JuX

The Minnesota Timberwolves. Yep, that's right. It says so after so many 2nd half collapses so far this year.

luther

Nah, it's not laughable or embarrassing because this is exactly what everyone knew was coming after the KG trade (and subsequent moves). This is total overhaul; it's what happens--losses. Especially in the tough situations, fourth quarters. If rebuilding were so immediate that the team would be successfull just over 1/8th of the way into the first season after it began, teams wouldn't be so hesitant to commit to it.

Avalanche

We have no one to close games when they are close... if we are still losing this much, and in this fashion once foye gets back ill be more concerned

Mateo

I'm fairly certain we are tanking games. That's the only explanation I can see for giving Marko Jaric and Antoine Walker heavy minutes.

We're wasting a season by not letting our young players even play.

luther

24.4 and 21.8 mpg, respectively. Hardly heavy. And in Jaric's case, it's pretty directly tied to Foye having not played a minute. And that is the first time I've heard anyone say that a team is tanking by playing formerly productive veterans instead of unproven youngsters.

mqtcelticsfan

Welcome to Boston last year.

Mateo

When was Walker ever productive? Jaric was good one year, and not when he was in Minnesota. That's a lot of minutes when our young guys are sitting on the bench and not playing at all. We have a first round pick, Corey Brewer, who is supposed to be a major part of the future of the franchise only playing 16mpg. Craig Smith is only playing 15mpg and he's the second most productive player on the entire team! We have to play the young guys, it makes no sense not to.

luther

Enough of the Craig Smith loving--that's getting out of hand on this board.

And the "when was Walker ever productive" question has GOT to be a joke. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/player...s?statsId=3112 He had (and has) flaws, sure. Bad shooting percentage chief among them. But if you don't consider a guy who usually averaged 20 ppg in his career, has been an 8-10 rpg player throughout his prime and was as much as a 5 apg player productive, then you're asking an awful lot.

JuX

Well, I do expect them to lose a lot, but falling down completely in 2nd halves too much lately, come on here. The strong first halves made them appear they will win games for sure. After the half, blah doesn't even want to go into details.

They appear to be two completely different team for each halves, that's all I'm saying.

JuX

Oh, that makes me feel better, anyway.

JuX

Is that too obvious that we're trying to reach 1st overall pick? It is a failure in the process right now.

luther

If they were truly all-out tanking, Jaric and Walker wouldn't be playing at all. No coach is going to "tank" by playing semi-productive veterans over rookies or youngsters. If it was all-out tanking, Brewer and Richard would be in there all the time with Green, McCants, Smith and Telfair (and eventually Foye).

Mateo

Walker was never a productive player. His shooting was not jus low, it was abysmally low. Like, one of the lowest in the league, low. And his rebounding was below average for a PF for most of his career. When you are below average at everything, you are a below average player. The only thing Walker was ever good at is field goal attempts, and I don't think FGAs makes one a good player.

I'll stop loving Craig Smith when he stops producing every moment he's on the floor.

Mateo

I know. We've talked about this before, but I think a lot of people here want the team to try to win. I think our numerous 4th quarter collapses point to us not even trying. We really are tanking already.

But the biggest problem is, what's the point in tanking if you don't play your young players? How can Corey Brewer or Gerald Green become good players if they don't play? It doesn't make sense. And it's not like we have great alternatives in their positions.

Mateo