Of Course...(our rotation hasn't played together)

[ScoobyDoo]

Of course, lost in all the frustration with yesterday's loss is the fact that our core 8-9 man rotation has yet to play in more than 2 games together for the entire season.

I, for one, will refuse to write these guys off until I see them play together for at least a good stretch of 10-15 games and I'd then like to see what the record is over those 10-15 games as a complete unit.

I just see the team's issues as two fold, and it doesn't have to do with age to me, I don't buy that.

1. It's health. How can you possibly gain any continuity and rhytym as a team, which in turn fosters confidence and swagger as a team, if you've never played mroe the 2 games together as a cohesive unit?

So, I have confidence if that happens, we may all feel a big different. Because, we played as an complete unit starting off after the all star break and we looked pretty good. However, by the Denver game, Pierce was really struggling with the hand and has missed both the Cleveland and NJ games. And I think that perhpas both of those games may have tunred out differently with Pierce in the game.

We may have still lost the Cavs game, but not that way and we would have won the NJ game, I'm pretty sure of that.

So, we'd have been at 5-2 over seven, having lost the 4th game of a road trip to a very good team and a close one at home to the team with the ebst record in the league just as we are getting our full unit rolling together for the first time in 2010.

We would have been 5-2 and "moving in the right direction"...   

2. Doc is another HUGE question mark for me though. I think the players, if they become complete as a unit, can get there. But I do fear, as many here to, that Doc may well prevent them from being the best they can be.

This being said, let's remain optimistic unti they can at least play 10-15 games together as a complete unit.   

[KungPoweChicken]

I'm on board for Jeff Van Gundy.

[vinnie]

Please with the excuses. They should have been able to beat the Nets by 20 points yesterday without the captain. I believe that when they won by 30 plus in New Jersey that Garnett was not playing (or one of the top players was out). It is simply ludicrous to excuse a loss to the Nets, regardless of who was missing.

On another note, what does having the core of 8-9 players play together have to do with the fact that this team is the worst rebounding club in the league? That it constantly stands around and watches the opposition get to the ball before it does. What does it have to do with the fact that they appear not to care or try in many games? What does it have to do with the fact that they have lost 12 double-digit leads since Christmas? Sorry, but the answer to all of these questions is nothing.

I will remain optimistic that Danny will get off to a good start this summer in changing the makeup and direction of this team.

[PLamb]

Of course, lost in all the frustration with yesterday's loss is the fact that our core 8-9 man rotation has yet to play in more than 2 games together for the entire season.

I, for one, will refuse to write these guys off until I see them play together for at least a good stretch of 10-15 games and I'd then like to see what the record is over those 10-15 games as a complete unit.

I just see the team's issues as two fold, and it doesn't have to do with age to me, I don't buy that.

1. It's health. How can you possibly gain any continuity and rhytym as a team, which in turn fosters confidence and swagger as a team, if you've never played mroe the 2 games together as a cohesive unit?

So, I have confidence if that happens, we may all feel a big different. Because, we played as an complete unit starting off after the all star break and we looked pretty good. However, by the Denver game, Pierce was really struggling with the hand and has missed both the Cleveland and NJ games. And I think that perhpas both of those games may have tunred out differently with Pierce in the game.

We may have still lost the Cavs game, but not that way and we would have won the NJ game, I'm pretty sure of that.

So, we'd have been at 5-2 over seven, having lost the 4th game of a road trip to a very good team and a close one at home to the team with the ebst record in the league just as we are getting our full unit rolling together for the first time in 2010.

We would have been 5-2 and "moving in the right direction"...   

2. Doc is another HUGE question mark for me though. I think the players, if they become complete as a unit, can get there. But I do fear, as many here to, that Doc may well prevent them from being the best they can be.

This being said, let's remain optimistic unti they can at least play 10-15 games together as a complete unit.   

What will you have to say if what happens is 10 games from now after going 5-5 after yet another stretch of mediocre efforts and long stretches of offensive ineptitude and defensive lapses, the team only has 15 games left and their next 9 games are the following:

@ Houston
@ Dallas
@ Utah
Denver
Sacramento
San Antonio
Oklahoma City
Houston
Cleveland

What then?

You'll have 15 games left and one of the more brutal 9 game stretches to play of the entire season

There's only so long you can say "once we get all the guys together healthy and gel for 15 games or so" before the season runs out of 15 game stretches

I will be routing for the best but my expectations have been severely lowered since November 1st, 2009

I will hope for the best but if the worst happens, it's not going to surprise or devastate me

Not anymore

[ScoobyDoo]

Yeah, I hear you, but I'm still gonna stay with this unit and give them the benefit of the doubt until they can get whole and hopefully on a roll into the playoffs. I still think they have the potential to win it all if they can get right.

I'm more worried about Doc's ability to manage the team than I am about how good I think they will be if they can get whole.

They brought me #17 after 20 years of pain, I'm not giving up on them yet.

Now, if they do get whole and still are stinking up the joint, I agree, move in a differnt direction this off season.

[ScoobyDoo]

If they do get whole and can play together for 10-15 straight games and they are still stinking it up big time and are not clearly gaining momentum, then I'm with Vinnie, I agree.

But unitl then, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and supporting them.

I just want to seem them fully healthy and playing for 10-15 straight games before I write them off.

All cars drive better and for longer periods of time with good tires and a full tank of gas.     

[BballTim]

Please with the excuses. They should have been able to beat the Nets by 20 points yesterday without the captain. I believe that when they won by 30 plus in New Jersey that Garnett was not playing (or one of the top players was out). It is simply ludicrous to excuse a loss to the Nets, regardless of who was missing.

On another note, what does having the core of 8-9 players play together have to do with the fact that this team is the worst rebounding club in the league? That it constantly stands around and watches the opposition get to the ball before it does. What does it have to do with the fact that they appear not to care or try in many games? What does it have to do with the fact that they have lost 12 double-digit leads since Christmas? Sorry, but the answer to all of these questions is nothing.

I will remain optimistic that Danny will get off to a good start this summer in changing the makeup and direction of this team.

  We're not the worst rebounding team in the league.

[BballTim]

  BTW, could the mods start deleting threads that don't have titles that explain what the thread is about?

[Redz]

  BTW, could the mods start deleting threads that don't have titles that explain what the thread is about?

fixed...no need to delete, just add something to the title that gives some meaning.

[Redz]

And this was the one "non-sarcastic" excuse I gave on the "excuse" thread yesterday.  We really have not had the full complement.

Between KG, PP, Daniels, and Baby we've had at least one key guy out at just about any given point.

[PLamb]

Please with the excuses. They should have been able to beat the Nets by 20 points yesterday without the captain. I believe that when they won by 30 plus in New Jersey that Garnett was not playing (or one of the top players was out). It is simply ludicrous to excuse a loss to the Nets, regardless of who was missing.

On another note, what does having the core of 8-9 players play together have to do with the fact that this team is the worst rebounding club in the league? That it constantly stands around and watches the opposition get to the ball before it does. What does it have to do with the fact that they appear not to care or try in many games? What does it have to do with the fact that they have lost 12 double-digit leads since Christmas? Sorry, but the answer to all of these questions is nothing.

I will remain optimistic that Danny will get off to a good start this summer in changing the makeup and direction of this team.

  We're not the worst rebounding team in the league.

Well we are tied for last in rebounds per game as a team, 23rd in rebounding differential, 28th in offensive rebounding rate, last in offensive rebounds per game, and 23rd in total rebounding rate

We may not be the absolute worst rebounding team in the league, but we are [dang] close to it

[vinnie]

Please with the excuses. They should have been able to beat the Nets by 20 points yesterday without the captain. I believe that when they won by 30 plus in New Jersey that Garnett was not playing (or one of the top players was out). It is simply ludicrous to excuse a loss to the Nets, regardless of who was missing.

On another note, what does having the core of 8-9 players play together have to do with the fact that this team is the worst rebounding club in the league? That it constantly stands around and watches the opposition get to the ball before it does. What does it have to do with the fact that they appear not to care or try in many games? What does it have to do with the fact that they have lost 12 double-digit leads since Christmas? Sorry, but the answer to all of these questions is nothing.

I will remain optimistic that Danny will get off to a good start this summer in changing the makeup and direction of this team.

  We're not the worst rebounding team in the league.

Well we are tied for last in rebounds per game as a team, 23rd in rebounding differential, 28th in offensive rebounding rate, last in offensive rebounds per game, and 23rd in total rebounding rate

We may not be the absolute worst rebounding team in the league, but we are [dang] close to it

Thanks for clearing that up PLamb. We are one of the worst rebounding teams in the league. TP for you.

[BballTim]

Please with the excuses. They should have been able to beat the Nets by 20 points yesterday without the captain. I believe that when they won by 30 plus in New Jersey that Garnett was not playing (or one of the top players was out). It is simply ludicrous to excuse a loss to the Nets, regardless of who was missing.

On another note, what does having the core of 8-9 players play together have to do with the fact that this team is the worst rebounding club in the league? That it constantly stands around and watches the opposition get to the ball before it does. What does it have to do with the fact that they appear not to care or try in many games? What does it have to do with the fact that they have lost 12 double-digit leads since Christmas? Sorry, but the answer to all of these questions is nothing.

I will remain optimistic that Danny will get off to a good start this summer in changing the makeup and direction of this team.

  We're not the worst rebounding team in the league.

Well we are tied for last in rebounds per game as a team, 23rd in rebounding differential, 28th in offensive rebounding rate, last in offensive rebounds per game, and 23rd in total rebounding rate

We may not be the absolute worst rebounding team in the league, but we are [dang] close to it

  True, we're 23rd, but if we grab one more rebound a game we'd be 12th. If we grabbed another 2 boards a game we'd be 3rd. Is getting 1-2 more rebounds a game going to solve our problems?

[PLamb]

Please with the excuses. They should have been able to beat the Nets by 20 points yesterday without the captain. I believe that when they won by 30 plus in New Jersey that Garnett was not playing (or one of the top players was out). It is simply ludicrous to excuse a loss to the Nets, regardless of who was missing.

On another note, what does having the core of 8-9 players play together have to do with the fact that this team is the worst rebounding club in the league? That it constantly stands around and watches the opposition get to the ball before it does. What does it have to do with the fact that they appear not to care or try in many games? What does it have to do with the fact that they have lost 12 double-digit leads since Christmas? Sorry, but the answer to all of these questions is nothing.

I will remain optimistic that Danny will get off to a good start this summer in changing the makeup and direction of this team.

  We're not the worst rebounding team in the league.

Well we are tied for last in rebounds per game as a team, 23rd in rebounding differential, 28th in offensive rebounding rate, last in offensive rebounds per game, and 23rd in total rebounding rate

We may not be the absolute worst rebounding team in the league, but we are [dang] close to it

  True, we're 23rd, but if we grab one more rebound a game we'd be 12th. If we grabbed another 2 boards a game we'd be 3rd. Is getting 1-2 more rebounds a game going to solve our problems?

It would solve one of our problems

[twinbree]

This is a legitimate issue and while being healthy would have improved our play I don't think it would have solved all our problems. The team has a lot of weaknesses to work on beyond getting healthy. Even if we had the full roster active and giving 100% effort every night I'm not sure we'd be playing at an elite level.