It's easy to say he should have drafted him now. At the time of the draft our roster already included 4 undersized power forwards who range from the 6'6 to 6'9 range, why draft another? Also, with all the injuries to our major team components why risk it and pick another who hasn't even set foot in the NBA and already has health concerns. DM took wise decisions. Taylor could still become a decent role player and C-Bud is a steal. :grin:
I know you're the resident Blair expert here, however just because he played at C his whole life doesn't mean he wouldn't be better at another position. Dwyane Wade and Tyreke Evans played their wholes lives as PGs before they came to the NBA. Dwight Howard was patterning his game after KG and so played the 4 spot before he came to the NBA. People are saying he's a four because they believe he'd work better that way. Positions in the NBA are now interchangeable, moving him from the C to the PF position shouldn't affect his skillset if the proper adjustments are made. Case in point, Tim Duncan is the Spurs best rebounder, and he always played at the four spot. Do you think his rebounding suffered because he doesn't play as the C? Fighting in trenches sound all good, but remember Blair is a ticking time bomb. Do you really want him fighting in the trenches ala Yao Ming and destroying his body in a few years? Or is it better to be like Duncan and avoid the other team's opposing 5? I don't think Blair would have started at C for us, since when did RA start rookies? C-Bud has been outperforming Ariza since the first day of training camp, and he's still a bench player, and Hayes is no Ariza. It takes time for RA to warm up to new blood, Pops tore up camp and he didn't get any PT until he was cut from the team, and although Dorsey was called up I don't think he'll be getting significant PT anytime soon.
You know I respect you, but man....suggesting that he's best utilized as a four merely because of his height and disregarding everything else is really quite foolish, IMO. I know that we've done this song and dance before. I'm still waiting for somebody to tell me why Blair is an NBA PF aside from the fact that he's 6'7". Apples and oranges comparisons like the ones you just listed above don't do it for me. I agree positions are interchangeable but for a slow-footed five to play the four there's going to have to be some mobility involved -- something that isn't exactly Blair's strong suit. Playing Blair exclusively as a four only works with a perimeter oriented five that won't overcrowd the paint. As for your Duncan 4/5 hypothesis, I'm just going to link you to my last comments on the matter since I don't feel like regurgitating. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=176329&page=4&pp=20&highlight=blair Hypothetically, Blair's competition at center would obviously be Chuck and Andersen. It gives me no pleasure to say this but he's a better basketball player than both -- not even close. The primary reason Ariza is starting over C-Bud at this point is because of the role Ariza was promised when he signed with us. Not only that, but Rockets brass clearly thinks Ariza is a integral part of this core moving forward. C-Bud will still get his minutes but not at the expense of us featuring Ariza (a plan, which clearly we have stuck to). Chuck Hayes vs. Blair, on the other hand? Totally different. I know this is another issue in itself but Chuck is best used as a situational player, IMO. Not the type of guy you want starting. If we had Blair it would only be a matter of time before his production on a per-minute basis would so greatly overwhelm the coaching staff that they would be forced to make the sensible move and start him.
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Why have you waited until now to say it? Why didn't you start a thread on it before the draft? Oh, it's because you didn't have a crystal ball. But then why do you assume Morey would have one? Whoever says he knew Blair would be this good before the draft is a freaking liar.
Uhh.......... You don't come here often do you? Baller4life315 called it 5 or 6 months before he got drafted. I even said it was a bad move when they drafted that Lull on draft night on here.
Here it is, Link He posted this on 1-12-08. The draft was on 6-26-09 Know your info before you start yapping up.
Right, one internet poster had said it. Morey did not hold the same opinion so he has made a grave mistake. Every GM has passed on Blair at least once. Also, every player in the draft had been talked up by someone on the internet before the draft. So what's your point? I want to give Baller4life315 an applause for his foresight. But that doesn't mean Morey has made a grave mistake like what you tried to imply.
During his high-school surgeries, Blair's doctors did not purposefully remove his ACLs—the going theory is that they tried to repair some partial damage to the ligaments and failed. Then, over time, Blair's ACLs deteriorated to the point of disappearance. Since this was a gradual change, his muscles and other ligaments could have adapted slowly to the added strain. Without such an adjustment period—if his doctors had simply cut out the ligaments, for example—it's likely he would have injured himself on the court quite rapidly. Blair is now thought to face a higher risk of damaging his knees (especially his meniscus) than athletes with repaired ACLs—and he may end up with osteoarthritis.
Now that I got to see him play in a real game..... He didn't do good, but he didn't play bad either. players just have these type of games sometimes. But watching him play tonight what I noticed was: 1. He's only 20 years old but every time I saw him running down the court he was one of the last ones down there. 2. Looking at his build, it looks like he will put on some lbs during the course of his career. And with him having no acls in both legs, that will but more impact in them which would be a bad thing. And with him being already slow he will only be slower with age. Looking at the long term, maybe Morey did the right thing.
