Popovich will continue to rest stars, despite Silver's memo

The pioneer of "DNP-rest" will continue to sit his stars as he sees fit.

Despite a memo from the league telling team owners to be more active in managing rosters - specifically when it comes to keeping big names out of marquee matchups - Gregg Popovich said that'll remain his responsibility.

"I will continue to make those decisions," the San Antonio Spurs coach said Tuesday, as quoted by San Antonio Express-News' Tom Osborn.

The comment comes shortly after NBA commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo imploring owners to become more involved in calling shots about healthy scratches - namely, cracking down on them because they're detrimental to the game and how fans and business partners perceive it.

Popovich understands where the commissioner and fans are coming from, expressing "total sympathy" with people who pay to see certain players only to find out they're taking the night off. That said, the 68-year-old suggested he and his fellow coaches deserve a bit more credit.

"I think just because we are coaches and GMs doesn't mean we don't understand or know what is going on with the business side. We are a little bit more sophisticated than that," Popovich said, adding that resting players is better in the long run.

"But, at the same time, the league has to understand that the science of what we do is a whole lot more sophisticated than it used to be, and we have definitely added years to people. So, it's a tradeoff: Do you want to see this guy in this one game or do you want to see them for three more years of his career? And do you want to see him through the playoffs because he didn't get hurt?"

Sounds like Popovich is more concerned about the well-being of his players and keeping them fresh for the postseason - when he'll try to capture his sixth championship - than he is about Silver's threat of "significant penalties." The three-time COY was fined $250,000 for resting his Big Three, plus Danny Green, in 2012.