Pop Under Increased Pressure to Win?

[SpursFan0728]

Pop=one of the best coach that works under pressure

[FuzzyLumpkins]

In 2003 Pop threw in the towel on Steve Smith, Danny Ferry, and Steve Kerr and went with Manu, a rookie, Speedy Claxton a summer addition, Tony Parker had already taken over the pt. guard spot his rookie year and this was his 2nd year and he went with an untested Stephen Jackson. And except for Smith who saw very little action after he lost his starting spot to Jackson, Kerr steped right in for Speedy when he got hurt, and Ferry picked up the slack when one of the big men especially DRob wouldn't play. And Bowen was in his 2nd year.
So this is not uncharted terrain for Pop. The question is if these guys show him an ability to contribute big time.

You know what. This season is eerily similar to that time period. We got Bowen in 01-02 and Kevin Willis was brought in the following. Bowen:RJ :: Willis:McDyess. Now Willis was 40 when we brought him in from Houston but Bowen was 30 that season to RJ's 29. Now if we only had DRob at the pivot.

[rayray2k8]

without question, the pressure is all on Pop for this to work.

[Obstructed_View]

Not increased pressure, but certainly no excuses. If the Spurs the bed against two inferior teams due to Pop's sudden urge to screw with the rotation like in 2006 or if the Spurs lose a vet this year and don't have any of the new players with enough actual game experience to step in like last year, we could start hearing questions in the mainstream about pressure or job jeopardy, not just from the hatas on ST.

[SouthTexasRancher]

Everyone knows the Spurs are more committed to Pop than probably any other organization outside the Lakers, maybe Utah, but:

With the talent we've got, does Pop have increased pressure this year to win?

And doesn't this mean Pop has to take several first year players and successfully incorporate them into the gameplan, even though we have a system that supposedly takes two years to get comfortable with?

Hasn't he always struggled with this in the past, whether it be from resistance to play guys who aren't completely comfortable with the system, or just his stubborn reliance on proven guys? Might this mean a change in Pop's approach?

Pop is Pop. Yes, he'll get a good look see from the youngsters. He'll limit the minutes (or at least monitor) of key guys who'll carry us in the playoffs. Bottom line is Pop is a winner and as long as we stay healthy we have as good a shot as any of the elite teams, i.e., LA, Boston, Orlando, Denver, and Cleveland.

[Da Spurs]

I bet he's already biting his fingernails he's so nervous. Good lord, the guy has won 4 championships. He's been under incredible pressure that most coaches never even experience. Stupid thread.

[angelbelow]

lol pressure of pop? hes not a rookie coach, i dont think i need to list his resume here, but im sure pop cant wait for the challenge.

[Parker2112]

I bet he's already biting his fingernails he's so nervous. Good lord, the guy has won 4 championships. He's been under incredible pressure that most coaches never even experience. Stupid thread.

You need to read past that first sentence or two. Will he change his approach with incorporating new talent?

[Da Spurs]

You need to read past that first sentence or two. Will he change his approach with incorporating new talent?

Pop is Pop. Whoever plays the best will get the minutes. He obviously will have new guys. Not sure what that has to do with increased pressure to win. No doubt the new lineup will cause him to take a little different approach than years past where all but 1 or 2 were on the team from the prior year.

[will_spurs]

After last year I hope he's seen the error of his ways (Finley extended minutes, Mason PG etc.) But I have trust in him, with the amount of youth in the squad he has to trust them.

Actually thinking back about last season, the situation was obviously quite different - when the starting squad doesn't really perform/execute I can understand the coach is even less likely to trust rookies, and go back to veterans. With the huge upgrades the Spurs got at every position not played by Parker or Duncan, it should be a bit easier for sure. As Graydon very well put it at 48MOH, "[The Spurs and Pop] won’t have to be constantly making up for [their] lack of athleticism with execution."

[Parker2112]

Pop is Pop. Whoever plays the best will get the minutes. He obviously will have new guys. Not sure what that has to do with increased pressure to win. No doubt the new lineup will cause him to take a little different approach than years past where all but 1 or 2 were on the team from the prior year.

A lot of people on this board and elsewhere have called Pop out for leaning on Finley and Thomas over guys like Hill and Gooden while our offense sputtered and our defense waved guys through to the hoop. Not only that but he has shown a huge reluctance to trust guys who aren't completely familiar/comfortable with the system.

My point is that now he is going to have to play guys (RJ, Dice, Blair) who will be first year Spurs, and he will have to learn to trust guys who are unproven over guys like Finley and Bonner who he has favored in the past BECAUSE this team has huge expectations and the fans want to see these guys play and the team win. No more man crush on finley, as Timvp would put it.

[Parker2112]

All that said, I trust the out of the man, I just haven't agreed with some of his decisions of late (no Hill in the playoffs, no Gooden in the final playoff game, no Bruce during the season, etc.).

[poeticism707]

All that said, I trust the out of the man, I just haven't agreed with some of his decisions of late (no Hill in the playoffs, no Gooden in the final playoff game, no Bruce during the season, etc.).

[Parker2112]

Nail on the head.

[timvp]

Nail on the head.

Turn on your sarcasm detector.

[Parker2112]

Turn on your sarcasm detector.

Timvp, I understand there's no such thing as pressure when it comes to Pop's job security...but even you would concede that Pop feels the pressure to win. His red face/ clenched jaw is a given after any playoff loss...

I was just saying, and Pop now agrees, that the onus is on him to bring the talent together with a gameplan that produces W's. Which no doubt he will. But like I posted earlier, I hope he changes his gameplan enough to let the young guys get some PT. Which no doubt he will.

Even through the sarcasm though, I'm not so sure he wouldn't be that critical of his own performance if he falls short.

[Parker2112]

Increased pressure does not mean he's on the chopping block.

In this case, increased pressure means your the last guy in a relay, about to get handed a baton with the lead, and it's up to you to seal the deal.

[slayermin]

Good analysis. That 2003 team arrived a year earlier than scheduled, with a nice mix of vets and young guys. This team could do the same.

When the Spurs FO gets desperate (like they did after 2000), they tend to makeover the team quickly and effectively.

Let's hope they've done it again.

If we could have kept that team together one more season with Dave, .

I feel so foolish even entertaining the notion that Jason Kidd would don the silver and black.

That '03 squad will be my favorite sports team of all time.

[ChumpDumper]

You guys act as if Pop has never been under pressure in his career.

[dc_spursfan]

With the talent we've got, does Pop have increased pressure this year to win?

I think he has increase pressure because Duncan and Manu only have a couple of good years left. Pop is realizing this and wants to try and get one more le with them. In a couple of years Thunder,Blazers,Magic, Nets and Bulls could be scary in a couple of years. The talent we got now just makes Pop feel more comfrotable about trying to get that next le.

And doesn't this mean Pop has to take several first year players and successfully incorporate them into the gameplan, even though we have a system that supposedly takes two years to get comfortable with?

Pop will have no choice but to make some changes to incorporate these young players. The good news is most of these players have been in the Spurs organization. The other players are season vets in Dice and RJ.

Hasn't he always struggled with this in the past, whether it be from resistance to play guys who aren't completely comfortable with the system, or just his stubborn reliance on proven guys? Might this mean a change in Pop's approach?

Like above about Pop will have no but to make some changes to his approach.


I do hope PJ can come back to the SA bench.

[boutons_deux]

If y'all think last year's potpourri, crazy-assed line-ups were befuddling, wait til this season.

[Agloco]

Just keeping the seat warm for AJ.

[Parker2112]

Bump, cause Pop is crumbling. He is the reason our team is struggling. Just like Spurs fans were scared of...Pop is too stubborn to do what it takes to win with a new group.

[SenorSpur]

Pop is stubborn to a fault. He believes in his system and only seems to trust veterans for long stretches of games. Although it's his precious veterans that are screwing up in a big way. Bad decisions, costly turnovers, terrible defensive rotations, to name a few.

All of us "armchair" GMs can see that the offseason free-agent additions are simply miscast on this team. Anyone can see the Spurs are getting ass-raped along the frontline and they are woefully deficient on the wings - still. Duncan has no business being the only big on the court in a small-ball lineup.

Pop is the only one who apparently doesn't know or believe these to be issues.

[Parker2112]

Pop is stubborn to a fault. He believes in his system and only seems to trust veterans for long stretches of games. Although it's his precious veterans that are screwing up in a big way. Bad decisions, costly turnovers, terrible defensive rotations, to name a few.

All of us "armchair" GMs can see that the offseason free-agent additions are simply miscast on this team. Anyone can see the Spurs are getting ass-raped along the frontline and they are woefully deficient on the wings - still. Duncan has no business being the only big on the court in a small-ball lineup.

Pop is the only one who apparently doesn't know or believe these to be issues.

I hate to say it but I think I saw this coming. Pop kills new guys with regularity. He's done it to Dice, RJ, both our big acquisitions of the summer. He can turn a solid player into a Beno quick. Same with Hedo. Pop should apologize to timmy for this bull .