Even With Previous Success, Gregg Popovich Remains Underrated

The Spurs were a tale of two different teams this weekend. After annihilating the Heat on Friday night, San Antonio turned around and allowed themselves to get destroyed the same way Sunday afternoon by the Lakers.

Should the Spurs be worried? The best team (records wise) in the NBA, was just shellacked by two-time defending champions...in their own house. Where they just came off winning 22 straight games.

...sadly, this isn't the first time San Antonio has been dominated this by someone this season.

Even though the bench made this game more respectable then it really was, it doesn't change the fact that Los Angeles outplayed San Antonio in every imaginable aspect. You can't allow your opponent to shoot 10% higher than you. You can't let your opponent out rebound you. And you certainly can't commit more turnovers than your opponent.

But after such an abysmal performance, there's no reason to press the panic button.

The Spurs season is by far exceeding all expectations from the beginning of the season. With the best record in the NBA at 51-12, San Antonio has clinched it's 12th straight 50-win season (tying an NBA record) and is doing so with an aging cast of superstars and without the trademark defense that has lead the Spurs to four championships.

Gregg Popovich has pulled the ultimate rebuild job, without ever missing the playoffs or having a losing season. Turning Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto and Bruce Bowen into Richard Jefferson. Drafting great role players like George Hill and DeJuan Blair. Changing the offense so it doesn't heavily rely on Tim Duncan (which lessens the wear and tear on TD, and allows the offense to run at a faster, more efficient pace). And lastly, not being afraid to play unproven guys like Gary Neal, who's "instant offense" has helped the Spurs in ways not thought possible.

The ultimate story of adversity, Gary Neal
has put his troubled past behind him and
turned himself into a premier bench player.

But there's more to it then just changing the system. The Spurs ability to brush off losses is outstanding. San Antonio has only lost consecutive games once. San Antonio also owns three notable winning streaks of 8 games, 10 games and 12 games.

With twelve losses on the season (and 19 games left), the Spurs are far from the '96 Bulls. What's astonishing is some of the ways the Spurs have lost. Four of San Antonio's losses have been absolute blowouts (losing by more than 15 points) and each of those blowout losses have come against a different playoff contender (Lakers, Hornets, Magic, Grizzles).

It's obvious the team has not only bought into Coach Pop's new system, but they've mirrored his intensity. Antonio McDyess said about Monday's practice after the lost to the Lakers, that Pop didn't take it out on them, the players "took it out on each other."

Popovich will never admit it, but his team is on a mission. The only way the national media will respect these Spurs, is by beating notable opponents day in and day out. The Spurs have beaten every single team in the NBA at least once this season...except for one - the Boston Celtics. A team that beat the Spurs by two on the back end of a road back-to-back. Which happens to be the only time San Antonio has lost consecutive games.

The Spurs meet the Celtics on March 31st in San Antonio, where they are 29-3 at home.