Woj: Spurs Held Players-Only Meeting to Implore Kawhi's Potential Return to Lineup

[cd021]

Wait... Kawhi needs to do a better job at finding LA? u have a prob with Kawhi isoing, but it's ok when the black hole touches does it? U act as if LA ever passes... I swear the way u guys talk, LA has several burner accounts on here...

If you can, rewatch that @ Detroit game and tell me that Kawhi doesn't ball hog when he's on the floor with Aldridge. Aldridge does kick the ball back out to shooters when in the post, including to Kawhi, but with Kawhi out he's had to be more aggressive in looking for his shot.

[cd021]

He has little trade value right now. This is what sucks. He has derailed his value. Rep is that he is soft, won't play though injury, not a leader. Nobody wants that.. Curry has sprained his bad ankles like 5 times this year. And he has had short rests and come back. KL would have been sitting out the whole year just with those sore ankles.

Yeah, I don't buy that. He isn't coming back from a traditional major injury, I think teams would be concerned but that it probably wouldn't stop a team from trading for him. I think Phx might be desperate enough to consider moving several of their picks (they have 4 in the top 31) to acquire him if the Spurs were to make him available after our season ends. They haven't made the playoffs in 9 years and don't figure to make it in the next three the way things are going for them.

[Seventyniner]

For years, Pop has built the longest run of sustained success in league history by routinely sitting healthy players.

Fixed that for ya.

Karma's a .

There is certainly ing in your post but it has nothing to do with karma. Do you have any idea what karma actually means?

[YGWHI]

Waiting for Kawhi's lawyer/friend/representative/personal assistant YGWHI or whatever to come and spin this.

Been saying for awhile now that Kawhi has been causing problems in the locker room, which is why the Spurs thought about trading him before the deadline. I don't want to believe because he's such a good player, but all this drama and stories coming out can't be a coincidence

You wouldn't need to be Kawhi's lawyer/friend/representative/personal assistant to know how this is working with media now. Media is creating the drama and some stupid people are buying it.

Spurs and Kawhi's camp denied every Woj's report because they were just BS. He said Kawhi won't come back, then he said he'll do it against Wolves, then he lies again about how the meeting was...

I doubt DPG is part of his friends but he described pretty much how the real issue looks.

The Spurs and Kawhi's camp have been bombarded by the press, trying to create chaos, media tries to tell Kawhi that his teammates are talking to the media about the meeting in a way it didn't happen...

You shouldn't be that naive. There are other NBA teams's PRs behind Woj.

Woj is a power broker and has been known to be cut throat. In this Kawhi scenario it’s not the Woj is lying. He’s using his power/sway, probably as favors to bigger franchises that work with him to create discord and interest in Kawhi leaving.

He’s trying to fracture Kawhi/Spurs since they shut him out like all the rest. Kawhi is the only player big enough for Woj to strike at.

The meeting happened; Woj was not lying. But HOW it happened is where he’s sowing his discord.

[YGWHI]

He has little trade value right now. This is what sucks. He has derailed his value. Rep is that he is soft, won't play though injury, not a leader.

Who wins in this situation? I would say oOther big markets that want Kawhi and "suggest" media about Spurs-Kawhi's "issues".

"Rep is that he is soft" He had his injury in last playoffs, he played at MVP level through pain last playoffs. Sadly, his quad getting worse this season, instead of calling soft a player for being injured, I would support him.

"Not a leader" Kawhi has talked when he was in SA -and texted them when he was working in other cities- his teammates all year. Danny Green already said it.

Obviously, Kawhi talked more with the young guys than Manu/Parker but he stayed close to most his teammates.

Then the media was lying "Kawhi don't talk with his teammates", they had a "tense and emotional meeting"...

Do you remember last year the rumors about LMA? They were right. He wanted out, more touches, stats, whatever.

Tell me who Spurs' player denied it in public like Danny and Brandon did it now? Who Spurs' player was supporting him against rumors? No one, because they already knew something happened.

Two weeks ago Rudy said he supports Kawhi. Danny said Kawhi texted teammates all times. Brandon said media lied.

Like I've said before, people love drama, media is creating the drama. Not sure why it's so hard to believe that a player is just injured.

Not sure why there are so much people willing to believe that Kawhi would out/play in LA, I get it if this was a Lakers forum but Spurs fans?? For real? I find it just crazy.

[YGWHI]

If you can, rewatch that @ Detroit game and tell me that Kawhi doesn't ball hog when he's on the floor with Aldridge. Aldridge does kick the ball back out to shooters when in the post, including to Kawhi, but with Kawhi out he's had to be more aggressive in looking for his shot.

I've said this is on Pop. He designated a "take your turn" offense, LMA the first minutes the game, all Kawhi second quarter... Doesn't matter if both players are on the floor, they don't play together.

I always mentioned the lack of P&Rs between both, Kawhi and LMA, you did the same in this tread. If Kawhi could run those P&Rs with Pau/Dedmon/DLee successfully, why not with LMA?

One thing is sure, with Kawhi next season or with other true scorer -if they trade him-, LMA won't have this type of season. He won't have +20 touches in a game, he will have to share the touches...We can expect he'll be fine not being the man all games but who knows.

[Spurtacular]

You could see it all season. This with Kawhi has blown up chemistry. They started to patch it up when Pop essentially ruled Kawhi out, but then he had to leak about a return. I think that leak more than anything is what would have caused this meeting.

If he's faking, the players don't need a leak to know that.

[offset formation]

Wait... Kawhi needs to do a better job at finding LA? u have a prob with Kawhi isoing, but it's ok when the black hole touches does it? U act as if LA ever passes... I swear the way u guys talk, LA has several burner accounts on here...

LA passes all the time. WTF are you watching?

Also have you ever watched a broadcast where the ball won't go through the post for possession after possession and Sean Elliott will be imploring the players to get it into LA?? And as I recall he reminds the viewers that's the team's best chance of winning. I think he knows more than you.

[MoSpur02]

Of course Kawhi's "camp" is going to deny the reports from Woj and other media outlets. They don't want Kawhi to seem like the bad guy or his value to decrease. Woj may not be 100% right about what has or is happening with Kawhi, but he is on the right track. He was right about him being cleared to play, him seeking second opinions, not working out with the team, and the meeting.

[MultiTroll]

Q. How many ST'ers have had the exact same injury as Kawhi?

[mingus]

You gotta take Manu & TP’s participation in this meeting very seriously. 4 rings with those guys at the helm. You gotta side w/ them.

IMO, Kawhi is done as a Spur.

It would be a shame too, since if he didn’t get drafted by the Spurs IMO he isn’t near the player he is now. He’s got a lot to thank this organization for. I get how players have got to do what’s best (or what they think is best) for their careers, but there’s a lot of fishiness going on here. I think he’s playin’ us.

A while back there was that news that he didn’t get that shoe deal he wanted. You know what’s going on in his head: “if I was in a bigger market...”

And he’d probably have a point.

Still though. I don’t like him scapegoating the injury. I think that’s what he’s doing, & I think the players (& Pop) know that. And I think publicizing this is their attempt at exposing that.

He’s done here.

[mingus]

BTW, welcome to the post Tim Duncan era. Where most players with his kind of talent ain’t gonna want to stay here.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I guess Woj has crossed over into reporting unsubstantiated rumor to generate readership.

[sasaint]

Some of this is on Pop tbh. They seldom ever ran P&R together, instead it was Kawhi and Pau with LMA spotting up in the left corner. Kawhi would either pullup, drive, or pass back to Gasol for an open 3, Aldridge would pretty much be left out of the play.

If Kawhi is back next season, I hope that Pop continues to start LMA at center with Murray, Green, Leonard, Bertans and filling out the starting lineup. LMA would be the primary screener for Kawhi with Bertans and Green helping to space the floor on those possessions. During LA's post ups, Leonard, Bertans and Green can space the floor. The Spurs have better much better offensively and fairly even defensively with LMA at center as opposed to Aldridge and Gasol units that would figure to be much better if Kawhi is healthy.

Leonard does need to do a better job of seeking Aldridge out and stop resorting to Kawhiso's as much. They should be able to help each other gain mismatches; LMA pulls the opposing big away from the rim ( Bertans would do the same with the other one) teams generally wouldn't be able to switch the p&r or risk having Kawhi being guarded by a 4 or 5 and Aldridge by a 3 leading to a miss match on the perimeter and in the post.

In terms of Xs and Os, you are better than Pop! But I still have my doubts about the locker room. If you were going to build an NBA team, would you want your two statistical leaders to be extreme introverts in the locker room? In a locker room without any other strong leadership? That's what I mean by not meshing well - not conflict, but total lack of interaction.

[Keepin' it real]

Q. How many ST'ers have had the exact same injury as Kawhi?

Interesting question, why do you ask?

[r0drig0lac]

Of course Kawhi's "camp" is going to deny the reports from Woj and other media outlets. They don't want Kawhi to seem like the bad guy or his value to decrease. Woj may not be 100% right about what has or is happening with Kawhi, but he is on the right track. He was right about him being cleared to play, him seeking second opinions, not working out with the team, and the meeting.

danny and paul they also part of Kawhi's camp?

[bklynspursfan]

[Dex]

BUT WOJ SAID!!!

[cd98]

eh, it's more exciting when the media makes it sound like a shouting match.

[Russ]

The fact of the meeting, itself, that it was necessary, is the significance -- whether or not there was some melodramatic dialogue.

[rjv]

I guess Woj has crossed over into reporting unsubstantiated rumor to generate readership.

in other words, he's become the typical ST poster.

[cjw]

eh, it's more exciting when the media makes it sound like a shouting match.

ESPN trying to be more like the cable news channels and create stories by exaggerating and fanning the flames. If I could count the times CNN says breaking news...

[bklynspursfan]

Parker was asked how he would characterize the meeting.

"You should know better," he said. "You should know better that I can't talk about that. That's private stuff, locker room stuff. We always talk as a team, but you know we can't talk about that."

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...mpression=true

[sasaint]

The fact of the meeting, itself, that it was necessary, is the significance -- whether or not there was some melodramatic dialogue.

[DPG21920]

https://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/...mpression=true

Danny Green after seeing TP’s comments: whoopsy daisy