Not since Tim Duncan arrived in 1997 or maybe Tony Parker in 2001 has there been such anticipation to see a Spurs rookie in action. That's what faces 6-foot-7 power forward DeJuan Blair. The Spurs , thin in the frontcourt and coming off a season where rebounding became an issue, need Blair's help now.
With Duncan's age, there's no luxury of waiting for Blair to develop, which could be troublesome since he only spent two years at Pittsburgh. The Spurs would like him to be nothing more than a complimentary piece to the championship puzzle that Manu Ginobili was as a rookie in 2003. Express-News staff writer Douglas Pils looks at how some other prominent Spurs performed as rookies, listed in chronological order:
Swen Nater
Position: Center
College: UCLA
Rookie year: 1973-74
How Spurs fared: Lost to Pacers in first round (4-3)
How he fared: After spending the first 17 games with the Virginia Squires, he came to San Antonio and became ABA Rookie of the Year and an ABA All-Star. ... He averaged 14.1 points and 9.0 rebounds for the season, 14.5 and 13.6 in 62 games with the Spurs .
Johnny Moore
Position: Guard
College: Texas
Rookie year: 1980-81
How Spurs fared: Lost to Rockets in Western semifinals (4-3)
How he fared: Waived the year before, he led the Spurs in assists at 4.5 per game and averaged 7.4 points. ... NBA assists leader in his second season (9.6).
Gene Banks
Position: Guard-Forward
College: Duke
Rookie year: 1981-82
How Spurs fared: Lost to Lakers in Western finals (4-0)
How he fared: A Blue Devil who was ready to play, he averaged 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds. ... Averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists over the next two seasons. ... Missed only five games in four years with the Spurs .
John Paxson
Position: Guard
College: Notre Dame
Rookie year: 1983-84
How Spurs fared: Missed playoffs (37-45)
How he fared: The 19th overall pick helped by averaging 3.0 assists. ... Playing guard on a team with Moore, John Lucas and shooters in George Gervin and Banks didn't leave many shots. He averaged 17.7 as a senior with the Irish, but that dipped to 2.9 in 49 games with the Spurs . ... Played one more season in S.A.
Alvin Robertson
Position: Guard
College: Arkansas
Rookie year: 1984-85
How Spurs fared: Lost to Nuggets in first round (3-2)
How he fared: The No. 7 overall pick quickly found a groove, averaging 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals in a reserve role. ... NBA leader in steals the next two seasons and league's No. 1 all-time in steals per game (2.7).
Johnny Dawkins
Position: Guard
College: Duke
Rookie year: 1986-87
How Spurs fared: Missed playoffs (28-54)
How he fared: The 10th overall pick averaged 10.3 points and 3.6 assists in 81 games. ... Averaged 5.5 assists in nine seasons, but his three in S.A. represent the worst three-year stretch in team history - 26.7 wins a season (1986-89).
Walter Berry
Position: Forward
College: St. John's
Rookie year: 1986-87
How Spurs fared: Missed playoffs (28-54)
How he fared: The college player of the year came in a December trade from Portland and averaged 17.6 points and 5.4 rebounds for the third-worst team in Spurs history. ... He was out of the NBA by 1989 but played in Europe until 2001.
Greg Anderson
Position: Forward-Center
College: Houston
Rookie year: 1987-88
How Spurs fared: A 31-51 team lost to Lakers in first round (3-0)
How he fared: The 23rd overall pick averaged 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds but only played another year before moving on. ... Spent two more years with Spurs in 1995-97.
Willie Anderson
Position: Guard-forward
College: Georgia
Rookie year: 1988-89
How Spurs fared: Missed playoffs (21-61)
How he fared: The 10th overall pick led the team with 18.6 points a game to go with 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals while making 79 starts.
David Robinson
Position: Center
College: Navy
Rookie year: 1989-90
How Spurs fared: Lost to Trail Blazers in Western semifinals (4-3)
How he fared: The top pick in 1987 and new member of the Hall of Fame made the Spurs relevant with 24.3 points, 12 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. ... The team's second Rookie of the Year.
Sean Elliott
Position: Forward
College: Arizona
Rookie year: 1989-90
How Spurs fared: Lost to Trail Blazers in Western semifinals (4-3)
How he fared: The No. 3 overall pick averaged 10 points and 3.7 rebounds in 81 games, including 69 starts. ... The man who hit the Memorial Day Miracle in 1999, he made 1 of 9 3-pointers as a rookie.
Tim Duncan
Position: Forward
College: Wake Forest
Rookie year: 1997-98
How Spurs fared: Lost to Jazz in Western semifinals (4-1)
How he fared: The top pick didn't make the Spurs champs until his second season, but he averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks to become the Spurs' third Rookie of the Year.
Tony Parker
Position: Guard
Country: France
Rookie year: 2001-02
How Spurs fared: Lost to Lakers in Western semifinals (4-1)
How he fared: At 19, the 28th pick averaged 9.2 points and 4.3 assists in 77 games (72 starts) and made the All-NBA Rookie First Team. ... In the playoffs, he averaged 15.5 points and 4.0 assists.
Manu Ginobili
Position: Guard
Country: Argentina
Rookie year: 2002-03
How Spurs fared: Beat Nets in NBA Finals (4-2), making Ginobili the only one on this list with a title as a rookie.
How he fared: A second-round pick in the 1999 draft, he averaged 7.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in his first regular season with the Spurs . ... Played in all 24 playoff games, increasing those averages to 9.4, 3.8 and 2.9.
