Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Davis, Castle, Popovich
On paper, a 48-win season for the Grizzlies looks like a relative success on the heels of last season’s injury-plagued 27-win showing. However, the club went just 14-23 over its final 37 games (including the play-in and playoffs) and finds itself at a crossroads entering the offseason, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic, a former Grizzlies executive.
Having spoken to sources around the league, Hollinger says four main themes were brought up as issues in Memphis: Ja Morant‘s lack of dependability on and off the court in recent years; potentially investing too heavily in Desmond Bane as a third option; gradually losing several key role players (such as Dillon Brooks, Steven Adams, De’Anthony Melton, and Kyle Anderson); and an inability to hit a home run on the trade market.
Regarding that last point, Hollinger notes that the Grizzlies have made an effort to take big swings over the years — they inquired on impact wings like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Kevin Durant. However, their most significant deal, which saw them give up multiple first-round picks in exchange for Marcus Smart in 2023, didn’t pan out. The club ultimately had to give up another first-round pick to move off Smart’s contract at this year’s trade deadline.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Given the disappointment and anger that Mavericks fans felt over the team’s decision to trade Luka Doncic, the newest impact player in Dallas – Anthony Davis – is under immense pressure as he tries to fill the shoes of a beloved superstar. Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required) believes Davis is well suited to take on that challenge and takes an in-depth look at the path the former No. 1 overall pick took to Dallas. “Some people play this game because they make a lot of money. Some people play this game because they care, which makes them a lot of money. AD is a guy that cares,” agent Rich Paul told The Dallas Morning News earlier this year. “He’s bringing all that growth and maturation with him. I think Dallas is actually getting the best AD.”
- After being named this season’s Rookie of the Year, Spurs guard Stephon Castle admitted this week that he doesn’t feel yet like he deserves to be mentioned alongside the franchise’s previous winners of the award (Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Victor Wembanyama). However, as Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) relays, Castle also pointed out that the back-to-back Rookie of the Year honors for him and Wembanyama bode well for San Antonio’s outlook going forward. “It speaks highly of our future,” he said. “What we have going on and what we plan on doing.” Castle added that he won’t “shy away” from the target that his Rookie of the Year award puts on his back next season.
- Although Gregg Popovich will no longer coach the Spurs, his presence will be felt for years to come, according to columnist Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), who examines the way that Popovich’s influence has permeated through the organization and the impact he has made on the Spurs’ culture over the last three decades.
Spurs Name Mitch Johnson As Head Coach
12:20pm: The move is official, the Spurs announced in a press release. “We are thrilled for Mitch Johnson to be our next head coach,” managing partner Peter J. Holt said. “Throughout his decade in the organization we have seen that Mitch has the right values, poise and potential to lead us into the future.”
11:41am: Mitch Johnson, who served as the Spurs‘ interim head coach after Gregg Popovich was sidelined by an early-season stroke, will be given the job on a permanent basis, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
The move comes after Popovich stepped down from the position earlier today to become the team’s full-time president of basketball operations.
Johnson, 38, has been with the organization since 2016 when he was hired as an assistant coach for San Antonio’s G League affiliate in Austin. He became an assistant with the NBA club three years later.
He was pushed into the spotlight after Popovich’s medical issue emerged six games into the season. Johnson took over the reins and led the Spurs to a 31-45 record, keeping them in the race for a spot in the play-in tournament until the final week of the regular season despite injuries to Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox.
The is the Spurs’ first official coaching change since 1996, when Popovich replaced Bob Hill on the sidelines. Johnson becomes the third-youngest active coach in the league, behind only Boston’s Joe Mazzulla and Utah’s Will Hardy.
Before starting his coaching career, Johnson was a star player at Stanford, ranking second on the school’s career assist list when he graduated in 2009. He spent three years playing in the G League and in Europe before retiring to pursue coaching.
In a full story, Charania states that Johnson had “tremendous support from the franchise’s top officials and players” to become Popovich’s successor. Charania cites the move with Johnson as part of “the continuity and through-line” created by Popovich, CEO RC Buford and general manager Brian Wright to maintain stability in the organization.
The Spurs are showing tremendous faith in Johnson by giving him the job without conducting a widespread search. Some of the other names currently on the market include Michael Malone, who was recently fired after a long stint with Denver that included an NBA title, and ex-Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, who also began his career as an assistant with the Spurs’ G League team.
Gregg Popovich Ends Coaching Career
Gregg Popovich has stepped down as head coach of the Spurs and will become president of basketball operations on a full-time basis, the team announced in a press release.
Popovich is the winningest head coach in NBA history with 1,422 regular season victories, and he captured five championships during nearly three decades on San Antonio’s bench. He was named Coach of the Year three times and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023.
“While my love and passion for the game remain, I’ve decided it’s time to step away as head coach,” Popovich said. “I’m forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me.”
Popovich suffered a stroke in early November and never returned to the bench, with the team announcing in February that he was done for the season. He made progress in his recovery and was able to meet with his players, but he had to be briefly hospitalized again last month after a medical incident at a restaurant.
Popovich joined the organization in 1988 as an assistant coach and has been part of the Spurs’ front office since May of 1994. Sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN that Popovich has remained active in that role throughout his medical issues and “will continue to be a vital member of the franchise’s day-to-day operations.”
Charania’s sources add that Popovich had been in the team’s facility recently and still had a desire to return to coaching. Ultimately, he decided that the day-to-day grind of being a head coach would be too difficult.
“Coach Pop’s extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound,” managing partner Peter J. Holt said in the Spurs’ press release. “His accolades and awards don’t do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.”
Western Notes: Popovich, Durant, Rockets, Thompson, Randle, DiVincenzo
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who spent most of the season away from the team while recovering from a stroke, was taken to a hospital on Tuesday following a medical incident at a restaurant, as first reported by TMZ and confirmed by Shams Charania of ESPN.
According to TMZ, Popovich was taken out of the restaurant on a stretcher and was transported to a hospital in an ambulance after officials reportedly received a call about a patron who had “fainted” while eating dinner. The incident was described as non-life-threatening, per TMZ, and Popovich was said to be alert and talking by the time he entered the ambulance. The Spurs coach is now home and doing fine, Charania confirms.
Popovich was replaced on the Spurs’ bench by assistant coach Mitch Johnson in early November after suffering a stroke. Although he didn’t return to his role this season, though he met with players in February and put out a statement indicating he hopes to eventually reclaim his spot on the sidelines.
It’s still unclear whether or not that will ultimately be possible. At age 76, Popovich is the oldest head coach in NBA history by a considerable margin — he passed Hubie Brown (71) for that mark several years ago.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Following the latest round of rumors linking Kevin Durant to Houston, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link) say a Rockets pursuit of the Suns forward actually appears “less likely” than previously believed. Stein and Fischer have repeatedly reported that Houston is focused more on stars who would better fit the timeline of the team’s young core, rather than a veteran like Durant who will turn 37 later this year.
- Rockets guard Amen Thompson has been one of the NBA’s breakout players of the 2024/25 season, emerging in his second season as a candidate for Most Improved Player, All-Defense, and even Defensive Player of the Year. Chris Mannix of SI.com takes an in-depth look at one of Houston’s long-term cornerstones, whose improvement on both ends of the court has earned high praise from head coach Ime Udoka. “When I coached Kyrie (Irving, in Boston), you would be wowed at something he did offensively every night,” Udoka said. “It’s the same thing with Amen on the defensive end. You can’t teach what he does. … He can be a top 15-level player. All-NBA level. People are seeing flashes. We see more.”
- It’s rare for major NBA trades to occur at the start of training camp, but that’s when the Timberwolves and Knicks completed their blockbuster deal that sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Towns. As Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details, the unexpected move upended the lives of Randle and DiVincenzo off the court as well as on it, and it took the duo some time to adjust to the change of scenery. Hine explores how the two Timberwolves got settled in Minnesota and how their increased comfort level helped fuel an impressive late-season run for the club, which won 17 of its last 21 games.
Chris Paul Hopes To Continue Playing Next Season
Chris Paul will celebrate his 40th birthday next month, but that doesn’t mean he’s ready to end his NBA career. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, the Spurs guard says he’ll talk to his family about it this summer, but he wants to keep playing.
“I’ll be 40 in May. So, yeah man, I’m going to keep playing, I think,” Paul said. “At the end of every season, I evaluate everything. Evaluate playing. Evaluate how my body feels. But the more years that go by, it’s more conversations with my family, with my kids. They have a lot of say so. They got a lot of input. Obviously, I got a lot of homies, friends that have retired or whatnot. And they are always like, ‘Man, play as long as you possibly can. Play as long as you possibly can.’ And I appreciate that. But I also, I just always want to talk to my kids about it because that’s the most important job that I have.”
Paul, who was selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft, is the second-oldest player in the league, a few months behind LeBron James. He has been extremely durable in his 20th NBA season, starting all 76 of San Antonio’s games, but he’s averaging a career-low 8.8 points per game while shooting a career-worst 42.8% from the field.
Spears notes that rookie guard Stephon Castle is likely to become a starter next season alongside De’Aaron Fox, possibly leaving Paul with a reduced role if he returns to San Antonio. He’ll be a free agent again in July after signing a one-year, $10.6MM contract last summer. Brought in to be a veteran leader, Paul said he has been able to “teach what he can, but not be overwhelming” for the young roster, and it sounds like the Spurs have been happy with his influence.
“He’s a teacher at heart. People just see when he’s on the court, but there’s so much more to what he teaches,” general manager Brian Wright told Spears. “Life routine, big picture, business brand, all of it. He’s professional. He made it his home and jumped right in. We’ve had a lot of things happen this year and he’s never wavered. He’s been the same person. He’s been incredible to have him around.”
Spears notes that Paul was drawn to San Antonio by the chance to play for coach Gregg Popovich and team up with Victor Wembanyama, but they both were hit by serious health issues. Popovich suffered a mild stroke in November, and it’s uncertain if he’ll return to coaching next season. Wembanyama was shut down in February with a blood clot in his right shoulder, although he’s projected to make a full recovery.
“It’s extremely tough,” Paul said. “I’ve played against Pop for a number of years. It’s a huge reason why I came here. And so was Vic — two of the main reasons why I came here. But getting to know him the way that I have trumps any other thing that’s going on. I’m grateful for even the opportunity for the time that we did get to play together.”
Southwest Notes: Thompson, Popovich, Grizzlies, Jensen
Rockets wing Amen Thompson is making progress in his recovery from an ankle sprain and could return to action as soon as this Friday, head coach Ime Udoka said on Monday, per Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required).
According to Udoka, Thompson will travel with the team on its two-game road trip to Orlando on Wednesday and Miami on Friday and has “one more hurdle to pass” before he’s cleared to return — he’s still not taking full contact.
“If he does that, could be Miami, could be when we get back (from the road trip),” Udoka said. “Swelling has gone down, pain’s gone down. Flexibility, mobility has gone up, and he’s just got to go through a contact portion. Once he does that we’re going to see how he reacts to that and he’ll be good to go after. So hopefully, sooner than later.”
Thompson, who has missed Houston’s past five games, is enjoying a second-year breakout, with averages of 14.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 60 outings (33 starts) this season.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- In an in-depth feature story for ESPN.com, Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright take a behind-the-scenes look at Gregg Popovich‘s recovery from the stroke he suffered in the fall, noting that it remains up in the air whether the longtime Spurs head coach will return to the sidelines next season. “It’s Pop’s decision,” a source close to the situation told ESPN. “He’s earned that.”
- The Grizzlies fell to Sacramento on Monday despite getting 44 points from Desmond Bane, just three days after losing to Cleveland in a game in which Ja Morant scored 44 of his own. As Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes, the team’s top three offensive scorers – Morant, Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr., who had 31 in Saturday’s win – are all playing well recently, but the challenge for the Grizzlies will be to have them all available and get them all going at the same time. Morant has missed the past two games due to shoulder and hamstring issues.
- Mavericks assistant coach Alex Jensen, who has been hired as the University of Utah’s new head coach, explained on Monday that he feels like finishing the season in Dallas is “the right thing to do,” even though it might make it “a little more difficult” to build out his Utes staff. John Coon of The Associated Press has the story and the quotes from Jensen.
Southwest Notes: Zion, Mavericks, Popovich, Spurs
With Brandon Ingram no longer on the roster and Dejounte Murray out with a long-term injury, Zion Williamson will have to shoulder more leadership responsibilities for the Pelicans both on and off the court, says William Guillory of The Athletic. While there have been questions in the past about Williamson’s conditioning habits and the way he has communicated with the organization, he has earned rave reviews for the work he has put in behind the scenes this season, according to Guillory.
“I feel like he’s been a lot more locked in. He’s been taking it really seriously. You see a different look in his eye,” teammate Trey Murphy said. “He’s just ready to build and keep building chemistry and figure out what we’re doing.”
The former No. 1 overall pick led New Orleans to its third straight win on Thursday by recording the first triple-double of his career, with 27 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds, as David Brandt of The Associated Press details. New Orleans outscored Phoenix by 17 points during Williamson’s 31 minutes on the court.
“It’s a reminder to the NBA, to the fans, to everybody,” Pelicans head coach Willie Green said after the victory. “This is who he can be, night in and night out. That’s what we’re all striving to accomplish as a group. We’re striving to get our best player on the floor.”
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has his work cut out for him with his top three big men injured, Moses Brown‘s 10-day contract close to expiring, Dwight Powell on a restriction of 10-12 minutes per game, and Kessler Edwards just 10 appearances away from his limit of 50 active games, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Brown – who had 20 points and 11 rebounds in Thursday’s win over Chicago – can’t be re-signed until April 10 once his 10-day deal expires due to Dallas’ hard cap situation, which will also prevent the team from promoting Edwards to the 15-man roster until the final week of the season.
- The Dallas Morning News staff takes a closer look at what we know so far about the possibility of a new arena for the Mavericks, including the city of Irving’s efforts to lure the Mavs out of Dallas.
- Appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today on Thursday (YouTube link), Shams Charania of ESPN provided a few more details on the first in-person meeting between Gregg Popovich and his players since the Spurs head coach suffered a stroke in the fall. Charania says that “tears were shed” during the meeting and notes that Popovich hasn’t given up hope of resuming his coaching career, even though he won’t be back this season.
Spurs’ Gregg Popovich Won’t Coach Again This Season
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier this week that Gregg Popovich, who suffered a mild stroke in November, was unlikely to resume his role as head coach of the Spurs this season.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Popovich met with the team on Wednesday for the first since the stroke to provide an update on his recovery and to inform them that he would not coach again in 2024/25.
Charania describes the in-person meeting as “emotional,” adding (via Twitter) that Popovich’s long-term future is uncertain as he continues to recover.
Popovich confirmed in a press release (Twitter link via the Spurs) that he won’t return as head coach this season. Notably, he did say he hopes to resume coaching down the line.
“I’ve decided not to return to the sidelines this season,” Popovich said. “(Acting head coach) Mitch Johnson and his staff have done a wonderful job and the resolve and professionalism the players have shown, sticking together during a challenging season, has been outstanding.
“I will continue to focus on my health with the hope that I can return to coaching in the future.”
As Popovich mentioned, it has been a difficult season in San Antonio. In addition to being without the longest-tenured coach in the NBA, the Spurs had an “emotionally taxing” trip to France for a pair of games against Indiana, completed a major in-season trade — a rarity for the Spurs — for De’Aaron Fox, and recently learned that franchise player Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of 2024/25 after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder.
The Spurs have been struggling lately, dropping their last four games. They’re currently 24-33, five-and-a-half games behind Sacramento for the final play-in spot in the West. On the other hand, the team’s lottery odds have improved — San Antonio’s pick now has a 4.5% chance to become the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 draft lottery, per Tankathon.
Popovich, 76, is the NBA’s all-time leader in head coaching wins, with a 1,391-824 regular season record (.628). He ranks third in playoff wins at 170, behind Phil Jackson (229) and Pat Riley (171). Popovich, who is also San Antonio’s president, has won five championships while guiding the club since ’96/97, and has been with the organization since 1988.
We at Hoops Rumors send our best wishes to Popovich during his recovery.
Gregg Popovich Not Expected To Resume Coaching This Season
Gregg Popovich, who suffered a mild stroke in November, is unlikely to resume his coaching duties with the Spurs before the end of the season, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). His long-term coaching future remains uncertain, Charania adds.
Popovich, who turned 76 last month, has been out of the public eye since a health emergency forced him to miss a November 2 game. The team later announced that it was a stroke, and the long-time coach issued a statement in December saying that he was planning to return to the sidelines whenever his health would allow it.
When the Spurs traveled to Paris in January, team CEO R.C. Buford told reporters that Popovich was “attacking his rehab with the same resilience” that he typically displayed on the team’s bench. However, Buford added that it wasn’t possible to project a timeline for recovery.
Acting coach Mitch Johnson will finish out the season and would presumably be a strong candidate to take over the job on a permanent basis if Popovich is unable to return. Johnson has been part of the Spurs’ coaching staff since 2019 and was an assistant with their G League affiliate in Austin for three years before that.
At 24-30, San Antonio remains in the race for a play-in spot, just three games behind 10th-place Sacramento, although the team’s playoff hopes took a major blow with this week’s announcement that Victor Wembanyama will be lost for the season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder,
Popovich is the NBA’s all-time leader in head coaching wins, with a 1,391-824 regular season record (.628). His history with the team dates back to 1988, and he has served as head coach since taking over midway through the 1996/97 season.
Buford: No Timeline For Gregg Popovich’s Return To Spurs
After suffering a stroke in the fall, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is “attacking his rehab with the same resilience” that he has exhibited for decades on the team’s bench, team CEO R.C. Buford told reporters in Paris on Wednesday, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
While Buford isn’t ruling out the possibility that Popovich will resume his coaching duties for the Spurs later this season, he said it’s impossible to say for sure — or to project a recovery timeline for the longtime head coach, who will turn 76 next Tuesday.
“His improvement continues to get better, (but) I don’t know that we have any way to judge the clock,” Buford said. “Predicting what’s to come is just a function of where Pop’s rehab goes.”
Popovich initially stepped away from the Spurs in early November due to what was described at the time as a health issue. The club later put out a statement announcing that Popovich had suffered a mild stroke, and he subsequently issued a statement of his own in December that hinted he planned to return to the sidelines for the Spurs if and when his health allowed.
In the meantime, acting head coach Mitch Johnson continues to lead the club and has San Antonio within striking distance of a play-in spot at 19-22. According to Vardon, Johnson described his communication with Popovich as “consistent.”
“He is watching games, still as opinionated as he’s ever been, and competitive, and what you would think — giving praise and cussing me out, all at the same time,” Johnson said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.
“Pop’s health has been the priority since the start of this and until dot-dot-dot. That’s kind of how we, and I, take the approach. We want the best for Pop and I want the best for this team and however I can help is where I’ll put my energy.”
Chris Paul also said he remains in contact with Popovich, telling the media in Paris that the Spurs coach is in touch with players via phone.
“I’m not even sure if this is public, but he calls,” Paul said. “He calls after games and I talk to him, and he tells me what he sees, and I appreciate that more than anything because he doesn’t have to do that. And he does.”
As Vardon writes in a separate story for The Athletic, if Popovich were in France on the current road trip, he likely would have taken the Spurs out to a posh Paris restaurant for the sort of “wine-soaked” team dinner he’s known for. Instead, it was second-year star Victor Wembanyama who took the lead on that team dinner on Monday after the club arrived in his native country, per Vardon.
“We talked about it — Pop had a schedule here, and he would have done something like that too,” Wembanyama said. “Doing that on the first day was important for me to welcome (teammates) and to show them, because I know if I went to any of these guys’ country or city, I would have loved to find out about about where they come from to learn to know them better because they’re they’re all good human beings. So really, it’s a real chance to share these moments together.”