Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson ready to put ‘sweat equity' into his team

New York Times

06-05-2025

SAN ANTONIO — As odd as it sounds, Dejounte Murray — a 6-foot-4 guard with a freakish 6-10 wingspan — tried his best to blend in with the crowd, even as he sat behind Victor Wembanyama, the most noticeable man in the NBA.
Nothing could have made Murray miss this day. Not the cold rain that had suddenly surrounded the Victory Capital Performance Center. Not the wind, which was picking up in speed. Not today. Not for Mitch.
Murray, who played for the Spurs from 2016-22 and currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans, had flown in to watch his lifelong friend Mitchell Johnson be presented as the 19th head coach in Spurs history, taking over the role from Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich, who had held the title since 1996.
The bond between Murray and Johnson stretches back almost two decades. Murray, 28, is reserved, but if anyone can get the veteran to open up, it's Johnson. There was a time, back in Seattle, when Murray, then just 15, needed guidance, on and off the court. Johnson not only assisted in building Murray an AAU team to aid the progression of his basketball career, but also became a mentor.
'It's special,' Murray told The Athletic following Johnson's introductory news conference. 'It's a testament to hard work, dedication but most importantly, his character. The loving, caring man he is, I'm thankful for him. I'm grateful for him and I'm proud for him. This is rare. This is bigger than just him and he understands that. I'm not surprised because he's smart. He's patient. Accountability is a big word that he stands on.'
̶p̶r̶e̶s̶i̶d̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶b̶a̶s̶k̶e̶t̶b̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶p̶e̶r̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ El Jefe 🫡 pic.twitter.com/VxDnCLoBsF
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 5, 2025
Monday morning was a milestone for the storied Spurs franchise, not because Johnson's hire ushered in a new era. It didn't. Once news that Popovich would be stepping away from his head coaching duties broke, the Spurs, flush with draft capital, cap flexibility and young talent, could have embarked on an expansive search for their next hire — an attractive position in itself, not to mention the prospect of developing Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
But the Spurs are an organization that is not run like a traditional basketball team. Popovich chose to put Johnson in his stead while he was away from the team dealing with his health issues. So when it came time to move on from coaching, there was no question as to who should take the reins. As cold as the city was on the outside, the mutual love from family, friends and past and present members of the organization was enough warmth for everyone.
' These positions are hard,' Spurs general manager Brian Wright said. 'In the seat I sit in, you want a leader that's authentic and genuine to themselves. You want a teacher that can help bring a group forward and you want a partner. We started the exact same summer, we've been a part of each other's growth. It was an easy decision and felt super confident in the human being that he is.'
Now, Johnson can turn his attention to improving a team that went 32-45 under him as interim head coach, finishing with a record of 34-48, a 12-win improvement from the previous season. There's an obvious caveat to a campaign that saw the Spurs miss the Play-In Tournament by five games — Wembanyama missed the final 30 games of the regular season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder during the All-Star break. Next season, with a healthy Wembanyama, Castle in his second season and a full offseason with star guard De'Aaron Fox, there's little reason to think why San Antonio can't compete for a playoff spot, even in a loaded Western Conference.
Given how important Wembanyama is to the franchise's present and future, it's safe to assume the Frenchman, who was smiling ear to ear on Monday, was on board with Johnson's hire. Last season, Johnson was able to make his presence felt, even amid traditional Spurs schemes. Johnson's dedication to player development, particularly empowering Castle — even among veteran guards in Fox and Chris Paul — has been one of his leading qualities.
On the court, Johnson is a huge proponent of spacing and 3-point shooting. The Spurs have some work to do as San Antonio finished the regular season 20th and 25th in offensive and defensive efficiency, according to Cleaning the Glass. But under Johnson, their affinity for pace and space is clear. Per NBA.com tracking data, the Spurs were seventh in 3-point attempts (39.6) and ninth in makes per game (14.1). Johnson's system benefited veteran floor spacers like Harrison Barnes, who shot a career-best 43.3 percent from deep, along with Paul, who shot his best mark from 3 in four seasons and Wembanyama, who also improved as a shooter.
'There's principles and values that have been here and were laid upon decades ago,' Johnson said. 'So the blueprint has been around for a while, but to be able to do it in my own skin and be authentic for the players most of all, is the biggest thing that I leaned on.'
Castle's progression, finishing his rookie season averaging an impressive 14.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds — numbers that helped earn him the Rookie of the Year award — will be a personal project for Johnson. Last season, Johnson took Castle under his wing, propelling him to a more prominent role and allowing him to play through mistakes, learning on the fly. In conjunction with the veteran presence of Paul (and Fox after his midseason arrival), Castle has all the tools to succeed at this level. The Spurs are high on his two-way ability and trust that Johnson will be able to turn Castle into more of a spacing threat, after shooting just 27.8 percent from 3.
'He's a point guard,' Murray added of Johnson's developmental ability. 'So if anybody knows (basketball), you know how important the point guard is to the coaches and teammates. For Mitch, he was a leader. He wants to go through the ups and downs. He's not a guy who's too high or too low. He's right in between and takes accountability. At the end of the day, I hope he does great.'
Elsewhere, there's reason for optimism in the months ahead. The Spurs enter the offseason armed with enough flexibility from a personnel and financial standpoint to take another leap in their rebuild. With two additional first-round picks ahead of this month's draft lottery, San Antonio could add even more firepower in what's considered one of the deepest classes in recent years. Paul, Charles Bassey, Bismack Biyombo, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Jordan McLaughlin will all be unrestricted free agents this summer, but Johnson will take the patient approach, working as a collective with Wright, Popovich and the Spurs brass. Just like they've always done.
'I think the thing that I'll be focusing on the most this offseason will be this current group of guys and the current players on our roster,' Johnson said. 'Get them as much better as we can in that time allowed. And then Brian and the group will do due diligence they do, we'll partner and discuss things and be aligned as we always are.
'But my sweat equity and time will be devoted to these guys right here.'
(Photo: Chris Coduto / Getty Images)