If you thought the end of DeJuan Blair being in a San Antonio Spurs uniform meant that the drama between the player and organization was over, you should really think again.
In an offseason full of spiteful comments against the Spurs after signing with the Dallas Mavericks, Blair has continued his jabs against the team that drafted him despite knee issues.
It was just last week that Blair said the Spurs didn't give him "everything" and now, he wants to remind his former team that they had the Finals won in Game 6, not him.
Via Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News:
“I didn’t have it won,” Blair said emphatically. “The Spurs had it won.”
Blair's tenure in San Antonio is one to forget to say the least, unless you're Blair.
Once a prominent starter for the team, his minutes started to quickly fall in the postseason with head coach Gregg Popovich leaning toward a bigger lineup for the postseason's slower tempo.
Blair's minutes were taken up by then Spur Antonio McDyess and present Spur Boris Diaw. Both players brought on a versatility to the big position that DeJuan couldn't match, especially on the offensive end.
Blair, a 6'7" big man, had been neutralized by bigger teams in the league and that's mainly because of his limited offense which consists of layups or dunks. Postseason teams usually consist of a game plan to protect the rim more aggressively than usual, which is one of the reasons why Coach Pop opted to stick Blair at the end of the bench behind Matt Bonner.
While Blair insists the Spurs gave him nothing, that's further from the truth. His stock in the 2009 NBA Draft fell quickly with the Spurs picking him up in the second round (37th pick). The majority of the league was weary of using a draft pick on Blair because of him lacking ACL's on both legs. Even with the team using a low pick on Blair, the team's Achilles heel has been frontcourt help for Tim Duncan and Blair was the opposite of what the team usually scouts for in that department.
Blair, however, still thought he could make an impact in his postseasons wearing silver and black. In fact, he also has been vocal on him making an impact in the NBA Finals where the Spurs fell in Game 7 to the Miami Heat.
Blair also made a backhanded remark at the Spurs, implying that more minutes will equate with him having big games – lots of them in the upcoming season with Dallas.
“I plan on having a lot more of them [big games],” he said. “With minutes given to me, that’s pretty much what you get, getting in a groove and just playing. We’re going to see what minutes are given me.”
What's your opinion on Blair's comments against the team and his distancing himself from the team's shortcomings? Will he have a big impact for the Mavericks with their short rotation on the frontcourt or will Blair find his usual spot on the end of a bench, this time for another team?
