San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Writers’ roundtable
Each week, Express-News sportswriters discuss the current sports news. This week, Mike Finger, Jeff McDonald, Tom Orsborn and Nick Talbot weigh in on Derrick White, Gregg Popovich and Ezekiel Elliott.
Were you surprised White made such a strong impression as part of the select team?
Finger: Considering the strides he made last season and his corporate knowledge of Popovich’s system, it was natural to expect him to acquit himself well with the elite talent at USA Basketball’s training camp. But to stand out as the best player on the floor, as select team coach Jeff Van Gundy described him after one scrimmage? That’s a level beyond expectations and has to be encouraging not only for him but for the Spurs.
McDonald: You know, I don’t really know what my expectations were of White heading into Team USA camp. I’m not surprised he played well, because he’s a good player. And with so many defections of NBA stars, I’m not surprised he has at least an outside chance to make the final roster headed to China later this summer. He’s had a solid offseason of growth, which will be important for the Spurs going forward.
Orsborn: Not at all. He showed flashes of greatness at several points last season, including a game in Atlanta that I covered in which he turned in a wonderful all-around performance that included a lockdown defensive effort against Trae Young and some clutch play down the stretch that lifted the Spurs to victory. White’s challenge now is to do that night in and night out.
Talbot: A little. I was expecting him to perform well, but he exceeded those expectations when he was invited to the main roster. I doubt he makes it to the final roster cut — when it goes down to 12 — but he is going to benefit from this move.
At times, White looked like a breakout superstar last season. Others, not so much. Can he be the guy he looked like this week for the Spurs?
Finger: As White noted this week, such is the way of the NBA. A player breaks out, and the league adjusts. The next test will be to see if he can adjust to those adjustments, and if he can deal with defenses that surely will give him more attention.
McDonald: I think there will still be some growing pains, but White’s arrow is definitely trending upward. Remember, last season was his first as an NBA regular, and he spent chunks of it injured. With that experience — plus the postseason — under his belt, I look for White to take some strides forward in his third NBA season. The young backcourt mix of White, Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV will be something to watch.
Orsborn: Yes, he can. But his first task this season will be to find a comfort zone while sharing the backcourt with Murray. It might take them a while to build the chemistry that allows each one to excel, but it should come fairly quickly given they are both unselfish, highly motivated players.
Talbot: While a lot of players begged off of playing for Team USA this summer — even DeMar DeRozan isn’t playing — White has made the most of his time so far. If he can build on his performance and learn to be consistent, he has the makings of a low-level All-Star.
What do you think still motivates Popovich to coach the USA team?
Finger: It’s the same thing that motivates him to keep coaching the Spurs. This is what he does. His life would be easier on a beach somewhere, but he thoroughly enjoys the challenge and the process of building a team and still can’t quite conceive the motion of giving it up.
McDonald: I think he just likes coaching and teaching, and this is another avenue for him to do that. Popovich had some lessthan-optimal results in previous forays with the national team, getting cut from the 1972 squad that controversially went on to lose to the Soviet Union, and serving as an assistant coach for the 2004 not-so-dream team that stumbled into a bronze medal. I’m not sure he necessarily looks at this as a chance to cleanse his palate of previous Team USA disappointments, but maybe it will turn out to be that way. Also, Popovich came of age when it meant something to play for your country on the international stage, probably even moreso than it does today. I think he views this as an honor he couldn’t or wouldn’t turn down.
Orsborn: As has been pointed out several times recently, Bobby Knight cutting him in ’72 stung. (And it was the wrong move given that Popovich was captain of an Amateur Athletic Union all-star team that toured the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Finland in May that year). But I think what drives him most is his brand of patriotism and his desire to always be of service.
Talbot: If you don’t think Popovich loves his country, you are not understanding why he goes on so many political rants. Popovich graduated from the Air Force Academy and served five years of required active duty in the United States Air Force, during which he toured Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union with the U.S. Armed Forces Basketball Team. That is all the reason you need right there.
Should the Cowboys pay Elliot the money he is asking for?
Finger: It’s a complicated question, obviously, and that’s a big reason why the situation hasn’t been settled yet. Based on Elliott’s production so far, is he worthy of the money he wants? Sure. But elite running backs tend to age worse than whole milk, and as evidence of the danger of handing one a huge contract, the Cowboys need look no further than at the Rams’ well-paid and banged-up Todd Gurley.
McDonald: I can see both sides of this debate. From one perspective, the Cowboys hold all the cards. Elliott cannot afford to sit out an entire season. It doesn’t do him any good. He is under contract for two more seasons after this one, and if he does not play in 2019, his contract just rolls over. He gains nothing. The Cowboys know this, which is why is will be difficult for him to cave. However, with Elliott in the fold, the Cowboys have a real shot to make a run at a Super Bowl. Elliott probably means more to Dallas’ offense than any other back in the league means to their team’s. The Cowboys are built around Elliott and that offensive line. Dak Prescott isn’t as good a quarterback without Elliott in the backfield with him. With Elliott, the Cowboys are a real threat to challenge for the championship. Without him, they are not. You have to believe the Cowboys know this, too. It will be interesting to see who blinks first.
Orsborn: His off-the-field behavior likely is a concern. But the biggest stumbling block is Elliott isn’t the only talented young player operating on a cheap rookie contract the Cowboys hope to keep long-term. The risk for Jerry Jones is an Elliott extension can gum up the team’s salary cap down the road, placing them at a competitive disadvantage. Given all that and the fact the running back position is devalued in the NFL these days, I expect the Cowboys to continue to play hardball.
Talbot: Paying a running back is usually a fruitless endeavor. Seldom does it benefit the team. That’s why the Cowboys have to show restraint here. The Steelers let Le’Veon Bell walk over a contract dispute. The Cowboys could do the same. Why? Because they will also have to find a way to pay for Prescott. And a quarterback always gets paid. Heck, even Joe Flacco got his money. If not for his off-field transgressions, though, Elliott is more than worth a new contract.