Imagine my surprise when I looked at the different odds for awards this upcoming season, and saw Mitch Johnson's name tied for third with Ime Udoka from the Houston Rockets, and David Adelman of the Denver Nuggets. That's shocking for a guy who so many believe isn't equipped for the job. The criticisms of Johnson were loud when his newly minted position was announced, but these odds tell an interesting story.
Top 5 Coach of the Year candidates according to FanDuel
Jamahl Mosley (Magic)
+460
Quin Snyder (Hawks)
+600
Ime Udoka (Rockets)
+1000
David Adelman (Nuggets)
+1000
Mitch Johnson (Spurs)
+1000
Victor Wembanyama has the fifth-best odds to win MVP. They know who the Spurs coach is, so that means they believe that Johnson is capable of leading a winning team and helping develop one of the league's best. He's done a fine job so far. It's time to go to another level, though, and Coach Pop handpicked this man to lead the charge. This should all be encouraging the San Antonio fans.
It's a good thing that so many people have so much faith him Mitch, because the Silver and Black have the sixth-toughest schedule in the league. It's going to be tough sledding, so they'll need a strong steward to help them navigate aggressive waters. Thankfully, there is a strong foundation in place that Coach Johnson can build from.
Coach Popovich put a culture in place that Coach Johnson can build off of
Mitch put a strong staff together. All of the recently hired assistant coaches come highly regarded in the NBA, and a coach is only as strong as his staff. Pop always knew that, and that's why his tree has been so successful after they've left the nest. But everything stems from an organizational understanding of what's important.
This is a family-first franchise, so you treat everyone accordingly. From the staff members to the players, being a good, selfless person is more important than anything else. Listening to Coach Johnson, you know that his heart is always in the right place.
If you don't believe him, you can believe Dejounte Murray, who gave Johnson credit for much of the growth he's had that helped him make it to the NBA in the first place. Family, community, selflessness, and keeping things in perspective.
When you come together on all of these things, it's much easier to stay together through a long, rocky season. It was the foundation during the Pop era, and it will continue to be the foundation during the Johnson era. We should be thankful for that.