Philadelphia 76ers Emerging As Pace Space Pass Legends
By Bret Stuter
The San Antonio Sultan of Spurs
Gregg Popovich has been the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs since assuming the role in the 1996-1997 season after he, also serving as general manager, fired then head coach Bob Hill. Since that first season, where he won just 17 out of 64 games played, he has led the San Antonio Spurs to the playoffs for 19 straight seasons, including winning five NBA championships.
His championships came in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
For the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs are as close to a championship franchise as there is in the NBA today. Yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors exchanged championships in two consecutive meetings, but the key is whether they can come back year after year after year.
That is exactly what the Spurs have done.
But how have they done it? By flexing the scheme to fit the players, but by following good sound basketball. The San Antonio Spurs have simply focused on what it takes to win basketball games, and then they go out and outperform their opponents.
The Spurs distribute the ball well (assists/pass), shoot accurately (both from the floor and from the perimeter), and score in bunches. Just ask Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw after his team was dissected.
"“This is a well-oiled machine,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who the personnel is…they play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. If you don’t have a shot, swing it over to your next open teammate and make the appropriate basketball play. They do that probably better than any team in the league, and that’s why they have success playing any style, whether it’s up and down or a grind-it-out halfcourt game.”"
The Spurs have defined excellence in the NBA in each of the past three decades. But there is a new coach about to compete in the excellence department.
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