Bruno
11-26-2007, 05:14 AM
http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/520379.html
Udrih struggled in San Antonio
A string of injuries derailed the point guard's progress.
By Sam Amick
Last Updated 12:10 am PST Monday, November 26, 2007
The injuries have healed, but the wounds have not.
Beno Udrih talking about his time in San Antonio, the large majority of it spent in the proverbial doghouse of coach Gregg Popovich? It's love-hate in every way, respect and appreciation coupled with resentment and confusion.
Udrih, the 25-year-old Slovenian whose career stalled during the Spurs' drive for two titles in his three seasons there, says he has no problems with the coach known as "Pop" just before pointing out a few of his complaints. He tells a riveting tale of the 2005 NBA Finals Game 7 how he was sure his heart stopped before Tim Duncan saved the day and the Spurs rallied for the title yet will never understand how his own role in the series disappeared midway through what was truly the beginning of the end.
He hears the relayed words of Popovich, who said recently about his former player that "when he did get opportunities, he seemed to be injured," and has had enough.
"It's not like I got hurt for nothing," Udrih says while dining at Chris Webber's Center Court restaurant near Arco Arena. "Stuff happens. Sorry that I tried to get ready for training camp." Not just once, but three times.
Before his second season, there was the twisted knee suffered while playing with the Slovenian national team that forced him to miss training camp. It was the continuation of his downturn, as the 28th overall pick in 2004 had seen his role as Tony Parker's backup disappear in the most meaningful moments as he was benched after Game 4 of the Finals. The ominous signs continued into the offseason, when the Spurs signed Nick Van Exel and the veteran took the backup role while Udrih went from being featured in the Rookie-Sophomore game on All-Star Weekend as a rookie to playing in just 54 games in Year No. 2.
Before his third season, Udrih pulled a hamstring doing wind sprints just before camp in another setback. Point guard Jacque Vaughn was signed, too, with Udrih expecting to give up minimal minutes but eventually losing the backup role once again. He even said Popovich promised him playing time "no matter what," that the role eventually held by Vaughn would be that of a defense-first, third point guard. Udrih said he turned down an "amazing" offer from the Barcelona team in the Euroleague because of the promise but lost his job to Vaughn after 30 games.
Then came the final ailment, the broken finger suffered by Udrih just three days into training camp this season that came some three weeks before he was traded to Minnesota, waived, and signed by the Kings on Oct. 27.
"I remember (the Spurs) had a tipoff lunch (with season-ticket holders), and (Popovich) was like, 'This guy doesn't do nothing the whole summer, and the minute he comes back he breaks his finger,' " Udrih said. "What do you mean I did nothing? I went home for one month and a week, and from Monday to Thursday every week, I was in there lifting, getting better, getting stronger, trying to be ready again. Like I wanted to break my finger? ... I didn't appreciate him saying I didn't do nothing the whole summer."
Nor did he feel appreciated.
In that sense, Udrih would swap his old scenery for the new setting every time even though there's no talk of titles in this town. With the Kings, he has freedom again, not to mention playing time. He's averaging 33.4 minutes for a group that so desperately needs him, with the thumb injury to Mike Bibby suffered just before the regular season leaving Kings coach Reggie Theus in quite a bind.
Since returning from his broken finger, Udrih has averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 assists and two turnovers, shooting 42.5 percent from the field while hitting just 5 of 21 three-pointers.
The hard part for him and them, though, is that their virtual training camp together continues even though the schedule says this is Game No. 14 tonight. Not until Sunday's practice had Udrih run a full-speed, five-on-five scrimmage with his new teammates.
"We struggled to get guys shots without having that point guard who can really get things done," Theus said. "Beno is what we need in a lot of ways to help us get better. I would like for him to push (the tempo) harder at times, but I think that in the open floor, making decisions, getting into the guts of the defense, he's done a great job."
Orien Greene was the first player to be given the job before Udrih. But the third-year player lasted just two games in the starting point-guard spot, with Theus and his staff frowning on his point-guard skills before he was waived shortly thereafter.
Francisco Garcνa and Quincy Douby for all their offensive skills don't qualify as true point guards, either. It's a distinction that Udrih understands as well as anyone.
Udrih's 30-year-old brother, Samo Udrih, plays for Club Baloncesto Granada in Spain, and his younger brother describes him as a shooting guard who is sometimes forced to play the point. Udrih, on the other hand, said he has always seen himself at the point.
"From when I was like 12, 13, I was always playing point guard," said Udrih, who grew up in the Slovenian town of Sempeter where he estimates there are approximately 5,000 people. "For a year or two, I played (shooting guard in the Slovenian League)... and they would put me in the two position to score the ball, but I still saw myself as a point guard."
He only wishes Popovich saw him as he saw himself. Udrih said the Spurs' coach was consistently requesting that he play more aggressively, though Popovich partially blamed himself when asked why Udrih's time in San Antonio wasn't more successful.
"When a player's (role) is jumping around that much, one place you have to look is the coach," Popovich said. "I think I did a poor job of creating an environment where he could get better and better.
"He's a natural at the position. I just wish I would've done a better job with him. It just didn't work out."
Udrih struggled in San Antonio
A string of injuries derailed the point guard's progress.
By Sam Amick
Last Updated 12:10 am PST Monday, November 26, 2007
The injuries have healed, but the wounds have not.
Beno Udrih talking about his time in San Antonio, the large majority of it spent in the proverbial doghouse of coach Gregg Popovich? It's love-hate in every way, respect and appreciation coupled with resentment and confusion.
Udrih, the 25-year-old Slovenian whose career stalled during the Spurs' drive for two titles in his three seasons there, says he has no problems with the coach known as "Pop" just before pointing out a few of his complaints. He tells a riveting tale of the 2005 NBA Finals Game 7 how he was sure his heart stopped before Tim Duncan saved the day and the Spurs rallied for the title yet will never understand how his own role in the series disappeared midway through what was truly the beginning of the end.
He hears the relayed words of Popovich, who said recently about his former player that "when he did get opportunities, he seemed to be injured," and has had enough.
"It's not like I got hurt for nothing," Udrih says while dining at Chris Webber's Center Court restaurant near Arco Arena. "Stuff happens. Sorry that I tried to get ready for training camp." Not just once, but three times.
Before his second season, there was the twisted knee suffered while playing with the Slovenian national team that forced him to miss training camp. It was the continuation of his downturn, as the 28th overall pick in 2004 had seen his role as Tony Parker's backup disappear in the most meaningful moments as he was benched after Game 4 of the Finals. The ominous signs continued into the offseason, when the Spurs signed Nick Van Exel and the veteran took the backup role while Udrih went from being featured in the Rookie-Sophomore game on All-Star Weekend as a rookie to playing in just 54 games in Year No. 2.
Before his third season, Udrih pulled a hamstring doing wind sprints just before camp in another setback. Point guard Jacque Vaughn was signed, too, with Udrih expecting to give up minimal minutes but eventually losing the backup role once again. He even said Popovich promised him playing time "no matter what," that the role eventually held by Vaughn would be that of a defense-first, third point guard. Udrih said he turned down an "amazing" offer from the Barcelona team in the Euroleague because of the promise but lost his job to Vaughn after 30 games.
Then came the final ailment, the broken finger suffered by Udrih just three days into training camp this season that came some three weeks before he was traded to Minnesota, waived, and signed by the Kings on Oct. 27.
"I remember (the Spurs) had a tipoff lunch (with season-ticket holders), and (Popovich) was like, 'This guy doesn't do nothing the whole summer, and the minute he comes back he breaks his finger,' " Udrih said. "What do you mean I did nothing? I went home for one month and a week, and from Monday to Thursday every week, I was in there lifting, getting better, getting stronger, trying to be ready again. Like I wanted to break my finger? ... I didn't appreciate him saying I didn't do nothing the whole summer."
Nor did he feel appreciated.
In that sense, Udrih would swap his old scenery for the new setting every time even though there's no talk of titles in this town. With the Kings, he has freedom again, not to mention playing time. He's averaging 33.4 minutes for a group that so desperately needs him, with the thumb injury to Mike Bibby suffered just before the regular season leaving Kings coach Reggie Theus in quite a bind.
Since returning from his broken finger, Udrih has averaged 12.7 points, 4.3 assists and two turnovers, shooting 42.5 percent from the field while hitting just 5 of 21 three-pointers.
The hard part for him and them, though, is that their virtual training camp together continues even though the schedule says this is Game No. 14 tonight. Not until Sunday's practice had Udrih run a full-speed, five-on-five scrimmage with his new teammates.
"We struggled to get guys shots without having that point guard who can really get things done," Theus said. "Beno is what we need in a lot of ways to help us get better. I would like for him to push (the tempo) harder at times, but I think that in the open floor, making decisions, getting into the guts of the defense, he's done a great job."
Orien Greene was the first player to be given the job before Udrih. But the third-year player lasted just two games in the starting point-guard spot, with Theus and his staff frowning on his point-guard skills before he was waived shortly thereafter.
Francisco Garcνa and Quincy Douby for all their offensive skills don't qualify as true point guards, either. It's a distinction that Udrih understands as well as anyone.
Udrih's 30-year-old brother, Samo Udrih, plays for Club Baloncesto Granada in Spain, and his younger brother describes him as a shooting guard who is sometimes forced to play the point. Udrih, on the other hand, said he has always seen himself at the point.
"From when I was like 12, 13, I was always playing point guard," said Udrih, who grew up in the Slovenian town of Sempeter where he estimates there are approximately 5,000 people. "For a year or two, I played (shooting guard in the Slovenian League)... and they would put me in the two position to score the ball, but I still saw myself as a point guard."
He only wishes Popovich saw him as he saw himself. Udrih said the Spurs' coach was consistently requesting that he play more aggressively, though Popovich partially blamed himself when asked why Udrih's time in San Antonio wasn't more successful.
"When a player's (role) is jumping around that much, one place you have to look is the coach," Popovich said. "I think I did a poor job of creating an environment where he could get better and better.
"He's a natural at the position. I just wish I would've done a better job with him. It just didn't work out."