Spurs Brazil
05-27-2008, 06:19 PM
Tom Orsborn: Spurs back at training camp
The return to the motion offense has the Spurs in a training-camp frame of mind, guard Brent Barry said at shootaround this morning.
"It's a much different series for us, because in the first round against Phoenix and New Orleans, we were doing much different things (offensively)," Barry said. "We went away from really what our basic offense is. With this series, it's almost like we are back in training camp. When we are moving the ball around, what we need is a lot of movement from our players as well. That's why I had an opportunity in Game 3. Pop (Gregg Popovich) wanted to see a little more ball movement and player movement, and I think that's some I can bring to the table. But we have other guys who can do that as well. We just have to get back in the frame of mind of a training-camp motion offense."
Running the motion offense means Popovich doesn't call many set plays, which is fine with Barry, who often handles point guard duties when the Spurs employ a motion attack.
"When the game gets tight obviously, we want the ball in the hands of Manu (Ginobili), Tim (Duncan) and Tony (Parker)," Barry said. "Up until that time, if we can do a good job of playing off of each other and not calling so many set plays, it's really hard for the Lakers to set their defense."
Barry said he's very comfortable running the point having done so earlier in his career for Seattle.
"I don't think there is really a true point guard playing in this series, and that's really no knock to Tony and (the Lakers') Derek (Fisher)," Barry said. "We have scoring guards and they play a two-guard triangle offense. We play a motion offense. We don't have a classic, quintessential point guard in this series like Steve Nash or Chris Paul to deal with. We are doing it by committee. Manu is handling the ball a lot more in this series, and I did it in Game 3 a lot, so it's all by committee at this point."
Tom Orsborn: Spurs go to the movies
The Spurs spent most of today's shootaround watching game film. To listen to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, it was pretty routine stuff.
"We learned a little of this, a little of that," Popovich said. "Basketball. Try to do this better. Try to do that better. Typical coach stuff. You are always trying to get your team to do things better, execute better.
Chances are, though, it really wasn't as mundane as Popovich described. In a 1999 interview with the New York Times during the Finals series against the Knicks, Mario Elie shared what it's like to watch game film with Popovich.
'"Pop stays on us, man," Elie said. "We watch a lot of film. Lord knows we don't want to lose a game because if we do, we know we're going to have to sit through a one-hour film session with Pop. And he'll bring up everything that we did wrong. So the guys say, 'Let's not lose' because we don't want to have to sit through film with Pop."'
Elie added: "He's in charge, and we know that. Nobody talks back to Pop. He doesn't really ride guys. He just makes his point one time, and the guys accept it and do it because they don't want to have to hear him say it again."
Tom Orsborn: Pop the player
Phil Jackson once poked fun at Gregg Popovich's lack of NBA playing experience by calling him and his staff "The Simulator Crew."
At shootaround this morning, Popovich borrowed a page from Jackson's book and made a few self-deprecating remarks about his all-too short stint with the ABA's Denver Nuggets after being asked whether he ever gives Bruce Bowen advice on how to defend Kobe Bryant.
"Whatever Bruce wants to do is fine with me," Popovich said. "My (pro) career lasted three weeks, so I'm not going to tell Bruce what to do. And my three weeks was in the preseason. It wasn't like after the season. It was like that time when you get cut. So I'm not going to tell Bruce how to guard anybody. I think he can figure it out on his own after all this time."
Popovich played four seasons at the Air Force Academy. He was the team's captain and leading scorer as a senior.
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/archives/2008/05/tom_orsborn_pop_5.html
The return to the motion offense has the Spurs in a training-camp frame of mind, guard Brent Barry said at shootaround this morning.
"It's a much different series for us, because in the first round against Phoenix and New Orleans, we were doing much different things (offensively)," Barry said. "We went away from really what our basic offense is. With this series, it's almost like we are back in training camp. When we are moving the ball around, what we need is a lot of movement from our players as well. That's why I had an opportunity in Game 3. Pop (Gregg Popovich) wanted to see a little more ball movement and player movement, and I think that's some I can bring to the table. But we have other guys who can do that as well. We just have to get back in the frame of mind of a training-camp motion offense."
Running the motion offense means Popovich doesn't call many set plays, which is fine with Barry, who often handles point guard duties when the Spurs employ a motion attack.
"When the game gets tight obviously, we want the ball in the hands of Manu (Ginobili), Tim (Duncan) and Tony (Parker)," Barry said. "Up until that time, if we can do a good job of playing off of each other and not calling so many set plays, it's really hard for the Lakers to set their defense."
Barry said he's very comfortable running the point having done so earlier in his career for Seattle.
"I don't think there is really a true point guard playing in this series, and that's really no knock to Tony and (the Lakers') Derek (Fisher)," Barry said. "We have scoring guards and they play a two-guard triangle offense. We play a motion offense. We don't have a classic, quintessential point guard in this series like Steve Nash or Chris Paul to deal with. We are doing it by committee. Manu is handling the ball a lot more in this series, and I did it in Game 3 a lot, so it's all by committee at this point."
Tom Orsborn: Spurs go to the movies
The Spurs spent most of today's shootaround watching game film. To listen to Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, it was pretty routine stuff.
"We learned a little of this, a little of that," Popovich said. "Basketball. Try to do this better. Try to do that better. Typical coach stuff. You are always trying to get your team to do things better, execute better.
Chances are, though, it really wasn't as mundane as Popovich described. In a 1999 interview with the New York Times during the Finals series against the Knicks, Mario Elie shared what it's like to watch game film with Popovich.
'"Pop stays on us, man," Elie said. "We watch a lot of film. Lord knows we don't want to lose a game because if we do, we know we're going to have to sit through a one-hour film session with Pop. And he'll bring up everything that we did wrong. So the guys say, 'Let's not lose' because we don't want to have to sit through film with Pop."'
Elie added: "He's in charge, and we know that. Nobody talks back to Pop. He doesn't really ride guys. He just makes his point one time, and the guys accept it and do it because they don't want to have to hear him say it again."
Tom Orsborn: Pop the player
Phil Jackson once poked fun at Gregg Popovich's lack of NBA playing experience by calling him and his staff "The Simulator Crew."
At shootaround this morning, Popovich borrowed a page from Jackson's book and made a few self-deprecating remarks about his all-too short stint with the ABA's Denver Nuggets after being asked whether he ever gives Bruce Bowen advice on how to defend Kobe Bryant.
"Whatever Bruce wants to do is fine with me," Popovich said. "My (pro) career lasted three weeks, so I'm not going to tell Bruce what to do. And my three weeks was in the preseason. It wasn't like after the season. It was like that time when you get cut. So I'm not going to tell Bruce how to guard anybody. I think he can figure it out on his own after all this time."
Popovich played four seasons at the Air Force Academy. He was the team's captain and leading scorer as a senior.
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/archives/2008/05/tom_orsborn_pop_5.html