Re: leave it to obie

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

>"As you may recall, Obie got crucified on this list for Pot's season-ending 
injury, >suffered when he played V in a meaningless game just before the 
playoffs. And Pot >>isn't exactly Paul Pierce." 

  I don't think this is the same situation at all.  What fans were upset 
about as far as Potopenko's injury goes was that he was put back in a 
meaningless game (we had already secured third place for the playoffs) AFTER 
he had already hurt his knee earlier in the game.  He never left the bench 
for any tests to see exactly what was wrong.  Instead O'Brien took 
Potopenko's word for it that he was OK and stuck him back in only to see him 
tear his ACL seconds later.  I can't speak for others but I felt since the 
game was meaningless, Potopenko wasn't going for his career high in any 
category that I can recall, there was no reason for him to be in the game 
when we had no idea what was wrong with his knee to begin with.


 >It seems like Obie is in a no-win situation in this case - if he leaves 
Paul in to get >his PR in a game that's essentially over, he gets crucified 
for risking an injury to his >best player unnecessarily. (Lots of people on 
this list complain that he leaves Toine >and Paul in for too long as it is.) 
If he doesn't....well, here's where you guys come >in. Sure, it would've been 
fun if he'd scored 50, but, on the other hand, it would >seem somehow not 
real coming against the Nugs. It's like he got them against the >ball boys or 
something. You'd have to put an asterisk next to it, e.g, *NOTE: this >>
record was established against the Nuggets.

  
  Yeah, just look how the rest of the team took apart that team of ball boys.
  11 of 44 from the floor.  I mean geez that 25% shooting and whole 32 
points. That was just way too easy.

  If Paul's performance deserves an asterisk, what the hell does that say for 
the rest of the team we put on the floor?

  You know, until I read the comments here I really didn't feel strongly one 
way or the other about O'Brien taking him out.  But lets look at the facts.  
He wasn't getting nearly the beating he usually gets.  There were only two 
minutes left in a game that he had already had to play over 40 minutes in 
because no one else on the team could do anything.  The Nuggets knew this 
game was over.  They weren't going to do anything to purposely hurt him.  He 
had lots of family and friends there in the stands to cheer him on. The fans 
obviously wanted to see it.  When was the last time you heard a chant like 
that at the Fleet Center?  Ever?
 Even his teammates wanted to see him do it.
Is there any doubt that had it been #8 he would have been left in the game?
I honestly don't think so.
Twice now Antoine has played in fourth quarters of blowouts while Pierce sat 
out.
Once Antoine was left in the game purposely to try to get a triple double, 
which failed when he preceded to turn the ball over three times in a row.
So what in O'Briens mind is the difference here?
Anyone?


TAM