Mitch "Silky" Johnson - Appreciation Thread

[spurraider21]

My guess is a bit before.

I think he really meant it when he said the season prior to Wemby's arrival was "the one he enjoyed the most in his career".

This "edge" that make the Greats is so consuming, it's already insane he lasted that long.

yeah no doubt. im by and large grateful for Pop and he belongs squarely in the GOAT convo for coaches. but father time is undefeated, even for coaches. i think the game has somewhat passed him by. as much as he may have enjoyed that other season, i dont see the same level of fire that he used to have, nor the willingness to hold players accountable

[exstatic]

Let's say Pop misses the rest of the year and Mitch and the Spurs end up top six. That's like a ~+25 wins from last year. Does he get COY?

Mitch isn’t the head coach, so he can’t win it. In addition, every one of these wins is being credited to Pop. I learned that little factoid when Kerr missed a chunk of one season, and Luke Walton led GS to a pile of wins.

[Ice009]

That's a pretty crappy rule that the interim coach doesn't get credited for wins.

Also, did Pop really say that the season before last was he most enjoyable? I wonder why that is? Because there was zero pressure, or did he get to teach a lot more than usual and enjoyed that aspect of it. I wonder what aspect/s made his enjoy that season the most.

[Spurs Homer]

Too early....chill the out...

[skin27]

Mitch is killing it! Almost every facet of the game has gotten better and is more fun to watch.
Players are improving game to game as is the team. What more do we need to see?
His reads of the game and decisions are a breath of fresh air. Just the sensibilities of his rotations is a vast improvement. No disrespect to Pop.

its the same rotation. Especially wemby’s minutes

[exstatic]

That's a pretty crappy rule that the interim coach doesn't get credited for wins.

Also, did Pop really say that the season before last was he most enjoyable? I wonder why that is? Because there was zero pressure, or did he get to teach a lot more than usual and enjoyed that aspect of it. I wonder what aspect/s made his enjoy that season the most.

This

[Mugen]

The "teaching" aspect is all well and good but it's time to win now tbh. And you need a competent coach for that, not Professor Popovich.

[The Truth #6]

Debbie Downer take: the owners/FO wait for Pop to return all season, hem and haw in the off-season, and some other team hires Mitch.

At the least, give the dude a raise.

My preference: Pop stays in the background and does trips to Europe or whatever with RC and uses his status to scout players and a top European coach to be lead assistant behind Mitch. Pop doesn't need to be full time coach again, he just had a stroke and needs to address the underlying conditions that led to the stroke (A Fib, hypertension, or whatever), but fully stepping down doesn't help the team. He can still use his godfather status in a lot of ways behind the scenes.

[LeBowen]

Debbie Downer take: the owners/FO wait for Pop to return all season, hem and haw in the off-season, and some other team hires Mitch.

No chance Mitch leaves unless PATFO gets someone else other than Pop to be the head coach.
Even if Pop comes back, which seems unlikely, he'll surely be done at the end of next season.
Everyone with half a brain would rather wait it out and take over one of the most promising rosters in the league rather than taking a treadmill team job.
For example Kenny Atkinson rejected multiple offers and stayed as Kerr's assistant before the right one came in.

[The Truth #6]

I think what we want to happen doesn't always align with what actually happens. Life is full of lots of variables.

[ambchang]

Winning is all nice and fun, but I want a high pick.

[LeBowen]

Winning is all nice and fun, but I want a high pick.

You can go support another team, then.
I'm sick of people who still want to tank for picks when we have a top10 player in the league and it looks like we nailed our last pick.
Yeah, it would be better to have another top5 pick, but you know what's even better? Experience of playing important games and actually getting that winning culture back.
For decades we laughed at those awful franchises that can't make it work no matter what and now some of you still want to tank even though we have the second longest lottery streak in the league.

[Fizziksman]

Winning is all nice and fun, but I want a high pick.

Atlanta's pick will be pretty low. Reality this team can't tank anymore. It is starting to survive Zollins minutes.

[exstatic]

I think what we want to happen doesn't always align with what actually happens. Life is full of lots of variables.

This is the number one anger trigger on ST. They expect the Spurs do do what they want, and when the Spurs something along the lines of what they usually do, said poster(s) flip out.

[exstatic]

Winning is all nice and fun, but I want a high pick.

Atlanta will get that for us.

[Mugen]

Marlo Stanfield over here

[Teamduncan21]

That's a pretty crappy rule that the interim coach doesn't get credited for wins.

Also, did Pop really say that the season before last was he most enjoyable? I wonder why that is? Because there was zero pressure, or did he get to teach a lot more than usual and enjoyed that aspect of it. I wonder what aspect/s made his enjoy that season the most.

They can promote him if it seems he would make the coy

[Brazil]

Pop is a coach that is more focused on the big picture while Johnson is more focused on trying to win games. It's obviously very logical when you look at their age and experience.

Against Suns, Wembanyama played more than his minute restriction. Pop would never have done and wouldn't have given him a single second above it even at the cost of the game.

The key point about Johnson is how long Pop is planed to be out. If it's only a few weeks, he will/should stick to what Pop has done. If Pop is out longer, he should start to bring his own ideas and this season will be a great opportunity to know what he is worth as Pop's successor.

It would be nice to have a better idea about when Pop will be back, but, given the cir stances, I respect that Spurs keep it private.

Spot on tbh... Mitch needs obviously some wins, the roster is asking for it and he has no desire to go against that especially trying to get a name on the market for himself. Regarding the minutes I guess you meant GSW, I don't see a big difference here though 34 mn is a bit high compared to his standards but Pop played him 35 against Houston for instance. If there is one thing Mitch won't dare to touch is Victor health and mn restrictions

[The Truth #6]

The fact that Mitch seems to be stepping out on his own, just even in a tiny bit, suggests that he may see this job as his to win or lose.

[exstatic]

They can promote him if it seems he would make the coy

Those wins still goin Pop’s coffer, so what is the criteria for the win? A 0-0 record?

[Bruno]

Regarding the minutes I guess you meant GSW, I don't see a big difference here though 34 mn is a bit high compared to his standards but Pop played him 35 against Houston for instance. If there is one thing Mitch won't dare to touch is Victor health and mn restrictions

Yeah, I meant GSW but he played more than his minutes restriction in that game:

[scott]

It reminds me of Luke Walton when Kerr was out.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Walton

Walton was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for games played in October and November, after guiding Golden State to a 19–0 start.[17] He received the award despite technically being winless, since the Warriors' record was credited to Kerr. Since Kerr was still the head coach, NBA rules stipulated that the team's record under an interim coach be credited to the head coach,[18] though the league considered altering the rule given Walton's case.[19] However, the NBA permits an interim or acting head coach to be eligible for coaching awards.[20] The Warriors extended their record start to 24–0. They were 39–4, the second-best start in league history, when Kerr resumed coaching full-time on January 22, 2016.[21] Golden State ended the season an NBA-record 73–9, and Kerr was voted the NBA Coach of the Yea

So wait... are these wins being credited to Pop?

This is kind of inconsequential, but I was hoping Pop would at least come back in some part-time HC role to get to Win #1400 - but maybe he already has it?

[CGD]

Yeah, I meant GSW but he played more than his minutes restriction in that game:

Clearly Victor still needs to get over himself.

[Obstructed_View]

Winning is all nice and fun, but I want a high pick.

The Spurs traded one away a few months ago so they could draft a guy who can't play basketball.

[DAF86]

Pop is a coach that is more focused on the big picture while Johnson is more focused on trying to win games. It's obviously very logical when you look at their age and experience.

Against Suns, Wembanyama played more than his minute restriction. Pop would never have done and wouldn't have given him a single second above it even at the cost of the game.

The key point about Johnson is how long Pop is planed to be out. If it's only a few weeks, he will/should stick to what Pop has done. If Pop is out longer, he should start to bring his own ideas and this season will be a great opportunity to know what he is worth as Pop's successor.

It would be nice to have a better idea about when Pop will be back, but, given the cir stances, I respect that Spurs keep it private.

The idea of Pop being back should already be erased, imho.