NBA 2012: Running thread

[TowelWaver]

Thing is, if I'm Stern I don't think the problem is going to be fixed here (to the extent it's perceived as a problem--after all, it turned out to be a pretty close game!) by throwing the book at Pop and the Spurs. Suppose he does. Then next time this situation comes up, watch Pop play Duncan, Parker, Ginobili the last minute of garbage time (or 5 minutes, or even 10 if you like--where do you draw the line?). So they get played, but at the absolute minimum necessary for compliance, however nebulously such is defined, and still nobody is happy. And it's yet another 'fork you' to Stern, by the way.

If the message is going to be that nationally-televised games are more important and should be more seriously contested that non-nationally televised games (as that seems to be the crux of the issue here)--then find a way to better align the team and league incentives. Right now, Pop wants to keep his aging team fresh amidst a brutal schedule. Stern wants to maximize ratings and hence TV revenue. Peter Holt (Spurs owner) wants to maximize his return on his investment in the team, which at present means having them go deep in the playoffs. Couldn't they work out an arrangement where it behooves the owner to have the coach field his best team on nationally-televised games, i.e. winning begets either a higher revenue share or more national TV exposure in the future? Now, I haven't a clue how you would do that without pissing off all the small market teams that don't get aired as much as Miami and LA--but there's got to be a more intelligent way to set this up than to punish Pop for breaking an unwritten and completely arbitrary rule (that hasn't been enforced in over 20 years).

Otherwise, if I'm Popovich, why should I do anything other than what I posited above?

 

[JackReacher]

So John Feinstein, he of the largest ego on the planet, was on the local morning radio show today, talking about his column saying the Wizards should hire Gary Williams to be head coach.

Radio host: But do you think Leonsis will actually consider it?
Feinstein: Well, now that I've (and he put a great emphasis on "I've") written it, probably not.

Ugh. What a douchebag.

That would be hilarious, though. Would be awesome to see the players' reactions when Gary screams at them.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

@DrewUnga: Stern fined the Lakers $25,000 back in 1990 for holding Magic, James Worthy and Mychal Thompson out of their final regular season game.

Which means with inflation today, it'd be roughly a $50K fine. Even if Stern jacks it up to $100K, I'm sure Popovich would gladly pay that.

I can see both sides here. If I were a fan, I'd be pretty pissed off. But at the same time, Popovich has to do what's best for his team. Maybe the league should cut the schedule a few games (ha-ha) to give the players more rest.

 

[JC]

They played three teams with a combined record of like 8-29 the last three games, but he chose to sit four starters for a nationally televised game against the defending champs.

Exactly. The game he chose leaves no doubt this wasn't just about players needing rest. If he wanted to rest em during this stretch, he could've picked the meaningless Washington or Orlando games that nobody was watching anyways, and then had his guys rested and ready for The Heat on TNT!

Instead he chooses the one billed as the League's marquee game this week. Quite clearly an intentional fork you to Stern and the League.

Well, yeah. And why does he have to rest so many guys on the same night? Can't you rest one here, one there? The "all at once" thing doesn't make sense.

I get that the schedule-making is garbage sometimes, especially in this case. I get that they need rest, but there's a better way to do it. Especially when fans are paying a lot of money to see the games. And (putting on my business hat here) when TNT pays the NBA a lot of money to televise the games. I mean, it was only the team with the best record in the NBA against the defending champs. NOTHING TO SEE HERE!!!!

The all at one makes perfec sense. He is basically conceding one game instead of possibly multiple games. If you ar going to do it you may as well do it this way. The Heat had played once in 7 days, even with the big 3 it was highly unlikely they would win.

I hate that he did it but I can completely understand it.

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

A question I have not seen asked this morning: if national TV games are all-important to the NBA, why would you have a team playing its sixth road game in eight days on national TV? Even at full strength, that team is unlikely to play especially well. It's been a long road trip and "getaway" day is either that night or the next morning. If marquee matchups are so important, have the Spurs play in Miami at the beginning of the road trip.

I can look at the Spurs schedule and tell you that Pop is probably not going to play everyone in Phoenix on Feb 24th (last game of a 9-game, 18-day road trip) or in Denver on Dec. 18th (5th road game in eight-day period). If as a casual NBA fan, I can predict this, why didn't someone in the league say to themselves, "Pop will rest his guys at the end of grueling trips. Pop won't care if it is a regional TV broadcast in Milwaukee or a TNT broadcast in Miami. Lets avoid this issue and move the Miami game."

 

[JackReacher]

They played three teams with a combined record of like 8-29 the last three games, but he chose to sit four starters for a nationally televised game against the defending champs.

Exactly. The game he chose leaves no doubt this wasn't just about players needing rest. If he wanted to rest em during this stretch, he could've picked the meaningless Washington or Orlando games that nobody was watching anyways, and then had his guys rested and ready for The Heat on TNT!

Instead he chooses the one billed as the League's marquee game this week. Quite clearly an intentional fork you to Stern and the League.

Well, yeah. And why does he have to rest so many guys on the same night? Can't you rest one here, one there? The "all at once" thing doesn't make sense.

I get that the schedule-making is garbage sometimes, especially in this case. I get that they need rest, but there's a better way to do it. Especially when fans are paying a lot of money to see the games. And (putting on my business hat here) when TNT pays the NBA a lot of money to televise the games. I mean, it was only the team with the best record in the NBA against the defending champs. NOTHING TO SEE HERE!!!!

The all at one makes perfec sense. He is basically conceding one game instead of possibly multiple games. If you ar going to do it you may as well do it this way. The Heat had played once in 7 days, even with the big 3 it was highly unlikely they would win.

I hate that he did it but I can completely understand it.

Why would he be conceding multiple games by sitting the players out one (or two) at a time? They nearly beat Miami with four guys out. What makes you think they couldn't beat the Heat with only one or two out?

Again, Popovich didn't break any rules and doesn't deserve any fine or whatever punishment Stern thinks he might hand down. Just a deck move.

 

[Bob Cook]

The idea that Stern would be upset because people wouldn't get to see San Antonio's stars is laughable, given there's been no evidence that anyone outside that city, other than hardcore basketball junkies and coaches, makes a point of seeing them play. I think Stern was upset not because Pop threatened to tank TV ratings in November. I think Stern is upset a healthy, rested Spurs game could tank playoff TV ratings in June.

 

[JC]

They played three teams with a combined record of like 8-29 the last three games, but he chose to sit four starters for a nationally televised game against the defending champs.

Exactly. The game he chose leaves no doubt this wasn't just about players needing rest. If he wanted to rest em during this stretch, he could've picked the meaningless Washington or Orlando games that nobody was watching anyways, and then had his guys rested and ready for The Heat on TNT!

Instead he chooses the one billed as the League's marquee game this week. Quite clearly an intentional fork you to Stern and the League.

Well, yeah. And why does he have to rest so many guys on the same night? Can't you rest one here, one there? The "all at once" thing doesn't make sense.

I get that the schedule-making is garbage sometimes, especially in this case. I get that they need rest, but there's a better way to do it. Especially when fans are paying a lot of money to see the games. And (putting on my business hat here) when TNT pays the NBA a lot of money to televise the games. I mean, it was only the team with the best record in the NBA against the defending champs. NOTHING TO SEE HERE!!!!

The all at one makes perfec sense. He is basically conceding one game instead of possibly multiple games. If you ar going to do it you may as well do it this way. The Heat had played once in 7 days, even with the big 3 it was highly unlikely they would win.

I hate that he did it but I can completely understand it.

Why would he be conceding multiple games by sitting the players out one (or two) at a time? They nearly beat Miami with four guys out. What makes you think they couldn't beat the Heat with only one or two out?

Again, Popovich didn't break any rules and doesn't deserve any fine or whatever punishment Stern thinks he might hand down. Just a deck move.

Sitting any of your top players put you at risk. Why risk multiple games? You think Miami really plays like that if they weren't playing an exhibition game?

 

[Small Town Guy]

Another thing about the resting them for the playoffs. It's November 30! How in god's name is sitting them one game now going to have anything to do with what the Spurs are like in May?

Again, I don't think he should be punished, but if the league can make players play in the All-Star game and go to media functions, they can probably drill Popovich for this. And I don't think it has anything to do with resting his guys or being worried about four games in five days, which every team in the league has done forever -- and those teams have, yes, played against rested teams -- and has everything to do with Pop just being like, fork it, I'm bored in November, I've won four titles, I'll do what I want.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Another thing about the resting them for the playoffs. It's November 30! How in god's name is sitting them one game now going to have anything to do with what the Spurs are like in May?

There is an enormous cumulative effect over the course of the season. That's like saying "It's Week 6! How is limiting Michael Turner's carries now going to help him in January?"

 

[Small Town Guy]

Another thing about the resting them for the playoffs. It's November 30! How in god's name is sitting them one game now going to have anything to do with what the Spurs are like in May?

There is an enormous cumulative effect over the course of the season. That's like saying "It's Week 6! How is limiting Michael Turner's carries now going to help him in January?"

So why doesn't he do this 15-20 times during the year then, which would actually help with that cumulative effect. Or limit their minutes during each game, which would accomplish the same thing (and is what limiting someone's carries would actually accomplish instead of, say, just sitting Michael Turner for no apparent reason). Popovich is actually very good at this.

Here's their minutes played on the road trip:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201211230IND.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201211280ORL.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201211260WAS.html

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201211250TOR.html

Somehow I think the old dinosaurs would have been all right playing 30-34 more minutes against the Heat, and that it wouldn't have been the reason they're probably again going to be run off the court in the Western Conference playoffs next spring.

 

[Small Town Guy]

It does make some type of sense that Duncan and the Spurs are most exciting when not playing.