NBA Notes: Joe Dumars, Spurs, Gregg Popovich, Jimmer Fredette

NBA

Former Pistons guard and GM Joe Dumars is now serves as the league’s executive vice president, head of basketball operations, and says the evolving game is a good thing.

Clearly, the NBA is considerably more perimeter-oriented than when Dumars played in the 1980s and ’90s.

“You are a steward of the game when sitting in this seat, and part of the job is not letting the game get stale, being progressive,” Dumars said, via veteran reporter Chris Sheridan of Legends Magazine. “We cannot allow the game to get stale and outdated.”

You can check out the full post on Dumars’ new duties, in the post from Sheridan, right here.

Spurs

We have plenty of news involving the Spurs lately, particularly when it comes to former lottery pick Josh Primo. You can read the latest on that situation right here.

But while all this has been going on, the Spurs also lost by 43 points to the Raptors on Wednesday.

“They tried hard, but they were up against something that was a little bit different for them,” coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. “(The Raptors are) strong, they’re long, very athletic, they bust their ass, they deny, they switch. Very good basketball team. They do it really well. We’re probably not ready for that right now, obviously.”

It should be noted the Spurs were without injured forward Keldon Johnson and injured guard Devin Vassell for the game.

Olympics

Former NBA guard Jimmer Fredette is aiming to play in the 2024 France Olympics as a member of the USA’s 3-on-3 team, he said, via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.

Fredette, 33, will be playing for the U.S. at the FIBA 3-on-3 tournament in Miami this weekend.

“Paris, that’s the hope and the goal with this whole thing,” Fredette said, via Reynolds. “It’s a good way to stay competitive, keep playing but also be able to be with my family more. Having three little kids, a couple in school, it’s hard to leave them for a long time. So, it’s a great opportunity. I’m super excited about it.”

Originally drafted with the No. 10 overall pick in 2011, Fredette’s career began with the Kings. He also spent time with the Bulls, Pelicans, Knicks and Suns, as well in the G League, before playing in Greece and China.

“For me, it’s a new challenge,” Fredette said, via Reynolds. “I was getting a little stagnant with 5-on-5 basketball, going overseas, leaving my family. All that stuff is really difficult on me. I wasn’t having fun doing it for a couple of those last years because I couldn’t always be with people that I really loved.”

Team USA is coached by former college coach and current analyst Fran Fraschilla.

“Jimmer is as good a player outside the NBA right now, in America, as anybody would have,” Fraschilla said, via Reynolds.