After the San Antonio Spurs got swept out of their Western Conference Finals matchup against the Golden State Warriors on Monday, Gregg Popovich wanted to make one thing crystal clear: The Warriors are much more than just the names on the back of their jerseys.
Gregg Popovich says the Warriors are ‘way, way more than their talent’
The Warriors swept the Spurs on Monday, but Pop says it was more than just roster makeup that decided the series.
Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
Yes, Golden State boasts two former MVPs, the league’s best two-way shooting guard, and the likely Defensive Player of the Year. Yes, Golden State took a team that recorded the best record in NBA history and improved it by adding a four-time scoring champion. And yes, Golden State is one of the most talented teams to ever step foot on an NBA floor.
But for Pop, it’s more than just talent:
“They’re REALLY talented, but that’s not the whole equation. That’s not everything that describes them,” Popovich said following San Antonio’s 129-115 loss. “This is maybe the best defensive team in the league, on top of everything. So they don’t just play with talent, they execute on the defensive end of the floor. On offense, no team is more unselfish, finding the open man. ... They get credit for that. Coaches are always trying to get their team to do that, but they’ve got a multitude of people who are unselfish in that regard and play a beautiful game, and on top of that play D on the other end.
“So they deserve a lot more credit than ‘well they’re talented, they’re supposed to win.’ That is disrespectful to them in my book. They’re way, way more than just their talent.”
Pop, as he often does, hit the nail on the head. Many assumed Golden State would march right into the NBA Finals once they acquired Kevin Durant last summer, but it was more than just adding a supreme scorer to the rotation.
The Warriors shifted their defensive game plan around Durant’s versatility. They bought into Durant as the best scorer on the team, deferring to him at times throughout the game, something that takes a lot from a team whose former second-leading scorer, Klay Thompson, said he wasn’t “sacrificing s—-” for the newcomer.
Golden State took its selfless brand of basketball and took it to new heights by adding one of the most efficient perimeter scorers in league history. It’s no coincidence the Warriors have sailed so smoothly to the finals. They’ve fine-tuned everything along the way.
Pop didn’t just heap praise on the Spurs, though. He lauded his own team for the effort it gave, getting to the Western Conference Finals in light of harsh circumstances. San Antonio lost Tony Parker in its second-round series against the Houston Rockets and then lost Kawhi Leonard — along with a 23-point lead — in Game 1 against the Warriors.
Still, they tried until the very end. Of all people, Popovich took note.
The Warriors are advancing to the NBA Finals for a likely date with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are up 2-1 in their conference finals against the Boston Celtics. And as talented as Golden State is on paper, it’ll need every trick in the book to get past LeBron James.
Just ask Pop. He’d know best.
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