Gregg Popovich is one of the most respected coaches in the NBA. He is a multiple-time champion, and he has coached many stars over the years during his tenure as the San Antonio Spurs head coach, including Hall of Famers such as Tim Duncan. There is no question that he has a lot of experience, and many look up to him for his wisdom in the game of basketball.
Despite his past success, there are some who have questioned Gregg Popovich’s coaching due to how Team USA is performing on the Olympic stage. Team USA lost some pre-Olympic exhibition games, and they’ve also lost their first game against France in the Tokyo Olympics.
On top of some Team USA fans grumbling about Gregg Popovich, it seems as though some players on team USA are unhappy with him as well. A recent report by Joe Vardon of The Athletic suggested that players aren’t happy with Popovich’s offensive system.
To be clear, Popovich is horrified by his own record coaching this team. He dwells on it and hates the losing. The players are frustrated, too, grumbling on their way back to the locker room about “running the San Antonio offense” when apparently they feel like there are better ideas. Pop has said, because of the truncated nature of Team USA’s training camp, the offense would be based on “concepts” instead of set plays.
While there may be some ability for Popovich to improve his coaching, the reality is that Team USA as a whole could play better. The team has had a short training camp, and it is clear at times that the chemistry on the roster is lacking. However, the team does have the talent to play much better, and perhaps they will do so in their next few games. There’s no room for mistakes for Team USA now, and they will have to be at their best to potentially get the Gold medal this season.
