Popovich: Things will 'feel a little different' when Ginobili and Duncan decide to retire
Gregg Popovich also noted that the Spurs will look to add some "quickness and youth" this offseason.
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4 min read
The San Antonio Spurs were supposed to be the one team that challenged the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs this year. Throughout the regular season, the Spurs were just a step or two behind the Warriors, winning a franchise record 67 games, only losing at home once all year and finishing second overall in the West with home court advantage through the first two opening rounds.
Yet that dream of challenging the Warriors and making another NBA Finals appearance came crashing down on Thursday, when the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Spurs in six games.
Despite the premature end to the season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has no regrets and is quite proud of how his team played all year.
"It was a great group." Popovich said in his exit interview with reporters on Friday. "Really, a hard working group. Fun to be around. They made it enjoyable to come to work every day, and they gave everything they could and went as far as they could. I'm really pleased with their effort and their ability to just persevere all year long and keep their eye on what we were trying to do. It's just a group that was very special."
Part of that special group includes franchise stalwarts Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, who could both decide to retire in the summer, which is contributing to San Antonio's uncertain future. But Popovich, at least for now, isn't thinking about that. He did admit though, that if Duncan and Ginobili did retire, things would be much different in San Antonio.
"Each team has its own sort of personality, but at some point that changes when guys you've been with for a long time move on." Popovich said. "And as everybody's going to talk all summer, 'what's Manu [Ginobili] going to do? What's Timmy [Duncan] going to do?' I really don't know what they're going to do. But when they do decide to move on somewhere between now and the next five years. That's a little bit of a joke. You can laugh ... It will feel a little different when you're walking into the gym for sure."
Popovich didn't joke around much throughout his exit interview. The Spurs bench was abysmal against the Thunder and their lack of youth and overall athleticism was exposed during the series. This is an area that Popovich says the Spurs will improve on in the offseason.
"The playoffs weigh heavily on our decision making. I'll put it that way." Popovich said about San Antonio improving their bench. "And we've relied on our bench almost every year as long as I can remember because you need to do it. If you look at the team you lose to, usually you'll find that more players played well than on your team. When we win championships, we have more players on our team that play well than the opponent. That's a simple equation, but it's true. So, we just didn't have the depth and that's why I said to lose those chances in Game 2 and Game 5 was a real killer because we really didn't have the depth as it turned out coming from our bench. So to get those games would have been great.
"But it didn't happen and that's the way life goes. You know, NASA discovered all those habitable planets the other day. Did you guys know about that? What did they say? There were how many of them? One-thousand, two hundred habitable planets and then last night somebody lost a basketball game. Come on. Get over yourself."
Ok, so Popovich did get in one more joke but he also added this.
"Well, I think when you look at the team, having a little bit more quickness and youth is definitely part of the equation." Popovich said.
With the salary cap growing this summer, the Spurs, like all other 29 teams, will try and lure several of the big name free agents that will be available. Kevin Durant has been linked to San Antonio, but he may not be leaving Oklahoma City, especially since the Thunder look to be a true championship contender. The Spurs reportedly will also look to sign Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, who would be an excellent fit and can help build on the foundation that Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge have started in San Antonio. The Spurs won't just be chasing stars though, they will also look to improve their bench with key role players.
But the Spurs won't be drastically different next year. Let's not forget that the Spurs are the Spurs, a constant force in the NBA and a perennial championship contender. No matter what happens in the offseason - Duncan and/or Ginobili retiring - the Spurs will still be the same team with Popovich at the helm. He will likely add a few more wrinkles and adjustments that will keep San Antonio among the league's elite. Yet overall, the Spurs will just continue doing things their way, pounding the rock in their quest for another championship.
It's just that simple for the Spurs. Things stay the same, though all of the team's evolution.
"We just keep moving forward." Popovich said. "R.C. [Buford] and I will sit down and talk about the makeup of the team and what we want to do. Just like we do every year whether we win a championship or not. It's the same process."
