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I can't wait to see Gooden and Duncan together. I hope Pop plays Gooden tomorrow.
Thanks for the post.
Spurs Notebook: Budenholzer helps Gooden learn ropes
Jeff McDonald
HOUSTON For newly acquired Spurs forward Drew Gooden, practice ends at the same time every day about half an hour after the rest of his teammates have left the court.
Each workout since he's joined the team has ended with assistant coach Mike Budenholzer tutoring Gooden in the Xs and Os of the Spurs' offensive and defensive schemes, using whatever live bodies they can find to fill out a fivesome.
Throughout Gooden's first week in San Antonio, Budenholzer has become more than just his drill instructor.
He's like my best friend right now, Gooden said. I've been practicing with him more than the team. He's helped me develop the terminology and learn the plays.
Spurs coaches plan to start Gooden out with a smaller package of core plays and will add to it as he begins to get more comfortable.
Before Gooden made his Spurs debut in Thursday's 102-95 loss to the Lakers, coach Gregg Popovich said he wasn't sure how much of the team's scheme Gooden had picked up.
I just kind of assume he knows zero, Popovich said.
After Gooden grabbed four rebounds and scored a basket in 3 minutes and 32 seconds of work against the Lakers, Popovich had tweaked his expectations a bit.
He looked like he's been here all year, Popovich said.
Now that he has his feet wet, Gooden is expected to play a larger role.
I think I'm going to do a good job, Gooden said. I think I'll help a lot. I haven't really had time to practice with the team. All the work I've been doing is with the coaches. But I feel like, it's just the game of basketball.
File it away: The Spurs fell into an 18-point hole in the first quarter against the Lakers, before rallying to within two points in the fourth.
Tim Duncan said the team's biggest problem was at ude.
I think we were being a little tentative in the first half, Duncan said. We were just trying to make the right plays and right passes. In the second half, we came out a little more aggressively. It's an at ude we'll have to remember.
Scoring machine: Point guard Tony Parker has either led the Spurs in scoring or tied for the team scoring lead in 10 consecutive games. The last time a teammate outscored him was in a Feb. 21 blowout victory at Washington, in which Parker played just 23 minutes.
I can't wait to see Gooden and Duncan together. I hope Pop plays Gooden tomorrow.
Thanks for the post.
+ trillionI can't wait to see Gooden and Duncan together. I hope Pop plays Gooden tomorrow.
Thanks for the post.
If Goodens 3 minutes last night were any indication, he'll be a huge boon. He's that athletic C who can rebound and create his own O. He might not block alot of shots, but 2 of 3 ain't bad.
And if Gooden getting serious minutes derails Bonners confidence, he doesn't deserve to play ahead of anyone but Oberto and Ian, and when Ian is healthy, only Fab.
Before Gooden made his Spurs debut in Thursday's 102-95 loss to the Lakers, coach Gregg Popovich said he wasn't sure how much of the team's scheme Gooden had picked up.
“I just kind of assume he knows zero,” Popovich said.
After Gooden grabbed four rebounds and scored a basket in 3 minutes and 32 seconds of work against the Lakers, Popovich had tweaked his expectations a bit.
“He looked like he's been here all year,” Popovich said.
Its only recently that Kurt Thomas said that he's finally getting comfortable with the Spurs system and he's been around the league forever.. nice to know Gooden seems to have impressed Pop with his short stint. Spurs are going to need him take the load off Timmy.
People need to stop worrying about an NBA player's confidence. There are 10 guys lined up behind each journeyman NBA player who have abilities very close to his and who are trying hard to take his job. If someone can take that pressure and cash an NBA paycheck for multiple seasons in a row, they already have confidence.
I feel like Gooden is going to explode and be a really big shock to the Spurs and the league, on how good of a pickup he was.
And to think the Suns almost made the right call.
Fear the Gooden power, Lakers !!!!
That's a bit concerning. This is THE team that moped the floor with you last spring in the WCFs. Probably your biggest rival. Why would you come out tentative?
Let's see - 3 min and 32 secs = 4 rebounds and 2 pts. So he is getting a rebound every 53 seconds and a point every 106 seconds. Let's play this dude like 25 min and get - 28.30 boards and 14.15 pts per game. I'll take that!
I wish!!! But seriously his ability to rebound is going to help us tremendously by cutting down on second chance points. The ability of the other team to get those types of points has been a concern all season long. That was one thing that I loved about our '99 team. Other teams couldn't get those offensive rebounds and get a second chance to score. A high percentage of the time it was simply one and done for the opposing team. And with the opponents shooting a FG% of .402 it was very difficult to score on them.
I miss those days when the Spurs would just stifle the opposition. Lockdown D on the opposing teams is fun to watch.
Gooden Has something to prove. The #4 pick in 2002, this is the best pick up the Spurs have had in a long time. He's sick of going form team to team. He declined playing with the Lakers and Mavs because he wanted to play in SA. Although he could have made more money and opted out of his Bird rights, this guy is ready to prove himself here.
Gooden has never played with someone like Duncan by his side, hearing the whispers of respect, tenacity, need, talent, play time and championship rings when it came to describing the Spurs all but cemented the deal. Duncan makes everyone around him better. Gooden is going to play his ASS off. He wants a long term contract with the Spurs and he needs the Spurs right now as much as we need him. Gooden has something to prove and he's going to prove it here with the Spurs. Book it!
Man I might just throw up out of sheer sadness if Duncan's current trend continues in today's game..
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