I don’t agree with this method. I would’ve played at least 10 guys so that everyone could catch a real breather.
Exactly know is a great time to find out if the rotation is a winning before the playoffs start. It sucks to loose one at home but every lose we take at full strength can be used as a learning experience.
Ime did this against the Heat also. I don't necessarily have a problem with an 8 man rotation now that Amen has returned from injury and the B2Bs are almost over(one left next Monday), but the minutes have to be distributed better. You cannot have Jabari and Tari logging only 17 and 15 minutes respectively in a must win game like the Denver one. Also, I do hope if Reed is back before the end of the regular season, Ime at least gives him one more chance as the backup PG. It would be a shame to immediately relegate him to the role of cheerleading on the bench.
We are currently on the verge of ending a comfortable schedule and starting a pretty rough one (except for 2 matches vs. Jazz). I think it’s OK to use our heavy guns so we can secure ASAP our playoff spot (meaning top-6 spot). I hope that once we did this, Ime will let some guys rest and expand the rotation, even on the expense of getting to a lower spot, as long as it is above #7 I really don’t mind.
But that's what makes the Nuggets loss such a killer. That #2 seed is still doable, but it's gonna be tougher now. It may even come down to the final game of the regular season when Denver returns to Toyota Center.
They better win at least 50. A home and away against Utah, a home game against Atlanta, and a road game at Phoenix(with 2 days of rest beforehand) are all winnable. Plus we don't know if OKC will have much to play for when they come to Toyota Center a week from Friday. And it's not like the Rockets are incapable of winning at least one of the two games at the Lakers or the game at the Clippers.
Nobody could play 40 mins with great effort. I hope Ime wont mention effort again in a loss after overplaying starters.
I'm fine with the short rotations. I am not a fan of the three guards in the rotation all starting and having the bench be 2 PFs and a center. I think Ime has done a great job. Part of me wants to trust him on the three guard lineups. I expected it to work very well while it has ended up a clusterf***. I get that it has offensive upside, but the defense just isn't there right now. Most of me is just frustrated in that it looks like the Rockets are taking a voluntary stepback.
A short rotation is fine, but at least distribute the minutes correctly. FVV got 42 mins in a game where it was obvious he was going to suck all game long. Jabari and Tari getting 32 combined and Amen getting 32 playing the dunker spot was totally idiotic. His rotations have been terrible all year. We are very lucky that Lebron and Curry missed a few games or we would have no pad from the weak schedule. What happened to FVV “off the ball”?
It’s going to end bad. Jalen is starting to get hunted. And FVv ain’t hunted but his size will always be a disadvantage. It doesn’t help that when we get back on defense in transition, we always end up crossed match-up for the worse for some reason
My guess is that Ime will play Reed during the last week of the season in one of the games with a possible playoff opponent. He may rest a bunch of guys like he did with OKC last time.
Rudy T?, although I don’t know if CF was around then. I would kill for a Rick Adelman clone right now.
We were fine with Tari starting and save 1 lucky game where Amen and FVV went nuts, it’s not been good. Overplaying FVV, the starting lineup, shortened bench all contributing to not being in our best form.
I agree that specifically last games’s rotation was not great, but I do think that the general concept of focusing this 8 men rotation is fine. Ime does need to lower some of Fred’s and Dillon’s minutes, we could really use more Tari and Bari last night.
FVV has not looked good save one game since being back. His minutes should be less. That said, I think Tari and Jabari are fine playing more minutes. Shortening the bench isn't the problem. I think the problem is the starting lineup and the downstream problems it causes. Even if Ime figures out the three-guard lineup, starting all three guards (FVV, Amen, Green) causes times with only one guard. I don't think any of FVV, Amen, and Green are good fits for carry the entire perimeter playmaking role.
