Wednesday, July 8th, 2009...9:47 am
Other People: Harper on Haislip
Zach Harper, of Cowbell Kingdom, writing for Hardwood Paroxysm:
R.C. Buford often knows what he’s getting himself into, especially with foreign players. Marcus Haislip is inherently and biographically terrestrial to this country but he might as well be a foreign commodity. He was unknown and unwanted here. He busted out before he ever busted in. But redemption is his to have in the great state of Texas. Teaming with veterans and champions creates an environment of winning and permeates through the young players that want it badly enough.
In San Antonio, Marcus Haislip has proven that endurance and separation lead to a chance for atonement. He hasn’t proven anybody wrong and he hasn’t proven anybody right. But what he has done is currently erased the label of failure next to the 13th pick in the 2002 draft.
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8 Comments
July 8th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Interesting comments. From what I’ve seen he’s a pretty good option/pick-up for the Spurs. I would’ve liked his first sentence to be backed up with something, though. How/why are the Spurs so good with Int’l talent?
It’s gonna be a tough off-season as the Spurs try and “churn” the bottom/middle of the roster to determine what the best fits are.
July 8th, 2009 at 10:23 am
“his sentence” = Harper’s.
July 8th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Sure it’ll be tough to settle on an effective rotation this season. But unlike last season, which was sort of like trying to build an entire house with just a hammer and some spare nails, this time the team has a lot more tools to work with.
Personally, I’m really excited to see how George Hill’s game progresses. If he can become a decent offensive threat (hitting 3’s, getting to the line) it’ll make up for Mason’s limitations and provide valuable rest for Manu, during the long grind of the regular season.
July 8th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Especially since it looks like we’ll be lacking a Bowen type lock down wing defender, I think it’s imperative to make high powered offensive teams like LA, Orlando, etc. work hard on the defensive end of the court. The more threats they have to worry about, the less energy they’ll have at the other end.
July 8th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I didn’t mean to imply it was a BAD thing they had such tough decisions upcoming! I’m excited for this season more than any other since the ‘05 Championship!
I like your point about making those big offenses work hard on defense. I loved Hill’s maturity, and if the other guys the Spurs are bringing _IN_ (Jefferson/Blair/McClinton/Haislip — I don’t worry about McDyess’ mental makeup) or _BACK_ (Gist/Williams/Mahinmi/etc) this year can compare mentally to Hill, then this team will scare the CARP out of every other team in the league. It’s a great time to be a fan of the Silver and Black!
July 8th, 2009 at 11:14 am
I sure hope this guy can contribute, he looks awful good on video, and since he has something to prove to the rest of the NBA, I really start to wonder how good this guy can be for our team
July 8th, 2009 at 11:16 am
With it being rumored that Birdman’s deal being 5 years and up to $26 million, I’m with RC and Pop on this Haislip gamble.
July 8th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I can’t agree with you more, Cory. I’m glad we didn’t pick up Birdman Andersen. Haislip has something to prove, and I think he’ll bring a lot of energy to this team. Casual fans around the league are going to be really surprised next season when they find out we aren’t the same old as dirt Spurs.
Go Spurs Go!
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