The Austin Toros continue to ply their trade as NBDL pace setter. Last night they etched a 17 into the W column by defeating Tusla 111-91. There are two interesting developments from this game, and I want to place each of them on your radar.

To begin, Malik Hairston received a DNP-CD. As many Spurs fans suspected, this was an alert that he has been recalled by San Antonio. Hairston is perhaps the D-League’s best player, but that has little to with this call up. Since the Spurs begun in earnest with the Toros, they’ve used the Rodeo Road Trip as an opportunity to expose their prospects to the team. James White and Ian Mahinmi received the same treatment in ’07 and ’08, respectively.  The Spurs are giving Hairston an opportunity to develop personal chemistry with his teammates, to gel on a human level. He may not see a minute of game action before returning to Austin.

On the other hand, Pop might call Hairston’s number. I hope he does. Hairston’s minor league play warrants a closer look. Couple this with Ime Udoka’s lackluster achievements this season and one can imagine a scenario–a big lead against a team like Golden State, for example–where Pop would put Hairston on the floor.

Hairston, as our readers no doubt remember, came to the Spurs by way of the draft, summer leagued, camped, and preseasoned with the team. He was the last cut of camp before accepting an assignment with the Toros.  It was a professional gamble that paid off. In December, the Spurs rewarded Hairston’s strong D-League play with a contract. During the preseason, Hairston seemed tentative on offense but had a number of remarkable defensive sequences. Since joining the Toros, his offense has blossomed under an improving catch and shoot game and knack for getting to the line. If Hairston continues to improve, I suspect he’ll assume swing minutes in next year’s rotation, even if only at Ime Udoka length stints. So, other than the ability to connect with his teammates, there is an advantage to putting him on the floor at some point during their upcoming road trip. The Spurs and Hairston can gauge his progress against NBA talent and curtail his training as appropriate.

In other news, Pops Mensah-Bonsu saw his first action as a Toro last evening. He finished with 23 points and 13 boards in 35 minutes. In 2006-7, Pops played 12 games for the Mavericks before moving on to the NBDL and Europe. Mensah-Bonsu is great find for the Toros, especially after losing Charles Gaines and Andre Brown from their front line. One game in, he’s already reestablished himself as one of the D-League’s best bigs. He’s an energetic, athletic frontcourt player, but it’s still unclear whether his time away from The Association helped him round into a player.

I’d wager that Mensah-Bonsu finishes the season on an NBA roster. He signed with the Toros to re-audition for the majors. It’s not inconceivable that the roster he moves to is San Antonio’s. The Spurs have space to add a player and could use another big man. And, at least in theory, Pops will gain exposure to the Spurs system and an opportunity get his lungs in Austin. So, if he moves  up to the parent club, even on a 10-Day contract, he’ll have diminished the learning curve, if only slightly.

Will such a move help the Spurs win a title this season? Not at all, but he could be a player that sticks for the future. For our readers in Austin: I’d be interested to hear a first hand assessment of his play against Tulsa tonight. The game starts at 7:00. I’m curious: has Pops become a basketball player?