Mitch Johnson's growth as a head coach is Spurs' biggest secret weapon

Mitch Johnson, despite helping lead the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals, has received criticism for his coaching, but he's also their ace in the hole. All things considered, he did remarkably well in his first full year as head coach.

However, some of the criticism of his coaching is valid, especially in the NBA Finals, where his late-game execution left a lot to be desired. Hopefully, he will use his struggles in the NBA Finals as a learning experience, and Johnson could be much better for it this season.

In addition to learning from his mistakes, the Spurs have clearly made a concerted effort to bring in experienced assistant coaches to help Johnson. Last season, it was Sean Sweeney, who was San Antonio's defensive coordinator. This season, it's Billy Donovan, who could help supercharge the Spurs' offense.

Mitch Johnson's growth as a coach is Spurs' biggest ace in the hole

The Spurs are looking to maximize their three-point guards, De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. In the preseason, Johnson has started them alongside Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama.

If he can find a way to make those three and Wembanyama coexist, then San Antonio could be dramatically better this season. That would be a huge development, but they also need Johnson to be better in terms of X's and O's.

Some of his decision-making in crunch time left a lot to be desired. He overrelied on Fox, even when he struggled in crunch time last season. He also underutilized Harper and went away from Wembanyama in several late-game situations.

Johnson also drew up questionable plays in situations that could have given the Spurs the lead. In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, he had two chances to draw up plays to help the Spurs nab a crucial win. Instead, he drew up two isoplays for Wembanyama.

Mitch Johnson must learn from his mistakes to help the Spurs win a title

He could also be blamed for San Antonio's historic meltdown in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. With more experience, he should have a few more tricks this season to help San Antonio pull out close wins.

If he can get notably better at drawing up plays in crunch time, San Antonio could help solve their biggest playoff flaw. They melted down in the NBA Finals, when things mattered the most. But a more experienced and deeper roster that's better coached could be far better than last year's team.

How Johnson manages a better roster and late-game situations will determine just how successful San Antonio is this season. If Johnson can grow as a coach, then he, along with his young core of Wembanyama, Castle, and Harper, plus Fox could have what it takes to win a championship this season.

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