"I'm disappointed for the team, because this is a time when we always try to make hay," Popovich said. "Historically, that 'Rodeo Road Trip,' that time before, during and after the All-Star break has always been good for us. We've got a lot of away games. It's a great time to come together and get the bunker mentality, and all that trade crap. But it works for us. So this road trip, and the one right after it, you'd like to be at full strength for that because it has been important for us getting momentum for the season. So I'm disappointed for them.
"But secondly, I'm strangely excited about playing the other guys and watching them fill in. I think it steps up the energy a little bit, because your back's against the wall. You just look at it a different way. That's kind of exciting."