So McHale thinks our bench can overcome a 17 point deficit against Memphis' starters?

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=320129006&period=4

And don't tell me benching Parker, Manu, and Duncan the entire 4th quarter AND overtime isn't the same thing. Don't pull that BS and tell me the Spurs bench is better than the Mav's starting lineup because it clearly isn't.

 

Lakers were 23-11 going to that game, and got caught overlooking an inferior team...this was a vastly different situation, we are fighting for a playoff spot, going up against a superior team....oh, and McFail isn't 1/100th the coach that Phil Jackson is.

 

I don't think so Tim.

"The game against the Griz was the first of a back-to-back. They play Houston on Wednesday. Since the game was out of reach, Jackson benched his starters to save them for the next game, a common ting for coaches to do, which is one reason why George Karl was so heavily criticized for having his starters on the court the night of the Knicks-Nuggets fight."

 

Kobe Bryant at the end of the game is a bigger game-changer than our "5 best players" (more like Harden, plus 3 decent players).

Edit: ^ I guess it was the entire Lakers starting unit, after all.

 

LOL, you compare McFail to Pop?

When was the last time Pop's team had to fight for a playoff spot? When was the last time Pop's team had a record with less than 10 games above .500 at this point of time?

Popovich's can mail 5-7 games and I bet Spurs can still make the playoffs.

But go ahead, keep repeating Pop has done that before so it is legit for McFail to do it as well. That will make Rox a contender like Spurs do, I guess.

 

You're allowed to make points during the first quarter of the season, especially when you know your veteran team is gonna be a highly seeded playoff team...when's there's 10 games left in the season and your inexperienced team is fighting for a playoff spot, it would not be the time to make a point.

 

This.

Show me a time Pops or Phil Jackson did this while fighting for a play off spot late in the season and you might have a point.

If McHale was going to send messages, early or mid season is the time to do it. NOT with 10 games left and multiple teams playing hard to catch up.

 

Are you asinine? Let me repeat what you said.

And I said that I have seen a coach pull a move like that.
I have not said McHale is a coach on Pop's level because he clearly isn't. I'm just making a counter statement to your clearly knee jerk reaction and (uninformed) reaction. I'm not trying to offend you, if you were LOF I wouldn't even bother replying or would troll back. But what you just said was clearly wrong and needed to be corrected.

 

Thanks, nice reading there.

 

Agreed, Harden played poorly again. The curse of player of the week...

 

I would argue that making a point is more important right before the playoffs than in the first quarter of the season.

Spurs were 12-8 playing against a Mavs team that was also 12-8 who had just come off a championship. Sounds like a pretty big game.

Honestly it just looks like you guys are upset about the loss and are looking for ANY reason to justify that his decision was wrong. Nothing wrong with that, but putting away your emotions certainly help.

I'm done arguing.

 

LOL even the NBA TV announcers are now questioning why the starters set out the entire first quarter. SMDH

 

Harden's defense is killing the team.
Mchale was sending the message to Harden, well it wwas too obvious just to sit Harden, then he sit the whole starters.

 

What lol. That's obviously just her opinion man.

The guy who posted it obviously didn't think it was out of reach. They were within 14 with 7 minutes left. That's in reach, I'm guessing you agree if you think 9 points with 7 minutes left is in reach.

Phil kept the bench in because they were the ones who brought them back from the deficit, not Kobe and the starters and because it was the first on a b2b.

 

I hate this coach so much I almost want us to miss the playoffs so this clown can burn the road up. We can be one player and a coach away from being the second best team in the west next year. I cant believe people are actually taking up for this joke of a coach. Let him keep trying to proove a point. This is not college this is the N.B.A. All Harden has to do is decide he wants to be in the game when it matters next time no matter what and Mcfu&kboy will be out the door anyway. We would be so much better with a real coach.

 

Harden has been liability since day 1, why bench him now?

 

is it possible that the starters are passively sending a message that having no offensive system and relying just on pace and hustle is tiring, even if you're young and hungry. why should they bust their hump when the coaching staff aren't committed enough to get them prepared.