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great interview...
agree abt the manu injury
agree abt the 4-spot
would love to find out who those 'untouchables' are... i wonder if he includes parker? (i hope so)
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...es-pop-do-now/By Jeff McDonald and Mike Monroe
[email protected]
It has been two weeks since the Spurs were bounced from the playoffs by the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. That has given coach Gregg Popovich, in between haunting the bookstores and restaurants of New York City, sufficient time to ponder what went right in 2010-11, what went wrong, and how the Spurs should proceed. In an exclusive sit-down Thursday with E-N staff writers Jeff McDonald and Mike Monroe, Popovich shared some of those thoughts:
Q: Your team won 61 games, earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, then lost in the first round of the playoffs. What’s the takeaway from that?
A: The most hurtful part, the toughest part to get over, is to have played so well all year, and for everybody to have their minutes watched and with all the care the staff had, and then to have Timmy (Duncan) lose his rhythm those eight or nine games at the end of the season (after spraining his ankle). And then to have Manu (Ginobili) go out the last game (with a sprained elbow).
It’s just a crushing “poor me” sort of feeling. You say, “My God, how can this happen?” Because no matter how you slice it, if Manu ain’t healthy historically we go nowhere.
That’s the part that is most disappointing. It’s that fate got us, in that degree.
great interview...
agree abt the manu injury
agree abt the 4-spot
would love to find out who those 'untouchables' are... i wonder if he includes parker? (i hope so)
Some surprising things . . .
1. This is the first time that I can remember (at least recently) Pop not pulling the "the better team wins 7 game series/we were beat by a better team" card. It's clear he feels strongly that they should have won that series and he's even pulling the injuries/rhythm card, which I also can't remember him doing.
2. He flat out called out Jefferson, Parker, Bonner, Blair and either Hill or Neal, while giving Duncan and Ginobili a pass.
3. He said he'll do "everything humanly possible to become a more elite defensive team". A clear admission that they don't have the personnel to be that. As opposed to the past few seasons, when he's ignored that and pretended that if they just focus on it and work hard at it, it'll just happen.
4. He made it clear he doesn't view Splitter as being able to play the four, by saying, if he starts, Duncan moves back to the four. Which makes no sense. Sounds like he's not comfortable with him starting and obviously can't be with Blair/Bonner.
I suspect they'll pursue Varejao, attempt to offload Jefferson (and if successful, pursue Battier) and are open to moving Bonner, Blair and Anderson. If they're unable to trade for Varejao or another starting caliber big, I could see them pursuing Turiaf.
The untouchables are Bonner, Matt, #15, and the Red Rocket
not necessarily in that order
We have one of the very best coaches in the league and everybody wants to on him cause he deflects media bull with sarcasm and plays Bonner too long. You know, when he finally does leave San Antonio, well see how well the next guy fills his big ass shoes.
If the next guy has a young TD level player to work with I venture to say he will do quite well as long as he doesn't lose his basketball mind towards the end of said player's career.
Van Gundy has Dwight Howard and he hasn't done , according to some peoples what have you done for me logic. Players with tds mentality and skillset dont come around, often. Plus its unlikely, considering our standings, that well aquire a player of his level, soon. Conjecture is fun though.
Resign, or get fired. Seriously.
Pop cannot say they were beaten by a better team because he was a 1 seed beaten by an 8 seed. It would be absurd to suggest the 8 seed in the NBA is better than the 1. It throws a monkey wrench in the seeding values.
LOL
How many consecutive years with a winning road record?
How many consecutive years making the playoffs?
Best record in the West, one shy of the league?
4 ing championships?
fired? LOL...
This aint the Lakers.
This is ignorant at best, re ed most likely. Think about how many teams have had a dominant inside presence and didn't win jack . Think about how many times Dirk has been into the playoffs and how many coaches he has gone through and doesn't even have one ring, much less four. Malone, Barkley, Baylor, Ewing. All HoFers. All 0 rings.
The city of San Antonio owes Gregg Popovich a debt of gra ude that can never be fully expressed. The man has blessed our small little town, and small market owner with limited resources, with amazing success. How many other teams can you name that had one legit superstar surrounded by "mediocre" players and won 3 chips. And by mediocre I mean Manu, as much as we love him, has only made 2 all-star games and Tony just 3.
Our "big 3" is feeble in comparison to other dynasties. But somehow Pop managed to put the pieces in place, surround his superstar through the draft with late round picks, develop unknown players (hi Bruce), and accomplish something utterly unprecedented in NBA history.
Q: In the history of the NBA, which teams have won more chips?
A: 3 Lakers, Celtics, Bulls.
None of those small markets. None of those with less talent.
Anyone who hates on Pop is a ing moron. The only possible comparison in recent history is the Rocket's two chips with Hakeem. And last I checked 4>2.
Last edited by Splits; 05-13-2011 at 12:15 AM.
+eleventybillion
In other words...
I am a in' moron who is terrified of change and just want to keep losing and watching while other franchises go with youth and eliminate the spurs every season.
Another horrible post which nobody will agree with. Has anyone ever laughed or agreed with anything you have ever written? You are the worst poster on this board. You bring nothing. No intelligence. No uniqueness. No thought. No humility. No ingenuity. No agreement.
All you do is monitor the board for the most ridiculously negative arguments, change the order of the words so as to phrase other people's criticisms and make them your own, and then paste them in an incoherent way.
Never any intelligent rebuttal.
Never any analysis or critique.
All you will ever get from this a-hole is regurgitated drivel about how Pop should be fired and Bonner is the only reason the Spurs didn't win 82 games and lost to the Grizz.
Well done. You've made quite a name for yourself.
First, props to the E-N for this interview.
Second,
Pop is still so delusional.
I hope what he said in this interview is just for PR purpose and that he has, in fact, a whole different assessment about the team. It would be great if he had realizes all the mistakes he has done lately whether as the unofficial GM or as the coach.
That was a great interview. I think everything Pop said was dead on, especially regarding Manu. I, too, believe we'd still be playing right now had 'fate' not stepped in and our two best players gotten injured. Glad to hear him talk about the bigs. He knows Matt and Blair aren't going to be our starters. If Tim stays at the 5 neither is Tiago, though our best case scenario right now is Tiago and Tim. Sounds like they'll be shopping for a big this summer. As TD21 mentioned, Varejoe sounds like a possibility. Also like the idea of Battier in silver and black, but dealing RJ is not likely.
Something's got to give. Pop sounds like he's on it. Thanks for posting this. I appreciate all of you that recognize what Pop has given San Antonio.
^right on Silver.
Or, "Since Pop coatailed to 4 'Ships, all reasonable efforts to gain another one should cease and desist. We should rest on the 4 till all eternity. 4 is still better then some other franchises have done. (Who did not have multiple HOF players to coach.)
We need to know who is going to be our starting four. Is it DeJuan Blair? Is it (Tiago) Splitter, where Timmy’s the four and Splitter’s the five? Is it Matt Bonner?
Your credibility rating remains at zero, Popped.
Damn, I've been season-trolled. I thought all this time that this silverblck-mystic was posting her real thoughts, and now I find out the actual worst poster on ST has her back. I've been pwned by trolls.
"Because no matter how you slice it, if Manu ain’t healthy historically we go nowhere...........I contend if Manu was healthy, we’d still be playing. I don’t have any doubt we’d still be playing." CIA Popped.
Why did you insert him in the lineup vs Phx on the last day of reg season if you thought the Spurs had no chance without him? To pursue the #1 overall seed? WGAF if you aren't even past the 1st round.
I like how some people want act like Pop is some kind of genius that is head and shoulders above every other professional coach because he has four rings. The fact is Pop himself gives all the credit to Tim Duncan and the supporting cast because he knows a coach can only do so much but in the end you can't win without talent.
Since you brought up the fact that Van Gundy hasn't done with Dwight Howard, I would like to remind you that they went to a championship and lost to a far superior team. For you to bring this up suggests that you think Pop could have already won a championship if he were the coach of the Magic with D.Howard. That is an absolutely idiotic thought. So why did you bring Howard and Stan up if Pop couldn't have done any better? Please don't tell me you think Pop could have won a ring already. However if you want to make me laugh do tell.
I agree that he wouldn't admit this even if he thought it. However, I am not so sure he really does think Memphis was the better team.
Pop is a good coach but that doesn't mean he would have led any of the teams with the HoFers you mentioned to win a championship. I would say it is highly unlikely that Pop would have been able to produce more than the zero rings they actually did produce. On the other hand I do think many coaches would be able to coach the Spurs with Tim Duncan and the supporting cast to a few championships. Just because he has four rings doesn't mean his basketball knowledge and implementation of that knowledge is far superior to other professional coaches.
"The thing that’s frustrating about that is, we were in position to win every single game at the end of the game, in the fourth quarter."
This is incorrect. They were totally blown out in game 4 and they lost comfortably in game 6. The other 4 games were toss-ups where either team could have won.
"Q: Based on that reading of the series, is there anything you’d do differently?
A: I feel good about that assessment. I wouldn’t change the game plan a lick. There’s nothing we’d do differently."
So, he wouldn't have played Splitter from game 1? He'd have continued to watch Bonner/Blair get abused by Randolph/Gasol?
"Secondly, for personal reasons I felt very uneasy all year long with our spotty defense that could not be consistently relied upon in fourth quarters. It drove me crazy. I think I just need to do whatever I need to do — personnel-wise, or drill-wise or demand-wise — to go from the middle of the pack back to four, five, six, seven, somewhere in there."
He didn't realize (before he re-signed Bonner) that a Bonner/Blair combo wasn't going to cut it defensively against the playoff teams? They won't get to 4-7th defensively with Bonner and Blair playing major minutes.
I am happy that he will be stressing defense more next year, but he needs to look in the mirror and admit his own short-comings with regard to who he put on the floor and how many minutes they played this past year and in the playoffs. It wasn't all on poor play by the players - part of it was the coaching and the decisions he made.
Not even for the #1 overall seed - it was for a chance to tie for the #1 overall seed - an improbable chance to flip a coin
Pop:Is it MATT BONNER?
That is as far as anyone has to read to discover that Pop is still delusional.
If you keep supporting him...go ahead...but be prepared to keep losing...that is just plain common sense.
Anyone with a brain can see that players like Bonner will never be enough against playoff teams with young athletes that can ball.
Pop is still trotting out that 1950's bull that athlete's aren't necessary...that a player with intelligence and character can help more than an athlete. Well of course...if the athlete in question is dumber than a bag of rocks...but today's athletes are not only athletic...but also have smarts,character and discipline.
Why continue to depend on a BONNER with no athletic ability, no balls, short arms and no in' mental toughness when other teams just attack and destroy him at will?
To prove what?
That nice guys CAN succeed? That character guys who suck off the coach can implement that coach's system without ever making a mistake or take a bad shot.....while LOSING?
I tried very hard to keep supporting Pop for years and years...
Once upon a time I believed in Pop and pounding the rock and all that hoo-rah spurs philosophy crap...until I opened my eyes and thought to myself;
hmmm...
It appears that Pop stresses defense and will jump on your if you miss a defensive rotation...that is good...b-but wait...Finley s up left and right...and Pop seems to just overlook it. Is it because Nellie recommended Finley? Is it cause Pop loves Finleys jump shot? Why is it that Bruce Bowen is in the doghouse...yet Finley is spared?
I kept watching...and wondering....
Why is Pop trying to match up with other teams going small by going smaller? Why is Naz'r, Rasho, and any other bigs...rotting on the bench while teams continually drive in for layups? Why is Bogans a centerpiece of a defense that can't stop anyone? Why?
This continued and got worse with Bonner....who ANYONE could see was getting killed each and every time he stepped on the floor? Why? Why would you continue to overplay a guy who does nothing but get killed on defense...yet you continue to lie to yourself that defense is the first priority? Why?
Finally, this past season...
To me...after being a diehard spurs fan since the red,white & blue ABA days...through thick and thin...through suffering through elimination after elimination....through all that...why was this season ---for me---
the absolute worst?
This season I found myself...unhappy...AFTER A WIN!!!!
Each time that the spurs won...I found myself unhappy???? I could not understand why????
Then it hit me....
This season the spurs acquired a big man...finally...
Tiago Splitter....
Finally...Pop will go back to the defensive schemes that won the spurs 4 les....championship spurs defense is back!!!!!!
Except...Pop refused to play him....Pop buried him on the bench...Pop at first blamed Tiago's injuries....then blamed Tiago missing training camp....then blamed the complicated spurs system as too complicated for rookies....then Pop just buried him.
Even when Tiago got healthy and was fresh from not playing all season...still...Pop would not play him.
Each victory was more of the same...yay...we won...but we played no defense...Bonner played 30 minutes and Tiago got another DNP....the worst thing was that you could not really be mad at Pop...because...hey--we are winning...but still no defense. No presence down low...no blocked shots--except for Timmy...no dominance.
The wins were not even satisfying....was I just a hater? Did I just fall out of love with my team that I had supported in good times and bad since 1973? (When they were the Dallas Chapparrals)....
The reason was that I just saw through the fact that Pop was not helping the team but hurting it. That the spurs were winning ---in spite of Pop---NOT BECAUSE OF HIM.
This is the truth if anyone wants truth.
If you want to continue losing in the first or second round...or worse...then keep believing in Pop...he was once great but now is just old and senile.
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