No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 854 - 367. Reluctant Popovich_2

Zhang San: "Boss, is this guy losing it?"

Little Fat: "Maybe."

Zhang San: "No, he’s been praising everything he can, what about us?"

Little Fat: "I don’t know!"

Zhang San: "..."

They both looked at Carlisle.

Coach: "Why are you looking at me, he said everything I wanted to say!"

Not only were the three from the Bobcats confused, but the reporters were also taken aback.

Popovich usually complains about unfair refereeing after losing games, especially after crucial losses. He would focus on the poor performance during regular time to downplay the significance of the critical moments.

This has been analyzed by experts; Popovich has to do this to save some face for his players and redirect the reporters’ criticism onto himself, since he’s always getting criticized anyway.

Given the strength of the Spurs, it’s rare for them to play down to critical moments in normal circumstances, but in reality, they often need Duncan to step up in clutch games and for Ginobili to battle it out with the opposing superstars in crucial moments.

If it weren’t for this, Parker, who excels in easy victories, would have been rated higher.

Such situations usually arise because the Spurs’ role players aren’t strong enough, and the team is too old. This is also because the owners aren’t willing or able to invest more money.

For most small-market teams, each season’s expenses come from team revenue plus the owner’s financial investment. Teams like the Grizzlies, Bucks, and Raptors all operate this way, even the Cavaliers’ owner incurs a net loss on the team, paying large luxury taxes and relying mainly on off-court earnings from the team.

For example, the Cavaliers’ owner owns multiple nightclubs, clubs, and casinos in Cleveland and surrounding cities.

But the Spurs are different. Their owner takes millions away annually to run a tractor company, leaving the remainder for team expenses.

Ordinarily, the Spurs’ owner’s actions would cause player dissatisfaction, which would inevitably affect their salaries and the overall strength of the team. Since the beginning of the new century, aside from teams like the Rockets and Bobcats, the Spurs have paid the least luxury tax—only tens or hundreds of thousands at most.

Thankfully, the Spurs have the business genius Popovich.

The role players’ salaries can’t be too low; otherwise, no one would come to San Antonio. The mid-level exceptions must be fully utilized. So they start with the core players, convincing Duncan to renew at a lower price and bringing other core players to take pay cuts.

But even so, the Spurs’ role players still had to be veterans since they couldn’t afford high-paid young players even if they could acquire them. Thankfully, Duncan’s strength and appeal were strong enough to attract veterans like Finley and Barry to join. Combined with the exceptional draft vision of GM RC Buford, they were able to compete for championships and win titles for many years.

Tonight, the reporters thought Popovich would start complaining again. They had even planned out how to tease him in the news for being a sore loser, only for Popovich to lavish praise on the Bobcats, leaving them wondering if the Bobcats were the league’s top team that impressed Popovich...

After the press conference, Popovich returned to the temporary office prepared for the visiting team at Tuhang Stadium.

General Manager RC Buford, who participated in the press conference, teased: "Greg, it seems you really didn’t take this loss well tonight."

His hidden thoughts exposed, Popovich wasn’t surprised at all. This old friend and subordinate knows him best.

In a low voice, he said, "It’s not just the loss; when I think about the Bobcats’ offense tonight, I feel uneasy."

Buford was somewhat surprised. Although his old friend wasn’t very broad-minded, it was rare for him to be filled with negative emotions to this extent.

After pondering a moment, Buford said, "Is it because of their offensive philosophy?"

Popovich’s expression turned grim. After a long while, he responded, "Yes, the team offense they played tonight is exactly what I want."

Buford comforted him, saying, "Your idea is correct. You’ve said before that the gap between ordinary stars and superstars will continue to shrink. Everyone having the ball and everyone playing off-ball will become the mainstream in future basketball. The Bobcats have also chosen to adjust their offensive system in this direction, and they’ve been playing well. Doesn’t this just prove your idea was right?"

Popovich’s expression improved considerably as he replied, "I know the logic; I’m just unwilling. If we hadn’t lost to the Bobcats in last season’s finals and won the championship, we could have kept a lid on internal conflicts. The friction with Tony wouldn’t have escalated. We spent so long developing him to his peak. If he were here, we could start adjusting the offensive system this season instead of spending a season gelling. Tim and Manu have aged another year; they’re both over 30 now.

Seeing Jack playing within the team system for 37 minutes and still having the energy in the final seconds to push forward in transition, with defenders unable to stop his drives at the top of the arc, I’m really not resigned. If Manu had these offensive conditions, I believe he would perform better than Jack in those last moments!"

Buford: "Things will get better. Mike is even better and more suitable for us than Tony was. We also have Rudy as Manu’s successor, and you must trust Tim. He’s even better than last season."

Mentioning Conley finally brought a smile to Popovich’s face.

Though his immediate impact fell a bit short of expectations, his talent, mentality, and temperament won Popovich’s heart.

Like a point guard version of Duncan, he never backs down from anyone, resolutely executing the coach’s plan, and dares to take shots in clutch moments. Although just a rookie, his fundamental defense never falters, and he always does what needs to be done and does it perfectly.

Guy... he’s a mixed bag of feelings.

He loves Guy’s talent but dislikes his personality. He truly wishes he could put Kobe’s mindset into Guy’s body; that’d be perfect.

Of course, having Guy is better than not having him. This season, their starting lineup defensively is the strongest since the NHC era. If it weren’t for the need for starters to cover for their old bench, their overall defense might reach team history’s best.

Having vented his emotions, Popovich calmed down, reviewed the night’s loss, and sighed: "Chasing shots while holding the ball are really powerful, their destructiveness to the defensive setup is immense. Back in ’06 when we played the Mavericks in the playoffs, Terry constantly used this trick to shatter our defensive formation, Jack is taller, more selective with his shots, and much calmer..."

Hearing the envy in his old friend’s voice, Buford felt a bit bad but had to throw some cold water: "This move is indeed powerful. Once you can’t defend up high, if the opponent can hit chasing shots during transitions, the only counter is to pressure up early with tight defense. But this move demands very high talent, and we don’t have anyone with such gifts... Damon had it back then, but he’s old now."

Popovich: "Had I known we wouldn’t win the championship last season, we might as well have tanked. Durant’s talent isn’t inferior to Jack’s."

Buford couldn’t take it anymore and shouted: "Even God can’t grant you that wish!"

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