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Will Pops rest starters now for next season, since he can't beat GSW?

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by heypartner, May 9, 2017.

  1. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    Since SAS's attempt to keep up with the Rockets in Game 4, while valiant, is things also-ran teams do who view facing GSW this year a glorious achievement.

    Pops doesn't think that way. He only cares about winning, and advancing against the Rockets this yr isn't a winning strategy. Since he clearly can't win this year, we might see another very clever, ahead of the curve and forward-thinking strategy for him to sit his aging players for next year starting now, and protect his superstar Kawiwi from unnecessary injury.

    But no coaches do that:

    Pops isn't just any coach. Consider this:

    Lot of media and fans are saying that it was smart of Pops to wave the white flag in Game 4 and keep starters on the bench to rest for Game 5. Afterall, it was an insurmountable 15pt lead to start the 4th, and "They still have HCA.", why risk injury. Plus, they had a grueling matchup with MEM 13 days ago, so probably have tired legs. That surely had something to do with Parker's freak, no-contact injury. And look what happened to Nene when we stopped giving him days off.

    Bottomline: If Spurs advance, we're talking at least 6 more games of futility. Why even beat the Rockets? Winning titles is all that matters, and that won't happen until next year, at earliest. Best to save his legs and Kawliflower from injury.
     
    #1 heypartner, May 9, 2017
    Last edited: May 9, 2017
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  2. DavidRocket

    DavidRocket Member

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    You mean rest Aldridge, Kawhi, Gasol and Green IF they make it to the WCF to face the Warriors? In other words, he would just field a squad of players on the court not named the 4 aforementioned?

    If that were the case, he may as well sit them tonight and Game 6 as well. There's no better time to rest than to start resting now. Why wait?

    On a side note, is it your opinion that the Spurs will prevail in this series? Just asking....
     
    #2 DavidRocket, May 9, 2017
  3. daywalker02

    daywalker02 Member

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    Rest 'em and give them holidays.
     
    #3 daywalker02, May 9, 2017
  4. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    You left out Pop not wanting to show his hand for next season as another reason to rest starters against the Warriors.

    He's so much smarter than the rest of us.
     
    #4 A_3PO, May 9, 2017
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  5. malakas

    malakas Member

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    Maybe all the fans should also rest up for 3-4 seasons till the Warriors get old.
     
    #5 malakas, May 9, 2017
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  6. DavidRocket

    DavidRocket Member

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    This would be terribly funny if it weren't so true. The Warriors as constructed is just bad for the NBA product in my opinion.
     
    #6 DavidRocket, May 9, 2017
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  7. glynch

    glynch Contributing Member

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    MDA should play Harden and Clint and the starters for three quarters so we can get a 15 point lead and then Pops will concede.

    I think since Popovitch had Tim Duncan and now Leonard he is falling prey to the Phil Jackson syndrome that he is a unique genius and the GOAT. . I would love it he would rest/punish his players for a bit in the 6th or 7th deciding game when we win the series. The media would then ignore it or make excuses for the failed tactic.
     
    #7 glynch, May 9, 2017
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  8. Os Trigonum

    Os Trigonum Contributing Member
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    [​IMG]
     
    #8 Os Trigonum, May 9, 2017
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  9. Surfguy

    Surfguy Contributing Member

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    It's pretty obvious it will be CLE and GS in the finals. And, probably next season as well.

    This sport is just an exercise in wasted time watching, rooting, and wishing if your a fan of any other team at the moment unfortunately. There is that gap between the top two and all the rest.

    But, yea, it's all got to play out and, as the USA olympic hockey team showed us in 1980, MIRACLES DO HAPPEN! (albeit that was one key game playing Russia versus needing to win four out of seven games)

    I would like our chances better if we had to face CLE instead of GS to get to the finals. But, we still got to get by those pesky Spurs. I do kind of want to see GS whip up on the Spurs, though, rather than us. lol. But, then we wouldn't get to say we beat the Spurs and hold bragging rights.
     
    #9 Surfguy, May 9, 2017
    Last edited: May 9, 2017
  10. swyyyguy

    swyyyguy Member

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    Pop should just rest them now because they can't beat us.
     
    #10 swyyyguy, May 9, 2017
  11. glynch

    glynch Contributing Member

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    True. As a big UT fan I loved Durant. Now I just consider him a chicken **** young ring chaser.
     
    #11 glynch, May 9, 2017
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  12. heypartner

    heypartner Contributing Member

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    Absolutely true. Since Rockets have a very similar system to GSW, Pops is probably thinking he doesn't want to play his silver-bullet, Ace card on the Rockets, for GSW to game-plan for.

    Best just to camp in the lane and let the 3s rain, pretending he has no answer other than applying the strategy of Variance where Rockets can't shoot wide-open shots enough.
     
    #12 heypartner, May 9, 2017
    Last edited: May 9, 2017
  13. DavidRocket

    DavidRocket Member

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    Brother I went to UT as well. But what Durant did during free agency was personally unforgivable for me as a sports fan. Nothing about him as a person, just as a sports figure....I've lost respect for him.

    It was ALL his prerogative to go where he wanted to go, but it is impossible to not view his choice as a free ride to achieve what many NBA greats were never afforded.

    I hope the Rockets can prevail in this series and give the Warriors a run. In the end, the Warriors are just too ridiculously talented on the right side of age. It is simply unfair for the rest of the NBA.
     
    #13 DavidRocket, May 9, 2017
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  14. hakeem94

    hakeem94 Member

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    another thing is he might be tanking dedmon simmons and murrays value by losing i think some of these guys they are due to be signed /extended next year if i am not mistaken
     
    #14 hakeem94, May 9, 2017
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  15. SamFisher

    SamFisher Contributing Member

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    It's actually the opposite - instead of preserving broken down old horses like Ginobody and Pogo Saul, it's time to send them off to the retirement glue factory in a blaze of glory as a tribute to their HOF careers.

    Play them 48 each and them flop like glorious glorious fish.
     
    #15 SamFisher, May 9, 2017
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  16. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

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    Ask him that question in a presser, then I'll care.
     
    #16 Ziggy, May 9, 2017
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