Popovich stresses that defensive improvement has to be 'the focus' for Spurs next season.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich left, talks to Keita Bates-Diop during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023, in Chicago. Keita Bates-Diop wants his younger teammates to spend plenty of time in front of the TV during their vacations.
Bates-Diop’s comments came after Spurs coach Gregg Popovich put the team on notice after Sunday’s season finale in Dallas that another year of defensive ineptitude won’t be tolerated. Popovich, who has coached some of the best defensive teams in NBA history during his 27 seasons as Spurs coach, gave the team somewhat of a pass this season because of its youth and the multitude of injuries it suffered.
But the veterans also have to shoulder some of the blame for a defense that sank to unfathomable depths for a Popovich-coached team. After finishing this season with the league’s third-worst individual defensive rating , Johnson vowed to return next year as a better defender. Bates-Diop and center Zach Collins were solid. Vassell has the skills to be a strong on-ball defender. And most promising of all, rookie forward Jeremy Sochan showed potential NBA All-Defensive team form while regularly taking on the opposing team’s main offensive threat.
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