Dirk with high praise for Durant

[jthig32]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I disagree completely. Coaches know that a three pointer is worth more than a two pointer. Pops has always shown how creative he is, only an idiot like Avery would take away such a weapon.

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

I'm not sure what you disagree with, but you didn't refute anything chum said either. Nellie was one of the first (if not the first) guys to allow a seven footer to camp out on the perimeter and rain shots.

I don't know where you get the idea that Popovich (I assume this is "Pops," but I've never heard anybody call him that) is "creative." He's a damn, damn fine coach--possibly the best in the business. Surely a better coach than Nellie overall. But he's very by the book. For 15+ years he's had a team constructed of 5 guys who play their positions in an extremely traditional way. They do it incredibly well, but there's nothing "creative" about Duncan in the low block, Manu and Tony on elbow screens, spacing the floor with shooters, emphasis on corner threes, baseline funneling on defense, etc.

Chum's point was--Dirk's development absolutely had something to do with the untraditional way he was utilized, especially early in his career. If you have a rebuttal to that point, I'd love to hear it, but I don't think it exists.

I would also point out that being smart enough to not take away the weapon is NOT the same thing as having the vision to nurture and embrace the weapon to begin with.

I strongly dislike a great many things about Nellie and the way he goes about his business, but you can't discount the impact he had in shaping Dirk's career and allowing him to thrive as such an unconventional player. Dirk himself has spoke many times about how fortunate he was to have a coach open minded enough to figure out how to best use Dirk's talents, rather than forcing him to conform to the traditional standard of the NBA PF.