San Antonio Spurs: Pros & Cons of Coach Popovich returning

Cons of Pop returning as the San Antonio Spurs head coach

As active as Coach Pop is, fatigue may play a factor next season. Pop will coach our national team during the offseason in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Considering the challenges that came with the condensed NBA regular season, the fact that he’ll have to coach the men’s national team in Tokyo, and then jump back into another NBA season shortly after, can he handle the grind of all of this in such short succession?

Even if Popovich himself believes this is possible for him, at the end of the day, the team’s needs are what will come first.

Looking at what is already in the trophy case is another factor to consider. What is left for Coach Pop to achieve? After the abundance of success he has enjoyed throughout his career, it would be understandable if his drive to win is no longer the same as it used to be. At some point, he must ask himself if it makes sense to keep going. If Coach Pop is having these types of thoughts, as understandable as they are, this could be detrimental to the organization in the long run in terms of maintaining a winning mentality.

Additionally, if Popovich stays on as the Head Coach, to some extent, it could hold the Spurs back from truly moving forward from the big-three dynasty that is becoming ever so more distant with each passing season. The organization may prefer to start something entirely new, even if it means getting worse before getting better, rather than holding onto the past. While this reality may sound harsh, it may also be necessary for future success.

While it may feel comfortable to your everyday Spurs fan to have Coach Pop on the bench, that comfort may begin to slip away as the Spurs continue to miss the playoffs. True change most often requires becoming uncomfortable for at least a little while. The Spurs players may benefit from making this uncomfortable change sooner rather than later, especially while the young core is still young. 

Regardless of whether the organization chooses to take a calculated risk and move on from Coach Popovich, or they choose to stick with Coach Pop for a bit longer, huge decisions loom for Mr. Holt, R.C. Buford, and the Spurs. All Spurs fans will be able to do in the meantime is hope for the best.