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NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: GRIZZLIES v SPURSMay 27, 2013Gregg PopovichMEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: Game Four San Antonio – 93 GREGG POPOVICH: I'd like to congratulate the Grizzlies on a great season. I thought the Grizzlies were‑‑ I don't believe we won this thing 4‑0. We didn't kick anybody's butt. I'm not trying to be overly gracious or anything; it's true. A couple of plays here and there in just about every single game could have changed the whole darned thing. We're thrilled to be able to win the series, but Memphis was a hell of a competitor all year long. I thought that the organization did a great job putting things together. It was difficult at times, I know, and I thought Lionel and his staff were superior in keeping that ship upright and moving in the right direction. One of the best if not the best defensive inside team in the league, and they were super. It was a hell of an opponent. Q. At one point I think maybe before the game I think Tony assisted on 27 of 30 baskets. Can you talk about what Tony did tonight? GREGG POPOVICH: Well, he's had a lot of very good games. Obviously this probably ranks right up there without a doubt. I've said it a lot of times this year, I thought he played better than any point guard in the league. He got hurt and then he got a little unsteady for a while getting back from the ankle, but once we got in the Playoffs he started returning to the form that he was up until that point, and he's been fantastic, making the All‑NBA second team really was deserved and he was moved by it. It meant a lot to him. And he's continued to play the way you've seen at both ends of the court. He's playing defense, also, but people just look at his scoring. Q. Following up on the defense, you held them under 40 percent shooting in both these games here in Memphis, and tonight you got a lot of steals from Kawhi Leonard, blocks from at Tiago Splitter, defense from Tony Parker. Can you talk about your preseason goal of returning to, quote‑unquote Spurs defense has worked out? GREGG POPOVICH: Well, we were a middle‑of‑the‑road defensive team last year, whether you want to look at statistics to prove it or just look at our team. We were average, and it was our goal to try to get up there into the top echelon of defensive teams. We're not the best, but we're a whole lot better than we were last year, and that was the primary goal. Then the second goal was to play together and trust each other. We're not a one‑on‑one team. We can't give the ball to one guy and say go score. We do it as a group. And we wanted to make sure that we had assists and ball movement and that kind of thing, and I think for the most part we've done that. Q. You talked about Memphis's inside game, but you managed to outscore them again in the paint. You were getting a lot of easy lay‑ups. What was working so well for you in shutting down Zach Randolph? GREGG POPOVICH: Well, I think it's just effort. There's no magic. We didn't come up with some new defense to guard them. But we were aggressive, we did a lot of denying, a lot of pressure on the passer who was trying to deliver the ball, whether it was high‑low or from the wing, and we fronted and three quartered and showed a lot of looks on the post. We didn't just stay behind, we made it difficult for him to catch. At times he caught it and he hurt us, but for the most part I thought the post defense, the foot movement and the commitment was fantastic. Q. Last year Green and Splitter played last year, but they played a whole lot better this year. Talk about the defensive improvement of Splitter this year and the consistency of Green to contribute to your success? GREGG POPOVICH: Well, last year was really Danny's first year being in that kind of a situation, and he was okay. This year you can see the improvement in his confidence, in his mental game more than anything. And Tiago, he was hurt off and on the entire year, and when we got to the Playoffs he hadn't really played, wasn't really in great shape or wasn't in great rhythm. But this year he started from the get‑go, and it's shown. We've become real used to him on the court. Q. Just your general thoughts of getting back to The Finals after six years. GREGG POPOVICH: I'm going to have to think about that tonight when I'm laying in bed. It already feels pretty good. You don't expect that to happen maybe this late in the game with the same group. It's tough to do, to maintain something that long, but it just shows the character of those three guys and their ability to play with whoever else is brought in around them. They deserve a lot of credit for that. Q. Obviously you always show your appreciation, but do you even appreciate it a lot more with this drought and it being number five to be there that many times? GREGG POPOVICH: Well, I appreciate it. Maybe I don't show it the way I should, but it's pretty special. I'm just really proud of the group the way they worked all year long to get there, and I'm sure that we've been a team that's probably been written off like they've had their day, and it seems logical, I would probably have said the same thing if I was a fan from the outside looking in. It doesn't show the way these guys compete and what they think. Q. What convinced you that you could perpetuate it with this group long after the normal shelf life of a team? GREGG POPOVICH: Well, you know, they're still healthy, and I think a lot of people think the grass is greener on the other side, and if we could change this coach or trade these guys it's all going to be nirvana after that. I think if you stay the course and you've got leaders who are quality character people and you follow them as long as you can. I've been hanging on Timmy's coattails for a long time. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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