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At first glance it may seem as if tonight’s game against the Bobcats lacks intrigue but there are more than a few reasons to tune in.

First and foremost, no game is a throwaway game from here on out. The standings are just too tight. Popovich’s priority is health not home court-advantage and rightly so, but I’m more interested in who we are playing as opposed to where we are playing. At this point, a 2-seed is likely to set us up with a first round match-up against either the Blazers or the Nuggets, neither of which is that concerning. A series against the Rockets in the second round isn’t that intimidating either. As Tim and I mentioned on “NBA Today,” early series opponents to avoid are the Jazz (because of their physicality) and the Hornets (because of the specific match-ups).

To flip the entire idea of playoff positioning on its head, Matt Moore actually suggested that sliding back to the 4-seed might not be so bad. It would mean we would meet the Lakers in the second round but the road to a 5th ring goes through LA one way or another. Why not face them earlier when we are healthier and more energetic? We could beat some of the other Western Conference teams even with a few bumps and bruises but not the Lakers. I’m not saying I support the idea. When it comes to subjects like playoff positioning there isn’t really anything to support. I’m just throwing it out there as a something to discuss.

Either way, the point is seemingly unimportant games against likely lottery teams seem more important in March than they did back in November and December.

Broader season implications aside, tonight’s game has the potential to be interesting in and of itself. Our first meeting this season was an 86-84 thriller in Charlotte that ended with a Boris Diaw 3-pointer to win rimming out. The Bobcats may not be able to give the Spurs as much trouble in San Antonio (Charlotte is 18-15 at home; 10-20 on the road) but if there is one chessmaster who can go move for move with Pop, it’s Larry Brown.

Despite his journeymen status, Brown is one of the best coaches in the NBA. He is the only coach to win a championship at both the collegiate and professional level and if it weren’t for his incessant need to take coaching positions with struggling franchises, he’d have more. While most great coaches relish stability, Brown is a rolling stone. So don’t let his lack of success in recent years fool you. Pop gladly admits that he learned most of what he knows from Brown.

Brown aside, I’ll admit a little secret of mine: I just like watching the Bobcats play. Gerard Wallace’s style can be placed somewhere between a whirlwind and a jackhammer. Boris Diaw is a positional enigma par excellence. And I’m a University of Texas fan so wherever D.J. Augustin goes, my heart follows.

For more Charlotte coverage, check out Queen City Hoops. The game starts at 8:30 Eastern/7:30 Central. Go Spurs.