While Kawhi Leonard said on Sunday night that he didn’t believe Zaza Pachulia‘s play that re-injured Leonard’s ankle was a dirty one, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich disagreed today with that assessment. Speaking to reporters, Popovich was critical of the play, and confirmed that the team expects Leonard to miss Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals due to his ankle injury (Twitter links via Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com).
Calling Pachulia’s play on Leonard a “totally unnatural closeout,” Popovich also referenced the big man’s history of unsportsmanlike plays, particularly against the Spurs, including an elbow on Patty Mills and an arm-bar on Leonard (video link).
“The two-step lead with your foot closeout is not appropriate,” Popovich said, per Anthony Slater of The Bay Area News Group. “It’s dangerous, it’s unsportsmanlike, it’s just not what anybody does to anybody else. This particular individual has a history with that kind of action.”
While Popovich didn’t go so far as to say that Pachulia was intentionally attempting to injure Leonard on Sunday, the Spurs coach suggested that intent didn’t really matter, likening it to unintentionally killing someone while texting and driving (video links via Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News).
The Spurs have yet to announce an official diagnosis or recovery timetable for Leonard, but assuming he does sit out Game 2, he’d have a few days to prepare for Game 3. Due to a scheduling quirk, the Spurs and Warriors will have three days off after Game 2, with the series not resuming until Saturday.
Of course it was a dirty play. Why else would they have Zaza on Lenard
I know right? Rotating on players…what’s that?!?
He was too physical. He knew he had to come down, yet no room to land. Whether or not he was trying to mess his ankle up again, it doesn’t matter, he was a bad basketball player on that play, and he deserves to be punished for it.
Zaza knew exactly what he wss doing
BS. It was a bad play, but far from intentional. Zaza is not graceful, he injured Kevin Durant on accident REMEMBER?
Haha yes. Thank you Liam. I think it should have been a common foul for not allowing him a place to land
dude please. Obviously u haven’t been watching NBA very long. Probably as long as GS has been relevant. It’s pretty common knowledge that drifting under a player while taking a jump shot so he could land on u is BUSH league. It’s not even a question whether or not there was intent or if it was dirty. This is a known goon who has a history of deliberate intent of hurting opponents everywhere he plays.
Ive been watching long enough to know that you barely studied the play in question to draw such bold conclusions.
I’m not saying that Pachulia made a good play, but he wasn’t trying to injure Kawhi’s ankle on purpose. Thats the discussion here, don’t let your prejudice blind you.
Oh ok Liam thanks for clarifying for me what the discussion was that I STARTED. This isn’t even about prejudice or bias. And there nothing to “study”. I can’t help u if u don’t know that sliding under a player so he can land on u is widely known as dirty.
He injured his ankle on the play before stepping on a teammate’s foot out of bounds on the bench.
This is crazy because it’s Pachulia let’s blame it on his second ankle twist 5 minutes later.
Of course Popovich is going to be upset. It’s his star player it’s natural he’s not going to be happy about it.
Mike Brown said there was play similar to Zaza/Kawhi right after where Aldridge slid under Steph:
“Zaza’s not dirty. LaMarcus isn’t dirty.”
Refs told Brown Zaza got the foul call because Leonard landed on Zaza’s foot, and Curry avoided Aldridge’s foot by falling, so no foul
Also to be said: Kawhi is an incredible player, fantastic dude, and all are very sorry to see him or anyone for that matter, get hurt.
Goes without saying of course, but in this situation with such an outstanding man and player, it especially sad to see.
Hoping and praying that the injury is minor at worst, and for a very quick return to the court.
I love Kawhi and feel terrible for him, but this was in no way intentional.
Comparing this to vehicular manslaughter is very dramatic
You don’t listen well do u? Pop didn’t compare it to manslaughter. He just used it as a frame of reference. Whether or not Zaza’s intent was to hurt him or not (which it was).
No it wasn’t.. his point that it was an irresponsible play but NOT his intent to hurt anyone.. are you that dumb to where you get the opposite message presented in such a clear argument?????
It is dramatic to make the comparison, he could have said injure someone while texting and driving but he mentioned death because he’s trying to make it look worse than it is, even if intent isn’t a factor.
Dude what are u even talking about? Get what message in what arguement? I don’t think you have a full grasp on speech and debate. To use a frame of reference means to use an example. Which Pop did. He didn’t say this is compared to manslaughter. Just saying doesn’t matter what the intent was, it’s punishable. Which I think we’re saying the same thing but your inability to read ones perspective and decipher it is getting in the way. I think your tantrum was my quote in parenthesis. Which was my opinion on the matter, not what I thought Pop was saying. Which if u disagree with that (which u clearly do), I can’t help u there. That’s an endless discussion.
How long ya think they can go on without him?