Game #77 - Toronto Raptors 96 - Charlotte Hornets 90

[Hotshot]

I think Lin dropping 30 on us is more likely unfortunately.

Put Norman Powell on him.

[Niagara Raptor]

Jeremy Lin, I know you are my Brutha, but we got to beat the shit out of your team tomorrow following the beating Lebron gave you tonight

he is your brutha? ... how proud your family must feel in him .... and disappointed in you, why arent you in the nba????

[Barolt]

Arguing in favor of resting guys:

If we play everyone and beat them, we gain nothing because we're the higher seed and they're resting Batum.

If we play everyone and lose, the narrative is that they're a better team and they weren't even healthy.

If we rest Lowry/DeMar and lose, we lose nothing because we rested guys.

If we rest Lowry/DeMar and win, it's a huge moral victory for us, because we don't even need Lowry/DeMar to beat them.

[Mess]

If we play everyone and lose, the narrative is that they're a better team and they weren't even healthy.

And we all know how important narratives are.

[Barolt]

And we all know how important narratives are.

Around here? Seems like they're everything sometimes. But in this case, the narrative is about the only thing that matters, because winning or losing this game doesn't make a lick of difference for the standings.

[CNinja26]

Yeah this is the epitome of a game where you put JT in over LS. You know Charlotte's guards are gonna blow by the Raps perimeter defense. Walker is dangerous and Lin has been playing well. We're gonna need some quickness from our bigs to rotate over and protect the paint.

[slaw]

Arguing in favor of resting guys:

If we play everyone and beat them, we gain nothing because we're the higher seed and they're resting Batum.

If we play everyone and lose, the narrative is that they're a better team and they weren't even healthy.

If we rest Lowry/DeMar and lose, we lose nothing because we rested guys.

If we rest Lowry/DeMar and win, it's a huge moral victory for us, because we don't even need Lowry/DeMar to beat them.

Except these are all your subjective judgements and this is not how the leaders of a professional sports organization conduct business. If it is, they should all be fired.

[KHD]

Except these are all your subjective judgements and this is not how the leaders of a professional sports organization conduct business. If it is, they should all be fired.

they're still reasonable arguments.

would you prefer people didn't have opinions? Or just didn't have opinions you disagreed with?

[Mess]

they're still reasonable arguments.

would you prefer people didn't have opinions? Or just didn't have opinions you disagreed with?

People can have opinions and make arguments all they want, that's the point of this place. Just don't kid yourself into thinking that anybody on the team would share those particular views.

[Barolt]

People can have opinions and make arguments all they want, that's the point of this place. Just don't kid yourself into thinking that anybody on the team would share those particular views.

Teams do operate that way though. The first game in Golden State, Pop gave Duncan the night off. Pop has historically strategically rested players against likely playoff opponents, to avoid giving anything away.

It's not that crazy an idea.

You don't want to show them what you've got in the regular season when you might have to play them in the playoffs in a month.

[S.R.]

Teams do operate that way though. The first game in Golden State, Pop gave Duncan the night off. Pop has historically strategically rested players against likely playoff opponents, to avoid giving anything away.

It's not that crazy an idea.

You don't want to show them what you've got in the regular season when you might have to play them in the playoffs in a month.

Well I think that's a better and more substantive rationale than your op, which was about moral victories and narratives. At this point in the season, nobody should be giving two shits about moral victories or media/fan narratives. Setting yourself up for playoff success tho, that's something else entirely.

[Mess]

Then they should sit Kyle & DeMar and play a pass happy, JV postin' free flowing game. Then when they play in the playoffs and Kyle & DeMar take every shot Charlotte won't know what him'em!

/sortofpink


I know everyone loves to bust out what Pop does but he did that vs GS - he's not pulling those tricks vs Portland or Memphis.


There aren't really any secrets at this time of year (besides the Carroll-milk secret....eh it sort of works). Though yeah, Pop has layers and wrinkles beyond Casey and most other coaches.

[Demographic Shift]

Well I think that's a better and more substantive rationale than your op, which was about moral victories and narratives. At this point in the season, nobody should be giving two shits about moral victories or media/fan narratives. Setting yourself up for playoff success tho, that's something else entirely.

Yeah.. am on board with this line of thinking....

We aren't moving up or down in the standings regardless if we run the table or go "oh - fer" so how the team fares in the W-L column in the last 6 games is pretty much irrelevant. They aren't going to try to lose them and its most likely that in order to keep the all the guys sharp and in game shape I expect we see both Kyle and Demar back for their 35-40 mins against Charlotte and maybe Atlanta...Maybe they get a bit of rest against Indy.... and then play them 30-35 mins against the Nets / Knicks / Sixers ...

JV + Biz are settled into their minutes and I don't see them sitting down at all. Powell+ CoJo + Ross + Ppat won't sit and will get run over the last 6. Not sure if Wright or Bebe get any more than token minutes from here on in. JJ+Scola + Thompson will get enough run to stay ready and sharp.

Looking forward to seeing the Raps as a team come out for the first game of the playoffs rested and ready to eat raw meat and hockey sticks .....

[slaw]

You don't want to show them what you've got in the regular season when you might have to play them in the playoffs in a month.

See, that's an argument. That I could get behind, though, you don't necessarily need to rest players to avoid showing your hand.

[Primer]

I'd like to see us rest players against Atlanta, Philly, and Brooklyn. Atlanta because it's an away game against a good team, and Philly and Brooklyn because we should be able to beat them with just our bench.