DeJuan That Got Away
Things really change as time goes by in the NBA. San Antonio Spurs power forward, DeJuan Blair, has been living proof of that ever since being drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA draft.
Blair was a great prospect coming out of the University of Pittsburg following a great showing in his Final NCAA tournament and was expected to go midway through the first round.
Unfortunately a nagging Knee surgery raised red flags for NBA teams and his draft stock fell.
Waiting for him half way through round two was the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs had been notorious for drafting great hidden gems, mostly from other countries.
They took a chance on Blair, and took him with the seventh pick of round two.
For the Spurs, it was a steal to say the least.
Blair played about 18 minutes a game in his first season but has come into his own during his second season in Coach Gregg Popovich’s system. He has made his way into the starting line-up and can put up a double-double on any given night.
He gives Duncan a chance to rest and play a less-reliable role on a team that has taken a strangle hold of the league having lost only six games.
Blair is a scrappy undersized player who is aggressive under the rim and has been getting more minutes as of late. He gives a team that looked aged out two years ago a new revamped feel.
Blair executes in ways Duncan cannot during the back end of an epic career, not to mention the depth of the post rotation was weak outside of Duncan before Blair joined.
So as a result, expect Blair’s eight points, seven rebounds a game average to jump to about a double-double by season’s end.
He is in a great place to learn without the distractions of media and drama. He can learn from a future Hall of Fame coach while the greatest power forward in the game teaches him a thing or two.
Blair is Classy player for a classy organization.
If you ask me, he may become one of the all-time great draft picks the Spurs have had, with the exception of Duncan, David Robinson, and Tony Parker.
I guess the rest of the league may slap themselves in the near future and regret passing him up. I suppose it’s understandable. I mean you never know what you’re going to get in a player… unless you’re San Antonio
