Reply With QuoteEven the media is starting to catch on. Eventually Spurs fans will see the light.The key to the Spurs' ultimate destiny, though, may be the ability of Malik Rose to make a forceful re-emergence as a powerhouse rebounder and interior scorer.
Adaptable Popovich is among NBA's best
Charley Rosen / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 41 minutes ago
msn.foxsports.com/story/3026598
This guy can do it all. He can work with veterans and he can also develop rookies. From the All-Stars to the scrubs, Gregg Popovich has earned the admiration of the vast majority of his players — even those who don't get the daylight they feel they deserve — and they all gladly accept their assigned roles.
Why is this so? Because Popovich is an honest man in a profession that's populated by too many snake oil salesmen.
Just how honest is he? Back in the late 1980s when he was a Spurs assistant, Popovich made no secret that the biggest problem with David Robinson's game plan was that the Admiral had too many outsides interests — including playing the piano and fiddling with computers — to truly love playing basketball. Interesting, however, that Robinson's passion for the game turned fiery shortly after Pop became the Spurs' commander-in-chief.
There's no question that Popovich is also renowned as a masterful manipulator of Xs and Os, yet his game-time flexibility is a secret ingredient that's likewise been critical to his success: He can be cool on the bench, but when the necessity arises he can also breathe fire. His teams can run or grunt, finesse or bang — whatever it takes to win.
While a coach's capacity to provide leadership is certainly important, it's also a vastly overrated quality. An NBA coach is, after all, a civilian. Whether he's sitting, squatting, standing, or pacing the sidelines, a coach wears a monkey suit and merely hovers on the physical periphery of the game at hand. True leadership must come from the players themselves — whether by encouraging, scolding, advising and/or providing an example for their teammates. What a coach can do is create an environment of respect and cooperation. And nobody does this better than Popovich.
That's exactly why the Spurs' team chemistry is as precious and immutable as a gold ring (make that two gold rings).
Pop's generic defense is always active — poaching the passing lanes, rotating to help situations with speed and precision, sealing ball penetration, pouncing on loose balls, and hustling in transition. On offense, his teams are invariably unselfish and take great pleasure in finding the open man. They'll run multiple loops, dives and rubs in their early offense. In half-courts sets, the Spurs use screen/rolls to either get Tony Parker into the paint, or to force the defense to scramble and thereby uncover San Antonio's shooters.
Tim Duncan, of course, is at the hub of most of Popovich's half-court alignments, and his clutch-shooting, his versatility, unselfishness, and decision-making are unsurpassed among the league's big men. Popovich's most noticeable flaw, however, is his occasional stubbornness — against some bigger, stronger opponents, TD would be better used at the high post (to say nothing of the diminished wear and tear on his body parts). But Popovich frequently goes with what he wants to do, instead of with what may work best. This is a minor quibble, however, and only proves that Pop isn't quite perfect. Back when the 6'2", 200-pound Popovich was playing for the Air Force Academy (1968-1970), his game was noteworthy for his shooting prowess. Accordingly, the several editions of his San Antonio teams have tended to be jump-shot happy. This predilection, of course, led to dire consequences in last season's postseason matchup with the Lakers.
It's no secret that the Western Conference will be incredibly compe ive in the forthcoming campaign. So what might Popovich reasonably expect from his team?
Brent Barry will certainly improve the Spurs' propensity to die by the jump shot. Bruce Bowen is arguably the best defensive wing-man around. Parker is another year older and should bring an increased maturity to his sometimes helter-skelter game. Radoslav Nesterovic remains a point-minded center who'd rather fade away than bang. After his gold-medal performance in Athens, Manu Ginobili has every reason to perform with more confidence and more consistency than ever before. And Duncan might indeed be motivated to trump his bronze medal with another gold ring.
The key to the Spurs' ultimate destiny, though, may be the ability of Malik Rose to make a forceful re-emergence as a powerhouse rebounder and interior scorer.
Whatever needs must be met, whatever adjustments must be made on the run, count on Pop to get the job done in a timely and effective fashion. That's because Gregg Popovich is undoubtedly the NBA's most accomplished coach.
Even the media is starting to catch on. Eventually Spurs fans will see the light.The key to the Spurs' ultimate destiny, though, may be the ability of Malik Rose to make a forceful re-emergence as a powerhouse rebounder and interior scorer.
Don't let Whott see thatPopovich made no secret that the biggest problem with David Robinson's game plan was that the Admiral had too many outsides interests — including playing the piano and fiddling with computers — to truly love playing basketball.
Lord no....pop is horrible.
He must have done something right, two les and all.
damn, this article is gonna piss Aggie off..........
TPark, don't forget about Sequ
John Lucas > Pop.
Pop might be likeable or whatever, but he can thank Tim Duncan and David Robinson for his success. It ain't like he took the Clippers to the promise land.
He is just ing lucky.
It's called coaching and trying to get the best out of your best player and it is hardly unique to Pop...Not that Pop is flawless anyway. Besides, Drob, like all bigmen was the main suspect of blame when his team failed to suceed.Don't let Whott see that
They called Wilt soft.
They said Kareem didn't care(even after he won upteen NBA les).
They call Shaq lazy.
They said Hakeem was selfish.
And now, they even say Duncan is too timid.
Drob still drops the ultimate **** you on you Ice, and all who criticized his demeanor and questioned his desire...
He said point blank up till the last game of his career that he didn't judge himself by NBA les, that there were more important things to him than basketball. At the trophy presentation of the Spurs last championship he said don't praise these men for winning an NBA le, praise them because they are good men...
That's DRob's way of saying **** you as he waves his two rings in your face.
How many does Moses have? Or Karl(I'll injure people to win) Malone?
And be glad Drob had other interests...otherwise he probably never would have been a Spur in the first place and we wouldn't have a team now.
Uhm Moses has 1 along with a finals mvp, Karl tho has none.
Um David needed the Spurs to land a 1st team All-NBA bigman in the draft in order to grab those rings.
If only he had one tenth the desire that AJ had. If only.
Yeah he didn't have any talent or anything.
Its amazing how not being consumed with all things basketball was seen as a negative despite all the positive things Dave did.
Whottt...who said Wilt was soft? I would like some proof on that. Not saying you are wrong....just would like to know who would be that misguided.
I remember the "Kareem doesn't care" talk. Interesting. I don't see how someone could be the player he was and not care.
Hakeem selfish? Is calling for the ball in crunch time selfish? Again..would have to see proof on that.
Shaq is lazy, you can see it in his play.
Pay attention.
The point is that David had all world talent, but the desire for the game was not there. This is not exactly a secret.
David cared more about other things, theres nothing wrong with that.
There had to be some desire there...otherwise he could not have been the player he was. Maybe not to the level you would have liked but he must have been doing something right.
Nothing wrong with that Ice, unless you wanted to see the Spurs win a le pre-1997.
When it's all said and done there's no player in the NBA, talent, intensity, whatever, that I'd rather have had play for, represent and continue to represent the SA community than Robinson. Not Wilt, not MJ, not Kareem, certainly not Kobe.
... but Duncan is a pretty good second choice.
Popovich is one of the most OVER-rated coaches in the NBA! I have no respect for a guy that jettison's his coach after landing the #1 pick in the draft (Duncan) who he knows will single-handedly turn the franchise around. Popovich is a snake.
. . . except that Popovich didn't jettison his coach after learning that the Spurs would have the #1 pick. Tim Duncan was drafted in 1997, some 8 months after Popovich took over as head coach. He fired Bob Hill after the Spurs got out to a 3-14 start in 1996-97. He fired Bob Hill after the players approached him and asked him to send Hill packing.
Other than misunderstanding all of the facts, you're right.
funny
Only problem there T Dumb,I have no respect for a guy that jettison's his coach after landing the #1 pick in the draft
He fired him in the season before they got Duncan.
Get yer facts straight der sunny.......
Mikey it's not worth it. You can't win an argument with intellectually dishonest people like Ice and MB because they will just step outside of reality and make up anytime they are on the ropes.
Case in point...Icemancometh is by far the biggest Drob hater on this board and he always has been, he used to make anti Drob posts as a regular habit...he has done nothing but find ways to trivialize and diminish the Admirals career as long as I have seen him post.
And I can gurantee you it's because he thinks the Admiral was "too white"...not because of anything David Robinson ever did, or failed to do, on the court.
Marcus Bryant claims to be some extaordinary SpursFan and constantly harrasses me with lame commentary like Coyote > Drob...
Yet look who he sides with in this thread? Look how many people he rates over David Robinson in this thread...
You see him hold David Robinson singlehandely responsible for our pre 97 failure to win an NBA le...you see him put AJ, Pop and Duncan all over David Robinson in this very thread.
If you listen to his comments for very long you will think we won a le inspite Avery Johnson being held down by David Robinson.
And hey Marcus, rather than Drob increasing his desire...how about ing AJ developing the ability to hit a shot outside of 10 feet while Drob is being double teamed.
Giving Duncan credit for those les shows how limited your view of the game is...in fact...this past summer we watched Duncan get beaten by one of his own teamates while he was surrounded by an All Star Team...and Duncan made it clear he had had enough after these Olympics.
David Robinson also had to go through the ignomy of the being the first USA basketball player of his kind to be humiliated in international play...to be blindsided by a team much better than anyone expected.
Did he quit? No, in fact he pretty much gave up his career as a star by going back to play international ball again and again and playing with sevre injury.
Basketball may not have been the most important thing to DRob...but that doesn't mean he didn't play as hard or harder than anyone...and anyone that watched his career, watched the beatings he took in the post in the playoffs, watched the look of absolute defeat he wore on his face at the conclusion of the 94-95 WCF, and saw the look of absolute relief(not joy) on his face after we finally won a le...would never doubt how much effort he put into to winning a le..regardless of whether or not he liked the internet.
As many have noted...Basketball wasn't David Robinsons favorite thing...but that doesn't mean he didn't play hard...he played as hard as anyone, because it was his job, his duty.
When you show me other players that gave up the second half of their career by playing for their country with a hernia, in the Olympics..I might be willing to admit Drob didn't play as hard as anyone else...but it's just not true.
I've never claimed to be an "extraordinary SpursFan", whatever that means.
It's not a secret and it's not exactly that controversial of a statement to say that David Robinson did not live and breathe the game as did other players.
This discussion is not about whether DRob is a wonderful human being or not, let alone whether or not he was the most important bipedal organism to the Spurs. It is about his desire and passion for the game and that was clearly not the same as his peers.
The Spurs will never win their 3rd ring with Pop at the helm.:p
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