Jim Boylen apologized to Kawhi for not playing him more in 2nd half of Portland game

[SpursFan86]

Sorry, Kawhi: Starting forward Kawhi Leonard acknowledged after Sunday's game he was puzzled when he played only the first 2:10 and final 38 seconds of the fourth quarter of Friday's loss to the Trail Blazers.


He felt a little better when lead assistant Jim Boylen, who took over the team after Popovich was ejected in the third quarter, and the other assistants admitted they had gotten so caught up in the game they forgot to get him back on the floor.


“The coaches didn't know Pop was going to get thrown out of the game,” Leonard said. “They asked me how the game went the next day and told me they were sorry they didn't put me (back) in.”

http://www.expressnews.com/sports/spurs/article/Mills-prefers-coming-off-bench-with-Parker-out-5158326.php?t=fcb7881083927fc3fb

Am I crazy for being borderline angry with that explanation...? How the hell do you get so caught up in the game that you "forget" to play your best perimeter defender (while they were playing the best 3-point shooting team in the league)? I'd rather them say they simply made a mistake and should've played him more, as opposed to saying they "forgot". Just makes it sound so absurd IMO.

I really don't think Belinelli should EVER play more minutes in a game than Kawhi, unless it's due to the game being a blowout for most of the way. Don't get me wrong...I love what Belinelli has done for us, and he's 100x better than Neal. But I'd much rather have Kawhi play 30+ mpg than Belinelli. I know it's the regular season and all, but I hope this doesn't become a habit that continues into the postseason.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

They better put Kawhi in the offense more, or he's going to bolt SA.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

That's a pretty horrible inexcusable explanation. That is some pretty horrid coaching tbh. How the hell do you forget to put Leonard in? No wonder we lost.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

The assistant coaching staff is a complete joke this year.

[MR-Clutch]

The assistant coaching staff is a complete joke this year.

[tmtcsc]

WTF?? Awful. Looks like Pop is on his own this year.

[dallasmaverickslose]

Unbelievable. How can you just forget about Kawhi like that? What were they thinking?

[will_spurs]

When asked why he didn't play Kawhi Leonard more in the 2nd half, Jim Boylen replied: "Who? Are you sure he's a Spurs player?"

[Dex]

How do you "forget" a guy when he is sitting like three seats down from you on the bench?

I really hope the Spurs see something in Ime Udoka and Sean Marks that we don't, because right now, they seem like pity positions given to former Spurs. It was easier to justify when they were at the end of the coaching bench, but are these guys really legitimate assistant coaches?

[apalisoc_9]

Public apologies are something most coaches wouldn't even bother doing.

They are obviously somewhat concerned with Kawhi's "feelings" and know his real value to the team..It's a good sign for wanting Leonard in the future.

It's not something these coaches would say to Belli, Splitter, Green or anyone expandalbe now or in the future ( not saying splitter and Green are expandable)

[SpursFan86]

How do you "forget" a guy when he is sitting like three seats down from you on the bench?

I mean seriously...it's mind-boggling. What was going through their head Portland was killing us with perimeter scoring? Did the idea of putting Kawhi back in there really never pop up in their heads? And it's not even like Kawhi is some specialist who only gets in during special situations. He's a fucking starter for Christ's sake...how do you "forget" about someone like him?

[FromWayDowntown]

That's unfathomable. It's one thing if Boylen forgot, though that's pretty hard to believe. It's something else if nobody on that bench said anything about Kawhi's absence.

And I'm surprised -- if the coaching staff forgot -- that the players didn't say something about it.

[exstatic]

They better put Kawhi in the offense more, or he's going to bolt SA.

Not going to happen.

[exstatic]

BTW, I absolutely would NOT have put him back in any time in the 3rd. We had a hot group on the floor that closed the gap. He should have played in the 4th, though.

[loveforthegame]

That's pathetic. I can't even with that sorry ass apology and excuse.

Major fail by the coaching staff. :td

[exstatic]

That's pathetic. I can't even with that sorry ass apology and excuse.

Major fail by the coaching staff. :td

It's probably good that your job isn't performed in public, and people don't follow you around critiquing your performance.

[Prime Time]

Spurs really need to involve Kawhi more. One solution would be to have Kawhi and Danny switch positions on offense. Pop's system involves the shooting guard to be active on the perimeter while the small forward stands around waiting for a three, a part of me feels that's why the offense seems more off-tune when Green is in compared to someone like Marco or Manu.

Instead of having Kawhi miss open long-shots, just run some offense through him and let Danny stand around in the corner. Maybe Kawhi doesn't seem ready in practice or something, because that solution seems reasonable enough for Pop to at least try by now.

[ElNono]

IIRC, it's the first game this guy is coaching here, and so there's going to be a learning curve. Hopefully this was a learning experience for everyone.

[SpursFan86]

IIRC, it's the first game this guy is coaching here, and so there's going to be a learning curve. Hopefully this was a learning experience for everyone.

I'm fine with people making mistakes...but again, how do you FORGET to play your best perimeter defender against a team like Portland? I'm not saying "FIRE THEIR ASSES" or anything...but I think it's perfectly reasonable that people are upset with this whole "Sorry, we forgot to play you Kawhi" business.

[loveforthegame]

I'm fine with people making mistakes...but again, how do you FORGET to play your best perimeter defender against a team like Portland? I'm not saying "FIRE THEIR ASSES" or anything...but I think it's perfectly reasonable that people are upset with this whole "Sorry, we forgot to play you Kawhi" business.

Exactly. Mistakes will be made. But how does a coaching staff forget a player on the bench?

[exstatic]

Exactly. Mistakes will be made. But how does a coaching staff forget a player on the bench?

It was a mistake? You just said mistakes will be made, and then excoriate Boylan for making one!

[loveforthegame]

It was a mistake? You just said mistakes will be made, and then excoriate Boylan for making one!

There's mistakes and then there's forgetting a player on the bench.

You're fine with it. I'm not.

[SpursFan86]

It was a mistake? You just said mistakes will be made, and then excoriate Boylan for making one!

Not all mistakes are equal. Some are more inexcusable than others.

Like imagine if the Spurs FO traded Kawhi Leonard for JR Smith. Is that just a mistake, or should they get criticized for it?

[boutons_deux]

Well, Pop, managing/saving minutes all season for the playoffs, didn't play TD and TP for all the 4th qtr of Game6 the 2013 Spurs 5th NBA championship game, so no surprises here.

[apalisoc_9]

BTW, I absolutely would NOT have put him back in any time in the 3rd. We had a hot group on the floor that closed the gap. He should have played in the 4th, though.

He played majority of the third.

Are you referring to a different game.

[TheGoldStandard]

Spurs assistant coaches are a complete joke this year. Boylen didn't forget to play Ayres or run Tony and Tim back out there.. I can't understand having a 22 year old kid average on 28 minutes a game against Portland this year.

[romsho]

It wasn't just that. They failed to put Manu back in the game until 5 minutes were left. If I'm not mistaken, Jeff McDonald tweeted that Manu finally just oft up and put HIMSELF in the game...ran to the scorers table, no word or eye contact betweem he and Boylen. Completely ridiculous. Inexcusable.

[RD2191]

It wasn't just that. They failed to put Manu back in the game until 5 minutes were left. If I'm not mistaken, Jeff McDonald tweeted that Manu finally just oft up and put HIMSELF in the game...ran to the scorers table, no word or eye contact betweem he and Boylen. Completely ridiculous. Inexcusable.
:wow

[Floyd Pacquiao]

embarrassing...coach bud and brown aint walking threw them doors, if pop goes down this team is fucked...

[apalisoc_9]

It wasn't just that. They failed to put Manu back in the game until 5 minutes were left. If I'm not mistaken, Jeff McDonald tweeted that Manu finally just oft up and put HIMSELF in the game...ran to the scorers table, no word or eye contact betweem he and Boylen. Completely ridiculous. Inexcusable.

:lol

dude was killing it in the third tbh..There's no excuse to wait in the last 4-5 minutes of the game...

[apalisoc_9]

these are the same coahces that would handle Kawhi when pop retires...

:lol

[ThaBigFundamental21]

Not sure why Kawhi wouldn't even ask to go in either. How long before Kawhi asks to leave?

[TheGoldStandard]

I have to believe that the Spurs would do a better job of finding a coach then just letting these clowns be in charge if Pop were to step away

[Chomag]

I dont know, anyone can "say" everything is ok for PR but it's very hard to hide body language and KL's looks very disengaged right now. He looks so frustrated and unmotivated out there this season. I dont know whats going on behind closed doors and I only can speculate.

As for our assistant coaches, Yeah they are pretty much all a joke. Didn't one of them highly recommend Errors? Anyway, worst we have had in the Pop Era I think.

[HI-FI]

IIRC, it's the first game this guy is coaching here, and so there's going to be a learning curve. Hopefully this was a learning experience for everyone.

i basically agree. I kept telling my brother that they need to put Kawhi in, so pretty embarrassing I even noticed it but I will still give Boylen some leeway there. I imagine he was just overwhelmed by the moment and screwed up, now if he keeps shitting the bed then obviously he's not cut out for HC. But I won't roast him yet.

[apalisoc_9]

I dont know, anyone can "say" everything is ok for PR but it's very hard to hide body language and KL's looks very disengaged right now. He looks so frustrated and unmotivated out there this season. I dont know whats going on behind closed doors and I only can speculate.

As for our assistant coaches, Yeah they are pretty much all a joke. Didn't one of them highly recommend Errors? Anyway, worst we have had in the Pop Era I think.

Wow, I'm not the only one who noticed.

The numbers suggest Leonard is having his best year as a spur, but from games 30 onwards ( games where he had streches of 3-6 shots a game) he just hasn't looked straight at all. He still put out his hear out there defensively though

[HarlemHeat37]

The majority of people that said the Spurs would win the West once again, myself included, based it on the growth of Leonard's responsibility and touches in the system to negate the potential decline of Duncan/Parker..so far, other than the first few games following Splitter's injury, the coaching staff has made minimal effort to give Leonard his own set of plays, tbh..

Kawhi certainly has to be more assertive, but the Spurs' system isn't a free-for-all system that glorifies isolation players..Leonard is a long SF/small PF..he's a new-NBA type of player..he doesn't have the guard skills to penetrate consistently and create from the 3-point line, he's a SF in the mold of Luol Deng, Marion, etc..

You have to put him in positions to succeed..he has been scoring at an efficient rate in the halfcourt, and he routinely takes advantage of his opponents in the post..he's a mid-post, mid-range attacker, tbh..

It's still early in the season, but it's very disappointing that this coaching staff hasn't taken the steps to make him an integral shot creator, and it's sad that he's often forgotten in a multitude of ways..


You can also include Green in the discussion, as he was the scapegoat for the Splitter/Duncan spacing problems, which is unfair and his demotion has hurt the team, he's clearly the best perimeter man-to-man defender on the team, tbh..

Btw, we miss you, coach Bud:(..

[polandprzem]

The assistant coaching staff is a complete joke this year.
I kinda was thinking about it all year long.


Are Udoka and Marks 'the elite' ?

[spurraider21]

The majority of people that said the Spurs would win the West once again, myself included, based it on the growth of Leonard's responsibility and touches in the system to negate the potential decline of Duncan/Parker..so far, other than the first few games following Splitter's injury, the coaching staff has made minimal effort to give Leonard his own set of plays, tbh..

Kawhi certainly has to be more assertive, but the Spurs' system isn't a free-for-all system that glorifies isolation players..Leonard is a long SF/small PF..he's a new-NBA type of player..he doesn't have the guard skills to penetrate consistently and create from the 3-point line, he's a SF in the mold of Luol Deng, Marion, etc..

You have to put him in positions to succeed..he has been scoring at an efficient rate in the halfcourt, and he routinely takes advantage of his opponents in the post..he's a mid-post, mid-range attacker, tbh..

It's still early in the season, but it's very disappointing that this coaching staff hasn't taken the steps to make him an integral shot creator, and it's sad that he's often forgotten in a multitude of ways..


You can also include Green in the discussion, as he was the scapegoat for the Splitter/Duncan spacing problems, which is unfair and his demotion has hurt the team, he's clearly the best perimeter man-to-man defender on the team, tbh..

Btw, we miss you, coach Bud:(..
great takes all around ,tbh :tu

i underestimated the impact of losing both Bud and Brown, but i forgot that pop likes to get himself ejected more often that other coaches :lol

[wildbill2u]

It's pretty damn telling that your play is so passive that the coach forgets you on the bench. Sure you can fault the coach, but Kwahi falling below the radar is his own damn fault. If he's the 3rd best player on the team why doesn't he play like it?

[Mugen]

Kawhi should be a lock for 30+ mins in every non-blowout game, regardless of how he's playing tbh.

I've been pretty unhappy with how his role has been handled thus far this season by Pop, the assistants, and even the Big 3 tbh. Still a lot of time in the season so I hope he's able to expand his impact moving forward.

[TheGoldStandard]

Kawhi should be a lock for 30+ mins in every non-blowout game, regardless of how he's playing tbh.

I've been pretty unhappy with how his role has been handled thus far this season by Pop, the assistants, and even the Big 3 tbh. Still a lot of time in the season so I hope he's able to expand his impact moving forward.

It's pretty sad that he's not getting 30 to 35 minutes a game. Guys a muscle car who only gets driven to and from the store on Sundays

[SpursFan86]

Kawhi should be a lock for 30+ mins in every non-blowout game, regardless of how he's playing tbh.

I've been pretty unhappy with how his role has been handled thus far this season by Pop, the assistants, and even the Big 3 tbh. Still a lot of time in the season so I hope he's able to expand his impact moving forward.

This. Paul George's transition to becoming a superstar wasn't overnight. But Indiana consistently gave him minutes (averaged almost 38 mpg last year, and he didn't look insanely good besides a few moments in the playoffs) and he improved massively. I'm not saying Kawhi is or will be as good as Paul George, but my point is that giving him 33-34 mpg will only help his growth as a player. He played lots of minutes in the playoffs last year and looked great. Posted basically a 19 PER and played spectacular defense.

Unless I'm unaware of how severe of an issue his tendinitis is (which, I'll readily admit is a possibility), I see NO reason Kawhi shouldn't be playing 32-34 mpg...even in the regular season.

[cd98]

I missed the Portland game. Hard to imagine someone would forget to play a starter, and the only true small forward on our roster.

[TheGoldStandard]

This. Paul George's transition to becoming a superstar wasn't overnight. But Indiana consistently gave him minutes (averaged almost 38 mpg last year, and he didn't look insanely good besides a few moments in the playoffs) and he improved massively. I'm not saying Kawhi is or will be as good as Paul George, but my point is that giving him 33-34 mpg will only help his growth as a player. He played lots of minutes in the playoffs last year and looked great. Posted basically a 19 PER and played spectacular defense.

Unless I'm unaware of how severe of an issue his tendinitis is (which, I'll readily admit is a possibility), I see NO reason Kawhi shouldn't be playing 32-34 mpg...even in the regular season.

Paul George was also in a situation where he was forced to shoot the ball when he found it in his possession. Kawhi has shied away from this usually hesitating too much on 3 pointers, backing up and passing the ball when he has a lane to drive the ball.

[Mugen]

It's pretty damn telling that your play is so passive that the coach forgets you on the bench. Sure you can fault the coach, but Kwahi falling below the radar is his own damn fault. If he's the 3rd best player on the team why doesn't he play like it?

This was a silly post tbh.

[SpursFan86]

Paul George was also in a situation where he was forced to shoot the ball when he found it in his possession. Kawhi has shied away from this usually hesitating too much on 3 pointers, backing up and passing the ball when he has a lane to drive the ball.

Again, I'm not saying Kawhi is the same mold as Paul George or that it's 100% the coaches' fault. But I can assure you playing Kawhi 5 more minutes each game would only help his growth as a player (assuming his knees can handle it obviously). He rarely plays with the bench unit...if he did, he'd be a first or second option most likely, and that would give him opportunity to have a bigger role and would give him confidence that could carry over into when he plays with the starting unit.

[TheGoldStandard]

Again, I'm not saying Kawhi is the same mold as Paul George or that it's 100% the coaches' fault. But I can assure you playing Kawhi 5 more minutes each game would only help his growth as a player (assuming his knees can handle it obviously). He rarely plays with the bench unit...if he did, he'd be a first or second option most likely, and that would give him opportunity to have a bigger role and would give him confidence that could carry over into when he plays with the starting unit.

I agree, no harm can come to playing Kawhi more minutes.

[exstatic]

This. Paul George's transition to becoming a superstar wasn't overnight. But Indiana consistently gave him minutes (averaged almost 38 mpg last year, and he didn't look insanely good besides a few moments in the playoffs) and he improved massively. I'm not saying Kawhi is or will be as good as Paul George, but my point is that giving him 33-34 mpg will only help his growth as a player. He played lots of minutes in the playoffs last year and looked great. Posted basically a 19 PER and played spectacular defense.

Unless I'm unaware of how severe of an issue his tendinitis is (which, I'll readily admit is a possibility), I see NO reason Kawhi shouldn't be playing 32-34 mpg...even in the regular season.
It can become chronic with overuse. People don't quite understand what a big jump is to go from 30 something NCAA games of 40 minutes duration to 100+ games of 48 minutes duration on an NBA contender.

[Russo21]

Sounds like a test to see if Kawhi would stand up and be a bit of a leader and make himself heard instead of being a yes man, if that's the case, he failed. Surely the coaches wouldn't forget a player

[exstatic]

these are the same coahces that would handle Kawhi when pop retires...

:lol

Not likely.

[apalisoc_9]

apologizing to a 4th option...:lol

Jim Boylen will never become head coach..What a beta.:lol

[Libri]

Early onset of Alzheimer's?

[Budkin]

Talk about totally incompetent and unprofessional. At least we won't have to worry about losing any more assistants to HC jobs.

[KaiRMD1]

That just proves why Bud was so much smarter and better than any assistant we have on the bench now. How the hell does any ol' sport forget to put an impact player like Kawhi back on the floor in a crucial season game? Stupid explanations

[Libri]

Boylen already broke two rules from Pop's school of coaching.

1. Never apologize
2. Never admit you made a mistake

[HI-FI]

Boylen already broke two rules from Pop's school of coaching.

1. Never apologize
2. Never admit you made a mistake
:lol
sadly I could see Pop rationalizing his decision to pull Duncan til the end.

[spurs1990]

Not worried about them once Pop leaves.

I'll bet Bud or Brett Brown will ditch their current jobs to take over in San Antonio.

[313]

It wasn't just that. They failed to put Manu back in the game until 5 minutes were left. If I'm not mistaken, Jeff McDonald tweeted that Manu finally just oft up and put HIMSELF in the game...ran to the scorers table, no word or eye contact betweem he and Boylen. Completely ridiculous. Inexcusable.
Yep, I remember thinking "where is manu?? " and them I saw the tweet lol I thought it was a joke. These coaches really suck.

[313]

I'm not defending the coaching staff, because they've been pretty bad at developing Kawhi, but just like in any job, you have to assertive.

Let's say you want extra hours at xyz job. Well, Bob wants extra hours too. when the managers observe both you and Bob shows more passion and excitement for his job, they'll usually pick him. Even if you're doing the better job.

[dorrrr]

You can only forget on the bench a small-time roll player. you can't forget a star.
And that's the main problem with forgetting Kawhi on the bench. It proves that he's still considered a role player, while he should be a star.

On every other team he would be Paul George. But Kawhi is only a 22 yr old kid and the coaching staff needs to fix his head,
to make him want to get the ball more and make him want to be a leader on the team and to change his "I'm only No. 4 here" state of mind.

Kawhi should be averging 21/10 every night (just like he did vs. golden-state-none-big-3-game).
But the coaching team led by Pop is very diassapointing this year. Keeping Ayres on the court is one terrible move they're doing.
Not taking Kawhi to the next level is another.
Forgeting him on the bench just approved what I've been thinking for a while now.

[ElNono]

:lol people comparing Boylen with Bud need to take a step back...

Bud was with the team for nearly 20 years and was Pop's top assistant the last 7 years. Boylen has been with the team for, give or take, 6 months?

Dude screwed up, apologized for screwing up, and hopefully will learn from this. If this shit keeps on happening, then sure, it's worrisome.

[rasuo214]

It isn't just a Kawhi issue, Boylen forgot about Manu as well. Only difference is Manu basically said fuck it and subbed himself in. How you can forget to sub in 2 of your best players, one of them being the guy that made it a game to begin with is inexcusable.

[Brazil]

:cry Parker is not the only one who forget Kawi :cry

[cjw]

I missed the game and purely looking at the box score thought it was foul trouble but Kawhi managed to go from halftime (when he had three) until he was taken out with just under 9 minutes to go without a foul. Then he takes a seat for what amounts to like 25 minutes of real time??

Fouls:
1 - 1:14 left in first | 2 - 0:33 left in first | 3 - 1:32 left in second | 4 - 0:34 left in fourth

Time on/off floor:
Out after 1st quarter (12:00 total)
In at 7:26 of second
Out at 1:32 in second (17:54 total)
In after halftime
Out at 5:47 of third (24:07 total)
In at 1:16 of third
Out at 8:49 of fourth (28:34 total) - score 82-83
In at 0:38 of fourth till end (29:12 total) - score 98-105

Meanwhile Patty plays most of the fourth and goes 0-3 from two, 1-2 from three, makes a pair of FT, turns the ball over twice and causes two himself. Understand why Diaw is in the game but with Marco / Manu on the floor with Patty, the perimeter D is not what it needs to be especially with no Green. If you have other creators on the floor and no Tiago clogging the paint, why not unleash Kawhi even for a few more minutes?

[T Park]

The assistant coaching staff is a complete joke this year.


Yeah should've brought back Carleisimo who is such a coaching savant....

[T Park]

:lol people comparing Boylen with Bud need to take a step back...

Bud was with the team for nearly 20 years and was Pop's top assistant the last 7 years. Boylen has been with the team for, give or take, 6 months?

Dude screwed up, apologized for screwing up, and hopefully will learn from this. If this shit keeps on happening, then sure, it's worrisome.


Youre on a decaying message board forum. You can't bring intelligence and logic here..

[DPG21920]

T Park, if this message board is decaying it's in large part to posters like yourself who not only have limited knowledge to share, but you bandwagon and quit on your team when things go wrong and generally treat people poorly (drink drain-o ect...).


Tbh.

[apalisoc_9]

Youre on a decaying message board forum. You can't bring intelligence and logic here..

aren't you fat?

[superbigtime]

How do you "forget" a guy when he is sitting like three seats down from you on the bench?

I really hope the Spurs see something in Ime Udoka and Sean Marks that we don't, because right now, they seem like pity positions given to former Spurs. It was easier to justify when they were at the end of the coaching bench, but are these guys really legitimate assistant coaches?

damn right and well said. pity is the word. this assistants crew stinks. how is it possible to leave Kawhi out by mistake? and to come out and publicly acknowledge it then say 'oops, sorry' is pretty weak. Pop can't get tossed any more.

[exstatic]

damn right and well said. pity is the word. this assistants crew stinks. how is it possible to leave Kawhi out by mistake? and to come out and publicly acknowledge it then say 'oops, sorry' is pretty weak. Pop can't get tossed any more.

Taking responsibility for your actions isn't weak. Criticizing someone who does IS weak.

[playbonner15]

#StayKawhi Gonna happen soon tbh

[skulls138]

Shouldnt have gotten out. Shouldve just made it up to him in other games and no one would be the wiser. Never show weakness.

[rmt]

I'd say that Pop shouldn't get himself tossed knowing the assistant coaches behind him, but this is the same coach that's playing a 22-23 year only 28 minutes per game and who had Splitter on the bench while MEM killed Blair and Bonner. Enough with this "saving" players, Kwahi needs minutes and touches to grow. He's the only one with a high ceiling on this team and it's his growth that is needed to offset the natural decline of the big 3.

[Mikeanaro]

Maybe Pops plays Kawhi 28 per game because there is something wrong with his knees, tendonitis is some serious shit he never treated Parker that way when he was 20, he was playing over 30 minutes every game.

[spurs10]

I was at the game and the fans where I was sitting sure as hell didn't forget that Manu and Kawhi sat on the f*#%ing bench while our lead slipped away. Pops ejection got us back in the game and ultimately cost us the game.:bang

[Arc]

the guy is an assistant coach for a reason. probably got caught up in the flow of the game. anyway, boylen isn't the one you should hating on. because the biggest blunder of the game was pop getting himself tossed.

[Johnny RIngo]

Spurs went from Budenholzer/Brett Brown to Boylen/Udoka/Sean Marks. Massive downgrade.

[Johnny RIngo]

Hilarious thing about Boylen is that he's supposed to be a specialist in developing big men yet he convinced the front office that Ayres was a decent player.

[Johnny RIngo]

:lol people comparing Boylen with Bud need to take a step back...

Bud was with the team for nearly 20 years and was Pop's top assistant the last 7 years. Boylen has been with the team for, give or take, 6 months?

Dude screwed up, apologized for screwing up, and hopefully will learn from this. If this shit keeps on happening, then sure, it's worrisome.

Actually this is even more embarrassing for Boylen considering he has a LOT more experience than Bud. Boylen's been an NBA assistant since '92. If you count college, Boylen's assistant coaching career goes back to 1987. Bud didn't become a coaching assistant until '96.

[Strategic]

It sounds like Pop may be solely responsible for watching the clock which is a little troubling. Leonard's a little shy yet but Manu could have given Boylen an elbow. In the middle of the season it's easy to say "it's just one game", but that one game at the end of the year may mean some needed rest for the aging. If this is an issue for Pop I'd look for him to get a few heads together.

[Russo21]

Maybe Tim should have had a quiet word and asked the assistant coach to put Kawhi in and Manu in earlier. No assistant coach is gonna argue with what Mr Duncan has got to say. Our gentle giant has to start cracking skulls, metaphorically speaking. Just like he never should have sat back in silence while on the bench in a critical possession in the finals. I think it's time for Tim to speak up more if he sees something going on that he doesn't think is right. Not just in this instance, maybe he didn't give a shit Kawhi was on the bench, but for future moments he may need to step up and be heard.

[BacktoBasics]

Maybe Pops plays Kawhi 28 per game because there is something wrong with his knees, tendonitis is some serious shit he never treated Parker that way when he was 20, he was playing over 30 minutes every game.There are other things to consider than just Kawhi. His minutes could have nothing to do with him if the game plan is predicated on a different lineup that finds early success. Hell there could be all kinds of reasons before its his knees. Not to mention that this team is notorious for resting minor injuries early in the season. Lower minutes for your 3rd or 4th or 5th option is no big shock on a winning team either. You just can't grasp any kind of bigger picture.

[superbigtime]

Taking responsibility for your actions isn't weak. Criticizing someone who does IS weak.

You want to niggle me about this?? Lol. Wrong. It was a lame thing to say and it certainly doesn't make him look any stronger of an assistant to anyone.

[313]

More mind blowing is that Manu had to put himself back in the game. He scored like 18 points in a row, and had to put himself back in the game. Let that marinate.

[Expert]

It's probably good that your job isn't performed in public, and people don't follow you around critiquing your performance.
and it's also probably good that he doesn't make millions of dollars a year just to know who to put in the game.

[Expert]

More mind blowing is that Manu had to put himself back in the game. He scored like 18 points in a row, and had to put himself back in the game. Let that marinate.
well coach pop knows he has a new assistant coach and still he forces and the ejection so that makes no sense in light of the complaints I am reading. The head coach should stay on the floor.

[look_at_g_shred]

You know what's funny is that if we would've won against Portland, some here would've said we only won because of Manu's flashback performance, and that if we played them in the playoffs, we'd lose cause there'd be no way Manu plays like that again. There's no fucking pleasing some of you.

[weeks]

boylen doesn't pass the eye test for me.

[jag]

Youre on a decaying message board forum. You can't bring intelligence and logic here..


T Park, if this message board is decaying it's in large part to posters like yourself who not only have limited knowledge to share, but you bandwagon and quit on your team when things go wrong and generally treat people poorly (drink drain-o ect...).


Tbh.

hmm...

[timtonymanu]

Truth bombs, DPG! :lol

[RD2191]

Lol Tpark getting shat on.

[Expert]

Maybe Pops plays Kawhi 28 per game because there is something wrong with his knees, tendonitis is some serious shit he never treated Parker that way when he was 20, he was playing over 30 minutes every game.
Parker can handle the rock. So he had to run the team where as Leonard is not. He's just a wing player and a defender. When Pop goes to up tempo he sometimes pulls Leonard. Leonard's transition defense is not that great. He doesn't recover as fast as people think he does but he's a good perimeter defender in the half court set.

[T Park]

T Park, if this message board is decaying it's in large part to posters like yourself who not only have limited knowledge to share, but you bandwagon and quit on your team when things go wrong and generally treat people poorly (drink drain-o ect...).


Tbh.

Yup cause you know me.

Get a life.

[T Park]

aren't you fat?

Don't you still live at home and need mommy to make dinner every night?

[T Park]

Lol Tpark getting shat on.


Oh my... Whatever will I do??!

[apalisoc_9]

Don't you still live at home and need mommy to make dinner every night?

She makes the most healthy of casseroles tbh...Gotta keep his baby lean.

[RD2191]

Oh my... Whatever will I do??!
:cry:cry:cry

[DPG21920]

My intent wasn't to sh*t on T Park. It was to show him he's pointing fingers at everyone but himself. I don't have to know you in real life; we are talking about ST. On ST I see you acting the fool & pointing fingers while doing 0 to up the quality of ST by posting quality material.

[sammy]

It wasn't just that. They failed to put Manu back in the game until 5 minutes were left. If I'm not mistaken, Jeff McDonald tweeted that Manu finally just oft up and put HIMSELF in the game...ran to the scorers table, no word or eye contact betweem he and Boylen. Completely ridiculous. Inexcusable.

I totally agree! Boylen lost us that game! Failure to put Kawhi & Manu in! Ridiculous! He owes apologies to both of them! Can we get a better assistant coach!

[Baseline]

How do you "forget" a guy when he is sitting like three seats down from you on the bench?

That's like bringing some bimbo home one night, doing the deed with her, yet forgetting that you're married and your wife is in the next room.

[Kyuui-Musikq]

Spurs went from Budenholzer/Brett Brown to Boylen/Udoka/Sean Marks. Massive downgrade.


Yeah should've brought back Carleisimo who is such a coaching savant....

I highly doubt Pop had actually believed that his second and third most trusted and experienced assistants would of both left during last years offseason, so when it happened, we were scrambling at the last second to find a vet coach who could help up on the bench. So now what were left with is two ex players with no more then two years of coaching experience and a lead assistant with no prior intimate knowledge of the Spurs system.

And you can hardly blame them for being in the positions their in all honesty, but I do think the FO could of prepared themselves more and had a list of better suited potential candidates to come and fill in the vacancies if the both Brett Brown and Mike Budenholzer did leave.

[UZER]

Kawhi should be a lock for 30+ mins in every non-blowout game, regardless of how he's playing tbh.

I've been pretty unhappy with how his role has been handled thus far this season by Pop the assistants, and even the Big 3 tbh. Still a lot of time in the season so I hope he's able to expand his impact moving forward.

But but but Pop can never...ever...be questioned.

The man has 4 rings you ungrateful, unintelligent, sorry excuse for a spurs fan. As a matter of fact, your questioning of Pop discredits all other basketball opinions you may have, no matter how valid they may be. Those opinions will be scoffed at, railed against, and belittled until one of the big name posters on the board makes the same point, at which time your takes will just be ignored as if they never existed. Furthermore, shame on you for celebrating the previous championships, as you are not, nor have ever been, a real Spurs fan.

[ElNono]

Actually this is even more embarrassing for Boylen considering he has a LOT more experience than Bud. Boylen's been an NBA assistant since '92. If you count college, Boylen's assistant coaching career goes back to 1987. Bud didn't become a coaching assistant until '96.

Experience coaching teams not named the Spurs... which is exactly what I was saying. Especially this season where the rotations have been anything but smooth.

He fucked up, and admitted as much. That's being honest. Hopefully it won't happen again.

[Mugen]

TPark quittin' on the team every year / telling people to drink Drain-O + posters responding w/ fat jokes is one of the best things about Spurstalk tbh.

[Ice009]

More mind blowing is that Manu had to put himself back in the game. He scored like 18 points in a row, and had to put himself back in the game. Let that marinate.

Yeah, if this is true, I'm amazed at how bad Boylen was.

With Kawhi not being put back in, I just thought that he was riding with Beli because of his offense and willingness to take open shots, but at about the 7 minute mark of the 4th quarter I'm thinking "when is he going to put Manu back in?". I kind of overlooked Kawhi because I was more focused on when the fuck Boylen was going to put Manu back into the game.

[Prime Time]

I'm confused. When Spurs win, it's because Tim Duncan and crew are just that amazing.
When Spurs lose, it's because Boylen sucks and the sole reason for any loss San Antonio has faced this year.

[wildchild]

Agree with Leonard need more minutes, and other comments about he’s being underused by the coach, but I don't believe a word of "forget a player on the bench".

They preferred to opt for Marco and his offense instead of the defense that Leonard provides, in a crucial moment of game -and it wasn't the first game Spurs going with Marco over Leonard or Green in last minutes-.

That's the real mistake and they don't want to admit it.

Just a joke, but really the coaching staff didn't forget Leonard.
425066439783903233

[wildchild]

The other thing that bothers me, Boylen and the other assistant coaches didn't want the apology became public, they didn't speak to the media, and maybe Leonard shouldn't talk about that.
IMO this incident should have never seen the light of day.

Granted, Leonard's D out in last minutes of that game should have never happend, but his comments could be a problem.
Kawhi isn't to be know as a disruptive guy. He's just young and inexperienced and he certainly doesn't want to generate criticism on the coaches but this incident could create ripples.

Or could be nothing if the assistant coaches haven't big egos and can understand the context and circumstances.

[wildchild]

I'm confused. When Spurs win, it's because Tim Duncan and crew are just that amazing.
When Spurs lose, it's because Boylen sucks and the sole reason for any loss San Antonio has faced this year.

Well I'm not sure if saying "the assistant coaches aren't the best staff of the league" of something like that, it means "our salvation passes through to change the staff" or "it's coach's fault for any loss of Spurs".

However, I've said before, it's a process of transition into the coaching job for Ime and Sean, but I'd have preferred veteran coaches for last years of Tim Era.