Strategy for Bucks Game Tonight (7 Apr 2022)

[cons]

"you play to win the game"!

classic

and appropriate i think

[Vermont Green]

I edited the poll so that the "Go at it Like Game 7" option is more clear that this is figurative, not literal.  People seem to be getting hung up on this wording.

Figurative language is a way of expressing oneself that does not use a word's strict or realistic meaning. Common in comparisons and exaggerations, it's usually used to add creative flourish to written or spoken language or explain a complicated idea.

I didn't think about the "showing your hand" aspect of this.  I don't think that is really an issue.  There is so much film.  It isn't like football where you can have a trick play up your sleeve or something.  MIL knows what we are going to try to do against them and we know what MIL is going to try to do against us.  This choice is more binary to trying to game the standings or not.

[Roy H.]

"you play to win the game"!

classic

and appropriate i think

More accurately, though, you play to win the championship, right?

[Chief]

Rest

It's just the easier path to the finals.

[Donoghus]

In the grand scheme things, this is a really good debate to be having and also illustrates how fortunate we've been as fans the past 3+ months.

It could be much worse.  4 months ago, people were debating fire Ime and replacing him with random European coaches.

[Goldstar88]

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.

Or it’s telling them: if you guys are healthy going into the playoffs you can beat anyone. We already lost Rob and are hopeful that he will be back at some point, but we really can’t risk anyone else in the rotation getting injured at this stage. We are guaranteed a top 4 spot. Health is the #1 priority for the team going into the postseason.

If they rested guys for months, they wouldn’t be in the playoffs.

[Vermont Green]

"you play to win the game"!

classic

and appropriate i think

More accurately, though, you play to win the championship, right?

So are you saying that you think the Celtics should "rest" players tonight because they really need rest and that this one day of rest will impact the ability of the team to win a championship or is the truth really that this "rest" is about gaming the standings to avoid one certain team in the first round?

These are really two different things.  I don't think there are any players that really need to rest or that they won't somehow be ready for the long playoff slog.  This is not what this is about.  It is about whether to try and game the standings or not.

If there is a particular player that actually, legitimately needs rest, that is different.  But even Horford looks just fine.  I don't think he is going to play any differently in game 6 of round 2 based on whether he plays 28 min tonight or 0 min.

I am trying to make this a very binary poll but people keep trying to make this about something else.  I guess this just shows how hard it is to create polling that is unambiguous.

[BMark]

Is there still a concern regarding vaccination status regarding 2 of the starters?  If so, we would want to avoid Toronto.  In order to do this we would most likely have to beat Mil tonight.

[Vermont Green]

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.

Or it’s telling them: if you guys are healthy going into the playoffs you can beat anyone. We already lost Rob and are hopeful that he will be back at some point, but we really can’t risk anyone else in the rotation getting injured at this stage. We are guaranteed a top 4 spot. Health is the #1 priority for the team at this stage.

If they rested guys for months, they wouldn’t be in the playoffs.

So you are saying rest the players because you are afraid that someone will be injured, not as a way to game the standings?

So no starters at all?

This poll is about hearing opinions and gaging the consensus but I have to say that this doesn't make sense to me.  It is true, someone might get injured, roll and ankle, whatever.

[PAOBoston]

You play to win the game, higher seed, home court advantage. If someone is legit hurt, don’t play them. But they should play their starters as on final test and then they can sit or limit everyone in the last game of the year assuming they have the tie breakers etc for 2nd.

[RPGenerate]

Tanking games to avoid the big bad Nets is such a loser mindset, and when's the last time losers won a championship? If we can't beat the Nets with home court advantage, how the hell are you gonna win it all?

[Phantom255x]

Rest.

Make up injuries for everyone tonight. Jaylen has a headache. Smart suffered from a papercut

 

[SHAQATTACK]

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 like this , I think this my feelings too.  …..total armchair coaching I like it.

but that said ! Put yourself in the players shoes …..how would that feel?  ,  this might hurt my mojo , confidence to tell me to sit  “ That I’m not good enough to beat The two skinny mini Nets players.”  …After all. …..if they are THAT good as some on here claim, then your going to have to beat them anyway or they are that good and will represent the East maybe they should win anyhow .

As a FAN  resting them to manipulate the playoffs seems like sound strategy…….but that might not work with minds of young studs ……Lebron is an old fart , avoids playing hard , and this would be his strategy for sure wif all dem ol players on his club….he would do this in heartbeat

But as coach knowing their players ……Smart , White , Jalen may not be the kind of guys to play this strategy out …..to hide from competition ie ….avoid the Nets

I believe in resting  players ….if that is what the player needs or players want  or they volunteer vote for it ……but telling some guys not to play is like messing with their manhood .  LOL ……it might not be a great idea trying to avoid certain teams on purpose. …it would screw with my confidence as player

[johnnygreen]

They should try to win tonight. You absolutely do not mess with karma. Just last week, the Celtics “rested” players in Toronto, and not only did that lose that game, but also lost the next game against Miami. Karma bit them against Miami, and instead of going after the #1 seed now, the team is fighting for second place.

[SHAQATTACK]

They should try to win tonight. You absolutely do not mess with karma. Just last week, the Celtics “rested” players in Toronto, and not only did that lose that game, but also lost the next game against Miami. Karma bit them against Miami, and instead of going after the #1 seed now, the team is fighting for second place.

Yup….they needed to either focus on first place ,  and they wouldn’t be in this situation now …winning Raptors game and Heat should have been a priority.

Instead the Celtics have jockeyed their selves straight into a series with Nets right off the bat .