Why is Stotts overworking Dame and CJ?

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

They are exhausted any time we have back to backs or road trips. Dame's playing 40 minutes in blowouts. The rest of the team outside these two look fresh and energetic. Not coincidentally the rest of the team all average under 30 minutes. Dame and CJ's minutes are tougher than an average player because their always working so hard to carry the offense, and chase opposing guards behind picks with our defense. Roberts has been solid; he could easily play 10 minutes in a back to back to reduce our starting backcourt fatigue.

If Dame and CJ were fresh they wouldn't brick 31 shots with 9 turnovers as they did today. Those grueling extra minutes they play hurt our chances to win games. We still have a 4 games in 5 nights stretch coming up.

Why is Stotts overworking Dame and CJ?

Yeah, I know no one wants to hear about the old days but......the predecessors of today's NBA players had it far harder. They played a lot more back to back games, sometimes even three in a row, or three games in four nights. They flew commercial airlines, on commercial airline flight schedules (if they didn't actually take a bus or train for the short hops) Too often their off seasons were spent working "real" jobs to help make ends meet. Yet rarely....if EVER.....was the "overtired" excuse heard. They simply went out and played, as they were paid (relatively poorly) to do. Any professional athlete today who uses the overtired excuse has absolutely no business playing professional sports. They are paid obscene amounts of money to show up for work and be ready to play as much or as little as required. These guys get babied enough. They don't need the peanut gallery making excuses for them. Most of these guys spend most, if not all of their offseason working out and getting "into shape". They don't need offseason jobs. If, after all this time spent "getting into shape" they end up worn out late in the season, then I blame the off season workouts, not too much playing time. Maybe they need to tone back their workouts in season also if that would help. They (especially the stars) are paid to PLAY, not sit the bench. And if I'm forking out for a ticket, I'm not going to be happy if my team's franchise players are sitting because they might be a little tired. Yes, it's a long season. But it's still on the players to be ready and to adjust. That's why they make the big bucks.

Man, if we have to resort to "overtired" as an excuse for losing, especially when we have already WAY overachieved this season, then we need a new fan base. We've played above our level of actual talent so far, and all the bench time in the world isn't going to change that fact. If blame really has to be laid, it could be argued that better shot selection from our starting guards would be far more effective than less playing time. But "overtired" is as pure of a bullshit excuse as there is. Just because Pop can play that game doesn't make it right. And anyway, Pop can afford to do it far easier than we can. But that's just one crotchety old man's take......

 

[Draco]

Dame was the worst player on the floor for us tonight. Shot 30%, only took 2 free throws. Played horrible defense allowing Ish Smith to go for a near triple double with 17/14/9. Great job by all the other Blazers up and down the roster; Harkless with 16 points, Aminu with 20, Hendo with 11. All three of those guys at or above 50% FG.

Overworking Dame and CJ this season is costing us wins. Its got to the point where Dame has changed from a great player to not even helping the team when he's on the floor.

 

[Blazer4ever]

10% of Dame and CJ is better than Roberts and Montero combined

Dame and CJ are better but if we have the option of sitting both of them at the same time for even say 8 miuntes, they can play the same number of minutes (say 36) and be on the floor together for 32 minutes instead of 24.
Roberts and Montero (or if it was up to me, Frazier and Montero) aren't much worse than having just Dame on the floor and I think they're actualy better than when we play CJ at PG.
It doesn't matter, this is much smarter than Stotts or most of the people here can probably comprehend, so just keep outworking Dame and CJ, get less than meximum value out of them and hope we can do damage in the playoffs when we're not even the best team we could be.
I hope this is Stotts' last season with the Blazers

 

[BBert]

There isn't any professional athletes in the world overworked to the point of lowered performance as NBA athletes are. This is a proven fact many doctors and specialist acknowledge. The players perform with the same effects as a person who is intoxicated.

It really diminishes the product.

 

[handiman]

Dame was the worst player on the floor for us tonight. Shot 30%, only took 2 free throws. Played horrible defense allowing Ish Smith to go for a near triple double with 17/14/9. Great job by all the other Blazers up and down the roster; Harkless with 16 points, Aminu with 20, Hendo with 11. All three of those guys at or above 50% FG.

Overworking Dame and CJ this season is costing us wins. Its got to the point where Dame has changed from a great player to not even helping the team when he's on the floor.

I think you're being overly dramatic. Every PG goes for career numbers against Dame. You expect him to be up for the Sixers?