Coach Pop Media Session - 9/16/10

[spursdotcom]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/multimedia/100916_pop.html

:toast

[ace3g]

at least he said "we are trying to sign players"

"hope GHill is adding 3 point range to other parts of the court other then the corner (since he already has that down to a T)"

"looking to add defense to James Anderson's focus"

"back up 3 is something we will be looking at throughout training camp"

speaking of how the players uses boxing in the offseason as a way to stay in shape "you can tell who hasn't been in a fight....such as Fab...on the court you would say yeah I would jump in the foxhole with him...but in the ring...you would want to run away from him" lol

[Chomag]

Pop said that the euroleague is more physical then the NBA? Thats interesting, I thought it was the opposite?

[ace3g]

both Pop and RC said the same thing; which I would agree with; in the Euroleague you can get away with a lot more contact on both the perimeter and in the paint.

[Mel_13]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/multimedia/100916_pop.html

:toast

Thanks for posting.

Best recap I can offer:

Splitter: a pro, ready to help right away. Expects that he will rebound, defend, and run the court. Don't expect him to be a "go to guy".

Anderson: today was first day of 5 on 5. Spent most of the summer rehabbing the hamstring. FO didn't expect him to be there at #20, were actually targeting 3-4 other guys, but were pleased that Anderson was available.

Bowen: said some nice things about Bruce as a model of a player who does the things that help a team win.

RJ: very complimentary of RJ's willingness to go back to basics this summer. Confirmed that RJ worked with Pop and other members of the staff at various locations around the country. (No questions were asked about his contract)

Backup SF: going into camp with clean slate. Will have to determine if they already have that player (he said it could be a rookie) or will look for a veteran to fill that role.

Tim: in great shape and ready to go. Slimmer than last summer.

Tony and Manu: expects that they will be healthy to start the season.

Boxing: mentioned that Tim is really good and can go 5-6 rounds with their trainer. Said it's funny to watch some guys that have no clue what to do in the ring. Said Fabricio was the worst.

[AlleyOopNazi]

I hope hes right bout rich

[Bruno]

It's not too hard to read between lines to know what happens for Spurs in the draft process. Spurs were targeting Henry, Hayward, Babbitt and George. Through the draft process, they all see their drafting stock raised and they finally end up being drafted before 20. OTOH, Anderson draft stock fall because of his hamstring injury.

The backup SF tidbit was also interesting. It looks like Pop will let players fight for this spot during training camp instead of signing a vet to a guaranteed contract and giving it to him like he did last year with Bogans.

[DesignatedT]

It's not working for me. Anyone else having this problem?

[Spurs Brazil]

Thanks spursdotcom

Pop said great thing about RJ work ethic in the summer. Let's hope it can translate to the court

[DesignatedT]

I enjoyed that... there was some really funny stuff.

Good to hear that Duncan is working his body again and Pop seems pretty confident about the RJ situation. Also, It sounds like Pop is going to give the young guys a chance to claim that backup 3 position before he decides to go in a different direction.

[cantthinkofanything]

What can't find your penis?

It's in your mom's mouth.

[jason1301]

Pop seems happy, now I am more confident RJ will be play a bigger role this year. It seems the young guys will get plenty of opportunities.

TP Manu RJ Splitter and TD should be a pretty damn good group of guys to have on the floor.

[cantthinkofanything]

My mom doesn't have a mouth

It's under her mustache.

[cantthinkofanything]

Lol nope, I don't even have a mom, I have two dads and a pet fish

I don't know. Your mom is whichever one has a dick in its mouth.

[cantthinkofanything]

Probably one of my dads then, if not both cause there both cock suckers and love huge dicks

so much that they adopted one

[spursdotcom]

:shootme

[spurs_2108]

Thanks for posting.

[Hooks]

What the hell did Anderson do to his hamstring? He hurt his hamstring on the 29th of May according to draft express, and has been out for a little less than 4 months!

[Em-City]

:lol: @ GHILL3 &cantthinkofanything..

[Gutter92]

:shootme


:lol

Your response to your topic about the media session turning into a discussion about d*cks is...epic

[alchemist]

:lmao what the hell is going on? :lol

[Chieflion]

At least we know James Anderson is ready to go.

[ohmwrecker]

It's nice that what I've been saying about RJ was validated by the coach of the goddamn team. I know that the opinions of message board numbnuts are pretty credible too, but I'll go with Pop on this one.

[DPG21920]

It's nice that what I've been saying about RJ was validated by the coach of the goddamn team. I know that the opinions of message board numbnuts are pretty credible too, but I'll go with Pop on this one.

:lmao

[ohmwrecker]

:lmao

Here we go . . .

[Solid D]

The backup SF tidbit was also interesting. It looks like Pop will let players fight for this spot during training camp instead of signing a vet to a guaranteed contract and giving it to him like he did last year with Bogans.

In our limited view of things, Alonzo Gee and maybe James Anderson are possibilities for the backup 3 as swing 2/3ers, but they are undersized. Who else waits in the wings (see what I did there?)? Surely Pop isn't still thinking James Gist as a 3.

[JR3]

We are a very strong contender if we have a strong richard jefferson. I think a lot of fans have dropped their expectations for him and the position all together.. and that is why some of the fans don't expect us to really contend. But I think that changes and we see another threat on our team on both ends of the floor in Jefferson.

[ivanfromwestwood]

:lol: @ GHILL3 &cantthinkofanything..omg thats some funny shit right there. thanks guys. you made my day.:lol

[TD 21]

If they're going the route it sounds like they're going with the backup three, I'm surprised we haven't heard of any camp invitees or partially guaranteed contracts at this late date.

If the Spurs can't get Hayes to agree to a guaranteed contract (presuming they were/are trying to sign him), then this is the way to go, letting it play itself out throughout camp/preseason.

I'd rather they do that than sign Simmons, Morrison, etc. just to have a more established name for the sake of it, while burying Gee. We saw how that worked out last season with Bogans.

Oh and just in case it wasn't already obvious, it's clear that Jefferson is going to be the stopper in tandem with Hill. As mediocre a defender as he is, it makes sense. He's the only wing with the size and the strength (if not the lateral quickness) to guard the bigger wings and it's not like he's going to have major offensive responsibilities, so he can afford to expend the energy required to make guarding top opposition wings his primary focus. Also, he's going to be a 30+ mpg player, a starter and a sometimes finisher. Based on how this roster is constructed, Jefferson has to be that guy.

Hopefully, he's lost some weight. Having re-watched some old '03 Finals games recently, he was lighter back in those days and as such, quicker. At 30, he's never going to be as quick as he was at 21 and 22, but at the same time, he could probably be a little quicker than he's been in recent seasons, if he was/has committed to getting in better shape.

[callo1]

Pop said that the euroleague is more physical then the NBA? Thats interesting, I thought it was the opposite?

Well, they are allowed to play more physical, so in that regard yes.

[lurker23]

In our limited view of things, Alonzo Gee and maybe James Anderson are possibilities for the backup 3 as swing 2/3ers, but they are undersized. Who else waits in the wings (see what I did there?)? Surely Pop isn't still thinking James Gist as a 3.

I see what you did there.....

Gee and Anderson are really the only possibilities. Aside from filling the backup 3 with youngsters, as it seems Pop wants to do if at all possible, there are a few more options available to them:

Backup plan #1: Give Manu all the backup 3 minutes, such that he plays almost as many minutes at the 3 as he does at the 2. This becomes a lot easier if Gary Neal can give them some depth at the 2, or if Temple can give them some depth at PG, allowing Hill to spend even more time at the 2. Major problem with this plan: fewer minutes available to have Manu on the court with RJ.

Backup plan #2: Piecemeal rotations together for the first couple months of the season, hoping that someone starts lighting up the D-League at the SF position, and is worth picking up.

Backup plan #3: Sign a Bogans-type veteran, forcing you to go over the luxury tax (pending trades). Not likely to be a major impact player, but might be able to fill 15 minutes without the team falling apart. Grin and bear it.

Backup plan #4: See who becomes available on the trade market. Unfortunately, this likely means a major sacrifice, such as Antonio McDyess.

Extreme backup plan #5: "Go big," by playing a lineup of Bonner/Splitter/Duncan. Bonner plays offense at the 3 point line as usual, and hope Splitter's mobility is enough to keep up with slower SFs. Not likely to be a satisfactory solution for long periods of time and/or against many teams in the league.

[ElNono]

That was some memo he sent to Anderson with the whole 'his defense will dictate the minutes he earns on the floor'....

[timtonymanu]

When does training camp start again?

[lurker23]

When does training camp start again?

A lot of the stories I've seen recently have said September 27th, but I'm pretty sure the 27th is media day, with the actual on-the-court part of training camp starting September 28th.

[timtonymanu]

A lot of the stories I've seen recently have said September 27th, but I'm pretty sure the 27th is media day, with the actual on-the-court part of training camp starting September 28th.

Thanks! Damn that's only less than two weeks away. I cant wait to see Tiago in a Spurs uni on media day.

[admiralsnackbar]

Thanks to the OP as always -- just wanted to suggest maybe rolling off the higher frequencies on the audio so you can diminish the sound of Pop smacking his lips (which he apparently does a lot of :lol).

[Bruno]

In our limited view of things, Alonzo Gee and maybe James Anderson are possibilities for the backup 3 as swing 2/3ers, but they are undersized. Who else waits in the wings (see what I did there?)? Surely Pop isn't still thinking James Gist as a 3.

I'm convinced that Spurs will have an additional quality SF in training camp to battle with Gee and Anderson for that backup SF spot.
If Temple and/or Neal pans out, we should also see a lot of Ginobili at the SF spot.

And I don't even want to think at Spurs playing some smallball with their current roster. For example, Pop went systematically small against OKC to counter Jeff Green at the PF spot. Unless Gee turns out great, I don't see how Spurs can do that with their current roster.

[MaNu4Tres]

I'm convinced that Spurs will have an additional quality SF in training camp to battle with Gee and Anderson for that backup SF spot.
If Temple and/or Neal pans out, we should also see a lot of Ginobili at the SF spot.

And I don't even want to think at Spurs playing some smallball with their current roster. For example, Pop went systematically small against OKC to counter Jeff Green at the PF spot. Unless Gee turns out great, I don't see how Spurs can do that with their current roster.

Do you really believe an addition via free agency (at this point in time) will be good enough to crack the rotation and help the Spurs' small-ball aspirations?

I think not. (imo)

Any addition via free agency from here on out will more than likely see mop-up duty at best or will be sitting behind the bench cheering on his teammates.

If Thunder go small with Jeff Green at the PF position, Spurs will most likely counter with Jefferson at the PF position ( even if he whined about it last year; that will be the Spurs best bet with or without any assumed bottom of the barrel addition at the 3 spot via Free Agency ).

[benefactor]

:lmao
:lmao

RJ can always depend on ohmwrecker to rescue him.

[Bruno]

Do you really believe an addition via free agency (at this point in time) will be good enough to crack the rotation and help the Spurs' small-ball aspirations?

I think not. (imo)


I don't think nor say that.

Spurs will announce their training camp invite in the next 10 days. As every year, all these training camp players won't be only practice players. Some of them will have some upside and a shot at making the roster.

Aside of RJ, only Alonzo Gee has decent size/bulk to play SF. I don't know if you have watched the summer league but Gee has been widely inconsistent and nowhere near the level to be a lock at making the team this year. I think Spurs will bring some decent alternatives at Gee for the trainign camp and let them fight for a roster spot.

[MaNu4Tres]

I don't think nor say that.

Spurs will announce their training camp invite in the next 10 days. As every year, all these training camp players won't be only practice players. Some of them will have some upside and a shot at making the roster.

Aside of RJ, only Alonzo Gee has decent size/bulk to play SF. I don't know if you have watched the summer league but Gee has been widely inconsistent and nowhere near the level to be a lock at making the team this year. I think Spurs will bring some decent alternatives at Gee for the trainign camp and let them fight for a roster spot.

I agree with the bold and I'm aware that Gee isn't a lock for the rotation or the active roster.

But in the grand scheme of things; when it matters, I personally believe James Anderson ( just as much size and bulk as Gee) and Manu Ginobili are more than capable splitting the time and minutes behind R.J at the 3 spot (which should be around 13-18 minutes total;especially with Hill seeing some time at the two spot.) And I believe that is what will happen, unless a trade unfolds close to the trade deadline.

All in all, any addition from here on out via free agency is more than a long shot to outplay and earn the back up SF minutes over Anderson and Manu.

[polandprzem]

They kept some level of fitness without BANGING EACH OTHER !


Anybody else caught this insider by Pop?

[dbestpro]

Nope. Europe is more physical and the NBA has bigger size.

I miss some of the physical play that the NBA use to have. I wish they would let them play more inside the paint. Guards fly into big men or flop and always get the call. Back in the day it was "Don't bring that shit in here" and the refs agreed. Only the fearless would attack the glass. The desire to add more scoring has weakened the overall aspect of the game in the NBA.

[polandprzem]

I miss some of the physical play that the NBA use to have. I wish they would let them play more inside the paint. Guards fly into big men or flop and always get the call. Back in the day it was "Don't bring that shit in here" and the refs agreed. Only the fearless would attack the glass. The desire to add more scoring has weakened the overall aspect of the game in the NBA.

IMO it prevented from NBA being too brutal

defense toughened up and that brought more physical play and it got nasty in a bad meaning of this word
1998 and 1999 were awful

[ohmwrecker]

:lmao

RJ can always depend on ohmwrecker to rescue him.


Did I not reference the Adrian Wojnarowski report that Pop was personally working out RJ months ago? Was I told by several ST posters that the report was not true in effort to discredit me? Have I not clearly stated that I believe RJ would re-commit himself and work hard to become a more solid contributor to the Spurs?

He is obviously putting in the effort. Hopefully, it will pay off in a positive way. I'm not a big RJ fan, but I will defend him like I would any other Spur who I believe wants to do everything they can to help the team win. I feel like Pop echoed these sentiments. I'm certainly not the first to claim sympatico with Pop or a sports writer when they affirm something I said . . . I'm looking at you and DPG, in case you didn't get that.

[TJastal]

C'mon guys, ohmwrecker's right.

We have to admire Jefferson's re-dedication and hard work this summer improving his game. He rode that inflatable banana like a true professional and I'm sure him and Luke got really sweaty in their grinding workouts.

[Nathan89]

We are a very strong contender if we have a strong richard jefferson. I think a lot of fans have dropped their expectations for him and the position all together.. and that is why some of the fans don't expect us to really contend. But I think that changes and we see another threat on our team on both ends of the floor in Jefferson.

We need rj to perform like he did with the bucks. We deperately need him to shoot a very high percentage from three point line. If he does that then we will be very strong contenders.

[cantthinkofanything]

Did I not reference the Adrian Wojnarowski report that Pop was personally working out RJ months ago? Was I told by several ST posters that the report was not true in effort to discredit me? Have I not clearly stated that I believe RJ would re-commit himself and work hard to become a more solid contributor to the Spurs?

He is obviously putting in the effort. Hopefully, it will pay off in a positive way. I'm not a big RJ fan, but I will defend him like I would any other Spur who I believe wants to do everything they can to help the team win. I feel like Pop echoed these sentiments. I'm certainly not the first to claim sympatico with Pop or a sports writer when they affirm something I said . . . I'm looking at you and DPG, in case you didn't get that.

True this. For all his gayness, RJ is still a top level NBA talent. Not elite but still not far removed from his prime. He won't be any worse than last year and with one year in the system, should actually be much better.

[SpursTillTheEnd]

so we signed fab oberto wtf....

[DPG21920]

lol

[ohmwrecker]

lol


Sounds a lot like my posts. But again, only time will tell. Spurs do hav a lot to be excited about, even without a title. But a miracle run would be extra sweet.

[20beastie45]

Thank you Spursdotcom!!!

[DPG21920]

lol again.

[ohmwrecker]

lol again.

Indeed.

[DPG21920]

1) You get easily "offended"; lets just say that

2) :lmao if you can't see the difference in my post you reference and your post where you jizz yourself while not taking into consideration it is Pop who speaks out of both sides of his mouth (especially considering he can't dog his own players and that you can tell he was frustrated with RJ last year).

3) All of that combined is hilarious and Pop saying RJ has worked out a few times (which every NBA player does) does not mean you were proven correct about your takes on "it will be just a few easy minor tweaks for RJ and it will all fall in line".

[rjv]

i was really dissapointed to find out that bonner is no floyd patterson

[ohmwrecker]

1) You get easily "offended"; lets just say that

Who's offended?


2) :lmao if you can't see the difference in my post you reference and your post where you jizz yourself while not taking into consideration it is Pop who speaks out of both sides of his mouth (especially considering he can't dog his own players and that you can tell he was frustrated with RJ last year).

How did I "jizz myself"? I simply pointed out that Pop confirmed something I used as an argument which I was dogged for. Pop praised RJ for his effort and hard work. If he wasn't serious (as you implied) he didn't have to say as much as he did. Pop was obviously frustrated with RJ last year, but that is not relevant to the discussion.


3) All of that is combined is hilarious and Pop saying RJ has worked out a few times (which every NBA player does) does not mean you were proven correct about your takes on "it will be just a few easy minor tweaks for RJ and it will all fall in line".

You are misquoting me out of context, and not every player in the NBA has off season workouts with the head coach. I would just like to see "fans" give RJ a fair shake and acknowledge that he realizes that he under-performed last season and is putting in the work to correct that.

[Erick_CSF]

It's under her mustache.

:lmao

[TD 21]

Do you really believe an addition via free agency (at this point in time) will be good enough to crack the rotation and help the Spurs' small-ball aspirations?

I think not. (imo)

Any addition via free agency from here on out will more than likely see mop-up duty at best or will be sitting behind the bench cheering on his teammates.

If Thunder go small with Jeff Green at the PF position, Spurs will most likely counter with Jefferson at the PF position ( even if he whined about it last year; that will be the Spurs best bet with or without any assumed bottom of the barrel addition at the 3 spot via Free Agency ).

Hayes.

Let's say the Spurs play the Thunder in the playoffs. They're going to usually have 6-9 Green and 6-10 1/2 Durant at PF and SF. If the Spurs counter with 6-7 Jefferson at PF, then what at SF? Even if Hill guards Durant at times, there's going to be a need for another legit SF in the rotation to eat up minutes while guarding Durant. Not that he'd be capable without it, but with the burden offensively he has, Ginobili shouldn't be the one doing that. So now it's entirely up to a 6-6 rookie, who's really an SG, to guard arguably the best scorer in the world.


I agree with the bold and I'm aware that Gee isn't a lock for the rotation or the active roster.

But in the grand scheme of things; when it matters, I personally believe James Anderson ( just as much size and bulk as Gee) and Manu Ginobili are more than capable splitting the time and minutes behind R.J at the 3 spot (which should be around 13-18 minutes total;especially with Hill seeing some time at the two spot.) And I believe that is what will happen, unless a trade unfolds close to the trade deadline.

All in all, any addition from here on out via free agency is more than a long shot to outplay and earn the back up SF minutes over Anderson and Manu.

Two other reasons why signing a veteran like Hayes makes sense...

1) In case Jefferson succumbs to injury. Even if it were only for a few weeks, asking a rookie wing, who's truly an SG and a guard bordering on rail thin to exclusively guard SF's is less than ideal. The only other option is Gee, who's a fringe prospect/NBA player at this point.

2) Even if fully healthy, let's say Anderson struggles in his rookie season or isn't ready to play in the playoffs. Then what? Do you play Ginobili exclusively as the backup SF and give Neal or Temple the other rotation spot? Again, this is where having a veteran like Hayes to turn to makes sense.

To clarify, I'm not some big Hayes fan. I'm aware of how mediocre he is, I just think he's the best and closest to ideal option left to fill the backup SF spot.

[kaji157]

Hayes.

Let's say the Spurs play the Thunder in the playoffs. They're going to usually have 6-9 Green and 6-10 1/2 Durant at PF and SF. If the Spurs counter with 6-7 Jefferson at PF, then what at SF? Even if Hill guards Durant at times, there's going to be a need for another legit SF in the rotation to eat up minutes while guarding Durant. Not that he'd be capable without it, but with the burden offensively he has, Ginobili shouldn't be the one doing that. So now it's entirely up to a 6-6 rookie, who's really an SG, to guard arguably the best scorer in the world.



Two other reasons why signing a veteran like Hayes makes sense...

1) In case Jefferson succumbs to injury. Even if it were only for a few weeks, asking a rookie wing, who's truly an SG and a guard bordering on rail thin to exclusively guard SF's is less than ideal. The only other option is Gee, who's a fringe prospect/NBA player at this point.

2) Even if fully healthy, let's say Anderson struggles in his rookie season or isn't ready to play in the playoffs. Then what? Do you play Ginobili exclusively as the backup SF and give Neal or Temple the other rotation spot? Again, this is where having a veteran like Hayes to turn to makes sense.

To clarify, I'm not some big Hayes fan. I'm aware of how mediocre he is, I just think he's the best and closest to ideal option left to fill the backup SF spot.
I would like the Spurs to try out Hermann in the camp if he agrees to an invitation.

[DespЏrado]

Man, Pop took a huge dump on my expectations of James Anderson...It sounded like he is already in the dog house. I guess he is going to get the tough love approach and not the he's my favorite player George Hill love of last year.
"the degree to which he develops defensively will determine how much time he sees on the court."
"as far as what his role is gonna be.....We have no idea."

The guy is a lights out scorer and Pop only wants him to be like Bruce Bowen.