Head coach Gregg Popovich's playbook hasn't produced much silver lining lately, but that doesn't mean the San Antonio Spurs' 10-11 record in December and January has been all for naught.For a roster that was in danger of proceeding complacently through its 2014-15 campaign, there's suddenly a sense of legitimate urgency amid all the injury setbacks and damaged rhythm. The club now holds the Western Conference's No. 7 seed with a 22-15 record, and title-worthy performances have been relatively few and far between.Friday night's 100-95 win against the No. 8-seeded Phoenix Suns created some distance between the two teams in a season where it could very well matter. More importantly, though, it was San Antonio's fourth win in its last six triesperhaps a signal the Spurs are finally turning the corner after a December few wish to remember.Last week's 101-92 victory against the Washington Wizards suggests San Antonio is still plenty capable of beating good teams, but circumstances have been brutal to this teamboth because of a daunting schedule and significant stretches without six-time All-Star Tony Parker and reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, the latter of whom could remain sidelined for weeks.The December doldrumwhich has unsurprisingly continued into the new yearhasn't done much for the Spurs' place in the standings, but it could do worlds for this locker room."I can't imagine a better group to do what they've done this month," Popovich told reporters at the conclusion of 2014. "So I think these guys persevered really well. We probably could have won a few more games. "I know we could have won a few more games. Just exhaustion got us several times. It looked like it did (against New Orleans) when we were down five in overtime. That's why these guys are a fantastic group. They just keep playing."Treading water between now and this team's typically stellar February and March exploits wouldn't be such a bad thing. There's no shortage of excuses for the franchise's recent woes, but the only question that matters is whether it can extricate itself from them anytime soon.This is a character-building exercise for the Spurs, a test for one of the NBA's most impressive supporting casts. On the defensive end alone, Leonard's absence has required a collective effort to shore up loose ends on the perimeter.According to NBA.com, San Antonio holds opponents to just 94.4 points per 100 possessions when Leonard is on the floora mark that soars to 104.8 points per 100 possessions when he isn't. Even with strong two-way presences like Tim Duncan and Danny Green in the rotation, there's no substitute for Leonard's length, athleticism, lateral quickness and physicality."He's our best perimeter defender, obviously," Popovich told media earlier this month. "He guards a variety of different kinds of playerspoint guards, 2 men, 3 menso he gives us some good versatility defensively. That position is really important to rebound, to help the bigs, and we really miss him there. He makes steals and energizes us. We score a little bit off his defense. So he's a huge factor for us defensively."Even with the 23-year-old in the lineup, however, the latest rough patch may have been somewhat unavoidable. It's included two losses to both the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies, as well as defeats to the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.That said, two of those games were decided in triple-overtime. One has to believe Leonard could have made a difference in both contests. He also might have changed the outcomes in December's 112-110 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers or Tuesday's 105-104 defeat at the hands of the lowly Detroit Pistons.In all, the Spurs have had five overtime games since Dec. 3only one of which resulted in a win. That's almost certainly taken a toll on this team's momentum and fatigue level.As Duncan put it to reporters after a second consecutive triple-overtime loss last month, "Unheard of. I didn't think obviously it would get to this point. ... We expended a lot of energy. We put everything into it and we played hard.In that situation I am not drained. I am running on adrenaline and I am ready to go. I know I will feel it tomorrow."By the looks of it, Duncan isn't the only one feeling the extra minutes on this team. After a season in which none of San Antonio's roster averaged 30-or-more minutes per contest, four have posted at least that much so far this season.Still-formidable depth has averted any need for especially gaudy minutes numbers, but there's no question elder statesmen like Timmy and sixth man Manu Ginobili have been pressed into more action than Popovich might have hoped.Both are playing at least 2.5 more minutes per contest than they did in 2013-14.So if the Spurs are tired, beat up and overwhelmed by top-shelf competition, fans can be forgiven for their waning optimism. The franchise hasn't won consecutive titles, despite its five championships since 1999, and it now finds itself fighting just to remain in the playoff picture.But fret not. There's good news.Duncan may be setting a career-low pace with a 48.2 shooting percentage, but he's also tallying more minutes and rebounds per game than he has since his 2008-09 campaign. Given that there was a time when we weren't even sure the 38-year-old would continue playing this season, his ongoing effectiveness is an encouraging sign.So too are the somewhat surprising (and efficient) contributions from ordinarily peripheral role players like Cory Joseph and Aron Baynes. Both are averaging career highs where it matters, and the former has started 14 games in Parker's absence.Those might not seem like game-changing numbers, but they suggest this team's depth chart is becoming more polished by the outing.Then there's the season Danny Green is having. He's risen to the occasion as San Antonio's best three-and-D option on the wing while Leonard has tended to his ailing torn hand ligament. Friday's 20-point outing marked the sixth time this season he's tallied at least as many points. He did so just seven times all season in 2013-14, including the playoffs.And while the supporting cast is getting better, the Spurs' injured assets have gotten a little extra rest. Parker and Leonard have missed 29 games combined this season, and Patty Mills made his season debut on Dec. 28 after recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Backup center Tiago Splitter missed 22 games of his own early this season.Manu Ginobili may be the latest casualty after he left the game with 6:45 remaining in the first half on Friday due to back spasms.Paradoxically, those injuries could help those guys avoid some of the cumulative fatigue, wear and tear that typify an 82-game grind. Not such a bad thing.Assuming Leonard returns sometime during the near term, this team may be able to string together some wins and actually build a little momentum. Friday's win against Phoenix is a start, and it didn't come a moment too soon.
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