The San Antonio Spurs, despite drafting Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, have been terrible thus far during the 2023-24 season. Wembanyama has shown flashes of being a transcendent two-way star, but the Spurs team, from top to bottom, is clearly lacking in the necessary talent for them to contend in a loaded Western Conference.

In fact, the Spurs continued their losing ways on Tuesday, suffering a 132-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. This defeat knocks San Antonio down to 4-22 on the season, “good” for worst in the conference, and at this point, it's not quite clear when the Spurs' descent in the league's totem pole would end.

Nevertheless, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, despite being so accustomed to success after consistently being good for two straight decades, is staying the course, as he sees the value of instilling belief in a young roster. Moreover, Popovich pointed out that the Spurs are his ride or die, sticking with them through the good and the bad, through sickness and in health, and 'til death do them part.

“It is a challenge. Fun is the wrong word, but it is exciting and a meaningful challenge in the sense I feel a great responsibility to those guys. If I can be around when we are winning, I sure as hell can stick around when we are losing,” Popovich said after the Spurs' loss to the Bucks, per Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News.

There are some who believe that Gregg Popovich has lost the magic touch; but it's clear that there are plenty of steps the Spurs youngsters must take to help the team return to their familiar ways of contention.

Popovich remains one of the best minds in today's game, especially when he has seen what it takes to win across different eras of basketball, and the young Spurs roster won't find a better tutor than the 74-year old head coach, all the defeats notwithstanding.

And since Gregg Popovich has nothing left to prove anymore in his Hall of Fame coaching career, he can just calmly help the Spurs youngsters be the best version of themselves, with experience proving to be their best teacher.