BEFORE the GRADES This I Want to Say...

[NK123]

- Pop is worse than most think

- This team, even without Derrick, is better than most think.

- Pop is slowly destroying his reputation.

- Tim Duncan might be even better we all thought.

- #itstimetoletpopgo / #popisaverage / #poplosthisteam

[JeffDuncan]

Yeah...

[tmtcsc]

I think the whole Kawhi debacle really shook the old man. He now dances around criticizing his players even when its justified. Instead, he bloviates on and on about players' character and qualities and how they are pros. He was absolutely right about Tim Duncan being a God Send and a blessing to so many in the organization. That man single-handedly gifted Pop his HOF enshrinement and career. He changed lives. Without Tim, there's no Pop, there's Gregg. Without Tim, there's no 5 Championships, there's no discussion about his GOAT status in the coaching realm & there's no coaching tree. Tim meant everything to this franchise & city.

I have no idea what he's trying to accomplish anymore. This team is a collection of role players and nothing more. White can't stay healthy, he just can't. Lonnie Walker doesn't know who he is or wants to be. One day he plays well, the next he's making silly mistakes or throwing some crap off the backboard that doesn't even hit rim. Dejounte's made good improvement this year but he's still a wildcard that all too often doesn't play with much maturity or poise. Poeltl does some things really well but he's not ideal for the way the game is being played today. He just doesn't have any sort of shooting range whatsoever.

[daslicer]

I think the whole Kawhi debacle really shook the old man. He now dances around criticizing his players even when its justified. Instead, he bloviates on and on about players' character and qualities and how they are pros. He was absolutely right about Tim Duncan being a God Send and a blessing to so many in the organization. That man single-handedly gifted Pop his HOF enshrinement and career. He changed lives. Without Tim, there's no Pop, there's Gregg. Without Tim, there's no 5 Championships, there's no discussion about his GOAT status in the coaching realm & there's no coaching tree. Tim meant everything to this franchise & city.

I have no idea what he's trying to accomplish anymore. This team is a collection of role players and nothing more. White can't stay healthy, he just can't. Lonnie Walker doesn't know who he is or wants to be. One day he plays well, the next he's making silly mistakes or throwing some crap off the backboard that doesn't even hit rim. Dejounte's made good improvement this year but he's still a wildcard that all too often doesn't play with much maturity or poise. Poeltl does some things really well but he's not ideal for the way the game is being played today. He just doesn't have any sort of shooting range whatsoever.

I have said it for a long time that coaching in the NBA is very overrated. The players determine 90 percent of the time who wins, coaches at best have 5 percent influence and that comes from who they play and don't play. The other 5 percent is determined by how the refs call the game. Pop was spoiled with having Duncan and over the years his ego became huge. He started believing that he had some special mojo when it came to winning when he never did. Duncan allowed him for years to get away with being stubborn and stupid for example starting trash like Blair/Bonner/Over the hill McDyees, next to Duncan from '08-'11. Spurs still manage to win 50 plus during those 3 years and one year get 60 plus. He does the same stupid lineups now with less talent players and over the hill vets and it backfires because now he doesn't have a superstar to clean up his garbage. He lucked out in having a top 5 all time great who wasn't a Diva which allowed him to get away with idiotic lineups.

Pop says without Duncan he would have never won . He says it but I don't believe he actually believes it. That's how big his ego is now. He's sticking around because he's an ego maniac who desperately wants to prove to people that he has some magical formula for winning.

[rankingtear]

How does Pop suppose to win when he his best player is the 82nd best in the NBA. Give him PHI roster and he would win a championship 1000%.

[tbdog]

No mention that the schedule is brutal. The team is gassed.

[NK123]

How does Pop suppose to win when he his best player is the 82nd best in the NBA. Give him PHI roster and he would win a championship 1000%.

- Nobody is saying Pop is a bad coach. He needs talent and luck to win.

- The USA Team is another example. He had great players but he did not have the right strategy and adaptations to win it all.

- Most coaches could win it all with the talent the Sixers have this season.

[RC_Drunkford]

Been one of the worst coaches in the league for a couple years now

[ElNono]

:pop: 6 rings bitches

[rankingtear]

Been one of the worst coaches in the league for a couple years now

He was still good in 18-19 , 6th ranked offense with a heavy midrange attack and top 10 defense heading into the playoffs. That is borderline contender numbers with a roster of spare parts from a contending team.

17-18 was still an 8th net rating team even when Kawhi barely played.

[Biggems]

Between the big 3 leaving, Kawhi and his bullshit, and his wife passing, I think Pop is living with a broken heart and a beaten soul. I believe the only reason he is still coaching is because his wife passed. The pain and suffering of losing your life partner is immense. I know I wouldn't want to be home alone all day alone in a house filled with her memories minus her.

[The Truth #6]

Between the big 3 leaving, Kawhi and his bullshit, and his wife passing, I think Pop is living with a broken heart and a beaten soul. I believe the only reason he is still coaching is because his wife passed. The pain and suffering of losing your life partner is immense. I know I wouldn't want to be home alone all day alone in a house filled with her memories minus her.

Exactly. Basketball is what he has left. It’s his family. And that includes touring the country going to his favorite restaurants. That’s probably his real passion at this point, finding a new unheralded sommelier in Phoenix, so to speak.

[tbdog]

Pop's biggest mistake is overplaying Mills. It's not just this year, but other years too. They paid him to be a 6th man. Unforturnely, he isn't over the course of a season. But if I was to digest the reasons why he plays so much is because of injuries. Parker/Murray/White all missed lots of time.

[widowmaker]

:pop: 6 rings bitches


I thought it was 5? Dumbass

[JeffDuncan]

There are old guys who will take their dog to the park, every sunny day, to let the dog off the leash, and watch it run around. Doesn’t matter what the dog does, they just like watching it.

People think it’s some basketball reason. It isn’t. Pop plays Patty because he likes watching Patty run around out there.

I am not kidding.

[KingKev]

You forgot to capitalize THIS in the title thread. Helps get the point across. My sentiments below:

- Popovich NEEDS Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobilli and Tony Parker to win

- Vinny Del Negro SHOULD have been David Robinson’s Scottie Pippen

- THIS is the reason WE ARE LOSING: our opponents are scoring MORE than us while also making us score LESS than them

- Keldon Johnson SHOULD also be Scottie Pippen or one of Giannis’ brothers

[r0drig0lac]

- Pop is worse than most think

- This team, even without Derrick, is better than most think.

- Pop is slowly destroying his reputation.

- Tim Duncan might be even better we all thought.

- #itstimetoletpopgo / #popisaverage / #poplosthisteam

no one who really understands the game thought it was about Pop, it always was and always will be about Duncan (and about the stars that come on the court, they who create the legacy of their coaches).

[Chinook]

I think fans here need to accept that NBA players in general are way better than they think, and the Spurs having talent shouldn't be confused with them being a talented team by NBA standards. While the Spurs especially with White are good enough to flip teams in some games, they are dependent on guys playing above their heads to give them a chance to beat good teams. It's hard to imagine them winning a seven-game series, because most clubs don't need to get as lucky to win. The Spurs are both their good and bad parts, and it's not just Pop that is responsible for them losing games.

[rankingtear]

Half of pop's playbook is based on having a passing big man. That is why he gave Gasol 100 mil after TD left.

[Dex]

no one who really understands the game thought it was about Pop, it always was and always will be about Duncan (and about the stars that come on the court, they who create the legacy of their coaches).

Even Pop was the first to come out and say that he isn't some kind of mastermind....he just had Tim Duncan.

I'm sure that's Pop being gracious because you obviously don't coach a team for ~20 years, make the playoffs every year, 5 championships and many more WCFs....

But yeah, Pop knows he got dealt a lucky hand and never tried to take credit for it.

[Maddog]

I think fans here need to accept that NBA players in general are way better than they think, and the Spurs having talent shouldn't be confused with them being a talented team by NBA standards. While the Spurs especially with White are good enough to flip teams in some games, they are dependent on guys playing above their heads to give them a chance to beat good teams. It's hard to imagine them winning a seven-game series, because most clubs don't need to get as lucky to win. The Spurs are both their good and bad parts, and it's not just Pop that is responsible for them losing games.

I always thought it was going to be a stretch for this team to finish at or above .500
Given the compacted post Covid shutdown, I think the current record is not bad

[MultiTroll]

Chop Greggs face in?
https://www.behaviourworksaustralia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/20160817_142839.jpg

[Manu&Duncan fan]

this!

How does Pop suppose to win when he his best player is the 82nd best in the NBA. Give him PHI roster and he would win a championship 1000%.

[MultiTroll]

There are old guys who will take their dog to the park, every sunny day, to let the dog off the leash, and watch it run around. Doesn’t matter what the dog does, they just like watching it.

People think it’s some basketball reason. It isn’t. Pop plays Patty because he likes watching Patty run around out there.

I am not kidding.
:lol:bobo
Will pay for 'chopped video of Pop taking Patty to play in the park. Perhaps it could be superimposed over the Spurs court during game time.

[K...]

it would be cool if pop got his 30 wins here, had a big celebration and immediately left to coach the nets or philly or something. The only obvious coaching change would be to let a guard specialist come in and get a bit more out of murray lonnie etc. But there's no magic coach. People who think pop are wrecking the team should look at other teams and ask what borderline teams consistently overachieve. Basically which team without an all star has gotten deep in the playoffs. to my recall the 60 wins hawks are really the only example. And Bud had been fired from Atlanta and will be fired from Milwaukee too probably.

without tim duncan the team would expect to lose 5-10 games more than the previous year. We've had a remarkably linear and slow decline so the reasons to be mad are pretty stupid. The only reasonable argument is the accelerationist take that we should trade everyone and become the shitty version of OKC. That's a dumb take because player development is a team specialty, and it's obvious they're struggling with the young talent they have.

[BlackAndWhite]

In those two seasons, the rosters actually fitted together. The current team has too many redundancies and weaknesses.

[KobesAchilles]

There are old guys who will take their dog to the park, every sunny day, to let the dog off the leash, and watch it run around. Doesn’t matter what the dog does, they just like watching it.

People think it’s some basketball reason. It isn’t. Pop plays Patty because he likes watching Patty run around out there.

I am not kidding.
The Racism here is really apparent. Compare Mills, a grown ass black man, to a dog and Pop, the white guy, as Mills’ owner. All bc of a child’s game.

[Dennis the Menace]

Tim Duncan is better than we all thought. Never imagined those words would come out of my mouth but here we are.

The longer Pop stays the longer the recovery

[TD 21]

How does Pop suppose to win when he his best player is the 82nd best in the NBA. Give him PHI roster and he would win a championship 1000%.

Who's fault is that? He allowed Scumbag/Raptors to take them for a ride and has refused to re-build because he wants the regular season wins record and doesn't want to coach a re-building team.



He was still good in 18-19 , 6th ranked offense with a heavy midrange attack and top 10 defense heading into the playoffs. That is borderline contender numbers with a roster of spare parts from a contending team.

17-18 was still an 8th net rating team even when Kawhi barely played.

They were 19th defensively and 12th in MOG (or point differential) and SOS, nowhere near borderline contender territory. Flawed as they were, that team also had a late prime Aldridge and tons of plus - elite 3-point shooting role players.

17-18 was peak Aldridge and elite defense from a prideful, continuity/chemistry laden, residue of winning type team.

The fact that 3-point shooting is an even bigger problem than a half decade ago and he's pleased with Murray's development despite him playing like it's 2001, says all you need to know about how out of touch him and this organization are.

[RC_Drunkford]

Spurs haven't shot a lot of 3s since 2016, but they always shot great percentages cause they had elite talent. Crazy that Flopovich hasn't adjusted for 5 years

[tbdog]

Spurs haven't shot a lot of 3s since 2016, but they always shot great percentages cause they had elite talent. Crazy that Flopovich hasn't adjusted for 5 years

He has adjusted. He no longer is creating an offense for his team makeup.

[Rummpd]

BLUF - FO - F x 4 years
HC - retired on actve duty - F-
Team has some talent but not enough shooters C Talent
Mediocrity reigns and it might be worse next year C future unless a big change

[daslicer]

Who's fault is that? He allowed Scumbag/Raptors to take them for a ride and has refused to re-build because he wants the regular season wins record and doesn't want to coach a re-building team.




They were 19th defensively and 12th in MOG (or point differential) and SOS, nowhere near borderline contender territory. Flawed as they were, that team also had a late prime Aldridge and tons of plus - elite 3-point shooting role players.

17-18 was peak Aldridge and elite defense from a prideful, continuity/chemistry laden, residue of winning type team.

The fact that 3-point shooting is an even bigger problem than a half decade ago and he's pleased with Murray's development despite him playing like it's 2001, says all you need to know about how out of touch him and this organization are.

Agreed. I wanted Pop to just gut the team when Kawhi wanted out but Pop decided he wanted to have a thread mill team so he could keep chasing the all time coaching win's record instead of doing the proper rebuild. I get annoyed when people scream "Well he did a great coaching job in leading the Spurs to the playoffs in from '17-'19' without acknowledging the truth which was peak LMA carrying the load for those 2 years along with some good role players. The moment LMA fell off is the moment this team became a lottery team.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Nice thread by the OP. Lots of original thoughts conveyed.

[The Truth #6]

Agreed. I wanted Pop to just gut the team when Kawhi wanted out but Pop decided he wanted to have a thread mill team so he could keep chasing the all time coaching win's record instead of doing the proper rebuild. I get annoyed when people scream "Well he did a great coaching job in leading the Spurs to the playoffs in from '17-'19' without acknowledging the truth which was peak LMA carrying the load for those 2 years along with some good role players. The moment LMA fell off is the moment this team became a lottery team.

Agreed. It was such an obvious rebuilding moment. They could have built around LMA even, though it would have been smart to sell high. Instead we got Derozan and have been stuck in midrange hell since then.

[daslicer]

Agreed. It was such an obvious rebuilding moment. They could have built around LMA even, though it would have been smart to sell high. Instead we got Derozan and have been stuck in midrange hell since then.

They should have sold Lamarcus when his value was at an all time high in the summer of '18. I get they were paranoid of trading Kawhi to a team that would have eventually traded him to the Lakers but they had perfect place to send him which was Charlotte. The Hornets were willing to do a swap of Kemba for Kawhi. Send Kawhi to the shitty Hornets where he would not have been in a position to get a ring. Get Kemba for 1 year rental and then allow him to bolt and just rebuild the team.

[The Truth #6]

They should have sold Lamarcus when his value was at an all time high in the summer of '18. I get they were paranoid of trading Kawhi to a team that would have eventually traded him to the Lakers but they had perfect place to send him which was Charlotte. The Hornets were willing to do a swap of Kemba for Kawhi. Send Kawhi to the shitty Hornets where he would not have been in a position to get a ring. Get Kemba for 1 year rental and then allow him to bolt and just rebuild the team.

Isn’t Mitch “take that Meyotch” Kupchak the CHA GM? Obviously, Borrego is there to potentially facilitate a trade, but I wonder if that Laker connection would have been another roadblock?

[TD 21]

Agreed. I wanted Pop to just gut the team when Kawhi wanted out but Pop decided he wanted to have a thread mill team so he could keep chasing the all time coaching win's record instead of doing the proper rebuild. I get annoyed when people scream "Well he did a great coaching job in leading the Spurs to the playoffs in from '17-'19' without acknowledging the truth which was peak LMA carrying the load for those 2 years along with some good role players. The moment LMA fell off is the moment this team became a lottery team.

Once it became apparent that Scumbag had successfully tanked his value to such an extent that they couldn't get Brown (the obvious target, since Tatum was never going to be realistic) or a comparable and were going to get pennies on the dollar, they should have offered him and 18 to the Clippers for Harris, 12 and 13.

That way he wouldn't have been in prime position to win a (tainted) championship immediately and they could have had two of Gilgeous-Alexander, (Miles) Bridges and Porter Jr.