PARIS – While the San Antonio Spurs are preparing for their second match against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday at the NBA Games Paris, the interim coach Mitch Johnson remains in a position in which he did not plan that the season started.
Head coach Gregg Popovich underwent a stroke on November 2Catapulting Johnson not only in a job that he did not expect to come for a while, but also in the biggest coach concert of all basketball.
Johnson is not only responsible for winning matches. He is also responsible for the burden of the development of Victor Wembanyama and a regular nucleus of young players under the age of 25.
Whatever the quantity that can be prepares for a job, when it comes out of blue and carries this level of magnitude, it is not something in which you enter.
And yet we are there. Spurs are competitive. Wembanyama flourishes in a superstar. And several other players, such as Jeremy Sochan, Stephon Castle and Devin Vassell, take their place in the League.
In addition, Johnson found a way to make this team and did it on the fly.
Fans would be forgiven to believe that Johnson would be invited to copy and stick Popovich’s philosophy, but like each basketball player – at all levels – will tell you: the coaches are first people, and they are in The world of people.
Johnson has the Spurs who steal the court more and splashing long points, a shot that Popovich – often humorous – critical.
“Mitch did an excellent job, with all our coach staff,” said Chris Paul on Thursday at the new post-match conference after The rout of San Antonio de l’Insiana.
“I think that when you are in a situation like that, that you train yourself in a head coaching position, you have already trusted guys because he was often the guy who worked, causing guys and so on , So he did an incredible job. “
How to connect with players is obviously one thing, but any trainer who is worth his salt will have to save him to a certain extent in lines, be it strategic adjustments, sharing knowledge in basketball or have an impact On the players’ career.
According to Paul, 39 years old, Johnson has already ordered the team’s respect because of his career as a player.
“He trains passion,” said the 20 -year -old veteran. “You can say that Mitch used to hoop, as a leader of a leader in Stanford. He trains passion and I think that feeds (in our team. There is a lot of confidence there, there is Lots of communication and ideal for me capable of playing for him.
These are praise, in particular one of the best guards of all time who is older than Johnson, 38.
This does not only testify to Johnson’s capacities as a coach, but also how the players have been opened to adopt this unexpected change.
Wembanyama – Clearly missing Popovich, which makes positive stages in its recovery – took the team to dinner on Monday evening, as the 75 -year -old coach probably would have done so.
For Johnson, to sail all of this on the fly, while being invited to win, is a ridiculously difficult company. He should allow his team to be concerned about their head coach, while ordering their respect in the role occupied by a legend.
Fortunately, the victory is no longer very worrying.
Spurs are already 20-22 after winning only 22 games all last season.
Although Wembanyama obviously played a major role in this turnaround, it is clear that Johnson intensified on the plate and found a way to start first, the challenges are damned.
This alone is worthy of the high praise.
