There is no explicit shame in losing a road game against a reasonably solid team by only four points, but the San Antonio Spurs did not play well on Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls. Following that contest, head coach Gregg Popovich voiced his displeasure with the performance and, well, he let his team have it with the claim that they were simply unprepared to play.

Popovich is not exactly shy when it comes to ripping his own team, even when they win, but his comments here were particularly noteworthy in that he largely absolved himself of any wrongdoing in the performance. His assertion of “I don’t remember playing tonight” set the tone for the rant to come, and the comparison of an NBA player to a plumber drew an interesting parallel.

There were several examples of sleepy play from the Spurs, but perhaps none more glaring than a fourth-quarter trip in which Bulls big man Cristiano Felicio zoomed through the lane untouched for a massive put-back dunk.

That type of brain cramp did not go unnoticed by Popovich, who went on to blast his team beyond the broadcast portion above. The veteran head coach indicated that San Antonio “played 24 minutes again, as (they) have for about the last 10 games” and he also shed light on what he perceives as inconsistency:

“That’s the disappointing part: We’re not a very consistent team, and we haven’t learned as a group that the game is 48 minutes. We also have some people playing very poorly. You have to participate in your own recovery. Some players have to play better.”

In the end, the San Antonio Spurs are 18-5 with a sparkling 13-1 road record, and that body of work does not line up with the type of discussion taking place around the team after Thursday’s loss. However, Popovich is regarded as the best in the business for a reason, and it a safe assumption to believe he is simply planting a seed (or two) for the future.

(ESPN)