But someone still wanted a better explanation. What's ailing the Spurs?

"I've said 10 times, we're soft," Popovich said, throwing up his hands. "I don't know how else to say it.

"We're a team that's trying to figure out what to do offensively and defensively with a lot of new guys. This is a new team. The 19-year-old (Tony Parker) is figuring it out slowly but surely. I can be patient with all of that. That doesn't bother me.

"Soft bothers me."

Being called soft also seems to bother his players, which is probably exactly what Popovich intended when he publicly ? and calculatedly ? questioned the Spurs' toughness after each of their past two losses.