Chip Engelland, a leading shooter and longtime Spurs assistant coach, has left the franchise to join the Oklahoma City Thunder. His departure wasn’t a big surprise as he was reported to leave the country after his contract ended, but it seems that there was more confusion in San Antonio than previously thought.
First of all, the optical system is terrible. Losing someone who is very much associated with the success of Spurs player development when embarking on a complete rebuild is hard to defend. In addition, the move is the latest in years of brain drain in San Antonio, and even the ever-financial Spurs franchise seems to be showing a trend towards substandard cost savings.
This is what we know. In early July, Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported that Engelland would leave the franchise when his contract expired. The news was a bit shocking at the time, but given that Engelland was Lieutenant Gregg Popovich for almost the entire coaching NBA career, Pop wouldn’t roam the bystanders for much longer, so the next offseason. Is always likely to end. The division caused by Engelland’s mere decision to go ahead and look for other challenges would have been bittersweet to understand.Reasons for his departure reported by ESPN’s Adrian VoinaroskiBut it makes things more uncomfortable. Engelland apparently wanted to stay bad enough to try to secure a new deal with the Spurs, but the two couldn’t reach an agreement. The important question to ask is why it happened.
The coaching staff doesn’t have a salary cap, and on all accounts, Engelland is great for what he does. He is reportedly one of the most paid assistants in the league, but his track record speaks for itself. From Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard to Keldon Johnson, young players have grown consistently in San Antonio under the guidance of Chip. The Spurs recently drafted two high-ceiling prospects, Jeremy Sochan and Blake Wesley. These outlooks may need to be improved in scope to reach their full potential. If Engelland was actually willing to sign a long-term contract to help them do it, ownership should have made it happen. Thunder, who is slightly ahead of San Antonio’s schedule in terms of returning to relevance, apparently opened his wallet to gain a competitive advantage, and reports report that the Spurs are simply willing to do so. It seems fair to speculate that there wasn’t, do it.
All signs show that it focuses on frugality as the driving force of the dissolution, or at least the money side of what has become popular in the Spurs these days. Even if it means giving up the advantage of home court, it’s understandable that some of the decisions, such as looking for a game in another city, come from a team in a small market. As the team is being rebuilt, hesitating to cut salaries and ultimately get the most out of Dejounte Murray is completely defensive from a basketball perspective. You don’t have to worry too much if you leave Engelland alone. But all of these moves are a compilation of pictures of franchises trying to reduce spending while increasing revenue as much as possible at the expense of products on the court. You don’t have to jump to a conclusion about the owner’s commitment to win in the long run, but that’s something we’ll monitor in the future.
Beyond speculation about the franchise’s financial position (valued at nearly $ 2 billion for its value), Engelland’s departure is at the forefront of the constant occurrence of San Antonio coaching staff. It is a brain drain. The backside of the pop coaching tree stretches as much as it does, so people continue to branch away from the Spurs. Engelland has joined Becky Hammon, Will Hardy, Emeille Doka, Ettore Messina, James Bolego and a list of former Spurs coaches who have joined other teams in the last five years. Engelland is unlikely to fill the large chairs on the bench, and Brett Brown’s return fills the lack of “corporate knowledge” created by the constant turnover of staff, but on the rebuilding and termination timeline. Balancing is clearly becoming more and more difficult. Of Gregg Popovich’s career.
The front office seems to be a tightrope walk between trying to respect the old guards and building something of their own. They’re messing around with the roster and the rest of the staff so far, as getting rid of Popovich is naturally off the table, can that change soon? Given recent decisions, it’s still too bold to say they’re moving him towards retirement, but it doesn’t seem so subtle that they want to keep moving towards a full reset at their own pace. .. We hope to find a balance that can help the transition before pop goes on. But his contract will expire next summer.. As with Engelland, does the desire to hesitate to spend or shake things make negotiations between the parties awkward?
The fact that scenarios are possible is shocking, but it may not be. These are not old Spurs. The big three are gone. So do Kawhi Leonard, LaMarcus Aldridge, and even Dejounte Murray. There is another Holt at the top, RC Buford is no longer the general manager, and Chip Engelland is out.
After refusing to move at a steady pace from an era of unparalleled success, the Spurs seem to have begun to sprint towards the future, for better or for worse. Hopefully they don’t confuse movement with direction.
