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Spurs' Gregg Popovich not a fan of shootarounds: often just 'total crap'
The San Antonio Spurs do things their own way. For a long time, they've approached rest, media, management and marketing differently than most other teams in the league. Every once in a while, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will explain why they do things the way they do. On Tuesday, the subject was shootarounds.
Before San Antonio's 108-87 blowout win against the Los Angeles Clippers, Popovich essentially called traditional shootarounds a relic. The Clippers almost never shoot around, and the Spurs are selective with it. From the Orange County Register's Dan Woike:
He went a little in-depth about NBA teams canceling shootarounds, a bandwagon Popovich said he and the Spurs hopped on “two decades” ago.
“I just think it was the modus operandi for every organization. It was habit. It was what everyone did. If you didn't do it, you were recalcitrant or you weren't doing your job,” Popovich said. “Some owners would look and say ‘Why aren't you doing a shootaround?' If you were a young coach, you have to have a shootaround because you're doing what you have to do. And, basically, half of them are total crap – a total waste of time.
“... In general, shootarounds could be kaputskied.”
Around the league, especially at this time of year, teams are starting to value rest more than shootarounds. There is no consensus on the issue, however. Last year, the Toronto Raptors decided to scrap almost all shootarounds at home, but coach Dwane Casey said over the weekend that is not the plan this time.
"I think we got comfortable," Casey said on Monday. "I think it's really difficult to do it entirely by video, by film. Getting on the court, there's nothing that can replace it. As far as how hard we go live and all that stuff, we don't go body to body, but I think it's still good to get back in the gym and go somewhat full speed."
Clippers coach Doc Rivers is extreme about the lack of shootarounds and practices. This works for a veteran team, but there are advantages and disadvantages to it, as Washington Wizards forward Jared Dudley recently explained on USA Today's NBA A to Z podcast.
"They literally do not practice over there," said Dudley, who played for the Clippers in 2012-13. "And when I say that, I mean it's hard to get a sweat. If you're not a starter, if you're on that bench, you have to do a lot of stuff on your own or you will get out of shape. So, with that much responsibility, he expects you to be a pro inside and out.
"When I was starting, it was perfect. Loved it. When you're on the bench, I'm a rhythm player, I'm a system player -- the system, has to create offense for me, I'm not going to go get my own -- so I like to work on the plays, let's scrimmage a little bit, get our timing down. And that's something that you see with the Clippers, usually, when their bench is not really that good. It's because you don't practice. So it's good in that he saves your legs, gets you ready for the playoffs, but it's a give or take."
Back to the Spurs: Popovich also told reporters he prefers "short and directed" film sessions, rather than lengthy ones where you risk losing players' attention. Once again, San Antonio sounds like a perfect place to play. Wouldn't it be great it Popovich was this forthcoming all the time?
