Pop to Rest Duncan, Ginobili and Parker Tonight

[jjktkk]

, I have a hard time understanding resting my star player one game, sorry I have issues thinking outside the box, lol, fwiwi imho, smiley face,etc...

[TJastal]

Terrible move . . . and I'd have said so before the game, had I been on. Everyone single player has had their minutes managed recently, almost all of them have sat out games in recent weeks, the Jazz are equally as fatigued and they get a day off tomorrow, yet they needed this one off, why?

When will this paranoid goof accept that, no matter how hard he tries to manage minutes, once the playoffs start, they're still going to be worn down throughout a series? There's irrefutable evidence of this from the previous few post seasons. The big three did not go up a level come the playoffs, despite manically having their minutes managed.

I can understand one of the back-to-back-to-backs and the last game or two, if they're locked into their position, but that's it. Why throw away home court, when you don't need to? They could probably win it while playing only Parker in excess of 30 mpg from here on out, but instead their coach would rather throw it away, to do something that's not going to help them come playoff time. I don't get it. Yet the masses will rush to his defense, because they've been brainwashed.

+1

This is was an easily winnable game with the big 3 logging minimal minutes. "Paranoid goof" ... is an apt description.

[TJastal]

Those other teams should have won more of the first 65 games. If our seeding is locked up, then the only objective is avoiding this:

Manu himself said he was trying to get his body ready to absorb that kind of contact he'll see in the playoffs. So what does Pop do? Sits him.

[T Park]

Curious who TJ would rather have coach since obviously he doesn't want Pop.

[Mugen]

Curious who TJ would rather have coach since obviously he doesn't want Pop.

I think you should apply, Eric.

[Legacy]

Manu himself said he was trying to get his body ready to absorb that kind of contact he'll see in the playoffs. So what does Pop do? Sits him.

AGREED!

[Mel_13]

AGREED!

So, you're for having Manu (and Tim and Tony), play 16 games in 23 days?

[Legacy]

So, you're for having Manu (and Tim and Tony), play 16 games in 23 days?

No, not at all. ... I just agree with Manu building a little bit of muscle back up, and kinda' staying in rhythm with everyone else. NOTHING like last year at all. *shrug*

[Mel_13]

No, not at all. ... I just agree with Manu building a little bit of muscle back up, and kinda' staying in rhythm with everyone else. NOTHING like last year at all. *shrug*

So, you're ok with Manu resting some of those 16 games, you just reserve the right to complain about which games.

Gotcha.

[Legacy]

... And WTH is going on with my siggy? GGGrrrr... (???)

[Legacy]

So, you're ok with Manu resting some of those 16 games, you just reserve the right to complain about which games.

Gotcha.

Yes. Exactly.

[TJastal]

So, you're for having Manu (and Tim and Tony), play 16 games in 23 days?

Yes. They're already playing lower minutes than virtually any another starters/6th men in the league.

And Manu has barely played 1/3 of the season so far. Plus he made a statement just a few days ago he's trying to get his body ready to absorb playoff contact. Taking multiple games off is just going to set his progress back from accomplishing that.

But I'm sure you'll tell us "Pop knows best".

[Hoops Czar]

So, you're for having Manu (and Tim and Tony), play 16 games in 23 days?

Could have sat the big three at home and played them at Utah. It would have been a 2 game sweep.

[Mel_13]

Yes. Exactly.

Right back at ya.

[Mel_13]

No surprise that only one person here thinks that 16 games in 23 days (ending as soon as 36 hours before Game 1) is a reasonable workload for the Big 3.

[ViceCity84]

If big 3 play well in B2B vs La and Mem and they win both.
Great move,if not bad move.

[TD 21]

Resting them was the right move to do. Spurs have a very dense April schedule and being fresh for the playoffs is damn important. Getting the 1st or 2nd seed is quite meaningless. It's far from sure the road to the WCF will be easier with the first seed and the HCA edge in a 7 games series is small.

And the best stat about Spurs this year is how they have been able to have 40-15 record and not overplayed a single player. Right now, Parker leads Spurs in minutes played this year and he is only 58th in the NBA for that category. After Parker, Duncan is second and is 108th in the league. That's some crazy .

You've either forgot or ignored the fact that the maniacal managing of minutes hasn't made one bit of difference in recent seasons. For the umpteenth time, I'm not suggesting playing them 36-38 mpg. It's clear the team doesn't need them to play that to win consistently anyway. Plus, their minutes have been even more managed recently, because of how easily this team has been winning and they'd have gotten a day off today anyway. If you really think sitting them last night is going to make a bit of difference three weeks from now, then you're flat out delusional.

Of course it's not a certainty that the road would be easier with the 1st seed. But it is a probability. And this team has been a juggernaut at home the past two seasons.

[TJastal]

No surprise that only one person here thinks that 16 games in 23 days (ending as soon as 36 hours before Game 1) is a reasonable workload for the Big 3.

When you consider that Manu @ 24 minutes a contest
Tony @ 33
Tim @ 28

It's not that big of a workload.

[TJastal]

You've either forgot or ignored the fact that the maniacal managing of minutes hasn't made one bit of difference in recent seasons. For the umpteenth time, I'm not suggesting playing them 36-38 mpg. It's clear the team doesn't need them to play that to win consistently anyway. Plus, their minutes have been even more managed recently, because of how easily this team has been winning and they'd have gotten a day off today anyway. If you really think sitting them last night is going to make a bit of difference three weeks from now, then you're flat out delusional.

Of course it's not a certainty that the road would be easier with the 1st seed. But it is a probability. And this team has been a juggernaut at home the past two seasons.

In Manu's case sitting out last night's game will in fact most likely set his progress back of his stated goal.

Manu needs to be smarter about this. In the future if he wants to play he should just tell Pop he needs more rest.

[T Park]

When you consider that Manu @ 24 minutes a contest
Tony @ 33
Tim @ 28

It's not that big of a workload.

Says poindexter sitting in his baseman shoving pins in his Pop voo doo doll.

[T Park]

When you consider that Manu @ 24 minutes a contest
Tony @ 33
Tim @ 28

It's not that big of a workload.

Says poindexter sitting in his basement shoving pins in his Pop voo doo doll.

[TheSkeptic]

When you consider that Manu @ 24 minutes a contest
Tony @ 33
Tim @ 28

It's not that big of a workload.

They're seriously playing that little?

While that's definitely a testament to Pop's skills that we're in a great seeding position with those guys not playing much, I don't know if their conditioning will be where we need it to be during the playoffs if they don't start playing more soon.

[TJastal]

They're seriously playing that little?

While that's definitely a testament to Pop's skills that we're in a great seeding position with those guys not playing much, I don't know if their conditioning will be where we need it to be during the playoffs if they don't start playing more soon.

All these DNP's and musical chair games with the frontcourt is just eating up valuable time Pop could be using to figure out the best rotation and developing some chemistry heading into the playoffs.

Seems Pop is banking on the fact that all this rest in a condensed season is going to pay huge dividends come playoff time but as TD_21 has pointed out it's not going to play a big of a factor as he thinks once guys start logging extended minutes in the playoffs. In fact I agree (with TD_21) it could just as easily have the exact opposite effect in that guys won't be ready for the sudden jolt of increased minutes.

[therealtruth]

One of Pop's claims for the loss in the playoffs is that the team was out of rhythm going into the playoffs. You can't avoid that with injuries. But now he's intentionally disrupting rhythm by playing musical chairs with who's playing.

[TheSkeptic]

All these DNP's and musical chair games with the frontcourt is just eating up valuable time Pop could be using to figure out the best rotation and developing some chemistry heading into the playoffs.

Seems Pop is banking on the fact that all this rest in a condensed season is going to pay huge dividends come playoff time but as TD_21 has pointed out it's not going to play a big of a factor as he thinks once guys start logging extended minutes in the playoffs. In fact I agree it could just have the exact opposite effect in that guys won't be ready for the sudden jolt of increased minutes.

Well if he's not fully going for the shortened rotation, it could be that he's overestimating his players a little bit (while underestimating others).

I'm definitely in favour of giving Tim, Tony, and Manu a break from time to time, but not all at once when we need to win for the sake of HCA. They won't break if they play limited minutes and I think Tony was plenty capable of playing 15-20 since the PG position was where this game was lost imo. The others could've taken a break I guess.

The schedule is pretty brutal.

I guess between the frontcourt and this whole business of resting players I'm not fully convinced that this team is going to be ready/able to win during the playoffs.