"Gregg Popovich can draw up Xs and Os with the best of them. But according to Charley Rosen it's his flexibility and willingness to adapt that makes the Spurs head coach one of the NBA's best. Full Story ... "
:huh: Do they mean Gregg Popavich of the SA Spurs? Read below. Debate. Spurs fans jump my "ish". Whatever. I'm dying to hear the boards response to this, especially Reality's (whos been MIA). Hopefully they arent talking about adapting to in-game situations because thats the main reason why the Spurs have lost 4 out of the last 5 years. Im all for giving him his props but this is uhhh, a little off to say the least. Funny how at the end of the article they talk about the team's success resting on Rose's shoulders.....yet it was partially Pop's fault why he needs to "re-emerge" in the first place.
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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 competitive 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.
