assistant Mitch Johnson posted an 8-6 record as acting head coach in the 2024-25 season Gregg Popovich recovers from what the Spurs is called a “mild stroke.” While that record is impressive, especially considering what oddsmakers think about the team’s start to the season, it doesn’t necessarily reflect how pleased the organization was with Johnson’s performance.

According to Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News (subscriber link), there is a “general consensus” in both the front office and the locker room that the team is “thrilled with how Johnson has performed.”

Johnson, a former Stanford point guard, became an assistant with the Spurs in 2016 and was promoted to head coach in 2019. As Finger notes, the 38-year-old served as associate head coach for one game each in 2021 and 2023 when Popovich was unavailable, another sign of how highly San Antonio values ​​him as a person and as a coach.

Here’s more about the Spurs:

• There have been no real updates on Popovich’s status beyond San Antonio, and he continued to say he would be out indefinitely, but Finger writes that “there’s a strong possibility that Johnson will be in charge for at least a few months.” Obviously, this strongly suggests that Popovich’s return is not imminent.
• Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein hears that the Spurs have been trying to lure the longtime Nike executive Nico Harrison left the company “no less than three times” before becoming the company outsider‘ GM in 2021 (Substack link). Harrison, who now holds the dual titles of GM and president of basketball operations, received a multi-year contract extension from Dallas in June.
• No. 4 overall pick Stephon Castle is off to a strong start to his NBA career. Could he then become the second Spur in a row to win Rookie of the Year? Victor Wembanyama won the award last season? Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required) explores this question and lists several other rookies who are early contenders to be named the league’s top rookie. “For a rookie and especially for a guard, he is a very physical playersaid the Utah coach Will Hardywho has already seen Castle five times, including one preseason matchup. “He seems poised and competitive. All signs point to him being a good player and a really tough kid.”
• Before Sunday’s game against DeMar DeRozan and the Kings, McDonald (subscriber link) revisits the offseason sign-and-trade that led to the Spurs acquisition Harrison Barnes and a 2031 first-round pick swap (from Sacramento) and DeRozan ends up with the Kings. DeRozan was “beloved” during his three seasons with the Spurs and continues to pay dividends to the organization more than three years after his departure, according to McDonald, who notes that Chicago still owes its top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick – and his 2025 second-rounder – to San Antonio from the 2021 sign-and-trade that sent the six-time All-Star to the Bulls.