Spurs’ Popovich won so much, he never learned how to tank

The San Antonio Spurs are sitting eager guys

Vassell has now had three DNP’s in four games and has only seen the court for 15 minutes in the last five. Samanic has had four DNP’s over the previous five games and has seen the court for 12 minutes in six games.

Before the inevitable comments of “playing those two young guys wouldn’t change much,” I have a counter-question: When exactly is the right time to give minutes to developing players? Also, the goal here isn’t winning games anymore.

The Spurs are in a holding pattern until what should hopefully be a big offseason. They have a grueling schedule that’s putting wear and tear on everyone in a league that’s seeing an increase in injuries as a result. They also have a chance to get (likely limited) playoff experience for the young core if they can just stay above the Pelicans in the standings.

Still, after seeing yet another loss in which the same old problems and rotations reared their ugly heads, I’m now convinced this team is stealthily tanking. Is it ideal, as someone that wants these Spurs to succeed? Of course not, but it is what it is at this point. After all, there hasn’t been a deeper NBA Draft to drop spots in years, so it’s not a bad play.

Next: Tweaking the Tank