Hairston may have staying power

[Amente]

By Jeff McDonald - Express-News

LAS VEGAS — For a player who appeared in all of 15 NBA games last season, Spurs swingman Malik Hairston certainly saw his name in the newspaper a lot.

Most of the time, it appeared in the transactions section.

Over the course of Hairston's rookie season, the Spurs waived him twice, re-signed him twice, recalled him from the NBA Development League once and assigned him there twice.

“I don't think I ever moved around so much in my life,” Hairston said. “I know where home is, though.”

Home, Hairston hopes, is in San Antonio.

The Spurs re-signed Hairston again on July 8, with designs on giving him every shot of making the team's opening day roster.

Between a stellar season in Austin, where he dominated the D-League between NBA call-ups, and a productive run at the recently completed Las Vegas summer league, Hairston seems on track to make good on that opportunity.

He was the Spurs' best shooter in Vegas, averaging 13.6 points while hitting 52.8 percent from the field, and did enough of the little things — read: guarding people — to give himself a chance to emerge from training camp with an NBA job.

“He's starting to understand who he is and where he fits,” said Spurs assistant Don Newman, who guided the summer league team. “You want to see a guy who knows the game. So far, he's proven he does.”

Summer league was kind to a number of Spurs players. George Hill solidified his standing as the Spurs' No. 2 point guard. Rookie DeJuan Blair proved he could bang and rebound with professionals. Ian Mahinmi, the team's 22-year-old enigma of a center, showed he might have a place in the Spurs' rotation yet.

Perhaps no Spurs player improved his stock more than Hairston. An athletic slasher who initially caught the Spurs' eyes due to his abilities as a perimeter defender, Hairston arrived in Las Vegas a remade man.

“He's getting to the rim, and he's reading the defense,” said Quin Snyder, who coached Hairston in Austin and helped out in Vegas. “He's scoring in a number of ways. He's being versatile. That's important.”

With a solid summer, Hairston has positioned himself to earn minutes behind Richard Jefferson and Michael Finley on the wing, and has greatly reduced the chances the Spurs will bring back free agent Ime Udoka.

Next up, training camp.

Originally obtained in a 2008 draft day trade with Phoenix — the same swap that gave the Spurs the pick they used to take the ballyhooed Blair in this year's draft — Hairston was the last cut in last year's camp.

The Spurs re-signed him Dec. 22, and he bounced between San Antonio and Austin before being waived again April 8 to create roster space for Marcus Williams, another former second-round pick whose career path has paralleled Hairston's.

All along, Hairston made fans in the Spurs' front office. Despite the serial waiving of him, the team still wanted to keep Hairston in the pipeline.

“They told me I was always in their plans,” Hairston said. “They just wanted to see me grow. There just weren't minutes up top (in the NBA) for me to get playing time.”

Hairston used his time in Austin wisely, working to add a catch-and-shoot element to his drive-heavy arsenal.

He averaged 22.9 points in 30 games and was selected to play in the D-League All-Star Game. He had to decline, however, due to a prior commitment. The game coincided with his short shift with the Spurs.

Hairston hopes all of that helps lift him to a more permanent place in the Spurs' plans. He is under contract heading into fall camp, but his deal will not become fully guaranteed unless he makes the team.

And as Hairston learned from his yo-yo rookie season, nothing is ever really guaranteed.

“I feel like I'm going to have a great opportunity,” Hairston said. “I'm going to do everything I know I can do, and hopefully it works out.”

Hairston may have staying power

[Jose_TheGenius]

i hope he stays too

[spurs fan removed]

ditto. he should have stayed on last year. i hope he takes fin's minutes.

[clovisnmspurfan]

He seems to be a player in the Spurs mold.

[TheLadiesMike]

Let's trade Finley to a team that has pending major financial obligations (i.e., OKC signing Durant to a big deal in a couple years, Chicago and Portland, too) in return for a draft pick down the line.

[Spurnation]

Originally Posted by TheLadiesMike

Let's trade Finley to a team that has pending major financial obligations (i.e., OKC signing Durant to a big deal in a couple years, Chicago and Portland, too) in return for a draft pick down the line.

I wouldn't go quite that far yet regarding Finley.

He had big games for the Spurs. It's just he was asked to play more minutes than he should have been playing.

I think Finely can still contribute in a big way for the team if his minutes are regulated.

And we'll have to wait and see how Hairston does against better talent to prematurely annoint him as our b/u 3.

[SleepyAdamII]

To look back on the past, this is what championship teams like the 60's Celtics did. They had real talented guys sit behind and sub in for established veterans, they promoted from the inside. Guys like Heinsohn and Cousy were eventually replaced by Sam Jones and Havlicek. So to Have Finley on the Team and Bowen, now we are pruning and training guys like Hairston, Williams, and Hill to eventually take the spots of our established veterans.

Personally I am hoping the 2 and 5 spots are up for grabs. I don't like Manu starting because it wears on him, and he has shown to be the reincarnation of Havlicek off the bench. But I would like Pop to maybe see who can earn the starting 2 spot between Mason, Hairston, or Williams. The Same with the 5, I hope their is a try out between Ian, McDyess, and Blair ( who could be a working man's Elton Brand, pre Sixer).

Hopefully the spurs will leave some options open and put the right amount of talent and chemistry on the floor through out the season.

[Grego]

Originally Posted by TheLadiesMike

Let's trade Finley to a team that has pending major financial obligations (i.e., OKC signing Durant to a big deal in a couple years, Chicago and Portland, too) in return for a draft pick down the line.

Well Mason and Bonner also have final year contracts so, if it's not Finley Spurs have other guys to offer up teams that want to shave off a little bit of luxury tax!

[jonnokc]

If he's improved his jumper especially 3 point shot as it appeared he had in SL then I think he will definitely make the roster

[choppsboy]

Originally Posted by SleepyAdamII

The Same with the 5, I hope their is a try out between Ian, McDyess, and Blair ( who could be a working man's Elton Brand, pre Sixer).

I am hoping Blair can work his way up to being TD's primary backup.

I would like to see Ian begin as the backup to McCyess, but takeover the starting roll by the end of the season.

If these two things happen, that will mean that our young guys are kicking butt.

[theinswes]

Originally Posted by SleepyAdamII

To look back on the past, this is what championship teams like the 60's Celtics did. They had real talented guys sit behind and sub in for established veterans, they promoted from the inside. Guys like Heinsohn and Cousy were eventually replaced by Sam Jones and Havlicek. So to Have Finley on the Team and Bowen, now we are pruning and training guys like Hairston, Williams, and Hill to eventually take the spots of our established veterans.

Personally I am hoping the 2 and 5 spots are up for grabs. I don't like Manu starting because it wears on him, and he has shown to be the reincarnation of Havlicek off the bench. But I would like Pop to maybe see who can earn the starting 2 spot between Mason, Hairston, or Williams. The Same with the 5, I hope their is a try out between Ian, McDyess, and Blair ( who could be a working man's Elton Brand, pre Sixer).

Hopefully the spurs will leave some options open and put the right amount of talent and chemistry on the floor through out the season.

we don't even need to look at the 60s though, we can look at '02 or '03. we had david, kevin willis, danny ferry, steve smith, and steve kerr. old vets that were around. but they didn't play much - they allowed our younger group of guys to get their minutes in and be the real core of this team, and the vets stepped in and played effectively in their limited minutes.

flip to our team the last several years, and we've jsut got old guys running around trying to keep up with guys 8-10yrs younger than them. now we finally can move finley to the role he is fit for - the bench for spot minutes, and mentor to the kids. it took awhile, but at least that day has finally come. of course, this is still the logical choice, but you never know, and pop might still have him logging 25mins a night as a starter, no matter how poorly he plays.

[admin]

This guy has shown a lot of "smart player" (ala Shane Battier) moments. I really hope he is a long time Spur because if we don't keep him he wil go elsewhere and absolutely thrive!