Mike Budenholzer has come a long way since the days Gregg Popovich locked him in a video room.
The Hawks coach will direct the East All-Star team next month after clinching the best record in the conference. He accomplishes the feat just one and a half seasons into his first head job.
Budenholzer worked for 19 seasons with the Spurs under Popovich before joining the Hawks. The Spurs coach, who has directed several All-Star teams, said Budenholzer’s success is a sense of pride.
“Oh, sure,” Popovich told the San Antonio Express News recently. “He was with me forever. When he first worked with me, he was coming back from Denmark, where he was a star player - that’s a joke - and he didn’t know what he was going to do. I was working with (Don Nelson) at the time and I brought him in as a video guy for no pay, no tickets. Just go in the back room there and when I ask you for something, give it to me. Don’t talk to me. And he did it for I don’t know what. And when I came here I brought him as the film guy.
“And from there he’s doing what I’m doing now. I’m really proud of him and happy for him. He’s a great basketball mind and a wonderful person so it will be a lot of fun to watch him on TV.”
Budenholzer said he still talks to Popovich regularly and has received personal congratulations from his mentor.
Mack mending
Shelvin Mack missed his fourth straight game with a left calf strain Sunday against the Timberwolves.
Budeholzer said there is still no timetable for when the reserve point guard will be ready to return.
“Shelvin, each day is getting a little bit better is what I’ve been told,” Budenholzer said.
Mack said he “hopes” to be ready to return for Wednesday’s game against the Nets. However, he likely will miss more time as the team is in no rush for him to return until he is 100 percent healthy.
Bazemore the defender
The Hawks signed Kent Bazemore during the summer to add defense at the wing position. He is becoming a regular part of the rotation following off-season foot surgery.
His defensive ability comes as no surprise to Budenholzer.
“Even though in his career he hasn’t played a ton of minutes, I have vivid memories of him being a defensive specialist and coming in and guarding some of the best players in the league, maybe at an end of quarter situation,” Budenholzer said. “I had pretty high expectations defensively coming in for him. I think he is getting better and learning how he can be even more solid and fundamental and still have a really big impact. He is a very gifted defender.”
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