Lakers won't rest vets in final games

[Shank]

From Los Angeles Times---

The Cleveland Cavaliers have all but locked up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, but the Lakers won't be coasting through what's left of the regular season.

If the Cavaliers win Monday at Indiana, they clinch the NBA's best record, which would leave the Lakers with a seemingly useless home game Tuesday against Utah.

Or maybe it's not so useless.

As the Western Conference standings sit right now, the Lakers would play Utah in the first round.

Furthermore, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he would not rest Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol or Derek Fisher in the regular-season finale against any team.

"I don't think of sitting players," Jackson said Sunday. "I don't think that's the right thing to do when people buy season tickets and special-game tickets and things like that, and the league has asked us not to do that.

"I have players that are going to play their 82nd game this week, hopefully, and that's a big milestone in this game, to have played them all."
Bryant, Fisher and Trevor Ariza will have played all 82 regular-season games if they play Tuesday.

[Spursmania]

With the exception of Bynum, seems like the big players have all been healthy for Jackson. That's really fortunate. Maybe this playoff series the stars along with the refs will align just so.

[IronMexican]

I wish Phil would rest them.

[Allanon]

From the looks of it, the Jazz are going to be in the 1st round with the Lakers.

No reason for the Lakers to give them a free game to boost confidence for the Playoffs.

[ginobili's bald spot]

I guess this doesn't rule out resting them by playing them very short minutes though? At least I hope. Fisher, Pau and Kobe need rest bad. Everyone else should be fine.

[Allanon]

I guess this doesn't rule out resting them by playing them very short minutes though? At least I hope. Fisher, Pau and Kobe need rest bad. Everyone else should be fine.

It's a game in LA, if Jazz continue being a bad road team, I'd expect the Laker starters to be icing their knees in the 4th and a couple of Dunks by the Machine.

[Morg1411]

if Jazz continue being a bad road team

Is the "if" really required in this statement? :lol

Lakers by 20.

[Spursmania]

Shit Lakers 3 players (as long as it's not vujabitch and walton) vs. All 5 players for Jazz. Lakers still win by 10 points.:lol

What happened to the Jazz? They went to all hell.:wow

Who wouldn't want to play this team in the first round right now?

[layupdrill]

Lakers will be just fine playing their stars for 20-25 minutes

[Showtime24 LAKERS]

they were a much better team last season, but based on how many injuries they had last season, its amazing that they even made the playoffs. If we take them lightly, like we do with every other team not on the same level; they can beat us. But we have Ariza, Bynum and Brown this season. Last season Fisher got in foul trouble early and Farmar was useless trying to defend Williams. This season we have a bigger guard in brown. Who is athletic enough to offer some kind of resistance against williams. Now that we have Bynum back, those rebounding issues we had against them last season won't seem so apparent!!

Bring on the Jazz and after we are done with them bring on Portland for that matter. The regular season is over and now is the killing time and this Laker team is going to do some serious damange!!

[iggypop123]

kobe shouldnt play more than 32 min, remember utah will probably try and rest deron cause he got hurt

[Unholy Turkey]

Shit Lakers 3 players (as long as it's not vujabitch and walton) vs. All 5 players for Jazz. Lakers still win by 10 points.:lol

What happened to the Jazz? They went to all hell.:wow

Who wouldn't want to play this team in the first round right now?

That's easy. :(

[mytespurs]

Cleveland clinched HCA throughout w/their win tonight.

Question: How long will Kobe, Pau play tomorrow against Utah? Utah won impressive tonight but it was the Clippers.........:p::p: they started their off season months ago....:rollin:rollin:rollin

[KSeal]

I actually wish the Lakers would lose tom. It would almost guarantee an easy first round or second round. If they win they will face Utah and then possible Portland. Pretty awesome that that is the worst case scenario, we should still handle both teams in less then seven games. If we would have played Dallas and then Houston we would probably be 8-0 going into the WCF, oh well.

[sribb43]

Phil is just playing mind games with the Jazz....at the last minute he will call Kobe, Pau, Fish and other back to the bench right before tip and run out a squad of Farmar, Walton, Mbenga, Brown and Morrison and the Jazz will still lose

[stretch]

i would just start the usual lineup, and let them play for some of the first, then rest them the remainder of the game, let the younger and bench guys get some PT and try to get as much of a rhythm as possible out of them to prepare for the playoffs.

[Rogue]

I bet the Jazz will beat Fukers if Phil sileline his veterans from that game, obviously Phil doesn't want his guys in purple&golden to lose their final game to the same opponent that they're gonna play face to face in the first round. so it's reasonable Phil will put out the best talents he has for a real tough game against the Jazz.

[sribb43]

I bet the Jazz will beat Fukers if Phil sileline his veterans from that game, obviously Phil doesn't want his guys in purple&golden to lose their final game to the same opponent that they're gonna play face to face in the first round. so it's reasonable Phil will put out the best talents he has for a real tough game against the Jazz.

ya Avery rested everyone the 2nd to last game of the season in 2007 against GSW and Mavs got blasted...we all saw what happened in the playoffs

[sribb43]

Looks like Okur might miss tonights game at LA

[Girasuck]

How bad does that Warriors loss look now? We could lose tonight and still end up as the 7 or 6 seed if we would've beat Golden State's 7 man roster.