Adande: Gregg Popovich's portable program

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012...h-spurs-effect

Gregg Popovich's portable program
The longtime Spurs coach's influence isn't limited to one NBA organization
Updated: May 4, 2012, 3:21 PM ET
By J.A. Adande | ESPN.com

Coach of the year isn't a good way to describe Gregg Popovich. It's too limiting. It implies he's about one season and one team.

What Popovich has done goes far beyond guiding the Spurs to the best record in the league this season. He has created a template for NBA success. His influence extends so far that his presence is likely to be felt in the NBA Finals even if the Spurs don't make it.

If the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers get in they all have key figures with significant ties to Popovich. For the Thunder it's general manager Sam Presti, who got his start in the NBA working in the Spurs' front office. For the Lakers and Clippers it's coaches Mike Brown, who was an assistant, and Vinny Del Negro, who played for Popovich.

Nonplayoff teams that reflect the Popovich effect include the Phoenix Suns (general manager Lance Blanks), the New Jersey Nets (coach Avery Johnson) and the New Orleans Hornets (general manager Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams).

"You go work for him, it's like going to school," said Brown, who was an assistant coach under Popovich. "You learn a lot, not only on the coaching side, but on the front-office side."

Phil Jackson and Pat Riley have more rings, but Popovich has more progenies around the league. It's because Popovich's way is portable. Brown has "tremendous respect" for Jackson and Riley and considers them worthy Hall of Fame enshrinees. He just doesn't think their success is as feasible to duplicate as Popovich's.


"When you talk about Phil and Pat, they went to big-market cities where everybody wants to go, there's tremendous amount of money and support of going and getting any guy you want, " Brown said. "And the teams were already, for the most part, halfway decent.

"You look at Pop taking an underdog situation and turning it into a championship situation, similar to what Sam Presti has done in Oklahoma City and similar to what Danny Ferry [another Popovich offspring] was starting to do in Cleveland, and you relish that or want that. Because not all situations are the Lakers, Chicago, Miami, New York."

It makes sense for team-builders to emulate Popovich just as it makes more sense for the typical player to pattern his game after Kevin Love rather than Blake Griffin.

When you hear the alumni talking about Popovich's success, you notice two things: They always call him "Pop" and they never talk about on-court strategy. Even though Popovich is a respected game coach, nothing from his playbook has entered the basketball lexicon the way you hear terms such as "Princeton offense" or "UCLA cut." Besides, it wouldn't make sense to copy a playbook when Popovich himself hasn't adhered to it the past couple years, revamping the Spurs' style and going up-tempo to reflect a changing roster and league.

Whenever anyone talks about why the Spurs win so much it always comes down to a company-wide ethos.

"I think everyone that has had a chance to work for Pop and RC [Buford] would tell you that a lot of things that have the greatest impact are not necessarily basketball-related alone," Presti wrote in an email. "There's healthy disinterest in the path of least resistance and an authentic and humble appreciation for having the opportunity to be involved with the game at the highest level.

"Above all else, it's clear that the organization itself is the most important thing; as Pop would say, everyone has to get over themselves and put the organization and team first. The endurance of their organization is uncommon, I feel fortunate for the opportunity to have been a small part of it."

Del Negro said: "They had a culture that was about doing it the right way and having the right people and character, and understanding your role and job. Pop kept everybody accountable. 'This is how we need you to play and this is what we need you to do.'"

Having that culture means putting a premium on players who fit that culture. No need to waste time looking at renegades who won't fit in. The Spurs consistently bring in impact rookies -- most notably Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili -- even though they haven't picked higher than 20th since they got Duncan.

"When there's a clarity of what works here and doesn't work, hopefully it gives us the clarity to know when we're looking for people," Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said. "Maybe it helps us reduce our pool."

It's not just a culture. The term the Spurs keep using is program, as in a college program.

Example: "Pop has brought the vision to our program," Buford said. "Everyone who has come through our program understands the things that are important: character and selfless people who want to be part of a team. Want to be part of something bigger than themselves."

It has been Popovich's show since 1994, when he was named the Spurs' executive vice president of basketball operations. In December of 1996, with the Spurs off to a 3-15 start, Popovich fired Bob Hill and took over as coach -- timing the move with the return of David Robinson from a back injury that kept him out of the first 18 games.

Two critical things happened that season that enabled Popovich to reach the status he has today.

The first was veterans such as Robinson, Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott took Popovich seriously. That wasn't a given for a man who had never played in the NBA and whose only head-coaching experience was at Division III Pomona-Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif.

"We had really good guys that were in the prime of their career that had been through a lot of stuff," said Del Negro, who played on that team. "It was just the right mixture of people."

The next career-altering moment came in the spring of 1997, when the Spurs won the lottery and drafted Tim Duncan. Not only was Duncan was a true franchise player, he was one of the lowest-maintenance superstars to ever enter the NBA.

Popovich could harp on him without the relationship deteriorating to Dwight Howard-Stan Van Gundy levels. That gives Popovich the leeway to yell at players who are more likely to do yell-worthy things. There's no double standard. Popovich can, as Monty Williams says, coach all 12 guys. Some coaches coach only 2-12 and let their superstar behave like Joffrey, the petulant teenage king in "Game of Thrones."

Duncan, in turn, is "a part of a lot of our decisions, too," Buford said. "Manu and Tony, too."

They'll consult with Duncan on potential free agents. He'll sit in on their draft discussions. And a long-standing tale in the NBA is the Spurs chose the location of their practice facility based on its proximity to Duncan's house.

"It's not far from the truth," Buford said.

The full story is that many players and coaches resided in the area.

"It made sense to build it near where our players live," Buford said.

As for building a team, Popovich's front-office background lets him think with a long-term perspective. He oversees most free-agent decisions, while leaving the drafting to Buford and the scouting staff. Most coaches need to think short-term, because their job status can change in the time it takes to refresh the NBA standings page on your web browser. Thinking long-term enabled Popovich to work long-term, to become the most tenured active coach in American major pro sports, to be so entrenched he easily survived a first-round exit from last year's playoffs that would have sent many lesser coaches packing.

"Our program starts with our ownership, with Peter Holt and his group," Popovich said at the news conference to announce his coaching award. "They set a tone for all of us, and I'm the beneficiary of all of their talents."

That's Pop, being all modest again. The attitude is so pervasive in the franchise that Buford even called back to make sure this article wouldn't make the Spurs sound as if they were taking credit for a system that made them superior to everyone else. They want to assert that everything is player-based.

"The guys that played here are the reasons that our program has been allowed to be built," Buford said.

It's not a false modesty. Popovich isn't obsessed with credit. He thinks so little of individual accolades that he didn't even wear a tie to coach the game when he was presented his trophy at half court.

But make no mistake, it's about Popovich.

"His people-managing skills, they're off the charts," Brown said. "You watch how he handles different situations with people, whether it's people in the front office or players 1-15 or people that work for him and you try to copy that, to a certain degree, if you can."

It has not been lost on me at all that the Lakers are led by a former Pop protege. Good article, the "Pop way" is more about hard work and effective team play than gimmicks, offensive strategies with catchy names, or arrogant superstars that don't bring up the level of their supporting casts.

"Progenies"?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

"Progenies"?

---

Decent writing and editing no longer exists.

the idiom is progeny for both singular and plural, but progenies is also correct.

anyway, progeny is not the best word.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Obstructed_View

"Progenies"?

---

I shook my head at that too. Maybe he was confused between "protégés" and "progeny."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by foodie2

Decent writing and editing no longer exists.

---

It does on Sam Presti's computer:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Presti

"There's healthy disinterest in the path of least resistance and an authentic and humble appreciation for having the opportunity to be involved with the game at the highest level.

"Above all else, it's clear that the organization itself is the most important thing; as Pop would say, everyone has to get over themselves and put the organization and team first. The endurance of their organization is uncommon, I feel fortunate for the opportunity to have been a small part of it."

---

I've already become a fan of that first sentence -- such a unique and appropriate way to describe what seems so evident from afar.

just read the article.. i am surprised that was published.. on espn.. by adande..

Good article, not just the usual fluff they fart out on a daily basis.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by foodie2

Decent writing and editing no longer exists.

---

Decent writing and editing no longer exist (no "s"). :lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by boutons_deux

the idiom is progeny for both singular and plural, but progenies is also correct.

anyway, progeny is not the best word.

---

boutons is my favorite because when everyone else is being an idiot and questioning "progenies" just because someone else did, he comes in with the cold hard truth of the situation

:tu

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Keepin' it real

Decent writing and editing no longer exist (no "s"). :lol

---

Good catch. Although, actually either "exist" or "exists" could be technically correct. For example, if "writing and editing" could be considered as a unit, "exists" would be correct, i.e., decent "rip and read" reporting no longer exists. Normally, however, "writing and editing" would be considered two independent skills and "exist" would be correct.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jhfenton

I shook my head at that too. Maybe he was confused between "protégés" and "progeny."

---

Actually, progeny ("offspring") fits better than protege. You often hear of coaching "family trees" headed by the "father" of pro football coaches (like Paul Brown). Protege is "one under the care or protection of another." I don't think Mike Brown was under the care or protection of Pop when he was dealing with (and then fired by) LeBron in Cleveland. Brown was more like a coaching disciple from the patriarchal Pop's school of coaching.

Fact is, J.A. Adande is about as good and well-respected a writer as you'll find on the internet. He was a star at the LA Times when that paper had arguably the best sports section in the country.

And that article is probably the best, most insightful, and least cliche-ridden article about the "Spurs way" that I've ever read.

Thats why I want to play Miami, and if we don't make it, I just might root for the Lakers. Brown and Ferry had a good thing going and Lebron wanted it easy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PublicOption

Brown and Ferry had a good thing going and Lebron wanted it easy.

---

The word is that Ferry wanted to pursue the Spurs' philosophy and warned Cleveland's ownership not to pamper LeBron, to cater to his every whim to try to get him to stay. Ferry correctly observed that such treatment would actually just make LeBron more likely to lose respect and leave. But the Cavs wouldn't listen.

As a practical matter, Ferry was right. In LeBron's last year, he vetoed a trade to aquire the still very effective Amare Stoudamire in favor of a trade to aquire his buddy, Antawn Jamison. Had the Cavs got Stoudamire, they might have advanced farther in the playoffs, thus encouraging LeBron to stay.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Russ

Fact is, J.A. Adande is about as good and well-respected a writer as you'll find on the internet. He was a star at the LA Times when that paper had arguably the best sports section in the country.

And that article is probably the best, most insightful, and least cliche-ridden article about the "Spurs way" that I've ever read.

---

I couldn't agree more. My sentiments exactly, Russ.

Pop's gotten so good at what he does, even the LAL is doing things his way.
:flag:

To think PJax used to call Pop and his guys, the SIM CREW.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/54...tonio.html.csp

NBA: Jazz, Spurs inspire each other to small-market success
NBA » Spurs follow Jazz’s template to net small-market success.

By Brian T. Smith

| The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published May 04 2012 08:12 pm • Updated 7 hours ago

R.C. Buford was years away from moving his basketball career to San Antonio. More than a decade away from joining forces with coach Gregg Popovich and turning the small-market Spurs into an annual NBA-title contender.

But Buford was young, passionate and open to new ideas when he walked into Larry Brown’s office in the early 1980s. And the future San Antonio general manager listened intently as Brown, then Kansas University men’s basketball coach, ran through a list of names Buford should follow if he ever wanted to make something of himself in a highly competitive world.

One name stuck out to Buford then. One name sticks out to Buford now: Kevin O’Connor.

The Jazz GM had worked with Brown at UCLA. He’d crisscrossed the country learning the game, understanding what made players and teams succeed or fail. O’Connor did things the right way, Brown said. Watch what he does, learn and grow.

"He was a great person for me to emulate, long before we got to the NBA," Buford said.

The inspiration had only begun.

When Buford teamed with Popovich in the late 1990s to remake the Spurs from a regular playoff disappointment to a sports dynasty, the duo directed their eager eyes toward Salt Lake City. Owner Larry H. Miller, coach Jerry Sloan and future Hall of Famers John Stockton and Karl Malone had created a small-market phenomenon. High-character, low-maintenance players willing to sacrifice individual goals for team victories. A hard-working, no-nonsense team that was the pride of a one-horse town.

In 1999, O’Connor joined the Jazz. And while Utah has continued to shine — surviving two major transitional periods; advancing to the playoffs 25 times in 29 seasons — San Antonio eventually built four NBA championships around its Twin Towers and Big Three.

"When we first came [to San Antonio], the Jazz were at or near the top of the NBA world," Buford said. "We recognized that any success that we wanted to have would have to go through Salt Lake City. … When you looked for places to establish a benchmark, they were the ones that fit us."
Fundamental ideas » O’Connor and the Jazz have also borrowed from the Spurs. Everything from the Popovich-Buford duo, highly respected basketball expertise and draft-day luck have factored into San Antonio’s run of 15 consecutive playoff appearances. And the Spurs have recently made an art out of staying the same on the outside while changing within.

"[Buford’s] doing everything right and so has San Antonio," said O’Connor, who praised the Spurs’ ability to survive and adapt while avoiding bad contracts that drag down many teams.

Center Tim Duncan, 36, still forms the core of San Antonio’s heart. But where Utah has dealt with major change in recent seasons — only two players remain from the Jazz’s 2006-07 squad that advanced to the Western Conference Finals — the Spurs have added journeymen, castoffs and international unknowns on the way to a 111-37 record in the past two years.

"You get Tim Duncan with David Robinson and you back that up with [Tony] Parker and [Manu] Ginobili. If you’ve got any wits about the game, you understand that’s going to give you a chance to compete year after year," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said.

He added: "It’s two franchises who really understand who they are, where they are and what they have. And they’ve done a great job of keeping it in the fold and developing with those guys."

Model of consistency » Buford credited Popovich, the 2011-12 NBA coach of the year, with guiding San Antonio through an era of major change in the league. Superstars and television deals drive a sport that annually rakes in $4 billion. A contentious lockout that led to a new collective bargaining agreement has only made the NBA tougher to navigate.

ike Buford, Popovich has ties to Brown. And even after turning the Spurs’ GM operations over to Buford in 2002, Popovich has remained the centerpiece of an organization that’s not just become Jazz-like — it’s surpassed Utah to become the pinnacle of NBA small-market life.

"The success that we’ve had and Utah’s had is really satisfying because it’s come in small markets and the people really appreciate it. The fans in both places are unbelievable and basically demand that we do things a certain way," Popovich said.

He added: "When we came [to San Antonio], R.C. and I wanted to do it as closely as we could [to Utah], and that’s not easy. Because they do it the right way — they’re close-mouthed and they don’t talk in the papers about things. … They do their work and go home, and that’s what we’ve tried to do, and they set the tone and example for that."

—

New inspiration » As Popovich and Buford shoot for a fifth title, the Jazz are stuck between rebuilding and competing with the best in the West. Even if Utah makes significant changes this summer, the Jazz are likely years away from becoming a championship contender.

The endless work has turned O’Connor into a young Buford.

The Jazz GM has referenced Detroit several times in the past year, drawing ideas from a starless Pistons team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals six consecutive seasons from 2003-08.

But Utah’s main inspiration is Oklahoma City. GM Sam Presti is highly respected by O’Connor and Buford, and NBA Commissioner David Stern included the Thunder with the Jazz and Spurs as the league’s small-market triumvirate when he visited Salt Lake City in April.

While San Antonio has spent 15 seasons revolving around Duncan, Oklahoma City shot into the upper echelon of the NBA by blending lottery picks with well-timed trades and well-executed signings.

The Thunder’s success has been part-Jazz, part-Spurs. It’s given O’Connor a blueprint for a post-Deron Williams future. And it’s already provided Utah with a young core of Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter and Alec Burks that should be running the court long after Duncan has left the game and San Antonio has entered a new era.

"It’s not necessarily spending the money and it’s not necessarily being in a big market," O’Connor said. "It’s trying to be in your own market and doing it the right way and having a little bit of patience."

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by J.T.

boutons is my favorite because when everyone else is being an idiot and questioning "progenies" just because someone else did, he comes in with the cold hard truth of the situation

:tu

---

:lol

:lol

This is a sports article in a sports publication, written for the entertainment of guys who follow sports.

Adande is not presenting his thesis in English technical writing.

Boy, there must be too much time between games, cuz you guys are obviously bored, when you nitpick a good pro-Spurs article over grammatical errors.

:lol

"Adande is not presenting his thesis in English technical writing."

yeah, but, like a lawyer, his profession is word-smithing. Progenies is inappropriate for a professional. It should have clanged in his ear as loudly as it clangs for a few ST people.

btw, on topic, Tim Dunkin wouldn't have 4 championships without the Pop's perennial Spurs organization, which Pop has maintained through many personnel changes on the team and on the staff. The Pop-Tim duo is right up there with the Red-Bill duo.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by boutons_deux

yeah, but, like a lawyer, his profession is word-smithing. Progenies is inappropriate for a professional. It should have clanged in his ear as loudly as it clangs for a few ST people.

---

As I said, you must be bored.

gfy

I would like Presti more if he didn't have a man crush on Westbrook.

great read, thanks for posting :tu

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by boutons_deux

"Adande is not presenting his thesis in English technical writing."

yeah, but, like a lawyer, his profession is word-smithing. Progenies is inappropriate for a professional. It should have clanged in his ear as loudly as it clangs for a few ST people.

---

A great article nonetheless.