RealGM

PG: Jeff Teague
SG: Kyle Korver
SF: DeMarre Carroll
PF: Paul Millsap
C: Al Horford

V.S.



PG: Mo Williams
SG: Lance Stephonson
SF: MKG
PF: Cody Zeller
C: Al Jefferson

Starters out tonite.

I really hope charlotte wins tonight. Brooklyn is surging and they are looking like the favorites to get the 8 seed as of late.

I feel like we are doing our best to toss the game to help charlotte catch up to BRK

And then Charlotte is doing their best to lose the game for that lotto pick

lol

Ok, Im starting to get tired of all this resting of players now. Its getting ridiculous.

It was an okay game and good to see all the bench guys get some reps. Offensively the bench guys look good, but defensively, it looks like they still need more work to get in sync. Most importantly the starters got some rest.

ChuckChilly wrote:Ok, Im starting to get tired of all this resting of players now. Its getting ridiculous.

Why???? So we can risk our most important players getting hurt in meaningless games before the playoffs start? There is zero reason to play anybody but our reserves right now since we have the #1 seed clinched. With that said, I would like to see us go full strength the last 4 or 5 games of the season just to build up some momentum going into the playoffs. But I wouldn't be too upset if Bud simply rests the starters from here on out, as long as they don't start building up rust.

No Fat Chicks wrote:

ChuckChilly wrote:Ok, Im starting to get tired of all this resting of players now. Its getting ridiculous.

Why???? So we can risk our most important players getting hurt in meaningless games before the playoffs start? There is zero reason to play anybody but our reserves right now since we have the #1 seed clinched. With that said, I would like to see us go full strength the last 4 or 5 games of the season just to build up some momentum going into the playoffs. But I wouldn't be too upset if Bud simply rests the starters from here on out, as long as they don't start building up rust.

Because these guys have sat out enough games already and its making a mockery of the regular season. I know our record is fantastic and all but I dont think we've earned the right to just sit out games like we have no weakness to work on and nothing else to prove (to ourselves). We are not the Spurs.

'Mockery of regular season?' Who gives a eff about regular season? We've locked in the #1 seed, that is the literal definition of earning the right to sit out games.

Lol - why not give the starters a reward for a great accomplishment? Give 'em all an off day or 2 then build them back up for the post season...

Didn't watch the game for a variety of reasons, but after glancing at the box score, I do have some questions for those who did:
- Schröder looks to have played well with 17/11 but I also see he was 2/9 inside the 3PT line. Is he having issues finishing at the rim again? Was he taking good shots that just weren't falling?
- Muscala really filled up the stat sheet - 18p, 10r, 4a, 2b, 1s - even went 2/2 from 3. Any reports?
- Stephenson - 8(!!) minutes; Jefferson 15. Injury? The usual?

I had some prior obligations and couldn't watch either. I will say that I am impressed with the reserves, who seem to have been right there with a team fighting for their playoff lives until the end. Looking at Schroder's 2/9, I have to guess that most of that was at the rim. Man, if he can hit the gym and build some muscle then that will be a major step in his development. I also predicted a few weeks ago that Moose would be our secret weapon in the playoffs, hope I'm right.

azuresou1 wrote:'Mockery of regular season?' Who gives a eff about regular season? We've locked in the #1 seed, that is the literal definition of earning the right to sit out games.

Right, so we're that good? People are acting like we've just been some perennial winning team for the past years, and are yawning at winning regular season games because we have all this "experience" now. Have any players on our team been passed the second round of the playoffs besides Thabo maybe? In a nutshell, sitting players who haven't accomplished much together just isn't good. I dont mind a few games, but Coach Bud has been going overboard.

But also I'm just not digging this trend of resting healthy players. We will probably never see star players play full seasons ever again.

I also don't like this "resting" BS. I can live with resting two, three players SOMETIME but resting whole starting line up with 7th player being out with injury? Yeah Hornets win is good for Hawks draft pick. I see that. But I don't like it. Imagine I would buy these tickets to see the BEST team in East and then watch their reserves? Nah, sorry. Don't like it.

ChuckChilly wrote:

azuresou1 wrote:'Mockery of regular season?' Who gives a eff about regular season? We've locked in the #1 seed, that is the literal definition of earning the right to sit out games.

Right, so we're that good? People are acting like we've just been some perennial winning team for the past years, and are yawning at winning regular season games because we have all this "experience" now. Have any players on our team been passed the second round of the playoffs besides Thabo maybe? In a nutshell, sitting players who haven't accomplished much together just isn't good. I dont mind a few games, but Coach Bud has been going overboard.

But also I'm just not digging this trend of resting healthy players. We will probably never see star players play full seasons ever again.

Korver and Millsap have both been in Conference Finals series.

I don't mind this resting day since it is in the middle of a 4 game in 5 night stretch and we needed Charlotte to win this game. It's not like there are only 2 games left before the postseason begins. There is still 9 games left and plenty of time for these guys to play.

Besides, why doubt Coach Bud and the Spursian tendencies? The Spurs have been the winningest franchise in the league over the past 15-20 years and Bud has taken us to heights we have never seen in only 2 years. Bud wouldn't give the guys the night off if he thought there were improvements to be made on that night.

ATLHawksfan21 wrote:

ChuckChilly wrote:

azuresou1 wrote:'Mockery of regular season?' Who gives a eff about regular season? We've locked in the #1 seed, that is the literal definition of earning the right to sit out games.

Right, so we're that good? People are acting like we've just been some perennial winning team for the past years, and are yawning at winning regular season games because we have all this "experience" now. Have any players on our team been passed the second round of the playoffs besides Thabo maybe? In a nutshell, sitting players who haven't accomplished much together just isn't good. I dont mind a few games, but Coach Bud has been going overboard.

But also I'm just not digging this trend of resting healthy players. We will probably never see star players play full seasons ever again.

Korver and Millsap have both been in Conference Finals series.

I don't mind this resting day since it is in the middle of a 4 game in 5 night stretch and we needed Charlotte to win this game. It's not like there are only 2 games left before the postseason begins. There is still 9 games left and plenty of time for these guys to play.

Besides, why doubt Coach Bud and the Spursian tendencies? The Spurs have been the winningest franchise in the league over the past 15-20 years and Bud has taken us to heights we have never seen in only 2 years. Bud wouldn't give the guys the night off if he thought there were improvements to be made on that night.

Thats the main part of my gripe though. The Spurs rest because their important players are older and have logged a lot of minutes from going deep in the playoffs. Us, not so much. Jeff Van Gundy said the same thing during a game, you should earn the right to rest through frequent playoff pushes/performances and long tenures in the league, not just because you're having one great season.

Bud has sat out our starters individually or collectively at least 5 games already. I dont even think the Golden State Warriors have done that.

Still a little miffed here. From my recollection, Coach Bud has rested some set or subset of his starters in 4 games: 2x against PHI, once against BOS, 1 last night. PHI because they are so bad that practicing against our 2nd team is probably just as good as playing them (and the 1-1 record with the 2nd being a collapse on out part goes a long way to proving that); BOS because it was in the midst of a big stretch; CHAR as a reward for being 1st in the East... Am I missing something? This surely doesn't feel like Coach Bud has good off deep end here...

theatlfan wrote:Still a little miffed here. From my recollection, Coach Bud has rested some set or subset of his starters in 4 games: 2x against PHI, once against BOS, 1 last night. PHI because they are so bad that practicing against our 2nd team is probably just as good as playing them (and the 1-1 record with the 2nd being a collapse on out part goes a long way to proving that); BOS because it was in the midst of a big stretch; CHAR as a reward for being 1st in the East... Am I missing something? This surely doesn't feel like Coach Bud has good off deep end here...

I think there has been one or two more. The game in miami comes to mind. Cant think of any other ones off the top of my head.

Outside of miami, I think all of the rest days were during 4 game in 5 night stretches.