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Seven games can reveal quite a bit. In three games in the Vegas Summer League and four in the Rocky Mountain Revue, we’ve seen that George Hill still has a ways to go before he’ll be ready to be Tony Parker’s primary backup at point guard.
We’ve also seen that Ian Mahinmi may need to bake in the oven, or stay in Austin a little longer before he is worthy of consistent minutes in Gregg Popovich’s rotation.
But anyone who has watched just about every summer league game, as I have, has had a few pleasant surprises. Anthony Tolliver and James Gist look ready now and both deserve to not only be invited to training camp, but also deserve spots on the opening night roster.
The Spurs took a step today to assure that at least one part of that tandem will have a Spurs jersey on his back, at least in preseason, by signing Tolliver.
Details of the contract were not disclosed, but it is likely an unguaranteed contract which will keep other teams from picking up Tolliver’s rights.
Tolliver displayed an impressive stroke, especially from beyond the arc, and impressed me with his versatile all-around play.
From Spurs.com
He averaged 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in 23.0 minutes while shooting .571 (12-21) from the field and .615 (8-13) from beyond the arc in three games in Las Vegas. At the Rocky Mountain Revue Tolliver appeared in all four games, averaging 11.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 26.5 minutes while knocking down 53.3 percent (8-15) of his shots form beyond the arc.
Last year Tolliver was in the Cavs training camp and played a few preseason games before playing for the D League’s Iowa Energy.
With Tolliver signed, Gist’s signing shouldn’t be too far behind. For more on Tolliver and summer league, download Spurscast episode 129.
Spurs Re-Sign Thomas
By Michael A. De Leon | July 22, 2008 | No Comments | 
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After losing out on Corey Maggette and not even attempting to sign J.R. Smith to an offer sheet, it looked like the Spurs only offseason signing would be Roger Mason when Kurt Thomas didn’t immediately re-sign and several teams, including the Lakers, showed interest in signing the veteran big man.
Spurs fans can breathe easy now. According to Spurs.com, Thomas and the team have agreed to a contract at undisclosed terms. Since the Spurs front office did not target a power forward or center in the draft or free agency, Thomas’ signing was very important to the success of the Spurs next season, especially with Ian Mahinmi’s lackluster performances in summer league.
With Thomas re-signing and the Mason signing, I believe the Spurs are probably done in free agency aside from possibly re-signing Michael Finley and signing summer league players to pre-season or one-year contracts. R.C. Buford has said that Rober Horry will not be back.
For more on Thomas, the summer league and Roger Mason, look for Spurscast 129 tomorrow morning.
Early Summer League Thoughts
By Michael A. De Leon | July 16, 2008 | No Comments | Print
After seeing two full Spurs summer league games, I thought I’d share my thoughts so far.
George Hill
Spurs first round draft pick George Hill, whose college shooting percentages were off the charts, needs to regain some of that IUPUI magic. His shooting so far has looked horrific. His 10 percent from the field and 20 percent on threes through two games is a far cry from the 55 and 45 percent he shot in college.
There are some positives to take away from his performances, though. Hill is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game, which is second only to Ian Mahinmi and James Gist. When you consider Hill is a 6-2, 180 lb. guard, his rebounding numbers are even more impressive.
Aside from that, while at first looking tentative in game 1, he looked to penetrate and was able to drive to the basket and get to the free throw line. Also, Hill is not a true point and the Spurs made him the starting point guard for the summer league team in an attempt to try to get him comfortable with leading the team and setting up the offense. He looked more comfortable in game two at the point, dishing four assists, mostly off of penetration.
Aside from shooting and rebounding, Hill has also been heralded for defense and Mike Budenholzer assigned him to defend Grizzlies rookie and lottery pick O.J. Mayo in the first game. Mayo ended up with 18 pts. at the end of the night, but Hill made him work hard for every one of them, limiting Mayo to 5 of 17 from the field.
Overall, I see flashes from Hill, but it’s still a learning process, and there are definitely some things he’ll need to improve on. It’s still way too early to come up with a verdict on him, but we’ll be watching him closely through the Vegas Summer League and Rocky Mountain Revue.
James Gist
Gist didn’t play too much in the first game but he made his presence felt. Tonight, he scored 14 points and had 11 rebounds. He’s looking very strong, athletic and won’t shy away from contact. I realize it’s early, but I think Gist might have a good chance to make the Spurs opening day roster. We’ll have more on Gist in the next episode of the Spurscast coming this Friday. I’ll be talking to someone that has had a chance to follow Gist’s college career at Maryland.
Anthony Tolliver
Tolliver has been impressive, and perhaps more important, consistent. The 6-8 forward is averaging 13.5 points per game in under 25 minutes and he’s been shooting lights out, 64 percent from the field and 62 percent on threes. Keep an eye on Tolliver and Devin Green. They are both showing they want training camp spots.
Other than that, I’ve been disappointed with the play of Ian Mahinmi and Malik Hairston. With Ian playing a full year of D-League and learning the Spurs system, I thought he might be dominating. While he has put up some decent numbers, 14 and 8 doesn’t cut it. If he got that for the Spurs, I’d be ecstatic, but in summer league, I expected to see more. Hairston really hasn’t shown up yet. I expected more out of him as well, since several people said he could probably play in the NBA this year. In Monday night’s game, he put up a goose egg and only had six points tonight. He really hasn’t shined or shown me anything, but luckily, as I said earlier, it’s still early.
Keep in mind these are only my thoughts after two summer league games. After two summer league games, Derrick Rose looked terrible and O.J. Mayo still does, and there are plenty of games to be played in Vegas and at the Rocky Mountain Review.
Rockets Complete The Barry Trifecta
By Shawn Kirsch | July 11, 2008 | No Comments | Print
Only one day after the Spurs signed Roger Mason, Barry decided to join Houston, becoming the third family member to do so. His presence will be missed in the San Antonio locker room.
Known for his quick wit, Barry could keep the mood light, whether in preseason events, or at halftime of a tense road game during the playoffs. The Spurs will miss his touch, as he shot nearly 43% from downtown this year, but Mason should fill that in, while playing better defense as well.
On the court, Barry is replaceable, but his veteran presence and leadership will be missed. Best of luck in Houston, Barry, we look forward to sweeping you this year!
Roger Mason, the former Wizards SG, has signed with the Spurs. San Antonio showed interest in him last year, but he opted to sign with Washington for one more year. After injuries plagued Washington this season, he took advantage, posting career highs of 9.1 pts, 1.6 boards, and 1.7 assists in 21.4 minutes per game. While not spectacular numbers, they are solid enough to come off the bench in San Antonio, and he’s a decent defender as well. He also brings some younger legs to the team, and will be 28 by the time the season starts.
The quality I’m looking for from somebody new to the Spurs perimeter this year, is the ability to create their own shot. Maggette would have provided that, albeit with numerous issues, from his many injuries to his me first reputation. Mason has not yet shown the ability to create, but he should slip into the Spurs culture just fine. A reliable 3 point shooter, he’ll be able to knock down kicks from Parker and Ginobili, while providing solid defense on the other end. He’ll primarily play shooting guard here, although he’ll find some occasional time at the small forward, and maybe a few minutes at the point as well. With his abilities, younger age, and positional versatility, it seems as though somebody won’t be coming back, and my money is on Barry. Always a great locker room influence, Barry just doesn’t seem to offer enough over Mason to have both of them on the roster. More likely to hang around is Finley, to tutor Mason, and to an extent, Hill, as they learn the Spurs system.
I look forward to seeing what Mason can bring to the table for us, and how fast he picks up our defensive system. He has managed to steadily improve every year he’s been in the league, and I hope to see that once again, wearing the silver and black! Welcome to the team!
According to ESPN and several other online sources, Corey Maggette has agreed to join the Golden State Warriors just hours before the free agency moratorium is lifted. Reportedly, Maggette will sign a 5 year $50 million dollar deal with the Warriors who lost out on signing Elton Brand.
The Spurs were believed to be the frontrunners to land Maggette all along. But several teams, including the Celtics, Pistons, Jazz, Cavs and Magic were ready to offer the midlevel exception.
Allthough he said he was only interested in playing for a contender, it looks like Maggette chose a big payday from a team that didn’t make the playoffs and just lost their franchise player over playing for a perennial contender.
With Maggette off the market and Mickael Pietrus heading to Orlando, I expect the Spurs to turn their efforts towards restricted free agent J.R. Smith. Project Spurs writer Shawn Kirsch wrote about the possibility of Smith signing with the Spurs months ago, and since then, several other media outlets and sports bloggers have mentioned Smith as a possible offseason target. There have also been reports that the Spurs have talked to Carlos Delfino, Jarvis Hayes and Roger Mason, neither of which would command the full midlevel exception.
As Jeff Garcia and I discussed in our latest Spurscast recording, due out tomorrow, Smith would not be a bad backup plan and I had my concerns about Maggette’s constant injuries. While Smith could start for the Spurs, Delfino, Hayes and Mason would be best suited as backups.
In case you aren’t subscribed to the Spurscast or just missed it, I got a chance to talk to IUPUI Sports Information Director Ed Holdaway on Monday night about Spurs draft selection and former IUPUI standout George Hill. You may not know much about Hill now, but I have a feeling he’s going to end up being a fan favorite in San Antonio. Ed gave us a bit of insight into not only George Hill, the player, but also the person and takes us through the workouts, pre-draft camps and a surreal draft night for Hill.
Download Episode 127
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