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Popovich: 'We're not where we want to be'

Soobum Im / USA Today Sports

Usually a 32-9 record would evoke a sense of positivity and satisfaction for an NBA team, but the San Antonio Spurs aren't ordinary, and Gregg Popovich is no ordinary coach.

While the Spurs once again find themselves near the top of the Western Conference and own the league's second-best net rating at 9.5 - behind only the Warriors who sit at 12.1 - Popovich is frustrated that his team has essentially played one good half and one not-so-good half each night.

"I have no clue," Popovich told Michael C. Wright of ESPN, when asked about the Spurs' inconsistency. "We're not where we want to be. That's all I know."

The Spurs own a modest 6.9 net rating in the first half this season, while that mark almost doubles after halftime as they play the NBA's best second-half defence. Tuesday's 122-114 win against the Timberwoves embodied Popovich's concerns wholeheartedly.

"A tale of two halves where we gave up 71, and then we gave up 44," Popovich said. "We gave up 30 free throws in the first half and nine in the second half. That's what it's about - being physical, playing smart - and we did it for the second half. So we played a great 24 minutes."

This is an "issue" that many teams don't have the luxury of being worried about. The Spurs are just that talented - able to rally back after slow starts - but according to Popovich, not yet a finished product..

"No team is where they want to be," he said. "Maybe Golden State is. But the rest of us are trying to get there."

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