Top teams minutes management

[Roy Hobbs]

It's not Pierce's job to manage his minutes, though.  Even Doc has admitted that he's not doing a good job here.  I don't think it's fair to deflect the blame on to Pierce.

(I do think, though, that Danny deserves a modicum of criticism for not having a legit backup 3 on the roster.  Even before the injuries, neither Tony nor Scal was what one would consider an adequate small forward.)

Sadly, I find modicum a bit too kind there, Roy.  Other than that, agreed.   

-sw

I wanted to be conservative, so as not to get the Danny is Infallible crowd on my case.

[Drucci]

It's obvious Ray and Paul are playing way too much minutes since KG's injury. With all the injuries plaguing this team, I don't understand why Doc isn't resting his players and especially his two stars. He says he prefers a 100% healthy KG than the #1 seed in the East, fine. Can't he apply the same way of thinking to Paul and Ray?

Sure, Doc wants to win every game, as the whole team does, but I think he must make up his mind sooner than later.

[nickagneta]

Come on Roy you know as well as I do that Doc has no reins on Pierce and it's pretty much whatever Pierce wants he gets.

Ultimately the blame falls on Doc and he freely admits it, but at least one beat reporter, who I have a lot of respect for and who is in the locker room all the time, admits to being stunned that Pierce went public with his complaint of being tired after repreatedly demanding more minutes so that the team could win and not fall back in the standings.

What choice did Doc have but to go public and admit not managing his minutes very well. I wonder what Pierce would be more upset over, playing the extra minutes he demanded be played, winning games, and being tired or playing 35 MPG while Doc plays rookies and scrubs 7-10 MPG and have the team lose games?

Pierce is not putting his coach in a very good position by coming forth with his staterment of being tired but failing to mention that he specifically asked to be played more.Doc did the right thing and came out publicly deflecting any blame from the player and stopping any possible drama that may have been caused if Doc "No Comment"ed on the situation or told the truth about Pierce's demands.

 

[nickagneta]

And with all that said, as much as I understand why there has been an increase in Ray and Paul's minutes, Doc has done a bad, bad, bad job in some of the games, leaving Ray and Paul in too much after the game had already pretty much been decided.

Doc's mistake, in which I agree along with Steve and Roy, is also very much Danny's mistake, is not forcing the issue. Once Walker was recalled from the NBDL he should have done with him what he did with Baby's outside shot, just stick him out there 7-10 minutes and continuie to tell the kid to not worry about being benched, just go out and play no matter the results. The results might not have been good but by now we would have a much better prepared rookie SF and two stars with less mileage on their legs.

[xmuscularghandix]

It's not Pierce's job to manage his minutes, though.  Even Doc has admitted that he's not doing a good job here.  I don't think it's fair to deflect the blame on to Pierce.

(I do think, though, that Danny deserves a modicum of criticism for not having a legit backup 3 on the roster.  Even before the injuries, neither Tony nor Scal was what one would consider an adequate small forward.)

i think Scal/TA combine to be the perfect backup wing, Scal can guard the bigger/stronger wing players, while TA guards the faster more perimeter based wing players.

[BballTim]

It's not Pierce's job to manage his minutes, though.  Even Doc has admitted that he's not doing a good job here.  I don't think it's fair to deflect the blame on to Pierce.

(I do think, though, that Danny deserves a modicum of criticism for not having a legit backup 3 on the roster.  Even before the injuries, neither Tony nor Scal was what one would consider an adequate small forward.)

  Nobody really likes Tony's game but he was doing a reasonable job as a backup sf.

[thebirdman]

Someone needs to print this out and give it to Doc. I am not kidding! He will kill Paul Pierce!

[Michael Anthony]

PG - Marbury 32, Pruitt 16
SG - Allen 22, House 20, Pruitt 6
SF - Pierce 34, Allen 14
PF - Powe 36, Moore 12
C - Perkins 36, Moore 12

So Doc does not want to play the rookies - not ideal, but not that hard either. This is with Rondo, Garnett, Scalabrine, and Davis out.

[housecall]

It's not Pierce's job to manage his minutes, though.  Even Doc has admitted that he's not doing a good job here.  I don't think it's fair to deflect the blame on to Pierce.

(I do think, though, that Danny deserves a modicum of criticism for not having a legit backup 3 on the roster.  Even before the injuries, neither Tony nor Scal was what one would consider an adequate small forward.)

Sadly, I find modicum a bit too kind there, Roy.  Other than that, agreed.   

-sw

I wanted to be conservative, so as not to get the Danny is Infallible crowd on my case.

agreed,you said what i been thinking for awhile.This problem existed way longer than the injuries happenings...what gets me is,there were a few good role players available for short money in the offseason,one comes to mine R.Mason Jr.xWizards.

[Jaycelt]

 First of all Doc makes the substitutions.  Plain and simple.
Has anyone ever seen Doc send a player on the court to relieve PP and have PP refuse to leave the court?  Of course not.
If that had happened everybody and their brother would be talking about it. 

I also have no doubt that Paul would do anything in his power that he thought would help this team win every single game.
So, sure, it's very possible he's told Doc on more than one occasion that he was fine staying in the game, that he wasn't too gassed.
That's far from demanding playing time. 

Telling the press that you think the team has needs and one of those needs is someone to back him up......then telling Doc he's willing to stay in the game to help the team....are not contradictory remarks.

[nickagneta]

First of all Doc makes the substitutions.  Plain and simple.
Has anyone ever seen Doc send a player on the court to relieve PP and have PP refuse to leave the court?  Of course not.
If that had happened everybody and their brother would be talking about it. 

I also have no doubt that Paul would do anything in his power that he thought would help this team win every single game.
So, sure, it's very possible he's told Doc on more than one occasion that he was fine staying in the game, that he wasn't too gassed.
That's far from demanding playing time. 

Telling the press that you think the team has needs and one of those needs is someone to back him up......then telling Doc he's willing to stay in the game to help the team....are not contradictory remarks.

If it went down that way, which, nobody knows. Pierce could very well have been told during timeouts that he is coming out and pleaded and demanded that he not be taken out so none of us would see this exchange. Not every player-coach disagreement ver playing time is aired like the Carmelo Anthony incident.