Player The Methodical Meritocracy of Maestro Mitch Johnson and his Many Minions

[RC_Drunkford]

It looks like it will all work out in the end, but Pop was holding us back so much over the past years.
Every single role player we have has taken a significant step forward this season, ones that couldn't defend shit look competent on that end, there's way less chucking and empty possession and we can see the new assistants holding players accountable for their fuck ups during games.
Such a huge upgrade over Pop not caring and Brett Brown being happy to get some pre-retirement paychecks.

Some of us have been complaining about this for years. Old man just became too predictable. Mitch deserves a ton of credit. I see him implement new offensive sets one by one and having Sweeney and Williamson take care of the defense is exactly what we needed.

 

[Mugen]

Spurs are a .500 team this season if the old man were coaching tbh.

Sniff Crew was making every excuse in the book for Pop the last 5 years. And sure, the talent level was low compared to this year. But it was clear to anybody with a pulse that the old man was just going through the motions.

 

[Shmurs]

This would be a very uncomfortable season if he didn’t have a health emergency last year. He wouldn’t have quit for a while. Jeremy would be getting 25 minutes a night. There would be no plan on how to integrate everyone. All the guys on the court would be asked to initiate offense. He’d be overly focused on Wemby. It would just be a complete mess again.

 

[ginobilized]

This would be a very uncomfortable season if he didn’t have a health emergency last year. He wouldn’t have quit for a while. Jeremy would be getting 25 minutes a night. There would be no plan on how to integrate everyone. All the guys on the court would be asked to initiate offense. He’d be overly focused on Wemby. It would just be a complete mess again.

AND there would be 2-3 assistant coaches on the bench doing nothing. How things have changed for the better! The coaches are definitely engaged on every possession. If only Sochan could soak that up.

 

[scott]

Spurs are a .500 team this season if the old man were coaching tbh.

Sniff Crew was making every excuse in the book for Pop the last 5 years. And sure, the talent level was low compared to this year. But it was clear to anybody with a pulse that the old man was just going through the motions.

On the other hand, Pop's mismanagement in coaching allowed us to construct this team.

The universe has a way of sorting things out.

 

[spursparker9]

Sochan definitely would still be playing if Pop was coaching

But at least now it is clear that Pop made the right choice by handling the baton to Mitch. Is Mitch the youngest coach (39 years old) in the league currently? PAFTO could have source for an experienced coach like Monty William or Mike Brown who have ties to Pop and the Spurs.

I respect Mitch for daring to DNP Branham and Wesley last season when he took over. Pop would give them mins if he was coaching and I am sure Rookie Castle would be playing much lesser mins.

The team core is young, Mitch is young. Time to let them show their stuff.

 

[Shmurs]

…I liked Wesley last year

 

[PanameSpur]

Follow-up thought on Wemby coming off the bench. How effective could it be as a surprise in late-series playoff game?

As effective as with any Franchise player coming off the bench for any team.

It won't happen tho

 

[PanameSpur]

I've loved the limited minutes strategy by playing him in the most important parts of the game (more in the 3rd and 4th quarter and less in the first half to keep to the minute restriction but still have him out there when the game is on the line [if it's a close game that is]). He didn't do that with Dylan (playing him in crunch time), but maybe that's because Dylan's a rookie and he wouldn't have played him anyway in those end of game minutes early on? I always thought with these minute restrictions that you're not supposed to play the player in crunch time due to the added intensity and pressure. Did Pop ever do this? Maybe he did with Manu, but I can't quite remember.

I'm not a fan.

I get where u come from and it looks good from the outside but it's not easy and it can lead to trying to do in 20' what you used to do in 30'

More importantly, I think people have his offensive game in mind when referring to the benefits, because there's no scenario where Wemby playing 20' on defense is better than 30' for the team

 

[100%Duncan]

I like it when opponents score, like an open 3 and you can see a vividly upset Sean Sweeney in the bench.

 

[Ice009]

I'm not a fan.

I get where u come from and it looks good from the outside but it's not easy and it can lead to trying to do in 20' what you used to do in 30'

More importantly, I think people have his offensive game in mind when referring to the benefits, because there's no scenario where Wemby playing 20' on defense is better than 30' for the team

I'm not saying I love the limited minutes at all. All I'm saying is if he has to play limited minutes, I like the way he's distributing them to allow him to play in crunch time/crucial moments of the games to give us a better chance to win. If it was Pop, he'd spread the 20 minutes out at the start of quarters and then sit Victor in crunch time and we'd likely lose some of those games.

 

[Area 51.247]

On the other hand, Pop's mismanagement in coaching allowed us to construct this team.

The universe has a way of sorting things out.

Mismanagement or strategic intent once the LMA, DDR, KL reload and reconstruction went off the rails?

Another view is that Pop took on several seasons worth of rebuilding losses so that a young, inexperienced coach and front office didn't have to go through that grind and have a 40-120 hole or worse on their record to dig out of. And, yes, he did get the all-time wins record

Compared to some teams' versions of rebuilds (CHI, NYK, PHI, PHX, ???), the Spurs have relatively quickly put together a team with the both the probability and potential to excel over a period of time.🪉

 

[Thoodee]

This would be a very uncomfortable season if he didn’t have a health emergency last year. He wouldn’t have quit for a while. Jeremy would be getting 25 minutes a night. There would be no plan on how to integrate everyone. All the guys on the court would be asked to initiate offense. He’d be overly focused on Wemby. It would just be a complete mess again.

im on the “it was pop’s time to move on” train, but i don’t see this happening at all. Looking back at frustrating pet players like forbes and bonner, please show me a player like sochan pop has annoyingly relied on in the past who couldnt shoot.

 

[PocketMonger]

im on the “it was pop’s time to move on” train, but i don’t see this happening at all. Looking back at frustrating pet players like forbes and bonner, please show me a player like sochan pop has annoyingly relied on in the past who couldnt shoot.

Finley at the end of his time with the Spurs.

Either way its great to have a coach who is coaching to win again. Seemed like Pop wasn't fully committed to coaching to win post 2014. Always seemed like side objectives took priority over winning well before the Wemby tank.

 

[spursparker9]

Pop was great during his peak and his ability to build relationships with players and their families are second to none. Furthermore, his coaching tree is really impressive and I don't think we will ever see another coach who will even come close to this level of the coaching tree connections.

But we are at a new era whereby the new blood has to take the reign. Not sure if Sean Sweeney would be able to work with Pop or get 'overwritten' by Pop.

Side note...sometime I miss the timeout call 10 sec into opening tip after someone get lazy and give free layup and also the 5 subs out for the starters. Pop is the only coach with the ball to do these

 

[Exstatic]

Finley at the end of his time with the Spurs.

Either way its great to have a coach who is coaching to win again. Seemed like Pop wasn't fully committed to coaching to win post 2014. Always seemed like side objectives took priority over winning well before the Wemby tank.

183 wins over the next 3 seasons, including 61 and 67 win seasons.

 

[PocketMonger]

183 wins over the next 3 seasons, including 61 and 67 win seasons.

Yeah of course they still won a ton of games with the players they had for that run.

 

[timtonymanu]

Feels nice to have such a passionate coach vs. having a coach that would be laughing it up with opposing coaches after games when the Spurs would get embarrassed.

Still love you, Pop. But it’s night and day lol.

 

[Paramore]

 

[spursparker9]

Has Mitch officially entered COTY conversation?

 

[couchman]

Has Mitch officially entered COTY conversation?

Should he be the leading candidate?
We’ve gone from “playoff contender” to possibly best team in the association.

 

[scott]

Should he be the leading candidate?
We’ve gone from “playoff contender” to possibly best team in the association.

Second this. JB Bickerstaff was rightfully getting a lot of accolades for the work he's done in DET, but I feel like Mitch has surpassed him in the "wow" factor at this point.

I'd say right now I'd rank the race:

1. Mitch
2. Bickerstaff
4. Mazzulla (how many people had BOS written off going into this season?)
4. Adelman
5. Mike Brown
6. Daignault

 

[ginobilized]

Going from the lottery to the top is definitely COTY material. Who else is seriously in the running now?
All the other coaches went deep into the playoffs last year. I do love that our old friend Ime Udoka is not in the running at this point.

 

[Ice009]

I think after these stretch of games the past few weeks, his hat has been thrown in for him. Question is, I don't know if I want him to win it. I don't think I want that added pressure for him as he's still pretty much a rookie head coach. What do you guys think?

 

[Area 51.247]

I think after these stretch of games the past few weeks, his hat has been thrown in for him. Question is, I don't know if I want him to win it. I don't think I want that added pressure for him as he's still pretty much a rookie head coach. What do you guys think?

The pressure will come anyway, especially if he's fulfilling his responsibilities to balance team and player development with winning games.

The question and lesson for Maestro to learn is how to maintain focus on that and not be distracted by the empheral wisps of individual recognition and acknowledgements.