03-23-2008, 02:20 AM
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#1 (permalink)
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Moderator
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Tampa, Florida
Age: 25
Posts: 15,777
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Nelson giving Davis more rest
A few days old. I figured, I'd post it anyway. He also did this in the Rockets game the other day. Hopefully he keeps doing it, despite the stretch they have to go through to make it.
link
Quote:
LOS ANGELES - Even in the ever-changing world of Warriors Coach Don Nelson, there are discernible trends. So, yes, Nelson is pulling point guard Baron Davis out of games earlier than normal in an attempt to make up for the abuse he knows Davis will have to endure in the second halves of games the rest of the way.
Davis used to play the entire first quarter, barring foul trouble or injury, but Kelenna Azubuike checked in for him with 2 minutes, 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
That marks the fourth time in six games that Davis was rested before the beginning of the second period. Azubuike also came on for Davis in the first quarter against Memphis on Saturday (4:52 remaining), against Toronto on March 12 (3:02) and against Orlando on March 8 (8:15).
"I never know if I'm going to play him the whole second half or not," Nelson said. "I'm trying to pick my spots early, so it's not a 48-minute grind. . . . I'd like to get him a few minutes the best I can."
Davis was able to get a good amount of rest in the first half Wednesday; he didn't check back in until there was 4:03 left before intermission. That becomes all the more important as he tries to complete his first season without missing a single game since 2001-02.
"If (Davis) has got to play 40 minutes (a game) the whole season, it's going to be hard on him," forward Al Harrington said.
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