The modern, successful NBA head coach has to be able the massage the egos of the modern NBA superstar. That’s what every head coach since Phil Jackson (the prototype) is supposed to do. Greg Poppovich is a great basketball mind. But being successful in an 80 game NBA season and welding a team together for a 2-week tournament are 2 very different things. Does Poppovich understand this? I think he does, but he may be helpless in a short-haul situation with a roster full of alpha dogs.
... and I might add that to listen to Poppovich opine about current events youd have to conclude the old guy is a flaming Marxist.
Popovich got lucky that the Spurs won the NBA Lottery.