Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich should step down as president and head coach

By Zamir Bueno

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 27: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs looks on against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 27: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs looks on against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on March 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Gregg Popovich should step down as president and head coach because he is putting his self interest ahead of the long-term health of the San Antonio Spurs 

There are moments in life when loyalty and gratitude to a person can lead an entity to make a questionable decision that puts their long-term future in peril. The San Antonio Spurs have a president and head coach in Gregg Popovich who has reached a point in his career where he does not like the prospect of rebuilding.

Pop told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2015 that he did not have the patience to coach the rebuilding 76ers:

"“I’d last about a month. And he (Brett Brown), honest to God, loves coaching that team.”"

More from Sir Charles In Charge

Consequently, when San Antonio realized that their relationship with Kawhi Leonard was irreparably broken, Pop decided he wanted to get assets that would help the franchise stay competitive. Fortunately for him, winning about 68 percent of his regular season games over 22+ seasons as head coach allowed Popovich to earn enough equity with ownership that they did not object to his idea.

Therefore, Gregg Popovich traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick. At the time of the trade, DeRozan was a four-time all-star who averaged 19.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 9 seasons as a raptor.

The addition of DeRozan gave Pop a co-star alongside LaMarcus Aldridge which is something that the team didn’t have the previous season as Kawhi missed 73  games with a quad injury. Unfortunately, the acquisition of  DeMar DeRozan has been overshadowed by many unexpected changes to the roster.

On August 27th, Manu Ginobili announces his retirement after 16 seasons with the team. About a month later, the team announced that rookie  Lonnie Walker IV suffered a right medial meniscus tear and was going to undergo surgery on October 8th.

The team stated that he would return in 6-8 weeks which means Walker is close to playing. Two days later, it was revealed that Dejounte Murray was going to miss the season with a torn ACL in his right knee. 

The unexpected changes have played a role in the team being 10-11 thru 21 games which is 4 wins off of last year’s pace. If the team continues at the current pace, they will end up with about an even record to finish the season. Unfortunately, it will not be enough for them to make the playoffs as the average threshold to make the playoffs in the West over the past five years has been 44.6 wins (49 + 45 + 41 + 41 + 47 /5)

Therefore, the team will be in no man’s land because they won’t be good enough to make the playoffs and bad enough to obtain a high draft pick. Consequently, ownership should consider trading their veteran stars for young players.

For example, the Spurs can trade DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge to Miami for Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson, Justice Winslow and Bam Adebayo. San Antonio adds two more pieces to their young core in Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo and speeds up the tanking process for this season.

On the other hand, Pat Riley gets the brand names he has been trying to acquire for several years now.

Unfortunately, Pop doesn’t seem willing to rebuild based on previous comments.  Pop’s philosophy puts ownership in an awkward position where they are forced to choose between loyalty and doing what is right for the franchise.

If ownership sides with loyalty, they’ll continue to be known as a class organization which supports their employees even at the expense of long-term success. On the other hand, if the club starts their rebuild,  Pop would likely step down as president and head coach, but the team gives itself the best chance at long-term success.

Related Story. NBA Trade Rumors: 3 teams who should trade for Markelle Fultz. light

Ultimately, the San Antonio Spurs should tank because if Gregg Popovich retires in 2-3 years and leaves the team with Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker IV as the only cornerstone pieces for the future, the club will struggle. If this occurs, all the blame will be laid at the feet of the front office and ownership because NBA pundits usually have a short-term memory that causes them to overlook the original sequence of events.

Home/San Antonio Spurs