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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: SPURS v LAKERS


May 21, 2008


Gregg Popovich


LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game One

Q. Coach, what challenges does Pau Gasol present to you obviously beside the fact that he is on the team?
COACH POPOVICH: He is a great passer, number one. He obviously can score. He's got skills, and he can score. But he make it's everybody better on the team with his passing. He understands the spacial relationships of the triangle. He is a willing passer. He is unselfish obviously. So he makes everything come together, and he makes it so much more dangerous because of that.

Q. Gregg, you were a little disappointed or upset that the deal was made at the beginning. Did you think he had this level of impact on this team, for them to go 30-7?
COACH POPOVICH: It was a joke. You got to have a life. I made a joke about it. I wasn't upset about it. I just made a joke.

Q. But did you expect his level of impact, them going 30-7?
COACH POPOVICH: Sure, sure. He is exactly what the doctor ordered for this offense and that's been proven pretty effectively.

Q. While we're playing trains and automobiles, traffic is brutal out there. Did you get stuck in it?
COACH POPOVICH: It was a little slow-going. 6:00 is probably not the greatest time to try to get some place in L.A.

Q. How long did it take you to get in from Santa Monica?
COACH POPOVICH: 45. Can't complain about that.

Q. Are you a big fan about American Idol? I'm guessing you probably are.
COACH POPOVICH: Of what?

Q. Are you a big fan of American Idol?
COACH POPOVICH: What is that? (Laughter).

Q. That's all I need. It is going on across the street.
COACH POPOVICH: I wish I would have known, I would have stopped on the way and checked it out. (Smiling).
Is that where they dance with each other?

Q. No, no, no. You're close.
(Laughter.)

Q. What has been your preparation for this series? Have you had to shortcut at all?
COACH POPOVICH: Preparation?

Q. Yeah, in terms of things had you to no about these guys.
COACH POPOVICH: We just got here. Preparation comes after tonight. You know, the preparation for today is basically what we already knew about them and what snippets we saw on the plane the other night.

Q. From what you have seen of them, do they run really different stuff than the Shaq-Kobe Lakers that you played so many times?
COACH POPOVICH: Sure. There's always variations every year. People will make adjustments no matter what their offense is or their defense. I think what they do now is a perfect complement for the players they have.
I have never seen their team pass as they do now. I truly believe it is best passing team in the league.

Q. Wondered if everybody got enough rest and how it worked out today? Does everybody look normal in terms of rest?
COACH POPOVICH: Sure, sure. The plane debacle and all that was a day and a half or two days ago or something like that. It doesn't have anything to do with the game tonight. Everybody's gone through those sorts of things during the season, and we've already all played 90 games with preseason and now the play-offs on top of that. So players are pretty much used to anything that might happen that's unusual.

End of FastScripts




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