Kori Ellis
06-06-2005, 01:50 AM
Parker's leadership makes Popovich's life less stressful
By David DuPree, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/2005-06-05-parker-pop_x.htm
The coach-point guard relationship is one of the most important on an NBA team. And that's a main reason why the San Antonio Spurs have been so consistent the last four seasons. That's how long coach Gregg Popovich has had point guard Tony Parker running his team.
Popovich and Parker have had their growing pains since Parker became a starter in the fifth game of his rookie season. He was 19 and straight out of the European leagues. But with Parker running the show, the Spurs have had a regular-season winning percentage of .713 (234-94), won the NBA title in 2003 and are back in the Finals again this season.
The only other coach-point guard tandem with that longevity is the Sacramento Kings' Rick Adelman and Mike Bibby, and they've never made it out of the conference finals.
The trust between Popovich and Parker is a driving force.
"He's only 23, so he has a long time left in the league, but his understanding of the game has improved dramatically since he first came into the league," Popovich says. "As far as the NBA game, there are so many situations, so many possessions — people can't learn those things immediately — and he's steadily gotten better."
Parker is in the position of not only having to keep everyone involved but also to score as teams pack inside on Tim Duncan.
"He's trying to figure out how to be a point guard," Popovich says. "And that's a work in progress. He's a scoring guard who is trying to become a point guard but not forget about the scoring part. That's not always easy, but he's doing a good job of it."
The emergence of Manu Ginobili has helped Parker. When they are on the floor together, Ginobili is sometimes the primary ballhandler, enabling Parker to play more of a shooting guard position.
Parker, acknowledged as one of the quickest players in the league going from one end of the court to the other on the dribble, also has become one of the league's best at penetrating and getting off difficult shots in the lane over and around taller defenders. He has perfected the teardrop layup in which he just lofts the ball over outstretched arms of shot-blocking hopefuls.
The disagreements between Parker and his coach — which are becoming less frequent — usually arise when Parker tries to do too much.
With Parker pushing the envelope and the ball against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals, the Spurs averaged 108.2 points a game, 12 more than during the regular season, and Parker averaged 20.4 points, 3.8 more than during the regular season.
"Any time we can push (the ball), I will," Parker says. "I love to push it. I just have to make sure that me and Pop are on the same page and we don't go too crazy."
On those rare occasions when Popovich gets on his point guard, Parker understands.
"He is a really a tough-minded individual," Popovich says. "He's a good competitor; he can handle critiques. ... You tell him he has to do this and that, he doesn't take anything personally. He just wants to get better. When you have an athlete who is talented like him but really wants to get better, it's a wonderful experience for a coach."
With a week off since the end of the Western finals and the start of the NBA Finals, Parker and the rest of the Spurs have been resting and healing minor injuries. They also have been watching the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons on television to see whom they will face in the Finals, which begin Thursday at San Antonio.
The Spurs took Thursday and Friday off, practiced Saturday and Sunday and will take Monday off before resuming practice Tuesday.
"We just try to stay in shape, don't lose the rhythm, take some shots, run a little bit, try to learn the plays again," Parker says.
"It's the most important time of the year, and we're going to focus. I think everybody understands that."
By David DuPree, USA TODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/2005-06-05-parker-pop_x.htm
The coach-point guard relationship is one of the most important on an NBA team. And that's a main reason why the San Antonio Spurs have been so consistent the last four seasons. That's how long coach Gregg Popovich has had point guard Tony Parker running his team.
Popovich and Parker have had their growing pains since Parker became a starter in the fifth game of his rookie season. He was 19 and straight out of the European leagues. But with Parker running the show, the Spurs have had a regular-season winning percentage of .713 (234-94), won the NBA title in 2003 and are back in the Finals again this season.
The only other coach-point guard tandem with that longevity is the Sacramento Kings' Rick Adelman and Mike Bibby, and they've never made it out of the conference finals.
The trust between Popovich and Parker is a driving force.
"He's only 23, so he has a long time left in the league, but his understanding of the game has improved dramatically since he first came into the league," Popovich says. "As far as the NBA game, there are so many situations, so many possessions — people can't learn those things immediately — and he's steadily gotten better."
Parker is in the position of not only having to keep everyone involved but also to score as teams pack inside on Tim Duncan.
"He's trying to figure out how to be a point guard," Popovich says. "And that's a work in progress. He's a scoring guard who is trying to become a point guard but not forget about the scoring part. That's not always easy, but he's doing a good job of it."
The emergence of Manu Ginobili has helped Parker. When they are on the floor together, Ginobili is sometimes the primary ballhandler, enabling Parker to play more of a shooting guard position.
Parker, acknowledged as one of the quickest players in the league going from one end of the court to the other on the dribble, also has become one of the league's best at penetrating and getting off difficult shots in the lane over and around taller defenders. He has perfected the teardrop layup in which he just lofts the ball over outstretched arms of shot-blocking hopefuls.
The disagreements between Parker and his coach — which are becoming less frequent — usually arise when Parker tries to do too much.
With Parker pushing the envelope and the ball against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals, the Spurs averaged 108.2 points a game, 12 more than during the regular season, and Parker averaged 20.4 points, 3.8 more than during the regular season.
"Any time we can push (the ball), I will," Parker says. "I love to push it. I just have to make sure that me and Pop are on the same page and we don't go too crazy."
On those rare occasions when Popovich gets on his point guard, Parker understands.
"He is a really a tough-minded individual," Popovich says. "He's a good competitor; he can handle critiques. ... You tell him he has to do this and that, he doesn't take anything personally. He just wants to get better. When you have an athlete who is talented like him but really wants to get better, it's a wonderful experience for a coach."
With a week off since the end of the Western finals and the start of the NBA Finals, Parker and the rest of the Spurs have been resting and healing minor injuries. They also have been watching the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons on television to see whom they will face in the Finals, which begin Thursday at San Antonio.
The Spurs took Thursday and Friday off, practiced Saturday and Sunday and will take Monday off before resuming practice Tuesday.
"We just try to stay in shape, don't lose the rhythm, take some shots, run a little bit, try to learn the plays again," Parker says.
"It's the most important time of the year, and we're going to focus. I think everybody understands that."