Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich:
(On the balance of role players being in the right place vs. slowly developing over time…)
“I think it’s a combination of both. Most players in the NBA are role players if you think about it. They’re all playing so they figured out a place to go. It’s about whether if there’s a situation where they can find minutes. Some role players end up being really important like a Bruce Bowen or a DeMarre Carroll in Atlanta or somebody like that. The situation is important. I think that since the NBA is mostly made up of role players that’s what we’re a league of. ”
(When asked his thoughts on Adam Silver’s first year as commissioner of the NBA)
“He stepped in and had some challenges that happened quickly and I think he’s handled them well.”
(On being close to reaching 1,000 wins…)
“Just write whatever I’m supposed to say and I’ll agree with you. Just write all the trite stuff every coach says when something happens like that and I’ll say I said it. When it happens I’ll say something about it. Obviously you have to be around a while to do that. It’s not going to happen if you’re not in that situation. You’ve got to have an organization that’s allowed you to be there for a long time, has shown a lot of patience, and let you grow. Obviously you have to have players that go win games because I haven’t scored many points or gotten many rebounds that I can remember. That was because I wasn’t in the league because Larry Brown cut me. It’s a combination of all those things to get any kind of a goal like that realized. ”
(When asked if guard Marco Belinelli is close to returning to play…)
“I think maybe about Wednesday they’ll tell me he’s cleared to play. I think it’s probable come Wednesday.”
(On the availability of forward Tiago Splitter tonight…)
“He’ll start with Timmy (Duncan).”