RA and PP season minutes and why I think we lost

[BringToughnessBack]

Since Feb 22, RA played 7 games over 40 minutes/game. 24 games this year over 40 minutes.

PP played 8 games over 40 minutes since Feb 22 and a whopping 33 for the year. During that brutal injury stretch by our team, he logged 7 out of 8 games in a row over 40 from Feb 1-22. In fact, compared to last year, his minutes increased to a completely unacceptable level. He is still a great player but he is not a spring chicken Doc! Take a few more losses in the regular season and keep them fresher for the playoffs.

In hindsight I do believe our 2 older stars have been worn out substantially this year while trying to make up for team injuries. It might have been better to limit their playing time and take a loss during the regular season then to have their legs become weary a la many of the Mavericks teams of yesteryear.

Today, their legs were not there like they should have been. PP's defense was not up to par for this one game and RA's great regular season vanished in a cloud of tired legs. He did not play good defense at the end of the game and his jump shot went MIA.

Injuries or not, it is just plain bad player clock management. I would have rather seen Pruitt and Walker play for a few minutes of bad ball then risk burning out our stars before the games were truly important.

Now, I am not saying we will not fight back this series but playing 2 Stars in their 30's over 40 minutes consistently this season, injuries or not, is just too much abuse to put on their bodies. It is playing for short term gains instead of thinking about the ultimate goal of making it to the playoffs with fresh legs and energy.

Young teams with fire and passion usually give problems to those older seasoned teams with tired players. We got through the hawks last year, lets hope we do the same vs. the Bulls this year, even without KG and even with some tired superstars. We know they can do it, lets just hope they can trick their bodies into producing when it counts.

[greenhead85]

I totally agree with you.  It seems that I should have posted my comment/opinion here instead in "The Real Problem" topic.
Yeah, more playing time for Walker, Giddens and Pruitt. Or, are we just making a scenario/reason to move 1 or 2 of the Big Three next year after a projected (which I hope not to happen) debacle or early exit in this year's playoffs?

[EJPLAYA]

Since Feb 22, RA played 7 games over 40 minutes/game. 24 games this year over 40 minutes.

PP played 8 games over 40 minutes since Feb 22 and a whopping 33 for the year. During that brutal injury stretch by our team, he logged 7 out of 8 games in a row over 40 from Feb 1-22. In fact, compared to last year, his minutes increased to a completely unacceptable level. He is still a great player but he is not a spring chicken Doc! Take a few more losses in the regular season and keep them fresher for the playoffs.

In hindsight I do believe our 2 older stars have been worn out substantially this year while trying to make up for team injuries. It might have been better to limit their playing time and take a loss during the regular season then to have their legs become weary a la many of the Mavericks teams of yesteryear.

Today, their legs were not there like they should have been. PP's defense was not up to par for this one game and RA's great regular season vanished in a cloud of tired legs. He did not play good defense at the end of the game and his jump shot went MIA.

Injuries or not, it is just plain bad player clock management. I would have rather seen Pruitt and Walker play for a few minutes of bad ball then risk burning out our stars before the games were truly important.

Now, I am not saying we will not fight back this series but playing 2 Stars in their 30's over 40 minutes consistently this season, injuries or not, is just too much abuse to put on their bodies. It is playing for short term gains instead of thinking about the ultimate goal of making it to the playoffs with fresh legs and energy.

Young teams with fire and passion usually give problems to those older seasoned teams with tired players. We got through the hawks last year, lets hope we do the same vs. the Bulls this year, even without KG and even with some tired superstars. We know they can do it, lets just hope they can trick their bodies into producing when it counts.

That's great and all at the end of the game and into overtime, but it doesn't explain their effort in the first quarter. They had PLENTY of legs left to come out and take control of this game in Q1 by playing hard nosed defense and building up a 10-15 point lead. This would have reminded the Bulls that they have no business showing up on our floor. Instead we coasted and gave them confidence. Like the ATL series last year this will now be a hard fought series. 12 minutes of intense defense and it could have been different.

[Redz]

I didn;t see the game , and was only able to follow some of the end on line, but it seems to me the reason the C's lost was because Ray couldn't hit the ocean and Pierce missed a clutch free throw.

[Spfldkid]

 Hey where were you guys wqhen i posted saying DOC swhould have sat KG out more to save his body for the playoffs.....look at my post...people said that playing has nothing to do with injuries.........duh.....maybe they didn't ever workout...? When you are in peak shape and getting older....you need MORE REST.....it is hust a fact....please look at the post, you won't believe the responses...micro analysis of my words instead of my point.....now i know why people at the gym/court laugh when i say i am on the Celtics blog...! I do agree with you RA & PP have been over played too late in the season....home court was almost gone in January.....a wise coach knows the only thing next that matters is healthy players in the PLAYOFFS..ask Barcley that one...!

[CoachBo]

The OP raises an interesting point, but the answer isn't in playing time for Walker, Giddens and Pruitt - three guys who won't and shouldn't see the floor in the playoffs.

The answer is in the glaring lack of a competent two-three combo to come off the bench, hit a couple of shots and play some defense.

We don't have one. We haven't had one all year.

[QuinielaBox]

The OP raises an interesting point, but the answer isn't in playing time for Walker, Giddens and Pruitt - three guys who won't and shouldn't see the floor in the playoffs.

The answer is in the glaring lack of a competent two-three combo to come off the bench, hit a couple of shots and play some defense.

We don't have one. We haven't had one all year.

James Posey went to New Orleans. Tony Allen was supposed to do that job. Eddie House needed to hit a couple of open shots, so did Ray Allen.

[xmuscularghandix]

Nothing to do with the loss yesterday, they (once again) thought that they were gonna come out in their Celtic uniforms and the Bulls were just gonna give up. They'll be up for it now. and if not... maybe the best thing for this team moving on is to get eliminated so then they'll have some sort of revenge mindset.

[ScoobyDoo]

Good post, Tommy point and Agreed 100%. There were several debates about this all year. You simply have to give your guys more rest. I would also argue that KG having to play lost of hard minutes this year because our bench was thin, may have contributed to his injury. I think you tend to get injured more when you are exhausted.

I also agree with the other guy who said we needed a competent 2-3 wing player. I argued Matt Barnes or just anyone similar to him, didn't have to be a superstar, would've have been enough. Just someone who can hold down the fort for 15-20 minutes a night.

If we weren't going to go get that guy, then at least, for the love of god, throw Billy Walker into the fire and let him get his butt thoroughly kicked for 3/4 of the season. I guy like him, if he was gioven those minutes and took his lumps, wouldn've been ready by now for spot minutes. He's tough enough to take it and run with it.

better than palying Pierce 40+ minutes.

[angryguy77]

No, its was not their minutes, it was lack of defensive intensity, period. ANd if they were not getting the rest they needed in the season, then they should have seen to it to put teams away earlier so they could sit in the fourth quarters (see Lebron's minutes are down this year). Its  a joke to say that HC was lost in Feb and we should have mailed it in and hope to be rested in the playoffs. They didnt have that problem last year and dont tell me 12 months made that big of a difference. These guys might be in their 30s, but they are athletes and work at staying in shape. If the big three truley have arrived at this stage, then DA needs to trade and rebuild. But I dont believe that they are used up to the point where they are going to lose games because they played an extra few minutes per game this season. They had a simple formula last year and it was crush and defeat you opponent, dont let up and dominate. This year the intangable menatal edge they had last year was no where to be seen. Yes they had the good start, but they were just getting by in some of those wins and had a few things go their way.

A coach is only going to be as good as the effort his team gives, and when they come out and act like the game was won, like they did today, then the outcome is not going to be good. It's funny how people are already saying doc screwed up this year and it might be his fault for over playing kg and we need to paly the younge guys blah blah blah. This was said last year to during the playoffs too and I believe that stratagy turned out alright. He has and does make mistakes I realize, but I dont see minutes played being one of them.

This team has to pick it up each and every game if they want a shot this year. Comming out like they have been at the start of games the last month is not going to cut it. Today was nothing new but a continuation of a trend, Get the fire back and set out to dominate the other team and they just might have an outside shot at shoking the world.

[angryguy77]

ANother thing, if we had played Walker and Giddens more this year and lost every away game in these playoffs, people would have been p---ed because we didn't try to  get HC. Thats why they play the season, its to give your team teh best odds of winning.