Horry:"Stars Have to Dumb Down Their Game With The Spurs", Blames Pop for Fisher's '.4' shot

[chrismikayla]

I think Pop is a great coach but I wonder if his "style" would go over if the Spurs did not have a history of winning. Would being "cute" and "sassy" with the media turn into him being a jerk?

I also wonder if LeBron would be able to run the Cavs had he not been such a great player, or if Phil wouldn't be coaching the Lakers during prime Shaq and Kobe if the Bulls didn't win so many titles.


Pop is a huge reason for the Spurs success, he can act however he wants. If I meet Mick Jagger and he's a jerk, I don't let it bother me as much cause he's from the same band that put out Exile on Main Street. Greatness can lead to arrogance no doubt, but I'm never faulting someone who is brilliant when they also act arrogant. It is what it is.


As for Horry, he was amazing in 2005, hell his shot against Detroit is my #1 basketball moment of all time, and I've been a Spurs fan over 20+ years. However, Horry is very bitter that the Spurs let him go after 2008. The Spurs also gave him a chance after he was AWFUL in 2003 for LA and they kicked him to the curb. If Horry hits ONE more shot in Game 5 of the 2004 series, the Spurs win that game. However, Horry was awful awful awful in the 2004 playoffs, not great in the 2006 playoffs, and even worse in the 2008 playoffs. I don't get what he's whining about, as the Horry needed the Spurs more than the Spurs needed Horry. Horry was huge in 2005, but every other year he was AWFUL. 2005 and 2007 he was solid, but so were many other players for the Spurs during that era.

As for people complaining that Pop is too tough, well CP3, Harden, LeBron, Kobe, Durant have all said amazing things about Pop over the years and they all seem very excited to play for him for Team USA. Pop holds players accountable, that doesn't make him a jerk, it makes him a coach who wants to see his team execute. If Pop was only half as tough as he was the Spurs wouldn't have any titles.

Not a put down of Pop just an illustration that winning is a cure for everything and players will put up with more.

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[phanman]

this thread is loaded with garbage posts

he won big with TWO different casts around duncan

he is still thriving without duncan and was still in the mix when he was over the hill

he DEVELOPED KAWHI.. kawhi was like pick 15 or something, not #1

awful awful posts

hes the best coach in the game by a mile

----------------

horry is a fool.. he basically said "you have to know your role and play team ball to win in SA" (with his abcd anaology)

uhh yea, obviously..

Whos to say a guy like Larry Brown couldnt have done the same? Lets see how he does without him now

The first year was highly promising, they only won 6 less games than the previous year with him involved @ 61w and managed to still make the WCF and steal 1 game from the Warriors before Zaza injured Kawhi.

[Edrees]

Horry just seems bitter here. Something must have happened. He's got a point but his choice of the word 'dumbing' isn't the best choice. Players have to sacrifice their stats in his system. You can view it as 'dumbing' your game down, or you can view it as making more high bball iq choices. (doing the extra pass, etc)

Can you really blame a coach if someone who is the 4th option on a team makes a shot with 0.4 left? That's just a miracle play. Pop's choice to not let kobe get the ball under any circumstances works 99/100 times

[Big NBA Fan]

Horry essentially won the 2005 and 2007 titles for the Spurs; first, the Game 5 dagger against the Pistons in the Finals and then his cheap-shot on Nash that got STAT/Diaw suspended for the pivotal Game 5.

[Joseph17]

I'm not going to say Horry is right, but I like it when people take shots and Pop. He seems like an arrogant, know it all prick. Horry has 7 rings and he has played for some of the best coaches of all-time so I obviously respect his opinion. I lost a lot of respect for him when he went on his rant about the election results. He sounded like a guy who is really out of touch with reality and no I'm not a Trump supporter. I didn't even vote for him. You can bash Trump all you want, but if you don't understand why he won over a person like Hillary of all people you're simply out of touch with reality.

Trump won because 77,744 across 3 states voted for him instead of Hillary.

He would have won the popular vote also if he campaigned more in liberal states such as New York and California. He didn't even bother with NY and Cali because he knew that Hillary was going to win those states. I don't want to even get into why he won because the list is way too long and this is a basketball forum. The point that I was trying to make is that I bet a lot of people feel like Horry in regards to Popovich and his system. I think he's the best coach in the NBA, but I'd completely understand why some of his players might not like him as a person. I wouldn't want to play for a guy with his personality if I was an NBA player. I'd much rather play for another good coach that's more laid back like Brad Stevens.

[Joseph17]

Horry just seems bitter here. Something must have happened. He's got a point but his choice of the word 'dumbing' isn't the best choice. Players have to sacrifice their stats in his system. You can view it as 'dumbing' your game down, or you can view it as making more high bball iq choices. (doing the extra pass, etc)

Can you really blame a coach if someone who is the 4th option on a team makes a shot with 0.4 left? That's just a miracle play. Pop's choice to not let kobe get the ball under any circumstances works 99/100 times

Do you see how Popovich constantly yells at his players individually during games? I'm sure some of his players really get tired of his antics. Some players like Tim Duncan, Leonard, Manu, Tony, etc. might not mind it, but others can't really deal with that type of coaching method.

[Joseph17]

I was shocked when I saw Pop yell frantically at Pau Gasol for not running a play right in the playoffs. He continued yelling at him after time out with Gasol timidly apologizing.

I can understand why NBA veterans would not put up with that and not surprised that Aldridge tired of that really quick. Remember, Rodman said Pops has a big ego and thinks he's god.

People love to put Pop on a pedestal but every coach has their flaws. Even Phil Jackson's rep has taken a big hit lately and Riley is not revered as he once was.

Watch on YouTube

Totally agree

[Genjuro]

this thread is loaded with garbage posts

he won big with TWO different casts around duncan

he is still thriving without duncan and was still in the mix when he was over the hill

he DEVELOPED KAWHI.. kawhi was like pick 15 or something, not #1

awful awful posts

hes the best coach in the game by a mile

----------------

horry is a fool.. he basically said "you have to know your role and play team ball to win in SA" (with his abcd anaology)

uhh yea, obviously..

Whos to say a guy like Larry Brown couldnt have done the same? Lets see how he does without him now

Of all coaches I'm dead certain that Brown would've been one of the least likely to have done the same, simply because he would've never lasted long enough in the job. He's always been a short-term coach.

[Edrees]

Horry just seems bitter here. Something must have happened. He's got a point but his choice of the word 'dumbing' isn't the best choice. Players have to sacrifice their stats in his system. You can view it as 'dumbing' your game down, or you can view it as making more high bball iq choices. (doing the extra pass, etc)

Can you really blame a coach if someone who is the 4th option on a team makes a shot with 0.4 left? That's just a miracle play. Pop's choice to not let kobe get the ball under any circumstances works 99/100 times

Do you see how Popovich constantly yells at his players individually during games? I'm sure some of his players really get tired of his antics. Some players like Tim Duncan, Leonard, Manu, Tony, etc. might not mind it, but others can't really deal with that type of coaching method.

Without Horry's clutch shots in the finals spurs against pistons would lose that close 7 game series. Horry had heroic game 6 shots. So it seems like Horry was able to deal with it just fine? I understand players like LA and RJ played worse under Pop, but Horry himself isn't someone who played worse under Pop. Horry had a HUGE down year and bricked every 3 he took in his last season with the Lakers, and had a few rebound seasons under Pop.

[meekrab]

I was shocked when I saw Pop yell frantically at Pau Gasol for not running a play right in the playoffs. He continued yelling at him after time out with Gasol timidly apologizing.

I can understand why NBA veterans would not put up with that and not surprised that Aldridge tired of that really quick.

That's the difference between a champion hall of famer and a guy who's just punching the clock.

[Geaux_Hawks]

That's like throwing a severely overweight person into the military.

Bad analogy, unless you're speaking on PT standards. If so, then yeah I get your point.

Sorry just wanting clarity here.

[Kupchak9]

That's like throwing a severely overweight person into the military.

Bad analogy, unless you're speaking on PT standards. If so, then yeah I get your point.

Sorry just wanting clarity here.

Yes by initial PT standards. Definitely not post.

[AndriPerdhian93]

Better player than the knicks have had in 20 years

Stop trolling

You wish I were trolling
No future HoFers who have played in that franchise in last 20 years. Just accept it

Melo and ewing are better than him.

[sikma42]

Horry is right. Pop is a great, but his robotic style of coaching has never bee good at adapting to situations. Probably why he hated Kobe who is the GOAT adapter and would ruin his gameplans

Pop is one of the least robotic coaches to ever coach.


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[OdomFan]

Wish the Lakers kept Sam Perkins over this dude. Will never forget the shot against the Kings but this dude is way to arrogant for my liking.

[2LeTTeRS]

This notion that any person is beyond criticism is insane to me. Pop is obviously an accomplished coach, and if I had to bet my life savings on a game I want him coaching my squad, but that doesn't mean we have to gloss over the instances when his decisions came back to bite him or his (seemingly) difficult personality.

[Joseph17]

Horry just seems bitter here. Something must have happened. He's got a point but his choice of the word 'dumbing' isn't the best choice. Players have to sacrifice their stats in his system. You can view it as 'dumbing' your game down, or you can view it as making more high bball iq choices. (doing the extra pass, etc)

Can you really blame a coach if someone who is the 4th option on a team makes a shot with 0.4 left? That's just a miracle play. Pop's choice to not let kobe get the ball under any circumstances works 99/100 times

Do you see how Popovich constantly yells at his players individually during games? I'm sure some of his players really get tired of his antics. Some players like Tim Duncan, Leonard, Manu, Tony, etc. might not mind it, but others can't really deal with that type of coaching method.

Without Horry's clutch shots in the finals spurs against pistons would lose that close 7 game series. Horry had heroic game 6 shots. So it seems like Horry was able to deal with it just fine? I understand players like LA and RJ played worse under Pop, but Horry himself isn't someone who played worse under Pop. Horry had a HUGE down year and bricked every 3 he took in his last season with the Lakers, and had a few rebound seasons under Pop.

It's because of his role. LA was a star so he's you can make the excuse that Pop's system didn't work for him. Pop's system didn't work for RJ because
1. He was out of his prime and
2. His style of play really doesn't fit into Pop's system. He was an overachiever on the Nets with their run and gun system playing with Kidd. He was basically just an average player when he went to the Spurs and it's not like he improved after leaving the Spurs. I was never a fan of guys like RJ and Kenyon Martin on the Nets. Jason Kidd made them.

[SOUL]

Horry is right. Pop is a great, but his robotic style of coaching has never bee good at adapting to situations. Probably why he hated Kobe who is the GOAT adapter and would ruin his gameplans

Pop is one of the least robotic coaches to ever coach.

Yeah, he's adapted to his roster pretty seamlessly over the years. Went from a "boring/defensive" team to one that had a lot of ball movement and shared opportunity, to a more Kawhi-centric one recently.

The only thing robotic is everybody buying into whatever he's selling and everybody being held accountable no matter how good they are.

[eagereyez]

The "system" that Pop asks his players to adjust to is a system conducive to winning. He doesn't allow low IQ players to use all of their "creativity" because odds are higher than average that it will lead to a bad shot. Ginobili is a brilliant player and Pop certainly allowed him to do his own thing. The same is true for Kawhi. Pop gets the very best out of his players via ruthless efficiency, and that efficiency means some dumb players aren't allowed complete freedom, which leads to hurt feelings.

[eagereyez]

I'm not going to say Horry is right, but I like it when people take shots and Pop. He seems like an arrogant, know it all prick. Horry has 7 rings and he has played for some of the best coaches of all-time so I obviously respect his opinion. I lost a lot of respect for him when he went on his rant about the election results. He sounded like a guy who is really out of touch with reality and no I'm not a Trump supporter. I didn't even vote for him. You can bash Trump all you want, but if you don't understand why he won over a person like Hillary of all people you're simply out of touch with reality.

Trump won because 77,744 across 3 states voted for him instead of Hillary.

He would have won the popular vote also if he campaigned more in liberal states such as New York and California. He didn't even bother with NY and Cali because he knew that Hillary was going to win those states. I don't want to even get into why he won because the list is way too long and this is a basketball forum. The point that I was trying to make is that I bet a lot of people feel like Horry in regards to Popovich and his system. I think he's the best coach in the NBA, but I'd completely understand why some of his players might not like him as a person. I wouldn't want to play for a guy with his personality if I was an NBA player. I'd much rather play for another good coach that's more laid back like Brad Stevens.

And do you think Clinton spent much time campaigning in Cali or NY? That argument goes both ways. They both spent the majority of their time campaigning in the swing states.