HoopsHype.com Rumors

Adrian Wojnarowski: Front office executive just texted on Spurs: "Watch, Joey Crawford will do the Memphis game now." Twitter @WojYahooNBA

San Antonio Spurs, Coaching, Gregg Popovich 

Let's be real: If Krzyzewski is really leaving the Team USA bench as he's vowed for months -- and Coach K is rightfully getting the latitude to take his time making the decision after winning his last three major competitions and his last 45 games in a row -- Popovich is the clear-cut best candidate to take over. With four NBA championships over a span of 16 seasons with the same franchise, bottomless patriotism dating to his days in the Air Force Academy, copious knowledge of the international game after all the overseas stars San Antonio has imported and his unquestioned status as the most respected bench leader in the modern pro game, Pop makes infinite sense no matter what Stern thinks. ESPN.com

Coaching, Gregg Popovich, USA Basketball 

Yet you really have to strain to suggest that Popovich -- who confidantes say does want the job -- isn't the ideal choice. There's no doubt Rivers has a deft touch when it comes to managing stars, like any Team USA coach must, but the sheer giddiness you see from Kobe Bryant and other Western Conference All-Stars when they get the chance to spend a weekend in February playing for Pop suggests that hiring San Antonio's hoops patriarch would hold great appeal to a certain Finals MVP down in Miami who, after three straight Olympics, isn't sure he wants to commit to a fourth. ESPN.com

Coaching, Gregg Popovich, USA Basketball 

My suspicion is that LeBron James, Kevin Durant and any other Team USA mainstay that Colangelo wants to survey for input would nominate Pop as their top candidate to take over. Such is the reverence around the league for how he has always put his players first, which has never been more evident than it is now through this very public fight with Stern in the name of keeping his stars fresh. And while it's undeniably true Colangelo and Popovich clashed in 2005, when he and Krzyzewski took over the program after the failures of 2002 in Indianapolis and 2004 in Athens and Popovich took great exception to Colangelo's suggestion that he "wasn't as enthusiastic as Mike" in their respective job interviews, Colangelo has insisted for months that Popovich is a leading candidate now and that what happened seven years ago is a misunderstanding he's eager to bury. ESPN.com

Coaching, Gregg Popovich, USA Basketball 

David Stern, however, didn’t seem to be as rational when delivering his statement on the matter, which was shown in a graphic on TNT prior to tip-off during the pregame show, and later sent out by the league in an official release. “I apologize to all NBA fans,” the statement from Stern said. “This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.” Good for the league for putting its foot down on this issue. It’s completely ridiculous for fans to buy a ticket for one product, only to be bait-and-switched for no good reason at the last minute. The fact that Spurs-Heat is a matchup between two of the league’s best teams and is being televised nationally on TNT also factors into the equation. The league’s broadcast partners pay a fortune for the right to televise the best teams playing one another, and having a coach willfully mess with one of these matchups is just bad for the league, pure and simple. NBCSports.com

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, David Stern 

Brian Windhorst: Matt Bonner after hearing about Stern statement: "Man, it would've been great if we won." Twitter @WindhorstESPN

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Matt Bonner, Gregg Popovich, David Stern 

“It is pretty logical,’’ Popovich said before his gritty understudies made a game out of it, leading 98-93 with two minutes left before previously lackluster Miami came back and took the lead for good at 100-98 on a Ray Allen 3-pointer with 22.6 seconds left. “I don’t think it was a tough decision at all. In fact, the decision was made when the schedule came out.’’ FOXSports Florida

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Schedule 

In the court of opinion, though, most seem to be siding with Popovich. One reason is Stern’s statement gives the impression he’s an aging, vindictive guy trying to throw around as much power as he can before he retires Feb. 1, 2014. “I don’t think Pop was in the wrong,’’ said Heat forward LeBron James, who scored a game-high 23 points. “It’s not in the rules to tell you that you can’t not send your guys here or send your guys home. But the commissioner will make his decision, and everybody else will deal with it.’’ FOXSports Florida

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James, Gregg Popovich, David Stern 

Ethan J. Skolnick: Spoelstra: "I had no idea what their mindset was. And I'm spending zero time trying to figure it out." Twitter @EthanJSkolnick

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Erik Spoelstra, Gregg Popovich 

LeBron James says Popovich one of “greatest coaches ever to walk the sideline’’ His take on sending 4 players home “Pop, he runs his team how he wants to run his team,'' James said. "There’s nothing you can really say about him. He’s done it before and he has a great feel for his team. You can’t question him as a leader or question him as a coach on what he chooses to do for his team. That’s how he runs his team and how engages his team. That’s what he does.’’ Sulia

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James, Gregg Popovich 

LeBron James says he doesn’t think Gregg Popovich was wrong and wonders how David Stern might be able to fine Spurs. “I’m not going to get involved in what the commissioner wants to do as far as his decision,’’ James said. ‘But I don’t think Pop was in the wrong. It’s not in the rules to tell you that you can’t not send your guys here or send your guys home. But the commissioner will make his decision and everybody else will deal with it.’’ Sulia

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, LeBron James, Gregg Popovich, David Stern 

Chris Tomasson: DWade was asked if he’d ever go home like Spurs players “It’ll never happen to me.’’ What about when he’s 35? “It won’t happen still.’’ Twitter @christomasson

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Dwyane Wade, Gregg Popovich 

Before Thursday’s game in Golden State, Denver coach George Karl was asked about Pop’s decision. “I don’t think I’m touching this one – the only question I would ask is, is the commissioner in the right?” Karl said. “If you’re going to ask if Pop is in the right, you’ve got to ask if the commissioner is in the right. And I’m not answering either one. To me, how you coach the team should be on the organization and the coach.” Denver Post

Denver Nuggets, San Antonio Spurs, George Karl, Gregg Popovich 

“I’ve got to go with Coach Popovich,’’ Barkley told FOX Sports Florida. “He knows what’s best for his team… The game being on TNT might have something to do with (Stern being so upset), but it shouldn’t matter. They’ve (rested players) before, so why didn’t Commissioner Stern do anything about it then? Why is he doing something now?’’ FOXSports Florida

San Antonio Spurs, Charles Barkley, Gregg Popovich 

Barkley: Do you like the pace of the game? Popovich: We have to have a good pace. If we play halfcourt, their defense is too good. Our only shot is to keep the pace going. Barkley: Who's the one guy who -- Popovich, interjecting: That's a third question, isn't it? Don't you just get two? Barkley, sheepishly: My bad. Barkley knew not to pick a fight, which was a wise move. Fights don't get won against Popovich. Not during games. He also avoided the question about sending home Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green. We doubt Popovich would have been interested in answering that one. USA Today

San Antonio Spurs, Media, Charles Barkley, Gregg Popovich 

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich sent stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, plus key role player Danny Green, home for Thursday night's game against the Miami Heat, choosing rest instead of playing them in an early-season showdown. NBA commissioner David Stern promised repercussions for the move, saying the Spurs will face "substantial sanctions" for their approach to the game. "I apologize to all NBA fans," Stern said in a statement. "This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Coaching, Gregg Popovich 

It appears Gregg Popovich has done it again. With the road miles piling up on his veteran team, the Spurs coach has dispatched four of his top five leading scorers home to San Antonio in advance of tonight’s nationally televised game against the Miami Heat. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green did not travel with the team after Wednesday night’s win in Orlando, instead heading back to South Texas this morning for an extra day of rest leading up to Saturday’s sure-to-be-rugged home game against Memphis. The four were spotted on a Southwest flight making a pre-lunch escape from central Florida. San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Gregg Popovich, Danny Green, Tim Duncan 

The latter excursion fits in with the book he’s currently reading: “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Viktor Frankl’s personal account as a concentration camp inmate. “Manu wants to know why we do this, why we do that,” Popovich said. “Everything in the world. Politics, history, economics. He’s special that way. There’s nobody else on the team that’s as interested in the world as he is.” San Antonio Express-News

San Antonio Spurs, Manu Ginobili, Gregg Popovich 

But, maybe, the actual key is a healthy marriage between coach and player, Pops and Timmy. “He doesn’t really even talk to me that much, anymore. We’ve been married so long that we . . .” Popovich trailed off. “Complete each other’s sentences,” chimed in a reporter. The coach was asked if Duncan has ever verbalized that he wants to show people, the league, that he still has it. “Half the things I say he doesn’t hear, the other half he tunes out if he did hear… because he figures it’s bullshit,” continued the coach in jest. “Manu’s [Ginobili] getting to that point, Tony’s [Parker] close to it… Time to go!,” Popovich finished with a rare smile. Truth About It

San Antonio Spurs, Coaching, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan 

Jeff McDonald: Pop on long-term relationship with Duncan: "He doesn’t even talk to me very much anymore, we’ve been married so long.” Twitter @JMcDonald_SAEN

San Antonio Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan