Fire LD now. No really.

[niremetal]

How fracking stupid can you be to play Al and JJ tonight? I'm seriously fuming. This is absurd. Does he just think it's a good idea for JJ to go into the playoffs with a jammed thumb, the type of injury that can only truly be healed with complete rest? And how the hell can you play Al and put extra miles on his knees and ankle right before a series where he'll have to bang with Dwight?

There is absolutely no excuse for this. None. These games are MEANINGLESS. His ONLY priority as a coach right now should be to make sure the team is rested and ready for the playoffs. Giving JJ and Al burn tonight is just...I mean, really. I can't believe this. He's an idiot. He needs to be fired now. I know he won't be, but he needs to be.

[MaceCase]

Jerhome in the pregame quoted Joe on saying he'd play as long and as hard as need be to get wins in the last week despite his injuries. Either he has a hefty performance bonus based on minutes played in the season or he's just dumb. LD doesn't control these guys regardless.

[BrazilianHawk]

Well I really don't like when the Hawks lose, even the meaningless games, but I agree there's no reason to play them at all. LD really sucks. He's been running the guys to the ground just like Woody used to do. That's REALLY stupid.

[niremetal]

Jerhome in the pregame quoted Joe on saying he'd play as long and as hard as need be to get wins in the last week despite his injuries. Either he has a hefty performance bonus based on minutes played in the season or he's just dumb. LD doesn't control these guys regardless.

And that's the problem. And it's not just JJ. Anyone who has read Breaks of the Game, More Than a Game or just about any other in-depth book about high-level basketball knows that players face a serious stigma about holding themselves out because of injuries. You're perceived as weak and unwilling to play through pain, which is fatal in a league where pain and nagging injuries are a constant. Which is why I said Al should be held out too. Does anyone really think his ankle is at 100%?

That's why teams have a training staff and coaches. To be able to tell a player "you need to sit this one out" when need be. If our coach won't even tell a player to sit out a meaningless game in order to be 100% ready for the playoffs, then he is even more useless than I thought.

Edited April 9, 2011 by niremetal

[APE]

Has the Idiot played The Poet Man to get him into game shape?

[Seano]

What I'm wondering is how Marvin can have only one rebound in 23 minutes played. Geesh. :beathorse:

[AnthonyI11]

Overreact a little more dude. Kobe Bryant will even still be playing

[TheTruth]

Overreact a little more dude. Kobe Bryant will even still be playing

Eh, he probably WOULD be, but that doesn't mean he SHOULD be.

[AHF]

Overreact a little more dude. Kobe Bryant will even still be playing

Kobe hasn't physically collapsed in the playoffs the last 2 years and isn't currently nursing a significant nagging injury.

[dlpin]

Kobe hasn't physically collapsed in the playoffs the last 2 years and isn't currently nursing a significant nagging injury.

Not to mention that the lakers are tied in the standings with Miami and Boston, and only 1 game ahead of dallas and 2 of OKC, so the Lakers have everything to play for at this point, from seeding to home court advantage in potential finals.

Atlanta can't catch anyone ahead of them and can't be caught by anyone behind them.

[DJlaysitup]

How fracking stupid can you be to play Al and JJ tonight? I'm seriously fuming. This is absurd. Does he just think it's a good idea for JJ to go into the playoffs with a jammed thumb, the type of injury that can only truly be healed with complete rest? And how the hell can you play Al and put extra miles on his knees and ankle right before a series where he'll have to bang with Dwight?

There is absolutely no excuse for this. None. These games are MEANINGLESS. His ONLY priority as a coach right now should be to make sure the team is rested and ready for the playoffs. Giving JJ and Al burn tonight is just...I mean, really. I can't believe this. He's an idiot. He needs to be fired now. I know he won't be, but he needs to be.

While I agree with your point in general nir...let's face it...somebody has to play. Nobody was playing real hard that I saw. Hard to get too upset with LD. Etan was in in the first half and Pape even got a few minutes at the end. Heck, this isn't the NFL where they have 55 players...+ the good guys don't want to screw up their averages. Everybody ran around and shot some shots and JJ went inside a few times and the game was eventually over.

Indy was locked in too and their fans got to see a home win...who cares.

[niremetal]

While I agree with your point in general nir...let's face it...somebody has to play. Nobody was playing real hard that I saw. Hard to get too upset with LD. Etan was in in the first half and Pape even got a few minutes at the end. Heck, this isn't the NFL where they have 55 players...+ the good guys don't want to screw up their averages. Everybody ran around and shot some shots and JJ went inside a few times and the game was eventually over.

Indy was locked in too and their fans got to see a home win...who cares.

LD has used an 8-man rotation before. No reason he couldn't do the same last night, except make that rotation Teague-Hinrich-Damien-Powell-Zaza, with Etan, Pape, and Jamal/Marvin coming off the bench.

I care because JJ has a jammed thumb. The only - and I mean only - way for a jammed thumb to heal is to rest it. Same with Al's ankle. And as with all NBA players, they and the other Hawks regulars are undoubtedly playing with a few minor dings and injuries that no one hears about, but for which they receive ice/tape/heat treatment/etc before and after every game, and for which (again) the only way to get them to heal completely is to rest and avoid reaggravating them.

These games are meaningless. It wouldn't matter one iota if we lost by 50 points. Rest them.

[Kaye]

Jerhome in the pregame quoted Joe on saying he'd play as long and as hard as need be to get wins in the last week despite his injuries. Either he has a hefty performance bonus based on minutes played in the season or he's just dumb. LD doesn't control these guys regardless.

Yup!

I have the feeling ASG will do just that this offseason...seems like the players have tuned him out

Why didn't we go after Thom Thibbedeua?????????