Popovich has always been in frequent communication with his point guard, but said Parker’s knowledge of the system and understanding of his limitations have helped him remain integral despite less offensive production. The 34-year-old Parker has taken it more upon himself to speak up, to get his teammates where they need to be, to feed Leonard and Aldridge when they have obvious mismatches and to, as Popovich said, “understand when we’re in mud and need something different.” “I’ve said it many times: As long as Pop is happy, and the Spurs are happy with what I’m doing, that’s all I care about,” Parker told The Vertical. “I can’t control what people are going to think. Or what they think I should do, because I’m not going to let my ego be above the team. The team is the most important, and for me, if I have to defer or be less aggressive to make sure Kawhi keeps going and LaMarcus be who is, I will do it. I never cared about my numbers.”