48MoH: Gregg Popovich, the Spurs, and Tom Thibodeau

[Blackjack]

Gregg Popovich, the Spurs, and Tom Thibodeau
by Timothy Varner


Last night’s game was not all lolly pops and fairy dust for the Spurs. After the game, Popovich tipped his hat to an obvious flaw in the team’s win over the Hornets. Team defense was lousy for most of the night.

“Our defense in the first half was good and in the second half it was really poor,” Popovich said (http://www.nba.com/spurs/news/quotes_091028.html). “I was very disappointed with our defense in the second half. With the amount of points we gave up and the shots that they made, we really lost our focus defensively. Fortunately, we kept scoring.”

- Continued (http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/10/29/gregg-popovich-the-spurs-and-tom-thibodeau/) -

[benefactor]

Not worried. The defense will come around. We have enough weapons accumulate wins with average defensive efforts until everyone gets comfortable.

[SamoanTD]

Demands perfection dats da kinda coach every team needs bt only few have never be satisfied with the ordinary always reach to be extraordinary

[Whisky Dog]

Good. Defensive lapses gives Pop something to hound them about to keep them improving.

[rjv]

defense is usually the last thing that kicks in. also, hard to say how much of the poor defense was a result of complacency.

[polandprzem]

What about Tom Thibodeau. I don't get it?

[Phenomanul]

It seemed like they lost their defensive focus as the lead grew larger... they almost pittied the Hornets and relaxed their defensive intensity.

[#2!]

It seemed like they lost their defensive focus as the lead grew larger... they almost pittied the Hornets and relaxed their defensive intensity.

Totally unacceptable given the respective offensive and/or defensive intensities of the top teams we will face.

[EricB]

Totally unacceptable given the respective offensive and/or defensive intensities of the top teams we will face.


A little overboard on the wording, but its game 1 of 82.

Expecting them to be tip top defensive shape at this time is unrealistic.

[TIMMYD!]

I really like the way Pop was getting on everyone after they made a mistake.

[ShoogarBear]

Agree completely. The defense was worse than last year's team. Still a lot of ways to go, however.

[JWest596]

Defense comes together after the Rodeo. Hell Pop is still farting around with rotations.

The defense will be tuned by the PO's if not sooner. Defense is unglamorous, boring and and arduous work. Few NBA players ever savor it or hallmark it as their own. When the transition D kicks in hard core, Pop is cracking the whip.

[Danny.Zhu]

Exactly what I was thinking. If we cannot counter NO's offense, how can we survive under LA's offense.

[SenorSpur]

IMHO, this is the quote of the article by Pop:
“We tried to institute some new things the past couple of years, and they didn’t really work out. So we’re going back to the good old days when we tried to lead the league defensively.”

It's an ambitious goal, I just don't know how realistic it is. He doesn't have the same players. Robinson, Bowen, Rasho and SJax are gone. Pop sold his defensive soul a few years ago in exchange a small-ball style and for more long-distance shooters who, open up the floor nicely with their outside shooting, but are poor individual and team defenders.

The players I'm talking about are Mason, Bonner & Finley. Each of whom will probably comsume anywhere between 20-28 mins per game.

Over the past few years, this erosion of the Spurs team defensive efficiency and FG% defense can be traced to, but not limited to, three things:
- Rule changes to promote more offense, less perimeter checking
- Exisiting players getting older and slower
- Exchanging solid defenders for players who are poor defenders

Obviously, you must have offense to win, but at some point, you have to get stops at crucial junctures of the games. It will be interesting to see how Pop fares in achieiving this goal this season.

[polandprzem]

A little overboard on the wording, but its game 1 of 82.

Expecting them to be tip top defensive shape at this time is unrealistic.

So the Celtics are unrealistic because it seems like their D is there from the get go and they will be better.

[tp2021]

IMHO, this is the quote of the article by Pop:
“We tried to institute some new things the past couple of years, and they didn’t really work out. So we’re going back to the good old days when we tried to lead the league defensively.”

It's an ambitious goal, I just don't know how realistic it is. He doesn't have the same players. Robinson, Bowen, Rasho and SJax are gone. Pop sold his defensive soul a few years ago in exchange a small-ball style and for more long-distance shooters who, open up the floor nicely with their outside shooting, but are poor individual and team defenders.

The players I'm talking about are Mason, Bonner & Finley. Each of whom will probably comsume anywhere between 20-28 mins per game.

Over the past few years, this erosion of the Spurs team defensive efficiency and FG% defense can be traced to, but not limited to, three things:
- Rule changes to promote more offense, less perimeter checking
- Exisiting players getting older and slower
- Exchanging solid defenders for players who are poor defenders

Obviously, you must have offense to win, but at some point, you have to get stops at crucial junctures of the games. It will be interesting to see how Pop fares in achieiving this goal this season.

I thought by "new things" he meant the recent (season-wise) increased emphasis on the offensive end, which would make "the good old days" being the defensive stinginess of the 2003-2007 title period.

[Blackjack]

I thought by "new things" he meant the recent (season-wise) increased emphasis on the offensive end.

The focus on manufacturing offense became more prevalent after the '08 Lakers series and I'm sure was one of the new things he was referring to. But they also looked to steal a page or two from the Celtics and Thibodeau defensively after seeing the success they had against the Lakers in the Finals.

The Spurs got off to a slow start and the defense was getting shredded so Pop scrapped it, though.