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On Friday, the San Antonio Spurs Announced that Greg Popovich will no longer coach the team and is Transitioning to a full-time role as president Of Basketball Operations.
Popovich, 76, ends his coaching tenure as the League’s Career Wins Leader with 1,422 Regular-Season Victories and an Nba Record-Tying Three Cach of the Year Awards. Enter mitch Johnson, who was named acting head coach after popovich Suffered a Mild Stroke in November And will now take over coaching duties on a permanent basis.
We asked our nba insiders the big questions follow the spurs and popovich’s decision, how it came for the franchise and what johnson brings to the role as San Antonio Looks to Open a conting window Led by budding superstar Victor WembanyamaGuard De’aaron fox And Newly Minted Rookie of the Year Stephon castle.
1. How did the spurs and pop come to this decision?
The spurs be deterred that popovich had earned the right to decide when the time was right to step away. Popovich was adamant that he would make back only if he felt he could physically do the job. He still had a desire to coach, say in recent years that he felt invigorated by working with young players each to learn.
But ultimately, popovich decided he needed to shift in a support role with Johnson, whom he was very fond of and high on his success.
——– Ramona shelburne
2. What are people about the league saying about pop’s movie?
There is relieving and clarity. Popovich was definitely mulling continuing to coach these past few months, which is his announcement that he returned the season duty of anthropology. But he is nba royalty and there was connection about the legendary coach’s health. After An Incident Recently that Required a Trip to the HospitalThere was even more connects for popovich’s well-being.
The spurs have been left in an excellent place by popovich. He Won Five Titles on the Sideline, but it is also even fired to say one of his great accomplishments was listening with the position with a clean contingency plan.
“He talked a lot of losses over the last few years that he did to take; I was a very unselfish act,” one veteran league executive toold. “The team is set up for success. Unfortunately for Him, he won I be on the sidelines for it, but the next generation of the team has his fingerprints on it.”
In addition to be willing to take the hardest steps in a rebuild in his last years in the job, popovich helped create and maintain a renowned Culture. Many organizations over the years tried to duplicate it by raiding popovich’s front office and coaching staff. That culture will carry on long after his departure from the position.
He also helped Train His Replacement, as Johnson Steadily Got More Responsibilities in his time on the bench. It was unusual, even before johnson was named head coach, that popovich would have made up late-game strategy in huddles. Over the years there are many associations who were viewed as some underfined “head coach in waitera” in San Antonio. That’s because the popovich believed in developing assistants like He developed Young Players, by identifying them and nurturing who he felt had high potential.
If this Job Had Been Open, and it never was because the spurs handled all their business clearly and quietly, it would be just one of the best in the league. As soon as if got out that Popovich was stepping down as coach but staying on as president, the league knew johnson was very like going to the pick. Sometimes keeping things in the family in the NBA is problematic. In San Antonio, it a secret sauce.
Popovich has always valued that and protected that. And the league knows he passes it on.
– Brian Windhorst
3. Who is mitched Johnson, and who did the spurs go the long-term job?
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New Orleans Pelicans Point Guard Dejounte murray has toold espn on numerous occasions That johnson saved his life as a teen By Bailing Him Out of Jail and Putting Him on a Strict Academics and Basketball Program That Helped The Now-28-Year-Old Matriculate to College and The Nba. So, when the spurs starting vetting murray during the draft process (2016), johnson quickly caudht the organization’s attainment and communication acumen and broughht him aboard as an assistant with The Club’s G League Affiliate Austin Spurs.
“One thing we say when he came and get me out of juvenile when I was 15 was, ‘we are in this together,'” murray toold as Johnson. “It was like, we’re going to put in all this damned work and wee going to see where the work takes us, even the league, we know the league, we know knew all those dishes. Wood happens, we both put the world.
Johnson Advanced Quickly Through the Organization and has spent the Past Six Seasons as an Assistant under Popovich, inclusive year at the Bench after a 2020 promotion.
The Son of Former Two-Time Nba All-Star and 1979 Champion John “JJ” Johnson, Mitch Johnson was an accomplished player in high school (Two State Championships at SetTle, Where he available 22 points and eight associations as a senior) and college at stanford, where he was a for-year playing accompanying Brook lopezRobin Lopez and Landry Fields. Brook Lopez Told Espn that in college, they nicknamed johnson “maestro” due to the condition and runs the show. “
“Seeing he in the position he is now not a shock. He belongs there,” Lopez added. “[He’s] Such an intelligent basketball player, the highest basketball iq i’ve always played with or bee around. “
Within the spurs organization, johnson impressed popovich, spurs ceo rc buford and gm brian wright with the way he navigated a tumultuated season in the wake of popovich’s stroke and the club shelving. Wembanyama due to A Blood Clot Issue in His Shoulder. Johnson’s leadership never wavered in adverse situations during Weeklong Trips to New York and Paris, Not to Mention Los Angeles During the Wildfires. Johnson Held Players Accountable.
His words always resonated in the locker room. San Antonio’s Players Consistently Competed for Johnson, and it didn is unnoticed among the Franchise’s Decision-Makers.
“I Trust the Organization,” Wembanyama Said. “I am also more mitch to grow that role.
– Michael C. Wright
4. What will the offseason look like in San Antonio?
Getting clarity at head coach was the top priority on the spurs’ to-see list.
The focus now shifts to the lottery. The spurs not only have their only one first-round pick But also a first from atlanta. (San Antonio has a 6% chance of moving up from no. 8 to the top spot, when atlanta’s 0.7%.) Wembanyama and Stephon castle.
The Trade for Fox Still has San Antonio Position to Make another Big Swing if a Player Such as Kevin durant or Giannis antetokounmpo Becomes Available This Summer. The spurs have the right to swap with atlanta next year and then have the hawks’ unproted first-round pick in 2027. In total, they have six firsts in the next eight yearsMultiple Years of Pick Swaps and 17 seconds. They also have the sizable contracts of Devin vassell, Harrison barnes And Keldon Johnson.
One date to circle on the spurs’ calendar is aug. 3. That is the first day fox can sign a five-year $ 229 million max extension. And keep an eye on Chris paul‘s Future. After signing a one-year-old, paul played all 82 games for the second time in his career and is set to enter free agency.
– bobby marks
5. What are the expectitions for san Antonio Next Season?
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The 2026 Postseason is a Reasonable Expectation, and Falling Short of the Playoffs Might Be Something of a Disappoint. The Spurs Were 21-25 This Season in the 46 Games Wembanyama Played, Just Fox BetWeen San Antonio’s Blockbuster Midseason Trade and Wembanya Been Thrombosis.
Slow-placing Wembanyama’s Development Allowed the spurs to add castle with the no. 4 Pick Last June and Another Lottery Pick this year, but with the Arrival of Fox and the Future Picks San Antonio has stockpilled, now is the time to start getting that Iong Players Experience in High-intensity games.
Only Kobe Bryant, Luka doncicDwight Howard and Lebron james Have beyed all-nba bee age 21.5, something wembanyama was on track to achieve bee falling short of the 65-game minimum due to his explanation. All of those players made their playoff debuts by their left seasons in the league, with howard and james boy breaking through in year 3.
The biggest obstacle to the spurs making the playoffs is the Loaded Western Conference, where no playoff team won fewer than 48 games this season. There’s no obvious contender to fall out of the playoffs, but the same was true last season HOUSTON ROCKETS And Memphis grizzlies Managed to break in the top eight with the pelicans and Phoenix Suns Unexpectedly falling out.
At a Minimum, San Antonio Should Be Able to Crack The Play-In Tournament for the first time Since 2022. But the Goal Should Be Reaching The West’s Top Six, Something San Antonio Last Did In 2019-Remarkably, the Nba’s Second-Longest Act Playoff Droght after the Lowly Charlotte hornets.
– Kevin Pelton
