San Antonio stars praise interim coach Mitch Johnson’s job during Pop’s absence

The Spurs have endured an unexpected challenge at the start of this 2024-25 campaign, not only due to their overall performances and some underwhelming results, but also fue to the fact that their head coach has been sidelined for several weeks due to an undisclosed health issue.

While Gregg Popovich recovers, Mitch Johnson has been acting as interim coach in his place. Despite this uncomfortable situation, some of the San Antonio stars have publicly praised the labor done so far by the acting tactician, who has served as an assistant for Pop since 2019.

“Mitch has been great, man,” Chris Paul said last week with excitement. “I’ve gotten a chance to know Mitch even before I signed here. He’s doing an amazing job, and it’s crazy that he’s in the role that he’s in now because he’s been so communicative anyway.”

I wanted to learn more about Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson, so I tracked down as many folks as I could to talk about him as a communicator, tactician, player developer and the first seat on the bench.

An ⁦@TheAthletic⁩ exclusive: https://t.co/fLjc27eBQ8

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) November 12, 2024

The NBA veteran expressing his confidence in Johnson’s ability to lead the team, only encouraged other teammates to do the same. This is why Victor Wembanyama echoed the All-Star’s words, and shined a light on Mitch’s adaptability.

“So far in games, he’s answered all of what you need from a coach,” said the current Rookie of the Year, even though he later said that the interim coach hasn’t had ideal conditions to show his full potential. “We haven’t had (much) practice because we’re always on the road. But he’s doing a great job.”

Under Popovich’s first 5 games of the season, the Spurs posted a 2-3 record. However, now that Johnson has taken over, the team has posted 3-3, which includes a powerful 20-point win over the Sacramento Kings this past Monday.

Ever since the French star first addressed the legendary coach’s situation, Wemby made sure to transmit trust and tranquility. “We don’t hear a lot from Pop,” he said after a game last week. “They keep us informed as much as we’re allowed to know. So, I’m not worried about him. I know he’s going to come back soon.”

Wembanyama continues to break records with his displays as he’s recently been posting his career-best shots from beyond the arc

After scoring the most attempts from range this weekend, Victor Wembanyama couldn’t believe that he had never scored six three-pointers in a single NBA match. The centre shook off his range-shooting slump in spectacular fashion on Saturday night when San Antonio beat Utah 111 to 110, and then did it again this Monday night.

“Really? I’ve never made six 3s in a game?” the Spurs star asked when the reporter delivered the news after the game. The French player was 6-of-9 from deep and 8-of-15 from the field, in addition to producing his second display this campaign with 7 blocks.

“He made shots that he’s missed earlier [this season],” said Spurs interim coach Johnson, who has been replacing Popovich while he recovers from an undisclosed sickness. “So, there’s not a reaction either way. He’s a phenomenal shooter. We want him shooting all those shots.”

The 21-year-old dropped a game-high 24 points along with his impressive 16 rebounds, a performance that marks his third career game with at least 5 three pointers and 5 blocks. At this point, he’s tied with Kristaps Porzingis for second most in league history, only behind Raef LaFrentz.