Do we tank the last game(s) of the season or do go head on with the mavs

In '92 the Bush campaign was salivating for a matchup with Bill Clinton.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

I think the important thing isn't to avoid the 5th spot, but to avoid the 7th spot. That's taken care of by winning at least one game. Which should be the Clippers. The Seattle game should then be used to rest our starters to avoid injuries. I hope JVG would really limit Yao and especially T-Mac in the last game. No reason to risk anything when you don't have to.

History has shown that momentum going into the playoffs is worthless. So there's no reason to risk things for that.

 

I'll agree with you here.

This...I don't agree with. I think history has taught us plenty of times that momentum before the playoffs is important.

 

If the Rockets are Bill Clinton, here's hoping we don't get blown....out in the first round.

 

No tanking allowed.

 

Would it be considered tanking if we "rested" out top players?

Anyway, when I think of tanking I think of the San Antonio Spurs.

 

There is simply NO WAY JVG would go into a tank mode. It WILL NOT HAPPEN.

 

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO WE FACE IN THE FIRST ROUND!

If we get the Sonics and we beat the Sonics, we get the Spurs next.

If we get the Mavs and we beat the Mavs, we get the Suns next.

If we get the Sonics and we lose to the Sonics, we lose.

If we get the Mavs and we lose to the Mavs, we lose.

Geeze, it's not like winning a 1st round series and then losing in the 2nd is some great accomplishment. And if we expect to be able to beat anybody in the 2nd round, we better be able to beat the Mavs in the 1st round.

Screw the standings, screw the seedings, screw the matchups. Just play to win every damn game from here on out right on up through the Finals.

We can beat ANY TEAM we face.

 

And that's what I love about JVG!

J-V-G! J-V-G! J-V-G!

 

I'd definitely prefer playing the sonics but tanking implies we're scared of the mavs. thats not a good/ confident attitude to have going into the playoffs. that's why theres no way the team would even consider it, so its a non-issue.
they run hot-cold but if our perimeter guys are stroking it, I think we can beat anyone in the playoffs.

 

We won that game.

 

Yes.

 

Care to provide examples to back up this up?

I doubt you will...

NEVER EVER TANK...IT wont happen...no way no how.

You guys that are scared of the Mavs are problably the same ones that predicted we lose against Denver...

 

there's no way we'll purposely lose a game but if we've got our seed locked up i doubt you'll see tmac or yao play very much (if at all) in the last game. steve and cuttino sat out games at the end of last season for minor things they could've and no doubt would've played through had our seed not already been locked up.

hell, not playing your two big guys is smart if you have nothing to play for in terms of your seed. seeing either get injured in a meaningless game would be far worse than risking a little momentum that could leave you with a bad shooting 1st quarter in game 1 anyway.

 

tanking right when you're starting to play great ball again and immediately before the playoffs could be the stupidest idea i've ever heard. we need to try and win both of the next 2 games and play whoever it is we play. you think dream and clyde gave a **** about seeding when they rolled opponents from the six seed in 95. while we have yet to find out if this team has that kind of run in them, i'd like to find out.

dallas is very good and yes it's very true we don't have an answer for nowitski. you know what, the spurs don't have an answer, the heat don't have an anwer, no team in the league has an answer for nowitski, that's why he one of the best players in the freaking game.
the idea is that dallas has no answer for t-mac or yao either.

with the potential of a tracy/dirk shootout in every game it could be a great series and one that is just as winnable for us.

 

Just Win Baby!!! Oh, forgot that is Raiders. Seriously, I just rather the Rockets go in playing well and let the playoffs beging. GO ROCKETS!!!

 

Momentum heading into the playoffs means very little. Memphis was the hottest team in the league heading into the playoffs last year and they got their asses handed to them. Detroit headed into the playoffs losing 5 of their last 7 regular season games and we all know what happened to them. I think what often happens when a hot team enters the playoffs is they think they're invincible, but at the first sign of trouble they start to panic.

I certainly wouldn't mind the Rockets tanking if they felt they matched up better with Seattle. Sometimes it's better to think with your brain, rather than your heart.

 

New Jack is spot on (e.g., act with your brain, not heart), I say TANK.

-If we are the 7th seed or 6th seed, we only have to beat two among SA, Phx and Dallas to make the NBA finals. If we are the 5th seed we will have to beat all 3. Always prefer the path of least resistence.

-Might as well play SA earlier than later (2nd round is best, but if round 1 so be it), why give TD more time to get in playoff form.

-We are a vet team, more important is Wesley, Tmac, Yao, Barry and Sura being fresh. This is relevant both in terms of limiting their minutes this week, and getting an easier 1st round match-up (Sonics) as the cumulative playoff wear and tear is real. We just beat two playoff WC teams to ensure we are not the 8th seed and showed our quality when we need it, we have nothing to prove the next 2 games.

--the extra few slots in the draft does not hurt either.

IN SUM, I see no incentive for driving the team hard the next two games, it it time to coast and fine tune in practice. This may be tough medicine for those who say "never tank", but coasting (not deliberately blowing two games, but not driving hard either) this week is the correct coarse to maximize our chances at a title this year and in the future.

 

Looking for the easy option pretty much says you don't think you are good enough, that you need help...

We can take anybody, anywhere.