Coach Pop is one wily old goat

[OttoinGrotto]

Remember this? - http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?id=400277940

It occurs to me that the Heat haven't played the Spurs full roster once this season (Manu was out for their second game). I wonder if Pop had that in mind way back when.

Of course, the flip side is that his full roster has never faced the Heat, so...:noidea:

We are all Spurs fans. San Antonio in 6. Tony Parker for Finals MVP.

 

[CusefanATL]

Remember this? - http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?id=400277940

It occurs to me that the Heat haven't played the Spurs full roster once this season (Manu was out for their second game). I wonder if Pop had that in mind way back when.

Of course, the flip side is that his full roster has never faced the Heat, so...:noidea:

We are all Spurs fans. San Antonio in 6. Tony Parker for Finals MVP.

the heat sat wade and lebron for game 2 as a rebuttal

 

[OttoinGrotto]

the heat sat wade and lebron for game 2 as a rebuttal

Well, Spo was just a copy cat.

 

[ebucklewis]

Pop is the best in the business. I think Moqui said it and I agree - he reminds me a lot of JB the way he handles the media. Wily old goat is a good description.. Better coach than JB but I would love to see JB coach in a best of 7 series.

 

[RF2044]

Pop is the best in the business. I think Moqui said it and I agree - he reminds me a lot of JB the way he handles the media. Wily old goat is a good description.. Better coach than JB but I would love to see JB coach in a best of 7 series.

Pop definitely reminds me of a college coach--he holds players accountable, he rides them in games, and he gets on them when the miss defensive assignments, turn the ball over, etc.

Most professionals tune that type of coach out after awhile, but not the Spurs. That their two stars [Duncan and Parker, and Robinson before them] buy in to Pop's relentless style forces the others to do so as well. And the result is a very unique situation in the NBA. Its no wonder that they've had a sustained run of excellence there.

 

[JrodCuse]

Why are we all Spurs fans?

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Why are we all Spurs fans?

So we can hate on Lebron. De-doy.

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[Knicks411]

Yeah Pop is without question a great coach, and when the star players buys in, it makes everything work

 

[PoppyHart]

Why are we all Spurs fans?

I wasn't sure about that either. I just want to see greatness in some form.

 

[weedsportwarriors]

Why are we all Spurs fans?

I am a Spurs fan because of my older brother. He liked the Spurs so I did. This goes back to the days of Johnny Moore, Artis Gilmore, Gene Banks, Paul Silas and the Iceman.

Pop has a way to get everything he can out of his players. They all seem to buy in to the system; it doesn't matter who is in.

I agree with Otto. Spurs in 6, Tony MVP!

 

[jordoo]

I'll root for Duncan adding another ring to his great and very professional legacy.

 

[Ward]

I'm really looking forward to this series. Two teams that play with incredibly high basketball IQ's and tons of stars. It will be a lot of fun to see if Lebron can continue on his path toward cementing himself as one of the best of all time and also if Pop, Duncan, Parker, and Manu have one more great series in them to add another ring and hold off the Heat. I think if Spurs win and beat the Heat at this point in Duncan and Manu's career as their last hoorah that has to catapult that core to another level.

 

[moqui]

the Spurs are the closest thing to a favorite team that I have in the NBA. I love the way they play the game. But, I'm not necessarily rooting for them, because I love Lebron and the way he plays the game, too. This is the "can't lose" finals for me. I expect to see "the beautiful game" version of hoops for the next couple of weeks.

Pop is the best in the business. I think Moqui said it and I agree - he reminds me a lot of JB the way he handles the media.

I love this clip. Sideline reporter asks Pop a simpleton question - how he knew that Ginobli would have a strong second half after a poor first half. Pop fixes him with a disdainful stare and answers

 

[skurey]

 

[JrodCuse]

Heat match up better with Spurs than they do with Pacers. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Heaters in 6. That dude everyone loves to hate on is gonna keep steamrolling to his 2nd ring.

 

[Knicks411]

The Pop interview where Aldridge asked him something and he his response was something like "can you keep a secret?" was great

 

[RF2044]

Heat match up better with Spurs than they do with Pacers. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Heaters in 6. That dude everyone loves to hate on is gonna keep steamrolling to his 2nd ring.

If Wade and Bosh play the way they did for most of the Pacers series, this is going to be over in 6 all right.

Spurs aren't going to turn the ball over indiscriminately like Indiana did. Spurs coast to their fifth NBA title.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Heat match up better with Spurs than they do with Pacers.

People keep saying this. I don't think it's true. Who stops Tony Parker on that Heat roster? Who stops Old Man Timmy on that roster? The issues the Heat have are at point and center. The Spurs are strong at point and center. That doesn't sound like a better match up to me at all than what the Pacers rolled out.

Also keep in mind - Pop knows what he's doing in the finals.This isn't a guy making it to the big show for the first time.

 

[moqui]

People keep saying this. I don't think it's true. Who stops Tony Parker on that Heat roster? Who stops Old Man Timmy on that roster? The issues the Heat have are at point and center. The Spurs are strong at point and center. That doesn't sound like a better match up to me at all than what the Pacers rolled out.

Also keep in mind - Pop knows what he's doing in the finals.This isn't a guy making it to the big show for the first time.

and the Spurs are well rested, while the Heat just played seven grueling games. Rust is a danger, but both teams like to spread the floor and find their open jump shooters, and nothing makes jump shots start coming up short like tired legs.

 

[RF2044]

and the Spurs are well rested, while the Heat just played seven grueling games. Rust is a danger, but both teams like to spread the floor and find their open jump shooters, and nothing makes jump shots start coming up short like tired legs.

Not to mention, the Spurs were nursing nagging leg injuries to Parker and Manu--the time off will serve them well.

 

[Knicks411]

People keep saying this. I don't think it's true. Who stops Tony Parker on that Heat roster? Who stops Old Man Timmy on that roster? The issues the Heat have are at point and center. The Spurs are strong at point and center. That doesn't sound like a better match up to me at all than what the Pacers rolled out.

Also keep in mind - Pop knows what he's doing in the finals.This isn't a guy making it to the big show for the first time.

Well, better matchup doesn't necessarily mean good matchup. The Spurs are awesome; no one is really a good matchup for them.

I think Chalmers is a decent defender at PG; though obviously Parker is way better than him. I do wonder how often the Spurs are going to play big; that was the main reason Miami had so much trouble with Indy. Duncan is going to have an edge on any of the big guys on Miami's roster, but the real problem was, like I said, the fact that Hibbert and West were out there most of the game and were killing Miami inside. Tiago Splitter averaged about 25 minutes a game; I don't thinkl he's going to be playing 40 this series

One point in Miami's favor; who does San Antonio have to guard Lebron? Leonard is probably the only guy on the roster who can. Lebron averaged 29-7-5 on 51% shooting with Paul George, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, checking him. San Antonio doesn't have anyone like that.

I h ave Miami in a long series. The Spurs winning wouldn't surprise me much at all.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

One more thought - the Spurs need to win one for McGrady.

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[RF2044]

Well, better matchup doesn't necessarily mean good matchup. The Spurs are awesome; no one is really a good matchup for them.

I think Chalmers is a decent defender at PG; though obviously Parker is way better than him. I do wonder how often the Spurs are going to play big; that was the main reason Miami had so much trouble with Indy. Duncan is going to have an edge on any of the big guys on Miami's roster, but the real problem was, like I said, the fact that Hibbert and West were out there most of the game and were killing Miami inside. Tiago Splitter averaged about 25 minutes a game; I don't thinkl he's going to be playing 40 this series

One point in Miami's favor; who does San Antonio have to guard Lebron? Leonard is probably the only guy on the roster who can. Lebron averaged 29-7-5 on 51% shooting with Paul George, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, checking him. San Antonio doesn't have anyone like that.

I h ave Miami in a long series. The Spurs winning wouldn't surprise me much at all.

The Spurs just played a team that was "big" like Indiana, in Memphis [with Gasol and Randolph], and more than held their own.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

One more thought - the Spurs need to win one for McGrady.

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I'm responding to my own post because I made this with MS Paint.

 

[Knicks411]

The Spurs just played a team that was "big" like Indiana, in Memphis [with Gasol and Randolph], and more than held their own.

This is true, but I'm not sure I follow. Miami was hurt because Indy was playing 2 big bruising guys (much like Randolph and Gasol) for 40 minutes a game. In the Memphis series, Splitter was playing 26 minutes per game. Along with Duncan, those 2 are really the only big bruiser West-Hibbert types the Spurs have (not counting Diaw or Bonner here). So I don't see the Spurs playing big lineups like that most of the game, which is what really hurt Miami in the last round.

Which isn't to say the Spurs can't win, but if they win, I don't think they will be hurting Miami in the same way Indy was.