Imi the one that got away

[$pursDynasty]

Imi was always my choice to replace Pop as Spurs head coach. He was around Pop long enough to soak up the knowledge but young enough to connect with the younger players. I am proud of his success but know this makes it less likely he will be Pop's successor. The Celtics got a dang good coach. Pop's coaching tree is quite successful around the league.

[C-Dub]

Udoka new Pop wasn't going to retire anytime soon so he moved on. If he knew Pop was leaving within a year or two, maybe he would've waited for the Spurs head coaching job. Health willing, Pop isn't probably going to retire until his body gives out and he's in pretty good shape/health for his age. Pop will coach at least 3 more years.

[slick'81]

Udoka new Pop wasn't going to retire anytime soon so he moved on. If he knew Pop was leaving within a year or two, maybe he would've waited for the Spurs head coaching job. Health willing, Pop isn't probably going to retire until his body gives out and he's in pretty good shape/health for his age. Pop will coach at least 3 more years.


if it buys them time to get snyder then kool

[MultiTroll]

Celtics ability to choke leads is disturbing.
That game and a Finals trip almost got away.

[exstatic]

Celtics ability to choke leads is disturbing.
That game and a Finals trip almost got away.

Shows you how important White is to them. All of the lead that was lost happened when he went to the bench after his head got split open like a melon, and he never returned.

[Maddog]

Imi was always my choice to replace Pop as Spurs head coach. He was around Pop long enough to soak up the knowledge but young enough to connect with the younger players. I am proud of his success but know this makes it less likely he will be Pop's successor. The Celtics got a dang good coach. Pop's coaching tree is quite successful around the league.

Second year in a row both finals coaches have ties to Pop

[slick'81]

Shows you how important White is to them. All of the lead that was lost happened when he went to the bench after his head got split open like a melon, and he never returned.


yup, heat taking out the secret weapon


https://youtu.be/V1imOmTZ05c

[exstatic]

yup, heat taking out the secret weapon


https://youtu.be/V1imOmTZ05c

Smart got Bam back, later. Left a huge welt does the side of his face.

[John B]

A defensive minded coach like Imi is nice to have. You know Celtics are just going to get better especially a very young team, Tatum, Jaylen only 25, Williams 24. Derrick is lucky to be a part of that young team.

[GAustex]

yup, heat taking out the secret weapon


https://youtu.be/V1imOmTZ05c
White is not a tough guy so roughing him up might be a ploy at this do anything to win stage

[slick'81]

White is not a tough guy so roughing him up might be a ploy at this do anything to win stage

no doubt they will test mr.glass

[offset formation]

Imi was always my choice to replace Pop as Spurs head coach. He was around Pop long enough to soak up the knowledge but young enough to connect with the younger players. I am proud of his success but know this makes it less likely he will be Pop's successor. The Celtics got a dang good coach. Pop's coaching tree is quite successful around the league.

Same. And it's why I have been on record saying the next one up on the radar for our Pop replacement should be Coach Hardy.

[GAustex]

no doubt they will test mr.glass
I can’t recall if they gave a flagrant 1 which I think not
But if they did not they should have

[daslicer]

I can’t recall if they gave a flagrant 1 which I think not
But if they did not they should have

They just gave Bam a regular personal foul and that was it which was ridiculous.

[RC_Drunkford]

He was the Spurs defensive coach. No wonder the D went to shit once he left. He was my favorite out of the 4 assistant coaches.

[TD 21]

:lmao ^ "The D went to shit" because the personnel for it did.

[RC_Drunkford]

:lmao ^ "The D went to shit" because the personnel for it did.

Nice try, but Bryn Forbes was on the team the year before Udoka left. In fact DJ was injured all season :lmao Keep trying though, nice trade proposal. I know you in your feelings

[TD 21]

Nice try, but Bryn Forbes was on the team the year before Udoka left. In fact DJ was injured all season :lmao Keep trying though, nice trade proposal. I know you in your feelings

:lmao I didn't see that until after this and like I'd care because some anonymous grown man using hipster internet slang doesn't like my trade proposal (I was being sarcastic and snarky with DPG, but he took it the wrong way).

The defense went from 19th in Udoka's last season to 25th, 17th and 16th in the 3 seasons since, but keep pretending a coach (let alone assistant) made some significant difference if it makes you feel better.

[daslicer]

Nice try, but Bryn Forbes was on the team the year before Udoka left. In fact DJ was injured all season :lmao Keep trying though, nice trade proposal. I know you in your feelings

Spurs were a bad defensive team even when Udoka was here during his final year and that had nothing to with Udoka but the personnel. This like a student going from a D to an F after he changes teachers. The student was already bad to begin with so you can't really say the previous teacher had much of an impact on him.

As long as the Spurs continue to construct rosters that have players who are undersized playing out of position they will not be a good defensive team. No coach is going to change that. It comes down to roster construction.

[Ice009]

What year did Ime leave? Can't remember how long he was on the Spurs' coaching staff? I know he was there for 2013 & 2014, can't remember when he started as an assistant and when he left.

[RC_Drunkford]

Spurs were a bad defensive team even when Udoka was here during his final year and that had nothing to with Udoka but the personnel. This like a student going from a D to an F after he changes teachers. The student was already bad to begin with so you can't really say the previous teacher had much of an impact on him.

As long as the Spurs continue to construct rosters that have players who are undersized playing out of position they will not be a good defensive team. No coach is going to change that. It comes down to roster construction.

on paper yes, but that team went to the playoffs and was able to get stops. The following year, which is when he left was the nail in the coffin when they started Trey Lyles. The 2018/19 team where we played 2 bigs in Poeltl and Aldridge was actually decent and that with DJ being out for the season. DRtg was significantly worse after that and it was by far Pop's worst coaching season ever

[daslicer]

on paper yes, but that team went to the playoffs and was able to get stops. The following year, which is when he left was the nail in the coffin when they started Trey Lyles. The 2018/19 team where we played 2 bigs in Poeltl and Aldridge was actually decent and that with DJ being out for the season. DRtg was significantly worse after that and it was by far Pop's worst coaching season ever

The ‘18-‘19 season was the last year LMA was a legit all-star caliber player. His defense had also been good for the spurs from ‘16-‘19. LMA declined at a huge rate during the ‘19-‘20 which played a huge role in the defense going down the drain. I don’t see how Udoka could have stopped this unless he could have stopped LMA’s rapid decline.

[SpurSpike]

Kinda funny that the Spurs beat Boston both times they played each other this year. Kept them under 100 both games.

I remember watching those games and thinking the Celtics played like a team with a lot of talent that was not coached very well. Seemed like they had no real game plan at the time other than iso plays. They didn't look like a deep team that trusted each other or had any guidance. Crazy that i thought that then but they are in the Finals now!

Something had to of changed with team chemistry since those Spurs games. Did the coach finally get through to the team or is Derek White the greatest glue guy in history because they looked like a team that didn't trust each other before he arrived.

[exstatic]

Kinda funny that the Spurs beat Boston both times they played each other this year. Kept them under 100 both games.

I remember watching those games and thinking the Celtics played like a team with a lot of talent that was not coached very well. Seemed like they had no real game plan at the time other than iso plays. They didn't look like a deep team that trusted each other or had any guidance. Crazy that i thought that then but they are in the Finals now!

Something had to of changed with team chemistry since those Spurs games. Did the coach finally get through to the team or is Derek White the greatest glue guy in history because they looked like a team that didn't trust each other before he arrived.

They struggled out of the gate, big time. The ball sharing thing was new and foreign. I think they started to put it together in late January, but we played both games against them before that.

[Dex]

What year did Ime leave? Can't remember how long he was on the Spurs' coaching staff? I know he was there for 2013 & 2014, can't remember when he started as an assistant and when he left.

Udoka was with the Spurs as an AC from 2012-2019, spent a couple years in Philly and Brooklyn, and now HC in Boston.

[daslicer]

Kinda funny that the Spurs beat Boston both times they played each other this year. Kept them under 100 both games.

I remember watching those games and thinking the Celtics played like a team with a lot of talent that was not coached very well. Seemed like they had no real game plan at the time other than iso plays. They didn't look like a deep team that trusted each other or had any guidance. Crazy that i thought that then but they are in the Finals now!

Something had to of changed with team chemistry since those Spurs games. Did the coach finally get through to the team or is Derek White the greatest glue guy in history because they looked like a team that didn't trust each other before he arrived.

Derek to me is guy who is great at being the 3-5th best player on a title contender. It reminds me of Lamar Odom with the Lakers. Not saying he's as talented as Lamar was but Lamar was never cut to be number 2 guy but when Gasol joined the Lakers his talents got enhanced because he was now playing his natural role as the third best player on the team and a facilitator. Derek to me is similar to Lamar he doesn't have the aggressiveness to be a number 1 or number 2 but fills in perfectly playing below 1 and 2 on a title team. Teams also can't game plan against him now since he's playing with 2 good scorers in Brown and Tatum.

[Thomas82]

I still remember him saying that it's nice to experience "the real NBA" after being with the boy scouts in San Antonio..

[KingKev]

I still remember him saying that it's nice to experience "the real NBA" after being with the boy scouts in San Antonio..

Haha great line. Not a diss but probably very true.

[Thomas82]

Haha great line. Not a diss but probably very true.

He said it back in November.