A crisis of faith

[Frederick Hurley]

On Wed, April 4, 2007 9:19 am, gene kirkpatrick wrote:
> My take on this, at this point of the season, is that it is ridiculous to
> play those who are hurt just to prove we're not tanking. If tanking there
> be, it's from on high and not from those on the court.  But why play Paul
> and Al now, when they could sustain further injuries?  It's senseless.
> Are the Heat playing Wade, even though his presence might take them deep
> into the playoffs?  The health of the player is more important that a
> victory right now. And we shouldn't be chastised if we experiment and see
> if Gerald can find some consistency.  He stands to be one of our chief
> trading pieces if we go that direction.

You know, in any other sport, realizing that the season is likely a lost
cause and playing young guys to see what they've got is a valid tactic. 
It happen in the NFL (particularly at the QB position) all the time.  One
of the things that bugs me about the "try to win every game" argument is
that it sets basketball apart from pretty much every other sport.  Is it
tanking to rest guys that are hurting, late in the season, when the team
is not making the playoffs?  Or is it taking advantage of the opportunity
to play guys like Gerald and Leon against NBA players for major minutes,
to see what they've got?

As for resting guys, I'd definitely rest Pierce, though Al I'm torn on. 
He's still developing, and I feel like any development he does now will
only make him stronger to start next season.