[Podcast] WHAT is up with the Spurs?

(Note, we recorded this before Jason Quick’s story about Lillard and Aldridge and their relationship before Aldridge departed was released)

We’ve been speculating a lot this year about what is going on with the San Antonio Spurs. Will they make the playoffs without the Big Three? Will Gregg Popovich retire? What is it like since Kawhi Leonard left and, of course, how are LaMarcus Aldridge and Patty Mills?

To answer these questions before the teams face off on Saturday, we called up Marilyn Dubinski (@alamoaggie) a writer for our sister site poundingtherock.com.

We asked Marilyn all these questions and learned so much more: that her dad used to work out with George Gervin, that many of the Spurs still hang around town, and where all the wildlife in the arena might be coming from.

We also talked about how the team the Trail Blazers will face this weekend will be very different from the team that visited the Moda Center earlier in the season, and which young players we should keep an eye on for the future.

Tune in for all of this plus one of Cassidy’s famous icebreakers: in a Zombie apocalypse, which three NBA players would you pick to be on your survival team?

Download the episode

Highlights

1:00 Icebreaker: Which three NBA players past or present would you choose to have on your Zombie Apocalypse survival team?

4:20 Introducing Marilyn Dubinski, writer for Pounding the Rock

5:20 Favorite Spurs memory Memorial Day Miracle when Sean Elliott made a three to put the Spurs over the Trail Blazers in game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals.

7:35 Watching games as a kid with Grandma

8:35 What is the word in San Antonio about how long Popovich will continue to coach?

10:25 What has the transition from Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker been like?

13:40 Besides the play on the court what do you miss the most about “The Big Three”?

14:25 What has it been like without Kawhi? Spurs are 20th in defense this season which is not territory the Spurs are familiar with.

15:50 Missing the big three in the HEB Commercials.

18:45 Many Spurs legends can still be seen frequently around town, including George Gervin who, after retirement, used to be workout buddies with Marilyn’s dad.

19:40 Catching up about LaMarcus Aldridge and how LaMarcus worked things out with the Spurs compared to Kawhi Leonard.

26:24 With regards to the Spurs, whose team is it? LaMarcus? DeMar DeRozen? Patty Mills?

28:05 Among the younger up and coming players, who are some of the candidates to inherit the team?

30:00 What should we expect or watch for in the next match-up? Derrick White will be back, the Spurs are much better on the road. DeMar DeRozen is rejuvenated since the All-Star break.

32:15 What is Becky Hammon like?

34:30 What is a basketball dynasty? Is Popovich the king of a coaching dynasty?

36:20 How would a seven-game series go between Portland and San Antonio?

38:50 Why are the Spurs having such a hard time winning on the road?

40:35 What is with all the wildlife in the arena?

Get Social

Follow Blazer’s Edge on Twitter @blazersedge, WHAT Pod @HoopsAndTalks, Tara @tcbbiggs, and Cassidy @CassidyGemmet. This week’s guest: @alamoaggie08

Women’s Hoops And Talks (W.H.A.T.)

Join the Women’s Hoops And Talks Facebook group to talk about Trail Blazers with others who identify as women who love basketball.

Music used in the episode: “Happy Alley” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License