ClutchFans Game Thread: Rockets @ Lakers 1/25/2015

Let me rephrase my concerns.

Cost vs benefit.

What risk do we run if we play Harden big minutes?
What benefits do we get if we play Harden big minutes?

and the converse.

What risk do we run if we play Harden reduced minutes?
What benefits do we get if we play Harden reduced minutes?

Bear in mind that I think the team is stacked (ie. v deep).

Visualise the Lakers game (a bad team with a bad coach who arguably
may be tanking to save some top 5 protected 2015 pick).

Now visualise playing a good team with no Harden.

Worth the risk?

Just food for thought.

 

Players want to play... At least the great ones do.

 

There are several scenarios :

You could win championship/s.. We have seen several teams play their Superstar/s heavy minutes to achieve that ultimate goal. Lakers , Bulls, Rockets, Heat and a few other teams played their superstars heavy minutes . Now you have a few teams mainly the Spurs who have cut their main guys minutes to save them for the rigorous west side playoffs run. Smart move by Pop because he knows his main guys are aging.

You have those teams that played the stars heavy minutes that could have played a part of them being injured. One example : our own Houston Rockets with Tracy Mcgrady and Yao. That team didn't have any true help for them either. Some would argue the fact that they did win 50+ games several of times. But their two Superstars had to shoulder most of the heavy load. JVG's 2-5 offense played a major part of their bodies breaking down.

Losing Harden would be a big time blow to our team. But that can be said for a lot of teams. Look how Cleveland looked without Lebron. Look at OKC without Durant and Westbrook. Those players logs heavy minutes as well.

That's the risk every team takes. Even the Spurs are dealing with injuries to key players while keeping their players minutes down.

 

LOL who knows Remii. Who knows.

 

McHale is a fluffer coach. Any players have trouble maintaining 1 and he's there to stroke their ego...

 

The Spurs players take paycuts, which of course means its a lot easier to pay guys to fill in those extra minutes, Duncan even alluded to it once, that he gets paid less, plays a lot less minutes and so plays for more years.

 

You see star players tell the coach they're not coming out all the time by waiving their sub back to the bench... Or you see them telling the coach to take them out to give them a breather. But you can bet that Harden is going to play as much as he can in Cali against his home team Lakers if it's not a blowout.

Duncan played heavy minutes his 1st 7 years... Harden is just in his 3rd year of playing heavy minutes (plus he didn't have 4 years of college) so no worries. Young players need to play to get better.