Should Celtics lose their last two games?

[misha]

I would rather go to the playoffs with a good momentum. I don't like all the losing intentionally talk. Some things are beyond picking one spot higher in the draft.

[EJPLAYA]

I would rather go to the playoffs with a good momentum. I don't like all the losing intentionally talk. Some thing are beyond picking one spot higher in the draft.

Winning a couple more games against the Bulls and Bucks does NOT give us momentum. We are so far away from momentum that a couple scrub wins aren't going to do anything for us.

[nickagneta]

Here's my worry, that the Celtics won't rest starters, they will make a concerted attempt to win both games but won't because:

...they didn't give an effort.
...they are too old.
...they are too unathletic.
...they are too hurt and injured.
...they are different players with different agendas.
...they just are not good enough.
...they're bored.
...the other team just beat them.
...the crowd is too fair weather.

Whatever.

I think I would rather have them lose knowing they were trying to accomplish something in losing than to lose while trying and leave a ton of doubt about what the future holds because they tried and failed.

Is that strange?

[Bahku]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

[Redz]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

Not even for Greg Oden?

[Bahku]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

Not even for Greg Oden?

Hate to be trite, but wrong is wrong, and "unethical" is not a conditional term ... just my opinion, of course.

[EJPLAYA]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

I don't think anyone is saying put the best players out there and ask them to play poorly and lose. What we are saying is sit the starting 5 and let the bench try their best to get into the kind of groove they will need to in order for us to have a chance in the playoffs. Trying to win with your second squad is fine. I agree playing regular minutes and trying to lose is wrong.

[Bahku]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

I don't think anyone is saying put the best players out there and ask them to play poorly and lose. What we are saying is sit the starting 5 and let the bench try their best to get into the kind of groove they will need to in order for us to have a chance in the playoffs. Trying to win with your second squad is fine. I agree playing regular minutes and trying to lose is wrong.

Good luck getting Paul to sit ... he HATES to be "rested" from games, and plays every game to win. To ask a player like him to do otherwise, or make compromises on his level of commitment, is just wrong. Just plain forfeiting the game would do far less damage than losing intentionally ... in many respects. If you're not going out on the floor to win, you shouldn't go at all.

[More Banners]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

I don't think anyone is saying put the best players out there and ask them to play poorly and lose. What we are saying is sit the starting 5 and let the bench try their best to get into the kind of groove they will need to in order for us to have a chance in the playoffs. Trying to win with your second squad is fine. I agree playing regular minutes and trying to lose is wrong.

Right.  What I thought was that, going into the playoffs, giving the starters some rest to get ready, and giving the bench some run (including, ahem, Scal) so they'll be a bit more sharp when called upon is a pretty good idea.  Yeah, we'd have a better chance of winning the game with the startes playing 36 minutes each, but it's okay to give other guys some run at this stage, too.

[Bahku]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

I don't think anyone is saying put the best players out there and ask them to play poorly and lose. What we are saying is sit the starting 5 and let the bench try their best to get into the kind of groove they will need to in order for us to have a chance in the playoffs. Trying to win with your second squad is fine. I agree playing regular minutes and trying to lose is wrong.

Right.  What I thought was that, going into the playoffs, giving the starters some rest to get ready, and giving the bench some run (including, ahem, Scal) so they'll be a bit more sharp when called upon is a pretty good idea.  Yeah, we'd have a better chance of winning the game with the startes playing 36 minutes each, but it's okay to give other guys some run at this stage, too.

Pierce has said it many times, that he plays WORSE when he's been rested, and wants to play every game to get into a rhythm ... are you going to ignore the advice of your star player anyway? Makes no sense at all.

[Redz]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

Not even for Greg Oden?

Hate to be trite, but wrong is wrong, and "unethical" is not a conditional term ... just my opinion, of course.

What about playing checkers against a 3 year old? 

Is it really unethical to better your position for the long haul by resting in the short haul?

[Bahku]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

Not even for Greg Oden?

Hate to be trite, but wrong is wrong, and "unethical" is not a conditional term ... just my opinion, of course.

What about playing checkers against a 3 year old? 

Is it really unethical to better your position for the long haul by resting in the short haul?

You should probably ask all the fans who are paying big bucks for tickets to see their team win that night ... somehow I think they might take exception to the team throwing the game and not playing their stars. I think the checkers thing is a very unrealistic comparison, as nobody's losing any money in the process. This game is about the fans ... period. We as fans are the ones who pay the big money for these players to do their best night after night, and if a team goes on the floor to not give their all, or to throw a game, then they're just plain screwing everyone who buys a ticket.

[Roy Hobbs]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

Not even for Greg Oden?

Hate to be trite, but wrong is wrong, and "unethical" is not a conditional term ... just my opinion, of course.

What about playing checkers against a 3 year old? 

Is it really unethical to better your position for the long haul by resting in the short haul?

You should probably ask all the fans who are paying big bucks for tickets to see their team win that night ... somehow I think they might take exception to the team throwing the game and not playing their stars.

I hear what you're saying, although I think a lot of the paying fans in '06-'07 were actively rooting for us to lose.  Also, I disagree with any argument (and I don't think you're saying this) that the team should play every game to win at all costs.  Sometimes, you need to take the long view (i.e., resting players with minor to moderate injuries to preserve their long-term health, even at the expense of losing games; limiting the minutes of vets early in the season to get younger guys playing time and experience for when it counts, etc.)

[Bahku]

Any team or player that doesn't play to win every game, should not be playing at all. Throwing a game, to me, is like lying, and not only demonstrates a major lack of character and integrity, but sets a bad example and precident for the momentum going into the playoffs. I would have no respect for this team if they did what is suggested here.

Not even for Greg Oden?

Hate to be trite, but wrong is wrong, and "unethical" is not a conditional term ... just my opinion, of course.

What about playing checkers against a 3 year old? 

Is it really unethical to better your position for the long haul by resting in the short haul?

You should probably ask all the fans who are paying big bucks for tickets to see their team win that night ... somehow I think they might take exception to the team throwing the game and not playing their stars.

I hear what you're saying, although I think a lot of the paying fans in '06-'07 were actively rooting for us to lose.  Also, I disagree with any argument (and I don't think you're saying this) that the team should play every game to win at all costs.  Sometimes, you need to take the long view (i.e., resting players with minor to moderate injuries to preserve their long-term health, even at the expense of losing games; limiting the minutes of vets early in the season to get younger guys playing time and experience for when it counts, etc.)

Of course there are times when resting certain players is a necessity, but the remaining players, whoever they are, should still be going on the floor to win that game, whether the stars are playing or not. In fact, if I was one of those bench players, I'd be even more motivated to win as a way to prove to the players being rested that the team can win and play at a high level despite their absence. What I'm saying is that I feel it's wrong for any team to go into a game with the mind-set "OK, we're gonna lose this game because of such-and-such as it benefits us a certain way" ... fans are PAYING to see that team play at it's highest level and win if it possibly can, not to just go out on the floor and half-heartedly coast through a game. Personally, if I thought that was happeneing, or if I thought my team was "throwing" a game, I'd want my money back.

[nickagneta]

Sometimes winning at all costs and trying whole heartedly to win every game in a sport with a really long season is counter productive. Players need rest. Sometimes it's in the best interest of the team as a whole to play lesser talented players and possibly lose than it is to play your best all the time and win.

In baseball it's impossible to play every player 162 games and run your closer out there in every closing situation. Basketball is no different.

As for Paul's request to play even when tired because it puts him in a rhythm and he plays better, he is full of stuff. If that were true he wouldn't have complained about being played too much last year when it was pretty obvious he was playing worse because he was tired from playing too much.

Paul is saying the macho thing, the thing he's expected to say but coaches sometimes have to save players from themselves and having a week off to practice and heal up before the playoffs for KG's knee, Paul's whole body, Ray's legs, Perk's legs and Rondo's whatever could be construed as maybe the best thing for this team.

And if they happen not to win the two games, so what. And if they manage to win them, again, so what. they really don't matter in the long run. Healthy stars, good playoff matchups and better draft positioning do matter.

Also, any Celtic fan that says towards the latter half of 2006-07 that they were secretly okay with the Celtics losses, to me, might be being just a tad bit dishonest not only with us but themselves.