What does Gregg Popovich’s absence mean for the Spurs?

The San Antonio Spurs announced Wednesday that Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2 at Frost Bank Center and remains out indefinitely.

Popovich is expected to make a full recovery, according to the team, and has already commenced a rehabilitation program.

A model of consistency in Popovich’s 29 seasons, San Antonio finds itself in unfamiliar territory as the coach’s absences over the last six games marks the most consecutive outings he’s missed in the regular season or the playoffs.

Mitch Johnson, 37, has served as the Spurs’ acting head coach throughout Popovich’s absence. Johnson will coach the Spurs for the foreseeable extended future, a source told ESPN’s Shams Charania. From there, though, it’s unclear whether San Antonio has a definitive plan to replace Popovich, should he choose to retire.

“It’s obviously a tough situation to deal with,” said Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, who worked under Popovich for three years (2000-03) as an assistant in San Antonio. “I’m sure everybody is in touch with him one way or another, and I just continue to hope for the best. It sounds like he is going to be OK.”

Here’s the latest the latest on Popovich and the Spurs:

When could Popovich return?

The statement the Spurs released Wednesday said “At this point, a timeline for his return to the sidelines has not been determined.”

The fact Johnson started his media availability on Nov. 4 with a statement on Popovich’s impact on the franchise was telling, as was Chris Paul’s admission that the team still hasn’t spoken with the coach.

“I haven’t, and don’t think any of the guys on the team have,” Paul said. “Obviously, we wanted to. We’re trying to give him space, and trying to make sure we can control what we can control.”

Johnson did speak to Popovich on Nov. 3, the day after his mild stroke and said, “he’s in good spirits” but added that he was “Not at liberty to speak on [a potential return]. I don’t know enough information to even try to put something out there like that.”

“Obviously, the circumstances are unique,” Johnson said of his conversation with Popovich. “But as much continuity and familiarity we can have I think is what we’re looking for. That’s what we know Pop would want. He said he wants us to do it. We have talked and nothing changes.”

What have the Spurs done in the past when Pop was sick or otherwise absent?

Johnson finds himself in an optimal position to succeed because Popovich routinely delegated important responsibilities to assistant coaches over the years, according to Houston Rockets coach Ime Udoka.

“The trust and opportunity to grow is the main thing,” Udoka explained. “He puts a lot on your plate and doesn’t try to micromanage, do it all himself. He wants you to be well-rounded and work on every aspect of the game. So, you’re doing scouts. But you also have a ton to do with player development.

“The trust he instills in his guys is probably because he’s so confident in what he’s done and been doing for so long that he allows you to really grow, which is not always the case with other places.”

The Spurs have always utilized assistant coaches as fill-ins whenever Popovich missed games. In the past, the assistant drawing that responsibility was usually the one who had scouted the upcoming opponent coming into the matchup.

Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer, Las Vegas Aces coach Becky Hammon, former Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown and former Spurs big man Tim Duncan have all filled in for Popovich during their time as Spurs assistants.

But this time, it’s different, as sources have told Charania that the organization immediately turned to Johnson to take over for Popovich. Johnson has replaced Popovich in the past, leading San Antonio in March of 2023 to a 110-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers when the coach fell ill.

Johnson also stood in for Popovich in 2021 when he attended Tim Duncan’s Hall of Fame induction.

“This has happened a few times,” Johnson said. “My role is different. I’ve coached summer league before. I’ve been behind the bench. I’ve been in the G League. All those things help the organization. This is just another opportunity in a different role to hopefully help the team win.”

Who is Mitch Johnson, the Spurs’ current interim coach?

Johnson, 37, joined the staff as an assistant with the Austin Spurs in 2016, quickly establishing himself as a rising star in the coaching ranks. Many around the NBA said he was poised to become a head coach coming into the season, and was impressive in interviews for head-coaching positions with other teams, sources said.

Johnson is the son of former two-time NBA All-Star John Johnson, and first spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the franchise’s G League affiliate in Austin, helping it win a G League title in 2018 before joining Popovich’s staff in 2019.

He played college basketball at Stanford, where he averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 assists as the Cardinal advanced to the NCAA tournament twice during his tenure. Johnson also played briefly in the G League for Tulsa.

What other assistants are on the Spurs’ bench?

Brown spent nine years as an assistant under Popovich in San Antonio before leaving in 2013 to become head coach of the 76ers. Brown coached for seven seasons in Philadelphia, but returned to San Antonio in 2022 as an assistant. Matt Nielsen serves as the other assistant on the bench.

Brown, 63, is focused on his role as a player development coach. The club originally hired him in 2002, when the Spurs first brought future Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili to San Antonio from Europe, and immediately paired him with Ginobili to aid in his development.