With Thunder’s Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell already ruled out of winner-take-all Game 7, the San Antonio Spurs are having distractions of their own. It’s not because of any injury problems, but because one of the key staff members of head coach Mitch Johnson will soon be parting ways. Sean Sweeney, the defensive coaching guru, has agreed to be the head coach from next season, but the timing of the announcement has the netizens worried.

ESPN’s senior insider Shams Charania tweeted, “BREAKING: The Orlando Magic are finalizing the hire of San Antonio Spurs associate coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise’s new head coach, sources tell ESPN. Sweeney broke into NBA coaching in 2011 and now lands the Magic head job as a top rising candidate.” The follow-up tweet also confirmed that former Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy were the two other finalists for the Magic’s coaching vacancy.

The 41-year-old Spurs associate coach began his journey as a video coordinator in 2011 for the then-New Jersey Nets, before moving to the bench in Brooklyn for the 2013-14 season. Now, he will head the ship of the Orlando Magic, but the question remains when Sweeney will take over. Charania clarified in his tweet, “Sweeney will finish the remainder of the postseason on the Spurs bench — with Game 7 on Saturday night for an NBA Finals berth.” While this suggests he will complete his obligation, there is another concerning statement in the report.

To complete any head coaching gig, there have to be constant meetings and presentations. The current Spurs associate did just that in-person meetings with top Magic officials last week. In fact, Charania noted when Sweeney actually won over the Magic ownership. “I’m told Sean Sweeney really clinched this job in a meeting with ownership in San Antonio on an off day on Wednesday.”

Wednesday was an off day, but it was on Tuesday when OKC scored 40 points in the second quarter of Game 5 to take control of the series. Let’s not forget that on Thursday, the series was on the line. Thankfully for the Silver and Black franchise, they won, but the supporters are still feeling upset about the entire ordeal.

NBA fans stunned over Spurs associate’s decision

San Antonio fans will remember that, midway through the 2013 Western Conference Finals, long-time then Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer reached an agreement to become the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. He was serving as Gregg Popovich’s lead assistant during the Spurs’ 2013 deep playoff run, while both accepted it was no distraction, the end result was that Miami won in Game 7 over the Spurs. That’s why fans are not liking the current move. “Why are they announcing this right before Game 7? You better not have messed up the vibes.”

Throughout his tenure, Sean Sweeney remained Mitch Johnson’s trusted advisor. That’s why in his first spell as head coach, he brought over Sweeney from the Mavericks. “I just took a liking to his ability to articulate his basketball philosophy and what he thought about the game and NBA coaching in general, in terms of competitiveness and how hard you should coach and holding guys accountable,” Johnson said earlier during this postseason. “But also the modern, creative part and thinking outside the box.” While he was praising, the fans are now worried about his motivation.

One netizen used a SpongeBob SquarePants meme, where the main character, in this case, Sweeney, had lost all hope. “Mitch Johnson: “Sean get up we have to get to Game 7!” Sean Sweeney tomorrow: Nah, I dont really feel like it.” While the other was simply shocked and wrote, “Mid series is crazy.”

ESPN Research did put together some stats that proved why the Spurs hired the 41-year-old in the first place. This season, San Antonio has improved from 25th to third in the NBA’s defensive efficiency rankings, top-five in defending isolations, on-ball screens, drives, and rim protection. He played a big role in the Spurs’ 62-20 campaign, tied for the third-most wins in franchise history. That’s why the fans are confused and appreciative at the same time. “Brother, can’t you just focus on Game 7? He looks like a good coach, though.”

While another fan blamed the OKC Thunder for helping the Magic. “Sam Presti gave the Magic owner extra money to steal the Spurs’ assistant before Game 7, wow 💔.” During the series, the Spurs fans were already upset with the whistle being in the Thunder‘s favor. Recently, even the league’s official online store accidentally published “Finals Bound” merchandise pages featuring a matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks. The problem being that it was before Game 5.

That’s why the Thunder fans feel things are not in their favor. While it’s normal for assistant coaches to interview during the postseason, the gravity of the Spurs franchise seems different. Because they are in their first conference finals since 2017 and have the chance of their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. Any distraction won’t be welcomed, especially not on the eve of Game 7 of the West Finals.