San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich’s tactical genius is unquestionable. Because of this he is highly regarded as one of the best coaches in the NBA today as he has successfully led the Spurs to the playoffs in all of the 20 seasons he’s been at the helm since 1996.
In this exceptional run he has won the NBA championship five times, and this year they are one of the favorites again despite the retirement of long-time franchise player Tim Duncan during the offseason.
However what makes him more exceptional as a coach is his uncanny ability to see potential in players that other teams might not notice. One of his hidden gems this year is 7-foot center Dewayne Dedmon.
The big man’s averages this year of 5.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 17.4 minutes are not exactly eye-popping. However, he has played a crucial part in coach Pop’s system and has a big role to play despite his limited minutes.
As explained by Scott Davis of Business Insider, Dedmon’s significance comes from his intangible impact on both ends of the floor – something that does not appear on the box score.
“Dedmon improves the Spurs when he's on the floor,” writes Davis. “With Dedmon on the court, the Spurs allow just 96 points per 100 possessions, five points better than their average on the season. The Spurs have outscored opponents by 11 points per 100 possessions with Dedmon on the court, as opposed to seven points per 100 possessions when he's on the bench.”
The 27-year-old California native was signed by the Spurs this offseason after his former team, the Orlando Magic, opted not to renew his contract. Obviously Popovich and his coaching staff saw something in Dedmon that the Magic, and perhaps the rest of the NBA, did not.
The Spurs are set to make another run for the championship this year behind the likes of cornerstone player Kawhi Leonard. However, role players like Dedmon will definitely play a big part in their quest for another title.
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