3 Immediate impacts of unfortunate Popovich news on the Spurs

Saturday night brought an unfortunate but not totally unexpected update regarding Gregg Popovich. San Antonio Spurs fans found out that the team's coach will not return to the sideline for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, and that his status for the future is uncertain as well. This news comes after Popovich has spent more than three months recovering from a mild stroke back in November.

Pop's need to recover for an extended period after such a serious health condition is not surprising, but it is certainly a saddening update for those who have come to appreciate him so much over the years. Ideally, coach will heal up and be back to his normal spot on the sideline next season. But if he does opt to retire, it will be for the good of his overall health.

In the meantime, there are several effects Pop's absence will produce for this Spurs team.

Who will coach San Antonio next season?

Perhaps the biggest and most obvious effect of Pop being away from the team becomes the question rising in everyone's mind: Who is going to coach the Spurs in 2025-26? Mitch Johnson has been filling in as the interim coach, but many have been dissatisfied with the win-loss record since he took over. There are several candidates with connections that could end up taking the job if Pop does step away permanently, but no one seems to be an obvious choice for the job.

Losing revered coach that players wanted to play for

There is also the aspect of a highly-respected coach now being gone from San Antonio's locker room. For more than two and a half decades, the Spurs have been synonymous with Gregg Popovich. Players knew that when they came to play for San Antonio, they would be led by a coach that has the experience, basketball knowledge and people skills to put together a top-level team. Perhaps not every player is a fan of his coaching style, but he is widely respected, and the reputation of the Spurs could be altered now as well.

Departure of championship experience

Maybe the most valuable thing Popovich brought to the table for an up-and-coming team like the current Spurs was championship experience. He has been to six NBA Finals as a coach, and he knows what it takes to win on the highest level. If Pop returns, he can bring that expertise to the table as San Antonio continues to level up. But if he is truly gone for good, it would become a bit more of an uphill climb for this team to reach the pinnacle without Pop's years and years of head knowledge.