Meanwhile tonight, Naz and Donte had the worst +/- for the Wolves in the 1st half and shot 1-8. Suffice it to say they were decidely better in the 2nd half.
Except the difference with Naz and Donte is, they both play starters minutes regularly and they're both infinitely better than Gabe and Vando. They're good enough that you can ride their highs/lows.
Or do you seem to think that if Naz and Donte were on the Lakers, JJ wouldn't have played them in the second half, and if Gabe and Vando were on the T'Wolves, that Finch would play them starters minutes, no matter what?
That's the difference between having bench guys who you can play, regardless, and bench guys, who you can't. Minny has them and the Lakers don't.
Not to mention what kind of message are you sending to your bench after you remove them from the rotation after a bald stretch? Doesn't exactly inspire confidence going forward, unless you just plan on going 48 with the starters the rest of the way?
It was less about removing them from the rotation and more running with what was working at the time (which JJ said in the presser).
The Lakers were down 1-2 in the series, and at halftime of Game 4 they were trailing (with the bench not contributing anything meaningful). Then along comes the 3rd quarter and the Lakers offense gets a new lease on life, taking a 10-point lead. Now, given the reluctancy of heading back to LA being down 1-3, you can understand why JJ wanted to keep riding that lineup that built that lead, rather than bringing in a lineup that didn't do shyt in the 1st half and could've easily given up that lead within a blink of an eye.
I imagine the gameplan was to play that lineup to start the 4th (and continue that momentum) and then try and get Luka/Bron some rest at a point during that quarter, except it didn't eventuate.
Sometimes it can be like that.
It's hard to fault that strategy when, again, the alternative would've likely ended in the same result. They've shyt the bed in every 4th quarter this series, so it wasn't like what happened in this 4th quarter was somehow different to the other three games when the starters rested.
Game 1, 4th quarter - Lakers lose 17 to 23
Game 2, 4th quarter - Lakers lose 13 to 20
Game 3, 4th quarter - Lakers lose 20 to 30.
They rested the starters in all those 4th quarters and it didn't make a difference. Go figure.
To be clear, I'm not saying that LOL.
I have no idea what would happen. Though you seem pretty certain they would continue to suck.
I think you have to trust your bench, somewhat. I mean 5-10 minutes seems like the bare mininum. If they can't get it done/wet the bed and the starters can't make up for it, then yeah you're going to lose.
If you have no idea what would've happened, why are you so convinced it was the wrong decision to play the starters that long?
I'm arguing that the alternative likely wouldn't have made any difference. There's no indication it would have. The bench played bad in the 1st half and the Lakers have lost every 4th quarter before this game, even when the starters rested. There's no evidence, whatsoever, that has transpired over this series that resting the starters during the 4th would've changed the outcome. They've tried that before and it hasn't worked.
No matter what they've tried, they just don't have the gas in the 4th. And that can largely be contributed to not having a frontcourt.
Oh wait, in the 2nd.
Based on the high minutes usage, JJ was trying to empty the clip, and it didn’t work LMAO. They may be totally out of gas next game
