duncan228
10-12-2008, 10:54 PM
Popovich might wish he had ex-NBA star (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Popovich_might_wish_he_had_ex-NBA_star.html)
Mike Monroe - Express-News
With one small slip of the tongue — a Freudian slip, perhaps — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich nearly added an imposing post player to the Spurs' preseason roster.
For the briefest of moments, Darryl Watkins became Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins.
Discussing how injuries have thinned the ranks of his big men, Popovich lamented the lost opportunity to take a long preseason look at injured second-year forward-center Ian Mahinmi. But he mixed up the name of Watkins, the 6-foot-11, 258-pound big man from the University of Memphis, with that of Dawkins.
“The disappointment is that Ian can't play,” Popovich said after Sunday's practice session. “He was going to get 35 to 38 minutes a game to see how far he had come. He came a long way last year in the D-League. We wanted to see that.
“I'm still not going to play Tim (Duncan) or Fab (Oberto) much, so we'll go small and play Dawkins — wait, what's-his-name, Watkins — and (Charles) Gaines as much as we have to so we can keep those guys rested.”
Dawkins, the 6-11, 250-pound center nearly as famous for naming his spectacular dunks as for completing them, played 14 seasons in the NBA, from 1975-76 to 1988-89.
Mahinmi's sprained right ankle has kept him out of practice since training camp began, and he is not expected to return before the preseason ends.
Popovich said forward Anthony Tolliver will continue to get many of the minutes he had planned to give Mahinmi.
“It's a great opportunity for Tolliver to see what he can do,” he said. “He's going to get a lot of minutes. He's doing a good job. He hasn't shot it as well as he'd like, but he's shown more of a focus on rebounding and playing defense and doing little things on the court.”
Long session: Unofficially, Popovich ran the Spurs through their longest practice of the preseason, a session lasting nearly three hours.
According to point guard Tony Parker, it also was one of the best practices of training camp.
“It was a great practice,” Parker said. “Everybody worked hard, everybody shot the ball well and passed well. We got a lot of work done.”
Mike Monroe - Express-News
With one small slip of the tongue — a Freudian slip, perhaps — Spurs coach Gregg Popovich nearly added an imposing post player to the Spurs' preseason roster.
For the briefest of moments, Darryl Watkins became Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins.
Discussing how injuries have thinned the ranks of his big men, Popovich lamented the lost opportunity to take a long preseason look at injured second-year forward-center Ian Mahinmi. But he mixed up the name of Watkins, the 6-foot-11, 258-pound big man from the University of Memphis, with that of Dawkins.
“The disappointment is that Ian can't play,” Popovich said after Sunday's practice session. “He was going to get 35 to 38 minutes a game to see how far he had come. He came a long way last year in the D-League. We wanted to see that.
“I'm still not going to play Tim (Duncan) or Fab (Oberto) much, so we'll go small and play Dawkins — wait, what's-his-name, Watkins — and (Charles) Gaines as much as we have to so we can keep those guys rested.”
Dawkins, the 6-11, 250-pound center nearly as famous for naming his spectacular dunks as for completing them, played 14 seasons in the NBA, from 1975-76 to 1988-89.
Mahinmi's sprained right ankle has kept him out of practice since training camp began, and he is not expected to return before the preseason ends.
Popovich said forward Anthony Tolliver will continue to get many of the minutes he had planned to give Mahinmi.
“It's a great opportunity for Tolliver to see what he can do,” he said. “He's going to get a lot of minutes. He's doing a good job. He hasn't shot it as well as he'd like, but he's shown more of a focus on rebounding and playing defense and doing little things on the court.”
Long session: Unofficially, Popovich ran the Spurs through their longest practice of the preseason, a session lasting nearly three hours.
According to point guard Tony Parker, it also was one of the best practices of training camp.
“It was a great practice,” Parker said. “Everybody worked hard, everybody shot the ball well and passed well. We got a lot of work done.”