Kevin Durant praises Gregg Popovich: He keeps the Spurs consistent
The Thunder star says having a great coach is the most important thing in this league.
By
Matt Moore
•
2 min read
SAN ANTONIO -- With Kevin Durant set to be a free agent this summer, everyone is reportedly interested in his services. The Oklahoma City Thunder star has been linked to a dozen teams, from the Wizards to the Warriors to the Heat to even the San Antonio Spurs.
So it is of at least some interest when Durant, when asked about what identifies the Spurs, thinks of Gregg Popovich first and foremost.
"Gregg Popovich, man. No matter how many moving parts they have on their team, he stays consistent with what he does."
Durant continued about why having a coach is so valuable in NBA.
"Having a really good coach is probably the most important thing in this league. You can have all the great players you want but you have to have someone to orchestrate it. That's what they have, a great coach that can put them in positions to utilize all their individual strengths and make them come together as a team. He's the guy who's been here for the longest, having someone like that to orchestrate what you do obviously helps."
That sound you hear is the giddy clapping of Spurs fans taking this as a sign. It should not be taken as such. A few things:
• Durant is paying credit to a guy with a phenomenal reputation, a guy who is considered the best in the league. He's not taking shots at his own coach by not listing him there, nor is he indicating that Popovich is superior.
• It's interesting that he lists having a coach as that important, since most players would tell you it's a player's league. Coaches come and go, the players are the ones that play. Popovich is an outlier, but if Durant really believes that, then you wonder how that could affect his choice this summer. If he's not just filling in the blanks for a quote, and he means that, then you'd look to Golden State who had the coach of the year and ... well. You know.
• That phrase "put them in position" is key here. That's a common refrain in a lot of leadership philosophy, that success is determined by being put in the best situation to accomplish goals. That's an interesting thing to consider with the Thunder since finding a way to get the most out of their whole team with Westbrook and Durant has always been a struggle.
• Reading too much into this is really not advised. He said a nice thing about Pop, which is cool, but that's kind of it.
