Popovich pushes right buttons with Nesterovic
Web Posted: 12/24/2004 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b....38dadae0.html
For the second time in the past eight games, Spurs starting center Rasho Nesterovic found himself on the bench at the start of a second half, this time against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night at the SBC Center.
It had nothing to do with foul trouble. Nesterovic was in coach Gregg Popovich's doghouse again after going scoreless, with a lone rebound, in 11 minutes of a first half dominated by his Minnesota counterpart, Michael Olowokandi.
"Pop likes to get you mad," said Spurs point guard Tony Parker, a doghouse resident on more than a few occasions since joining the Spurs.
If aggression born of anger was Popovich's intent, his plan succeeded. Given a second chance midway through the third quarter, Nesterovic was as effective as he had been inept in the first. He scored six points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked three shots in 17 second-half minutes that reminded the rest of the Spurs that he can be a valuable teammate.
"Rasho played great the second half," Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. "(Pop) really got on him here at halftime and asked a lot of him, and he came out in the second half and responded very well. Hopefully, we can get him rolling and get his confidence up. He's going to help us tremendously if he can do that."
Nesterovic, who sat out the second half of the Spurs' Dec. 8 loss to Seattle, said Popovich's halftime pronouncement that Robert Horry would start the second half at center helped fuel him.
"It (ticked) me off because I tried from the start, (tried to be) aggressive from the beginning," Nesterovic said. "But it just didn't work out too good. You try, and the harder you try the deeper you sink, so it gets to you. And before Pop even says anything, you get ticked off at yourself."
Nesterovic's frustration continued to build when he missed two easy shots after finally getting back on the court in the third quarter. So when Parker found him alone, right under the basket, with 50 seconds left in the quarter, Nesterovic vented by dunking as forcefully as he has all season.
"I had before that dunk two or three open shots that just didn't go in," Nesterovic said. "They felt perfect on the release, but they just didn't go in. The dunk ... I was close enough and that was the only way probably I could put it in.
"Yes, it felt good."
Said Duncan: "I think that dunk got him going."
Popovich agreed, and repeated his admonition that Nesterovic continue to play aggressively, at both ends of the court.
"He has the ability offensively," Popovich said, "but not if he's not demonstrative."
Nesterovic opened Thursday's game guarding Minnesota's Kevin Garnett and Duncan credited him with taking the reigning MVP out of his comfort zone.
As for the halftime motivation Nesterovic needed, Duncan left that to Popovich.
"I try to stay away from him," Duncan said. "I let people find themselves."
("I try to stay away from him," Duncan said. "I let people find themselves.")
fnck it, EXACTLY what I did NOT want to hear! You're 30, time to grow up, Tim. It's YOUR franchise to LEAD. Just playing basketball for the fun and $$$ of it ain't good enough. It's YOUR franchise, Tim. Earn your $120M.
Timmy realised that Rasho was struggling. Rasho needed some constructive criticism and he got plenty of it from Pop. Timmy has the good sense to know that when someone struggles with confidence, too much scolding becomes redundant and demoralizing.
There is no formula that equals great leadership. The best leader is one who understands the needs of the person he is trying to help and can adapt his methods accordingly. I think both Timmy and Pop do well in that area.
"It (ticked) me off because I tried from the start, (tried to be) aggressive from the beginning," Nesterovic said. "But it just didn't work out too good. You try, and the harder you try the deeper you sink, so it gets to you. And before Pop even says anything, you get ticked off at yourself."
Look guys, he is trying. Give the poor guy a break!
Tim has a different style of leadership, and I'd say it works pretty well for him. He doesn't go for yelling and railing at teammates, a la Kevin Garnett. He prefers to leave the tough discipline to the coach, and be a supportive leader. I think it makes for better team relations. It's the parenting stye of team leadership - the coach is the disciplining parent (which not all coaches in the NBA are capable of being) and the team mates are the siblings, defending and encouraging one another.
Pop said last year he doesn't want to be the team leader, it's not his role, but he's forced to do it.
Somebody needs to be the lockerroom/floor leader (places the coach can't go).
This habit of starting games flat, and the habit both O and D dissappearing for entire quarters, until Pop chews their ass is asinine and childish. The team, its leader, needs to be self-starting, self-butt kicking, self-focusing, self-instensifying.
Compare the Spurs' first and second halves of a) last night, and b) the second SEA game. Two totally different teams. Only one has a chance of winning a le.
That is it, SuperGirl! You read my thoughts exactly!
this is rasho's job...he is not playing in a city league. he is PAID to bust his ass, get rebounds, etc... when you tell your boss to give you a break if you were not doing what you're supposed to?
but rasho showed he can have some aggression in that 2nd half.. the dunk and those blocks were awesome.... he would've had 5-6 blocks, but the refs called foul on a few that were all ball...
As much as I think guys like Barry and Devin may not respond well to Pop's verbal thrashings and quick hooks, Rasho seems to need that. KG might have known what he was doing.
Interesting to put a Mother's perspective into play here. When AJ was with the Spurs, he was sort of the mom on that team. There doesn't seem to be that element on this year's Spurs team. Therefore, the head coach has to be the parents. Interesting take there Supergirl.
That job belongs to Tony. He is the one that needs to be in the players faces. I dont think I want Tim acking like KG. Since this is not Tim's personally I'm not sure it would have a positive result on his teammates. I would think it might confuse them. Since Tony is the PG he should be the one who needs to direct the team.
He's 22 years old, playing with players who are 7-15 years older than him. I don't think he can be the leader right now, I think the motivating job should belong to Manu. He is the one player that is always out there playing his best, when we're up 20 or down 20. He sets an example, and he has energy. I think he can be the leader they need right now.
Does anyone have a clip of the dunk??
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