Greg Popovich needs an appreciation thread

[EnoughSaid]

This dude is always given a different roster every year, and is still able to get his team to a Top 5 record in the league. G.O.A.T. coach? :bowdown: :bowdown:

[Mr. Jabbar]

Hes boring as sh1t, though its fun when he gets all mad at his players and sits ALL the starters for the ENTIRE 4th qtr, even with the game within reach. I remember him doing that a couple of times, hilarious :oldlol: .

Mike Brown took notes

[linZoMourning]

Hes boring as sh1t, though its fun when he gets all mad at his players and sits ALL the starters for the ENTIRE 4th qtr, even with the game within reach. I remember him doing that a couple of times, hilarious :oldlol: .

Mike Brown took notes

maybe boring to you.

defense is highly entertaining to me

manu and parker are two of the most exciting players the nba has to offer.

whats not to like about the greatest PF to ever play the game? you will be able to tell your grand kids you saw this guy play.

[Mr. Jabbar]

maybe boring to you.

defense is highly entertaining to me

manu and parker are two of the most exciting players the nba has to offer.

whats not to like about the greatest PF to ever play the game? you will be able to tell your grand kids you saw this guy play.

I don't think its arguable that hes boring (not only for bball style reasons), dude never laughs, hes the Kendrick Perkins of coaches. DND - OLD was a good move though :oldlol:

pd: he is a great coach.

[kraze94]

Best coach in the NBA and it's not even close.

[Wonder Bread Kid]

I didn't know coaches were supposed to be entertaining. :facepalm

[Solidape]

Here is my appreciation, enjoy

http://27.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxaidjrHOe1qk4a0ho1_500.jpg

[Haymaker]

He's better than Phil Jackson IMO. He's taken lesser teams than the Bulls or Lakers to multiple championships.

[ihatetimthomas]

He's better than Phil Jackson IMO. He's taken lesser teams than the Bulls or Lakers to multiple championships.

True, but Phil has taken teams with different personnel to titles where Pop has always had Timmy, Manu and Parker. He has had different role players come and go but the core remains the same. Not at all trying to take away from him, he is one of the best of all time. But Phil has had to manage and play with different teams.

[TMT]

:roll: Not only is the team boring, but now our head coach is too?

What is the man supposed to do, be doing somersaults and cartwheels over on the side lines for regular season wins? :facepalm

[Mr. Jabbar]

:roll: Not only is the team boring, but now our head coach is too?

What is the man supposed to do, be doing somersaults and cartwheels over on the side lines for regular season wins? :facepalm

nothing. its not a something a bad thing per se, just the way things are.

[3peated]

This dude is always given a different roster every year, and is still able to get his team to a Top 5 record in the league. G.O.A.T. coach? :bowdown: :bowdown:



GOAT coach indeed

[Alamo]

I don't think its arguable that hes boring (not only for bball style reasons), dude never laughs, hes the Kendrick Perkins of coaches. DND - OLD was a good move though :oldlol:

pd: he is a great coach.

Anyone who thinks the Spurs are boring don't appreciate what basketball is supposed to look like.

The Lakers are boring. Pass to Kobe, Kobe shoots midrange turn around jumper, that usually bricks. Repeat for the rest of the game.

The Spurs have an array of well coached players that all bring something different to the table. Watching them play together and actually makes plays and pass the ball to their teammates is like art. And only true basketball fans will appreciate it.

[Sarcastic]

This dude is always given a different roster every year, and is still able to get his team to a Top 5 record in the league. G.O.A.T. coach? :bowdown: :bowdown:

Larry Brown is a coach that has had a million different rosters, and he won a title without a top 10 GOAT player. Hell, when he won no one on his roster was even top 10 in the league.

[3peated]

Larry Brown is a coach that has had a million different rosters, and he won a title without a top 10 GOAT player. Hell, when he won no one on his roster was even top 10 in the league.


it was a fluke, everyone knows that

[GOBB]

We have enough Pop appreciation threads

[LamarOdom]

Imo defense is the funniest thing to watch, sure dunks are fun but i think the best baketball to watch are those game that are played hard that why i like Spurs and that why games between Lakers and Celtics are one of the most exciting thing for me to watch.

And oh yeah Pop is a better coach then Pjax, Pop is probably best coach ever the coaches MJ.

[Sarcastic]

Better than Phil Jackson? You guys are getting carried away here. Jackson has three 3 peats. Popovich doesn't even have 1 repeat.

[TMT]

nothing. its not a something a bad thing per se, just the way things are.

So I'm guessing Mike Brown is a much more entertaining coach to you and that's going to put the Lakers over the top this year, right?


:kobe:


We have enough Pop appreciation threads

Translation: We don't have enough Doug Collins appreciation threads.

[get these NETS]

Pop is a great coach but it all starts with Duncan.

When you have an alltime great player that the coach can yell at ,scream at, sit down,etc...then EVERYBODY else had to fall in line.


Pop doesn't use mind tricks....criticize his players in the press (Brown,P.Jackson), or the other hooplah just solid offensive and defensive game plans

spurs..pop..duncan.....great fit

[RRR3]

How can you call Pop boring after watching this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2LRDO4jiBo
:lol

[InfiniteBaskets]

I wish this man coached the Heat. That's all.

[GOBB]

Translation: Do a search and bump the many Pop threads where he gets praised.

Fixed it for you.

[TMT]

Yeah, because Spurs threads around here as a whole aren't a rarity as it is.

EDIT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXLxoGr7xOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFU-wXsRhic

and this one's just hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmR7a89wYG8

[rmt]

Pop is a great coach but it all starts with Duncan.

When you have an alltime great player that the coach can yell at ,scream at, sit down,etc...then EVERYBODY else had to fall in line.


Pop doesn't use mind tricks....criticize his players in the press (Brown,P.Jackson), or the other hooplah just solid offensive and defensive game plans

spurs..pop..duncan.....great fit

This. The catering and bending over backwards for the current superstars ruins a franchise. How can a franchise build a contender within reason limits (not giving away draft picks, overspending, etc.) and still placate superstars and convince them to remain with the franchise? It all starts with the superstar - allowing the FO to build a team, allowing the coach to do his thing, and allowing team mates to grow and develop.

Pop is messing around too much with his players (like he's having fun with all these different combinations). He needs to play his crunch time team (TD, Splitter/Diaw [depending on matchup], SJax, Manu and TP) together so that they'll develop some chemistry. And for heavens' sake, play Splitter more than 20 minutes a game.

[GOBB]

Yeah, because Spurs threads around here as a whole aren't a rarity as it is.

EDIT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXLxoGr7xOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFU-wXsRhic

and this one's just hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmR7a89wYG8

No need to get defensive. This thread has been done before.

[mentallooser]

Yeah, because Spurs threads around here as a whole aren't a rarity as it is.

EDIT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXLxoGr7xOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFU-wXsRhic

and this one's just hilarious. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmR7a89wYG8
He's pretty awesome when it comes down to it. I love the play style of the spurs. That seems to be an oddity though, so I imagine that we are all entitled to our opinions.

[Xiao Yao You]

Larry Brown is a coach that has had a million different rosters, and he won a title without a top 10 GOAT player. Hell, when he won no one on his roster was even top 10 in the league.

The other team had a top 10 player throwing up brick after brick instead of throwing it to their other top 10 player for a 4 peat.

[Sarcastic]

The other team had a top 10 player throwing up brick after brick instead of throwing it to their other top 10 player for a 4 peat.

Kobe: I don't give a $hit, pass the *&^%ing ball.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcMM8Tta06w&feature=youtu.be

[get these NETS]

not a big kobe fan but during the series


wasn't shaq quoted as saying after the lakers were down at least 3-1 that "does anybody notice that I'm destroying ben wallace"?


or was that the year he played for the heat and the pistons beat them in playoffs

--------------------------------

Lakers were outcoached when they lost to the Pistons...phil shaq or whomever can blame the series on kobe chucking, but they were outcoached...and pistons made the plays down the stretch

[TMT]

He's pretty awesome when it comes down to it. I love the play style of the spurs. That seems to be an oddity though, so I imagine that we are all entitled to our opinions.

I agree, I wouldn't want any other coach on my team. He keeps his guys in check and commands a lot of respect.

[GOBB]

Not a fan of their offense but their execution and discipline? I'm a big fan of that. Same system basically for years and it works time and time again. When it doesn't work (resulting in buckets) the defense is excited at the other end to get you stops

[TMT]

Not a fan of their offense but their execution and discipline? I'm a big fan of that. Same system basically for years and it works time and time again. When it doesn't work (resulting in buckets) the defense is excited at the other end to get you stops

Out of curiosity, can you tell me what specifically of their offense is unappealing to you?

[GOBB]

Out of curiosity, can you tell me what specifically of their offense is unappealing to you?

Just pick n rolling you to death. And if the shots aren't fallin they are such a great defensive team that they stop you on offense. And the game can slow down and become a tug a war. There really isn't enough iso scoring, dominant interior scoring. But they execute what works for them.

[ralph_i_el]

If i needed a coach to win a championship, he's on the short list. The very short list

[FKAri]

Not a fan of their offense but their execution and discipline? I'm a big fan of that. Same system basically for years and it works time and time again. When it doesn't work (resulting in buckets) the defense is excited at the other end to get you stops

That's the thing. It's NOT the same system year after year and yet it STILL works again and again. THAT is Pop's miracle.

It is hard to compare coaches because it's tough to separate them from their players/rosters/systems. But when a coach has shown success in different players/rosters/systems it is the most valuable piece of evidence of good coaching.

You can't rank how good a coach is in a specific metric like you can rank who are the best scorers in the league. It is instead much easier and more effective to evaluate how many metrics he's great in.

You can evaluate Pop in terms of:
versatility;
adjustments in game;
adjustments between games of a series;
building a general game plan for your team;
managing players from a psychological perspective, etc;

Pop's shown to me at least that he's great at all these things. For this reason he is the best coach that I have seen in the NBA.

[ShaqAttack3234]

Pop is phenomenal. Phil is my personal favorite coach, but Pop is right up there.

The Spurs have always executed well offensively with their half court sets and in particular, been one of the all-time dominant defensive teams.

You have to admire the organization from signing/drafting players many didn't value as much(Parker, Ginobili, Bowen ect.) and of course being led by Pop and Tim, the modern day equivalent of Auerbach and Russell.

It's really impressive to me that they've reinvented themselves as Duncan has gotten older(though he's still very solid and effective) and become more of an offensive team. Much of the early twin towers Spurs teams weren't as talented, but due to that unique duo and how well they fit as well as having a defined system and dominant defense, they contended right away. Some others probably would've traded Robinson to make way for Duncan.

Then you had the '03 team that succeeded with Duncan's dominance and different role players stepping up, but the system and their defense remained. As well as during the last 2 titles when they were the big 3, and Pop has also done a great job of managing his player's minutes.

One thing that's overlooked about those '05 and '07 teams, which were the 2 most talented Spurs title teams, is that teams like Phoenix and Dallas were winning more regular season games, but the Spurs were leading the league in margin of victory, which has a lot to do with Pop not worrying about regular season record, and them being better than their record suggests.

In '07, the Mavs went 67-15 and the Suns went 61-21, while the Spurs went 58-24. Yet the Spurs outscored opponents by 8.4 ppg, while the Suns and Mavs were at 7.3 and 7.2, respectively.

A big thing with the Spurs has always been them having a specific system and demanding their players buy into it. Much like the 90's Bulls and Phil's Lakers, or those Larry Brown Piston teams in '04 and '05.

And if you remember, there were times when San Antonio would beat Phoenix at their own game with Parker and Ginobili thriving in an up-tempo game.

[GOBB]

That's the thing. It's NOT the same system year after year and yet it STILL works again and again. THAT is Pop's miracle.

Looks basically the same to me. :confusedshrug:

[TMT]

Looks basically the same to me. :confusedshrug:

That's obvious for someone who doesn't watch every Spurs game. But clearly the system is less Duncan orientated and now a more free flowing guard run offense.

[Rake2204]

Pretty crazy to watch Popovich's ascension over the years. I remember when he first took things over 15 years ago, and I was not pumped at the time. I didn't really know what the hell I was talking about, because I was only in 6th grade, but I was a fan of Bob Hill and I was not happy to see him fired and replaced by a nobody with a funny name. I thought Hill got the short end of the stick, as I'm pretty sure his squad was only losing because it was the year David Robinson and like, seven of his teammates went down with serious injuries. If nothing else, I thought the Spurs would hire a big name, not allow someone from the front office to moonlight indefinitely.

So, anyway, he definitely proved me wrong.

http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/339048_o.gif

[Gundress]

Hes boring as sh1t, though its fun when he gets all mad at his players and sits ALL the starters for the ENTIRE 4th qtr, even with the game within reach. I remember him doing that a couple of times, hilarious :oldlol: .

Mike Brown took notes


WOW.....then you're not a true basketball fan.

[GOBB]

Pretty crazy to watch Popovich's ascension over the years. I remember when he first took things over 15 years ago, and I was not pumped at the time. I didn't really know what the hell I was talking about, because I was only in 6th grade, but I was a fan of Bob Hill and I was not happy to see him fired and replaced by a nobody with a funny name. I thought Hill got the short end of the stick, as I'm pretty sure his squad was only losing because it was the year David Robinson and like, seven of his teammates went down with serious injuries. If nothing else, I thought the Spurs would hire a big name, not allow someone from the front office to moonlight indefinitely.

So, anyway, he definitely proved me wrong.

http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/339048_o.gif

Everyone had a right to be leary on him as a coach. Not like he took a group of castoffs into glory. Over time he proved himself.

[GOBB]

That's obvious for someone who doesn't watch every Spurs game.

As if that wasnt obvious. Guess you needed to type it down to make it seem so.

[TMT]

As if that wasnt obvious. Guess you needed to type it down to make it seem so.

In that case initially typing that a team's offense whom you do not watch has been the same for the last decade is an irrelevant statement. :confusedshrug:

[GOBB]

In that case initially typing that a team's offense whom you do not watch has been the same for the last decade is an irrelevant statement. :confusedshrug:

I said the last decade? Interesting. Thought I was asked why I wasnt a fan of the Spurs playing style. I answered then get the "You obviously never watched every Spurs game.". remark. So much for your curiosity. Pop is a great coach, he even has the fans executing DEFENSE. :rolleyes:

[vinsanity2756]

yep, big candidate for coach of the year here again. him and coach thibs.
Youngsters like danny green, kawhi leonard, gary neal stepping up their games for the spurs when starters like ginobili were injured. I guess the spurs system is ideal for shooters too (neal, green)

[GOBB]

yep, big candidate for coach of the year here again. him and coach thibs.
Youngsters like danny green, kawhi leonard, gary neal stepping up their games for the spurs when starters like ginobili were injured. I guess the spurs system is ideal for shooters too (neal, green)

He'll more than likely get snubbed for COY.

[Harison]

Pop is one of the best coaches all-time, he is around Top5, along with Larry Brown.


Larry Brown is a coach that has had a million different rosters, and he won a title without a top 10 GOAT player. Hell, when he won no one on his roster was even top 10 in the league.

LB is incredibly good and smart coach, what he did in '04 was epic, probably the only time it happened in NBA history.

Also LB was the only one who managed to get out something of volatile and uncoachable Iverson, other coaches had the best use of AI by benching him :oldlol:

[linZoMourning]

Just pick n rolling you to death. And if the shots aren't fallin they are such a great defensive team that they stop you on offense. And the game can slow down and become a tug a war. There really isn't enough iso scoring, dominant interior scoring. But they execute what works for them.

iso scoring in basketball is the most selfish no teamwork play out there. ala melo

[Droid101]

One of the greatest coaches in the history of the league.

:applause:

[linZoMourning]

One of the greatest coaches in the history of the league.

:applause:

your plan is back firing on you. you are like my loyal soldier now.

[hitmanyr2k]

Time to bump this thread. I'm amazed at how this man can develop his young players to play with this kind of confidence in their first NBA Finals. You see other teams youngsters running around like chickens with their heads cut off. Every one on the Spurs know their role and contribute in some way and I chalk it up to great coaching. The ball movement, the defense...a thing of beauty.

[Jacks3]

The best coach in history. His game-plan against LeBron has been perfect.

[TheBigVeto]

One of the greatest for sure.

[Kiddlovesnets]

Third best coach in NBA history right below PJ and Red, the only remaining S-grade coach in current league.

[MadeFromDust]

F* that Popazit is a fkkn maroon. The players make him look good or bad. They made him look like an idiot when they got swept in the playoffs. Did any of you hear him during that time? He was basically a damn cheerleader. He couldn't do or say anything to get them going. /smh at Popazit jockers

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Pure coaching ability and all that it umbrellas, best coach in NBA history. 3rd or 4th career wise.

[EnoughSaid]

Me, a Heat fan, made this thread too. Awww shit. :lol

[nosfan773]

Pretty crazy to watch Popovich's ascension over the years. I remember when he first took things over 15 years ago, and I was not pumped at the time. I didn't really know what the hell I was talking about, because I was only in 6th grade, but I was a fan of Bob Hill and I was not happy to see him fired and replaced by a nobody with a funny name. I thought Hill got the short end of the stick, as I'm pretty sure his squad was only losing because it was the year David Robinson and like, seven of his teammates went down with serious injuries. If nothing else, I thought the Spurs would hire a big name, not allow someone from the front office to moonlight indefinitely.

So, anyway, he definitely proved me wrong.

http://gifsoup.com/webroot/animatedgifs/339048_o.gif

Wow thats crazy, I was in 6th grade in SA at the time Pop took over. Thought the same thing, Hill was a pretty decent coach. I still remember the SA Express headline the day they fired him. God was I wrong.

:bowdown: Pop

[Ca$H]

This dude is always given a different roster every year, and is still able to get his team to a Top 5 record in the league. G.O.A.T. coach? :bowdown: :bowdown:

Phil is 4-1 vs Popovich in the playoffs.

[whoartthou]

F* that Popazit is a fkkn maroon. The players make him look good or bad. They made him look like an idiot when they got swept in the playoffs. Did any of you hear him during that time? He was basically a damn cheerleader. He couldn't do or say anything to get them going. /smh at Popazit jockers
ban this guy

[Harison]

Best coach in the NBA and it's not even close.

Correct, he is up there with the best coaches of All-time as well.