things have changed for the better in Cleveland, enough that they might actually contend for the title. Good thing it's preseason, or we'd have to kick their butts into next week. Ok, maybe we should do that anyway.

Pop is taking the lineups in this game more seriously than the previous 4. Not seriously enough to try to win, mind you... but, seriously enough that the primary lineup should be out there for a while.

Cleveland Cavaliers @ San Antonio Spurs (Preseason)
Where: AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX
When: October 16, 2009, 7:30 PM Spurs time
Watch: Good luck finding this on TV.

How They Stack Up


0-0	Home	0-0
0-0	Road	0-0
0.0	Offense	0.0
0.0	Defense	0.0
0	FG%	0
0	3-pt%	0
0	FT%	0
0	Rebounds	0
0	TOs	0
0-0	Last 10	0-0
N/A	Streak	N/A


	PG
	SG
	SF
	PF
	C
	Bench
	Coach
	Intangibles
	Mojo
	Winner

Spurs
(0-0)

Vs

Cavaliers
(0-0)

Matchups

Tony Parker

Mo Williams

Since we're assuming that everybody is playing tonight, Tony gets the nod. Remember last season, when Mo Williams was Cleveland's big offseason addition? My, how times have changed. Mo will not win this matchup, not even against George Hill. He's good, don't get me wrong - but our PG's are just better.
Advantage: Spurs

Top 5 PG

Top 25 PG

Manu Ginobili

Anthony Parker

Anthony "Don't call me Tony" Parker was one of the most underrated signings of the summer. He really solidifies the Cleveland backcourt, and shoots the 3-ball with deadly precision. However, he doesn't shoot it as well as Roger Mason(who does?), and doesn't have the all-around game that Manu does.
Advantage: Spurs

I'm watching you, JRW

Anthony ≠ Tony

Richard Jefferson

Lebron James

RJ finally got involved in the offense against the Clippers, in pretty impressive fashion. Tonight, I don't care about his offense... the real question is, can he slow down a flu-ridden Lebron? If he can limit Lebron's effectiveness, there's a good chance the Spurs will start catching the attention of the pundits. That said, he's still Lebron.
Advantage: Cavaliers

I Can Makez it Big 4?

Coming Soon to New York

Tim Duncan

Anderson Varejao

Varejao is extremely tenacious in the frontcourt, and has a hell of a motor - a kind of player the Spurs lacked until recently. And Timmy is going to kill him softly. He might give Ian trouble in the second unit, but Blair will steal his lunch money, not to mention his rebounds.
Advantage: Spurs

Some tall guy

Sideshow Bob.

Antonio McDyess

Shaquille Oneal

Dice likely gets the start tonight, and he looked pretty good in the last game, albeit in limited minutes. On the other end will be the big Shaquisition. We'll eat him alive on pick and rolls, but he'll return the favor by bullying our frontcourt on offense.
Advantage: Cavaliers

Win one for Dice

The Big Liability

George Hill

Bench

Zydrunas Ilgauskas

We have Mr. IUPUI, Dejuan Blair, Roger Mason, Malik Hairston, Matt Bonner, and more helping to fill our depth chart. Still, this matchup is closer than you might think. The Cavs did a lot to strengthen their depth chart this year. Jamario Moon is an excellent fit, and now Big Z and Boobie Gibson are coming off the bench like they should. When the second units get called in, this game should still be interesting for fans of both teams.
Advantage: Spurs

Wingspan

I must break you... with a smile

Gregg Popovich

Coach

Mike Brown

Brown is a Pop disciple, but Pop is better than anyone at being Pop. The end.
Advantage: Spurs

Nice Brain

Nice Hair

images via yahoo.com

Intangibles: The Spurs are still the smartest team in the league, and have several players that do all the "little" things needed to win. Advantage: Spurs

Mojo: The Cavs have swine flu. Not really a boon for the mojo. Advantage: Spurs

Winner: What can I say? I'm a homer, so I pick the Spurs. Plus, I think the players will want it more than Pop does.

Keys To The Game

Don't catch swine flu - Seriously, we don't need any of the Spurs catching that shit. They're going to need to hit the ground running when the regular season starts, so illnesses are not exactly helpful. The Cavs apparently have the swine flu already.
Dominate the guard matchups - I'm not counting LeBron as a backcourt player when I say this: The Spurs' backcourt is so ridiculously superior to Cleveland's, it should be a crime. That said, they're going to kill us at the SF and C positions, so the guards need to bring it tonight.
Defense - Cleveland had the #1 defense in the league last year. They'll probably slip a bit this season because of Snaq, but that's not what we care about. Where do the Spurs stand defensively? This is the opportunity for our bigs to show us what kind of D they're capable of.

Last Time They Met

The Spurs last played the Cavs in Cleveland on April 5th, and got their asses handed to them, 101-81, in Manu's final game of the season. Ouch.

Some Other Reading

Cavs

Fear the Sword - Cleveland's SBN blog. Enough people read it, but it seems like there's not much audience participation over there.

Cavs: The Blog - This is the TrueHoop network blog for the Cavs. It's a pretty typical hoops blog(Tim V. and Graydon cause me to have impossible standards for the THN blogs.), and of course they have access to ESPN content.

Waiting For Next Year - A pretty slick-looking blog, and the most active one I could find for the Cavs. They actually deal with all Cleveland sports teams, but the Cavs are [justifiably] getting all the attention right now.

RealCavsFans - The Cleveland equivalent of SpursTalk. Proceed with caution.

Cleveland.com Cavaliers Coverage - The professional media in Cleveland work for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. This is where the locals go for their Cavs info.

Spurs

48 Minutes of Hell: Tim V. and Graydon are still holding down the best blog associated with ESPN, and they've put up quite a few good stories this week. If you should read only one Spurs blog besides PtR, this is the one.

Project Spurs - If you're like me and want all the Spurs writing you can find, this is also required reading. This is a great independent blog, complete with podcasts, and a photo slide show from the Spurs' last game.

SpursTalk - The largest and most active Spurs message board on the internets, by far. If you can sort through the douchiness that forums breed(thanks Hipuks), you can usually find some really interesting opinions & insight there.

Robby23's Spurs Blog - PtR regular Robby23 runs a Spurs blog on Blogspot. Sort of like old school PtR, before it was even PtR.

Express-News - The guys at the Express-News have been on their game lately. Required reading, seeing as they're the "real" media.

Spurs on the Internets

Tony Parker
Hello everyone. Tomorrow, we're playing Cleveland with the new guy Shaq O'Neal. Do you think that the signing of O'Neal will make the Cavaliers win more than 60 games like they did last season? I'll tell you tonight… Bonjour.

DeJuan45 Again, I want to thank you for all your support! I had a great time playing the Clippers. I love the Spurs FANS!!!

Bowen12 My son saw some Champagne, and said that's for Spurs to bounce to and win the championship! Priceless. (yes, I still count Bruce as a Spur)

Some Other Viewing

"Nukulus", RJ?

Where to Tune In

TV

Spurs.com doesn't list anything, but it might be on in Cleveland for the lucky few.

Online

Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in this thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate. In fact, nobody can stop you from googling "atdhe". You can also shoot an email to dmenendez@gmail.com for more assistance.

Spurs League Pass audio is still free this year, but won't be working until the regular season. Bookmark it now, especially if you don't have the video league pass.

Radio

If you're in the San Antonio area and aren't near a TV, tune in to WOAI (1200 AM). Yahoo might have an audio link at gametime, and we'll post that here if it becomes available.

Photo of the Day

Wait, this happened literally before it happened figuratively?

via graneyandthepig.files.wordpress.com