Manu Ginobili stood up, then collapsed on the court. Everyone saw that.

He was helped toward the locker room. And when he turned the corner, under the stands and out of view, he collapsed again.

“This one is different,” Gregg Popovich would say in the days that followed Ginobili’s surgery. “This one is different.”

The Spurs acted accordingly in what they said, and in what they did. They went looking for another player because they thought there was a distinct possibility Ginobili would never be right again this season.

But then came Monday, when the Spurs got their first look at Ginobili in a while, and they took a second look at the calendar.

Ginobili wasn’t the only aging player in the Spurs’ practice facility Monday. Andre Miller was there, too, and those in attendance said he seemed excited.

He had reason to be. He’s been in the league since 1999, yet he’s gotten past the first round of the playoffs just once.

Now he joins a 50-9 team with a familiar face. Miller and LaMarcus Aldridge were teammates in Portland.

Aldridge probably remembers one night they had together. While Aldridge scored 21 points to edge the Mavericks in Dallas, Miller chipped in an additional 52.

That moment was an aberration, and the next game was more reflective of his career. Miller had 44 fewer points but 10 assists.

At 39, Miller won’t be what he was. But his deliberate style has aged well, and it did when he was 37. In the spring of 2013, he scored 28 points to help Denver beat Golden State in the series opener.

“I just love him,” George Karl said that night. “He’s an incredible playmaker. He loves to make people better, loves to make his team better. When the game is in that guts-and-glory situation, Andre is pretty damn good.”

Those qualities should work in a playoff pinch, and that’s all the Spurs want from him. Ray McCallum isn’t equipped yet for postseason tension.

That’s why Ginobili’s injury had little to do with adding Miller. The Spurs would have done this no matter.

Ginobili’s injury, however, had everything to do with adding a player such as Kevin Martin. He wouldn’t be ideal; Martin is a shooter, not a passer or defender. But he would add insurance. And as recently as last weekend, when the Spurs were finishing up their Rodeo Road Trip in Houston, Popovich acted as if he needed insurance.

Asked about Ginobili’s progress, Popovich said: “I think he’s just been able to walk out on the floor and shoot a ball. Very carefully, so it doesn’t bounce back at him. That would be bad.”

The last line came with some humor. But the Spurs found nothing funny about Ginobili’s rehab when they looked at the timetable.

His injury had been so severe that he was unable to do anything for a while. He was initially barred from strenuous activity, and there was genuine concern. The lack of conditioning would impair anyone, but maybe a 38-year-old Ginobili more than most.

Popovich has often said this: Ginobili has always needed considerable time to find his rhythm and get comfortable on the court.

So what if Ginobili couldn’t return until, say, early April?

If Martin becomes available, the Spurs might still sign him. They are always trying to upgrade their roster.

But Popovich is probably hesitant to add two players (and release two players) at this point in the season unless he has to. And Monday suggested he doesn’t have to.

Then, Ginobili moved well. He went through some shooting drills, and he played some non-contact, one-on-one with a staffer.

He still has a way to go, and he’s wearing some protection he didn’t wear before. But the Spurs are now optimistic. If Ginobili continues to progress as expected, they think he could be back for a few minutes as early as March 10 against Chicago.

Maybe his recovery shouldn’t be surprising. A return in mid-March fits with the original estimate.

But the way the Spurs were talking before Monday, they wondered if he would be ready for the playoffs.

Now?

Ginobili isn’t the only one who feels better.

bharvey@express-news.net

Twitter: @Buck_SA