Strategy for Bucks Game Tonight (7 Apr 2022)

[Vermont Green]

Very simple up or down vote on this.  I see lots of comments both ways, I am just curious how the actual numbers will turn out.

[Donoghus]

I'd still very much like to have HCA in a potential 2nd round series against MIL.  Potential BKN matchup be [dang]ed.

[gift]

I can't vote on this because my head tells me to rest everyone, but my fear of bad karma says go for the win.

[Roy H.]

There's probably a middle ground between "all out" and "rest", but I say rest.

There's no real incentive to win.  If we lose and Milwaukee wins another game, we end up third or fourth, and avoid Brooklyn.  If we lose and Milwaukee loses its remaining games, we'd still have the tiebreaker with Milwaukee and would have home court if we matched up (I think).

[Vermont Green]

I can't vote on this because my head tells me to rest everyone, but my fear of bad karma says go for the win.

I understand fully.  You are clearly a true local Boston sports fan.  You are right to not want to mess with the karma, however irrational that may seem to a non-sports fan.

[Moranis]

isn't the 1 seed still in play?

[Vermont Green]

There's probably a middle ground between "all out" and "rest", but I say rest.

There's no real incentive to win.  If we lose and Milwaukee wins another game, we end up third or fourth, and avoid Brooklyn.  If we lose and Milwaukee loses its remaining games, we'd still have the tiebreaker with Milwaukee and would have home court if we matched up (I think).

I was being somewhat hyperbolic, to imply "all in" but that choice is intended to mean treat it like a big game that you want to win.  If someone twists their ankle, you aren't going to leave them out there like you might in a game 7.  But short of that, you play to win.

[libermaniac]

What would Brian Flores have to say?

[celts55]

I'd still very much like to have HCA in a potential 2nd round series against MIL.  Potential BKN matchup be [dang]ed.

And maybe finals. I’m not sold on Miami making it that far.
Also, we’re not sure who can play in away games if they get Toronto.
Got to beat the best to be the best

[Roy H.]

isn't the 1 seed still in play?

Technically, but what are the chances that Miami loses to Atlanta and Orlando to end the season?

[gift]

isn't the 1 seed still in play?

Technically, but what are the chances that Miami loses to Atlanta and Orlando to end the season?

Can we tell Jimmy Butler that Spoelstra does want to fight him now?

[SparzWizard]

No-brainer....just rest. Otherwise risk a potential injury to one of our key players and we're screwed.

If teams want to win championships, they need to learn to win on the road. That being said, give them a smooth-sailing matchup in the first round at least.

[mobilija]

Go for the win, just don't be stupid about it.
The 2 seed isn't the end all be all, but could be nice.
Also, not afraid of the Nets. We should beat them.

Want to add, it's not really in our control, so many other games and how those teams act could make it all moot. Just play the games in front of you and keep the mojo.

Either way tonite shakes out, good chance to rest on last game. so...what's 1 more game?

[bdm860]

This one is complicated, I see a couple of wrinkles here.

Beating the Bucks helps you get home court over them in the 2nd round, which will be important in what should be a brutal series.

But playing hard against the Bucks now, showing them your hand, could also help the Bucks game plan better for a playoff series.  Ime is from the Pop coaching tree after all.  Show the Bucks your hand tonight and get home court, but also allow the Bucks to better game plan and adjust and steal a potential Game 1 in Round 2.

And then there's the play-in games.  I'm less worried about the 1st round opponent (but actually think the variability of who you could play makes things interesting, and harder for top teams to position themselves for a particular opponent, which is a positive for keeping the play-in series around).  But the play-in games gives the top 1-6 teams a week off.  Do you really want to rest guys when you're about to get a week off, or do you want to keep everyone as sharp as possible?

So I think play hard tonight (and Sunday) to keep guys sharp, but don't treat it like a Game 7 (to not show your hand, so don't do things like play Tatum 45 minutes trying to get the win, or reveal your strategy to slow down Giannis).  Keep hope alive for #1, and then your week off and get your rest then.

[angryguy77]

Said this in another thread. If we rest, Ime is telling the guys we are not good enough to take on the nets. This is playing not to lose rather than playing to win. If Brooklyn is that much of a juggernaut, then it doesn't matter when we play them, they will eventually get to us. Further, HCA is huge in this sport.
 
What if we get to the finals and lose out to having HCA because we were too afraid to play the Nets?

If seeding isn't that important then we should have been resting guys for months.