Hate, Love Gregg Popovich

At 7:55pm I switched the channel to the Spurs, Nuggets game. I was finishing up a game of Madden, so I was not really paying attention. But as I was running my favorite edited version of the “Four Verticals” play, I thought I heard the commentator say that Manu was not going to play. I quickly paused the game and rewound the TV. Sure enough, Popovich decided to sit Manu because of a contusion he suffered the night before against Golden State. This was upsetting, but it’s always better to give Manu a rest after a game like the one against the Warriors. Manu continuously sacrificed his body in that game and it was understandable that he might need the next night off.

So, I continued playing Madden. I’m a big fan of running the hurry up offense throughout the entire game. I enjoy it because my opponent tends to get frustrated, and then takes chances, which is when I can go for the big play. Still not paying attention to the TV, I thought I heard him say that Michael Finley, Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker would sit this one out. I thought I must have misheard. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Our next game is Sunday at Boston, obviously a huge game. But that’s in 4 days. 4 days of rest in unheard of in the regular season. In fact, after that long of a break teams tend to come back a little rusty. So why would we sit four of our starters seemingly needlessly. I was irate. The Xbox controller may have been chucked across the room. Clearly, this is the “Hate Popovich” section.

After the game, I began to think through what went on, and I made some sense of it. Basketball players are generally superstitious. I remember in my all-state days, I became very superstitious. Previously, I thought it was silly. But in a game where the bounce of the ball can be the difference between a win and a loss, advancing in the playoffs and going home, superstition because important. Confidence in basketball is vital. Even the bench players on the team think they are God’s gift. They should be the one’s starting. It’s just the way a basketball player’s mind has to be wired. If there is any doubt in your mind, you will miss, you will get beaten up, you will get benched. Superstitions serve to strengthen confidence, falsely or not. One game I forgot to bring my right socks with me on the road. It completely affected my game. Maybe it was a subconscious thing, but it had a dramatic affect on the way I played that night.

What happens when you are at a blackjack table, there is a dealer change, and the momentum swings? Suddenly, you are losing every hand and getting more 15’s and 16’s than R Kelly. Superstitious players will immediately get up, and find the dealer that they were winning with. I would argue that Popovich saw the NBA’s momentum change, did not like it, and decided to cash out. Andrew Bynum, Jameer Nelson, Chris Paul, and Chauncey Billups have all sustained injuries in the past 3 days. Were they fluky injuries? Yes, but why take the chance? Clearly, the Spurs were forced to overextend themselves in the game against the Warriors. In the second game of back to backs, injuries are more likely. The players are fatigued and not as quick as normal. Their legs are sore, they are jet lagged, if the Spurs were going to sustain an injury it would have been last night. Chauncey turned his ankle in the first half. Are we not extremely grateful that it was not Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili that stepped on a foot? Also, this move is a complete slap in the face to the Denver Nuggets. Popovich is basically saying, "You know what, I know your record is good and everything, but we own you in the playoffs. Here, take this game. Your team isn't even worth showing up for." I think the decision to bench our players was interesting. And as a superstitious basketball fan, it makes me laugh.