One last Q&A with Gregg Popovich:
No Spurs players were made available for interviews on Monday as the team broke up for the summer following its elimination from the playoffs by the L.A. Clippers. What we got instead was a 14-minute session with coach Gregg Popovich in his last availability of the 2014-15 season.
You have always maintained no team wins a title unless fully healthy for playoffs. Did you feel your team entered playoffs a little bit behind in that regard?
"I almost hesitate to answer that question because it sounds like an excuse but nobody wins a championship every year. Everybody wants to win one. Very few do. The bottom line was it was a real difficult year for us in a lot of ways but injury and schedule coincided to put us behind the eight ball a little bit. We recovered at the end of the year, had to dig down pretty deep to finish as well as we did and I think going into playoffs we certainly weren't as healthy as we wanted to be in a few different cases.
"During the first round we needed to get some better performances from three or four people, very frankly. But that happens. When you do you win championships. The year we lost to Miami we didn't have more than maybe two people who had real consistent play and Miami had four or five guys that were really on top of their games. The following year they had a couple and we had four or five guys on top of their games, fully healthy.
"That's what it takes. But I think our guys gave it a great shot and considering the run they've been on, both long-term for decades and the last three years with Conference Finals, Finals, Finals that takes a toll. It's hard to do and then followed by a pretty difficult year this year I don't think we were as sharp, mentally and certainly physically, as we have been in the past. Given that I was really proud of them, especially in Game 7, the way they came back and dug down deep. It's a great group and the run has been wonderful."
Even with all those struggles was there ever a point in the year, especially late when you started to rip off some wins, that you felt you had gotten to the point you needed to be at to have a chance to win another title?
"Yeah, just before Tiago got hurt again. We got him back and we had our lineup. We were healthy and made that run down the stretch and then he got hurt again and went down. Then we didn't get him back until the beginning of the playoffs and I thought that really hurt us, rotation-wise and health-wise.
"To go all the way a lot of things have to go in your favor. It could be a ref's call. It could be an injury, it could be somebody having a great night. It's very difficult to do."
Anything surprise you about the season?
"As far as players are concerned I don't know if it's quite a surprise but I continue to be amazed by Tim Duncan. He was our most consistent player in the playoffs, at 39. He needed a little more help and I feel badly he didn't get it. It wasn't for lack of trying.
"To watch him is pretty spectacular, in itself. Even our players shake their heads at his performance at both ends of the floor. He wants it badly and does it the right way. It's not about bells and whistles and grunting and dancing and doing commercials and all of that stuff. He just does it quietly and that's why we feel badly when we don't get it done for him."
Do you see a scenario where he returns?
"We haven't talked yet about that. We've got a pretty good number of free agents so with R.C. and the coaches and the group we've talked about what we want to do going forward with the makeup of the team but the team will probably look considerably different than it looks this year because we have so many free agents and we want to re-tool a little bit.
"We want to try to start not exactly over again but these last four seasons have been a grind and we put the team together with that in mind, that this year we'd have all the free agents so we can decide what we want to do moving forward, as far as the makeup of the team. So we'll spend a lot of time on that but as far as if guys are retiring or not we haven't touched that."
What's the next step for Kawhi Leonard?
"Consistency. As Kawhi progresses now, it's a matter of understanding that it will be expected night after night after night, both at the defensive and offensive end. Good solid, consistent plays that leads his team in those categories. Time will tell if he can do it. I'm confident that he can, but we still have to see.
"This summer will be real important for him. It's really going to be the first summer he's going to be able to do anything and work on his game. He seems to have these things. Last year it was his knee. That sort of thing. It will be a good summer for him."
Are you invigorated with the prospect of change?
"I wish practice started next week. You do this for so long, you know what kind of film you want to show them in September, things you want to work on. It's just a way a coach's brain works. It's probably best to take a break for a while and not do anything. I'll try to do that."
Do you feel confident that the team has been able to maintain flexibility without mortgaging the future?
"R.C. and his group have always done a great job of doing things, both frugally and with class. If money needs to be spent, it's spent. But it's never done unwisely. We've never put the organization in a situation where they're paying a ridiculous amount of money for no value. My complete faith and trust in R.C. is never going to change, because of the track record he has, thinking not just for the next year and the next two years, but the next three years, the next seven years, that type of thing."
Can you reflect on Tim, Tony, Manu
"As time goes on, one certainly does. Over the past couple of years, I've thought about it a lot how much I'll miss it when they're all gone. It's like your family. Sure. I reflect on it quite often, and think about when they're not there. I just have this strange feeling when they're not here, I probably won't be either."
Have you spoken to Doc Rivers since Game 7?
"I'm really happy for those guys. They're in their prime, with their talent level and everything. New ownership, and guys like Blake and Chris trying to progress further than they have in the past. I'm happy for them. Somebody thought that was weird the other day. How can you be happy, you lost? If you can't be happy for somebody else's success, I think you're pretty small. It doesn't deflate you if somebody else has success. Sure, I'm sad we lost, but I think you can still be happy for somebody else."
What's your biggest motivation for coming back?
"Biggest motivation? I want a job. I want to work. You can only plant so many tomatoes. Lord."
Will you continue to watching the playoffs?
"You know I'm going to watch Golden State, with Steve there. I'm going to watch the Clippers, since they beat us. I'm going to watch Chicago, because Thibodeau's a friend. I'm going to watch the Hawks because of Bud. I've been around so long, I know all these guys. It's fun to watch them all play."
Will the offseason be pretty big for Tony, just to heal up?
"I think so. Tony didn't have the year he wanted to have. He's had a lot of good ones. I can tell you he's already thinking about what he wants to do with his body for next season. So I'm thrilled about his outlook already after a tough loss."
Is that the silver lining, not just for Tony but the other older players, having a longer time to recuperate?
"It's the first time I can remember in a long time that we've got 45 extra days of vacation. We're going to use it wisely and take advantage of it. If you wanted to be hypothetical, you can extrapolate a bit and think about, if we had won that game, how much longer could we have gone, with the tank being a little bit empty, I think. Especially mentally. It is what it is, and we'll move on."
Do you anticipate any changes to the intentional foul rule?
"There will be a lot of discussion about the fouling, as there should be. But principle-wise, I fee' really strongly that it's a tactic that can be used. If someone can't shoot free throws, that's their problem. As I've said before, if we're not allowed to do something to take advantage of a team's weakness, a trade should be made before each game. 'We won't foul your guy, but you promise not to block any of our shots.' Or, 'We won't foul your guy, and you allow us to shoot all uncontested shots.'
"So we'd have to make a trade. On an intellectual or principle basis, I think you're on high ground. Now, visual-wise, it's awful. It couldn't be worse. I tend to side on the principle side where it's basketball, and if we have a guy who can't shoot and it's an important part of the game, I should probably get him off the court. We'll see how it comes out. I'm sure the way it looks will be discussed very seriously by the league."
What about playoff seeding?
"Division leaders (getting a top four seed) will be discussed I'm sure. Everybody asks about the top 16 teams (being re-seeded, regardless of conference) all the time. I honestly yield to the intelligence of the league on that. They've got a lot of good minds up there and you know they've thought about it. If they haven't done it yet I'm sure there's a good reason. I'm sure economics is a big part of it, or travel or whatnot. If they thought it would work, they would do it."
"Before I go, I'd like to thank the hundreds of fans who were at the airport. It actually made me feel worse, to be honest, with how much they enjoy the players and the Spurs. It was really heartfelt and gratifying, but it really made us feel like we let them all down. So it was a double-edged sword. But thank you very much."
