duncan228
02-08-2009, 02:09 AM
Gregg Popovich an odd duck, but a winner (http://www.star-telegram.com/nbainsider/story/1191451.html)
By Jan Hubbard
In Major League Baseball, "Manny being Manny" is the well-known phrase that describes the sometimes eccentric behavior of Manny Ramirez.
In the NBA, we have "Pop being Pop."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was at it again Tuesday in Denver, where he rested Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in a game against the Nuggets.
Why?
"Parker makes the All-Star team and becomes hard to deal with, so we’re going to sit him and teach him a lesson," Popovich deadpanned. "Duncan says he wants to renegotiate his contract, so I said, 'Sit, I’m not talking to you.’ "
The Spurs already knew they were going to play without Manu Ginobili, who had a left hip contusion so in essence, Popovich conceded the game to the Nuggets.
But Popovich was OK with that.
First, he gave his subs a chance to win the game, and wouldn’t that have sent a message to the Nuggets, who have been leading the Northwest Division for most of the year and could be battling the Spurs for home-court advantage if the two teams meet in the second round?
The Spurs trailed by two in the fourth quarter before losing by eight.
Second, the Nuggets had been resting for three days and the Spurs had played the previous night at Golden State and did not arrive in Denver until 4 a.m. the morning of the game. So a victory was unlikely anyway and by playing subs, Popovich took the thrill of victory away from the Nuggets.
By conceding the game, Popovich allowed the Nuggets to win the season series, which would give them the tiebreaker and could give them the home court advantage in the playoffs.
But that’s Popovich. He doesn’t care. He has always said that to win a championship, you have to win on the road, so what difference does it make if you have one more game on the road.
Popovich has the credibility of four championships since 1999, so while his methods may be unusual, players accept them because they have worked.
Popovich certainly keeps his team guessing in a variety of ways.
He shocked them several years ago when he announced there would be no morning shootarounds before home games.
When they went to Washington D.C. last year, he took them for a team tour of the Holocaust center.
He instituted yoga as part of practice in training camp this season.
When he was upset with the team on a trip to Sacramento, he had the bus stop in front of the California state capital building to chew them out. If they didn’t respond, apparently he was prepared to call the Terminator.
In resting his star players, Popovich was criticized in some corners for depriving Denver fans of getting their money’s worth.
What if the next time the Lakers come to San Antonio, they rest Kobe? Or Cleveland rests LeBron? Is that fair to fans who pay big bucks for tickets?
Apparently the NBA has no problem with it and if other teams want to do the same thing, Popovich undoubtedly doesn’t care, either.
He’s preparing his team for a championship run. He’s doing it his way. It’s a matter of Pop being Pop.
By Jan Hubbard
In Major League Baseball, "Manny being Manny" is the well-known phrase that describes the sometimes eccentric behavior of Manny Ramirez.
In the NBA, we have "Pop being Pop."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was at it again Tuesday in Denver, where he rested Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in a game against the Nuggets.
Why?
"Parker makes the All-Star team and becomes hard to deal with, so we’re going to sit him and teach him a lesson," Popovich deadpanned. "Duncan says he wants to renegotiate his contract, so I said, 'Sit, I’m not talking to you.’ "
The Spurs already knew they were going to play without Manu Ginobili, who had a left hip contusion so in essence, Popovich conceded the game to the Nuggets.
But Popovich was OK with that.
First, he gave his subs a chance to win the game, and wouldn’t that have sent a message to the Nuggets, who have been leading the Northwest Division for most of the year and could be battling the Spurs for home-court advantage if the two teams meet in the second round?
The Spurs trailed by two in the fourth quarter before losing by eight.
Second, the Nuggets had been resting for three days and the Spurs had played the previous night at Golden State and did not arrive in Denver until 4 a.m. the morning of the game. So a victory was unlikely anyway and by playing subs, Popovich took the thrill of victory away from the Nuggets.
By conceding the game, Popovich allowed the Nuggets to win the season series, which would give them the tiebreaker and could give them the home court advantage in the playoffs.
But that’s Popovich. He doesn’t care. He has always said that to win a championship, you have to win on the road, so what difference does it make if you have one more game on the road.
Popovich has the credibility of four championships since 1999, so while his methods may be unusual, players accept them because they have worked.
Popovich certainly keeps his team guessing in a variety of ways.
He shocked them several years ago when he announced there would be no morning shootarounds before home games.
When they went to Washington D.C. last year, he took them for a team tour of the Holocaust center.
He instituted yoga as part of practice in training camp this season.
When he was upset with the team on a trip to Sacramento, he had the bus stop in front of the California state capital building to chew them out. If they didn’t respond, apparently he was prepared to call the Terminator.
In resting his star players, Popovich was criticized in some corners for depriving Denver fans of getting their money’s worth.
What if the next time the Lakers come to San Antonio, they rest Kobe? Or Cleveland rests LeBron? Is that fair to fans who pay big bucks for tickets?
Apparently the NBA has no problem with it and if other teams want to do the same thing, Popovich undoubtedly doesn’t care, either.
He’s preparing his team for a championship run. He’s doing it his way. It’s a matter of Pop being Pop.