Note to Morey: Your going about this wrong

And btw this is about NOT-coaching.

http://www.mobypicture.com/user/TomMartinKATC/view/16856780

 

There's very few coaches that can pull off the system-first model. Popovich, Carlisle, Thibodeau... and I'd stop it there. It takes several years and a lot of luck to build that model. In a perfect world, I'd love for the Rockets to be a dynasty. However, gathering talent and betting on a few years is the only choice a lot of teams have. No shame in it.

 

Note to OP: Your going about this wrong

 

Of course it is about good finds by Buford, the Spurs philosophy is to find players who have the right skillsets for what they want, they don't teach people to play like that, they find people who already can and then slot them in. That's why the players that come in are capable of doing it straight away. It's not an accident that the majority of their rotation comes from a non US background, no kidding they look better, that's why they were recruited, because they fit perfectly.

As for their depth, I have no idea how anyone can believe that is about coaching, and not about their ability to spend so much money on roleplayers because their best players are on discounts.

 

Pop didn't always use the Spur's current offensive system, nor did he always rest his stars like this. Duncan averaged ~40 minutes a game for his first 6 seasons and played in every game he wasn't injured as well as being the focus of the offense. Ginobili was around 30 minutes for most of his career, but he has primarily been a sixth man role. Parker has also been around 33 minutes for his career, but didn't take games off to rest when he was younger. When Duncan first came in the league they ran everything thru him. Later then switched to pick and roll with Parker and Ginobili as the primary scorers, and now they have shifted to their current ball movement system. Pop is a great coach who adapts to his personnel, but who knows if another team would be as accepting of the same style of coaching? If Duncan doesn't buy in, does benching stars who don't play defense work or get you fired? If Parker and Ginobili don't come up in the Spurs system from the start following Duncan's lead, does it work? Or is it a combination of great coaching and all star talent that doesn't feel the need to get all star recognition?

Certainly Pop isn't the only coach who preaches ball movement and keeping the ball from being "sticky". Coaching it and getting your players to execute it are two different things. The reality is that the coach is much more likely to be fired if the star players don't like the "hard coaching", and so suggesting that as a solution isn't a great option for a lot of coaches. I don't think any Rockets fan or Morey would turn down Pop if he was an option though.

 

You said he did nothing.

It takes more than one year with a star to build a contender. If Morey can't build a team that contends for a title in the next two seasons he should be fired.

 

Trolls be trollin

 

No. The Spurs are an anomaly. A small market team that tanked at precisely the right time, whether intentionally or accidentally or a combination, that netted the greatest PF to pair along an aging but still great center.

Pop isn't just a coach, he has no active peers, he is in a league of his own.

No team, aside from the Lakers and Celtics, have enjoyed the Spurs' type success. It's going to be a tiresome offseason if you and your cohorts keep throwing the Spur's unduplicatable success in our face.

Coaching certainly matters, I think people are taking Morey's vague assessment too literal. If a another "Pop" was available then I have no doubts Morey would be after him, but there's not another Pop and very few good head coaches with success.

 

No, they put them in good position to succeed since a good coaching. Of course they fit, probably better than anywhere, thanks again to a unique coaching.

Anyway offtopic. It's just that sometimes Im really surprised by how some people here keeps underrating coaching. Even more after what we saw this season on Rockets part and on the champion team part.

If the Spurs have won the title it is mainly because of great coaching. Pop has been their real MVP, and it is frankly hard to believe to me that some people can't still perceive that at this point.

 

Spoiler

 

It isn't about personnel? Popovich and Buford target a particular type of player with particular strengths and weakness that fit the Spurs philosophy and THAT is about personnel.

Popovich is the best basketball coach I have ever seen. He has consistently evolved over the last 20 years. He has changed his offensive philosophies and the amount of freedom he gives the players. Further his view on minutes has changed as well.
However to say that personnel is not part of the equation is foolish. Also the fact that the Spurs nucleus has been together a decade or more is a huge factor. They know each other on the court extremely well.. Especially the give and go between TD and TP.... It isn't some magical play, it is just executed with precision in part because they have been teammates for years.

McHale isn't Pops, but neither is anyone else... You don't find guys like him and few coaches make the kind of impact he does. Let's keep in mind, as great as he is, the Spurs were beaten by another coach and team each of the last 6 years.

 

it's not the Rocket's, it's not the Spur's, you + are= you're

 

Pop is a great coach... He was a great coach each of the past 6 seasons and didn't win the title. Spolstra has won 2 of the last 3 titles, is he a great coach? Doc Rivers won a title with Boston and almost another, is he a great coach? Larry Brown was an NBA coach for years and has 1 title, was he not great?

GREAT coaching makes a difference... But that is 2-3 coaches max in the NBA. In most cases it comes down to players and talent, not coaching. The Spurs title this year is a wonderful exception... But the Heat won two titles because of the talent of LBJ and DW, the Lakers won because of Kobe, Gasol and Bynum, the Bulls because of Pippen and MJ.

You know where a spare Pop or Aurbach are available, let me know.. Otherwise the most important factor is the players in the jerseys... As RC Bufford said, copying Pop: "It is Timmy's world and we all just get to play in it."

 

What happened to George Karl?

 

Yep, the vision of the team is suppose to come from the coach. Its up to the gm to get those type of players.

 

Keep you're opinon's to you'reself.

 

You are correct. I forgot "absolutely."