Spurs: Rookie learning from Duncan
Web Posted: 10/05/2007 10:03 PM CDT
Jeff McDonald
San Antonio Express-News
Ian Mahinmi draws perhaps the toughest daily assignment of any 20-year-old rookie in any NBA camp this fall. At every Spurs practice, he has to square off against Tim Duncan.
Mahinmi, the team’s top pick out of France two years ago, doesn’t pretend to be winning the training-camp battle.
“I think he’s a got a little, little advantage on me,” Mahinmi said.
Still, the daily sessions of being dominated by Duncan are not without their value for Mahinmi, who spent last season playing in the French League.
Five days into it, Mahinmi says his first NBA training camp has been an important learning experience for him. Most of those lessons have come at the hand of Duncan, perennially one of the top players in the league.
“That’s what I’m looking for,” Mahinmi said. “If I go against him, I’m going to get better every day. With him as a teacher, it’s good for me.”
A raw talent, Mahinmi is especially trying to polish his offensive game after averaging 4.3 points in 33 French League games last year. He is still likely to begin the season with the Spurs’ developmental league affiliate in Austin, though, even with significant improvement.
A fast break: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich rewarded his team’s effort thus far in camp with a day off today. For a team like the Spurs, whose roster is composed of a number of 30-somethings, it’s probably the most plum prize imaginable.
The most ardent proponent of the break was Duncan, who is in the middle of his 11th NBA training camp.
“It’s always time for a day off,” Duncan said, “especially after 10 years in the league.”
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Robert Horry found a way to double his down time. He was excused from Friday’s workout to tend to a bit of personal business.
Manu in midseason form: Manu Ginobili punctuated the team’s five-on-five scrimmage near the end of Friday’s practice by making a play fans ought to see hundreds of times at the AT&T Center this season.
He caught the ball on the right wing and up-faked a charging Kris Lang, who proceeded to land on Ginobili’s shoulders with enough force to send the shooter sprawling.
Ginobili, who apparently doesn’t even take a break from drawing hard fouls in training camp, went to the line and sank two free throws.