Ex-Pitt star Blair has happy return with Spurs
PITTSBURGH — DeJuan Blair couldn't hide his excitement while he talked to reporters before the San Antonio Spurs' 106-80 preseason loss in the Cleveland Cavaliers Thursday night at the Peterson Events Center.
Blair couldn't be happier to be home, and he received a nice ovation from the crowd, but the former Pitt and Schenley High basketball star was eager to show his hometown what he learned after one season in the NBA.
"Yeah, it's nice to be back and see so many guys that I used to talk to in high school and college," Blair said. "But I'm looking forward to making some new memories."
Blair didn't disappoint, scoring six of the Spurs' first 13 points, and tallying nine total points and 11 rebounds.
The with the help of a diet and offseason conditioning, the 6-foot, 7-inch Blair has slimmed down to 265 pounds and is in the best shape of his young career.
"I've been running. I actually ran too much," Blair said. "I have my own chef back in San Antonio that helps out on my diet," he added. "But I also look forward to days to when I get to cheat on my diet."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Blair, 21, might be a starter for the Spurs' opener Sept 27 at home against Indiana.
"He's a quick learner and is very passionate about the game. With those ingredients he has a chance to be a great player. What more could you ask?" Popovich said.
The Cavaliers struggled early Thursday, but were leading by the end of the first quarter. They took a 17-16 lead on a 16-foot jumper by Daniel Gibson and led for the rest of the game.
J.J. Hickson (18 points), Ramon Sessions (14), Daniel Gibson (13) and Manny Harris (11) scored in double digits for the Cavs. They shot 51 percent as a team, while limiting the Spurs to 37 percent from the floor.
"We came out tonight expecting to play hard," Blair said. "They just made shots and we didn't."
The Cavaliers beat a depleted Spurs team, as Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Richard Jefferson chose not to make the trip after the team played in Mexico last week.
Tiago Splitter and Matt Bonner also were out due to coaches decision.
Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said that even though they weren't playing a complete Spurs team, he was happy with his squad's effort.
"These guys bust their butts every day," Scott said. "I thought we played hard for almost the entire game, but we had some lows. We just need to tighten up the nuts and bolts a little."
