Free Claver?

[HailBlazers]

Have the feeling our D will be key in this series. Turnovers have killed us and so has the defense or lack thereof in our second unit. What say you?

 

[MARIS61]

We'll need Freeland and possibly Leonard to win this series, unless we want to let their bench run right to the hoop. Claver matches up well but whose minutes do you give him?

 

[Prue]

You can put in Victor and Joel only so long as Pop has Duncan on the bench. This should allow us to rest Robin and LA at times......

HOWEVER, the greatest chance I think we have for gaining/sustaining a lead against the Spurs is when its our starters against their bench. Pop will still go to his rotation...guys will play 32-36 minutes. We will push 40+ on most of our starters. If the bench is given a chance in this series...T-Rob, Joel, Victor or even Will...I think offensive production and PASSABLE defense will be key. Wright and Mo will get their time for sure, but they arn't a dynamic offense most times. Mo penetrates with no dish too often and our 2nd unit stands a lot and watched. Everyone needs to play AS IF THEY WERE STARTERS....rotations, switches, face up D, quick feet and at least 3 guys on the floor committing to the rebounds every shot.

 

[Blazinaway]

We'll need Freeland and possibly Leonard to win this series, unless we want to let their bench run right to the hoop. Claver matches up well but whose minutes do you give him?

if we need Leonard to "win this series" it is already lost! Gimme a break

 

[jlprk]

Claver plays with more energy than the others (even Batum), but coaches haven't taught him tough NBA defense. Maybe he needs to put on the proverbial 15 pounds of solid muscle.

So he'd be ineffective in the playoffs.

 

[Blazinaway]

I really like Claver and IMO he has been under utilized, but given he has had no play at all IMO it would be difficult to expect any important contribution

 

[Nikolokolus]

I sort of doubt that throwing a guy out there who hasn't played all year is going to bear much fruit against a great team like the Spurs.

At this point, barring injury, you have to "dance with the girl what brung ya' "

 

[lawai'a]

probably matches up well with diaw and would be about a wash on offense. but who's minutes as has been asked before.

 

[Mediocre Man]

Not unless there is a problem. The more we can go with a 5 man rotation, the better

 

[Boob-No-More]

Not unless there is a problem. The more we can go with a 5 man rotation, the better

Yep, in Stotts I trust. He played the bench limited minutes in the first round - JUST enough not to cost us any games. I expect more in the 2nd round. Our main guys are MUCH younger than the Spurs main guys. There are no back-to-back games in the playoffs, no 3 games in 4 night, or 5 games in 7 night road trips. There is always at least one day off, sometimes 2 days off, between games in the playoffs. Aldridge, Lillard, Batum and Matthews are all used to plying big minutes over an 82 game schedule. No reason not to play them even bigger minutes over the course of a 7 game series with more time off between games and an easier travel schedule.

Dance with who brung you. No need to change the rotation now - unless Stotts sees a huge mismatch in our favor. He knows what he's doing, and I don't need a poll to tell me that.

BNM

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

I've said it for months - more Claver, less Wright.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I've said it for months - more Claver, less Wright.

This is the playoffs. I vote for less of both.

BNM

 

[Mediocre Man]

This is the playoffs. I vote for less of both.

BNM

I completely agree, although if one has to play, I vote Claver over Wright as well.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

I feel ya, but the girl we brung is bow legged and we wanna dance!

So, yeah, I voted Claver over Wright.

I sort of doubt that throwing a guy out there who hasn't played all year is going to bear much fruit against a great team like the Spurs.

At this point, barring injury, you have to "dance with the girl what brung ya' "

 

[magnifier661]

I voted no and I am a big Claver fan. I just think Stotts will be riding our starters for most this series. Our bench just doesn't have the firepower offensively to keep up with their high scoring bench.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I feel ya, but the girl we brung is bow legged and we wanna dance!

So, yeah, I voted Claver over Wright.

I wasn't referring to Wright, and neither is the poll question.

The girl we brung is our starters. Shorten the rotation, play the starters big minutes and only go to the bench when absolutely necessary. If I was coaching and foul trouble wasn't an issue, all five of our starters would average 44 MPG in this series.

BNM

 

[magnifier661]

I wasn't referring to Wright, and neither is the poll question.

The girl we brung is our starters. Shorten the rotation, play the starters big minutes and only go to the bench when absolutely necessary. If I was coaching and foul trouble wasn't an issue, all five of our starters would average 44 MPG in this series.

BNM

THIS

 

[Wizard Mentor]

This should not happen, and it won't. The starters will average more like 40 mpg, even with the extra TV timeouts. Starters will get into foul trouble, reserves will play - Mo for sure. So the question is who else? I'm hoping for TRob and Claver - yes I am nervous about that.

I wasn't referring to Wright, and neither is the poll question.

The girl we brung is our starters. Shorten the rotation, play the starters big minutes and only go to the bench when absolutely necessary. If I was coaching and foul trouble wasn't an issue, all five of our starters would average 44 MPG in this series.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

I voted no and I am a big Claver fan. I just think Stotts will be riding our starters for most this series. Our bench just doesn't have the firepower offensively to keep up with their high scoring bench.

Exactly.

Their Bench >>>>>>>>>>>> Our bench

Our Starters >>>>>>>>>>>> Their Bench

Don't let the benches decide this series. If we do, we lose. Our starters are at least as good as their starters, and our main guys are much younger than their main guys. Don't let Pop dictate the match-ups. If you do, we lose. Play our starters BIG minutes and force him either to ride Duncan, Ginobili and Parker more than their old bones can take, our play his bench significant minutes against our starters. In either case, WE win those match-ups.

BNM

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Just for reference: Our starters average 40.3 mpg. However, Rolo only averaged 33.0.
bench players played 38.5 mpg.

 

[magnifier661]

Exactly.

Their Bench >>>>>>>>>>>> Our bench

Our Starters >>>>>>>>>>>> Their Bench

Don't let the benches decide this series. If we do, we lose. Our starters are at least as good as their starters, and our main guys are much younger than their main guys. Don't let Pop dictate the match-ups. If you do, we lose. Play our starters BIG minutes and force him either to ride Duncan, Ginobili and Parker more than their old bones can take, our play his bench significant minutes against our starters. In either case, WE win those match-ups.

BNM

Yes that would be a recipe for disaster. That would mean pops is out coaching stotts.

 

[Prue]

Yes that would be a recipe for disaster. That would mean pops is out coaching stotts.

Scotts should out Pop Pop! Start our bench: T-rob, Barton, Joel, Wright, Mo get the start, let em run and gun (all out...balls out sprints!) for 5 minutes to start the game. If its a TOTAL FAIL, then the starters play 43 minutes and recover. If its a WASH and the score is even, then we win the game, cause our starters come in as Pop makes his rotation and we dominate. If its a WE LEAD, then we all go out and buy Powerball tickets cause it goes down like that!

 

[Boob-No-More]

This should not happen, and it won't. The starters will average more like 40 mpg, even with the extra TV timeouts. Starters will get into foul trouble, reserves will play - Mo for sure. So the question is who else? I'm hoping for TRob and Claver - yes I am nervous about that.

Which is why I prefaced my comment with: "If I was coaching and foul trouble wasn't an issue..."

So, other than foul trouble, why shouldn't this happen? You mentioned the extra TV timeouts. Plus, there are no back-to-back games, no road trip longer than 2 games, extra days off between games. I'd take it on a game by game basis. If the game is anywhere near being close, any of our starters who isn't in foul trouble will play 44+ minutes. This is what you work for all season. These guys are young and in great shape. Why rest them now? Why give up an advantage (starters) and turn it into a disadvantage (bench) unless you absolutely have to. Will all 5 starters average 44 MPG for the series? Of course not (especially Lopez). There will be foul trouble. Some of the games might not be close at the end, and both teams will empty their benches, but their could also be overtime games, too.

If the game is close, I want any starter who isn't in foul trouble on the court as much as possible. Just go back and look at the Houston series. In the games that were close, Lillard, Batum and Aldridge all averaged over 44 minutes. Even including Games 2 and 5, Lillard averaged 44.7 MPG for the six game series, Batum was at 43.0 MPG for the series and Aldridge at 41.2 MPG. And that was against Houston, whose bench is nearly as bad as ours. Against the Spurs, and their superior bench, I want to see as much of our starters as possible. Use Freeland and Robinson to back up Lopez and Aldridge (but not at the same time) and Mo when you want to go small (for a few minutes here and there). Let the other guys play if the game isn't close, otherwise keep the starters on the court as much as possible.

BNM

 

[Nikolokolus]

Scotts should out Pop Pop! Start our bench: T-rob, Barton, Joel, Wright, Mo get the start, let em run and gun (all out...balls out sprints!) for 5 minutes to start the game. If its a TOTAL FAIL, then the starters play 43 minutes and recover. If its a WASH and the score is even, then we win the game, cause our starters come in as Pop makes his rotation and we dominate. If its a WE LEAD, then we all go out and buy Powerball tickets cause it goes down like that!

First rule: Never go full retardo until you've got at least 10,000 posts.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

If I was the actual coach I'd have a much better idea of how much rest these guys actually need. So, getting back to the actual thread topic let me say it this way:

IF we need a sub (for rest, injury, foul trouble, whatever) then I would happily play Claver.

Which is why I prefaced my comment with: "If I was coaching and foul trouble wasn't an issue..."

So, other than foul trouble, why shouldn't this happen? You mentioned the extra TV timeouts. Plus, there are no back-to-back games, no road trip longer than 2 games, extra days off between games. I'd take it on a game by game basis. If the game is anywhere near being close, any of our starters who isn't in foul trouble will play 44+ minutes. This is what you work for all season. These guys are young and in great shape. Why rest them now? Why give up an advantage (starters) and turn it into a disadvantage (bench) unless you absolutely have to. Will all 5 starters average 44 MPG for the series? Of course not (especially Lopez). There will be foul trouble. Some of the games might not be close at the end, and both teams will empty their benches, but their could also be overtime games, too.

If the game is close, I want any starter who isn't in foul trouble on the court as much as possible. Just go back and look at the Houston series. In the games that were close, Lillard, Batum and Aldridge all averaged over 44 minutes. Even including Games 2 and 5, Lillard averaged 44.7 MPG for the six game series, Batum was at 43.0 MPG for the series and Aldridge at 41.2 MPG. And that was against Houston, whose bench is nearly as bad as ours. Against the Spurs, and their superior bench, I want to see as much of our starters as possible. Use Freeland and Robinson to back up Lopez and Aldridge (but not at the same time) and Mo when you want to go small (for a few minutes here and there). Let the other guys play if the game isn't close, otherwise keep the starters on the court as much as possible.

BNM

 

[blue9]

I'd like to see Barton. He can get some cheap baskets and be really pesky on defense. Give him 3 minutes and see what happens.

 

[oldmangrouch]

Free Claver with each Leonard purchased!

 

[PDXFonz]

The first time in the second round for 14 years is the perfect time to give an unproven player minutes.

 

[riverman]

I definitely think Claver will get some burn against the Spurs but it would sure help if we could get a big lead in a playoff game and use the bench. Victor is one of the best defenders on the team.

 

[HailBlazers]

I definitely think Claver will get some burn against the Spurs but it would sure help if we could get a big lead in a playoff game and use the bench. Victor is one of the best defenders on the team.

Exactly. He could be used to help hold a lead. Something our bench is weak at.

The first time in the second round for 14 years is the perfect time to give an unproven player minutes.

He's proven himself to be a player that does not make mistakes and plays solid D.