5 Reasons Gregg Popovich is the perfect coach for Victor Wembanyama

After winning the NBA Draft Lottery, the San Antonio Spurs will soon select Victor Wembanyama first overall. Wembanyama will follow in the footsteps of the Spurs' other number-one picks, David Robinson and Tim Duncan, both of whom were coached by Gregg Popovich. While the team has failed to make the playoffs each of the last four seasons, Popovich previously guided San Antonio to a league record 22 consecutive playoff appearances, as well as a record 18 straight 50-win seasons.

He also has three Coach of the Year awards in addition to five championships, but what the team has missed in recent years is another centerpiece to build around. Wembanyama will hopefully be that and more for the Spurs, and his being selected by the team should prove to be a win-win for both the player and the franchise.

After all, the fit, on paper, appears to be a perfect match. And with Popovich coaching him, there are hopes that the Spurs can quickly turn things around and get back into title contention. The sooner the better, with Popovich possibly only coaching the Spurs for another season or two. Still, he could prove to be the perfect coach for Wembanyama for several reasons. Let's see why.

#5: The Spurs have coaching stability

Unlike almost every other coach in the NBA, Popovich actually has job security. That might not seem like a big deal when it comes to Wembanyama, but it definitely is. The Spurs have had the same coach for the last 27 years, the longest active tenure in North American sports as well as NBA history. During that time, Popovich transformed the franchise's culture, turning it into the envy of the NBA.

Although he may only coach for another season or two, what he has built should remain. After all, he will also likely have a say in who replaces him, a rarity in the league, and Wembanyama can rest assured that whoever the next coach of the Spurs is, it won't be someone who will only be around for a season or two before being replaced. That should ensure stability and hopefully mean little change once Popovich decides to retire from coaching altogether.

Compare that to stars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has had seven coaches in 10 seasons, and Trae Young, who has had four coaches in five seasons. Coaching stability is an underrated aspect that Popovich and the Spurs can provide Wembanyama that most other teams simply can't, and that should only benefit him as he begins his NBA career.

#4: Popovich created load management

Depending on who you ask, Popovich's decision to start load-managing his players is either seen as incredibly smart or as ruining basketball. Most Spurs fans would probably choose the former. After all, he helped prolong the careers of Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, though he did start a trend that has gotten out of hand.

Still, Popovich's commitment to keeping his players healthy should only help Wembanyama in the NBA. Every Spurs fan has likely thought about the worst-case scenario involving their new 7'4 potential superstar. Both Ralph Sampson and Yao Ming, each of whom had their promising careers end early as a byproduct of their height, come to mind.

Fortunately, Wembanyama appears well aware of this potential risk and has already been working to minimize the risk of injury as much as he possibly can. Even then, Popovich will likely be careful with him as he starts his career. I wouldn't expect him to play more than 70 games or average much more than 30 minutes per game during his rookie year. Adjusting to playing 82 games in 6 months is hard enough, especially for someone his size, with wear and tear being a concern.

Fortunately, Popovich is an expert at navigating the long season and making sure that his players remain healthy, particularly now that he is entering his 28th year as head coach. That is something a far less experienced coach wouldn't know how to do or even be willing to do without the job security that Popovich has.

#3: Popovich is a defensive mastermind

Popovich is generally viewed as one of the greatest coaches of all time, if not the greatest, and he earned that reputation by being a defensive mastermind. From 1997–98 to the 2017–18 season, the Spurs finished in the top 10 in defensive ratings 20 times in 21 seasons and in the top five 18 of those times. That is impressive, to say the least. And while he had Hall of Famers Robinson and Duncan to help anchor those defenses, it's hard to believe Pop's game plan didn't heavily play into the team's dominance on that end.

With Wembanyama, Popovich will have another defensive anchor to build an elite defense around. His size, length, mobility, and athleticism make him the perfect defender for today's NBA. He can switch onto smaller defenders and use his lateral quickness to keep perimeter players in front of him, daring them to shoot over him and his 7'8 arm span.

Needless to say, he racked up an unusually high number of blocks away from the basket. Of course, he is also a terrific rim protector, even though he is still learning the finer points of defense. With Popovich and Duncan there to teach him, his ceiling could be a multiple Defensive Player of the Year winner. To start his career, Wembanyama will likely defend more on the perimeter, playing at power forward, though he could close games at the five, giving the Spurs the best of both worlds and Popovich options.

#2: Popovich has history coaching talented bigs

Yet another reason why Popovich is the perfect coach for Wembanyama is that he has a long history of coaching talented big men, and Wembanyama will be the latest. Robinson, Duncan, and LaMarcus Aldridge all thrived playing under Popovich.

While Robinson and Duncan certainly would have played well anywhere, he has a knack for putting his best players in a position to score. Unlike those three players, Wembanyama has more offensive versatility and can be utilized in several different ways to maximize his strengths.

That might include using him as the roll man in pick and rolls, running him off screens, spotting him up to space the floor, and, of course, in the post. Popovich won't be married to one specific way of using him, and that should be great news for the future No. 1 pick.

Other teams might have simply put the ball in his hands as much as possible and let him isolate, but that isn't what the Spurs do. Wembanyama will be a big part of the offense, but he will not be the offense by himself. That will take a lot of pressure off of him and allow him to fit in before needing to stand out.

#1: Popovich will let Wembanyama be himself

Despite having been a coach for nearly 30 years, Popovich isn't as set in his ways as other old-school coaches might be. That is great news for Wembanyama, who is unlike anything we've ever seen before on a basketball court.

Therefore, trying to mold him into a strictly back-to-the-basket big man wouldn't be the best use of his considerable talents. Instead, Popovich will almost certainly let Wembanyama have a lot more leeway to play out on the perimeter than many might expect, something most other coaches would discourage.

This is especially true considering that he has shown surprisingly tight handles for someone his size, potentially allowing him to attack the basket off the dribble like a guard against opposing fives. Popovich could even run some plays where he is the ball handler in the pick-and-roll, forcing far shorter players to contest his shots.

For all of the outside-the-box ideas in which he can be used, Popovich will also be sure to get him easy baskets in more traditional ways, but he won't prevent Wembanyama from doing the things that make him the likely number one pick.