Ummmm... the NBA owned the Hornets. Which means that Stern had the authority to veto the Chris Paul trade.
Tony Parker is only 30. If He rested 1 of the big 3 it would be ok, but all three at the same time? The spurs aren't going to win the championship. Might as well try to have your stars out there so the fans can enjoy it.
This whole argument that Pops is doing what is best for his team is complete BullkSh1t. No other coach in the NBA would avoid a game against the defending champion. Show me ONE other example of this. What is in the Spurs best interest is winning all four of those games! And he had the opportunity to do that. He played three of the worst teams in the NBA prior to the Heat. But this is what Pops did: Toronto (patsies, I'll play my starters) Washington (0-13, I'll play my starters) Orlando (patsies, I'll play my starters) Heat (Lebron, **** let me tank this game to "rest" my starters) It is a Bullsh!t argument to imply San Antonio shouldn't have tried to win all FOUR games by "resting the starters" against other teams.
This is not a chain it is a franchise and in franchise restaurants they are allowed to work whoever they want.
Side note: Let's look deeper at resting the starters. Parker is 30 ... dude doesn't need rest Donte Green is 25 Ginobili is averages 23 mpg. Twenty Three. That is the Yao Ming rehab mpg. Ginobili is not getting overworked Those are the guys he sat. I'm fine sitting Duncan, although Hakeem never sat, but the rest didn't need to...or could have against the Wizard, Magic or Raptors
This ^ For those peeps who bought lower bowl or even worse, $6,000 floor seats to watch miamis big 3 vs spurs big 3 must have been pissed off when they found it they paid that much to watch patty mills deCoco and Gary Neal play. I just spent a grip on third row tix at Toyota to watch rox vs Miami, if spo had sat lebron bosh wade and Allen, I woulda thrown a $20 beer at his ass
It's smart bidding is what it is. He is a smart coach and knows how to win championships which is the goal for the Spurs.
Another Strategy Thing It is in the best interest of the Spurs to get scouting video of their actual freaking team playing the defending champions. They only play them twice. This was a perfect game to see how Heat can defend Parker now. Also, if you rest Duncan, this was a perfect game to let Ginobili attack the Heat for 40 minutes...and try to get 40 points on their ass. But no...let's not do that.
He has come nowhere close to winning a championship using this "rest his players" strategy that he started in 2009. There is no playoff proof that this works for him. They get summarily dismissed from the playoffs every year, in embarrassing fashion.
Where do you get this idea? Have you ever had a job? Besides which, I'm sure the league's by-laws has a vague catch-all that allows Stern wide power to punish teams for behavior that hurts the league's business interests.
His goal is a championship, but you know how hard it is to win. Just see how hard it was for Miami even with the big 3. Championships aren't a certainty.
He doesn't rest them in the playoffs. He is resting them in the season to get into the playoffs healthy and rested. Where were you when Shaq was coasting through the season with LA just waiting to get to the playoffs?
