Classy Gregg Popovich Just Wasted Victor Wembanyama’s Rookie Season

What was the point of this season?

Sure, Victor Wembanyama was great, but what did the Spurs organization actually accomplish this season?

The team still won the same number of games (22) as last season.

There were no significant roster additions.

The Spurs still don’t know how to incorporate Victor into the offense (so much for “development”).

There’s nothing to build on for next season other than what the Spurs already had to build on for this season.

When you reflect back, 2023–2024 was basically one long preseason. Pop coached like nothing mattered and, towards the end, he was cycling through G-League prospect auditions.

If the name of the head coach wasn’t Gregg Popovich, there would be hell to pay, but because it’s Pop, it’s somehow okay.

For some reason, we can just throw our hands in the air and say, basketball doesn’t really matter, let’s go study African geology.

Tanking

There’s some debate now as to whether the Spurs were tanking because the Spurs won so many games in the end, they lost their grip on the 3rd worst record and actually improved/fell to the 5th worst record.

Oh Pop tanked this season for sure; he wanted to amass losses while “developing”. Once again, it should be noted that little development actually took place.

But towards the end of the season, the Spurs (Victor) were emerging too quickly to be held back and won despite Pop weighing the team down.

The Spurs were just winning games they weren’t supposed to. How many minutes restrictions and forced sit-outs do you have to see to think the man was trying to do everything he conceivably could to lose games?

The Spurs weren’t supposed to beat playoff teams and contenders, but they did.

Which makes the decision to throw away the 2023–2024 season so much worse. This team could have won 40+ games, but instead they had a coach who decided to hold them back and focus on “development.”

New Coach

There’s no doubt Gregg Popovich knows all of the X’s and O’s necessary to compete at a very high level, but he’s so far removed from common sense that it’s time for the Spurs to move on and hire Sean Elliott.

Gregg Popovich just won 22 games with a Victor Wembanyama who exceeded the hype.

You either have to admit he’s a horrible coach or he tanked Wemby’s rookie season.

Either way, that calls for a resignation or firing.