46 replies to this topic

[DanishLakerFan]

At this point i dont think we have the luxury of letting Dwight sit for any games.
Kobe shouldn't be playing 44 mins either.

Hopefully, we start putting away a few teams earlier on and then we can sit some of the starters.

[Nak]

We cannot afford to lose more games, if Dwight sits out, our team D will be just atrocious. Gasol at the 5 is just a bad defensive anchor, he is simply an average post-defender.

[Real Deal]

RD, your view of the situation is myopic. We have a MUCH larger goal than winning 3 games in January. We have the most talented starting 5 in the league. None of that matters in the playoffs if our ANCHOR is still not 100% because we didn't want to (possibly) sacrifice 3 games in January. None of that matters if we can't get the most out of the Best P&R Duo in the league. All of the "heavy lifting" (read: volume shooting) Kobe's doing is because Dwight's NOT 100%. Our defensive lapses that were expected to disappear with Dwight as the anchor? Still here. Why? Dwight's not 100%.

How is it myopic? I'm basically asking you how one week of rest will help Dwight if he came back at least one month (word was that it was two months) too early, especially now that he's been playing for two months? What will that week of rest do, really?

We can lose three games in a row...whatever. We're still making the playoffs. However, three games without Dwight does a lot of things. One, it puts more on Kobe than ever before (since the post-Shaq, pre-Gasol days). Two, it forces us to play an even different lineup than we have all season long...and with that, it means we play a MUCH different way without a legitimate threat inside (Gasol is not a threat). Three, we simply run the risk of losing three games that will most definitely determine our home court advantage over a few Western Conference teams I don't think we'll be able to run off the side of the road easily.

A week of rest isn't going to bump Howard up to 100% health. Doubt it does much. Does that mean we hold him out of practice, also? If so, we lose even more than just games...and if not, he's going to be a worthless practice buddy with very, very limited contact.

We are on a five-game winning streak. Let's see where it goes. Howard is putting up 18 PPG, 12 RPG, 3 BPG, 57% FG, upped his FT shooting to 10 FTA/G at around 51%...all around his career averages on a team that doesn't exactly need him to go all-out as the lone superstar anymore. Sure, he's missing a dunk here or there, but it's not happening all game long. One or two plays, he's not able to get off the ground, but plays later and mostly after sitting during the game, he's touching the top half of the backboard to swat a shot. I doubt a week of rest will fix that...it's the conditioning, not the injury.

[last stand 2.0]

1 week rest is useless because he's not going to be 100% until he has an offseason to lift, run and rest at full health like he Normally does. The best we can hope for this season is for him to get close.

But to be 100% you need the offseason. Unless the suggestion is sit Dwight for 3 months and have him treat it like the offseason which I'm sure noone is suggesting. He's better off playing and getting in better shape.

Next year after lifting, running, and recovering like he always does during the offseason he'll be back

[androsays]

still think we should sit dwight?

terrible second [expletive]ing half

[Majesty]

on Dwight's alley-oop I saw his head was above the rim. FIRST TIME IN A LONG TIME!

Now is NOT the time to rest him, he's almost back he just doesn't have his stamina yet.

[lakersince75]

They all rest on defense!! Nobody needs a game off!! Decreased minutes maybe; but games off? Not right now