Is D'Antoni DUMB?

[jenna2891]

However, darling love jenna, my comments aren't really about the Suns but more about the philosophy of resting your starters or not resting your starters, which the Suns, Dallas and Spurs all did in different ways.

speaking generally, i understand your point. however, dear heart, i still think it is a case by case basis decision.

 

[jenna2891]

I'm not supposed to be posting in here...miss jenna the mighty has cracked her whip. But no...they were sucking, not resting.

and don't you forget it!

 

[Ciani]

I was pissed when I saw Nash and Amare returning to the floor in the 4th quarter against Houston, but other than that I dont think that Coach D made a big mistake by not resting the starters. Last year Nash and Bell missed two games on the last week of the regular season (and played another two games against tanking lottery teams), although we didnt start the playoffs in great shape.

 

[D-Dogg]

speaking generally, i understand your point. however, dear heart, i still think it is a case by case basis decision.

Thanks tootsiepop.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

And then you follow that up with a smug and condescending post? Come on, e. You can't say someone is smug and annoying, and then proceed to be smug in your own post...regardless of the validity of your claim. Besides, I think the smilies I used in that post you quoted were sufficient to show the post was intended to be lighthearted pokes so I don't know how you "soften" that.

I used my example (which you just pissed all over with your 9 year old track analogy) because it was a situation exactly the same albeit at a much lower level. I don't think it's a stretch there, but apparently you do. If you don't find it applicable, take it and move on...what's the need in getting bent about it?

Regarding announcers, I don't buy anything they say. They are talking heads and as you said, say contridictory things in an effort to fill the airwaves with their own discussion. Dallas rested all their starters, as did the Spurs. This isn't Pop's first rodeo, and I don't think he is worried about "rust." I happen to agree completely with Pop's philosophy, not D'Antoni's, so I guess I would agree with the talking heads who dismiss "rust." IMO, the only time you have rust is after a summer of not playing ball or a long layoff of injury where you can't practice. Practice eliminates rust....that is from my own experience which apparently doesn't mean anything even though I experienced it.

I think D'Antoni is a good coach, but I agreed with the OP that playing Nash and Amare in a meaningless game was a pretty dumb move. And yes, I feel strongly enough about that to approach it with eye rolls.

And you keep going back to this idea that they can get hurt elsewhere so what's the big deal. I rhetorically asked the questions below but the answer is "players are more at risk in an NBA game."



And no, practice is essential to keeping your "eyes on the prize." It's far more important than playing meaningless games without full effort. No matter what Allen Iverson has to say on the matter. Practice = elimination of rust. There is no "rust" if you practice. It's an invalid concept. That's my bottom line, and it is my opinion. If you don't agree, fine.

I am going to challange this, meaningless practices are not far more important than playing in meaningless games. Games offer far more preparation than a practice ever could. Fans tend to think practice is very important because they read a proverb on some ******** fortune cookie when you were 9.

The reality is injures can happen anywhere. to say players should practice but no particpate in games is laughable and hypocritcal.

 

[jenna2891]

I am going to challange this, meaningless practices are not far more important than playing in meaningless games. Games offer far more preparation than a practice ever could. Fans tend to think practice is very important because they read a proverb on some ******** fortune cookie when you were 9.

The reality is injures can happen anywhere. to say players should practice but no particpate in games is laughable and hypocritcal.

this argument trumps the "rest" argument, imo.

 

[azirish]

D'Antoni said he'd rather have the team play and then rest on Wed, then to so soft on Tue and then have to have a hard practice on Wed. (He might have mentioned that guys get hurt in scrimmages almost as often as in games, it's just that scrimmages are uncommon during the season).

Going from Tue to Sat (or Sun) is certainly a long enough period for the team to "rest" and an extra day is not going to compensate for the wear and tear of the season.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I just wished that D'Antoni would have left the starters out of the 4th Q. It would have been nice to see the bench players come back and win the game for us. It could have done a lot for our 6-9 players.

 

[jenna2891]

It would have been nice to see the bench players come back and win the game for us. It could have done a lot for our 6-9 players.

it would also be nice if the magical playoff fairies came by and sprinkled sweet dreams and pixie dust all over the players too, but that's not gonna happen.

the bench never would have won that game on their own. look at this lineup (assuming barbosa sits and junior stays):

diaw
thomas
junior
rose/piatkowski/burke/banks

with the exception of diaw (and maybe thomas), all of those guys would be worse off if they finished the season getting worked over by the clippers.

 

[azirish]

I just wished that D'Antoni would have left the starters out of the 4th Q. It would have been nice to see the bench players come back and win the game for us. It could have done a lot for our 6-9 players.

The six through eight got a lot of minutes. Who is number nine?

 

[Covert Rain]

it would also be nice if the magical playoff fairies came by and sprinkled sweet dreams and pixie dust all over the players

Yeah...it's usually strippers dressed as fairies....sprinkled with baby oil and 1 dollar bills from the players.

 

[jenna2891]

The six through eight got a lot of minutes. Who is number nine?

that's what i'm wondering too. my guess: jalen rose.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

The six through eight got a lot of minutes. Who is number nine?

that's what i'm wondering too. my guess: jalen rose.

I don't know who number 9 is. Assuming that they bench their starters, there would have to be a 9 and a 10.

 

[D-Dogg]

I am going to challange this, meaningless practices are not far more important than playing in meaningless games. Games offer far more preparation than a practice ever could. Fans tend to think practice is very important because they read a proverb on some ******** fortune cookie when you were 9.

The reality is injures can happen anywhere. to say players should practice but no particpate in games is laughable and hypocritcal.

Allen Iverson, is that you?

You should never have meaningless practices...if your practice is meaningless, you shouldn't have it. I don't know what kind of practices you've been involved with but from my experience with highly focused practices and tape sessions, we were often very prepared.

And it isn't hypocritical to say players should practice but not play in meaningless games...ESPECIALLY meaningless games. Practice should be focused and driven and yeah, you might get injured but you are preparing for winning. Playing in meaningless games and not going all-out isn't prepping you for your first round matchups, but if you can get some benefit out of it like team chemistry or something then an argument can be made, I guess. It's a risk management deal...practice is necessary and has an impact so you have to do that, but if you can rest guys and minimize their risk of injury by taking them out of a couple of games why not?

What is laughable is that you think practice is meaningless.

 

[Mulli]

Allen Iverson, is that you?

You should never have meaningless practices...if your practice is meaningless, you shouldn't have it. I don't know what kind of practices you've been involved with but from my experience with highly focused practices and tape sessions, we were often very prepared.

And it isn't hypocritical to say players should practice but not play in meaningless games...ESPECIALLY meaningless games. Practice should be focused and driven and yeah, you might get injured but you are preparing for winning. Playing in meaningless games and not going all-out isn't prepping you for your first round matchups, but if you can get some benefit out of it like team chemistry or something then an argument can be made, I guess. It's a risk management deal...practice is necessary and has an impact so you have to do that, but if you can rest guys and minimize their risk of injury by taking them out of a couple of games why not?

What is laughable is that you think practice is meaningless.

My soccer team in second grade didn't practice very well. But we finished in second place.

 

[D-Dogg]

My soccer team in second grade didn't practice very well. But we finished in second place.

LOL

Your coach should have rested your starters and you'd have won the title.

 

[Treesquid PhD]

Allen Iverson, is that you?

You should never have meaningless practices...if your practice is meaningless, you shouldn't have it. I don't know what kind of practices you've been involved with but from my experience with highly focused practices and tape sessions, we were often very prepared.

And it isn't hypocritical to say players should practice but not play in meaningless games...ESPECIALLY meaningless games. Practice should be focused and driven and yeah, you might get injured but you are preparing for winning. Playing in meaningless games and not going all-out isn't prepping you for your first round matchups, but if you can get some benefit out of it like team chemistry or something then an argument can be made, I guess. It's a risk management deal...practice is necessary and has an impact so you have to do that, but if you can rest guys and minimize their risk of injury by taking them out of a couple of games why not?

What is laughable is that you think practice is meaningless.

If you are talking rest then you should rest everywhere. If you are practicing for 90 minuets but saving a player 2 mnutes per game then it's not resting then is it? Whatever, obviously you have bought into the fallacy that practice is virtuous but playing an extra 2 minutes per game is deadly.

I think you vastly overrate practice. Are you Dirk Koetter?

 

[D-Dogg]

If you are talking rest then you should rest everywhere. If you are practicing for 90 minuets but saving a player 2 mnutes per game then it's not resting then is it? Whatever, obviously you have bought into the fallacy that practice is virtuous but playing an extra 2 minutes per game is deadly.

I think you vastly overrate practice. Are you Dirk Koetter?

I actually was not talking rest. I was approaching from a minimize risk angle, not a rest up angle, Mr. Iverson.

With my team, I'd want it for rest as well because they have injuries they are playing with...dunno about your guys.

 

[pokerface]

I dont buy any arguments that he needed to play his starters regular minutes in actual games to keep them sharp for the playoffs. They are going to have 4-5 days off regardless...if they have 6-7 days off is that adding so much more rust to their game? Anything over 2-3 days off makes them a little rusty anyway so might was well take the extra time off and not take unecessary chances.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

I dont buy any arguments that he needed to play his starters regular minutes in actual games to keep them sharp for the playoffs. They are going to have 4-5 days off regardless...if they have 6-7 days off is that adding so much more rust to their game? Anything over 2-3 days off makes them a little rusty anyway so might was well take the extra time off and not take unecessary chances.

Were you a Suns fan in 93 when the Suns benched the starters for the last 5 games of the season, only to lose the first 2 playoff games at home to the Lakers? They have to win the last 3 games, including 2 at LA in order to survive the first round (back then it was the best of 5 series).

I actually think that it is smart to play the starters. I don't know if I would have played them at the end of the game, but I would rather them in tune with each other, rather than the Suns trying to find their chemistry again after sitting for almost a week.

you never answered my post.

 

[Covert Rain]

I guess I am a tweener with this debate. I don't think as a player you can shut it down for days at a time and then expect to turn it on and be crisp. Any of us that have played sports knows that practice is the key to any good team. Because of NBA schedules, sometimes your games are used to tune up a team down the stretch because you don't really get to practice all that much. Nash kept commenting how those games have to be used for tuneup.

I have zero problem with D'Antoni playing the guys down the stretch for that reason alone. However, what I didn't agree with was the number of minutes he played the guys in 2 meaningless games. I would have liked to see him give rotating days off or cut back on the minutes a bit.

In the end though, no harm no foul. Nobody got hurt. It doesn't really matter at this point now. LET THE PLAYOFFS BEGIN!

 

[TheFallen49]

Question: Is D'Antoni dumb?

Answer: Yes. I don't know how he gets the credit he does, Nash is given a license to run the team any way he wants (and somehow Mike is brilliant for delegating coaching responsibility to his pg), he plays his starters like what... 30+ minutes when their seed is locked up, and doesn't play his bench although he clearly has some players that could contribute.

How do you argue that he is NOT dumb? He has a COY award...

 

[Covert Rain]

Question: Is D'Antoni dumb?

Answer: Yes. I don't know how he gets the credit he does, Nash is given a license to run the team any way he wants (and somehow Mike is brilliant for delegating coaching responsibility to his pg), he plays his starters like what... 30+ minutes when their seed is locked up, and doesn't play his bench although he clearly has some players that could contribute.

How do you argue that he is NOT dumb? He has a COY award...

Nash looks to D'Antoni for instructions all the time over the course of a game. It's the decisions he allows Nash to make when plays break down that makes him brilliant. It's the system he implemented that nobody said would work in the NBA that makes him brilliant. Nash doesn't run the team.

You won't get any argument with me though on his use of the bench this season. I have been all over that all season long. If that ends up being the reason we lose in the playoffs..... just wait until the season is over.

 

[DeAnna]

You are becoming very smug and annoying. I don't know whether you value my responses, but if you want to keep receiving them, you need to soften your attitude..

Uh, oh...I smell the ignore button being turned on...

 

[TheHopToad]

So here's an interesting twist....

Last night Dallas rested their starters in a game that had playoff implications for their opponent and the Warriors ran all over them. Tonight, the Mavericks are playing the "A" team against the Sonics, the worst team in the conference, and are of course blowing Seattle away.

Is there any sense to this? What happened to the integrity of the game? Resting players for the playoffs? Avoiding injury?

Can they prove anything by beating up a depleted Sonics team that wants to lose anyway?

Maybe they still like Don Nelson afterall...