Are the Big 3 being run into the ground?

[toodles23]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamih ... g-question

Riley, as great as he is, has a history of pushing his tired players harder and running them into the ground. He probably cost the '89 Lakers the title with this, and his philosophy obviously rubbed off on Spoelstra, who stupidly played Lebron 45 minutes a game in the playoffs last season. You can't reasonably expect a guy to have any quickness left by the Finals playing 45 grueling minutes a game (not trying to make an excuse for Lebron, there was obviously a big mental aspect to it as well).

If the Heat are smart, they'll try to limit the Big 3's minutes to 30ish for the rest of the season and possibly give their guys some games off. Homecourt doesn't mean **** if your stars aren't playing like themselves, as we saw in last year's Finals. Bosh more than anyone needs the time off, not just for rest, but to get his head back in it. He's been completely useless as of late.

[toodles23]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamih ... -grizzlies

Wade's clearly tired, he pretty much admitted it in this article. Spoelstra, stupidly and stubbornly, does not appear to care that his players are tired - having fresh legs is a million times more helpful than a few extra hours of practice.

[EscapoTHB]

It's pretty apparent we are gassed, and our refusal to admit it from our coach is causing all sorts of bad habits to creep into our play.

Windhorst had it right. Start rotating the guys out now, and then have them playing that final week going into the playoffs to get rhythm.

We're locked into the 2 seed, and we need to accept that and get ready for the playoffs.

[Respect My Mind]

LOL at blaming Spo for not admitting the Big three are tired. and what if he DID admit it???
Huh? What good would that do anybody? If the Big three are tired then they should of thought twice when they all signed 110 million dollar contract. HTF are you gonna make up 85% of the cap and then expect to have players that are cable of relieving you from the court without a drastic fall off. Had Wade not shaved off 3 million off his deal, they wouldn't even have a back up PF. Norris Cole is your first guard off the Bench???

Let them be tired, you want to make all the money? Then do all the work.

[truthiness]

I've been saying this since last year: the reason Wade was absent from that Bulls series as well as the reason Lebron disappeared in the finals was fatigue. Spoelstra ran them into the ground. I'm glad to see some people are starting to understand.

His uber-intense D takes everything out of players. Combine that with a grueling season filled with back-to-backs and back-to-back-to-backs and you will get a team with dead legs going into the playoffs.

But that's the difference between an elite coach that rests his players (Popovich) and a video coordinator/assistent coach that somehow got promoted to a position for which he wasn't (yet) ready.


@Respect My Mind - show us something to respect, first. Your "they get paid a lot so they don't have the right to be tired" is BS and it's getting old fast. I got news for you: Ferrari's run out of gas, too. And players get tired no matter the size of the cheque. CEO's get tired too, and they're paid 10-100 times more than a player.

[Respect My Mind]

@Respect My Mind - show us something to respect, first. Your "they get paid a lot so they don't have the right to be tired" is BS and it's getting old fast. I got news for you: Ferrari's run out of gas, too. And players get tired no matter the size of the cheque. CEO's get tired too, and they're paid 10-100 times more than a player.

If Spo doesn't run them into the ground, what other options does he have? Its not like he's refusing to play worthy players off the bench. The bench being a rag-tag group of cast-offs and has been's is a direct result of the money the big three make. The starting PG is a back up and the starting C is a back up. So then ask yourself this, who is backing up the starters?..hot trash, that's who. So its either run them into the ground or play less minutes and have line-ups like Cole/Harris/Haslem/Pittman out on there on the floor for 15- 20 minutes a game.

Pick your poison pal, if the big three take less money then this wouldn't be a problem.

[Heat_team02]

I'm not much of a video game player but in college, I used to play a nintendo football game called Techno Bowl and the best players had to be subbed out cause their conditions would change.

Excellent Condition: Everything would go right & players were fast.
Good Condition: Still fast and good but not as explosive
Average Condition: Still has some skills and abilities to make big plays.
Poor Condition: Fumbles, slow running, interceptions and injuries are sure to happen.

Once you sub a player out in poor condition and left him on the bench, his condition would recuperate.

[-MK-]

I'm not much of a video game player but in college, I used to play a nintendo football game called Techno Bowl and the best players had to be subbed out cause their conditions would change.

Excellent Condition: Everything would go right & players were fast.
Good Condition: Still fast and good but not as explosive
Average Condition: Still has some skills and abilities to make big plays.
Poor Condition: Fumbles, slow running, interceptions and injuries are sure to happen.

Once you sub a player out in poor condition and left him on the bench, his condition would recuperate.

[DWadeno3]

I'm curious as to how much rest they've been offered in between games, as I believe this is much more essential than actually sitting games out. Right now, our schedule is pretty much a game every two days, with the majority of them being at home. If you can rest the day after the game, that should help you to recover. Those who want to go to the gym and shoot still can, but those who simply need a day off can use it to rest before the next game.

[starvinmarvin17]

Agreed then only team not affected by this schedule is okc because they are super young. Miami it looks like everyone besides lebron is dead. Lebron a freak of nature

[This IsMy House]

I think a lot of it has to do with them knowing the playoffs are so close and just want get there already. Its been a long tough season, they just want to get the playoffs started to get to the serious stuff. But now with the the seeding issues with the match ups maybe they'll play a little harder and lock up the 1 seed.

But honestly I'm not too worried about them being tired. Once that arena turns white, everyone plays harder.

[contract]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/13288/heat-battle-fatigue-against-grizzlies

Wade's clearly tired, he pretty much admitted it in this article.

What the heck is he tired from? He's missed 11 out of 55 games this season. He should be as fresh as anyone in the league right now.

[ecnirp]

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/13288/heat-battle-fatigue-against-grizzlies

Wade's clearly tired, he pretty much admitted it in this article. Spoelstra, stupidly and stubbornly, does not appear to care that his players are tired - having fresh legs is a million times more helpful than a few extra hours of practice.

Spo Gonna Spo

[Flash4thewin]

Lebron tank was empty come finals time and we saw how that worked out.....

[Respect My Mind]

Lebron tank was empty come finals time and we saw how that worked out.....

Yes we should sit Lebron and play Miller/Battier....Then complain about being the 5th seed going into the playoffs

[HIF]

We should play to win every game at least until after today's against chicago. If they beat us and go 3 up in the loss column we may as well selectively rest players. Can't see us dropping below 2 seed which means conf finals and possibly finals as "road" team.

If we beat Chicago tonight then we're again 1 behind in the L so I'd go all out to take the top record. The off-season is going to have more rest time than the regular season anyway.

[RexBoyWonder]

We should play to win every game at least until after today's against chicago. If they beat us and go 3 up in the loss column we may as well selectively rest players. Can't see us dropping below 2 seed which means conf finals and possibly finals as "road" team.

If we beat Chicago tonight then we're again 1 behind in the L so I'd go all out to take the top record. The off-season is going to have more rest time than the regular season anyway.

Even if we Beat the Bulls Twice before the end of the season, we won't be the #1 seed. we'll lose some of the other games and bulls won't. forget it, we had a ton of chances to get the #1 seed, we blow it.
now im just praying the Bulls will have to face NY as the 8 seed and celtics as the 4 seed, while we face Philly as the 7 seed and Indy as the 3 seed.

[HIF]

We should play to win every game at least until after today's against chicago. If they beat us and go 3 up in the loss column we may as well selectively rest players. Can't see us dropping below 2 seed which means conf finals and possibly finals as "road" team.

If we beat Chicago tonight then we're again 1 behind in the L so I'd go all out to take the top record. The off-season is going to have more rest time than the regular season anyway.

Even if we Beat the Bulls Twice before the end of the season, we won't be the #1 seed. we'll lose some of the other games and bulls won't. forget it, we had a ton of chances to get the #1 seed, we blow it.
now im just praying the Bulls will have to face NY as the 8 seed and celtics as the 4 seed, while we face Philly as the 7 seed and Indy as the 3 seed.

Can your crystal ball tell me the euromillions numbers for Friday night?

[RexBoyWonder]

We should play to win every game at least until after today's against chicago. If they beat us and go 3 up in the loss column we may as well selectively rest players. Can't see us dropping below 2 seed which means conf finals and possibly finals as "road" team.

If we beat Chicago tonight then we're again 1 behind in the L so I'd go all out to take the top record. The off-season is going to have more rest time than the regular season anyway.

Even if we Beat the Bulls Twice before the end of the season, we won't be the #1 seed. we'll lose some of the other games and bulls won't. forget it, we had a ton of chances to get the #1 seed, we blow it.
now im just praying the Bulls will have to face NY as the 8 seed and celtics as the 4 seed, while we face Philly as the 7 seed and Indy as the 3 seed.

Can your crystal ball tell me the euromillions numbers for Friday night?

just look at the remaining Schedule.

[HIF]

If I have only learned 1 thing over the last 20+ years of Heat ball it's that you can never be sure of the result of any game.

I DO think we'll end up seeded 2 but I wouldn't give up on number 1 especially if we win tonight.