It has reported that the Nets are prepared to make a godfather offer to the Spurs in order to attain head coach Gregg Popovich. Kevin Durant has long admired Pop and really wants him to come coach the Nets. I know a lot of Spurs fans are hot and bothered by the news. They don’t want anybody messing with Pop. That’s fine and well. However, let’s acknowledge the truth here….
The Spurs should let Gregg Popovich go to the Nets. Of course, this is all speculation. We have no idea if Pop is even interested in the job. IF he is, the Spurs should let him go and take the godfather offer. Obviously, it depends on the return. If the Nets are willing to do the same thing they did with the Celtics and overpay for an old Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, the Spurs have to say yes.
I get it. Nostalgia is a powerful thing. I hated seeing Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce play for the Nets. In the back of my mind, I knew it was the right thing to do. The right thing to do is to let Pop go if the Nets offer a bevy of first round picks for Popovich.
Let’s also be honest about another thing. Pop is old and washed up. It’s just the truth. The Spurs head coach is now 71 and the game is starting to pass him by. It wasn’t too long ago he sounded like an old man crying “get off my lawn” when he said he was anti-3-ball. If you’re anti 3-ball, then you’re screwed in the modern NBA.
Pop also become more and more wacky this season. The Lamarcus Aldridge lineups were odd all year and they were addicted to taking mid range jumpers. Of course, they underperformed and missed the playoffs. He’s also loyal to a fault to guys like Marco Bellini that accomplish nothing. Let’s not act like Gregg Popovich put together this masterful coaching year in 2020.
Regardless, it’s not like Popovich is coaching another 10 years. He’s one of if not the greatest coach ever but you’re not getting another 10 good years out of him. The Spurs coach is 71 with Becky Hammon and Tim Duncan waiting in the wings. Pop is probably going to retire soon anyway.
Let’s be honest, this Spurs team isn’t winning anything in the near future anyway. Derrick White, Dejonte Murray, and Lonnie Walker are nice building blocks. This team doesn’t have any stars. They aren’t winning in the near future anyway. Pick up a bunch of draft assets from the Nets in a trade for Pop.
Again, this scenario only exists if…
A: Pop is willing to coach the Nets due to the fact that he doesn’t want to rebuild with the Spurs at an older age.
B: The Nets are ready to come with the war chest to secure Pop.
The Spurs have to at least be in listening mode. The Spurs are coming off 20 straight trips to the playoffs. It’s an incredible accomplishment. The run is done. This is a total rebuild. Every asset needs to be extracted. If a 71-year-old coach nets you a bunch of first round picks and or pick swaps, you do it.
