If I didn’t know better, I’d guess Coach Popovich was doing this on purpose. With Duncan, Nesterovic, Ginobili, and Devin Brown out of commission, the Spurs are now winning games. They’re winning ugly, but they’re winning. Last night’s double overtime victory came with three of five starters on the injured list.

Earlier this season, did I hear someone saying the Spurs’ bench wasn’t that deep? Where on earth did they ever get that idea? They’ve been winning games with most of the second team starting. All year, I’ve thought the Spurs’ bench was more solid than many teams’ starting five, now they’re getting a chance to prove it. And, they’re getting valuable experience in clutch times when it doesn’t really count. Sure, it does, but the Spurs will be in the playoffs no matter what, everything else is pride and bragging rights–important, but in the business of winning the championship, trivial. Well, your first round opponent and home court advantage aren’t exactly trivial, but again, those are nice-to-haves. What Popovich is doing is taking advantage of this time to strengthen his team for what really matters–the Playoffs. If they lose a game here and there but are ultimately successful in achieving their goal, that’s called “strategic retreat.”