Spurs’ shot doctor earns Joseph’s attention
 

By Mike Monroe

When Spurs guard Cory Joseph showed up at the practice facility a week after the team’s elimination by the Thunder last season, there to greet him was shooting coach Chip Engelland.

When the former Longhorns’ star hit the gym in Austin with some of his pals from his University of Texas days, Engelland was there, too.

When the Spurs’ summer-league team walked into the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas for its first game, Engelland pulled Joseph aside for additional one-on-one shot doctoring.

So when Joseph opened the preseason against Montepaschi Siena by making 4 of 6 shots, including 1 of 2 from 3-point range, it was hard to tell who was happier: Joseph or Engelland.

“Man, I worked on my shot a lot this summer, countless hours,” Joseph said after scoring 10 points in the Spurs’ 106-77 victory Saturday night. “Chip and I spent a whole lot of time together, and I can’t tell you how much he helped my shot. Wherever I went, Chip found me or sent somebody to work with me. Here in San Antonio, in Austin, in Las Vegas. It didn’t matter, he was there, one way or the other.”

Joseph said Engelland’s message was simple: Find a way to get properly balanced before you attempt your shot and repeat that several thousand times.

“There was a specific workout we did every day,” Joseph said. “He’d change it up a little bit from time to time with different challenges as I’d progress from day to day. But it was mostly a lot of shots. I didn’t keep track but it was a lot.”

Joseph spent most of his 2011-12 rookie season with the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ Development League team. He appeared in only 29 NBA games, during which he shot just 31 percent. He figures he will have to earn time as one of point guard Tony Parker’s backups through his work at the defensive end, and his three steals in just under 15 minutes on Saturday did not escape coach Gregg Popovich’s notice.

“I was just trying to keep my head in the game defensively,” Joseph said. “I know that’s what Coach Pop looks for.

“That’s what this whole organization is about. So I just tried to key in defensively and make stops and help my team as much as possible.”

Day of rest: After four hard days of training camp and Saturday’s game, the Spurs got their first off day of the season Sunday. Popovich used the break to visit his friend and mentor, former Spurs coach Larry Brown, in Dallas, where Brown now coaches SMU. Popovich participated in a coaching clinic Brown sponsored on the SMU campus.

Spurs Nation

Really happy to see Joseph working on his game as hard as he is. He is making himself better and will make a great trade piece one of these days. For now, I just can't seem him displacing Tony P or Patty M.

Sorry.

Maybe. But I'm not so certain myself. Joseph has been showing signs both with the Toros and in the first pre-season game, that he is rapidly developing into a balanced point guard with assists, points and defense. Mills, on the other hand, tends to play a lot of one-on-one and is more reluctant to pass at the optimal time or see the open man. He is a lights out shooter and a pesky defender but when he's hot, he's hot and when he's not, he's not.

mmmh what if now a trade of tony and blair for a skilled big takes place?...

is enough ball handling with mills, joseph, manu, de colo, neal and even sjax, diaw and kahwi?

In terms of talent, TP and Blair would be very appealing pieces that could bring a great return. But I don't see Pop moving Tony anytime soon. This became Parker's team last season, and it looks to remain that way.

You can't say a trade with them wasn't something the Spurs weren't thinking about after their exit.

TP aint going anywhere, he's a one man fast break, one man scoring machine.

corey joseph isnt gonna fill that role. hes gonna be able to bring the ball up the court.

well there are several pros and cons...
parker is that good, and we aprecciate every minute on court, but the best scorer in the team is stoopable, just put long mobile defender on him and all SA offense is disrupted...

can parker develope reliable mid ranger, 3 pter?
he is 30', how long his speed gonna be a factor?
can parker continue developing that good passing?
i think, if didnt continue growing his playing, his higher value is right now... ironically, he seems to be the spur with more off court issues recently...

mills de colo green and kawhi can provide enough fast breaking..... the way i see if trade happens, is like when parker is on the bench... just add above average defensive or inside threat player in the paint for SA ;-)

of course not assuming joseph gonna become starter...

Parker is Pop's molded extension of himself on the floor. Joseph is young, and likeable, but c'mon. He's no All Star.

If Joseph continues to improve he matches up great vs westbrook and that is something the team needs.

i agree. there really should be no discussion in him being the actual backup point this upcoming season. he has WAY too much competition for the backup PG spot and we have a boatload of guards in general to mix and match lineups to put Joseph in there. he has to outplay Mills, De Colo, and even Ginobili as backup PG (having him be a SG on offense for a few plays, so he has to be a reliable shooter). the odds are stacked against the kid this season.