NBA Summer League

[NersEllenson]

The stats between the two really aren't remotely close.  Blair beats Gardner by a considerable margin in all categories except FT shooting.

Blair averaged 16 pts and 12 rbs per game, and outperformed Gardner on defense by a wide margin.

Gardner averaged 12 pts and 5 rbs.

You failed to realize Blair averaged 6 more minutes a game...more than 200 more minutes for the season.  Their Points per 40 minutes were virtually identical.  You give Gardner 200 more minutes and the numbers get even more favorable as far as FTA...

I don't dispute that Blair is a better rebounder at all.

Gardner and Blair are significantly different. Throw away the numbers. Have you ever seen Blair play?

Blair is fast for a big man and explosive to the rim. I can think of two occasions in which the underside of the rim blocked Davante on a pathetic dunk attempt. Blair is an athlete. Please.

Yeah...I saw Blair play a lot at Pitt and he was not a great athlete, nor very explosive to the rim at Pitt.  He's evolved into a better athlete as he's gotten into the pros and put the work in.  

Sorry, I'm just not ready to throw the towel in on Davante standing no chance to make the league....if he can get super dedicated in his conditioning....and stick with it for a couple of years in the D-League...he might make it....but...it's going to take a lot of discipline on his part.

[Markusquette]

Jamil is 4-5 with 11 points in 18 minutes so far (and 4 TO).

[77ncaachamps]

Jamil had a great night.

Perfect front the field and line.
17 min played.

[forgetful]

You failed to realize Blair averaged 6 more minutes a game...more than 200 more minutes for the season.  Their Points per 40 minutes were virtually identical.  You give Gardner 200 more minutes and the numbers get even more favorable as far as FTA...

I don't dispute that Blair is a better rebounder at all.

I guess part of the reason, why in this case I don't buy the 40 minutes per as much is that Gardner couldn't play more than that.  His conditioning was such that even at that usage (6 fewer minutes per game), he was exhausted and playing to the max for his conditioning. 

Again, Gardner has a solid skill set, unique abilities.  Glad he was at MU for 4 years, but he just isn't NBA caliber.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I guess part of the reason, why in this case I don't buy the 40 minutes per as much is that Gardner couldn't play more than that.  His conditioning was such that even at that usage (6 fewer minutes per game), he was exhausted and playing to the max for his conditioning. 

Again, Gardner has a solid skill set, unique abilities.  Glad he was at MU for 4 years, but he just isn't NBA caliber.

I don't think Davante is NBA worthy, but this talk of him being "exhausted" is absolute bullsh*t. He was our best player last year by a wide margin, but for some reason Buzz had him sharing minutes with Otule. He was never "exhausted."

[ATL MU Warrior]

You failed to realize Blair averaged 6 more minutes a game...more than 200 more minutes for the season.  Their Points per 40 minutes were virtually identical.  You give Gardner 200 more minutes and the numbers get even more favorable as far as FTA...

I don't dispute that Blair is a better rebounder at all.

Yeah...I saw Blair play a lot at Pitt and he was not a great athlete, nor very explosive to the rim at Pitt.  He's evolved into a better athlete as he's gotten into the pros and put the work in.  

Sorry, I'm just not ready to throw the towel in on Davante standing no chance to make the league....if he can get super dedicated in his conditioning....and stick with it for a couple of years in the D-League...he might make it....but...it's going to take a lot of discipline on his part.

Yep.  Not very athletic at all while at Pitt... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxxqEKssvgI

[reinko]

I don't think Davante is NBA worthy, but this talk of him being "exhausted" is absolute bullsh*t. He was our best player last year by a wide margin, but for some reason Buzz had him sharing minutes with Otule. He was never "exhausted."

So if he wasn't tired,  then he was either slow or lazy for stretches for a lot of games.  I will let you decide.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

So if he wasn't tired,  then he was either slow or lazy for stretches for a lot of games.  I will let you decide.

"Hey! Look at the fat guy! Isn't he slow and lazy?"

In my opinion, this approaches "traditional" territory.

[MU82]

You failed to realize Blair averaged 6 more minutes a game...more than 200 more minutes for the season.  Their Points per 40 minutes were virtually identical.  You give Gardner 200 more minutes and the numbers get even more favorable as far as FTA...

I don't dispute that Blair is a better rebounder at all.

Yeah...I saw Blair play a lot at Pitt and he was not a great athlete, nor very explosive to the rim at Pitt.  He's evolved into a better athlete as he's gotten into the pros and put the work in.  

Sorry, I'm just not ready to throw the towel in on Davante standing no chance to make the league....if he can get super dedicated in his conditioning....and stick with it for a couple of years in the D-League...he might make it....but...it's going to take a lot of discipline on his part.

I think you are "misremembering" Blair at Pitt. He authored numerous violent, spectacular dunks. Davante barely can get the ball over the rim.

Anyway, we'll have the answer soon enough without having to speculate.

Blair was good enough to get drafted, good enough to get minutes for a great Spurs team, good enough for the Mavericks to want to acquire him, and good enough to get significant minutes for a Mavs team that almost beat the Spurs in the playoffs in part because Blair played well. He seems poised to have a long, fruitful NBA career.

Davante wasn't drafted and does not seem to be generating any serious interest among GMs and coaches.

Let's see where each is two years from now.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I think you are "misremembering" Blair at Pitt. He authored numerous violent, spectacular dunks. Davante barely can get the ball over the rim.

Anyway, we'll have the answer soon enough without having to speculate.

Blair was good enough to get drafted, good enough to get minutes for a great Spurs team, good enough for the Mavericks to want to acquire him, and good enough to get significant minutes for a Mavs team that almost beat the Spurs in the playoffs in part because Blair played well. He seems poised to have a long, fruitful NBA career.

Davante wasn't drafted and does not seem to be generating any serious interest among GMs and coaches.

Let's see where each is two years from now.

Didn't Blair also have some kind of degenerative knee condition that saw his draft stock fall? Davante could've been a Blair type. It didn't happen for whatever reason. Still one of my all time favorites at MU and maybe the most likable player since Novak.

[GGGG]

Didn't Blair also have some kind of degenerative knee condition that saw his draft stock fall? Davante could've been a Blair type. It didn't happen for whatever reason. Still one of my all time favorites at MU and maybe the most likable player since Novak.

Blair doesn't have ACLs in his knees.  I thought too that Davante could have been a Blair type once he dropped pounds, but he's simply not athletic enough.

[NersEllenson]

I think you are "misremembering" Blair at Pitt. He authored numerous violent, spectacular dunks. Davante barely can get the ball over the rim.

Anyway, we'll have the answer soon enough without having to speculate.

Blair was good enough to get drafted, good enough to get minutes for a great Spurs team, good enough for the Mavericks to want to acquire him, and good enough to get significant minutes for a Mavs team that almost beat the Spurs in the playoffs in part because Blair played well. He seems poised to have a long, fruitful NBA career.

Davante wasn't drafted and does not seem to be generating any serious interest among GMs and coaches.

Let's see where each is two years from now.

Blair did not author many violent, spectacular dunks while at Pitt - The highlight clip - which are his best plays from his last season in college...have about 5 dunks for the whole year...none of which are incredibly spectacular.  Gardner has dunked on a number of occasions at MU...Blair was not expolsive at Pitt....however..I will say Blair is a little bit more athletic than Gardner - but it isn't much of a difference...not during their college careers..

Now...it's been 5 years since he's been in the league...this last season being the 5th - he was drafted in 2009...and he's just now starting to make his mark...so he wasn't an immediate sensation in the NBA by any stretch of the imagination.

[GGGG]

Now...it's been 5 years since he's been in the league...this last season being the 5th - he was drafted in 2009...and he's just now starting to make his mark...so he wasn't an immediate sensation in the NBA by any stretch of the imagination.

Actually Blair played more mpg his first three seasons (all in San Antonio) than he has his last two (last year in SA and first year in Dallas).  He's been a regular rotation guy pretty much every year he has been in the league.

Now I would hardly call him a "sensation" at all.  Good role player, occasional starter, who gives you some solid minutes and can put the ball in the basket.  But better than Davante Gardner.

[Lennys Tap]

Actually Blair played more mpg his first three seasons (all in San Antonio) than he has his last two (last year in SA and first year in Dallas).  He's been a regular rotation guy pretty much every year he has been in the league.

You are correct. Here are his numbers:

09-10  18.2 minutes, 7.8 pts, 6.4 rbs
10-11  21.4 minutes, 8.3 pts, 7.0 rbs
11-12  21.3 minutes, 9.5 pts, 5.5 rbs
12-13  14.0 minutes, 5.4 pts, 3.8 rbs
13-14  15.6 minutes, 6.4 pts, 4.7 rbs

Rather than "come into his own", years 4 and 5 have been his least productive in his career.

[ATL MU Warrior]

Blair did not author many violent, spectacular dunks while at Pitt - The highlight clip - which are his best plays from his last season in college...have about 5 dunks for the whole year...none of which are incredibly spectacular.  Gardner has dunked on a number of occasions at MU...Blair was not expolsive at Pitt....however..I will say Blair is a little bit more athletic than Gardner - but it isn't much of a difference...not during their college careers..

Now...it's been 5 years since he's been in the league...this last season being the 5th - he was drafted in 2009...and he's just now starting to make his mark...so he wasn't an immediate sensation in the NBA by any stretch of the imagination.

There is no way you can watch that video and still claim that Blair isn't a great deal more athletic than Davante.

Unless you are trying to bend reality into a narrative you have created for yourself.

[MU82]

There is no way you can watch that video and still claim that Blair isn't a great deal more athletic than Davante.

Unless you are trying to bend reality into a narrative you have created for yourself.

This. I'm done arguing this silliness. The argument is already won. Blair is a well-compensated, productive NBA pro. IMHO, Davante never will be any of those things. I'm not going to do a Dawson/Derrick rehash of the obvious.

[brandx]

We are also ignoring the fact that Blair is doing all of this without ACLs in either knee due to surgeries he had in HS.

To compare Gardner to even a half-crippled Blair is still ludicrous.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I love me some Davante Gardner. But Dejaun Blair eats Davante's breakfast.

[Texas Western]

Vander a DNP-coaches decision tonight. Saw almost no playing time in the summer league for the Spurs.

[77ncaachamps]

Vander a DNP-coaches decision tonight. Saw almost no playing time in the summer league for the Spurs.

That's gotta be frustrating. Feel bad for the kid.

I expect him to garner some serious minutes when he's 3 years older; the Spurs like their players mature.

[77ncaachamps]

Watching Jamil (Wiz) vs. Heat (on replay).

Still looks like he doesn't have it in the belly.

[Texas Western]

Watching Jamil (Wiz) vs. Heat (on replay).

Still looks like he doesn't have it in the belly.

He had another nice game tonight and so did Davante.

[77ncaachamps]

Lockett just hit a three. Announcer mentions MU.

NBADL Select (Lockett's team) up by a couple on the Nuggets.

Winner advances...

He had another nice game tonight and so did Davante.

Good.

I saw him standing and watching the ball off backboard when an opponent just blew right past his "no blockout" and dunk it right near him.

[martyconlonontherun]

That's gotta be frustrating. Feel bad for the kid.

I expect him to garner some serious minutes when he's 3 years older; the Spurs like their players mature.

Just to make sure, this is in teal, right?

[Spotcheck Billy]

Vander had 12 points for the Spurs vs. the Bucks yesterday