Typical Doc, or is JJJ going to be traded?

[OhioGreen]

For a guy who has been getting considerable regular minutes lately, I found it very unusual that JJJ didn't sniff the court last nite!  True BB was back, but JO still out, and this WAS the Cavs!

Is this just Doc reverting to his stubborn, "if I'm going down, I'm going with my veterans" crap, or has JJJ already been included in a imminent trade?

I hope it's just Doc, cause I think JJJ is gonna turn out to be an outstanding player eventually.  Don't want to see him go just to bring in some veteran role player to add to the pipe dream of this team making a title run!

[Celtics4ever]

I would not read too much into it.   Bass was back.

[JBcat]

Not only was bass out but so wasn't Wilcox for some games.  I like the 3 man rotation with Wilcox, kg, and bass. Not sure if jjj is there yet defensively to get consistent rotation minutes.

[OhioGreen]

Not only was bass out but so wasn't Wilcox for some games.  I like the 3 man rotation with Wilcox, kg, and bass. Not sure if jjj is there yet defensively to get consistent rotation minutes.

Hope you're right, but I'd expect him to at least get a 5-8 min run, just to keep him progressing forward!

[hwangjini_1]

For a guy who has been getting considerable regular minutes lately, I found it very unusual that JJJ didn't sniff the court last nite!  True BB was back, but JO still out, and this WAS the Cavs!

Is this just Doc reverting to his stubborn, "if I'm going down, I'm going with my veterans" crap, or has JJJ already been included in a imminent trade?

I hope it's just Doc, cause I think JJJ is gonna turn out to be an outstanding player eventually.  Don't want to see him go just to bring in some veteran role player to add to the pipe dream of this team making a title run!

given the number of times the myth about doc not playing rookies due to some pathological tendency has been disproven on this board, i have to wonder why folks continue to invoke it uncritically.

rather than adhering to a belief that doc believes rookies should not play (and how would one account for bradley's 15:34 last night?) we might want to see what other factors might have come into play.

i am not saying any of the below are THE reason, i am simply speculating...

- did 3j simply had a lousy practice or put himself in doc's doghouse somehow?

- did doc believe that in a very, very close game it was better to go with bass and wilcox, both of whom were playing well and getting rebounds? (bass =7 rbs; wilcox = 11 rebs)?

- 3j was maybe tired/hurt/less than 100%?

- doc believes other players would have matched up better with the cav forwards? with KG as pf/c, perhaps doc wanted someone to play more under the basket. 3j is thin and gets pushed around there right now. bass is a fighter under the basket.

so, there are probably other good reasons for doc's decision but i am not thinking of them.

to be honest, right now 3j's offensive game is largely jump shooting, which he does well. but if he is in with KG, who plays under that basket for the celtics?

the celtics won. doc had the right line up in as far as i can see.

[chambers]

He's getting our playoff line up into gear.
The 7-8 man squad really haven't played that many games together as one full, healthy unit.
Tonight Rondo was terrible. KG was average, but Pierce, Ray, Pietrus (for the most part) and Bass held it together for us.

Rondo and PP's turnovers were horrific, as is Pietrus' shot selection sometimes.
Pierce really needed the All Star weekend off. Rondo too.
Hopefully they will pull it together because the rest of the team was looking nice.

[2short]

Not only was bass out but so wasn't Wilcox for some games.  I like the 3 man rotation with Wilcox, kg, and bass. Not sure if jjj is there yet defensively to get consistent rotation minutes.

exactly, jjj next season is going to make a huge jump, his offensive game is already there and i feel on a poor team (worse than we currently are  ) if he was playing regularly he would be an all rookie team sort of guy
we need our guys healthy and in a groove to go anywhere this year

He's getting our playoff line up into gear.
The 7-8 man squad really haven't played that many games together as one full, healthy unit.
Tonight Rondo was terrible. KG was average, but Pierce, Ray, Pietrus (for the most part) and Bass held it together for us.

Rondo and PP's turnovers were horrific, as is Pietrus' shot selection sometimes.
Pierce really needed the All Star weekend off. Rondo too.
Hopefully they will pull it together because the rest of the team was looking nice.

just wondering what part of paul's game last night did you think he should be put into the guys who held it together?

[SHAQATTACK]

I was a bit shocked that JJJ didn't get the call last night as well.  The Cav's missing Varejao was a grand opportunity for JJJ to build confidence and work on his defense.

He reminds me of a shorter Bob MacAdoo , with the shot comming from behind his head.

PP wasn't doing squat , ROndo's brain was off in another Galaxy , No JO .......might as well let JJJ and Moore develope and see what they can bring to the table.

JJJ has value, young legs and decent shot .  I can't see them trading him off this quick.

I wish they would let Dooling go . 

[clover]

Was this the first game that Doc had to choose someone healthy to sit in street clothes?  The first in a long time, anyway--and Moore, not 3J, got the nod for that.

OTOH, I think if Danny were looking to include 3J in a trade, it'd be more likely for Doc to showcase him in these next two weeks. 

[ForexPirate]

i agree - if they trade JJJ for a pipe dream then I am done with this team.  I am sick of watching sloppy play.  I was looking forward to JJJ being a very valuable piece for the future but if they trade him then they have no future ... not with this bunch they have assembled right now.

[Eddie20]

i agree - if they trade JJJ for a pipe dream then I am done with this team.  I am sick of watching sloppy play.  I was looking forward to JJJ being a very valuable piece for the future but if they trade him then they have no future ... not with this bunch they have assembled right now.

He is currently a piece to our future. He is not the future. How can you say "if they trade him they have no future"? I do like him, but he doesn't seal our fate.

[TripleOT]

The buzz the last week was that Celtics players are tired of mistakes and need to tighten things up  in order to get back to winning.

JJJ isn't ready mentally to play real minutes in this system.   

[chambers]

Not only was bass out but so wasn't Wilcox for some games.  I like the 3 man rotation with Wilcox, kg, and bass. Not sure if jjj is there yet defensively to get consistent rotation minutes.

exactly, jjj next season is going to make a huge jump, his offensive game is already there and i feel on a poor team (worse than we currently are  ) if he was playing regularly he would be an all rookie team sort of guy
we need our guys healthy and in a groove to go anywhere this year

He's getting our playoff line up into gear.
The 7-8 man squad really haven't played that many games together as one full, healthy unit.
Tonight Rondo was terrible. KG was average, but Pierce, Ray, Pietrus (for the most part) and Bass held it together for us.

Rondo and PP's turnovers were horrific, as is Pietrus' shot selection sometimes.
Pierce really needed the All Star weekend off. Rondo too.
Hopefully they will pull it together because the rest of the team was looking nice.

just wondering what part of paul's game last night did you think he should be put into the guys who held it together?

His fourth quarter scoring. Nailed some big shots that kept us in it. He could have been better overall, but he was there when we needed him in the fourth.

[PosImpos]

Not only was bass out but so wasn't Wilcox for some games.  I like the 3 man rotation with Wilcox, kg, and bass. Not sure if jjj is there yet defensively to get consistent rotation minutes.

Hope you're right, but I'd expect him to at least get a 5-8 min run, just to keep him progressing forward!

You do know that Doc Rivers is the coach, right?

[LooseCannon]

For a guy who has been getting considerable regular minutes lately, I found it very unusual that JJJ didn't sniff the court last nite!  True BB was back, but JO still out, and this WAS the Cavs!

Jermaine O'Neal is purely a center at this point, but JuJuan Johnson is a power forward who should not play center.

JJJ will get court time when either Garnett or Bass are out.  Whether JO is out or not will have little effect on his playing time.