New Spurs coach could be on the hot seat right away

Johnson took over when Popovich had a health issue in November, then coached the Spurs for the rest of the season. Now that Coach Pop has stepped down to solely become president of basketball operations, the pressure is on for Johnson.

Last season was still part of the Spurs' rebuilding process, where they continued to take on unwanted contracts and amass draft capital. Their only significant free-agent signing was Chris Paul. They took on a helpful veteran in Harrison Barnes from the Sacramento Kings, but the trade also gave them a future first-round pick.

That changed when the Spurs traded for All-Star De'Aaron Fox in February. The move signaled the Spurs were done tanking and rebuilding and ready to compete, at least before wunderkind Victor Wembanyama's season ended early due to a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis. This summer, they have financial flexibility and two lottery picks (one from the Atlanta Hawks), two All-Stars and new expectations.

Wembanyama could be a generational player. The sophomore center upped his scoring to 24.3 points per game last season and grabbed 11 rebounds and made 3.1 three-pointers per game, hitting on 35% of them even after a cold-shooting start. Oh, and he led the NBA in blocks for the second time despite not playing a game after the All-Star break.

Trading for Fox means the Spurs are ready to enjoy their last trip to the lottery for a while and start winning games. Johnson has been shepherding a young roster where eight of the top 10 Spurs in minutes played were 25 or younger. Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle got plenty of playing time, and while the team competed hard, the organization was perfectly content with a 34-48 record.

But now, the Spurs are expected to be good. Johnson has been in the Spurs organization for six years, first with the G League Austin Spurs and since 2019 as Popovich's assistant coach. The organization believes in Johnson, Popovich's hand-picked successor, but if the team doesn't win under Johnson right away, the pressure may start to mount, especially since the Spurs have plenty of options. 

2021 champion Mike Budenholzer spent 19 years in the Spurs organization before becoming a head coach. Recently fired coaches Mike Brown, Taylor Jenkins and Monty Williams all coached or played under Popovich. Depending on what happens to their teams next year, the Spurs could look at former Popovich proteges Quin Snyder (Hawks), Will Hardy (Utah Jazz) or even Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who is only signed though next season. There's also Becky Hammon, a longtime Popovich assistant who has won two WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces. 

Coaching Wembanyama is an appealing job for anyone, but the Spurs have an unusually deep roster of potential coaches who know their system and organization.

Johnson is in an enviable situation now, with the support of his legendary boss. But if the Spurs aren't in the playoff hunt come January, Johnson's job becomes a lot less secure. Just because the Spurs kept their old coach for 29 years doesn't mean they won't have a short leash on their new one.