Vs: Spurs 2009 - looking good!
http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/other/2009/10/22/1022bohls.html
DeJuan Blair: rest of NBA's loss is Spurs' gain
Thursday, October 22, 2009
When DeJuan Blair stole the ball at midcourt, drove to the basket and rose up for a two-handed thunder slam that shook the Erwin Center rafters, the entire San Antonio Spurs bench jumped up and began slapping high fives.
Fortunately, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich restrained himself, and general manager R.C. Buford muzzled any giggles from behind the bench.
Their self-restraint has been remarkable in the preseason, considering they probably engineered the biggest NBA steal since the Lakers ripped off the Grizzlies for Pau Gasol.
No one would blame San Antonio for beating its chest because on the virtual eve of the opening of the NBA regular season, it seems the consummate NBA franchise hoodwinked the rest of the league when it drafted the Pittsburgh power forward with an attitude in the second round.
If the preseason is any indication, the strong 6-foot-5 slab with Dennis Rodman's tenacity on the glass and a wingspan by Boeing will be a rebounding machine and an energetic force off the bench for a Spurs frontline that has been woefully lacking behind Tim Duncan. Rodman, mind you, was once a second-round pick as well.
Blair, of course, came with a buyer-beware label. Best we can tell, he'll become the only player in the league who doesn't have an anterior cruciate ligament to call his own in either knee. Two high school knee surgeries took care of that even if he wasn't aware of the deficiency until a May physical.
The other 29 teams were wary; they all passed until the Spurs dashed to the podium and chose Blair with the 37th pick.
If Blair produces as he has in limited minutes on court, he will make the NBA all-rookie team. In his first time in a Spurs uniform, he went off for 16 points and 19 rebounds against the Rockets and sat most of the fourth quarter.
Against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, he didn't appear on the floor until the third quarter but still filled a box score with 17 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and a block in just 14 minutes.
"Very honestly," Popovich said before his team's exhibition victory over the Thunder, "we felt it was a no-brainer at (pick No.) 37. There are not many 37s in the league."
There aren't all that many second-rounders who stick, for that matter.
It's not as though a selection after the first 30 picks cannot reach stardom. Manu Ginobili has fared OK with the Spurs. Carlos Boozer's done pretty well in Utah. Michael Redd made a few jumpers in Milwaukee. Jeff Hornacek stroked his face as often as he did free throws and perimeter shots in Utah.
And now the Spurs get a motivated, if undersized, power forward with a major chip on his shoulder.
Asked if he plans payback for the 29 teams that bypassed him, Blair said, "I'll let my games speak for itself."
The Spurs aren't letting on that they are worried about his knees. After all, Blair never missed a game or even a practice in his two seasons at Pitt. As for back-to-back games — a regular staple in the NBA— Blair said he did that plenty of times in AAU basketball with no ill effects.
Of course, maybe if he had the stability of twin ACL's, he might have grown up to become a nose tackle for his beloved Pittsburgh Steelers. He grew up in Pittsburgh less than a mile from the university campus where he evolved from a no-show on the All-Big East preseason team to honors as co-Big East player of the year. He shared that stage with UConn's Hasheem Thabeet, the same 7-foot-3 center Blair once dominated in a 22 point, 23 rebound game.
"I don't know what I have (in Blair)," Popovich said. "I don't know what to expect. I do know he's a tremendous rebounder and he has a passion for it. He's got really good hands, but I'm putting no expectations on him."
Of course, it didn't hurt that San Antonio also traded for prolific scorer and shooter Richard Jefferson and signed inside scorer Antonio McDyess for frontcourt depth, too.
But Blair's the real addition that could have the rest of the league shaking its collective heads.
"He's an animal out there," Tony Parker said.
It wouldn't be the first time San Antonio has outsmarted its competitors. It hasn't yet found out if Blair can guard a Gasol or a Boozer. He's also got plenty to learn: Pop chewed on him for slapping the backboard after his sensational play and for showboating. Blair dutifully apologized.
Still, the Spurs thought enough of him to sign him to a four-year deal worth $3.8 million with the fourth season partially guaranteed.
No one knows for sure if Blair will pan out, but even if his contributions are short-term, with his knees and all, he still might be worth the risk of bringing the franchise a fifth NBA championship.
