There isn't any professional athletes in the world overworked to the point of lowered performance as NBA athletes are. This is a proven fact many doctors and specialist acknowledge. The players perform with the same effects as a person who is intoxicated.
I would sit them out entirely against GSW and OKC. Both are the 2nd night of a B2B, and would probably be losses anyway. Furthermore, if we match up against OKC, sitting them means OKC can't use the game to further scheme us (not that they need to, as we're a very predictable team with little in the way of counter-moves).
I suppose if we let some of the other games slip and our PO position is tenuous then obviously I wouldn't sit them. But if we're taking care of business and we have a pretty secure hold on a position I'd sit them. Sure, we might beat OKC at home - but I think we have more to lose than gain with that game, regardless of the outcome.
It really depends on Memphis; if they've dropped a bunch of games and 5th place is in reach, I say go for it against OKC.
Holy crap - I just looked at their schedule and it's brutal. I thought they had a big enough lead on us that it didn't really matter, but if we take care of business on all our remaining "easy" games and MEM drops a few of their easy games, then yeah - it could be up for grabs.
Yes against GS, sit them. Golden State doesn't play the day before and will want to keep the win streaks going. I wouldn't even have DameCJ fly down there; let them rest in Portland then join the team in Sacramento. OKC will be on 2nd of back to back and 3rd game in 4 nights while locked into the 3rd seed with nothing to play for. They may sit their starters or heavily limit their minutes. That game is very winnable.
Cant you get fined for that though? I thought I recall many years ago POP or someone getting fined for leaving players at home? I'm not sure, but I think the league is okay with pulling players early or giving extremely limited minutes, but I think you can get fined for leaving players out of the game altogether? I think the league deemed it a slight on the fans who paid to see the stars?
Yeah the loss to the Clips really sucks but I'll be shocked if Memphis finishes 5-5 the rest of the way. 4-6 is the best I imagine while 3-7 or 2-8 are possible. We can jump them for the 5 seed if they go 4-6 (we go 8-1), 3-7 (we go 7-2), 2-8 (we go 6-3) We need to beat all the lottery opponents on our schedule, a loss in Golden State is a lock. Then we need to win most likely two of Boston, Miami (who plays B2B), OKC (who plays B2B). Maybe we only have to win one or we have to win all 3 depending on what Memphis does.
Yeah, I know no one wants to hear about the old days but......the predecessors of today's NBA players had it far harder. They played a lot more back to back games, sometimes even three in a row, or three games in four nights. They flew commercial airlines, on commercial airline flight schedules (if they didn't actually take a bus or train for the short hops) Too often their off seasons were spent working "real" jobs to help make ends meet. Yet rarely....if EVER.....was the "overtired" excuse heard. They simply went out and played, as they were paid (relatively poorly) to do. Any professional athlete today who uses the overtired excuse has absolutely no business playing professional sports. They are paid obscene amounts of money to show up for work and be ready to play as much or as little as required. These guys get babied enough. They don't need the peanut gallery making excuses for them. Most of these guys spend most, if not all of their offseason working out and getting "into shape". They don't need offseason jobs. If, after all this time spent "getting into shape" they end up worn out late in the season, then I blame the off season workouts, not too much playing time. Maybe they need to tone back their workouts in season also if that would help. They (especially the stars) are paid to PLAY, not sit the bench. And if I'm forking out for a ticket, I'm not going to be happy if my team's franchise players are sitting because they might be a little tired. Yes, it's a long season. But it's still on the players to be ready and to adjust. That's why they make the big bucks. Man, if we have to resort to "overtired" as an excuse for losing, especially when we have already WAY overachieved this season, then we need a new fan base. We've played above our level of actual talent so far, and all the bench time in the world isn't going to change that fact. If blame really has to be laid, it could be argued that better shot selection from our starting guards would be far more effective than less playing time. But "overtired" is as pure of a bullshit excuse as there is. Just because Pop can play that game doesn't make it right. And anyway, Pop can afford to do it far easier than we can. But that's just one crotchety old man's take......
Dame was the worst player on the floor for us tonight. Shot 30%, only took 2 free throws. Played horrible defense allowing Ish Smith to go for a near triple double with 17/14/9. Great job by all the other Blazers up and down the roster; Harkless with 16 points, Aminu with 20, Hendo with 11. All three of those guys at or above 50% FG. Overworking Dame and CJ this season is costing us wins. Its got to the point where Dame has changed from a great player to not even helping the team when he's on the floor.
Dame and CJ are better but if we have the option of sitting both of them at the same time for even say 8 miuntes, they can play the same number of minutes (say 36) and be on the floor together for 32 minutes instead of 24. Roberts and Montero (or if it was up to me, Frazier and Montero) aren't much worse than having just Dame on the floor and I think they're actualy better than when we play CJ at PG. It doesn't matter, this is much smarter than Stotts or most of the people here can probably comprehend, so just keep outworking Dame and CJ, get less than meximum value out of them and hope we can do damage in the playoffs when we're not even the best team we could be. I hope this is Stotts' last season with the Blazers
I think you're being overly dramatic. Every PG goes for career numbers against Dame. You expect him to be up for the Sixers?
