NBA is locked into unfair narrative inevitably set to cost Mitch Johnson

Sitting 30-14 and second place in the Western Conference, things have gone about as well as anyone could have expected. The leader of the improved squad, Mitch Johnson, deserves all the respect for what he has done to get this team where it is now. However, oddsmakers at FanDuel would like to disagree.

Currently, Mitch Johnson has the second-best odds to win Coach of the Year, only behind Detroit's JB Bickerstaff. This is blasphemy. The Spurs leader has done so much for this team, propelling them to heights nobody could have imagined. He has been the catalyst for the biggest jump in the NBA this season, an achievement that often wins this award.

Mitch Johnson deserves Coach of the Year over JB Bickerstaff

I don't want this to come off as a slight to Bickerstaff. The former Cavaliers coach has vaulted the Pistons from the middle of the East to the top of the conference. He rightfully should have won the award last season when he pulled the struggling squad out of the dirt, but this year is different.

While still impressive, their leap this season is not as impactful as the previous. Rising in the Eastern Conference is much easier given the vast number of injuries across the league. Plus, this team was already a top-six seed last year; they have only improved by so much.

Meanwhile, Mitch Johnson is doing exactly what Bickerstaff did in 2024-25. He has led the Spurs to the second seed in a much more difficult conference after the squad was outside of the playoffs the year prior. The West is as good as it has ever been, and San Antonio is placed above a cast of viable contenders.

The Spurs head coach has completely lived up to the hype

One of the most impressive parts of Mitch Johnson's success has been his resilience during a slew of injuries. The Spurs had one of their best stretches of the season without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. That stretch is a major reason San Antonio is ranked second in the West. And don't forget that this team had started 5-0, the best in franchise history, all without De'Aaron Fox.

If you want to talk about narratives, Mitch Johnson has it. The Spurs coach stepped into a position that would require him to fill the shoes of legendary coach Gregg Popovich. As one of the youngest coaches in the NBA, he took the opportunity and ran with it. He has lived up to Coach Pop's expectations and used his years of learning to extend the success Popovich had.

Yes, the roster in San Antonio is outstanding and was bound to have success, but they wouldn't be where they are without Mitch Johnson. The man has orchestrated a terrific game plan on both sides of the ball that equates to winning. Amid the turmoil, Mitch has kept the team on solid ground. There is no debating that our guy is the clear favorite for Coach of the Year this season.