Comments on: Smart Basketball as Smart Basketball

By: Spurs Courtside » Blog Archive » Daily Spurs News: Spurs impressed with Hill, Blair

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:48:34 +0000

[...] Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell writes about Smart Basketball. The Spurs get their work done early. [...]

By: lvmainman

lvmainman — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:32:11 +0000

Mahinmi according to the article in S.A Express is not that instinctive a b-ball player. I, personally, don’t think that can be taught or learned or over time, like improving one’s shot can or learning one’s teammates tendencies in a pick and roll can for example.

Some players are physically gifted but lack certain feel or b-ball IQ. Kwame Brown comes formost to mind, #1 overall pick, but lacking.

I measure Mahinmi against drafted peers(2 spots ahead or later in the same draft)like David Lee, Ronny Turiaf, Jason Maxiell, Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass and he seems a lesser player. Even Andre Blatche, Ryan Gomes, and Amir Johnson seem to have more upside.

I can’t see the Spurs extending his contract.

By: Daniel B.

Daniel B. — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:13:50 +0000

Another off-topic question: has Mahinmi ever been coached by David Robinson? It seems like their physical builds are similar, their games share some similarities (though, of course, Ian’s is still in the potential stage), they’re both committed to hard work, and Mahinmi could use some encouragement. The guy seems to sitting on the edge of turning potential talent into actual ability, but psychological factors (owing, no doubt, to all the build up and let down and build up of the last couple seasons) are holding him back. A smart, compassionate, experienced guy like Robinson might help put Ian over the top. Just a thought.

By: NL

NL — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:53:59 +0000

This is somewhat off-topic, but I find it interesting that Pop demands so much from players and treats everyone equally but seemed particularly hard on Tony Parker. I have no idea if this is true; I go only by what I’ve read in the past.

I would’ve expected the same treatment to George Hill and other young players. Is it that I just haven’t heard about it, that Tony Parker needed it more, or that not all players respond to that type of harshness (for lack of a better word) that Pop put on TP? I’m not by any means implying that Pop has gone soft, but more curious as to whether Parker was an anomaly.

By: ThatBigGuy

ThatBigGuy — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:19:10 +0000

I love how we have a category for posts that are filed under “Spurs Culture.”

That is all.