We coulda used Nate today! Dumb Doc is burning Ray. Stop it!

[connerhenry43]

Isn't game time minutes the responsibility of the assistant coaches to some degree? In the moment it's hard to keep track of minutes while you're directing a team. Are these assistants just not speaking up?

you may have a point, but even sitting at home, no stat  sheet or anything, one could tell ray had been out there a ton.

[clover]

What's going to be fun is watching how Nate spices up the rotations--because we know Doc's going to use him. 

Would it be fair to say that TA-love has died down the last few days and he may take a hit with the minutes once Nate's fully available?

[jr_3421]

What's going to be fun is watching how Nate spices up the rotations--because we know Doc's going to use him. 

Would it be fair to say that TA-love has died down the last few days and he may take a hit with the minutes once Nate's fully available?

I think Tony's defense has been awesome so far. Nobody on the team can replace that.

[dark_lord]

Who are you going to play instead of Ray?  Scal?  Because that's the alternative off the bench - unless you'd rather burn out Pierce, who's already hurt.

Ray played a lot of minutes because he had to - Doc had no other choice.

bingo!

[Roy Hobbs]

Who are you going to play instead of Ray?  Scal?  Because that's the alternative off the bench - unless you'd rather burn out Pierce, who's already hurt.

Ray played a lot of minutes because he had to - Doc had no other choice.

bingo!

I respect both of your opinions, but why couldn't Daniels or Tony fill the void for a few more minutes?  They were both below 20.

[FatjohnReturns]

Who are you going to play instead of Ray?  Scal?  Because that's the alternative off the bench - unless you'd rather burn out Pierce, who's already hurt.

Ray played a lot of minutes because he had to - Doc had no other choice.

How about more minutes for Tony?

[cdif911]

they should really be tanking, John Wall's gonna be a nice player...how dare they try to win 

Glad to see another big picture guy here, just like Doc. Amazing how I predicted your's and I'm sure other Doc apologists'comments that will be similar. Of course coaches should try to win games. My point was the question :at what cost? Is burning Ray in this game just like he did in that terrible post-christmas stretch worth having a chance to win an individual game? I don't think so. And to characterize my post as that Doc should not try to win the game is shortsighted at best and a specious construct to feed your sarcasm at worst.

specious, almost had to look that one up...

minutes are overrated in a game to game context; the marginal impact of 5 or 6 extra minutes in a game the team thought was winnable and is finishing a west coast stretch does not destroy the season; that's the big picture.  A win however keeps the good things going. Have you noticed a new sparkle in KG's eyes, a new intensity around the horn? I have.  And if my coach says guys, we're going to take tonight off because this game isn't important, that's when I stop listening.

[looseball]

It seems like in the games Ray Allen plays over 40 minutes we lose.  So what's gained from doing it?

[cdif911]

What's going to be fun is watching how Nate spices up the rotations--because we know Doc's going to use him. 

Would it be fair to say that TA-love has died down the last few days and he may take a hit with the minutes once Nate's fully available?

One thing to note is TA is not a good insert for defense, take out on offense guy.  He does need a rhythm, and it's unfair to expect he can instantly shut down other guys after riding the bench for 20+ minutes.  Personally I say give Nate the ball; I've never been a TA fan, but if it doesn't work, he's not a bad guy to have as 10 or 11 on your depth chart (as someone else said)

[cdif911]

It seems like in the games Ray Allen plays over 40 minutes we lose.  So what's gained from doing it?

ok let's find out

Ray has played in 19 games this season at 40 or more minutes
Celtics have won 12 of them.  First part of the season, up until New Years it was 9 for 11; last part of the season 3 for 8. Is this Ray's fault, or the fact that KG is just getting healthy, PP has been out for an extended amount of time, and the team in general has been worse?

[PLamb]

Ray Allen is in unbelievable shape and been your best player for most of the year and he's only averaging 36 minutes a game

Ray is in unbelievable shape, but I don't think "only" 36 minutes per night is acceptable.  As I think you've pointed out before, guards generally decline fairly sharply as they age. 

True, but since we are going on what I believe and have said in the past, I also believe this is and should be Ray's last year in Boston so, use him up

Win every game

If he's hot keep him in there

Run him into the ground

What do I care, he won't be here next year

He's healthy, he can play 36 MPG at a high level and we didn't really have a better option today(Tony was awful and Daniels should really have been spelling Pierce not Ray), so play him if you need him

[BudweiserCeltic]

Good article here on the situation:
http://espn.go.com/boston/story?id=4934632&campaign=rss&source=BOSTONHeadlines&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[dark_lord]

Who are you going to play instead of Ray?  Scal?  Because that's the alternative off the bench - unless you'd rather burn out Pierce, who's already hurt.

Ray played a lot of minutes because he had to - Doc had no other choice.

bingo!

I respect both of your opinions, but why couldn't Daniels or Tony fill the void for a few more minutes?  They were both below 20.

daniels was relieving rondo and pierce....while tony, well, played like tony

also, ray's offense was consistent......and in that game, consistency mattered.  id prefer ray to play a little less, but under today's circumstances, i have no problem with him playing the minutes he did.

[FatjohnReturns]

Good article here on the situation:
http://espn.go.com/boston/story?id=4934632&campaign=rss&source=BOSTONHeadlines&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Yea I understand he is banged up. Why is he playing? Tony plays well with the starting unit. Why cant he sit until he is more healed?

[RJ87]

Ray Allen is in unbelievable shape and been your best player for most of the year and he's only averaging 36 minutes a game

Ray is in unbelievable shape, but I don't think "only" 36 minutes per night is acceptable.  As I think you've pointed out before, guards generally decline fairly sharply as they age.  Since we're going with Ray for the rest of the season, I think he needs to have his minutes limited so that he's fresh for the playoffs.

Obviously, Ray has aged over the past three years, and yet he's playing more minutes now than he did in his prior two years in Boston.  I think Doc needs to do a better job keeping his playing time down.

I can't blame Doc too much when Nate is unavailable and Pierce is obviously injured, but Daniels played 18 minutes and Tony played 14.  If Doc had wanted to, he easily could have gotten Ray some rest.

Doc COULD HAVE gotten Ray more rest but because he was the one keeping us in the game, Doc decided to go for the win. I can never blame a coach for that.

I can blame a coach for that, when the player in question was injured going into the playoffs last year, and when Paul indicated that he and Ray they weren't getting enough rest in the past.  I think a coach needs to consider the big picture, as well as winning individual games.

I typically would agree with this, but then I think about what going 4-0 on this roadtrip would have meant to this team's psyche and I could see why Doc opted to go "all-in."

Even though it wasn't a playoff game, I think today's game was really important for our restart this season. Now, if we get Nate up and running and we're still burning Ray then I'll be far more concerned.