Game 7 - Where Starters Play Minutes...

[FallGuy]

Chris Forsberg reports on minutes for tonight.

WITH ONE FINAL GAME, DOC PUSHES MINUTES TO LIMIT

The absence of Kendrick Perkins will force Rivers to shorten his bench that much more as Rasheed Wallace is expected to draw the start in Game 7.

That's likely to leave a rotation leaning primarily on a three-man bench of Glen Davis, Tony Allen, and Nate Robinson, with Shelden Williams, Brian Scalabrine, Michael Finley and Marquis Daniels only utilized in emergency situations. Heck, Rondo might be asked to play the entire 48 if he doesn't get gassed.

"Forty-eight," answered Rivers, when asked about minute limits, though he'd surely stretch that for overtime. "It's funny, with Kevin [Garnett], there's still always a limit with all your players because there's only a limit that they can take and play well. If it's 40 minutes and he can still be productive -- let's say if you played him 42 minutes and it took away from him being productive, then you're playing him too many minutes. We're going to stretch to that limit, I can tell you that. I don't know what that number is, though."

The other wild card is how much Wallace can account for, including whether he can shoulder the typical 25-minute load that Perkins averaged during the postseason. Could Wallace and his balky back log 25-30 minutes?

"It's [Game 7]," said Rivers. "We're hoping he can."

From http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/celtics/post/_/id/4675276/practice-notes-bandage-17

[Andy Jick]

^^ Shocking...

[mgent]

Rondo shouldn't come off the floor.

[looseball]

Rondo shouldn't come off the floor.

Once Rondo goes over 40 minutes, he rests on defense.
To win this game we need 48 minutes of in-your-face defense.  Our bench outplaying their bench will be the difference.

[Hoops]

Rondo shouldn't come off the floor.

Once Rondo goes over 40 minutes, he rests on defense.
To win this game we need 48 minutes of in-your-face defense.  Our bench outplaying their bench will be the difference.

Yeah, this is where the Nate trade has been huge in the playoffs. Nate needs to come in and not just hold down the fort, but he needs to be a spark-plug for 6-10 minutes tonight.

[wdleehi]

This is a key minute juggling game. 


If Wallace starts, Davis needs to come in earlier then usual so Wallace can come back in when KG comes out.  A true three man rotation. 



I am worried about seeing a 4 bench lineup tonight.