Coach Pop comments on shortened season

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Has anyone been disappointed with the quality of basketball we’ve seen this season? We knew that with a short preseason and a compacted schedule that things were going to get a little rough. I wouldn’t say I’ve been disappointed, but I have noticed that at times things do get a little sloppy. A few bad passes in a row, an airball here and there, this definitely isn’t a year for style points.

On top of all that, since teams are having to play so many games in a shorter period of time than they’re used to, some of the star players we’ve become accustomed to seeing every night are getting more rest. As a fan, are you disappointed if you go to see Tim Duncan play and he sits the entire second half? Do you feel like you don’t get your money’s worth if your favorite team doesn’t play up to their potential because they’re on the last game of a back-to-back-to-back?

I, for one, am really just happy that we got a season this year, I just like seeing basketball being played. San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich sort of sees it the same way, he doesn’t much care about the lower quality of basketball being played because it’s the same for every team.

“It’s sort of irrelevant, really,” Popovich said. “Because whatever fatigue there is, it’s equal for everybody.”

And he’s right. All the teams are playing this compact schedule, busting their butts to play three games in a row or travelling across the country overnight to play in a game the next day. It has to be hell on the players and they’re doing the best they can.

Let this be a lesson though. Next time let’s try and solve all the labor disputes before the season actually starts.