Considering his background in the military, it should not be surprising that Gregg Popovich leads a unit that seems to always fly under the radar. Figuratively, of course. Popovich is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and stayed in the service long enough to serve a tour of duty in the Kurdish area in eastern Turkey near the border of Syria. It was a top secret assignment; obviously, the good military man has never elaborated on it, other than to
When you’re an adored star in this league, you get a pass on a lot of things. And Dwyane Wade got a pass for an absolutely rockhead play in Miami’s inexplicable loss to Boston on Saturday. The Heat led by four with less than two seconds to play. On their home floor. Against the Celtics. And lost. In regulation. And most of it was on Wade, who (a) faltered in the clutch; (b) made his own strategic decision without any input from the
There is a lot of excitement in the Bay Area regarding the Golden State Warriors, who are atop the Western Conference alongside the San Antonio Spurs — their opponent tonight in a nationally televised game. (The Warriors are 5-point underdogs, which seems a bit much for me. I also like the over 204 — not that I am wagering or anything.) The missing link for this team has been Andre Iguodala, whose offense has been spectacular for a team averaging more than
When the deadline for contract extensions came and went Thursday night, point guards Eric Bledsoe and Greivis Vasquez didn’t get paid. But don’t shed any tears for them. Because when the summer rolls around, they will get their money. And it might be GMs Ryan McDonough of Phoenix and Pete D’Alessandro of Sacramento who are crying. As reluctant as McDonough and D’Alessandro may have been to pony up for point guards with plenty to prove, they should have done so. Both GMs are
Shoulda, coulda, woulda. We all remember Game 6 of the NBA Finals, correct? And we all remember Game 7, and the way Tim Duncan looked afterward — like he was at a funeral. The Big Fundamental had been spoiled, winning every previous time he had advanced to the Finals. So the question to ask going into 2013-14 — will this be Spurs Motivation 2.0? [Read more…]
The NBA landscape over the last week has been dominated by two things: the Finals, obviously, and the Doc Rivers trade talks (do they have a name yet? Doc-umentary?). But now it’s time to abruptly shift gears, from a thrilling final series to a wide-open draft class. In Joe Kotoch’s latest mock, it seems the Cavs have locked in on one candidate for the #1 pick — Alex Len, and can obtain Shawn Marion in a trade that would give
Seems like all I am doing with my Friday is interview after interview bashing Gregg Popovich. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like Pop. I’ve covered him with the Spurs and Team USA since 2002. When he is chippy with the media, he is never directing that chippiness at me (you have to know HOW to ask a proper question, or you are dead meat). But he is open to some serious second-guessing, and that’s what I did in this
You do not leave your best offensive player on the bench for the most important offensive play of Game 6 and Game 7. You do not leave your best defensive player on the bench for the most critical rebounding opportunity of Game 6. Congratulations, Gregg Popovich. You deserved to lose the NBA Finals. More on that, plus a Nixon v. McGovern reference, in this interview from Friday with Bob Valvano of ESPN680 The Zone in Louisville. [Read more…]