Can someone tell me...(mins. rant)

[ScoobyDoo]

...Why our entire starting five was in the game 3/4 of the way through the 3rd quarter of the new Jersey game with the score 75-45 on the first game of a back to back and the 4th game of 5 games in 7 nights?

What is that? What is it? It's the most moronic thing I've ever seen. It's like you have brain cells missing or something. I can't comprehend it.

I am quite confident that a lineup of Shelden, Baby, Scal, TA & House could have sqeaked out that win. A perfect time to get the subs more run and have them figure out to work things out together.

And if they couldn't win the game with a 30 point lead and one quyarter to play, I would have let them loose it.

It's just a great time to get your guys rest, get them rested for Chicago...win the Chicago game and take a three day break after this little stretch.

And had we won the Chicago game, I'd ask the same questions. The only things you might have achieved by playing your starting unit in that case are:

1. Exhausting them
2. Getting one of them injured

I just don't get that. I never have with Doc.

Whyat not put pressure on the second unit and force them to feel the pressure and pull it out if they screw it up. Helps them grow, mature. Not that I thought there was a snowball's chance in he!! they could lose a 30 point lead.

Thoughts?   

[Bahku]

...Why our entire starting five was in the game 3/4 of the way through the 3rd quarter of the new Jersey game with the score 75-45 on the first game of a back to back and the 4th game of 5 games in 7 nights?

What is that? What is it? It's the most moronic thing I've ever seen. It's like you have brain cells missing or something. I can't comprehend it.

I am quite confident that a lineup of Shelden, Baby, Scal, TA & House could have sqeaked out that win. A perfect time to get the subs more run and have them figure out to work things out together.

And if they couldn't win the game with a 30 point lead and one quyarter to play, I would have let them loose it.

It's just a great time to get your guys rest, get them rested for Chicago...win the Chicago game and take a three day break after this little stretch.

And had we won the Chicago game, I'd ask the same questions. The only things you might have achieved by playing your starting unit in that case are:

1. Exhausting them
2. Getting one of them injured

I just don't get that. I never have with Doc.

Whyat not put pressure on the second unit and force them to feel the pressure and pull it out if they screw it up. Helps them grow, mature. Not that I thought there was a snowball's chance in he!! they could lose a 30 point lead.

Thoughts?   

I agree that another rotation would be smarter, but I think with Doc it's a conditioning thing and a "No matter what, do not play the young guys too long" philosophy that he's had forever. I don't agree with it, but what can we do? The dichotomy for me is how does he justify giving the Big Three games off at the end of the season to "rest and prepare" and yet run a rotation like you've questioned here? Seems to me there could be a happier medium.

[ScoobyDoo]

Yeah, I hear you Bahku, you're right re Doc. I "kind of get the  conditioning aspect" if that is Doc's reasoning. But form my perspective, I'd just trust that my guys are conditioned enough and a few less minutes on a blow out night, isn't going to turn them inot geriatrics you know...

I'd place more value on getting particularly Paul and Ray more rest, accumulation sometimes leads to bigger problems or long term fatique like hit Ray and Paul in the playoffs last year.

[ScoobyDoo]

Out of curiosity, who put the (mins. rant) on my post? That's the second time one of my posts has been edited, had somethign added to it?

[Fafnir]

Out of curiosity, who put the (mins. rant) on my post? That's the second time one of my posts has been edited, had somethign added to it?

IP did it, it was to make your thread title clearer. Somebody tell me.... doesn't make what you're talking about clear to a someone thinking about clicking a link to your thread.

[ScoobyDoo]

Got it, thanks and noted moving forward.

[Celtics18]

The starters played horribly in the srd quarter of the Nets game.  I was calling for substitutions just to stem the tide, never mind rest.

[housecall]

...Why our entire starting five was in the game 3/4 of the way through the 3rd quarter of the new Jersey game with the score 75-45 on the first game of a back to back and the 4th game of 5 games in 7 nights?

What is that? What is it? It's the most moronic thing I've ever seen. It's like you have brain cells missing or something. I can't comprehend it.

I am quite confident that a lineup of Shelden, Baby, Scal, TA & House could have sqeaked out that win. A perfect time to get the subs more run and have them figure out to work things out together.

And if they couldn't win the game with a 30 point lead and one quyarter to play, I would have let them loose it.

It's just a great time to get your guys rest, get them rested for Chicago...win the Chicago game and take a three day break after this little stretch.

And had we won the Chicago game, I'd ask the same questions. The only things you might have achieved by playing your starting unit in that case are:

1. Exhausting them
2. Getting one of them injured

I just don't get that. I never have with Doc.

Whyat not put pressure on the second unit and force them to feel the pressure and pull it out if they screw it up. Helps them grow, mature. Not that I thought there was a snowball's chance in he!! they could lose a 30 point lead.

Thoughts?   

I feel some of the same way as you here.To show you how a coach who thinks outside of the box and doesn't always stick to the same script all the time and it works,example:a few nights ago the Spurs played the Lakers at home,what Pop knew would probably be a hard fought,grueling game.Tim Duncan played most of the minutes.The next night on a back to back aganist the Kings on the road where he used the rookie Blair aganist the younger,more athletic team.Blair went off and had a monster night,both scoring and rebounding.Doc(imo)could have used Pierce situational.He didn't need to start him the second half or used him in case the Nets got back in the game.           

[Slugger]

They are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world.

5-10 minutes extra per game isnt going to kill them.  What would wear on the body is the amount of travelling time.

[ScoobyDoo]

Yeah, exactly what I am talking about Celtics18. By Pop doing that he accomplishes two very important things.

1. He gets his starters much needed rest. Perhpas not a bad idea with Rondo recently struggling with a hammy and Pierce hobbling around on his knee...having just come off a knee issue.

2. Great, great opportunity to get your second unit more run. I'm just a big beleiver in the more minutes you get your second unit the better they'll get as a unit and the more that weill payoff down the road in the playoffs, if you need to lean on that second unit heavily. I knwo growth comes in practice too, but there is no growth experience that can equal that which you get from live game playing time.

3. baby's out of shape, a good 35 minute night would do him some good, let Tony keep burning it up, building confidence. JR, Bill, great opp to let them try to build some confidence, etc...

Meanwhile, I agree Slugger with what you say about their conditioning. At the same time I also put stock in what Bird and McHale said after retiring, that all the hard minutes, the long minutes added up. That Bird said people told him he couldn't play that many hard minutes every night, it would catch up with him and end his career sooner than necessary. He said he realised they were right at the end of his career.

They are supremely conditioned athletes, but minute are minutes. Mercedes and BMW's also retire, but they'l;l hit the junkyard sooner the harder they're driven.

I'm jsut a big believer in getting your 13, 14 and 15 year hall of famers all the rest you can when the opportunity presents itself. A 30 point lead starting the second half is a good example of such an opportunity.

There will be plenty of other nights when playign them heeavy minutes will be warranted. For example; against Cleveland or Atlanta or Orlando at the end of the season when homecourt is at stake. I'll take them rested for that game and play them all 48 minutes each if it means we get homecourt with the win.

     

[Fan from VT]

They are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world.

5-10 minutes extra per game isnt going to kill them.  What would wear on the body is the amount of travelling time.

kind of like sailing straight for the iceberg while smugly claiming that "this is the best built boat in the world. It SHOULD be fine."

[wdleehi]

They are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world.

5-10 minutes extra per game isnt going to kill them.  What would wear on the body is the amount of travelling time.

kind of like sailing straight for the iceberg while smugly claiming that "this is the best built boat in the world. It SHOULD be fine."

To many minutes is an issue for older teams.  Tired legs make for tough playoff series. 


With that said, it is tough right now with the number of key injuries. 

This is why I really want to see the end of the bench filled with limited NBA players that could step in and play limited minutes when injuries happen instead of higher potential players (not that I think the end of the Celtics bench has high potential) that can not be trusted on the floor, even in blowouts. 

[More Banners]

This is why I really want to see the end of the bench filled with limited NBA players that could step in and play limited minutes when injuries happen instead of higher potential players (not that I think the end of the Celtics bench has high potential) that can not be trusted on the floor, even in blowouts. 

Agreed 100%.  I'd rather have Bruce Bowen's ghost on the bench cheering, and occasionally playing 10 minutes than have Giddens, Walker, Hudson, or anyone else with "potential" or "upside" that isn't ready to play.  They're not helping us win games.  I understand wanting to develop assets, but still...

Walker and Hudson, as 2nd rounders, shouldn't have been signed.  They should have been picked, then let go to play in Europe or the D-League to develop while we retained their rights.  Why pay them if you can't play them?  Practice bodies?  What good is it practicing against players that don't belong the in the NBA yet?

[wdleehi]

This is why I really want to see the end of the bench filled with limited NBA players that could step in and play limited minutes when injuries happen instead of higher potential players (not that I think the end of the Celtics bench has high potential) that can not be trusted on the floor, even in blowouts. 

Agreed 100%.  I'd rather have Bruce Bowen's ghost on the bench cheering, and occasionally playing 10 minutes than have Giddens, Walker, Hudson, or anyone else with "potential" or "upside" that isn't ready to play.  They're not helping us win games.  I understand wanting to develop assets, but still...

Walker and Hudson, as 2nd rounders, shouldn't have been signed.  They should have been picked, then let go to play in Europe or the D-League to develop while we retained their rights.  Why pay them if you can't play them?  Practice bodies?  What good is it practicing against players that don't belong the in the NBA yet?

Not to mention, I don't think their upside is much more then the end of the bench NBA players that could have been signed in the offseason at min salaries.

[mmbaby]

Great OP, Scooby! My thoughts exactly and am glad to see it posted here.