No Matter What Happens in Game 7, Gregg Popovich is the Best

The difference between how Gregg Popovich coaches and how he deals with the media couldn’t be starker. In public he’s the old-school gritty coach, behind the scenes he’s the ultimate innovator. Ahead of tonight’s title deciding Game 7, Al Dannity gets inside the mind of one of the best coaches in history.

How does Gregg Popovich plan to get his team into Game 7? “I get ‘em on the bus and it arrives on the ramp over here, we get off the bus, we go out on the court, and we play. That’s how we get ready.” He even pointed at the ramp. He’s a curmudgeon but one far more likeable than the Bobby Knights of this world. Stat geeks adore Popovich and with good reason. The sheer consistency with which he’s run the Spurs over the past 17 years has shown him to be one of the best minds in the business.

Having a bona fide star in Tim Duncan certainly helps but did anyone expect him to get so much out of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili? Both endured scepticism before heading to San Antonio, both have developed Hall of Fame careers. Kawhi Leonard? Those of us who watched College Hoops knew he had the stuff but Popovich has brought him on to another level. He’s made Boris Diaw relevant in the NBA again. Even Tiago Splitter is looking like a fantastic move. This isn’t just about the current line-up. Popo has done this throughout his reign in San Antonio. Who’s the only coach to ever get the best out of Stephen Jackson? You know who.

It’s the bizarre difference in his coaching style and off-court demeanour that makes Popovich fascinating. A man who talks, often in as few words as possible, like he does to the press is usually some old-school exponent with little time for advanced stats or conditioning. Not Popovich, he drills players in ways that are designed to get every drop of usefulness out of them. Game after game, most visibly in these playoffs, he’s made adjustments to find a way to win. This isn’t Gene Hackman in Hoosiers, this is a mad scientist disguised as an angry old man. David Stern hates what Popovich does. Nothing angers him more than the success of the Spurs over more seemingly exciting teams. The Bayless-ian maxim of ‘All he does is win’ applies to Popovich, only unlike Skip’s argument it’s because he goes out of his way to outsmart opponents.