duncan228
01-05-2009, 09:06 PM
Jeff McDonald: Pop on the old guys (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2009/01/jeff-mcdonald-p-28.html)
MIAMI -- Gregg Popovich covered all kinds of ground in a lengthy pre-game pow-wow with reporters here in Miami tonight.
Aside from the money quote -- "We're just not in the same league with the Lakers right now" -- the most interesting notebook fodder came in Pop's assessment of the two former Heat players on his roster, Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas.
* Of Bowen, the team's one-time iron man whose role has been reduced this season, Popovich said, "He is getting older. People don't realize he's 37 years old. That's pretty old for a guy at the three position, guarding arguably the best player on the other team every night."
Popovich said he's been giving more minutes to newcomer Roger Mason with the starters, so Mason can continue to get used to the Spurs' system. The coach hinted at the possibility of Bowen's role beginning to expand again as the season moves along.
"I just want to make sure he's there come playoff time, so I'm trying to reduce his minutes now," Popovich said.
* Thomas signed a two-year deal to return to the Spurs in the offseason, then showed up for training camp with a strained hamstring that would keep him out almost the entire preseason.
"I wondered what the hell to do with him, why we signed him," Popovich said. "Then, he came to be one day and said, 'I'm ready to go now."
It took Thomas a while to get into the flow of things, but Popovich says he's happy to have him.
"He doesn't need my ass," Popovich said. "He's been in the league a long time. He knows when he's ready to go."
MIAMI -- Gregg Popovich covered all kinds of ground in a lengthy pre-game pow-wow with reporters here in Miami tonight.
Aside from the money quote -- "We're just not in the same league with the Lakers right now" -- the most interesting notebook fodder came in Pop's assessment of the two former Heat players on his roster, Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas.
* Of Bowen, the team's one-time iron man whose role has been reduced this season, Popovich said, "He is getting older. People don't realize he's 37 years old. That's pretty old for a guy at the three position, guarding arguably the best player on the other team every night."
Popovich said he's been giving more minutes to newcomer Roger Mason with the starters, so Mason can continue to get used to the Spurs' system. The coach hinted at the possibility of Bowen's role beginning to expand again as the season moves along.
"I just want to make sure he's there come playoff time, so I'm trying to reduce his minutes now," Popovich said.
* Thomas signed a two-year deal to return to the Spurs in the offseason, then showed up for training camp with a strained hamstring that would keep him out almost the entire preseason.
"I wondered what the hell to do with him, why we signed him," Popovich said. "Then, he came to be one day and said, 'I'm ready to go now."
It took Thomas a while to get into the flow of things, but Popovich says he's happy to have him.
"He doesn't need my ass," Popovich said. "He's been in the league a long time. He knows when he's ready to go."