ducks
05-19-2006, 09:43 AM
Mike Monroe: Popovich protégé Brown takes in coach's advice
Web Posted: 05/19/2006 12:00 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Tipoff of Wednesday's Spurs-Mavericks Game 5 was being held up for the end of the Cleveland-Detroit game on TNT, the scheduled start time long since passed.
Gregg Popovich was in his seat on the Spurs' bench for the delayed introductions when assistant P.J. Carlesimo leaned in and whispered that the Cavaliers had just beaten the Pistons to take a 3-2 lead in that Eastern semifinal.
"Wow," Popovich said to Carlesimo, then turned back to his pre-game thoughts.
Popovich has something of a stake in the Cavs-Pistons series. For one thing, Detroit is the only Eastern Conference team that would have home-court advantage if the Spurs advance out of the Western Conference and make it to the NBA Finals.
For another, he still feels a bond with Cavs rookie coach Mike Brown, another of his protégés, and with Danny Ferry, the former Spurs player and assistant general manager who is in his first season as GM of the Cavs.
Popovich has spoken by phone with Brown, an assistant with the Spurs from 2000-03, several times this season. Brown phoned Popovich before the Cavaliers' playoff run and asked for some advice he could apply to his first experience coaching in the playoffs.
"Of all the advice he gave me," Brown said, "the biggest thing that has really come in handy, especially with the close games we've had, was to stay calm and stay steady, the whole time throughout the playoffs.
"Pop said this is not the time to jump anybody or go crazy on your team, especially with a young team and me being a first-year coach in the playoffs. He said if I did that it could really affect my team. So down the stretch in these close games, even when somebody messes up, I try to stay as calm as I can and even try to crack a joke now and then."
Occasional levity was one of Popovich's suggestions, as well. Brown wondered if the mentor had been able to find humor in the tension of the Western semifinals.
"I don't know if he's following his own advice," Brown said, "but I definitely have, and it's definitely helped."
Popovich may not have found much to laugh about while trying to guide the Spurs out of a 3-1 hole, but he said he has enjoyed watching the Cavaliers' success.
"Cleveland's not supposed to be there, being as young as they are and Detroit so experienced and gifted as they are," Popovich said Thursday afternoon after the Spurs arrived at their Dallas hotel. "That one is more of a surprise to most people than the series here."
Indeed, when the Pistons manhandled the Cavaliers in Game 1, then took a 2-0 lead, that series looked so one-sided that ESPN radio, contractually bound to give its sponsors 10 live broadcasts through the second round, began sending its crews West, figuring a Pistons sweep was in the offing.
Now, though, both of last year's finalists are in the same lifeboat: Down, three games to two, and facing Game 6 on a hostile court.
Brown said he worried briefly about the Pistons' dismantling in Game 1 but put his fears to rest when he saw none of it in his players' eyes.
"I wondered if we were going to get scared," he said, "but I haven't felt it from any of my guys the entire series."
The Cavs certainly have seemed the looser team the past three games, and Brown deserves credit for keeping them from getting tight. It is the Pistons, with Ben Wallace taking a shot Wednesday at teammate Rasheed "The Guarantee" Wallace, who seem jumpy.
If Brown has seemed like a rock, Popovich probably deserves a small portion of the credit.
Most of the calls between Brown and Popovich came from the 216 (Ohio) area code, but Brown said he received a call from Popovich not long after Damon Jones' 3-pointer gave the Cavs a first-round series victory over Washington.
"He said I needed to tell my guys it was too early for a dog pile," Brown said. "I was running across the floor myself, ready to do a swan dive on top of the pile. Then I thought, 'Gregg Popovich is watching this somewhere.' So I just patted Damon on the head and went to the locker room."
Popovich just wishes he were capable of doing a swan dive atop a pile of celebrating Spurs.
Web Posted: 05/19/2006 12:00 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Tipoff of Wednesday's Spurs-Mavericks Game 5 was being held up for the end of the Cleveland-Detroit game on TNT, the scheduled start time long since passed.
Gregg Popovich was in his seat on the Spurs' bench for the delayed introductions when assistant P.J. Carlesimo leaned in and whispered that the Cavaliers had just beaten the Pistons to take a 3-2 lead in that Eastern semifinal.
"Wow," Popovich said to Carlesimo, then turned back to his pre-game thoughts.
Popovich has something of a stake in the Cavs-Pistons series. For one thing, Detroit is the only Eastern Conference team that would have home-court advantage if the Spurs advance out of the Western Conference and make it to the NBA Finals.
For another, he still feels a bond with Cavs rookie coach Mike Brown, another of his protégés, and with Danny Ferry, the former Spurs player and assistant general manager who is in his first season as GM of the Cavs.
Popovich has spoken by phone with Brown, an assistant with the Spurs from 2000-03, several times this season. Brown phoned Popovich before the Cavaliers' playoff run and asked for some advice he could apply to his first experience coaching in the playoffs.
"Of all the advice he gave me," Brown said, "the biggest thing that has really come in handy, especially with the close games we've had, was to stay calm and stay steady, the whole time throughout the playoffs.
"Pop said this is not the time to jump anybody or go crazy on your team, especially with a young team and me being a first-year coach in the playoffs. He said if I did that it could really affect my team. So down the stretch in these close games, even when somebody messes up, I try to stay as calm as I can and even try to crack a joke now and then."
Occasional levity was one of Popovich's suggestions, as well. Brown wondered if the mentor had been able to find humor in the tension of the Western semifinals.
"I don't know if he's following his own advice," Brown said, "but I definitely have, and it's definitely helped."
Popovich may not have found much to laugh about while trying to guide the Spurs out of a 3-1 hole, but he said he has enjoyed watching the Cavaliers' success.
"Cleveland's not supposed to be there, being as young as they are and Detroit so experienced and gifted as they are," Popovich said Thursday afternoon after the Spurs arrived at their Dallas hotel. "That one is more of a surprise to most people than the series here."
Indeed, when the Pistons manhandled the Cavaliers in Game 1, then took a 2-0 lead, that series looked so one-sided that ESPN radio, contractually bound to give its sponsors 10 live broadcasts through the second round, began sending its crews West, figuring a Pistons sweep was in the offing.
Now, though, both of last year's finalists are in the same lifeboat: Down, three games to two, and facing Game 6 on a hostile court.
Brown said he worried briefly about the Pistons' dismantling in Game 1 but put his fears to rest when he saw none of it in his players' eyes.
"I wondered if we were going to get scared," he said, "but I haven't felt it from any of my guys the entire series."
The Cavs certainly have seemed the looser team the past three games, and Brown deserves credit for keeping them from getting tight. It is the Pistons, with Ben Wallace taking a shot Wednesday at teammate Rasheed "The Guarantee" Wallace, who seem jumpy.
If Brown has seemed like a rock, Popovich probably deserves a small portion of the credit.
Most of the calls between Brown and Popovich came from the 216 (Ohio) area code, but Brown said he received a call from Popovich not long after Damon Jones' 3-pointer gave the Cavs a first-round series victory over Washington.
"He said I needed to tell my guys it was too early for a dog pile," Brown said. "I was running across the floor myself, ready to do a swan dive on top of the pile. Then I thought, 'Gregg Popovich is watching this somewhere.' So I just patted Damon on the head and went to the locker room."
Popovich just wishes he were capable of doing a swan dive atop a pile of celebrating Spurs.