Game Thread GAME# 77: BLAZERS @ NETS - APRIL 6, 2015 - MONDAY, 4:00 PM (PST), CSNNW

I get why we are doing it but I really hope that decision and one game doesn't cost us home court advantage

 

Jarrett Jack will step out of bounds after every time he steps in bounds...eventually.

 

Oddly, I still think we have enough to beat them. And they're still in the playoff hunt! The east is so bad.

 

That was my first thought. It's not like we're going to Philly. Brooklyn had won 6 straight (& 10 of last 12) before betting blasted by the Hawks last night. They are only 1 game ahead of 9th seed, so it's a "must win" for them. D-Will is balling like its 2009, and B Lopez is averaging 25/10 in the last 10 games. This figured to be a tough matchup WITH all hands on deck. If we lose and fall 1 game short of home court it'll be hard not to 2nd guess this. Why not just have them make the trip and restrict their minutes?

 

Yep, I'm worried this decision could backfire and cost us HCA. The Clippers have a very easy remaining schedule and if they win out and we don't they would have HCA against us in a 1st round match up.

Resting LaMarcus and Kaman leaves us undersized and we will struggle a LOT to score inside. Without Batum we lose a lot of play making and length on the perimeter.

For the last 15 or 20 games, BRK has gone with a starting line up of:

Brook Lopez
Thaddeus Young
Joe Johnson
Markel Brown
Deron Williams

Young is undersized and a weak rebounder for a PF. So, that helps a little, but he will still likely outscore whoever we start at PF, and probably by a lot.

Moving Johnson to SF and starting the 6'3" 190 pound Markel Brown at SG also makes them smaller than when they play Johnson at the 2. However, Alan Anderson and Bojan Bogdanovic also play a lot of minutes at the 3 off the bench and they move Johnson back to his usual SG position. Although Brown starts at SG, he rarely plays more than 28 minutes. I think I'd start the similar size C.J. on him and have him in the game whenever Brown is. Whether or not you then start Afflalo at the 3, I'd definitely have him in the game whenever Johnson moves to the 2 (at 6'7", 240 pounds, Johnson would be a horrible match up for C.J.).

With Wright and Wes both out, resting Batum will hurt our ability to match up with BRK on the wings.

Coincidentally, Joe Johnson had his second highest scoring game of the year back in December against the Nuggets. Back then, he was still starting and playing that SG position. In that game Afflalo logged 41 minutes and Gee 17. I didn't watch that game, but I'd say it's pretty safe that one of them was on Johnson for most of the game. It doesn't appear that either are the Johnson Stopper (which sounds like British slang for cock blocker).

In any case, the team has worked so hard all season and overcome so much, I hate to see them give up HCA this late in the game. I'd rather they play to win, with everyone who can play dressing for every game if/until we are mathematically eliminated from having HCA in the first round. If/when that happens, then you can rest guys. I know it's a long flight to NY and back, but it's only 1 game in 3 days and the guys can sleep and rest on the plane. It's not like they are flying coach.

BRK is in a dog fight for the 7 and 8 playoff spots in the East. They currently sit at 7th, but are only 1/2 game ahead of 8th place BOS and only 1 game ahead 9th place MIA. They have won 8 of their last 10 and 10 of 13. They are definitely NOT tanking and are giving it their all to make the playoffs and also avoid a 1st round match up with ATL, who killed them by 32 last night, has beaten them 3 out of 3 times this season - all by double digits (average margin of victory 22.7 pints) and who they play again the next game after us. Needless to say, they won't be resting anyone who has a pulse and isn't on crutches. They will be playing to win.

Oh well, I guess we'll get to see just how far guys like Leonard, Crabbe and McCollum have come.

BNM

 

Or wait and rest guys if/when we are mathematically eliminated from getting HCA? What's the point of working hard all season to have a chance for HCA and then to give it away on one very winnable game?

If things are like last year, they will only play 1 playoff game in the 6 days following the end of the regular season. That's not quite like the All Star break but it's close. The playoffs in the West are going to be tough no matter who we face, even if we have HCA. Why give away a potential advantage if we don't have to?

BNM

 

Blazers play better when they're the underdog. Having HC also adds pressure. They'll never say it, but I think they lowkey want to start on the road, despite their great home record. When you're at home all the pressure is on you IMO. You're expected to win those games. I like the blazers mentality in those situations as the road team. They got that dog in them.

 

Plus, we will only go as far as our bench can help take us. It's always been our crux and nows as good a time as any to battle harden them.

 

No disrespect, but I hope you're wrong. If we EVER want to be champions, we can't be afraid of the pressure that comes with being the favorite. Embrace it, believe it, use it to intimidate our opponent. It's great to thrive when you're the underdog nobody takes seriously, but we need "that dog in them" 24/7 in any situation to be elite. Last year was different, first time this group made the post season. Maybe being the road team did help alleviate pressure. But we have to take the next step and believe we ARE a favorite to win the conference. If Dame didn't go .9 on HOU last year, we'd have gone back to their place for game 7. Don't think that would have gone well. It's one thing to steal a game (or 2) on somebody's home floor early in a series, but the home team is 96-24 All Time in NBA Game 7s. 96-24. I want home court bad & I'd be worried if our team didn't feel the same way. Underdogs that fly under the radar don't win championships. Alpha Dogs do.

 

The Blazers have decided health in the postseason is more important than a slightly better chance of HCA. I'll trust our training staff on this one. We've seen how effective Kaman has been when healthy lately. Batum was invisible last night and maybe his back is bothering him again. This could improve our chances of winning on the back to back. It will suck if we lose HCA but the way we opened last years playoffs with two road wins and a home loss this strategy makes sense.

 

The nets have a worse home record than road? Guess that what happens when your home fans suck and majority of road games are short quick east coast trips.

 

I am well on record as highly coveting home court advantage in the playoffs. I'm optimistic this test of our bench players will yield positive results, both in the win column and the race for home court, and more so in preparing those players for the playoffs. It's good to put a little pressure on them, I think.

At the same time, just the other day I saw an interview with Popovich, in which he clearly stated what we all believe him to believe. Paraphrased, he said regular season wins and losses don't matter, fighting for home court doesn't matter, being prepared and ready and healthy and peaking for the playoffs is all that matters. This strategy by Stotts is straight out of the Popovich play book.

There are many in this forum who clamor for a little more Pop in our step. Well, this is it!

I approve this strategic maneuver.

 

Health is the #1 priority, no doubt. That said we have the 2nd best home record of the Western playoff teams, and the 2nd worst road record. i just find it odd that those 3 aren't making the trip. Why not limit their minutes against the Nets & let them sit out vs the T-Wolves at home on Wed in the first night of back to back?

 

Wouldn't it make more sense to rest those guys against Minny and Utah?

Who knows? Maybe the bench surprises us again and we steal an odd road game in BK tomorrow?

 

The travel is harder on the body and psyche than the game, I think.

 

The more I think about this the more glad I am these guys are resting. Traveling to the east coast can be fatiguing both physically and mentally. Being over 6' myself I'm sure LMA isn't excited about 8 hours on a plane. This isn't like Joe and Nancy next door taking a fun vacation every 6 months these players will have had to go on 42 road flights this year. We've had probably the most condensed schedule of games in a month this march as in the history of the Blazers franchise. If LaMarcus and the others were feeling 100% I'm sure they would play so I'm glad they are taking the break. It seems rare for pro athletes to make this smart decision and rest when they should; usually players play when they should be resting.