McDonald: Popovich ready to play with new toys

Quote:

---

Popovich ready to play with new toys
By Jeff McDonald - Express-News
Web Posted: 08/26/2009 12:00 CDT

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich spent much of his summer vacationing in Maine, as far away from the record San Antonio heat as he could get without leaving the lower 48 states.

He also enjoyed a working barnstorm through Europe, hitting France, Italy, Germany and Spain on a reconnaissance mission. He even spent a few days in Las Vegas, watching the Spurs' young summer league squad.

All along, Popovich wished his offseason were shorter, that it hadn't begun in April after a first-round playoff loss against Dallas. Now, he's wishing it were over completely.

After the most eventful summer of his San Antonio tenure, Popovich is ready to get back to work.

“You can only relax so much,” Popovich said during an informal fat-chewing session with reporters Tuesday at the Spurs' Northwest-side headquarters. “You can only chase players so much. My stomach is starting to churn. I'm getting anxious.”

In a sense, Popovich is like a kid at Christmas brunch. His new toys have been unwrapped. He is eager to start playing with them.

Training camp doesn't begin for another month, but the wheels have already begun to turn in Popovich's head — the neat tricks he can try with his new athletic swingman, Richard Jefferson; the new offensive elements veteran forward Antonio McDyess can bring; the raw rebounding potential inside rookie forward DeJuan Blair, waiting to be unleashed.

When the Spurs open the season Oct. 28 against New Orleans, they could boast as many as eight new faces.

“We're calling it ‘change the music,' Popovich said. “We'll come to camp with a few different faces, a different chemistry, a little bit different team personality. We'll see how that comes together.”

In a relatively quiet NBA offseason, the Spurs made arguably the most noise. If they hoped to remain among the NBA's elite, to keep the L.A. Lakers and others from running too far away from the Western Conference pack, it was noise that was necessary.

Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford told team owner Peter Holt as much, in a meeting not long after the Dallas disaster.

In order to keep the Spurs competitive in the waning years of the Tim Duncan era, they told Holt the team needed to get younger and more athletic. And to accomplish that, Holt was going to have to open up the checkbook like never before.

“He decided we were going to have to spend money like we usually don't,” Popovich said.

The pricetag for the Spurs' offseason makeover — which brought in Jefferson by trade, McDyess and veteran center Theo Ratliff via free agency and Blair, an All-American from Pittsburgh, via second-round draft pick — pushed the Spurs deeper into luxury tax territory than they'd ever been.

“The face of the league has changed significantly over the last two years,” Popovich said. “We hung in there as long as we could. Now, we're going to have to spend money like some other people.”

Holt has certainly done his part, signing off on the mega-expensive renovation project (“He took a little bit out of all of our paychecks,” Popovich quipped). It will be up to Popovich to help make sure the spending spree pays off.

After an offseason of rebuilding, the Spurs are thinking NBA title once again. Popovich won't label his reinvigorated team the team to beat in the West, not with Kobe Bryant and the defending champion Lakers still on the prowl.

Still, as Popovich told NBA.com earlier this summer, with tongue planted in cheek: “If we don't win it, I should probably be fired.”

The work toward that end begins in earnest when training camp begins Sept. 29. Until then, Popovich has about a month of offseason left to let the butterflies fester

---

Just lending 228 a helping hand. :toast

Quote:

---

Until then, Popovich has about a month of offseason left to let the butterflies fester

---

I don't believe I have ever heard anyone use butterflies and fester in the same sentence, much less describe butterflies in one's stomach as festering butterflies. Pus-filled, putrid, sore, and inflamed butterflies. Hmmm. Nice, Jeff.

and where did mac go during all the noise in the offseason? it was a party for the elite.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dave McNulla

and where did mac go during all the noise in the offseason? it was a party for the elite.

---

Jeff went on vacation sometime after the Spurs signed Theo Ratliff.

62 mo days omg omg omg

Pop's new toy: a finley blowup doll.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by z0sa

Pop's new toy: a finley blowup doll.

---

New?

I don't get the "Pop is obsessed with Finley" notion. Who else did the Spurs have to turn to on the wing for at least some offense these past four years? Outside of the frequently injured and somewhat inconsistent Ginobili, there was no consistent scoring punch or anyone with above average athleticism. Who's minutes did Finley's come at the expense of? Barry, who like Ginobili, unless the matchup was favorable couldn't play the three or defend? Bowen, the best perimeter defender in the league, but a limited offensive player? Udoka, a fringe player? Face it, the options were limited. Finley, for all his faults defensively and inability to create his own shot or get to the line, is still a good outside shooter with a strong pull-up game, plus he's a clutch shot maker and he's durable and able to eat up a lot of minutes without completely wearing down.

I suspect he settles into his rightful role this up coming season: roughly 15 mpg backup SF. Not a near 30 mpg starter asked to cover far quicker, more athletic high scoring SF's, nor a 4th scoring option. Pop has even said he may sit one game of some back-to-backs. Now the Spurs can do this because of having Jefferson, Mason and a presumably healthy Ginobili, ahead of Finley on the wings.

^ true, but if Pop makes Finley start ahead of Mason, then I would say Pop has a relationship with Finley.

Pop really had to run with the horses he had last year. He chose experience over young talent. You can't really blame him for that. He was trying to win. Pretty smart.
However, he could have given up and let the new guys run it, but they wouldn't have won more games or a playoff series either.

:lol I think it's best I don't comment on the title of this thread.

Quote:

---

I don't believe I have ever heard anyone use butterflies and fester in the same sentence, much less describe butterflies in one's stomach as festering butterflies. Pus-filled, putrid, sore, and inflamed butterflies. Hmmm. Nice, Jeff.

---

:lol "...let the butterflies flutter" was what he was looking for, but yeah, definate FAIL.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ohmwrecker

Pop really had to run with the horses he had last year. He chose experience over young talent. You can't really blame him for that. He was trying to win. Pretty smart.
However, he could have given up and let the new guys run it, but they wouldn't have won more games or a playoff series either.

---

Outside of Hill, what young talent? Finley played SF/SG, Hill PG/SG, so they didn't really compete for minutes. Hairston and Williams are both decent second tier prospects with the potential to perhaps become fourth wing players. Hairston as an athletic, lock down defender against SG/SF's, and Williams as an extra play maker, supposedly capable of playing all three perimeter positions. Finley, even at his advanced age, was a better player than either last year, in addition to being far more experienced individually and within' the system.

After this season, many of you will likely get your wish. Finley will most likely retire, and even if he doesn't it's highly unlikely he'd return to the Spurs. Not with Hairston and Williams presumably ready to battle for the fourth wing spot in the rotation, plus McClinton as another perimeter shooter in the pipeline, and of course potential draft picks who may play on the wing.

It's still and will be about Manu! To win the Spurs need their Big 3--- period! Jefferson will allow Manu to play fewer minutes. Dice/ Rat/ Blair/ Haisplip should give give Timmy a break underneath. If Hill can provide 15 quality minutes for Tony the Spurs will rock in the playoffs. 3 on 3 who wouldn't take the Spurs Big 3 vs any other team. Tony, Manu and Tim---I'll take them vs any other team in the league. God bless Manu!

Uh . . . you answered your own question. Hill, obviously, Mason, Williams and Hairston (if we had not sent him back to the Toros).
I know Mason has more experience, but not in the Spurs system. He is also a good example of why Pop was hesitant to play the younger guys. Mason hit some big shots last year, but he also failed to rise to a leadership role and totally bagged in the playoffs.

The journalism know it alls are back in full force I see.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ohmwrecker

Uh . . . you answered your own question. Hill, obviously, Mason, Williams and Hairston (if we had not sent him back to the Toros).
I know Mason has more experience, but not in the Spurs system. He is also a good example of why Pop was hesitant to play the younger guys. Mason hit some big shots last year, but he also failed to rise to a leadership role and totally bagged in the playoffs.

---

I mentioned Hill, but said he wasn't really competing for minutes with Finley. Mason isn't a young guy that needs to be developed; he can still get slightly better for sure, but he's 28 and basically is what he is at this point. I mentioned Hairston and Williams just so people wouldn't act like I forgot about them. The reality is they're more than likely not going to be significant pieces going forward (probably mostly inactive this season, and then competing for Finley's minutes the following season) ,and at this writing, Finley is still the best of the three. Why would a team that was trying, no matter how bleak it looked, to win a championship, play two second tier prospects over their fifth leading scorer who was one of the top all around percentage shooters in the league?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EricB

The journalism know it alls are back in full force I see.

---

Yep, and Pop has his festering, pus-filled butterflies running wind sprints in formation.

I think we may be arguing the same point.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ohmwrecker

I think we may be arguing the same point.

---

To be honest, I was confused about your last post. Did you want "the young talent" playing ahead of Finley or not?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by TD 21

To be honest, I was confused about your last post. Did you want "the young talent" playing ahead of Finley or not?

---

No, I was defending Pop's decision to go with experience, but I don't think it would have mattered much. Hill, for one, certainly would have benefited from more playing time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ohmwrecker

No, I was defending Pop's decision to go with experience, but I don't think it would have mattered much. Hill, for one, certainly would have benefited from more playing time.

---

True, it almost certainly wouldn't have mattered much. Other than Hill though, who ended up playing in the final two-three games, Williams was the only other guy who could be considered as "young talent". People focus so much on the fact that Hill didn't play more as a sign that Pop was going down with his veterans, and I'm not saying that's incorrect, but look at the roster. Outside of that one decision, he didn't have much of a choice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EricB

The journalism know it alls are back in full force I see.

---

lol, why do you defend this guy? he sucks.

he a family member or something?

The season can't start soon enough... At least we're down to a double digit day wait now.:hungry:

almost a month from today!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solid D

I don't believe I have ever heard anyone use butterflies and fester in the same sentence, much less describe butterflies in one's stomach as festering butterflies. Pus-filled, putrid, sore, and inflamed butterflies. Hmmm. Nice, Jeff.

---

Bloat like a butterfly . . .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Bloat like a butterfly . . .

---

Sting like when I pee. . .

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DPG21920

Sting like when I pee. . .

---

Better get it looked at, it might be VD..

Hope he sticks with his shiny new toys (or refurbished in Theo, McDyess, and RJ's case), like Hill, Hairston, Ian, Blair, and Hairston, instead of going back to his favorite teddy bear that only has one eye, and no arms (read: Finley).

Pop and his boy-toys..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Solid D

I don't believe I have ever heard anyone use butterflies and fester in the same sentence, much less describe butterflies in one's stomach as festering butterflies. Pus-filled, putrid, sore, and inflamed butterflies. Hmmm. Nice, Jeff.

---

Yeah, that's the butterfly effect...:madrun