timvp
10-27-2004, 12:33 AM
Spurs see AJ make big debut
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
DALLAS — By the end of the game, Avery Johnson was out of his seat and patrolling the sideline, calling out plays, pumping his fist, debating a questionable call with the officials, his unmistakable Creole twang stretching across American Airlines Center.
"Whoooo! I think he was set! I think he was set!"
The Spurs had seen Johnson this animated countless times before.
Just not in a coat and tie.
Johnson made his head-coaching debut Tuesday night, sitting in for Dallas' Don Nelson, who allegedly was stricken by the flu. That it came in an exhibition game mattered not to the former Spurs guard.
He burned three timeouts in the final 43.2 seconds before the Spurs held off the Mavericks 98-94.
"Well guys, I'm 0-1," Johnson said. "I had a lot of fun, but I hate losing. I don't care if it's a preseason game.
"If I become a head coach I can already tell I'm going to have a lot of sleepless nights."
Nelson evidently also wasn't feeling well. He phoned in sick with the flu after briefly attending Tuesday morning's shootaround. With assistant Del Harris also ill, Johnson was left in charge.
"I've never harassed any opposing coach in my life," Malik Rose said before the game, "but I think I'm going to start tonight."
Johnson remained in his seat for much of the first half, but grew more lively as the minutes passed. He questioned a call on Mavericks point guard Devin Harris and later calmed Josh Howard after he picked up a technical.
After Tony Massenburg gave the Spurs a 92-91 lead with 47.1 seconds left, Johnson called timeout on three consecutive possessions. The Mavericks drew an offensive foul, missed a long jumper and committed a turnover.
"We didn't execute well down the stretch," Johnson said. "I take full responsibility for that. Hopefully, I'll get it right the next time."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Johnson's longtime mentor, doesn't doubt he will. The two spent almost as much time with each other prior to the game as they did with their respective staffs.
"I've learned more from him than he's learned from me," Popovich said. "He's taught me so much about the league. He's been so loyal and supportive during my career that he doesn't need any advice from me.
"Everything he did (as a player) was with heart and hustle, with grit and determination. Other players saw that, and the respect he gained was really incredible."
Popovich gave Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen the night off, though Nelson didn't exactly leave Johnson with a full roster, either. Michael Finley, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry and Marquis Daniels all did not play because of injuries. Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier also have missed games in the preseason, so the Mavericks haven't come close to putting their revamped team on the floor together.
"This is not going to hurt my credibility," Johnson joked before the game.
Johnson and Popovich spoke over the summer about having Johnson return to the Spurs for one more season so he could retire in a silver-and-black uniform. Both ultimately decided the Mavericks' offer of a player-coach role was too good to pass up.
Nelson has given Johnson — who most believe is being groomed as his successor — considerable freedom, allowing him to run practices and shootarounds.
As a result, Johnson doesn't plan to pull on his No. 6 jersey again, even though the Mavericks will have the option of activating him at any time this season. He works out to stay in shape, but hasn't practiced since he left Golden State.
"We would have to be down to seven guys," Johnson said. "If all goes well, you won't see me out there."
Johnson is expected to occupy some team's head coach's chair sooner rather than later. A recent NBA.com survey of the league's general managers ranked Johnson as the active player most likely to become a head coach. That didn't come as a surprise to the Spurs.
"He was a coach on the floor," Rose said. "He would always point those little crooked fingers at you and tell you which way to go and what to do, but he was right.
"Even though he's the smallest guy on the court, he always had the biggest presence."
After watching Johnson in action, Rose knows what to get him for Christmas.
"A clipboard," Rose said. "He had all these sheets of paper flying all over the place. He needs to do better than that."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA102704.1C.BKNspurs.gamer.2a176f34.html
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
DALLAS — By the end of the game, Avery Johnson was out of his seat and patrolling the sideline, calling out plays, pumping his fist, debating a questionable call with the officials, his unmistakable Creole twang stretching across American Airlines Center.
"Whoooo! I think he was set! I think he was set!"
The Spurs had seen Johnson this animated countless times before.
Just not in a coat and tie.
Johnson made his head-coaching debut Tuesday night, sitting in for Dallas' Don Nelson, who allegedly was stricken by the flu. That it came in an exhibition game mattered not to the former Spurs guard.
He burned three timeouts in the final 43.2 seconds before the Spurs held off the Mavericks 98-94.
"Well guys, I'm 0-1," Johnson said. "I had a lot of fun, but I hate losing. I don't care if it's a preseason game.
"If I become a head coach I can already tell I'm going to have a lot of sleepless nights."
Nelson evidently also wasn't feeling well. He phoned in sick with the flu after briefly attending Tuesday morning's shootaround. With assistant Del Harris also ill, Johnson was left in charge.
"I've never harassed any opposing coach in my life," Malik Rose said before the game, "but I think I'm going to start tonight."
Johnson remained in his seat for much of the first half, but grew more lively as the minutes passed. He questioned a call on Mavericks point guard Devin Harris and later calmed Josh Howard after he picked up a technical.
After Tony Massenburg gave the Spurs a 92-91 lead with 47.1 seconds left, Johnson called timeout on three consecutive possessions. The Mavericks drew an offensive foul, missed a long jumper and committed a turnover.
"We didn't execute well down the stretch," Johnson said. "I take full responsibility for that. Hopefully, I'll get it right the next time."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Johnson's longtime mentor, doesn't doubt he will. The two spent almost as much time with each other prior to the game as they did with their respective staffs.
"I've learned more from him than he's learned from me," Popovich said. "He's taught me so much about the league. He's been so loyal and supportive during my career that he doesn't need any advice from me.
"Everything he did (as a player) was with heart and hustle, with grit and determination. Other players saw that, and the respect he gained was really incredible."
Popovich gave Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen the night off, though Nelson didn't exactly leave Johnson with a full roster, either. Michael Finley, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry and Marquis Daniels all did not play because of injuries. Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier also have missed games in the preseason, so the Mavericks haven't come close to putting their revamped team on the floor together.
"This is not going to hurt my credibility," Johnson joked before the game.
Johnson and Popovich spoke over the summer about having Johnson return to the Spurs for one more season so he could retire in a silver-and-black uniform. Both ultimately decided the Mavericks' offer of a player-coach role was too good to pass up.
Nelson has given Johnson — who most believe is being groomed as his successor — considerable freedom, allowing him to run practices and shootarounds.
As a result, Johnson doesn't plan to pull on his No. 6 jersey again, even though the Mavericks will have the option of activating him at any time this season. He works out to stay in shape, but hasn't practiced since he left Golden State.
"We would have to be down to seven guys," Johnson said. "If all goes well, you won't see me out there."
Johnson is expected to occupy some team's head coach's chair sooner rather than later. A recent NBA.com survey of the league's general managers ranked Johnson as the active player most likely to become a head coach. That didn't come as a surprise to the Spurs.
"He was a coach on the floor," Rose said. "He would always point those little crooked fingers at you and tell you which way to go and what to do, but he was right.
"Even though he's the smallest guy on the court, he always had the biggest presence."
After watching Johnson in action, Rose knows what to get him for Christmas.
"A clipboard," Rose said. "He had all these sheets of paper flying all over the place. He needs to do better than that."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA102704.1C.BKNspurs.gamer.2a176f34.html