Saturday, March 7, 2009

Looking for guys who have "gotten over themselves"

Good story in SI about the Spurs and how they're constructed. According to SA coach Gregg Popovich, it's about finding guys who know and accept their roles.

"We get guys who want to do their job and go home and aren't impressed with the hoopla. One of the keys is to bring in guys who have gotten over themselves. They either want to prove that they can play in this league—or they want to prove nothing. They fill their role and know the pecking order. We have three guys who are the best players, and everyone else fits around them."

Don't believe it?

Just listen to what Fabricio Oberto says. Oberto started 64 games for the Spurs last season, averaging more than 20 minutes per game. This season, his minutes have been trimmed (13.1 mpg), though you wouldn't know it from this quote:

"If I'm not playing and the team wins, that's perfect. Look, everyone wants to play, [but] everyone wants to win more."