IMO, pop's best season of coaching.

[EricB]

Yeah he's had a decent few games. My main issue with him is he's so so slow, and unfortunately that's not something that can change.

Yeah he's not the most ideal, but, lately his rebounding has been good and damn, have you seen the rainbow arch he has on his shots now?

England is a miracleworker.

[MannyIsGod]

On the end of regulation - "Eight seconds is a long time. We knew that when we were talking about that in the timeout, that it's a lot of time. We talked about if Roger's not open then the second option was Michael Finley and he was wide open and knocked down a big shot

- Tony Parker


That solidifies my opinion. They were already prepared for a plan B and executed it well. Yeah, West had a hand up in Finley's face, but I thought the play was well designed.

I'm not arguing Finley wasn't the 2nd option. Thats true. I'm arguing that it was a well drawn up play. Unless Pop was in the huddle saying "I know David West is going to get caught watching the ball at the free throw line and will not close until its too late" I don't know how you can say a play the Hornets obviously expected is a good play.

[NewJerSpur]

Now has he had his ups and things where hes made you say multiple times? Sure as . George Hill not being the backup is still dumbfounding to me.

I'm all for given Pop props, but it seemed you had a different take on this matter a short while ago:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122658

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I'm not arguing Finley wasn't the 2nd option. Thats true. I'm arguing that it was a well drawn up play. Unless Pop was in the huddle saying "I know David West is going to get caught watching the ball at the free throw line and will not close until its too late" I don't know how you can say a play the Hornets obviously expected is a good play.

Okay, so we were arguing different things.

I see where you're coming from, but I think Pop gets credit for designating how to get it to Finley in case Roger's shot wouldn't be open.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I'm all for given Pop props, but it seemed you had a different take on this matter a short while ago:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122658

He's not a point guard.

He's a shooting guard.

He's not yet ready for the NBA at the shooting guard position.

Move along.

Ahhhhh classic T Park at his finest.

[DPG21920]

I'm all for given Pop props, but it seemed you had a different take on this matter a short while ago:

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122658

"He's not a point guard.

He's a shooting guard.

He's not yet ready for the NBA at the shooting guard position.

Move along."

pwnd.

[whottt]

The Spurs had a better record than I figured they would this year...at the same time, Pop is responsible for much of the decline of the team this season.

This was a bite the bullet to rebuild the supporting cast year and they did better than I thought they would...but anyone that thinks this team has a strong chance at winning a championship or has seriously thought that for anything more than the briefest of moments during post win euphoria this season is hopelessly naive.

This is the worst team of the Duncan era...it's not even close.

IF Pop wins a championship with this team it will be a great coaching job, inspite of poor FO'ing by the team.

, I'll be impressed and have my expectations totally surpassed if they make it far enough to play LA and it's anything remotely resembling a compe ive series.


Regardless of what happens...this was the final year of the Parker, Manu, Bowen, Duncan quartet that produced 3 championships...so there's not really a whole lot to be disgruntled about.

[EricB]

Ahhhhh classic T Park at his finest.

He's not.

I agree with he's not a point guard.

But its still a better option.

You an agree with the move and disagree with it on another level.

Heaven forbid I know.

[MannyIsGod]

The Spurs had a better record than I figured they would this year...at the same time, Pop is responsible for much of the decline of the team this season.

This was a bite the bullet to rebuild the supporting cast year and they did better than I thought they would...but anyone that thinks this team has a strong chance at winning a championship or has seriously thought that for anything more than the briefest of moments during post win euphoria this season is hopelessly naive.

This is the worst team of the Duncan era...it's not even close.

IF Pop wins a championship with this team it will be a great coaching job, inspite of poor FO'ing by the team.

, I'll be impressed and have my expectations totally surpassed if they make it far enough to play LA and it's anything remotely resembling a compe ive series.


Regardless of what happens...this was the final year of the Parker, Manu, Bowen, Duncan quartet that produced 3 championships...so there's not really a whole lot to be disgruntled about.

I'm not sure if its the final year, but I absolutely agree Spurs fans should not be disgruntled. If you step back and take a look at what we've been able to witness as fans of this team its been a pretty good ride. We all knew at some point the ride would come to an end or change.

I still think Duncan and Parker have championship possibility, but we've definitely seen the window close a great deal

[Baseline]

this has been Pop's most frustrating year, from a fan's standpoint. he's too damn stubborn. the 2nd team offense is ineffective. he loves Bonner and Finley's jock too much. the Mason-experiment is a failure. he refuses to start and give Bruce significant minutes and donut's Hill while playing Parker 35+ minutes a game.

and a refuses to change any of that. i wholeheartedly disagree.

Exactly.

It's a miracle we won so many games while dealing with Pop's ridiculous rotations. Our players won games in spite of our lackluster coach, not because of him.

Trouble is, we were able to win a few games early on because George Hill played really well for a rookie. And now he's not playing at all, which cannot be characterized as anything but stupid.

How effective would George be on Jason Terry? Very effective, that's how.

Le'ts pray that Pop plays Bowen and Hill way more than we've seen. Otherwise it's going to be a short series with Dallas, and we're going to be on the wrong end of it.

[timvp]

It'd be impossible to for Pop to top 2003. That wasn't only his best coaching job, that was one of his best coaching jobs in the history of the NBA. That team had talent but without Pop making the decisions he made along the way, no way they come close to a championship.

Even this season, I'm not sure if even a championship would top 2003. If the Spurs win the championship this year, it'd be because Duncan and Parker played at superstar levels.

[EricB]

It'd be impossible to for Pop to top 2003. That wasn't only his best coaching job, that was one of his best coaching jobs in the history of the NBA. That team had talent but without Pop making the decisions he made along the way, no way they come close to a championship.

Even this season, I'm not sure if even a championship would top 2003. If the Spurs win the championship this year, it'd be because Duncan and Parker played at superstar levels.

Pop coached well, but, eh, 2003 he got bailed out a few times.

Even a popsucker like me will admit to that.

[whottt]

I'm not sure if its the final yearl

Ahh but it already was. Bruce Bowen is no longer part of the foundation of this team, or at least on court he isn't...it's the truth.

And given Manu's gimpiness, I'm not sure how much of that foundation they're willing to make him a part of from this point on either.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Yeah save the "popsucker" comments and what not, I know its coming and I don't care.

That pretty much covers it.

He could your mom, and you'd be outside her bedroom door cheering her on.

Let's see...

try to make a shooting guard a point guard (Mason)

bench the rookie PG that you were head over heels in love with last summer (George)

suck off a 60 year old because once out of every ten games he hits double figures (Finley)

Go with a geriatric center to start because he knows the system (Scola)

Bench an all-NBA first team defensive player (Bowen) because the weak ass replacement looks competent once a week (Udoka).

Not that I expected anything less out of your carny ass...

[whottt]

It'd be impossible to for Pop to top 2003. That wasn't only his best coaching job, that was one of his best coaching jobs in the history of the NBA. That team had talent but without Pop making the decisions he made along the way, no way they come close to a championship.

Even this season, I'm not sure if even a championship would top 2003. If the Spurs win the championship this year, it'd be because Duncan and Parker played at superstar levels.

All in perspective I guesss...I consider that 03 team to be one of the deepest, most experienced and mentally tough teams of this era.

That is the only Spurs championship team I never had a doubt would win the le. They showed the mark of a champion from the beginning of that season and never really faltered IMO.

And it really didn't have that much to do with Pop, those players were just smart, talented and experienced enough to make whatever Pop did work, and it just so happened they really wanted to win a le, down to the last man on the roster(Smitty).

[EricB]

That pretty much covers it.

He could your mom, and you'd be outside her bedroom door cheering her on.

Let's see...

try to make a shooting guard a point guard (Mason)

bench the rookie PG that you were head over heels in love with last summer (George)

suck off a 60 year old because once out of every ten games he hits double figures (Finley)

Go with a geriatric center to start because he knows the system (Scola)

Bench an all-NBA first team defensive player (Bowen) because the weak ass replacement looks competent once a week (Udoka).

Not that I expected anything less out of your carny ass...

1. When did the Spurs add Scola.

2. When did he become "geriatric"?

[EricB]

All in perspective I guesss...I consider that 03 team to be one of the deepest, most experienced and mentally tough teams of this era.

That is the only Spurs championship team I never had a doubt would win the le. They showed the mark of a champion from the beginning of that season and never really faltered IMO.

And it really didn't have that much to do with Pop, those players were just smart, talented and experienced enough to make whatever Pop did work, and it just so happened they really wanted to win a le, down to the last man on the roster(Smitty).

Yeah agreed, guys like Willis, Ferry, Smitty, Kerr really were great influences in the locker room and helped out tremendously. IMO before this season, 2007 was his best work.

[whottt]

I think if I had to pick Pop's best job as a coach it would be 2005.


That season was almost as injury plagued as this season was...

You don't win back to back double OT games without 2 of your best players without doing some motivating...


Oh yeah, he also coached his team to bumping off the defending champs in a 7 game series, that just so happeend to be against his mentor.



I mean you look at the team, yeah on paper it was talented but by the end of the season it was basically a 7 man team with a 2 man bench...

And neither one of those bench guys were exactly Pop's wet dream as a bench guy, neither of them were hustle players or known for their aggressiveness, neither of them really did he wanted...yet he still went with them and ultimatetely managed to get what he needed out of them.


Yeah...I think 05 was definitely Pop's best job as a coach.

[Amuseddaysleeper]

I thought 2007 was his best job.

[whottt]

I thought 2007 was Nelly's best job

[EricB]

I thought 2007 was Nelly's best job

Damn those were some good times.....

[SA210]

this has been Pop's most frustrating year, from a fan's standpoint. he's too damn stubborn. the 2nd team offense is ineffective. he loves Bonner and Finley's jock too much. the Mason-experiment is a failure. he refuses to start and give Bruce significant minutes and donut's Hill while playing Parker 35+ minutes a game.

and a refuses to change any of that. i wholeheartedly disagree.

That pretty much covers it.

He could your mom, and you'd be outside her bedroom door cheering her on.

Let's see...

try to make a shooting guard a point guard (Mason)

bench the rookie PG that you were head over heels in love with last summer (George)

suck off a 60 year old because once out of every ten games he hits double figures (Finley)

Go with a geriatric center to start because he knows the system (Scola)

Bench an all-NBA first team defensive player (Bowen) because the weak ass replacement looks competent once a week (Udoka).

Not that I expected anything less out of your carny ass...

As far as Pop, I couldn't disagree more. It was a pretty horrible year for him overall and certainly not his best. The fact that the Spurs managed to win the division with the injuries shows more about the job Tony Parker was able to accomplish. Pop hurt this team a lot by playing JV, Ime Udoka and probably Bonner too much. He hurt this team by sitting Bowen and Thomas too much.

Pop made a lot of the wrong decisions this year and that the Spurs have had some success despite that doesn't mean he had a great year.

[timvp]

All in perspective I guesss...I consider that 03 team to be one of the deepest, most experienced and mentally tough teams of this era.

It's easy to say that looking back on it but at the time 2003 with Duncan, an aging DRob and a bunch of either too old or too inexperienced pieces. Having the b@lls to stick with SJax through his early struggles, figuring out how to balance Rose and DRob, demanding competency from a 20-year-old point guard and working in a talented yet wild rookie from South America without having a whole season to work with due to injury ... is just the tip of the iceberg of Pop's coaching job in 2003.

It looks like a powerful team in retrospect but at the time it was a newly pieced together puzzle of parts that shouldn't have been experienced enough to win a championship.

That is the only Spurs championship team I never had a doubt would win the le.

Cavs in 5.

[Blackjack]

The Spurs had a better record than I figured they would this year...at the same time, Pop is responsible for much of the decline of the team this season.

This was a bite the bullet to rebuild the supporting cast year and they did better than I thought they would...but anyone that thinks this team has a strong chance at winning a championship or has seriously thought that for anything more than the briefest of moments during post win euphoria this season is hopelessly naive.

This is the worst team of the Duncan era...it's not even close.

IF Pop wins a championship with this team it will be a great coaching job, inspite of poor FO'ing by the team.

, I'll be impressed and have my expectations totally surpassed if they make it far enough to play LA and it's anything remotely resembling a compe ive series.


Regardless of what happens...this was the final year of the Parker, Manu, Bowen, Duncan quartet that produced 3 championships...so there's not really a whole lot to be disgruntled about.

This team's opportunity to win a le might be the bleakest of the Duncan era, but I can't help but wonder how good they would have been given health and time to gel.

Pretty much spot-on with the rest of the post.

It'd be impossible to for Pop to top 2003. That wasn't only his best coaching job, that was one of his best coaching jobs in the history of the NBA. That team had talent but without Pop making the decisions he made along the way, no way they come close to a championship.

Even this season, I'm not sure if even a championship would top 2003. If the Spurs win the championship this year, it'd be because Duncan and Parker played at superstar levels.

That was the first year to came to my mind.

[whottt]

It's easy to say that looking back on it but at the time 2003 with Duncan, an aging DRob and a bunch of either too old or too inexperienced pieces. Having the b@lls to stick with SJax through his early struggles, figuring out how to balance Rose and DRob, demanding competency from a 20-year-old point guard and working in a talented yet wild rookie from South America without having a whole season to work with due to injury ... is just the tip of the iceberg of Pop's coaching job in 2003.

It looks like a powerful team in retrospect but at the time it was a newly pieced together puzzle of parts that shouldn't have been experienced enough to win a championship.

I got good vibes from them starting on opening night when they took a big piss on the Lakers ring ceremony in LA.

By the RRT I had absolutely zero doubt that team would win the NBA championship...they never lost a big game that year. They never lost a momentum game. And they just waded through injury issues.

Cavs in 5.

That's exactly my point...I wasn't 100% sold on the 2007 team. I also wasn't sold on the 05 or 99 teams.

I'm not trying to hide the Cavs in 5 thing...I'm pointing out I felt similarly about the 99 and 05 teams.


I made no team x in x game predictions that 2003 season...I didn't need to. I just laughed at the doubters.

I was 100% sold on the 03 team, the only team of the 4 I've been 100% sold on. That team just bore the mark of the champion to me, from the first day of the regular season to the last.

LOL I even sent Manu a PM on his forum that year telling him thanks for helping David Robinson go out a champ in his final year. I think I sent Manu that PM in early November.