Team USA will be fine because it has Gregg Popovich
We have that and more in Tuesday’s NBA newsletter.
Since we last discussed the state of the United States senior men’s basketball team, there have been further defections. The team is now basically Kemba Walker, probably Kyle Lowry, Khris Middleton, and an assortment of veteran and young players. Honestly, the most exciting names being tossed around for the final roster spots are De’Aaron Fox, Trae Young, and Kyle Kuzma.
This is actually perfect for new Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich.
Look what he’s done the past two seasons with the Spurs, making the NBA playoffs in the brutal Western Conference with teams underwhelming on paper. Of course, on the Spurs he has a real training camp, real practices, roster control, and a long-term program. He has none of that with Team USA: the first team practice was Monday, and the World Cup starts in less than two weeks. But Popovich is well-suited to get the most out of his teams, and he’ll need to with a relatively inexperienced roster.
The truth is that Popovich should have gotten the job when he wanted it after the 2002 and 2004 nightmares. Jerry Colangelo instead orchestrated the Mike Krzyzewski choice, and then allowed Coach K to stay on through the 2016 Olympics. Popovich has been the best basketball coach in the country for decades, and has the perfect personal history and mix of chops, smarts, and gravitas to do the job. What faith you may lack in this roster, you should have in Popovich. He gets the job done.
Eternal Vinsanity
The Hawks had been holding open a roster spot for Vince Carter in case the 42-year-old hero wanted another season in the NBA. And it turns out he does! Carter will reportedly play his record 22nd season next year, and he’ll turn 43 (!) midway through. That he’s choosing to spend these waning years not on contenders but on rising young teams that can use his experience and wisdom more than more veteran squads is really admirable. And everyone acknowledges that he’ll have a robust T.V. career after this ends, if he wants it. Shout out to Vince Carter, now and always.
Links
I wrote about the twisted fates of Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin, and why they should be afforded sympathy, not mocking.
Speaking of which, a perfect episode of SB Nation Studios’ COLLAPSE about how the Knicks fell from grace about 20 years ago.
Michael Pina warns that somehow, the Bulls are actually building the right way.
Jackie MacMullan, greatest basketball writer ever, on the coaches’ lament about player empowerment.
The Basketball Tournament’s title game is Tuesday on ESPN (9 ET). Former Marquette players vs. former Ohio State players. Fun.
Perhaps the easiest way to solve the tampering scourge is to simply shuffle the NBA offseason calendar.
My take on the Draymond Green contract extension in Golden State. Speaking of which, the top free agents of 2020.
The perfect Spongebob basketball team.
Niele Ivey, Muffet McGraw’s deputy at Notre Dame for the last four years and a Notre Dame assistant for thrice that, has joined the Grizzlies staff as the NBA’s ninth female assistant coach. That staff is now legendary, as it also features Scoonie Penn and Vitaly Potapenko.
Blessings to the family and friends of Rick Chandler, who was eminently decent, which can be a shockingly rare and highly valuable quality.
As a longtime Hawks devotee, I’m 100% here for the future Jonathan Tjarks outlines for the team.
LeBron is a fun dad. Oh, the horrors!
And finally: if you’re looking for the best, most off-kilter and thus honest coverage of college football, Banner Society is the new home for your favorite SB Nation voices on the sport, including Spencer Hall, Jason Kirk, The One And Only Holly Anderson, Richard Johnson, Kangaroo Kirshner, Steven Godfrey, Bud Elliott, Brian Floyd, and Bloomin’ Ryan Nanni. J-Kirk’s perfect newsletter The Read Option is back (sign up here if you didn’t get it Monday) and the new site will debut soon. And college football is right around the corner.
Be excellent to each other.