Gregg Popovich 'ahead of schedule' in recovery, but no timeline for when he might return to bench

About three weeks ago, on an off-day between games, Gregg Popovich returned to the Spurs practice facility to address the team for the first time since his Nov. 2 stroke. He may have moved a little slower and been a little more deliberate, but he was still himself, according to an insightful report from Ramona Shelburne and Michael C. Wright of ESPN. And he let the players know he'd been watching their games.

"Everybody shut the f*** up when he walked in," [Keldon] Johnson said. "That's just how it's always been with Pop. Obviously, he's still recovering. But he was still cussing. 'Y'all need to play defense. Y'all need to rebound.' Knowing that, s***, he really is watching the games because he's calling out specific situations, was huge.

"It was what we needed. I feel like he brought that life, that spark. That Pop that we all knew and loved. He came into that meeting and that's who he was. It was like he didn't skip a beat."

News of Popovich's recovery was all good — he is "ahead of schedule," according to Harrison Barnes — but it doesn't mean he is near a return to the court. Popovich already announced he would not return this season and it's unknown if he could return next season, according to the report.

"It's Pop's decision," one person close to the situation told ESPN. "He's earned that."

He has. He just needs to make the best decision for himself, the Spurs will be there whatever and whenever he decides.

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