Gregg Popovich 'worried' Spurs 'are going to feel satisfied'
Gregg Popovich doesn't seem like a man easily satisfied. That doesn't mean he's not concerned that his defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs will be.
Last season, following a seven-game defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat in the prior year's NBA Finals, Popovich prominently displayed the boxscore from the team's 103-100 Game 6 loss in that series near his office. The boxscore was a snapshot from late in the third quarter, when the Spurs owned a 13-point lead, meant to remind his charges of how close they had come.
Now that they've avenged the defeat, the boxscore has come down.
Championship teams are sometimes victim to what's known as The Disease of More, but the Spurs' culture seems too strong to allow for such a plague to set in. Still, Popovich told the San Antonio Express News on Wednesday that motivation could be an issue.
"I've been thinking about that," he said. "I'm worried for one reason: They are human beings. They are going to feel satisfied."
If one were to bet on any coach being able to keep his team's eyes on the task at hand, it would be Popovich. He's been at the helm of five championship teams in his 17-plus seasons in San Antonio, and the Spurs haven't won fewer than 50 games in any season he's coached 82 games (they went 37-13 in the lockout-shortened 1998-99 and 20-62 in 1996-97, when Popovich took over after 18 games).
In seasons after the Spurs won their past four titles, they've performed well, but not quite up to their lofty standards:
| Situation | Win% | Outcomes (Round) |
|---|---|---|
| After title | 69.8% | 1st, 2nd (2), 3rd |
| After no-title | 70.8% | 1st (2), 2nd (3), 3rd (2), Finals, Champ (5) |
The Spurs are bringing back almost their entire championship squad, with only first-round pick Kyle Anderson standing out as an addition. Several key players will be further into their twilight, but development from Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and others could help make up that difference.
But again, it's Popovich's attitude and the culture he's developed that should ensure everyone is on the same page come late October.
"OK, now we're the Celtics of the '80s?" Popovich said of his message in the event his team shows signs of slacking. "We're as good as Bird and McHale? Let me give you a clue: No!"