imagump1313 wrote:What concerns me more than anything is people saying he is at odds with the team now because of all of this. I'm sure both sides are extremely frustrated at this point but I just don't see his personality as one to say "FU guys I want out". I'm actually more concerned right now about his relationship with the franchise than I am about the injury.
This could be Pop just trying to clear the air in his own way. Letting the team know they need to not worry and suck it up, the Calvary isn't coming. We are moving forward with what we have. And to let Kawhi know its ok to sit it out if you cant play. We want you long term, don't kill yourself for this season and risk this lingering even longer.
I agree with your first point about the speculation-driven drama. Th GB is an almost unbearable read with conjecture substituted for lack of info, and even in the face of stated info! For instance, the decision to try to play Kawhi every other game or whatever it was to ease him back was made by everyone involved - Pop, RC, medical staff, Kawhi himself, who knows who else; the decision to then sit him out from games 'indefinitely' was also made by all involved discussing it; now when Kawhi went to NYC for a second second opinion (I though he already got one around the time his rehab was declared 'indefinite') he did it
with Spurs staff on hand. But the narrative is
oh he's on his own going against what the Spurs want because they screwed up his rehab. How do we know it wasn't his deviance from what was prescribed that contributed to this prolonged state? I mean, given the history of the franchise with player injuries, you have to give the Spurs the benefit of the doubt. As for a rift, well, I have no idea, but if you and I feel frustrated, imagine how those directly involved feel; I just don't buy the one-sided
blame the franchise / Kawhi doesn't owe anybody anything slant.
As for your second paragraph, see I read the Pop tea leaves a bit differently. After Kawhi's last game, he said he wanted to string a few games together, that he talked to vets who told him to take his time, be it two-three weeks or even a month. That was around Jan. 19/20. Then he got shut down 'indefinitely'. Pop at that point explained he didn't expect that to mean for the rest of the season. Fast forward a month, I think the expectation was that Kawhi would at least try to return after the AS break. That's speculation on my part, but it's a month after he shut it down so fits the timeline Kawhi mentioned (not that that is set in stone). Also, Jeff McDonald mentioned that Pop had a week to think about what he'd say about this, and Pop chooses his words and message carefully.
So now the message is a little different, but the shift in it is important. Now the news is that Kawhi has been medically cleared for some time, and the choice is his whether to continue to sit out / seek more medical opinions or try to play. My sense is that Pop has drawn a line here: yes the Spurs are here for Kawhi, but the Spurs aren't about one player. It's never been that way, and given the leeway this injury has been given, I think they're sort of looking to see what effort they're getting back. There's some aspect of reciprocity that feels like it's not being met here, and contrary to social media speculation, I think it's the Spurs who are expecting Kawhi to step up a bit, who feel disappointed in his decision, not the other way around.
Again, speculation on my part, but I don't think it's a coincidence that Spurs are now saying the choice is Kawhi's; yes he's a super quiet guy, but he has ownership of this situation, too. He's a professional basketball player who is contributing to conjecture by letting Spurs do all the talking. He's got a voice, and if he doesn't use it, not the best look. Pop is also saying, I think, that Kawhi can't just show up for the last few games of the season or whatever and just expect to be fitted in just in time for the playoffs with guys who've been trying to make it work and found a way to mesh. This is the line drawn, an expectation of a certain give and take. I don't see that as unreasonable; I think it's only fair.
So somewhere between Larry Legend's freakish ability to take pain and Pop's gold line, "No one is bigger than the team. If you can't do things our way, you're not getting time here and we don't care who you are" (not stated in relation to the Kawhi situation specifically, but a solid general rule of thumb nonetheless) is where this give and take will play out. So the ball has been decidedly thrown in Kawhi's court. Time for him to do something with it.
