Kawhi and the Spurs: How it All Fell Apart

[Pavlov]

No one even knew his status.

that was the whole problem. Team Uncle hid KL and his status.

[pgardn]

Best player on the team and he had zero friends on the team after 5 years?

Thats a problem.
Thats a people problem.

Add the other stuff in, and here we are.

Manu’s quote is the best concerning adversity creating bonding and leadership. Shared frustrations and overcoming them... KL not capable.

[tbdog]

Antonio Daniels had an observation of Pop that no other former Spur has mentioned.

First, he was complimentary about how Pop evolved with the game -- from defense and low post play with 50 and 21 all the way to the "beautiful game". So Pop has adjusted on the court over the years to thrive for two decades. That part, everyone says.

But then Daniels said, Pop has not made any adjustments off the court. He treats players and runs things like he still has 50 and 21 in the locker room. He doesn't, so he needs to realize that and adjust his approach off the court to stay relevant. He also said when 21 walked out the door, the Spurs culture walked out with him.

Great take by AD that other former Spurs haven't had the guts to say.

Losing Duncan would change the team for years. Even Lakers have been dreadful since Kobe left. And he checked out 2 years prior. Bulls never really became anything after MJ, with a only a small glimpse with MVP Rose. What have the sixers done since AI? Twolves since KG? Suns without Nash? Jazz since Malone and Stockton, then Sloan? Duncan was relevant until the end and walked out. The Spurs should have imploded by now. They haven't. It does show that they have a finger on the pulse and no what's happening around them. Even the Leonard situation which was just bizarre on all accounts, they managed to get out of that one without it destroying the team. Watch the Cavs take a decade to be a team again.

[daslicer]

This is what caused it to go wrong. Look at Uncle Dennis in this clip and how he handles Kawhi:

[Mr. Body]

Pop's locker room tactics have been correct. Of course Duncan's retirement impacted things severely. But having marginal players like Simmons and Dedmon playing for their own stats is incredibly corrosive. That's what transforms a good small market organization into just another Bucks or Kings, just a backwater of crap for ages on end.

Once Pop goes, I think the old regime will go, too, and there's little chance of the Spurs competing for anything. They were incredibly lucky to get Robinson, but then they had no secondary player who challenged him in terms of ego (Sean was a great fit). Duncan and Pop locked everything down. If you weren't in with the program, you had to go. Soon the Spurs will be just another wasteland.

[ElNono]

Yes the full story has not come out. There's more to story than what's come out. That might also be why Kawhi might have wanted out. Pop's controlled the media narrative to put KL in a negative spotlight. He's got all the reporters afraid to speak out.

[superbigtime]

Kawhi is a complete asshole for putting his teammates in that position. him

[bigfan]

No more navel gazing; KL, lets see what the new team is like.

[apalisoc_9]

The Spurs never embraced Kawhis supers om.

He saw it in All-Star Games.

Maybe San Anntonio learns from this.

[Pavlov]

The Spurs never embraced Kawhis supers om.

He saw it in All-Star Games.

Maybe San Anntonio learns from this.

We all learned at least one thing from this....

[jjktkk]

Sure he admitted blame for the LMA situation, which was a situation he created himself that alienated his star player. But I was contrasting him with coaches that much more readily admit mistakes. You can't say he's in that category.

Move those goalposts.

[daslicer]

Pop's locker room tactics have been correct. Of course Duncan's retirement impacted things severely. But having marginal players like Simmons and Dedmon playing for their own stats is incredibly corrosive. That's what transforms a good small market organization into just another Bucks or Kings, just a backwater of crap for ages on end.

Once Pop goes, I think the old regime will go, too, and there's little chance of the Spurs competing for anything. They were incredibly lucky to get Robinson, but then they had no secondary player who challenged him in terms of ego (Sean was a great fit). Duncan and Pop locked everything down. If you weren't in with the program, you had to go. Soon the Spurs will be just another wasteland.

Robinson and Duncan were just special people with high character. Very rare your going to come across a superstar with the type of character both of those guys had. I just feel the reality of this league is 99 percent of stars tend to be divas ala Durant,Lebron, etc. As much as I dislike Curry I would say he's the real glue of the Warriors with him not being a diva but if he was that team would fall apart immediately. Donovon Mitc is another guy who strikes me as a high character guy that could be a superstar down the line. You get the idea though that it's very hard to find a superstar with great character.

[Mr. Body]

Robinson and Duncan were just special people with high character. Very rare your going to come across a superstar with the type of character both of those guys had. I just feel the reality of this league is 99 percent of stars tend to be divas ala Durant,Lebron, etc. As much as I dislike Curry I would say he's the real glue of the Warriors with him not being a diva but if he was that team would fall apart immediately. Donovon Mitc is another guy who strikes me as a high character guy that could be a superstar down the line. You get the idea though that it's very hard to find a superstar with great character.

The glue of the Warriors seems to be Draymond. Curry being an alright guy (if a y ) seems to work, and Thompson is a dutiful soldier. Durant is just a weenie crybaby. Kerr probably doesn't have to fuss with them much, but I believe Draymond Green is the guy there.

[Budkin]

The glue of the Warriors seems to be Draymond. Curry being an alright guy (if a y ) seems to work, and Thompson is a dutiful soldier. Durant is just a weenie crybaby. Kerr probably doesn't have to fuss with them much, but I believe Draymond Green is the guy there.

Draymond is the guy everyone loves when he's on their team and hates when he isn't.

[Allan Rowe vs Wade]

the all star game saga is a good metapahor for kawhis spurs downfall

kawhi and his group decided the nba transportation wasnt good enough bc they saw russ had a limo
then they got miffed about the spurs advising kawhi to leave at a certain time for the game to avoid traffic
they thought they knew better and did their own thing and got stuck just like spurs warned
so instead of the nba vehicle or a limo, kawhi ends up walking .. in toronto

[daslicer]

The glue of the Warriors seems to be Draymond. Curry being an alright guy (if a y ) seems to work, and Thompson is a dutiful soldier. Durant is just a weenie crybaby. Kerr probably doesn't have to fuss with them much, but I believe Draymond Green is the guy there.

Draymond to me is not really the glue. When adversity strikes I see him melting and folding. To me he's the guy most likely not to be there long term out of their big 4. Warriors will turn on him when they are no longer winning. Curry is an arrogant on the court but he's not a diva. Curry paved the way for all of the Warriors success. From day 1 he was a team guy. I have read stories of how he reached out to guys like Bogut,Barnes,Green,Iguodola and established relationships with them when the Warriors were building their team. He was also willing to take a backseat to Durant which is something very few players would do.

[SAGirl]

Don’t expect a public autopsy coming out of the Spurs’ front office any time soon, either. Under Popovich’s direction, the team has issued a “no-looking-back” edict.

And of course, Jeff being the great investigative reporter that he is, will settle with that and move along

Yep. There won’t be a postmortem autopsy. Kawhi doesn’t speak either so it’s up to someone speculation and what Wright from EsPN reported.

One of the most revealing statements was made by Danny. He’s a teammate that was shipped off with Kawhi to Toronto and he said he still doesn’t know exactly what happened. If Danny doesn’t know, none of the teammates know. That’s between Uncle and the FO. And considering PATFO was kept in the dark about the injury, Kawhi was hidden, etc. One has to think even PATFO don’t completely understand wth happened.

[daslicer]

Yep. There won’t be a postmortem autopsy. Kawhi doesn’t speak either so it’s up to someone speculation and what Wright from EsPN reported.

One of the most revealing statements was made by Danny. He’s a teammate that was shipped off with Kawhi to Toronto and he said he still doesn’t know exactly what happened. If Danny doesn’t know, none of the teammates know. That’s between Uncle and the FO. And considering PATFO was kept in the dark about the injury, Kawhi was hidden, etc. One has to think even PATFO don’t completely understand wth happened.

We won't find out what really happened up until probably several years from now when Kawhi is washed up. I think by then some people who actually know about what went down will come out with the truth.

[picnroll]

If anybody spills the beans someday I expect it’ll be Parker. Some will say the perspective will be tainted but if he comes forth I’ll believe every word. Manu, TD, Pop ... nada.

[SAGirl]

I think in time we may hear more about

1. The super max, and something like

2. Some type of power play attempt to have Pop replaced.

might be wrong but wouldn’t be surprised.

IMO Kawhi blames the Spurs for the injury and struggled trusting their medical personnel.

Once trust is replaced by blame and guilt nothing can go back to the way it were.

[picnroll]

IMO Kawhi blames the Spurs for the injury and struggled trusting their medical personnel.

Once trust is replaced by blame and guilt nothing can go back to the way it were.

My take is Uncle and his agent manipulated Kawhitter into thinking Spurs mismanaged his injury and a bunch of other imaginary or exaggerated sheit.

[Down Under]

The "ambushing", the Parker comments etc, were all moot points. Nothing was going to stop Dennis forcing a trade to LA. Not even sitting him out when he was healthy for close to 2 months. Kawhi could struggle in LA, not sure how he'd cope with the microscope over him all the time, day in day out.

[lmbebo]

IMO Kawhi blames the Spurs for the injury and struggled trusting their medical personnel.

Once trust is replaced by blame and guilt nothing can go back to the way it were.

Problem I got is that he put blame on them, but only 1 out of 10 doctors disagreed with them ... that should say something as well.

[MannyIsGod]

My take is Uncle and his agent manipulated Kawhitter into thinking Spurs mismanaged his injury and a bunch of other imaginary or exaggerated sheit.

This is far more likely. The Spurs have been at the forefront of player health for as long as I can remember. They and Pop were the ones that started the resting players trend. Pop has never risked player health for a game - even in the playoffs.

To say that the NBA's best franchise at handling health ed up Kawhi is just so hard for me to believe.

[ceperez]

The "ambushing", the Parker comments etc, were all moot points. Nothing was going to stop Dennis forcing a trade to LA. Not even sitting him out when he was healthy for close to 2 months. Kawhi could struggle in LA, not sure how he'd cope with the microscope over him all the time, day in day out.

I agree. That was a made up excuse.

Uncle Dennis wanted a bigger market.

The whole China trip wasn't a revelation. It was Uncle Dennis first attempt at exploiting Kawhi's marketing potential.

If there's any envy of other superstars, it's Uncle Dennis fanning those flames. Westbrook and Harden have cultivated enough of a unique personality to be in demand for advertisers. What's Kawhi done? , the entire klaw idea came from Patty Mills!