By @RyanGrosman
Laced
Follow @RyanGrosman
Laced
May 20, 2017
Let me just set the scene for a second.
It’s game 3 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals versus the Golden State Warriors.
You’re playing on your home court in front of your loyal, die-hard fans. It’s a nationally televised ESPN game – prime time Saturday night.
In the previous game, you had your ass not just handed to you, but shoved down your throat. It was beyond embarrassing, but totally understandable given you were facing an all-star team without your MVP candidate.
Let me just set the scene for a second.
It’s game 3 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals versus the Golden State Warriors.
You’re playing on your home court in front of your loyal, die-hard fans. It’s a nationally televised ESPN game – prime time Saturday night.
In the previous game, you had your ass not just handed to you, but shoved down your throat. It was beyond embarrassing, but totally understandable given you were facing an all-star team without your MVP candidate.
You’re the head coach. Do you play your ailing all-star to offer up somewhat of a challenge and maybe, just maybe, steal a game? Or do you rest him to save him from possible further injury and risk another beat down?
What do you do?
This is the decision Spurs head coach, Greg Popovich, was faced with today.
Where many other coaches in his spot would’ve played Kawhi Leonard, Pop has decided not to.
Making tough decisions is what Pop does best. Well, it’s one of the million things Pop does best. And like 100% of his decisions, it is the correct one.
I'm, of course, not with the team. I don’t know the extent of Leonard’s ankle injury. But I’d bet the gold-plated farm that Leonard could play if he needed to.
But Pop knows he's the present and the future of this franchise. So why risk further injury? They're down 2-0 to a goliath of a basketball team. What's the point?
Pop has taken a step back and looked at this decision from a loss-gain perspective. What can be lost or gained by playing Leonard in game 3.
Pop doesn’t concern himself with optics or what the fans think. Hell, he doesn’t even give an elephant’s ass what the NBA thinks. And his decisions are often very unpopular.
In 2012, for a nationally televised network game in Miami, Pop took heat for resting his star players vs. LeBron's Heat. The NBA actually fined the Spurs $250K for doing so.
But he always does what’s right for his team – now and for the future.
That’s because all his decisions are made with an eye on the prize – the prize being the Larry O’Brien trophy. Leonard and his gargantuan hands are the key to that prize.
Just not this year.
I mean, it’s no fluke that Pop’s led the Spurs to 20 straight NBA playoffs and 5 championships, while racking up 3 Coach of the Year honours. You don’t have that kind of sustained success by accident.
It’s because he’s the best. And he continues to prove it with each and every decision.
Follow @RyanGrosman
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