If you make a rule that says coaches can claim at any time they are resting all their starters, you create a loophole that gets around the no tanking rule. It is not that hard to understand. Now read the rest of my post. It's a fair post attempting to explain reality, which is, coaches do not rest all their starters in midseason. This is an anomaly. So there is no historical proof that this is a tactically smart thing to do.
There's no historical proof that this is a smart thing to do b/c it's never been done. In that sense, you could argue that Popovich is an innovator. If you recall, Pop's goal was to rest his starters against Miami so they would be fresh for Memphis, a division rival. I'm sure we can all agree that a game against a division rival is far more important than a game against a team from the opposing conference. The Spurs/Grizzlies game went into overtime, and the Spurs ended up winning. And in that game, the Spurs' big 3 played heavy minutes, and they played great (with the possible exception of Ginobili's poor shooting, but he filled up the stat sheet).
I try not to argue with you in this thread because I know the fact that it's the Spurs is huge for you, whether you admit it or not. But your logic has become muddy here. If as you argue, we cannot establish that this "resting" has any tactical purposes because it's too early in the season, then you also cannot argue that it has any tanking purposes. You can't have it both ways. I would go a step further. I think if the league forbids teams from resting their starters in midseason, they should also forbid them from resting their starters at the end of the season. We all know that the resting affects the outcomes of playoffs seeding, thereby "cheating" the fans from having high quality products, not to mention the draft positions. But then where do you draw the line? The league would have to determine which lineups would be the optimal for each team to put out on the floor. That would be impossible to do even if they wanted to -- and I am 100% certain that they wouldn't want to.
i think ill take my chances with coach pop way of thinking. After all he is the best coach in the nba, 4 time nba champion and knows his players way better than anyone on this forum. Also the grizzlies game gave him the upper hand.
Weird. I'm pretty sure you just made my point Thing is. I'm sorry but my main focus is hearing durvas's take. He is the man
but you did not explain reality. No coach has ever done this before. Your take is not a proof of success. This is Pops protesting the league mandate of too many games. That is fine...and will back him on that. But that is it. There is no proof that this strategy to tank games succeeds. Easy... Y'all say I'm not being objective on this. I am saying I am more objective on this than anyone here. Because I love basketball more than you. You don't like the NBA as much as me...admit it. y'all want to stick it to the man...I am the only one here being objective. You have no proof that pops is right...admit it. Pops is protesting a bad schedule. Anyone who says this is a tactical manuever that no other coach as ever thought of is not being objective....Yall want to stick to the man. Yall are not thinking clearly. I am the only person being objective here....versus you "stick it to the man" peeps.
How do you know Pops is protesting? Sure, he may not like it and he may think he's being forced into too many games in a short amount of time...if that is that case, would it not make sense to give his players some rest? Has he not rested starters plenty of times in the past? The way I see it, his team almost beat the Heat...and they beat the Grizzlies, which was more important of the two games.
I can see resting players especially the older players like in baseball. There is little proof either way in the NBA on its success. I see Pop resting his players as a tactic. His choosing Miami would be a way of sticking it to Stern. Pops definitely tanked the Miami game...whether it was for future success or to get at Stern is debatable.
I think this is a prime opportunity for all coaches to do the same...withhold your starters as protest against the NBA schedule. I want this so bad. We don't need the argument that the Spurs are special because they are old... We just need this regardless
no he hasn't. Not all starters. Discounting last year. Point is, no other coach has ever done this. But, they should all do this. Reduce the schedule to 70 games. A coach can't do this though...and owner has to. And the owner league isn't going to support this. Based on history.
Not true Whether its pre season, the end of the season, phony injury claims or whatever it has been done I want him to fine any team that's tanking from now on....he's a hypocrite otherwise
I don't really think this has ever happened before in midseason. But who cares if a billion dollar company is fined $250k...it is the equivalent of a flopping fine. Won't change a thing. Stop with the fine issue. The point is that all coaches should do this as protest that the NBA schedule is bad for the game. Will they....no. So stop saying Pops is a hero. The dude should just flat out say that he withheld his starters as protest. No excuses. That is what JVG would have done. And it is what I would have done, too. Pops is a p***y for not telling the media his real reason.
He rested his big 3 last year on 2/21 v. the Blazers on NBATV. So he has done this before in the middle of the season. He just never sent them home. This is the first in NBA history.
There is one and only one conclusion from this thread: heyp (or "hp" as I like to call him for short) is a Heat season ticket holder. :grin:
I don't even know what you are trying to argue for. That Pop is a coward? Or that coaches don't have the right to sit his players anyway he want? How is Pop a coward if he's trying to stick it to Stern? (I think you agree with this, right?) Lots of people, even some Spurs haters think he's a hero for doing that. If you are arguing that coaches should not be able to tank a game, then do you agree that they should be punished for doing that at the end of the season?
bob..really .... you are going to go there ... my Texan issue with giving respect by always spelling peoples name completely, despite my lesdyxia....my name is heypartner. and if it is the last thing I do...I will get you, Easy, SamFisher and Batman Jones into a Toyota Center luxury box together with Kam. And Mango
funny, this is usually a statement by someone who doesn't realize the other side agrees with him, yet has bigger issues to portray. And that is what I am doing. Yeah, you don't see this much...a dude conceding yet still pushing a point. The internets are not really conducive to that, right B-Bob. there is currently a rule for that. Y'all seem to be the ones asking for more rules. And you can't justify them. Try me again. I'm not the one asking for new rules, you are. Honestly, y'all seem defensive that there is some dude (me) who has a valid argument that you can't find media people who can help you defend, and so you don't know how to deal with other than to say I'm a Spurs hater. Seriously. Y'all are not thinking objectively on this....like I am....because you don't want to make it about basketball...you want to make it about Stern.
so what is your point? Are you saying Michael Jordan or Kobe would have ducked Lebron like Ginobody did?
You just said it hasn't happened before and you've been given examples that it has It was nothing but a money issue to stern he could care less about basketball or the spurs organization Nothing more to be said
