"We just want to respectfully stay on their a**" - Gregg Popovich on finding balance while trying to coach a young San Antonio Spurs team
Developing young talent requires immense patience which many coaches lack compared to coaching a veteran heavy team. Gregg Popovich recently explained the art of finding a balance between upholding young stars to higher standards and showing patience while giving them instructions.
Watching Pop on the sidelines, chewing a player out for making minor errors or blowing a defensive coverage was a common sight in the late 90's and early 2000's. The San Antonio Spurs dynasty featured the the likes of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli and Tony Parker, who dominated for nearly two decades. Hence, watching Gregg Popovich being less animated on the sidelines while coaching the current young and inexperienced Spurs roster was an uncommon sight for most.
However, Pop put our doubts to rest and showed us that there was a method to the madness yet again. He explained the fine art of balancing emotions when it came to coaching a young team. According to the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald, here is what he said:
"They have to know we’re going to stay on ‘em, but we love ‘em. We don’t worry about hurting feelings. We just want to respectfully stay on their a**."
Pop was asked about coaching a young team, and the balance between showing players patience and upholding basic principals.
"They have to know we’re going to stay on ‘em, but we love ‘em. We don’t worry about hurting feelings. We just want to respectfully stay on their ass."
That's a huge indicator of Gregg Popovich's belief in the current San Antonio Spurs roster. The team features the likes of upcoming stars such as Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV.
Can Gregg Popovich guide the San Antonio Spurs to the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference?
The San Antonio Spurs currently sit dead-last despite having a couple of good performances where they could have nearly clinched the game. The off-season losses of DeMar DeRozan and Patty Mills sent the Spurs into complete rebuilding mode where they weren't expected to make the playoffs.
Considering this is Gregg Popovich's last couple of seasons with the Spurs, he will look to sign off on a high. Pop has always been highly competitive irrespective of what situation he's placed in, leading to a 22-year playoff streak which finally came to an end in 2019.
Report: Spurs are preparing for Gregg Popovich’s retirement in the next 1-2 years, via @Schultz_Report https://t.co/OFmaFZ3fFk
The legendary Spurs coach will be itching to get back into the playoffs. He has proven himself to be more than capable of bouncing back from adversity in the past. Pop will be looking to guide a talented yet inexperienced Spurs roster to the playoffs.
Gregg Popovich has proven to be able to pull off stunning results in the past, but this time looks to be more difficult than any of his previous attempts. His Spurs side will play against the sides in a hyper-competitive and stacked Western Conference.