Since the beginning of the 21st century, there are two teams that most American sports fans would probably classify as "dynasties." Those two teams are the New England Patriots and the San Antonio Spurs. The Patriots have appeared in six Super Bowls, won four of them, and when they are not playing in the Super Bowl, they are still usually still in the mix. The same can be said about the San Antonio Spurs. Since 1999, the Spurs have also appeared in the Finals six times, and they have won five titles.
Both of those teams are also centered around one legendary coach and one legendary player. The Patriots have Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, and the Spurs have Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan. Supporting cast members have come and gone, and while there have been other mainstays on the teams, those four men have been the centerpieces. The legacies of Belichick and Brady will always be conjoined, and the same can be said for the legacies of Popovich and Duncan. They have earned their status as all-time greats, and they obviously know what they are doing and how to go about their business in their respective sports. They have elevated both the NFL and the NBA in countless ways, and they mean so much to both of those leagues. With that acclaim, they have earned the right to do things their own way. However, I feel like because they are all on such a high pedestal, they also bear a large amount of responsibility in making their leagues appealing to the fans that support it. That is why last night, I was very disappointed in Gregg Popovich.
Before I start, I will say this: Am I probably blowing this matter out of proportion? Yes, I think I am. However, I still feel like it is a point that at least needs to be brought up. The magical run that has been the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors regular season up until this point has really overshadowed just how good the Spurs have been. Despite Golden State remaining on pace to get to 70 wins, and maybe even match Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls 72 win team, the San Antonio Spurs are having a heck of a season as well. Going into last night's contest between the two, Golden State was 40-4, but the Spurs were only two games behind them at 38-6.
Under any normal circumstances, a 38-6 record would be worthy of the best in the league. Add that to the fact that San Antonio entered last night on a 13 game wining streak, and we seemed to have a game surely worthy of national attention. The NBA regular season is long, but there are always games that have big time appeal. They don't happen every night, but they do happen. Last night was one of those times. The Warriors and the Spurs had the two best records in the NBA, and this was their first matchup of the season. Barring unforeseen circumstances, this may well have been a preview of the Western Conference Finals. It was one of those games that made you want to skip over the Super Bowl buildup for a night, and watch some great basketball. However, for reasons that I find hard to characterize as anything other than arrogant or antagonistic, Gregg Popovich decided to keep Tim Duncan out of the game in the name of periodic rest.
I get it. Duncan is nearing the end of his legendary career, and the Spurs do this all the time with their aging veterans. And it has worked. They have the hardware to back it up. Other teams have seen it work, and now many of them have emulated what San Antonio does. Teams want to be at their best when the playoffs come around. If that means sacrificing a game or two here or there during the regular season, then so be it. However, teams and coaches need to have a little more respect for the fans that spend their money to come out and see their games.
Duncan had sat out a game this past Thursday against the Phoenix Suns. He then returned the next night to play against the Lakers. The Spurs won both of those games. Then, despite sitting out a game less than a week prior, Popovich sat Duncan last night in a marquee matchup between the teams with the two best records on the league. The average ticket price for last night's game was over $500. I don't care who you are, but if you spend $500 to go see a basketball game, you deserve to get your money's worth. And to get your money's worth, it means seeing the best players for both teams on the floor. However, despite that, Tim Duncan was nowhere to be found.
If you were to ask Popovich what he thought about making an assumption like this, he would say that he doesn't care what you think, and he would do the same thing again in the blink of an eye. Do I believe that he would? Yes, I do. Has he proven that doing so has helped his team and his players in the long run? Yes, he has. Still though, the fact that he sat his most recognizable player in a game that many people had circled on their calendar just rubs me the wrong way. As I said, the Spurs were coming off a game in which they beat the lowly Los Angeles Lakers. Why not sit Duncan for that game? The only thing the Lakers are competing for this season is the first overall draft pick, so why should the Spurs be worried about them? The Spurs could be meeting the Warriors in June for a chance to play in the NBA Finals, so clearly these two teams are formidable. Fans who are spending $500 to see them play should get a little more respect from Popovich.
Following the game, which by the way saw the Warriors run the Spurs off the court in winning by 30 points, Popovich said that it is a good thing that his bosses were not in the locker room after the game because he may have been fired. One would assume that means that he went into an expletive filled tirade after seeing his team lose by 30. Stephen Curry scored 37 points, and he didn't even play in the fourth quarter because the score was so lopsided. You know how you could have changed that, Coach Popovich? Maybe you should have played Tim Duncan, one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. If I paid $500 to see the Spurs and Warriors play, I would be insulted that Popovich chose this night to sit Duncan out.
The next time San Antonio plays Golden State will be on March 19th. If Popovich decides to sit Duncan (or any of his star players for that matter) in the name of "routine rest," then I hope the only difference between then and last night is that the Spurs lose by 40 instead of 30. I understand that Popovich is a great coach, but the reason he makes those millions of dollars is because us fans spend hundreds of dollars to go see his team play. What he did last night shows me that while he might understand that is the case, he really doesn't care too much about it as well. Have a little more respect for the fans, Coach, because we deserve it.
Daily NBA Update: Obviously, the Warriors won last night, and they now sit at 41-4. Next up is Dallas, and then they visit Philadelphia (my thoughts and condolences to the 76ers for what might happen that night). February 6th will be the first time the Warriors play the Oklahoma City Thunder, and that is definitely a matchup to look forward to. Aside from that, DeMarcus Cousins scored 56 points last night, and his teammate Rajon Rondo had 20 assists. I'm not sure how often teammates go for 50 points and 20 assists in the same game, but I know that it doesn't happen often.
Daily Rangers Update: The Rangers got back on track last night against the Buffalo Sabres, winning 6-3. It was the final game for the Rangers before the All Star break, so with some time off, hopefully the Rangers can come back strong for the final 33 games. The Washington Capitals are on the cusp of already running away with the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but after that, playoff positioning is wide open. As we stand right now, the Rangers are third in the conference. They have also had great success against Washington in the postseason in recent years, so if the Rangers can stay healthy for the second half, things still look positive.
Daily Diamondbacks Update: Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month (which seems crazy given the amount of snow I see when I look outside), and Arizona still may not be done making moves. Second base seems to be the spot where change could still be coming, but I have not heard of anything imminent. No matter what happens between now and the start of Spring Training, the 2016 Diamondbacks are a team I am looking forward to watching.
Daily NFL Update: I will forgo the Giants updates until the Super Bowl is played, as there will be plenty of time to talk about the Giants during the offseason. We still have one game left to play though, and there are a whole lot of interesting storylines attached to it (although it's the Super Bowl, there are always a whole bunch of storylines attached to it). I will give you an extensive look at my thoughts and feelings on both teams before the game, but at this point the hype is only beginning. Super Sunday is less than two weeks away, and the world will be watching.
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