Popovich says Jacque Vaughn being unfairly blamed for Magic's struggles
The ever-expanding Gregg Popovich coaching tree has branches in just about every corner of the NBA. Some limbs have grown out astronomically, while others remain in stunted stages of development.
One coach in the latter category is the Orlando Magic's Jacque Vaughn, whose inability to get his young team to take the proverbial next step reportedly has him holding onto his job by a thread.
But Popovich, who coached Vaughn during his last three NBA seasons before absorbing him into the San Antonio Spurs' coaching staff as an assistant, doesn't believe his disciple is getting a fair shake.
"(The job) is always volatile. We all know that," Popovich said Tuesday, according to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. "It goes with the territory. But I think on closer inspection, oftentimes circumstances have a lot to do with success and failure. There are lots of factors."
Vaughn, now in his third season as Orlando's bench boss, has coached the Magic to a 58-157 record.
"It’s never one individual," Popovich said. "Usually, it’s the coach that gets fingered, so to speak. But circumstances have a lot to do with it."
Another Pop disciple, Steve Kerr, can probably attest to that. Kerr had to choose between coaching offers from the New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors this past offseason, ultimately opting to settle down in the Bay Area.
It's safe to say Kerr wouldn't be getting ready to coach in the All-Star Game in his maiden season if he'd inherited a Knicks roster now sitting at an Eastern Conference-worst 10-39.
Vaughn isn't deaf to the rumors about his crumbling job security, but he knows there's nothing he can do but keep coaching to the best of his ability and hope things start to turn around.
"My approach hasn’t changed, and that’s why I can look myself in the mirror every single day," Vaughn said. "I have a peace that’s beyond the game of basketball, and I’ll continue to do my job like I have since I accepted it Day 1."
Popovich, who pointed out the Spurs' fortuitous drafting of Tim Duncan in 1997 as an indisputable factor in his coaching longevity, believes Vaughn has what it takes to succeed in Orlando.
"Jacque has a fine basketball mind, he’s a hard worker, he’s great with people," Popovich said. "He has all the ingredients. To date, it hasn’t worked out as well as they thought it would, but the circumstances are what you’ve always got to think about."