San Antonio Spurs starting point guard Tony Parker says head coach Gregg Popovich thinks it’s time for a change at the position.
By an average team’s standards, the San Antonio Spurs are doing well. They’re currently tied for third place in the Western Conference with the Minnesota Timberwolves. They’re 30-18 and have done this primarily without star player Kawhi Leonard, who’s currently out indefinitely.
But by the Spurs’ standards, they aren’t doing well. The Spurs have lost four of their last six, and in three of the losses, the offense scored no more than 86 points. As a result, head coach Gregg Popovich started Dejuonte Murray instead of Tony Parker in last night’s loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Although Parker has been the starting point guard for years, Parker said coach Pop thought it was time for a change.
"“I was like, ‘Oh, no problem,'” an upbeat Parker said of his reaction to Popovich’s decision. “Just like Manu [Ginobili], just like Pau [Gasol], that day’s going to come. And if Pop sees something that is good for the team, I’ll try to do my best. I support Pop’s decision, and I’ll try to help [Dejounte Murray] out as best I can, and try to be the best I can in that second unit with Manu [Ginobili] and Patty [Mills].”"
The great teams with great systems have learned to adapt to change. Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban didn’t hesitate to bench Jalen Hurts in favor of Tua Tagovailoa. The Tide, with that change, ended up winning the National Title. The New England Patriots beat the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday without Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots will return to their eighth Super Bowl in the Bill Belichick era. The Spurs have long won with their system and like the aforementioned teams, they’ll probably continue to do so.