Gregg Popovich has stern words for Spurs
Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich has often pointed to his team’s youth as a major factor in their struggles. And he did so again following the Spurs fifth consecutive loss, though he followed with words he had not yet stated publicly this season.
“Part of it is youth, Part of it is probably I need to demand from certain people it’s time they have to be more consistent or I make changes.”
The Hall of Fame coach has often taken a positive tone throughout the season. This 12-point loss, though, represented the closest of the aforementioned five straight.
“I think we got to be on point. We always talk about being young, but there’s a fine line with that. We got to be better. We got to be more active,” Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan said, “We got to be quick with everything, and there’s moments where we just don’t do that as a team and even me. We got to be better with that.”
Victor Wembanyama back in the lineup
Listed as “Questionable” leading up to an hour before the Spurs-Jazz game, Victor Wembanyama returned after missing just the third game of his young NBA career, though the second in five nights. Popovich said his star rookie is still dealing with the sore ankle he tweaked warming up before the team’s last outing, a 144-119 loss at the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday. In fact, Pop says Wemby won’t play both games of a back-to-back coming up this week in Portland.
ClutchPoints recorded a video of Wemby working out pregame on Tuesday. He was moving well in going through his usual ritual that lasts between 30 and 45 minutes and starts about an hour and a half before tip-off.
“If it were up to me, I’d play in every game, of course. I respect my role. They’re professionals and I’m a professional,” the top overall pick in this past June’s draft told ClutchPoints following 15 points and 7 rebounds in the Spurs’ loss to the Jazz.
Assuming Wembanyama, who’s averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, does miss either Thursday or Friday vs. the Trail Blazers, it would mark his third DNP (did not play) in a little more than a week.
Keldon Johnson coming off the bench
A game after coming off the bench for the first time this season, only the second time in the last three years, and just the fourth time in four seasons, Keldon Johnson may serve in a reserve role for the foreseeable future.
The Spurs third leading scorer led the team with 26 in 30 minutes versus Utah.
“I’m really doing whatever my team needs me to do,” Johnson continued, “I don’t have an ego. My team; that’s what we need, that’s what we’re going to try and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Given Popovich’s comments post-game, perhaps Johnson’s stint as a reserve may not last long as the NBA’s longest-tenured coach had initially indicated.
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