It's always interesting to see how players who have been through the Gregg Popovich system in San Antonio evolve when they move on to be head coaches and executives in the NBA.

Former Spurs point guard Avery Johnson ran a similar simulation to the Popovich system when he coached the Dallas Mavericks and had a great deal of success early on. Now Phoenix Suns general manager Steve Kerr, the one-time Spurs guard, is planning to implement a Popovich strategy with regard to 34-year-old Steve Nash.

According to a report in the Phoenix-area East Valley Tribune, Kerr is planning to have Nash play roughly 70 of 82 games this season. That's assuming, of course, Nash is otherwise healthy. This is directly in line with Popovich's proven method of making sure his top players are ready to go 100% for the playoffs.

"We'll see how it goes," Nash told the East Valley Tribune. "Those are great intentions, but is it realistic? We'll see."

Looking at Tim Duncan's minutes, Popovich has rested his big guy more and more over the course of the first half of the season — when the Spurs often get written off — and then works him up to full speed in the second half, when they "coincidentally" move to the top of the standings.

Nash played in all but one of the regular-season games last season.