San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich on Team's Youth: 'We're Going to be All Over the Map'

Finding consistency has been a big issue for the San Antonio Spurs this season, and their home matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers will be another chance for them to improve that.

Matt Guzman | Nov 21, 2023

San Antonio Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich on Team's Youth: 'We're Going to be All Over the Map' /

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San Antonio Spurs

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs haven't found the groove they've been looking for yet, and according to coach Gregg Popovich, they haven't found "their player," either.

Just an hour before his team was set to tipoff against the Los Angeles Clippers, a lot of the talk regarding the Spurs' home matchup was centered around the star power they were set to face-off against.

Between former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Russell Westbrook — who has just begun his stint coming off of the bench — and now James Harden, San Antonio is in for one of its biggest tests of the season.

And in order to face a team stacked with All-Star players, the Spurs need to be able to rely on their own. But while they have the talent to be able to do so, consistency is where things get hairy.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich during a game / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

"When a team is [this] young, each [player] is hesitant," Popovich said. "Usually your leaders are your best players. And they're usually All-Stars. So, when games wind down, we're going to be all over the map. We're going to lose big some nights and win other nights."

San Antonio's double victory over the Phoenix Suns was an example of the latter, but the rest of the Spurs' last eight games? The former. Yes, Keldon Johnson is talented. Victor Wembanyama is, too — as are numerous others on the young roster. But can they be consistent?

Early on, that answer is no. Wembanyama is the closest to it, but even then, entire games of him shooting well are rare occurrences. And with Vassell's recent injuries mixed with Jeremy Sochan figuring out how to play an entire new role, consistency and San Antonio have been far from synonymous.

"We're going to have to deal with that," Popovich said. "[We're going to] have to rely on other things ... so that [opposing teams]' All-Stars aren't coming after you while you don't really have that guy, yet."

The Spurs face off against the Clippers on Wednesday night at the Frost Bank Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.

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Published Nov 21, 2023

MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.