Play to Win the Game or take a different approach?
I know this has been discussed a bit already, but I would be interested in hearing different perspectives.
For today's game against MSU, I would play our main starters sparingly. We have already achieved what we set out to achieve as far as a Big10 Championship and 1 seeds in the tournaments. The risks of playing to win outweigh the rewards, in my opinion. So let's focus on what is good for us rather than on what would make life difficult for MSU. (and would a win against a Michigan team that didn't play its starters most of the game carry as much weight with the bracketologists?). Is this bad sportsmanship? Is beating MSU twice emotionally satisfying enough to go all in despite the risks?
What would you do if you were Juwan?
What do you predict Juwan will do?
Just a friendly discussion. I hope whatever happens, I can enjoy watching today rather than clenching my bum cheeks for 40 minutes hoping that nobody gets injured!
It’s right there in your title — you play to win the game.
Yea, I mean have we not all heard Herm Edwards take on this already?!
Yes, always play to win.
However, give some different guys the opportunity. It doesn't mean that starters sit out. They just play fewer minutes.
Also, sitting starters doesn't mean they won't become injured in the next game, whatever that is. There are no guarantees about anyone's health.
If you are not playing to win, then why play at all? This post is ? ?
I get the impression many people on here haven't read or heard the chatter that's going on from fans of other schools in the Big 10.
A lot of them feel that if Michigan should lose a game against MSU and Illinois defeats OSU, then Illinois should petition for the right to be named Co Big 10 Champions with Michigan.
The reason being, is because Illinois convincingly defeated Michigan and would technically be a half game up on UM when the season ended.
Therefore Michigan's Championship would deserve an asterisk.
They feel Michigan should get the win percentage share and Illinois should get a share of the Championship for their achievements.
Though most feel if Michigan defeats MSU twice, which would keep them ahead of Illinois in the final standings, along with having the better win percentage, then Michigan is the rightful Champion.
I know we can just ignore other Big 10 schools and happily celebrate the Championship no matter the outcome of these final games.
Though I don't want there to be much talk about a complaint or petition from Illinois after the season is over, if they defeat OSU and Michigan loses Sunday against MSU.
I want Michigan to beat MSU again!
Even without the B1G implications, the logic of not playing to win is a terrible joke. You have simply provided another reason why this game has import. OP - hang your head in shame.
The annoying thing about this analysis is that people seem to assume we caught a break by not playing PSU/Northwestern/IU. In all likelihood, if we'd never had a pause, we would have clinched the title sooner than we did.
Petitioning for a title? I thought teams play to win titles. Ridiculous.
There is no right answer to this. You sit guys, potentially lose, lose momentum, and aren't as sharp in the tournament. You play guys to stay sharp & they potentially get injured. The result is what makes the decision right, which is largely based on luck. Ideally you play guys early, get a lead, let the backups get some time, stay healthy, stay sharp, & get the win. But, this is the real world. It's hard to stay motivated when you know everything is locked up, which is what makes that position potentially dangerous.
I disagree. There is a right answer.
You sit the starters and you're telling the team that the game doesn't matter. If you play the starters and can't impress upon the team that beating MSU is still important, that's a failure of leadership. I certainly don't foresee that happening.
Sitting players just to avoid injuries? It would be better to stay home and skip the game altogether. We could also have them skip practices so they don't get injured there. The next game is Friday. That's already a longer layoff than usual.
Just because there is a small element of risk doesn't mean there is no right or wrong answer. I do agree with your suggestion. Play the starters and take them out earlier if they get a nice lead. If they don't, play to win the game. Giving a gift to MSU is the worst idea of all. The OP is nuts if he thinks the selection committee won't give MSU credit for winning this game no matter who plays for us.
No, there is a right answer to this. Anyone who has played any sport in their life knows the answer.
You work very hard, all year, for many years, to play in these games. To win these games.
Plus, there's a good chance UM will face sparty for a 3rd consecutive game on Friday March 12. Beat them Sunday, then win 3 in a row on Friday. SWEEP THEM!
Go Blue!!
This is not the NBA. You play every game to win. They have several days before the B1G tourney. No time for half-ass now.
Agreed. There are 4 championships for us to win. We have the first-- B1G regular season. Next is the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP! Let's take it and then move on to the B1G tourney.
Maybe if their first tourney game was Weds.
Isn’t the game tomorrow? Regardless of when it is you play to win, especially against your rival. Go Blue!
Yup, game is tomorrow
Thanks, I momentarily freaked out and thought my entire family had pulled a miniature Rip Ban Winkle and slept through Saturday.
Yes, let's discuss this, yet again, in a fresh new thread because the other two threads devoted to this topic aren't quite enough and I'm SURE there will be some fresh, new insight offered that will totally change not only the boards perception, but more importantly, Juwan's on winning the game.
So here are my reasons why winning would be good thing instead....you know....losing
1. They are our biggest rivals in basketball and we have a chance to end their NCAA tournament streak
2. We go head-to-head with them on recruiting and a win will absolutely help in that regard
3. It will solidify our placement as a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament
4. We have a shit-ton of time off before our next game. Rust, not fatigue, will be our biggest problem.
5. It would be sweet revenge for the 50 point beatdown they happily administered to us back in 2000 when Izzo totally did not run up the score (because he said he never does that).
This topic is beyond fucking stupid. Can we please stop creating threads to discuss if winning a game against your biggest rival is better than losing it? I'll bet damn sure 11 Warriors has nothing like this up next November.
Agreed. Crush Sparty and if we play them again in the B1G tournament, crush Sparty.
I regret I have but one upvote to give.
*Tomorrow’s game. I get that this is a question because it’s such a rare position to be in. In the years before a big ten football championship game there were seasons where either Ohio State or Michigan had locked up the conference title before The Game...and they absolutely did not mail it in. Obviously basketball doesn’t carry the weight at Michigan that football does, but MSU basketball is the closest thing to Ohio State football we have in terms of an intense rivalry for this sport.
I say all of that to say this: It’s a rivalry. You go into it with the intentions of kicking their ass every time. There are no exceptions.
Game is tomorrow, and you don't sit players against your rival.
I was looking to see if someone posted this before I did. Well done!
can we go with 'great minds think alike'? offers an upgrade for a low-brow like myself.
I would definitely sit the starters today and play them tomorrow.
You absolutely put your foot on their collective throat and go for the win. We have an opportunity to beat our hated rival 3 times in one season, providing that Staee beats Rutgers in the B1G tourney. SWEEP THE LEG!!!
Didn’t someone post this already. Sitting the starters is not an option. We’re not going to throw a bone to StAEE. I want to see us take them out and then do a jig on the Sparty head.
What would Izzo do, if the situation was reversed? Just pound the shit out of him and his team, and enjoy doing it. We come to bury Sparty, not to praise them. That is all.
We know what Izzo would do, because we've seen it. We still owe them for a lot over the last 20 years...
No mercy.
I’ll take the Herm Edwards approach.
We play to score on every possession. There is recovery time in the schedule so over extending ourselves shouldn't be an issue. There may be a reason to practice extended rotations using the bench more with players #6, #7, #8, and #9 getting more playing time (and everyone else hopefully.)
Lots of great posts above - MGrowOld, runinonempty, xm. This is what I read with my morning coffee. I miss the sports page.
A true blue Michigan alumnus once told me, "There is something special about the sports page, a cup of coffee, and a cigarette." I don't smoke but I sure get it.
1) The game is tomorrow...
2)Anyone remember how you felt when they beat us three times in one season? Now think about how you would feel if that were 3 times in 8 days and eliminated us from the tourney. Let’s do THAT...
Game is tomorrow. This is against fucking Michigan State - there is no option other than playing to win the game. Sure if you have an already injured player then maybe you're more cautious but we have a chance to put a nail in their tournament chances, we get a good rest before the BTT and it was not that long ago that they were laughing us off the court basically every time we played.
We have the opportunity this year to hand them their ass three times (never been done before by us), send off their seniors with a blowout at the hands of their rivals and have Howard be 3-1 against MSU.
The game is Sunday not today.
I'd prefer Juwan handles it as he did the last game. Go for the win, if it is clear we will win, play the bench.
Let me put it this way:
The game is against Izzo and everything that man represents. We must curb stomp MSU.
According to this site, MSU is in the tournament, but only with a 44% chance of doing so. If we were to beat MSU and then Rutgers were able to beat them in the BigTen tournament they may very well miss the NCAA tournament.
The refs have robbed us so many times in this position I kind of expect the same in this game.
Play to win. Play to let Izzo know who the new sheriff in town is. Play to make Izzo miserable for another 40 minutes.
Holy crap - the sitting players to keep them save concept is utter BS. A player can just as easily do something in practice or a shoot around - the answer is always play to win.
On top of it, these are young kids, yes, playing back to back to back games can tire someone out a bit, but they honestly can play and recover, just like the rest of the teams out there.
Tomorrow* and you play the game! These guys just had 3 weeks off not too long ago, and their next game after this will not be until Friday afternoon. Keep the guys in rhythm, they’re 18-23 year old men who not long ago were playing 2 games in a day at AAU tournaments. Their legs will be fine and rested by the B1G tourney.
The first objective is to win this game and I don't think there should be any debate about that. There are several reasons why but for one... With all teams playing in Indy and not having to reward high seeds with regions closest to their campus, it is likely that the committee will seed the tourney 1 to 68 and serpentine the teams (with some slight changes to avoid early rematches). We likely have a 1-seed locked up but it could be anywhere between 2 and 4 overall seed. The higher, the better.
1. The game isn't today, it's tomorrow the 7th.
2. You play to win the game.
C'mon man, ? post.
Blow them out by 40 in the first half, sit the starters in the second half. Best of both worlds
Everyone gets a trophy... and orange slices.
Different approach. Play to run them off their own floor.
IF MSU wins we 100% have to play them again if they beat Rutgers meaning our first game in the tourney would be against MSU (if they beat rutgers).
I don't want MSU 3 in a row....... Beat MSU and Indiana beats Purdue and MSU would drop to #10
I would love three in a row vs msu. Beating them three times in 8 days would be awesome! Why wouldn’t any Michigan fan want that?!