Kori Ellis
06-12-2005, 01:50 AM
Spurs notebook: Pop vs. Brown has always been unusual
Web Posted: 06/12/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061205.6S.BKNspurs.notebook.305b737ee.html
San Antonio Express-News
Basketball only seems like a life-or-death proposition to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. In fact, Popovich is a well-rounded person with a firm grip on reality, and his first game coaching against Larry Brown offers a solid example.
It was back when Popovich was coaching Division III Pomona-Pitzer College, and Brown, then coaching Kansas, had scheduled Pomona-Pitzer as a favor to Popovich after meeting him while Popovich was on sabbatical at the University of North Carolina.
Popovich said just playing at Kansas was a thrill for him and his players — never mind that Kansas won the game 94-38.
"It was probably the greatest thrill that any of my players had for eight years," Popovich said, "and it was great fun for me."
Early in the game Pomona was hanging tough with Kansas' powerful team at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., when Brown called a timeout.
"The guys were looking at me for strategy and they wanted answers," Popovich said, "and 'You're our coach, and you're supposed to help us.'
"I looked at them and said, 'What the hell are you guys thinking?' I said, 'Stop. Stand up. Turnaround and do a 360. We're at Allen Fieldhouse. Division III teams don't play at Allen Fieldhouse.'
"They all did a 360, and I said, 'Is this great, or what? We're going to get our ass kicked. I don't care, you don't care, and we're going to enjoy the hell out of this, and Larry is going to take us out to dinner after this, so have a great time and go play.'"
Off and lumbering: The Spurs hope to get off to a better start tonight than they did in Game 1. Less than seven minutes into the game, they trailed 17-4.
More than a few of the players think the weeklong layoff they had before the Finals may have contributed to their struggles.
"I think just having eight days off and stepping into an NBA Finals Game 1, it's going to take you a few minutes to get going," Brent Barry said. "We had some bobbled passes, some poor execution on plays. Even the opening play of the game we didn't execute correctly.
"It was a matter of guys kind of getting their legs underneath them. I think toward the middle of the second quarter was when our guys really settled in and said, 'OK we're going to start playing our game now.'"
New delivery: Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer's wife, Mary Bet, delivered a baby boy on Friday. It was the couple's fourth child.
P.J. Carlesimo's wife, Carolyn, also gave birth to a boy Monday.
Vote of confidence: Manu Ginobili said he expects the Pistons to focus on trying to keep him out of the lane.
"I'm not worried about that," Ginobili said. "If the paint is crowded, I'm just going to try to kick (the ball). We have pretty good shooters in the corner. I think Brent Barry is going to have a great game."
What lockout? If Popovich had been the least bit concerned that his players might be thinking about career issues other than the Finals, Tony Parker's response to a question on Saturday should have eased his mind.
When a questioner asked for a response to recent bad news regarding the labor negotiations between the NBA and the players' union, Parker replied: "The what?"
Coach 'Big Shot'? Spurs forward Robert Horry said Saturday that he wants to play two more seasons beyond this one, and then get involved in scouting and coaching.
"I want to play two more years, hit 15 and quit after 15," said Horry, who is in his 13th NBA season. "Maybe I'll do scouting and then slip into coaching after two more years."
What kind of coach would Horry be?
"I'd be like Pop," he said.
Actually, Horry said he has little interest in coaching at the pro level, preferring college.
Reacting to a victory: The theme for the Spurs in the two days that followed their Game 1 victory was established as soon as they got into the locker room after the game.
"In all the series, Pop's big thing has been: How are we going to react to a win, as opposed to how the other team is going to react to a loss," Barry said. "We want to react to our win in Game 1 the way we reacted to our (first-round) win in Denver. We were on the road and won a game and were coming home to close it out. We want to react in that regard.
"So every time we win a game, Pop always says: 'How are you going to react to the win? React better than they do to the loss.'"
The Spurs spent part of Saturday talking about the importance of winning tonight before they fly to Detroit for the next three games.
Unlike the first three rounds of the playoffs, the NBA Finals are a 2-3-2 format.
"It's hard to go on the road and play three games, especially when you are playing the defending champs and an extremely good defensive club," Horry said. "We're very fortunate we can have two games at home and we have to battle hard to get this next win."
A team has taken a 2-0 advantage in the Finals 26 times. On all but two of those occasions, that team went on to win the series.
He followed 'em all: As a Spurs fan growing up in San Antonio, Devin Brown had posters on his wall of David Robinson. He also considered himself a fan of Vinny Del Negro, Vernon Maxwell, Greg "Cadillac" Anderson — and even journeyman center Uwe Blab.
"You remember him?" Brown said, referring to Blab, a German who averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in seven games during the 1989-90 season.
Bully of the boards: Tim Duncan has led the Spurs in rebounding in all but one of his 12 games in the Finals. Duncan's Finals per-game rebounding average is 15.5.
Web Posted: 06/12/2005 12:00 AM CDT
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA061205.6S.BKNspurs.notebook.305b737ee.html
San Antonio Express-News
Basketball only seems like a life-or-death proposition to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. In fact, Popovich is a well-rounded person with a firm grip on reality, and his first game coaching against Larry Brown offers a solid example.
It was back when Popovich was coaching Division III Pomona-Pitzer College, and Brown, then coaching Kansas, had scheduled Pomona-Pitzer as a favor to Popovich after meeting him while Popovich was on sabbatical at the University of North Carolina.
Popovich said just playing at Kansas was a thrill for him and his players — never mind that Kansas won the game 94-38.
"It was probably the greatest thrill that any of my players had for eight years," Popovich said, "and it was great fun for me."
Early in the game Pomona was hanging tough with Kansas' powerful team at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., when Brown called a timeout.
"The guys were looking at me for strategy and they wanted answers," Popovich said, "and 'You're our coach, and you're supposed to help us.'
"I looked at them and said, 'What the hell are you guys thinking?' I said, 'Stop. Stand up. Turnaround and do a 360. We're at Allen Fieldhouse. Division III teams don't play at Allen Fieldhouse.'
"They all did a 360, and I said, 'Is this great, or what? We're going to get our ass kicked. I don't care, you don't care, and we're going to enjoy the hell out of this, and Larry is going to take us out to dinner after this, so have a great time and go play.'"
Off and lumbering: The Spurs hope to get off to a better start tonight than they did in Game 1. Less than seven minutes into the game, they trailed 17-4.
More than a few of the players think the weeklong layoff they had before the Finals may have contributed to their struggles.
"I think just having eight days off and stepping into an NBA Finals Game 1, it's going to take you a few minutes to get going," Brent Barry said. "We had some bobbled passes, some poor execution on plays. Even the opening play of the game we didn't execute correctly.
"It was a matter of guys kind of getting their legs underneath them. I think toward the middle of the second quarter was when our guys really settled in and said, 'OK we're going to start playing our game now.'"
New delivery: Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer's wife, Mary Bet, delivered a baby boy on Friday. It was the couple's fourth child.
P.J. Carlesimo's wife, Carolyn, also gave birth to a boy Monday.
Vote of confidence: Manu Ginobili said he expects the Pistons to focus on trying to keep him out of the lane.
"I'm not worried about that," Ginobili said. "If the paint is crowded, I'm just going to try to kick (the ball). We have pretty good shooters in the corner. I think Brent Barry is going to have a great game."
What lockout? If Popovich had been the least bit concerned that his players might be thinking about career issues other than the Finals, Tony Parker's response to a question on Saturday should have eased his mind.
When a questioner asked for a response to recent bad news regarding the labor negotiations between the NBA and the players' union, Parker replied: "The what?"
Coach 'Big Shot'? Spurs forward Robert Horry said Saturday that he wants to play two more seasons beyond this one, and then get involved in scouting and coaching.
"I want to play two more years, hit 15 and quit after 15," said Horry, who is in his 13th NBA season. "Maybe I'll do scouting and then slip into coaching after two more years."
What kind of coach would Horry be?
"I'd be like Pop," he said.
Actually, Horry said he has little interest in coaching at the pro level, preferring college.
Reacting to a victory: The theme for the Spurs in the two days that followed their Game 1 victory was established as soon as they got into the locker room after the game.
"In all the series, Pop's big thing has been: How are we going to react to a win, as opposed to how the other team is going to react to a loss," Barry said. "We want to react to our win in Game 1 the way we reacted to our (first-round) win in Denver. We were on the road and won a game and were coming home to close it out. We want to react in that regard.
"So every time we win a game, Pop always says: 'How are you going to react to the win? React better than they do to the loss.'"
The Spurs spent part of Saturday talking about the importance of winning tonight before they fly to Detroit for the next three games.
Unlike the first three rounds of the playoffs, the NBA Finals are a 2-3-2 format.
"It's hard to go on the road and play three games, especially when you are playing the defending champs and an extremely good defensive club," Horry said. "We're very fortunate we can have two games at home and we have to battle hard to get this next win."
A team has taken a 2-0 advantage in the Finals 26 times. On all but two of those occasions, that team went on to win the series.
He followed 'em all: As a Spurs fan growing up in San Antonio, Devin Brown had posters on his wall of David Robinson. He also considered himself a fan of Vinny Del Negro, Vernon Maxwell, Greg "Cadillac" Anderson — and even journeyman center Uwe Blab.
"You remember him?" Brown said, referring to Blab, a German who averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in seven games during the 1989-90 season.
Bully of the boards: Tim Duncan has led the Spurs in rebounding in all but one of his 12 games in the Finals. Duncan's Finals per-game rebounding average is 15.5.