When Jonathon Simmons plays his first game with the Spurs this season, he’ll mark the 25th Austin Spurs player to make the leap from the D-League to the NBA.
But there are nine more Austin Spurs call-ups that have made their mark in the NBA: the coaches.
In the past 10 seasons, nine Austin coaches have gotten call-ups of their own. The list includes Quin Snyder, who has gone from Austin Toros head coach in 2010 to Utah Jazz head coach in 2014.
The Austin Spurs announced Wednesday that Patrick Mutombo and AJ Diggs have been hired as assistant coaches. The move comes as two coaches from last season’s bench, Jason Fraser and Earl Watson, joined the Phoenix Suns staff as assistants.
Coaches from Austin have become their own branches of the Spurs coaching tree.
“D-League coaches are constantly evaluating and watching players, and every day we also know that we’re being evaluated and being watched,” Diggs said. “We’re trying to get guys to the next level, and in the process, we’re hoping to get there ourselves.”
Since the San Antonio Spurs became the second NBA team to own a D-League franchise when they bought the Austin Spurs (then the Toros) in 2007, they have turned Austin into a proving ground for both players and coaches.
The coaching philosophy on and off the court in Austin has been modeled after San Antonio, as everything from offensive sets to practice structure is influenced by the parent club.
“It’s an unbelievable opportunity to be a part of this franchise,” said Austin head coach Ken McDonald. “On top of that, coaches get game experience in the D-League where they have to be resourceful, hustle, learn the game and know the game. There’s so much real value in that situational experience.”
Austin Spurs coaches also have spent the duration of Spurs training camp in San Antonio, working with San Antonio coaches and learning from them as well.
As the bond between Austin and San Antonio continues to strengthen, coaches have used the D-League to grow just as much as players such as Danny Green and Kyle Anderson have used the experience.
San Antonio fans will get a chance to see the Austin Spurs at the AT&T Center for the first time on Dec. 29 when they play the Santa Cruz Warriors.
“The ground floor is where you really learn,” Snyder said when Utah visited San Antonio last season. “We made some mistakes in Austin, and the opportunity to learn and reflect on the mistakes is what shapes you, too.”
Mutombo, 35, (no relation to NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo) already has plenty of NBA experience, having spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach at Denver. Hired by then-coach George Karl, Mutombo focused on player development and game preparation.
After spending three seasons trying to beat the Spurs, Mutombo said he’s always been intrigued by the organization and jumped at the opportunity to join in.
“It’s interesting for the team to have this success and to see firsthand the way they’ve done it through their method and culture,” said Mutombo, who spent a season in the D-League as a player for the Bakersfield Jam in 2009-10. “And the D-League is a great ground to develop help people achieve their dream.”
Diggs, 33, comes to Austin from the Maine Red Claws, Boston’s D-League affiliate, where he worked with players such as 2015 D-League MVP Tim Frazier, who now plays for Portland.
Before he became a D-League coach, Diggs coached high school basketball at his alma mater Long Beach Poly and ran a training academy where he conducted individual workouts with players such as Trevor Ariza and Taj Gibson.
“I’m a guy from Long Beach who loves defense, Patrick’s from The Congo by way of the Nuggets,” Diggs said. “Talking to Ettore Messina, Becky Hammon, Ime Udoka and all the coaches, you see the way the Spurs value diverse opinions and how the coaches learn from each other. I think that’s how you get the coaching tree.”
Twitter:@lornechan
Austin Spurs Coaches in the NBA
Bryan Gates Austin coach from 2005-06. Currently: Assistant in Minnesota
Dale Osbourne 2006-07. Currently: Assistant in Portland
Roy Rogers 2007-08. Currently: Assistant in Washington
Quin Snyder 2007-2010. Currently: Head coach in Utah
Brad Jones 2010-2012. Currently: Assistant in Utah
Alex Lloyd 2009-2012. Player development assistant and scout in Atlanta from 2012-14
Taylor Jenkins 2008-2013. Currently: Assistant in Atlanta
Jason Fraser 2014-15. Currently: Assistant in Phoenix
Earl Watson 2014-15. Currently: Assistant in Phoenix