Reply With Quote
chill pill fill please!
the Spurs FO should Fire Greg Poppovich.
And here's why:
Pop is the ultimate enabler for the Spurs team: he offers more excuses for the Spurs poor play than the Spurs themselves. It's always "poor excution," and "turnovers," and "we just need to play better" and our personal favorite, "get healthy"- in other words, always these seemingly impersonal forces, never what specific players are doing wrong.
To show you exactly what's wrong with this type of coaching, let's go back in time to 2003-04 season of the Lakers, when it was Kobe and and a bunch of poor players/bad fits, Kobe's first year as the leading man, and the Laker's didn't even make the playoffs. You may not have known this, but the seeds of Kobe and the Laker's triumph over the Spurs in the 2008 Western Conference Finals was already on display for everyone to see. And it was so simple: whether because the Lakers were afraid of Kobe, or whatever, the Lakers PLAYED HARD: got that? The played everyone tough, including the best team in the League at the time, the Spurs. Sure, the Lakers got blown out by 20, but they played like their collective lives depended on it.
Which brings me to my next point: when is the last time you've seen the Spurs play like their collective lives depended on it? Almost never. Why? Simple: the Spurs don't want to win as bad as their opponents. Not even during their championship years (with the possible exception of Bruce Bowen) did the Spurs, perhaps other than the Lakers in 2003, truly want to win more than their opponents. And motivation is EXACTLY where coaching comes in.
Look at coaches like Larry Brown and Phil Jackson. One of these coaches, Brown, I respect, Jackson I don't, but both are far away better coaches than Poppovich. Because they these coaches understand that a team cannot rise above it's habits: that you as a team are what you do. So if you lose to elite teams all year round, then you will certainly do so in the playoffs, if you even get there. IN OTHER WORDS, IT DOESN'T MATTER HOW HEALTHY YOUR TEAM IS IF YOU'VE PLAYED TERRIBLE BASKETBALL THE ENTIRE YEAR. This is evident in Larry Brown's great 2004 Piston's team that defensively embarrassed everyone all year long, and overcame tremendous odds to do so against the Lakers in the Finals. Or how about Phil's Laker's beating the Spurs in 2008?
Which brings me to my next question: when has Pop EVER coached the Spurs to a series victory in the playoffs that they had no business winning? (Don't say 2003, the great Act Two of the coming out party of Tim Duncan). When has Pop mis-matched a team to death like Brown in the Finals posting up Corlis Williamson on Kobe Bryant? Once again, never! Pop seems to think that exploiting mismatches is illegal.
I certainly don't endorse the way Phil Jackson does this, but how about publicly berating veteran players who are continually making the same mistakes over and over? Also, when is the last time Pop was thrown out of a game? When was the last time he exploded on a player on the sideline for missing the many effort plays that have been missed just this season for example? Aren't you tired of hearing the same "health" excuses? When was was the last time Pop..cared?
Because that's what it comes down to: it's easy to make fun of Mark Cuban, for example, but no one ever suggests that he doesn't want to the Mavs to win. Can the same be said of Pop, outside of General Principle? No.
The Spurs need to fire Pop, and hire a hard case to light a fire under this proud and talented Spurs team, someone one to come in and do a lot of screaming in public and private, to hold this Spurs team accountable to the already high Spur standard.
Last edited by poeticism707; 12-06-2009 at 03:34 AM.
chill pill fill please!
lol I haven't seen this guy since last season. wtf
I can honestly say, even if I only read a few lines, that this was probably the stupidest post I've ever read here..and that's saying a lot..
Gay is what I call this mother in bullcrap.
Don't mind me while I start a new rap.
Forgive me but you just a Spurstalk poster.
You are not even in a YMCA basketball roster.
Just get the out of here and never come back.
With you as a poster, Spurstalk is outta whack.
You don't know about basketball,
You can't even make a freakin play call.
So tell me, , how my ass taste?
I stopped reading after the first sentence.
The only way Pop gets fired is if he turns out to be the Zodiac Killer.
Short version: Screaming and yelling = dynasty
easy!nba games is business!
No Pop no Duncan.
I don't know. I think that type of "killer" at ude could be warranted right about now.
And even then they'd check first to see if he'd be willing to stop 'moonlighting' on the side.
poeticism, you make some good points. I don't think I'd fire Pop yet, but he does deserve the scrutiny. Although I don't know these people replying to your post nor particularly care to meet any of them, I nonetheless apologize for their third grade antics and lame attempts at insulting you.
lol at the loyalist pop supporters, time to drop that 4 ring bs living the past crap, its all about the present and future...
WE REALLY, REALLY SUCK and the word is out....the NBA doesn't even want the spurs in the playoffs........the spurs had a ton of bad calls last night.
Come on, without pop were nothing. You know that.
Pop did say he deserved to be fired if we didnt win the championship....
Regardless, he does not seem to have that same 'fire' as before. You cant fire him though, the team would be nowhere without pop,but something does have to give.Motivation seems to be missing from this team cept for Ghill3 and Duncan everyone looks tired on the floor
I made it this far before I quit.
This guy has no clues.
The Spurs FO IS Gregg Popovich.
I can't imagine anyone else coaching this team, Pop has always, to me, been the guy whose will to win was second to none, but this guy makes some good strong points, and whille I don't agree with firing Pop, I think it's time Pop took a hard line with some of his players and with himself.
None if us true spurs fans want Pop gone. We just want the old Pop back.
The crack is out there...
Umm, hate ot break it to you but the Lakers DID make the playoffs in 03-04 AND even beat the Spurs in the playoffs that year, thanks to Fisher's .4 shot. That was the team iwth Shaq, Kobe, Malone, and Payton on it that lost to Detroit in the Finals.
NO need to read further. This thread is EPIC FAIL.
, you got here before I did.
Either way,
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
