Resting the healthy is a bad NBA strategy
The Warriors set a record that won’t be broken with their 73 wins last year and dismiss all nonsense about it affecting their quest for a title. It had nothing to do with the playoffs, where Stephen Curry got hurt and Draymond Green got suspended, so appreciate 73 as a standard that will be long admired for its mind-blowing consistency.
In another excellent development, it’s off the Warriors’ radar — forever. Now that coach Steve Kerr plans to incorporate more rest into his approach, a tip: Don’t even think about resting healthy players until February, at the earliest. Rule it out completely if it’s the team’s only stop in a particular city. Don’t insult the public for reasons difficult to explain.
Everybody’s talking about the Warriors now. Whether they are fascinated or repulsed, people want to see exactly how Kevin Durant fits into the scheme. They want to see three historically great shooters on the floor at once, and they want to follow Green’s emotional progress. You don’t bench someone because, “Hey, they might get worn down later on.” That’s not how the NBA works.
Granted, it works for Gregg Popovich, but the San Antonio coach is brutally callous on this score, once deciding to send Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green home to San Antonio while the rest of the team lost to Miami on national television. Kerr is far too sensitive to pull that stunt, knowing the price of today’s NBA tickets and that his team will be the league’s No. 1 draw.
Down the stretch, when fatigue becomes an issue for every team, Kerr will need to put his team’s concerns first. If Curry’s knee acts up, or Durant could use a recharge, do what’s necessary. Until then, let the show unfold. The ticket-buying public and television audiences won’t settle for understudies.
Luke’s Lakers
I’ve already got Luke Walton as a Coach of the Year candidate. Horribly out-of-touch general manager Mitch Kupchak stuck Walton with the clownish Nick Young, who should have been waived or released weeks ago, and Young conned his way onto the roster by playing what surely will be a temporary brand of ferocious defense. Credit Walton, though, for getting the best out of Young in training camp. Hell, he even
started the guy in the first two games.
The combined results: 51 minutes, 6-for-19 shooting, one assist, plus-minus figures of -12 and -6. It won’t be long before Jordan Clarkson moves into the starting lineup, and if the Lakers ever get serious about winning, Young can’t be anywhere near the team.
So far, the Lakers have almost no offensive flow, settling for isolation plays on most possessions. But with Kobe Bryant’s hijacking of the franchise finally over, “We’re all about playing together now,” said point guard D’Angelo Russell. “It’s not about one guy any more, no face of the Lakers. Kobe deserved every bit of attention he got last year, but there’s freedom in him not being around.”
Around the NBA
The Dallas Mavericks are off to an 0-2 start, partly due to injuries and Dirk Nowitzki’s illness, but Harrison Barnes has come alive. He hit a big three-pointer to send the Mavs’ opener into overtime against Indiana, and he lit up Houston for a career-high 31 points Friday night, showcasing post-up moves, dribble-drives, a running hook and a ton of confidence. “I think he has a chance to be a special player,” said coach Rick Carlisle.
Andrew Bogut confirmed an ESPN report that the Warriors gave him the option to choose between Dallas and Houston in last summer’s trade. He preferred Dallas because “Rick is one of the best coaches in the league. He’s a guy you want to play for. Obviously, (Mike) D’Antoni isa pretty good coach, too, but probably not suited for my style of play. I’d probably have to drop about 20 pounds to play in his system.”
For all of the legitimate concerns about the Warriors missing Bogut’s rim protection, he is also that rare center who can set up near the perimeter for rugged screens and clever passes. The team misses that, as well.
Baseball and the NFL may be stuck in the dark ages of replay, but the NBA gets it. Acknowledging the farce of huddling, headset-wearing officials when everyone at home knows the outcome, the league now offers only two scenarios — flagrant fouls and player altercations — that will be determined by on-court officials. Every other decision comes from the replay center. “If we already know the answer,” said Joe Borgia, the league’s vice president of replay and referee operations, “common sense says let’s just do it.”
Regrettably, the league still fails to grasp the trash-talking nature of modern-day basketball. Taunts and celebratory gestures are part of the game, an emotional release and rarely offensive to anyone who stays current with social trends. Fans have to know why a technical is called; the violation should be quite clear. Instead, Green draws a ridiculous technical on the Warriors’ opening night for taunting LaMarcus Aldridge after an emphatic dunk.
“Next time I dunk, I’m gonna yell again,” Green told CSN Bay Area. “I’m gonna continue to be me.” Good. That’s the proper response. At some point, the NBA has to realize the idiocy of its ways.
I’ve got a bet with a very smart sports person about Green. He says Green is a born troublemaker who will undermine the Warriors’ season. I say he keeps it together, his talent and inspired play far outweighing the negatives, with a lot of help from Kerr. We’ll see how it goes.