Spurs: Mapping out the ideal 5-year coach staff plan

The 2020 Olympic Games and revamped San Antonio Spurs roster re-ignited the fire in Gregg Popovich last season, and that's likely to keep him around for at least another year. It would be the 27th year with him at the helm, a run that included 22 straight playoff appearances and 20 straight seasons with a better than 60% win rate.

Obviously, Popovich has earned the right to stay on as head coach for as long as he sees fit, and any argument from people otherwise is likely to hold some unrelated, political undertones. The big question, though, is how much longer will he want to lead this young group when he could be overseeing the organization from a less stressful position while getting drunk on wine? He'll be turning 74 during the 2022-23 season after all.

As we anticipate the next era of Spurs basketball that includes the painful thought of no Big Three on the court and no Pop on the sidelines, it's time to start at least looking at what might be best for that transition. While everything is still up in the air surrounding the Spurs' coaching staff for the foreseeable future, here are a few things I wouldn't mind seeing going forward.

Spurs' 2022-23 NBA Season

Head Coach: Gregg Popovich
Assistant Coach Hire: Manu Ginobili

When the Spurs take the court this fall, I fully expect Gregg Popovich to be leading the pack. Although he seems to downplay success often, I know he's still a competitive person and wouldn't want to go out on a losing season. While I'm not sure next year's squad could elevate to an above-500 club without massive moves, there's still a lot of potential for them to get better and threaten for a legitimate playoff spot.

Meanwhile, Manu Ginobili, who currently has the title of Special Advisor to the Spurs, has been given some increased roles in recent weeks, making me think he could possibly be in the running for a role as an assistant in the future. What better time to start that than this season, when so many new faces could be needing his guidance and veteran leadership?

For the 2023-24 season, the Spurs could then start looking at the next serious candidate for Coach Pop's position, which I'll dive into next.