Pop getting big time love from ATH.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

Anyone watching Around The Horn right now??? Pop was just called the best coach in the game now that Phil Jackson is gone. Lots of praise for his bench outscoring the defending champion Mavs starters despite a close loss.:flag:

[ChumpDumper]

Those are subtle jabs.

[jjktkk]

Tjastal, use some of those psychic powers of yours and spin this thread. :lol

[manufan10]

Those are subtle jabs.

:nope

They were all lying!

[ChumpDumper]

Is lies!

[timvp]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

[jjktkk]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

[manufan10]

many spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

+1

[ThaBigFundamental21]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

Thank you. I don't think Pop is perfect, but it could be a lot worse.

[Robz4000]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.
Too true

[DMC]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.
This.

I would like to see them pick the currently active coach they would prefer.

[SenorSpur]

For my money, Pop is most certainly the best coach in the game, at this point. Indeed it took a lot of balls for Pop to roll with the squad he had on the court. One of his best, and probably most underrated traits, is as a strategist. He really excels at devising and drawing up plays in crucial moments. Though I'm sure Mavs fans would throw Rick Carlisle's name in the mix.

All that said, let's also recognize that, as both coach and Exec VP for the Spurs, Pop has a level of autonomy that no other coach in the NBA has. No matter what type of decision he makes, he will never be questioned. It's not as though his job security is ever threatened or he's ever at risk of getting fired by the GM or President. Hell, even the media isn't allowed to question him.

[silverblk mystix]

I wish I was as enamored of Pop as the rest of you....

I look at Pop as the main reason that the Spurs only have 4 titles.

Spurs should have at least six if not for Pop.

[silverblk mystix]

...oh yeah Around the Horn...

real experts there....really.

[SenorSpur]

I love the guy, but he does lose coaching points for the following:

- Keeping Bonner on this roster, much less as part of the rotation
- His ongoing fascination with "small-ball"
- His ongoing fascination with vets who are past their prime (Finley, Van Exel)
- Not counting this year, keeping young guys chained to bench during the playoffs (Hill '08, Splitter '11), when it obvious they were ready and good enough to contribute.

[Spurs7794]

He was a phenomenal coach from 1998-2005. He's still great at facets of the game. I think he's still the best at managing his player's egos and drawing up plays.
However, he has completely abandoned the concept of making an opponent match up with us, he is stubborn to a fault and seemingly makes decisions off the cuff just because he feels like it. George Hill not getting playing time until we were down big in game 4 in 09 and the same thing happening with Splitter in game 4 in 11. He also gets enamored by players he shouldn't. I like Bonner as a 10-15 minute player but Pop keeps playing him wayyyy more minutes than he should. Then theres the debacle that was Keith Bogans starting an entire season and him bringing Ime Udoka back for no reason.

[FromWayDowntown]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

I think that's applicable to their coach and their point guard.

I was watching a game from the early 1990's the other day; Pop and Parker seem like the greatest to have ever worked their craft compared to what the Spurs had going back then.

[baseline bum]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

So you didn't enjoy riding the Brown to Bass to Tarkanian to Lucas to Hill carousel?

[romsho]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

No doubt.

[Brazil]

at the end of the day it is still a loss.

While I understand the logic to reward the bench for their fantastic job, I'm more puzzled by the fact they had to play 19 mn or so... At least put some fresh blood in there with 2 or 3 mn to end the game.

It is a shortened season he should try to get as much win as possible instead of letting the 5 running out of gas. I think it is ok until the end of the fourth but in OT ? it's not like we are 100% to make the POs

[baseline bum]

I think any other coach loses Tim to Orlando in 2000 also. Objectively, the grass was way greener there with Grant Hill, who was an unquestioned first-ballot Hall of Fame player at the time.

[timvp]

the Spurs only have 4 titles

:violin

[lefty]

But he has gone senile on us

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I'd be interested to see a ST poll of whether or not you agreed with Pop rolling with the bench last night.

[baseline bum]

:violin

LOL, yeah, the Spurs only have one more title than the Celtics dynasty of Bird, McHale, and Parish. :cry

[DPG21920]

I agree with det decision CBF, said so early on. I know you wanted TP back in, but sometimes guys who have earned something deserve their shot.

Pop is a great coach, still one of the best, but he has gotten away from his principles. Now a lot of that is due to a limited roster and no other coach has to manage minutes to their best players and still win like Pop. Incredibly tough.

[jjktkk]

So you didn't enjoy riding the Brown to Bass to Tarkanian to Lucas to Hill carousel?

:lol

[jjktkk]

But he has gone senile on us

Ah, no.

[jjktkk]

I agree with det decision CBF, said so early on. I know you wanted TP back in, but sometimes guys who have earned something deserve their shot.

Pop is a great coach, still one of the best, but he has gotten away from his principles. Now a lot of that is due to a limited roster and no other coach has to manage minutes to their best players and still win like Pop. Incredibly tough.

We have a winner. :toast

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I agree with det decision CBF, said so early on. I know you wanted TP back in, but sometimes guys who have earned something deserve their shot.

Pop is a great coach, still one of the best, but he has gotten away from his principles. Now a lot of that is due to a limited roster and no other coach has to manage minutes to their best players and still win like Pop. Incredibly tough.

I wanted Parker on bout the second timeout that Carlisle called, but when it was apparent pop was rolling with the bench, I was not complaining or second guessing Pop, and even, knowing the result, I agree with what Pop did, and don't wish he'd do andifferent.

[spurs1990]

http://espn.go.com/espnradio/play?id=7520975

around the 10 min mark

[SpurNation]

I'd be interested to see a ST poll of whether or not you agreed with Pop rolling with the bench last night.

I was cool with it.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Also I didn't think Neal at PG was sustainable, but when he kept stroking it and being active on D, then I was fine with staying with Neal.

[manufan10]

I look at Pop as the main reason that the Spurs only have 4 titles.



“All The Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
Layin' In The Sun,
Talkin' 'Bout The Things
They Woulda-Coulda-Shoulda Done...
But All Those Woulda-Coulda-Shouldas
All Ran Away And Hid
From One Little Did.”

- Shel Silverstein

[DPG21920]

It doesn't absolve him of all of his mistakes, and there continue to be many (namely Tiago), but he's obviously a great coach.

[manufan10]

It doesn't absolve him of all of his mistakes, and there continue to be many (namely Tiago), but he's obviously a great coach.

With that being said, it's not like there is a perfect coach out there that will never make mistakes.

[Nathan89]

You're not going to find anybody on tv say something bad about a coach with four titles. Anything debatable he does will be twisted into some brilliant coaching decision. If it can't be argued in his favor it will go unmentioned.

[4>0rings]

Many Spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

Should the Celtics never murmur a bad word towards their team cause they won before?

[Obstructed_View]

Well if guys who admit to never watching the Spurs love him, then we all have to agree.

[thOOdee]

just wish he was more conservative with his bigs instead of over thinking things w bonner.

[Nathan89]

Well if guys who admit to never watching the Spurs love him, then we all have to agree.

They're what we call experts.:lol

[angelbelow]

First of all, around the horn? Seriously? Watch 15 minutes of that show a day and your basketball knowledge will deteriorate.

Secondly, no doubt Pop is the best coach in the league right now. His resume speaks for itself, and it doesn't stop and start with coaching. His leadership, his business sense, management skills, dedication to the game is all outstanding.

So why do fans like to harp on him like hes a cancer? Answer: Emotion. The main reason why we watch is emotion. Its why we plan our days around big games, spend long hours reading statistics and theorycrafting our own rosters and trade scenarios. We criticism him because hindsight is 20/20 and ultimately we want the best for our team. The complaining will never stop because the passion will never cease.

It also doesn't mean Pop is perfect. He's made plenty of mistakes that many spurs fans can agree on. Barring the trolls, the diversity of reactions is perfectly acceptable.

[jjktkk]

It doesn't absolve him of all of his mistakes, and there continue to be many (namely Tiago), but he's obviously a great coach.

Absolutely. Its just the anti-Pop faction constantly calling him an idiot, hes a senile drunk, yada, yada, yada, without pointing out the positives outweighing the negatives.

[jjktkk]

First of all, around the horn? Seriously? Watch 15 minutes of that show a day and your basketball knowledge will deteriorate.

Secondly, no doubt Pop is the best coach in the league right now. His resume speaks for itself, and it doesn't stop and start with coaching. His leadership, his business sense, management skills, dedication to the game is all outstanding.

So why do fans like to harp on him like hes a cancer? Answer: Emotion. The main reason why we watch is emotion. Its why we plan our days around big games, spend long hours reading statistics and theorycrafting our own rosters and trade scenarios. We criticism him because hindsight is 20/20 and ultimately we want the best for our team. The complaining will never stop because the passion will never cease.

It also doesn't mean Pop is perfect. He's made plenty of mistakes that many spurs fans can agree on. Barring the trolls, the diversity of reactions is perfectly acceptable.

:tu

[lefty]

I'd be interested to see a ST poll of whether or not you agreed with Pop rolling with the bench last night.

Pop waved the white flag

He took out his starters to rest them

It wasnt a genius move, and our super bench made him look good

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Pop waved the white flag

He took out his starters to rest them

It wasnt a genius move, and our super bench made him look good

Not the decision to put the bench in...but the decision to stick with them when Carlisle called like 3 timeouts in 3 minutes, and then the ensuing OT

[ffadicted]

many spurs fans have no idea how good they have it.

+9001

[SA210]

Well if guys who admit to never watching the Spurs love him, then we all have to agree.

[DMC]

I still want to see the name of the coach preferred over Pop.

[Obstructed_View]

I can think of many other NBA teams that a)play centers at center and b)play the people that they draft. Don't those teams have coaches?

[Splits]

Barring the trolls, the diversity of reactions is perfectly acceptable.




I wish I was as enamored of Pop as the rest of you....

I look at Pop as the main reason that the Spurs only have 4 titles.

Spurs should have at least six if not for Pop.

[jjktkk]

Well if guys who admit to never watching the Spurs love him, then we all have to agree.

Which guys exactly said they do not watch Spurs games?

[manufan10]

Which guys exactly said they do not watch Spurs games?

Using it to support his claim that they're not "experts," imo

[jjktkk]

I can think of many other NBA teams that a)play centers at center and b)play the people that they draft. Don't those teams have coaches?

Didn't realize that Duncan, Ginoboli, Parker, Blair, Splitter, and Leonard were free agent pickups. Thanks for that brilliant take. :tu