Tag: San Antonio Spurs

Phil the Philosopher vs. Gregg the Gourmand

Fresh off their — or lack thereof — Dime magazine turns its attention to a decidedly lighter matter: …only not how you’d expect.

Instead of a straight-up analysis of their resumes and coaching styles, we get a mano-a-mano comparison in areas such as sideline interviews — shockingly, the Zen Master gets the nod — restaurant choices, who would be a better travel companion and pregame preparation skills.

An excerpt:

Popovich is a product of the Air Force Academy and the school of Larry Brown (he coached under him at San Antonio), which isn’t exactly the same as a meditative treatise on the spirituality of basketball.

He loves the game, but in the gruff, no-nonsense way of a military man.

He’s probably super rigid about the instructions from the flight crew, and heaven help you if you want to have a couple scotches while also stationed in the emergency exit aisle.

That being said, we already mentioned his knowledge of wine, so he can absolutely recommend something to drink with that slab of veal during your trans-Pacific sojourn.

Not to spoil the surprise, but Jackson ends up winning by the slightest of margins, 4-3. Hey, at least that’s closer than 2001, right? At any rate, it’s a humorous read worth checking out.

Crucial questions at Spurs camp

E-N beat writer Jeff McDonald breaks down five storylines to track as the Spurs open training camp today:

1. Tony Parker’s encore

Individually speaking, it’s difficult to imagine point guard Tony Parker turning in a better season than the one he posted in 2011-12. He averaged 18.3 points, a career-best 7.7 assists, made his second All-NBA team and finished fifth in league MVP voting.

If the Spurs are to remain among the league’s elite, Parker will need to duplicate his career year.

2. Leonard’s maturation

The Spurs made no major additions this offseason, betting internal improvement would be enough to keep them among the ranks of title contenders. Hopes are highest for Kawhi Leonard, a revelation as a rookie last season, even in a compressed season.

The 21-year-old small forward’s confidence grew leaps and bounds during an offseason spent with the U.S. Select team and spearheading the Spurs’ summer league squad in Las Vegas.

“We expect more from him this year,” team captain Tim Duncan said. “We’ll see what load he’s ready to carry.”

3. Blair’s comportment

The Spurs’ sometimes starting center went public during the summer with his frustrations in falling out of Gregg Popovich’s playoff rotation two seasons in a row. At one point, DeJuan Blair said he expected to be traded.

Still on the roster at the start of camp, Blair’s attitude will go a long way toward how his contract year plays out. Blair showed up at camp in top shape and saying all the right things, so that’s a start.

4. Backup point guards battle

The Spurs never settled on a backup for Parker once T.J. Ford went down with a career-ending injury last season. The scrum there will be the most intriguing camp battle.

Patrick Mills might be considered the front-runner after running the show for Australia in the Olympics, but Gary Neal, Cory Joseph and rookie Nando De Colo also will get shots.

5. Race for the 15th roster spot

For all intents, the Spurs open camp with 14 of the maximum 15 roster spots filled. That leaves one slot open for six non-roster invitees to arm-wrestle over.

Four of those job-seekers — Eddy Curry, Josh Powell, Derrick Brown and Sherron Collins — have NBA experience.

Given the Spurs’ never-ending search for size, Curry — a 7-footer with a well-documented history of weight issues — is perhaps the most interesting candidate.

Spurs’ shot doctor earns Joseph’s attention













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By Mike Monroe

When Spurs guard Cory Joseph showed up at the practice facility a week after the team’s elimination by the Thunder last season, there to greet him was shooting coach Chip Engelland.

When the former Longhorns’ star hit the gym in Austin with some of his pals from his University of Texas days, Engelland was there, too.

When the Spurs’ summer-league team walked into the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas for its first game, Engelland pulled Joseph aside for additional one-on-one shot doctoring.

So when Joseph opened the preseason against Montepaschi Siena by making 4 of 6 shots, including 1 of 2 from 3-point range, it was hard to tell who was happier: Joseph or Engelland.

“Man, I worked on my shot a lot this summer, countless hours,” Joseph said after scoring 10 points in the Spurs’ 106-77 victory Saturday night. “Chip and I spent a whole lot of time together, and I can’t tell you how much he helped my shot. Wherever I went, Chip found me or sent somebody to work with me. Here in San Antonio, in Austin, in Las Vegas. It didn’t matter, he was there, one way or the other.”

Joseph said Engelland’s message was simple: Find a way to get properly balanced before you attempt your shot and repeat that several thousand times.

“There was a specific workout we did every day,” Joseph said. “He’d change it up a little bit from time to time with different challenges as I’d progress from day to day. But it was mostly a lot of shots. I didn’t keep track but it was a lot.”

Joseph spent most of his 2011-12 rookie season with the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ Development League team. He appeared in only 29 NBA games, during which he shot just 31 percent. He figures he will have to earn time as one of point guard Tony Parker’s backups through his work at the defensive end, and his three steals in just under 15 minutes on Saturday did not escape coach Gregg Popovich’s notice.

“I was just trying to keep my head in the game defensively,” Joseph said. “I know that’s what Coach Pop looks for.

“That’s what this whole organization is about. So I just tried to key in defensively and make stops and help my team as much as possible.”

Day of rest: After four hard days of training camp and Saturday’s game, the Spurs got their first off day of the season Sunday. Popovich used the break to visit his friend and mentor, former Spurs coach Larry Brown, in Dallas, where Brown now coaches SMU. Popovich participated in a coaching clinic Brown sponsored on the SMU campus.

mikemonroe@express-news.net
Twitter: @Monroe_SA