Gregg

Popovich

While the terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, Popovich should be around to coach the Spurs for the next five seasons, which would make him 79 years old the next time his contract is up. That means that he’ll be around for the first five years of Victor Wembanyama’s career, which should be enough time for him to turn this young core back into a contender.

Popovich broke a tie with Don Nelson, winning his 1,336th regular-season game on Friday night. “All of us share this record,” Popovich said. “It’s not mine. It’s ours, here in the city.” Murray wasn’t as efficient as he normally is, shooting 9-of-23 from the floor (1-of-5 from three) and making 8-of-12 free throws. He now has scored at least 20 points in seven-straight games, and he will try to make it eight on Saturday against Indiana in night two of a back-to-back.

Team USA members Bradley Beal and Jerami Grant both entered protocols in the last 24 hours, with the former being ruled out from the Tokyo Olympics altogether. It looks like an abundance of caution is being exercised given the circumstances, but the good news is that Team USA’s exhibition finale against Spain on Sunday is still a full go for the time being. Regarding Beal’s replacement, Tobias Harris is a name that has come up, but nothing is set in stone. Stay tuned in case any more updates come our way.

The Tokyo Olympics are being held one year later than originally scheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan’s state of emergency, and the decision to ban all spectators, is the latest reminder of how much work is still to be done. USA Basketball continues its preparations for the upcoming Games, with the team going through workouts in Las Vegas. The Olympics are scheduled to run from July 22-August 8, with the state of emergency running from July 12-August 22.

“I think we know best what our players need,” Popovich said on Monday. “I understand the league’s point of view. We’re just going to differ on it.” DeMar DeRozan, Patty Mills and Jakob Poeltl were rested in the second half of a back-to-back on Saturday, and because it was an away game that was deemed a violation. “I didn’t give it much thought,” Pop said. “We needed to rest some guys, so we rested them.” The 25k fine is a drop in the bucket for the Spurs franchise, of course, and fantasy GMs should brace themselves for more DNPs during the Spurs five remaining back-to-back sets.

The Hornets, who played the Spurs on Sunday, will also have their next two games postponed as they undergo contact tracing. The first thought is for everyone’s health, and the league will implement rigorous testing before clearing the Spurs and Hornets to resume playing. When the teams do return they’ll likely be down some players, since those who tested positive will be out at least 10 days. The schedule fallout is wide-ranging. With five games postponed, the following teams will also have games pushed back until later in the season -- Denver, Golden State, Cleveland, New York and Indiana.

“The strategy, the philosophy, the way we play is going to stay the same [as in Orlando],” Pop said. “And everybody is going to have to adjust to that.” LaMarcus Aldridge will be asked to stretch the court more often and is reportedly leaning into a 3-point shooting role. His minutes at center are also a direct blow to Jakob Poeltl, whose playing time hovered in the mid-20s even without Aldridge last year. Fantasy managers should note that Derrick White and Dejounte Murray both averaged nearly 30 minutes per game in Orlando, sharing the court more often than they had previously. White in particular found a groove with averages of 18.9 points, 3.1 threes, 5.0 dimes, 4.3 rebounds, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks. Don’t sleep on the Spurs backcourt.

Popovich is still under contract with San Antonio and Shams added that the likelihood of Popovich leaving is considered a “pipe dream,” but that won’t stop the Nets. He’s their top priority in their coaching search that is said to begin immediately. For what it’s worth, Popovich does have several connections to the Nets with the most notable being GM Sean Marks, and Shams reports that he’s a favorite of Nets star Kevin Durant. If it does turn out that Popovich is staying put in San Antonio, the other candidates include the incumbent Jacque Vaughn, Jason Kidd, Ty Lue, Ime Udoka and Jeff Van Gundy.

Gregg Popovich will also be traveling with the Spurs, and all signs point to Mike D’Antoni coaching the Rockets when they resume the season -- that accounts for the 65+ contingent of NBA head coaches.

According to Spurs GM Brian Wright, the team delayed the reopening to make sure the community had plenty of Covid-19 testing before securing their own test kits. The Spurs can now turn their focus on the uphill battle they are facing for the No. 8 seed out West, and they’ll be doing so without LaMarcus Aldridge (shoulder surgery).