timvp
10-06-2007, 11:19 PM
Vaughn comfortable as mentor
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
The first week of Spurs training camp has been an opportunity for untested point guards Anthony Lever-Pedroza and Darius Washington to showcase their skills.
With Tony Parker being held out of most of the scrimmages to give a sore ankle time to heal and an overworked body time to rest, and with Beno Udrih wearing a cast on his broken right hand, the two youngsters have received plenty of repetitions as they try to learn the complicated offense.
They have had a good on-court mentor in Jacque Vaughn, a player whom coach Gregg Popovich believes will go straight to a coaching career after his playing days are over. After one season with the Spurs, Vaughn feels he has learned the system well enough to explain it to any player at any position, including impressionable point guards.
"I'm very comfortable with the system," Vaughn said after the Spurs' final practice of their first week of camp, "to a level where I can almost sit down with each individual on the team and explain what we're trying to do offensively and defensively at each position, whether it's knowing what Timmy (Duncan) is supposed to do on this play, or what Manu (Ginobili) is supposed to do on that play. I've always prided myself on that, and I think I'm getting to that point here."
The Spurs signed Vaughn to a free-agent contract on July 12, 2006, and he went into last season as something of a safety valve at the point. But during the second half of the season he supplanted Udrih as Parker's primary backup. During the 20-game playoff run that produced the Spurs' fourth title, he averaged 10.6 minutes playing behind NBA Finals MVP Parker.
Vaughn re-signed for two years and $5 million in early July. Even if Udrih had not suffered an injury, Vaughn figured to enter the regular season in the same role.
Entering his 11th season, the quiet man from the University of Kansas is using the additional playing time during camp as something of a graduate course in the Spurs' system.
"The great thing is we're very fortunate Beno and Tony will be back soon," Vaughn said. "They're short-term injuries, nothing serious. But it gives me an opportunity to get more reps with more guys and puts me in a more comfortable situation than I was in last year. Just having the year underneath me and being in this system I'm much more comfortable and confident in everything we do, and that's a good feeling."
Vaughn was in the same 1997 draft class that brought Duncan to the Spurs, and they feel a kinship as rookie classmates. They are proud to be members of a class that includes Finals MVPs Duncan and Chauncey Billups, as well as perennial All-Star Tracy McGrady.
"It was a pretty good class," Duncan said.
"I do keep track (of the class), and I know Jacque was part of it. It's fun to be able to say to him, 'Wow, we're going into our 11th seasons,' knowing we were in the same class. There's a bunch of us left."
Of the 28 players taken in the first round, 14 remain in the league. Vaughn, the 27th pick, Boston's Scot Pollard (19th) and New Orleans' Bobby Jackson (23rd), are the only remaining players among the final 10 first-rounders. Three 1997 second-rounders remain on NBA rosters.
Duncan said he was not surprised Vaughn became as valuable to the Spurs as he did late last season and into the playoffs.
"Seeing him pick up the offense as fast as he did was no surprise," Duncan said. "He's that kind of player. He's got a good head on his shoulders and understands the game. He showed how valuable he could be to us down the stretch. He gave us energy on the floor, made some big hustle plays for us and ran the show and controlled the offense the way it should have been."
Vaughn's humility prevents easy acceptance of such praise, but he promises he will match Duncan in one area.
"My body feels great," Vaughn said, "my mind feels great, so as long as Tim wants to keep playing, I think I can play that long, too."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA1000707.BKNspurslede.en.2f7144e.html
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
The first week of Spurs training camp has been an opportunity for untested point guards Anthony Lever-Pedroza and Darius Washington to showcase their skills.
With Tony Parker being held out of most of the scrimmages to give a sore ankle time to heal and an overworked body time to rest, and with Beno Udrih wearing a cast on his broken right hand, the two youngsters have received plenty of repetitions as they try to learn the complicated offense.
They have had a good on-court mentor in Jacque Vaughn, a player whom coach Gregg Popovich believes will go straight to a coaching career after his playing days are over. After one season with the Spurs, Vaughn feels he has learned the system well enough to explain it to any player at any position, including impressionable point guards.
"I'm very comfortable with the system," Vaughn said after the Spurs' final practice of their first week of camp, "to a level where I can almost sit down with each individual on the team and explain what we're trying to do offensively and defensively at each position, whether it's knowing what Timmy (Duncan) is supposed to do on this play, or what Manu (Ginobili) is supposed to do on that play. I've always prided myself on that, and I think I'm getting to that point here."
The Spurs signed Vaughn to a free-agent contract on July 12, 2006, and he went into last season as something of a safety valve at the point. But during the second half of the season he supplanted Udrih as Parker's primary backup. During the 20-game playoff run that produced the Spurs' fourth title, he averaged 10.6 minutes playing behind NBA Finals MVP Parker.
Vaughn re-signed for two years and $5 million in early July. Even if Udrih had not suffered an injury, Vaughn figured to enter the regular season in the same role.
Entering his 11th season, the quiet man from the University of Kansas is using the additional playing time during camp as something of a graduate course in the Spurs' system.
"The great thing is we're very fortunate Beno and Tony will be back soon," Vaughn said. "They're short-term injuries, nothing serious. But it gives me an opportunity to get more reps with more guys and puts me in a more comfortable situation than I was in last year. Just having the year underneath me and being in this system I'm much more comfortable and confident in everything we do, and that's a good feeling."
Vaughn was in the same 1997 draft class that brought Duncan to the Spurs, and they feel a kinship as rookie classmates. They are proud to be members of a class that includes Finals MVPs Duncan and Chauncey Billups, as well as perennial All-Star Tracy McGrady.
"It was a pretty good class," Duncan said.
"I do keep track (of the class), and I know Jacque was part of it. It's fun to be able to say to him, 'Wow, we're going into our 11th seasons,' knowing we were in the same class. There's a bunch of us left."
Of the 28 players taken in the first round, 14 remain in the league. Vaughn, the 27th pick, Boston's Scot Pollard (19th) and New Orleans' Bobby Jackson (23rd), are the only remaining players among the final 10 first-rounders. Three 1997 second-rounders remain on NBA rosters.
Duncan said he was not surprised Vaughn became as valuable to the Spurs as he did late last season and into the playoffs.
"Seeing him pick up the offense as fast as he did was no surprise," Duncan said. "He's that kind of player. He's got a good head on his shoulders and understands the game. He showed how valuable he could be to us down the stretch. He gave us energy on the floor, made some big hustle plays for us and ran the show and controlled the offense the way it should have been."
Vaughn's humility prevents easy acceptance of such praise, but he promises he will match Duncan in one area.
"My body feels great," Vaughn said, "my mind feels great, so as long as Tim wants to keep playing, I think I can play that long, too."
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA1000707.BKNspurslede.en.2f7144e.html