Not sure that Gregg Popovich really enjoyed seeing his players lose to the Clippers on Monday after ending the first quarter by leading 40-16. But the state of health was in any case present in the minds of its players in Los Angeles, even if the San Antonio franchise tries to be reassuring.
“ He'll be fine. He's fine » assured his deputyassistant Mitch Johnson, after the meeting. “ I spoke with him last night (Sunday evening, editor's note), he was in good spirits. And we can't wait for him to come back. » The legendary Spurs coach remains out indefinitely after a medical scare last weekend. He will not be on the bench Wednesday against Houston.
The daily life of its workforce is inevitably disrupted, even for the latest arrivals at Fort Alamo.
“ There are certain things you expect to see when you arrive at the gym, you're going to see this person, you're going to have this routine » says Chris Paul. “ So when something disrupts that routine, everything is different, especially with someone like Pop. »
“If we don’t defend, we know we’re going to hear about it”
Chris Paul assured that he wanted to continue as much as possible as if nothing had happened. “ He would be the first person to tell you not to worry about him, go out on the field and play » explains the playmaker. « The circumstances are obviously unique, but I think we must seek maximum continuity and habits » mentioned Mitch Johnson. “ We know that's what Pop would want us to do. »
“ Even though he's not with us at the moment, we're still trying to reproduce what Pop taught us » for his part described Victor Wembanyama. “ We can't wait for him to join us, but it's our job to play regardless of the current conditions. » « We want to play hard and fight for Pop because he's the one who set the bar at this level » insisted Chris Paul, with a smile. “ That's what we're trying to focus on now. Because if we don't defend it, we know we're going to hear about it. »
With 113 points conceded at the Intuit Dome, this could well happen… And it would ultimately be very good news for the rest of the San Antonio season, as for the NBA microcosm.
