Author Topic: I Think We Risk Not Making Playoffs With Doc's New Priority: Rest Over Record  (Read 4668 times)

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Offline Moranis

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I wonder what people think in terms of strategy:

should we rest a star veteran against a bad team (ie. Bobcats) and hope the rest get the win?

or should we instead rest 2 or 3 guys against a really good team (Spurs/Thunder) and just concede the loss (or maybe have a freakish win to rally around)?
Rest stars against bad teams, it gives confidence to bench players who will be featured in a larger role and succeed against poor competition.
I'd rather just concede the loss to a team that will likely beat us anyway then potentially lose a game we can't afford to lose.  You can always pull KG and PP in the 4th quarter against the bad teams if you have lead and just get them some rest that way.
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Offline dark_lord

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I don't think our record is good enough to play the "rest over record" game.  Doc could coach them right out of a playoff spot.  I know they played Phoenix well without KG, but I don't see how you can expect them to keep winning without KG's presence.  This is not the year to use rest over record when you barely have a playoff spot now. :-\

Thoughts?

i think this is a valid concern.  we cant just make the playoffs, we have to avoid a potential first round matchup with the heat as well imo.

Offline CelticConcourse

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I'm down with anything better than the 8th seed.
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Offline TripleOT

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I really don't think it matters whether Doc rests Pierce and KG or not.  This team is going to lose two out of three road games, and win most of it's games at home, at it limps to the playoffs.

I don't see how this flawed roster is going to go on a late season run like last year.   They have no PG, little to no inside presence, and unless PP and KG play and shoot well, have no chance of winning against all but the worst NBA teams. 

Maybe DJ White comes in and controls the paint for 26 minutes a night, and maybe T Will and J Craw start playing at the top of their game and maybe Jeff Green continues his strong February play for the rest of the year.  Maybe AB becomes a consistent offensive threat, and figures out how to actually set up a teammate once in a while.  Maybe CLee and JET start lighting it up from the outside, and Wilcox plays with a high motor the rest of the way without getting hurt. Maybe Bass stops playing like a scrub at both ends of the floor. 

If most or all of these things happen, the Cs could become something like last year's team - rampaging through the last quarter of the season, and then being a difficult playoff out.  Fromm what I've seen so far this year, I'm not going to hold my breath.   

Offline CelticConcourse

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I really don't think it matters whether Doc rests Pierce and KG or not.  This team is going to lose two out of three road games, and win most of it's games at home, at it limps to the playoffs.

I don't see how this flawed roster is going to go on a late season run like last year.   They have no PG, little to no inside presence, and unless PP and KG play and shoot well, have no chance of winning against all but the worst NBA teams. 

Maybe DJ White comes in and controls the paint for 26 minutes a night, and maybe T Will and J Craw start playing at the top of their game and maybe Jeff Green continues his strong February play for the rest of the year.  Maybe AB becomes a consistent offensive threat, and figures out how to actually set up a teammate once in a while.  Maybe CLee and JET start lighting it up from the outside, and Wilcox plays with a high motor the rest of the way without getting hurt. Maybe Bass stops playing like a scrub at both ends of the floor. 

If most or all of these things happen, the Cs could become something like last year's team - rampaging through the last quarter of the season, and then being a difficult playoff out.  Fromm what I've seen so far this year, I'm not going to hold my breath.   

I think after last year, we can all hope. Even a 1% chance is enough for me.
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Offline GreenFaith1819

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We'll be fine...I'm ok with Doc's new priority.

Just get to April healthy and rested...for me, even if we slide to the 8th spot, I'm good - as a matter of fact, I WANT the 8th spot, myself.

Why fool ourselves?

Both BOS AND MIA know this is inevitable, so why not get it on in April?

Either we both slug it out through tough playoff series with CHI, Indy, NY, BKN, ATL, etc - or we just play in the 1st round.

Let's just cut to the chase.

And for those who are not giving us a shot vs MIA...look, I know it will be extremely tough, but just take a gander:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lakSEK-edQ

It's been done before.

Let's just get together while both teams are rested and healthy.

Can you imagine the pandemonium IF BOS beats MIA, lol? It took a HUUUGE effort from LeBron in Game 6 to put us away.

We were closer than we think.


Offline BleedGreen1989

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We'll be fine...I'm ok with Doc's new priority.

Just get to April healthy and rested...for me, even if we slide to the 8th spot, I'm good - as a matter of fact, I WANT the 8th spot, myself.

Why fool ourselves?

Both BOS AND MIA know this is inevitable, so why not get it on in April?

Either we both slug it out through tough playoff series with CHI, Indy, NY, BKN, ATL, etc - or we just play in the 1st round.

Let's just cut to the chase.

And for those who are not giving us a shot vs MIA...look, I know it will be extremely tough, but just take a gander:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lakSEK-edQ

It's been done before.

Let's just get together while both teams are rested and healthy.

Can you imagine the pandemonium IF BOS beats MIA, lol? It took a HUUUGE effort from LeBron in Game 6 to put us away.

We were closer than we think.

you know, the more I think about it the more I buy into this way of thinking.

not saying we'd win but why waste all our energy fighting through different teams to get to Miami?

let's go in rested up and healthy as possible and give it all we got.
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