San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich probably still daydreams about laughing with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker on the bench. But these days, the Spurs could hardly smile as they've stumbled to a lowly 4-12 record.

The Spurs have been undergoing a rebuild since their vaunted All-Star trio retired. Nowadays, Popovich is left with a bunch of up-and-comers who are still trying to figure things out in the NBA.

But being the snarky old guy that he is, Popovich still found a way to sneak in a little joke when asked about how he motivates the Spurs' young players amid their poor campaign (via ESPN).

“We bring them presents. Cocoa Puffs, try to keep them smiling, that sort of thing.”

Well, it looks like he needs to bring them more, as the Spurs lost to the Phoenix Suns on Monday night, 115-111. Budding star Dejounte Murray finished with a triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists to lead, while fellow young guards Derrick White, Lonnie Walker IV, and Devin Vassell also scored in twin digits.

The Spurs, whose average age is only 25.3 years old, mounted a strong rally in the fourth quarter but their inexperience caught up to them in the closing minutes, which Popovich acknowledged.

“We practice, try to get better. We got to get older and get more habitual and more consistent. It's a lot of young guys. You got to have patience. They are doing their best.”

The Spurs have time to buy extra Cocoa Puffs before facing the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.