Can we keep up this rotation?

[Natebishop3]

The defense is concerning, but honestly the minutes has me most worried.



What can we do to alleviate the weight on Dame/CJ/Nurk/Melo?

 

[RR7]

The defense is concerning, but honestly the minutes has me most worried.

View attachment 32977

What can we do to alleviate the weight on Dame/CJ/Nurk/Melo?

Win a game by double digits, ideally

 

[SharpesTriumph]

2 days off now, no travel, only played for last 2 weeks instead of 6 months... I think we can.

Lakers may have to do the same with Lebron and Davis. Now if Lakers beat us and keep their minutes in lower 30s we are in trouble.

 

[Labinot41]

Give nassir Little and maaaaybe Simons 2-3 Minutes

 

[Natebishop3]

Win a game by double digits, ideally

Maybe we need a windows update to install defense.exe on this team?

 

[HolyBackboard]

Depth is our biggest issue at the moment. I think this is the hand we're dealt with for the bubble, but looking ahead to the offseason, we desperately need to use the pick to trade for a win-now piece and be smart with our MLE.

 

[Minstrel]

The defense is concerning, but honestly the minutes has me most worried.

View attachment 32977

What can we do to alleviate the weight on Dame/CJ/Nurk/Melo?

Considering Gary Trent Jr. also played 35 minutes, there's probably nothing the team can do to alleviate the weight on the starters. They don't have any decent depth without Hood and Ariza. In any competitive game, they're just going to have to ride their starters as far as they can. Ideally, you rest them if they're getting blown out (or, hopefully, they're blowing the Lakers out but that seems less likely) but that's about it.

 

[Minstrel]

Maybe we need a windows update to install defense.exe on this team?

You can try it, and then sift through the core dump when it crashes.

 

[julius]

Maybe if Whiteside can get his head in the game, they won't have to play Nurk 40 minutes. Or if Collins would swap out his cinder blocks for hands.

 

[EGame]

If we had Hood and Ariza to play around with that would be so much more helpful in limiting players minutes, but since we don't this is how we have to do it to have any shot. Luckily this is a bit different in that these guys had 4 months off so while they are tired, exhausted, etc, they aren't anywhere near as bad off as they would have been had the regular season kept going on normally.

 

[Shaboid]

Take the two days rest, throw some biofreeze on it, come out and beat a team 4 times out of seven. My fingers are crossed.

 

[Pinwheel1]

More minutes for Mario, at guard, is the only way to help give CJ and Dame a break. Like it or not.

Wenyen and Zach can help out the forward spot.

More minutes for Whiteside at the center spot against McGee/Howard.

 

[Scalma]

Wenyen should take all of Mario’s minutes. Who cares if Mario can handle the ball he’s too stupid to make correct decisions with it consistently. Wenyen is better at everything else.

 

[Natebishop3]

I really wish Simons wasn't such trash right now.

Simons and Zach have both been really disappointing.

 

[handiman]

Playoffs is heavy minutes time; short rotations. We're underdogs to get out of the first round, so there's no point resting the starters now. It's do or die time...not that it hasn't been for the past 9 games!

 

[blazerfan11]

The defense is concerning, but honestly the minutes has me most worried.

View attachment 32977

What can we do to alleviate the weight on Dame/CJ/Nurk/Melo?

It's the playoffs.

 

[Natebishop3]

It's the playoffs.

No.

Your starters shouldn't be playing 40+ minutes every game.

 

[bobf]

The defense is concerning, but honestly the minutes has me most worried.

View attachment 32977

What can we do to alleviate the weight on Dame/CJ/Nurk/Melo?

Hassan’s not gonna suck every game. Play Trent major minutes. Play Gabriel more. For God sake don’t play Hezonja at all - that was a nice block but it looked like a “rage block” from the frustration of all his hideous play beforehand.

Dame 36
CJ 36
Trent 36
Nurk 30
Hassan 26
Melo 30
Gabriel 24
Collins 22

 

[Natebishop3]

Playoffs is heavy minutes time; short rotations. We're underdogs to get out of the first round, so there's no point resting the starters now. It's do or die time...not that it hasn't been for the past 9 games!

We basically have a six man rotation right now. Seven if you count Whiteside.

 

[handiman]

We basically have a six man rotation right now. Seven if you count Whiteside.

Only if you ignore Zach, which is sillier than most of your hot takes.

I never saw an explanation of what he did to his ankle, but he was clearly hobbling up and down the court before they took him out. It looked like lower back to me, so "ankle inflammation" sounds like good news. I expect he'll be back on Tue and be an extremely important contributor against AD.

 

[Cugel]

on sirius nba some commentators were laughing at portland's prospects defensively against the lakers. Plus Nurk said he is not sure if he will stay.

 

[James lamphear]

I wonder how long Zach ankle been mess up it could be the reason why his performance been down.

 

[Natebishop3]

Only if you ignore Zach, which is sillier than most of your hot takes.

I never saw an explanation of what he did to his ankle, but he was clearly hobbling up and down the court before they took him out. It looked like lower back to me, so "ankle inflammation" sounds like good news. I expect he'll be back on Tue and be an extremely important contributor against AD.

.......

Dame
CJ
Melo
Zach
Nurk
GTJ
Whiteside

Who am I missing?

 

[twobullz]

.......

Dame
CJ
Melo
Zach
Nurk
GTJ
Whiteside

Who am I missing?

No matter how much people hate it Mario is going to get around 10 minutes a game, if not him it will be Ant. I personally would rather see Mario get the minutes cause Ant gives nothing. Mario has hit some some big shots and has had some nice steals in the bubble games so far.

 

[Pinwheel1]

Wenyen should take all of Mario’s minutes. Who cares if Mario can handle the ball he’s too stupid to make correct decisions with it consistently. Wenyen is better at everything else.

The topic is cutting down Dame and CJ's minutes. You and I both have wanted a backup PG for a while but that didn't happen, did it?
So your solution is playing Wenyen at guard? Mario or Anfernee are the only two options I see to give Dame and CJ a break. Not an ideal solution, just the only one I see. We will need Wenyen as well at forward when Lebron and AD foul out the others.

 

[Drttimmy]

I really wish Simons wasn't such trash right now.

Simons and Zach have both been really disappointing.

Some could argue it's to be expected given their inexperience, but I really did think Simons would have contributed more this year coming off his summer league performance. Where's that guy? What I mean, is where is the guy with confidence, that shoots with no hesitation, and attacks the hoop undeterred? I still like the guy on paper - great athlete that can shoot and handles - but his head is in a mess. If he'd gone the college maturation process, I think he'd be a nice player. Collins is running out of excuses. Maybe a backup post was his ceiling all along. Olshey could really use a good draft.

 

[Natebishop3]

Some could argue it's to be expected given their inexperience, but I really did think Simons would have contributed more this year coming off his summer league performance. Where's that guy? What I mean, is where is the guy with confidence, that shoots with no hesitation, and attacks the hoop undeterred? I still like the guy on paper - great athlete that can shoot and handles - but his head is in a mess. If he'd gone the college maturation process, I think he'd be a nice player. Collins is running out of excuses. Maybe a backup post was his ceiling all along. Olshey could really use a good draft.

Well, to be fair, Collins missed a ton of time.

Simons did not.

 

[wizenheimer]

I expect he'll be back on Tue and be an extremely important contributor against AD.

or, be in foul trouble 2 minutes into the game

he should try position defense more and shot-blocking less

 

[riverman]

The defense is concerning, but honestly the minutes has me most worried.

View attachment 32977

What can we do to alleviate the weight on Dame/CJ/Nurk/Melo?

Sweep the teams in the playoffs

 

[bobf]

The topic is cutting down Dame and CJ's minutes. You and I both have wanted a backup PG for a while but that didn't happen, did it?
So your solution is playing Wenyen at guard? Mario or Anfernee are the only two options I see to give Dame and CJ a break. Not an ideal solution, just the only one I see. We will need Wenyen as well at forward when Lebron and AD foul out the others.

Always have at least two of Dame, Cj, Trent in the floor at any time. Always have at least one of Dame and CJ on the floor. When Dame is in he’s PG. Otherwise CJ is the PG.