Gregg Popovich has taken on a more lenient and forgiving coaching style for the San Antonio Spurs in recent years. As the team transitioned into a younger and rebuilding phase, Popovich allowed his players the space to develop and learn from their errors. However, this period of leniency is drawing to a close.
“I believe there is now less tolerance,” Popovich remarked. “Since the beginning of training camp, we have been more focused on discipline and accountability, emphasizing that mistakes are happening too frequently – reminding players, ‘You should know better by now.'”
Point guard Tre Jones, who is entering his fifth year under Popovich, acknowledged that raising expectations for the Spurs is crucial. As part of this effort, veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes were brought in to assist the young San Antonio team in their growth.
“Many of us lacked the experiences we have encountered in recent years,” Jones stated. “But now that we have gone through them and have veteran players helping us learn, we cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes. There is no margin for error if we aim to succeed.”
