San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Big man Poeltl more involved in the offense
MILWAUKEE — After Jakob Poeltl’s third season with the Spurs came to an end last May, coach Gregg Popovich sent the Austrian big man into the summer with a one-item to-do list.
The object of basketball is to make the ball go in the basket. The Spurs wanted Poeltl to be a greater participant in that endeavor this season.
So far, so good.
Heading into Saturday’s game in Milwaukee, Poeltl had reached double figures in his first five games, including a career-best 27point effort in an overtime loss to the L.A. Lakers.
“It kind of goes back to what the coaches were telling me over the summer, that they want me to be more involved and more aggressive,” the 26-year-old Poeltl said. “It’s a new role for me.”
Indeed, Poeltl has shown signs of becoming more involved in the pick-and-roll portion of the offense.
Teammates are looking for him and this too comes as a directive from Popovich.
“He’s a better scorer than people think,” Popovich said. “I’m trying to get our guys to throw him the ball more because that’s not who he has been traditionally. It’s a new thing for them. But he’s got to have the ball a little bit.”
Over his first five NBA campaigns — including his first two in Toronto — Poeltl never averaged more than the 8.6 points he put up last season.
The 15.6 points per game Poeltl was averaging entering Saturday’s game would have been a career best by nearly double.
Poeltl attempted 56 shots in his first five games, making 38. Last season, he totaled 66 field-goal attempts in all of January.
“I’m just more involved in play,” Poeltl said. “Not only pickand-roll situations, but flashing to the high post, catching the ball as the trail guy, finding guys on backdoor passes. It’s many new situations.”
To prepare for his enhanced role, Poeltl spent much of his summer in the gym with Dejounte Murray.
He said that work has improved the pick-and-roll connection between
the two.
“That’s a big part of our offense,” Poeltl said. “We talk a lot about it. He trusts me with that pocket pass and I try to make good reads off it.”
Popovich enjoys fans even in road games
Saturday’s game marked the second of a three-game road trip and the Spurs’ fourth away game of the season.
Popovich said the reduced capacities necessitated by the pandemic have made him appreciate a hostile road crowd more.
“It makes it really obvious that it’s a basketball game that people care about,” Popovich said. “It gets us enthused too. My juices flow more.”
Popovich said playing games without fans the previous two seasons was “like going to a Saturday morning practice.”
“It was much less fun,” Popovich said. “This is a lot more enjoyable, hearing fans screaming and cheering and booing.”
Former Spurs player Hill comes full circle
Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer
first coached George Hill as a 22-year-old Spurs rookie at the 2008 Las Vegas Summer League.
Now Hill, 35, has emerged as the elder statesman of Budenholzer’s Bucks squad.
“He’s somebody we love,” Budenholzer said. “There’s a spirit and a type of character and unselfishness that he’s had from Day 1.”
Hill left the Spurs in the 2011 draft-night trade with Indiana that brought Kawhi Leonard to San Antonio.
In the time since, Hill has bounced from the Pacers to Utah, Sacramento, Cleveland, Milwaukee,
Oklahoma City and Philadelphia.
The Bucks viewed Hill has a savvy, steady defensive presence when the re-signed him over the summer.
“There’s time when we pause film, and you see him getting deflections and you see that length carrying over to the court,” Budenholzer said. “His just grown. We feel like he’s another starter, whether we use him off the bench or not.”