Reply With Quote
Damn, Buck going in on Pop about as much as you see around here.
Popovich caught, just as Karl was beforeSan Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan talks with San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich during first half action of Game 2 in the NBA Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors Wednesday May 8, 2013 at the AT&T Center.
By Buck Harvey
May 9, 2013
A year ago Gregg Popovich won his second coach of the year award, and he treated the trophy as if he needed hand sanitizer after touching it. David Robinson handed it to him at midcourt, with Tim Duncan standing on the other side, and Popovich immediately tried to slip it to one of his assistants.
They comically turned their backs, forcing him to walk with the terrible burden for a few steps, before someone stepped in to save him.
Popovich hated the attention, especially right before a playoff game against Utah. But maybe he was trying to avoid the virus, too.
Coaches seem to catch it when they are on the top.
It's been the trend. After Popovich won his first coach-of-the-year award in 2003, the next six winners eventually left their teams.
Four of them – Avery Johnson, Sam Mitc , Byron Scott and Mike Brown – were fired. Johnson, Scott and Brown have all been fired a second time since.
This year it was George Karl's turn to catch the virus. He received his first coach of the year award Wednesday, but he didn't get his trophy at midcourt. Golden State made sure of that.
He won 57 games with an unconventional roster. But then he lost a key component, Danilo Gallinari, and found himself against the same emerging Golden State roster the Spurs struggle with now. The Nuggets took the opener with some dramatics, as the Spurs did, and lost the series in six games.
Karl said he was "humbled" by the award Wednesday. But for him, after being eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight season, it was if the honor highlighted what he hasn't done.
Popovich isn't that, exactly. The virus should have left him alone this season. He finished fourth in the voting.
Besides, he's the exception who has won the trophy and succeeded. He has won four les with the kind of continuity that is rare in sports, and the streak that the Warriors broke Wednesday told of that. When they last beat the Spurs in San Antonio, in February of 1997, Popovich was a first-year coach hoping to see a second year.
Now he's become the standard. After Sir Alex Ferguson resigned Wednesday after 26 seasons with Manchester United, Popovich isn't just the dean of the NBA. He might be the dean of the globe.
But, again, that's the way of the virus. It attacks the most celebrated, as if to state no one is immune to the usual second guesses.
Maybe Popovich has one in mind today. This goes back to the spring of 2011, when a prospect named Klay Thompson came to San Antonio to meet the Spurs.
That trip suggested something was going on. Thompson was considered a lottery pick, and the Spurs were scheduled to draft near the bottom of the first round.
So Thompson met with the Spurs staff at dinner, and he remembers Popovich being different than he thought he would be. Popovich was funny, and Thompson said this week, "He always seems so serious on the sideline."
On Wednesday, when the Warriors again took double-digit leads, Popovich again seemed serious.
The Spurs have come to rely on Popovich's antenna at these times. He's exceptional at picking up on who someone is. But he didn't that night. Popovich didn't connect with Thompson, and, as a result, the Spurs didn't include him on their draft list.
In the end, it didn't matter. The Spurs couldn't trade up any higher than 15th, and Thompson went 11th. The player the Spurs ended up with, Kawhi Leonard, has been a find.
Still, Thompson was a huge part of what happened Wednesday. Thompson had 17 points in the second quarter alone, when the Spurs as a team had only 20, and his 29 points in the first half was a Spurs playoff record for an opponent.
And when the Spurs tried to rally as they did Monday? This time Thompson, the Warriors' best defender, wasn't in foul trouble.
Afterward, Popovich said Thompson was "fantastic." And as he complimented the Warriors, he also pointed at his own team.
"I think they were the more aggressive, physical team for more of the game then were just like Game 1," he said of the Warriors. "That's the most important thing for us."
Maybe that's it. Or, maybe Golden State is a young team better than its record, and the opening win was nothing more than a fluke.
Manu Ginobili saw it that way Wednesday. "We didn't deserve Game 1, either," he said.
For Popovich, this is not unlike the Memphis series two years ago. Then, too, he didn't have an answer for a burly eighth seed.
This time he's being beaten by a speedy sixth seed. Popovich is caught without an answer, with his veterans as unsure, with the perception that a coach with his accolades shouldn't lose this way. As it was with Karl.
[email protected]
Twitter: Buck_SA
Damn, Buck going in on Pop about as much as you see around here.
Writing has been on the wall for years.
Pop needs to step back to the front ofc and begin afresh with new and younger blood. I am an old man myself and I know when it is time to put your efforts into other - more appropriate - things. The fire does not continue to burn as bright as when you were young and had plenty of fuel and fire and guts and passion.
Just the way of life - no shame in it - but Pop cannot and will not lead the Spurs to another le. I would be ecstatic if he made me eat my words - but sadly - as a die-hard life-long spurs fan....I am calling it like it is.
Pop needs to retire.
If Pop cannot get past Mark Jackson - here is his past years record;
Embarrassed and schooled by;
Avery Johnson
Alvin Gentry
Lionel Hollins
Scotty Brooks
....
Mark Jackson?
Buck calling out Pop for having no answers. Let's see what happens tonight.
yup
that's the way I see it. Our big 3 are unsure they can turn this series around. Pop has no answer. Ginobili already with tears in his eyes.
But no, according to some delusionals here, we have no reason to panic. The 101 minutes of anal pounding the Warriors have been inflicting on SPurs is nothing to worry about
The problem with this team is that they have no heart. Only Tim Duncan and maybe manu play with passion. The rest of the team already looks defeated and the series is 1-1. Thats why I think this series is already over.
Wow, my bad Enlish made me confuse "caught" and "coughed" and I was ready to get some Pop has cancer news.
What a relief!
At least now I don't care about tonights game anymore.
It usually takes Pop about 96 game mins to figure it out, defensively. Game 3 should show returns -or- make it clearly evident the young guns are too much to bottle.
Tears in his eyes? Say what?yup
that's the way I see it. Our big 3 are unsure they can turn this series around. Pop has no answer. Ginobili already with tears in his eyes.
But no, according to some delusionals here, we have no reason to panic. The 101 minutes of anal pounding the Warriors have been inflicting on SPurs is nothing to worry about
No! 1 more year Pop and Manu! Going to SA for the first time in my life in December and the only time I've seen the Spurs play in person was at Portland last year when Duncan, Manu, Parker, and Splitter sat and the Spurs got beat by 40. I would hate for these guys to retire before I get the chance to see them all perform together in person! Just 1 more year, and work Kawhi's butt off and make him the MVP of the team.
Doesn't work on my phone..someone describe plz tyia..
but it feels like 0-2
I didn't see any tears, tbh.
Pop has made plenty of playoff mistakes, but you can't blame this one on him. He has thrown every combo he has at the Warriors backcourt. They have just out played our guys so far. Sometimes basketball is a simple game. They are making their open shots, and the Spurs are not.
I might feel differently about this if I had any respect for Buck Harvey. Unfortunately, I do not.
B.S.
Why do they have open shots?
Because Mark Jackson is dictating the match-ups. Everytime down the court on offense - they go straight to the mismatch. This causes the Spurs to scramble and help out - leaving their top shooters open.
Pop has always been afraid. Avery did the exact same thing - went small - and Pop stupidly followed - going small.
Start Splitter and Timmy together and find the mismatches on your terms and force the warriors to adjust. Also when the warriors post up someone - do not help out - stay on the shooters. This is too hard for a hall of fame coach to figure out , apparently.
'Cause he's a karate man. A karate man cries on the inside.
62 points in the first half and 38 in the second. This notion that the Spurs couldn't adjust is asinine. If we play defense like we did in the second half we'll beat the crap out of them.
Translation: Let's hope the Warriors decide to coast for the whole game instead of just the second half.
Look at the percentages, if we hit our shots its a close game and we can clamp down on them. Hate all this drastic panic crap because a team is playing above there heads and we are playing poor defense.
ROFL!!!
This. If Pop actually played SPURS ball, the Spurs would wipe the floor with them and would have won in 4 or 5 games. Instead playing into their hands they will dismantle us. It's on Pop. He hasn't made the adjustments to how they play Tony and that's killing our ball movement. It's turning into one bad shot from playing horrible one-on-one ball and then Warrior ball every-time where we leave them open everytime.
Weak soft ass Bonner passing up shots putting ball on the floor and weak ass defense is killing us, AGAIN. If Bonner is shooting lights out, then no problem, but if he isn't his ass needs to be on the bench. Tiago and Duncan need to play next to eachother and they need to stop ing leaving shooters wide open. Stop the damn double teams. Jesus Christ, Pop is an idiot sometimes. A scared fool. I know Pop can make the right adjustments, its a matter of will he or won't he? history shows he won't, I hope he changes though because I really want my team to win.
Damn we miss SJAX right now. We could use his toughness right now. Another bonehead move by Pop, of course. smh
Good point. It's hard to play your hardest when you know your coach is getting outcoached. It's hard for the other player to play well if they know the veterans are unsure. Pop is looking clueless. Meanwhile Mark Jackson looks calm and collected like he's the guy with the 4 rings. I can't imagine who would inspire more confidence in his team.yup
that's the way I see it. Our big 3 are unsure they can turn this series around. Pop has no answer. Ginobili already with tears in his eyes.
But no, according to some delusionals here, we have no reason to panic. The 101 minutes of anal pounding the Warriors have been inflicting on SPurs is nothing to worry about
Translation: I didn't pay attention to the Spurs defense on Curry.
They are doing much the same this game. Pop had to play Neal and Bonner together or we would be up by even more.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
