For 29 straight years, the San Antonio Spurs could lean on their head coach to make the right choice. It was rare that Gregg Popovich messed up. After he stepped down, it naturally took fans a while to warm up to Mitch Johnson.
In his first official season as the Spurs’ skipper, though, he finished third in Coach of the Year voting, won 62 games, and made it all the way to the NBA Finals. Johnson, despite four blown leads to the Knicks, has cemented himself as one of the NBA’s best.
Of course, just like Victor Wembanyama has a long way to go before being mentioned in the same breath as Tim Duncan, Johnson has an uphill battle when compared to Coach Pop. To their credit, “El Jefe,” Brian Wright, and RC Buford have allowed Johnson to spread his wings and implement his own schemes and rotations.
He is, quite clearly, a major decision-maker in San Antonio.
Heading into next season, though, he has to prepare for his biggest test yet.
Mitch Johnson Tasked With Key Lineup Decision
Who to start at point guard? Stephon Castle has cemented himself as the Spurs’ starting shooting guard, but the point guard race is wide open. Or, at least, fans would like it to be.
Even after outplaying De’Aaron Fox in the NBA Finals, Dylan Harper is expected to come off the bench for the Spurs. Fox has been included in his fair share of trade rumors, and it’s only a matter of time before Harper usurps him, but for now, the Spurs would rather roll with an experienced All-Star.
Maybe not for much longer, though, and the final say is Johnson’s to make.
“The decision between Fox and Harper will belong to Johnson and will be decided solely by what happens on the floor,” reported ESPN’s Michael Wright. “Johnson mentioned wanting to experiment with playing all three guards together in some lineups. San Antonio did that in 18 games last season with disastrous results (minus-26.9 net rating). Still, the trio could improve with an entire offseason together.”
In spot minutes, the Spurs could run a three-guard rotation, although for the most part, expect either Harper or Fox to start alongside Castle and for the other to come off the bench.
Harper is very clearly the future lead guard, and a growing superstar in his own right. Fox, meanwhile, is seasoned and steady, and one of the most expensive players in the NBA.
Typically, $222 million contracts are handed out to bench players, although if Harper gets off to a solid start to the season, expect Johnson to prioritize wins and development, not keeping Rich Paul happy.
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