boutons
04-01-2005, 07:31 PM
Legend's Take: Chaney on the Spurs-Nuggets
With two NBA championship rings, two Final Four appearances and one FIBA World Championship gold medal to his credit as a player and coach, Don Chaney certainly knows about winning. The 1990-91 NBA Coach of the Year with the Houston Rockets spent 36 consecutive seasons in the NBA from 1968-2004, joining the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach immediately following his retirement from the court with Boston in 1980. Chaney earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in five of his 12 seasons as a player, winning titles with the Celtics twice.
By Don Chaney (as told to John Hareas)
Coach Chaney says the Spurs can learn to play well without their MVP.
D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images
The Spurs-Nuggets matchup on Friday night will not only be a great game but an interesting one as well. From Denver’s perspective, they’re looking to take advantage of a wounded Spurs team. But it’s a little deceiving because without two-time NBA MVP Tim Duncan, the Spurs have sort of come afloat and found their way around. San Antonio’s not as wounded as lot of people think.
I think they’ve proven over the years that they are a legit team and even without Duncan they can still win basketball games. They’ve had people step up. Whenever you have injuries, you have to have guys step up. Tony Parker is really playing well, so is Manu Ginobili. What I like about the Spurs is that you would think that minus Duncan in the lineup, it would become more of a perimeter game. But Ginobili and Parker are making it an inside game. They’re getting a lot of scores in the paint by penetrating.
In some ways, Duncan’s injury has helped the Spurs. Instead of them putting all their marbles in Duncan’s pocket, they’re forming an independency in terms of believing in themselves. They believe they can win games even if Tim is not there or if he’s not having a good game. The silver lining is the fact that although their key player is out, they realize they can still win. The rest of the players are responding to the challenge.
I have so much belief in the Spurs and their depth and their ability to win. Although they’re sitting on top of their division and vying for the best record in the Western Conference, I don’t think they’re resting. I think those guys have a lot to prove. They want to prove to Tim they can win without him and, at the same time, some guys who have not gotten big minutes are getting big minutes now.
From Denver’s perspective, they really need to stay alive. They are currently tied for the seventh spot in the West. They definitely want to try to hang on to that spot or move up a little higher. Denver is playing good basketball from a defensive standpoint. This is what George Karl brings to the team. He’s taken a team that’s been offensive-minded and forced them to rethink the game of basketball. He’s made them understand you have to play defense on a consistent basis. He has them focused right now.
I’m not surprised at all by George Karl’s capabilities. I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve known him for quite a while and I respect his coaching abilities. He’s basically gotten his team to believe in him and his system. That’s the most important thing. He stresses defense and I think you have a couple players on that team who are perfect for the system. Marcus Camby, whom I coached, is an excellent defensive player if he’s healthy. Nenê, too. If those kinds of players can get themselves to mentally focus on defense, I think that makes a world of difference. Karl being a veteran coach and being a proven coach has really helped the young Denver team to believe in him and his system.
Karl’s also done a great job with Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo is not unlike any young potential star players in the league. Their eyes light up when they score big numbers. It’s all about scoring with them and it’s all about handling the basketball. But I think what George has done with him is he’s given him the big picture. It’s not just about you and it’s not just about scoring. You have to do other things. You have to make your teammates better. Sometimes you have to pull him in a little bit and not have him as free out there and doing what he wants to do. I think George has shown a little bit of control with him and as a result, he’s playing a lot better and he’s a much better team player.
I think there’s a great possibility for Karl to be Coach of the Year. He’s come in, under duress, midstream and he’s turned the team around. Now, they’re on a streak and they’ll probably make the playoffs and do well. I think you have to consider him greatly. A coach entering a season without a training camp is a huge dilemma. It’s very difficult to get that team to play up to their capabilities. George has done a wonderful job of coming in midstream and getting that team going.
http://www.nba.com/features/chaney_050401.html
With two NBA championship rings, two Final Four appearances and one FIBA World Championship gold medal to his credit as a player and coach, Don Chaney certainly knows about winning. The 1990-91 NBA Coach of the Year with the Houston Rockets spent 36 consecutive seasons in the NBA from 1968-2004, joining the Detroit Pistons as an assistant coach immediately following his retirement from the court with Boston in 1980. Chaney earned NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors in five of his 12 seasons as a player, winning titles with the Celtics twice.
By Don Chaney (as told to John Hareas)
Coach Chaney says the Spurs can learn to play well without their MVP.
D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty Images
The Spurs-Nuggets matchup on Friday night will not only be a great game but an interesting one as well. From Denver’s perspective, they’re looking to take advantage of a wounded Spurs team. But it’s a little deceiving because without two-time NBA MVP Tim Duncan, the Spurs have sort of come afloat and found their way around. San Antonio’s not as wounded as lot of people think.
I think they’ve proven over the years that they are a legit team and even without Duncan they can still win basketball games. They’ve had people step up. Whenever you have injuries, you have to have guys step up. Tony Parker is really playing well, so is Manu Ginobili. What I like about the Spurs is that you would think that minus Duncan in the lineup, it would become more of a perimeter game. But Ginobili and Parker are making it an inside game. They’re getting a lot of scores in the paint by penetrating.
In some ways, Duncan’s injury has helped the Spurs. Instead of them putting all their marbles in Duncan’s pocket, they’re forming an independency in terms of believing in themselves. They believe they can win games even if Tim is not there or if he’s not having a good game. The silver lining is the fact that although their key player is out, they realize they can still win. The rest of the players are responding to the challenge.
I have so much belief in the Spurs and their depth and their ability to win. Although they’re sitting on top of their division and vying for the best record in the Western Conference, I don’t think they’re resting. I think those guys have a lot to prove. They want to prove to Tim they can win without him and, at the same time, some guys who have not gotten big minutes are getting big minutes now.
From Denver’s perspective, they really need to stay alive. They are currently tied for the seventh spot in the West. They definitely want to try to hang on to that spot or move up a little higher. Denver is playing good basketball from a defensive standpoint. This is what George Karl brings to the team. He’s taken a team that’s been offensive-minded and forced them to rethink the game of basketball. He’s made them understand you have to play defense on a consistent basis. He has them focused right now.
I’m not surprised at all by George Karl’s capabilities. I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve known him for quite a while and I respect his coaching abilities. He’s basically gotten his team to believe in him and his system. That’s the most important thing. He stresses defense and I think you have a couple players on that team who are perfect for the system. Marcus Camby, whom I coached, is an excellent defensive player if he’s healthy. Nenê, too. If those kinds of players can get themselves to mentally focus on defense, I think that makes a world of difference. Karl being a veteran coach and being a proven coach has really helped the young Denver team to believe in him and his system.
Karl’s also done a great job with Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo is not unlike any young potential star players in the league. Their eyes light up when they score big numbers. It’s all about scoring with them and it’s all about handling the basketball. But I think what George has done with him is he’s given him the big picture. It’s not just about you and it’s not just about scoring. You have to do other things. You have to make your teammates better. Sometimes you have to pull him in a little bit and not have him as free out there and doing what he wants to do. I think George has shown a little bit of control with him and as a result, he’s playing a lot better and he’s a much better team player.
I think there’s a great possibility for Karl to be Coach of the Year. He’s come in, under duress, midstream and he’s turned the team around. Now, they’re on a streak and they’ll probably make the playoffs and do well. I think you have to consider him greatly. A coach entering a season without a training camp is a huge dilemma. It’s very difficult to get that team to play up to their capabilities. George has done a wonderful job of coming in midstream and getting that team going.
http://www.nba.com/features/chaney_050401.html