Quote:
Originally Posted by roscoe36  Among players with more than ten thousand minutes in the regular season across their individual five year spans, Michael Jordan leads the way as the ultimate iron man. Bird averaged more minutes per game, but played in fewer games. Laimbeer played in more games, but averaged a lot fewer minutes. For the Pistons’ Bad Boys, Laimbeer, Thomas, Dumars, Rodman, and Johnson all played more than ten thousand minutes, particularly interesting when you consider that Rodman and Johnson were bench players for several or all of those seasons.
In the top five, between Jordan, Bird, Pippen, Hamilton, and Johnson (Magic), who sticks out? Rip is a fine player, a consistent player, perhaps even a unique player particularly given how the game is played today, but is he a guy who is so valuable that he needs to be on the court as much as his cohorts in the top five? Sorry Rip, but I suspect that with fewer minutes you would be more effective, not less. |
This sums up quite nicely the problem. The few superstars who, when tired, are better than 99% of rested players, can play those minutes. But those players are the Magic's, Jordan's, Isaiah's of the world. We do not have anyone on this team who is close to that caliber.
Yet Flip thinks a tired Tay is better at guarding Lebron than a fresh Delfino. Or a Tired Rip is better than a fresh Flip. Not true. More than anyone, these past season playoff losses can be put squarely on the decision making of Flip Sr. and on Joe for not forcing Flip to change.
The players we have are good enough to win, their only problem is the starters think they can play 48 mpg. It's up to the coach to manage them.