1. Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs
There should be no surprise to see Gregg Popovich at the top of this power-ranking list once again. Even though Pop has been out of the limelight for some time now as the San Antonio Spurs have pivoted to a rebuild, this is a team that is on the rise in the Western Conference. And if they continue on their recent trajectory, we could see Pop back in the limelight, coaching in some big games before we know it. It does seem as if Pop has become rejuvenated with the job after Victor Wembanyama's addition to the team. That's good to see considering it did appear as if Pop was preparing to call it a career.
At this point, who knows how many years Pop has left? But he clearly wants to be around during the first few years, at least, of the Wemby era in San Antonio. Pop is still very much one of the brightest minds in the league. I don't think that's ever been a question. Even though the Spurs have struggled, we've seen him get the most out of his players.
And if he can continue to push the right developmental buttons, Wemby could be on the verge of a huge jump this season. Pop will be a huge part of that.