By Don Maclean
FOX Sports West & PRIME TICKET
Nov. 3, 2010
While sitting courtside Monday night getting ready to do Clippers Live, I caught myself looking over at the Spurs side of the floor as they were warming up and thinking about how they have been so good for so long.
Over a decade long in fact.
The Spurs have been one of the NBA's elite franchises since 1997, winning four titles in that span. Don't tell me it's just because of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Or because of David Robinson, Sean Elliot and Avery Johnson.
It can't be just because of a couple of good players.
Head coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs just have a way of doing things right as an organization.
He has been leading the Spurs franchise since December of 1996 and has been the one that has made his players do it the right way, everyday. The Spurs reputation around the league is that everyone practices. There are no excuses, no "my leg hurts" or "I have a sore back and I'm not going to go today." Duncan, Parker, Ginobili, it doesn't matter who it is, everyone practices. That is their culture. Building that culture doesn't happen overnight, but if it comes from the top everyday and everyone buys in, you can build that winning culture.
Clippers first-year head coach Vinny Del Negro played for the Spurs for six years. He saw how that team and that franchise operated first hand and understands that building a culture and doing things the right way is the only way to have success long term. He has talked about that since day one when he first landed the job, trying to do things the right way, everyday.
This doesn't happen overnight.
The Clippers are off to an 0-4 start and fans are already starting to get a little uneasy as to how the rest of the season is going to go for the Clippers. But it's a tough start as six of their first 11 games are against playoff teams from a year ago and the team they lost to last Friday, the Golden State Warriors, are much improved from a year ago. Not an easy road for a team with a new coach, new personnel and a new way of trying to do things. That is not an excuse for them being 0-4 to start the season, but certainly it is a factor.
But there have been some positives.
Blake Griffin is off to a terrific start in his NBA career. He is as advertised and will only get better as a basketball player to complement his freakish athleticism. He looks like a franchise player, a guy you build around for the future. Not only because of his ability on the court, but because of his character and work ethic. If your best player is practicing everyday and not sitting out, then the other guys on the team will fall into line. That is how you build culture and a way of doing things.
But again, that doesn't happen overnight.
The Spurs have been doing it for years. Starting with Robinson and continuing on with Duncan. They have been a model franchise in the NBA for some time and while they have been fortunate to be able to build around Hall of Fame type players like Robinson and Duncan, their success is not just due to these guys.
It is early, but Griffin looks to be headed in the direction of being the caliber of player of both of those guys. But if the Clippers are to turn it around, it is not going to be just on Griffin, it is going to be on Del Negro and his staff to build that culture throughout the team, with Griffin as the centerpiece.
Remember, Del Negro has been quoted saying of Popovich, "Pop has a tremendous conviction to play the game the right way, making players understand this is your role, this is how things are going to work. Being around that environment is invaluable."
Clipper fans may be disappointed with their 0-4 start, and they should be, but four games do not make a season and this thing is going to take some time. I know fans aren't good at being patient, but I think that is what's needed right now, patience.
After all, Popovich started his stint with the Spurs by going 17-47 they've made the playoffs every year since.
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