THINQon : Cases in stupidity

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Arthur Mont

Cases in stupidity

Latest Post: April 14, 2010 at 5:10 PM

70 followers

The discussion on strategy had several examples of great strategies and the importance of strategy. Let's now start to look at examples of lack of strategy, a.k.a. amazing stupidity.
TV shows and fail sites like to tell of examples of stupid criminals. These are funny, but people often don't notice how the same stupidity applies to people who should know better.

Case in point, The Boston Celtics, with Doc Rivers as chief idiot. Explanation The Celtics have had an up and down season. 3 games till the playoffs they were extraordinarily given the power to choose their foe for the first round. Do they choose to play Miami who is playing very well now, or do they choose to play the Bucks who just lost their best player to season ending injury? In fact when asked who they would prefer to play in the first round, the owner of the celtics specifically said he preferred to play the Bucks. Great. All they now need to do is lose twice to the Bucks and they get them instead of Miami for the first round, choice made. (The losses would not have a significant effect on their standings as they should prefer to be 4 anyway, nor are they likely to manage to get 3). Moreover, they can use this opportunity to rest their star players who desperately need some rest, which is what the major players in the championship run are doing..

So what do the Celtics do? They go out and in amazing nearsightedness beat the Bucks, while playing their players significant minutes. Great! they managed to actually win a game, and they are jumping around happily.
Their win is likely to give them Miami in the first round instead of the Bucks who they actually managed to beat. Great game.
I don't care if they'll manage to beat Miami. They probably will, but this was such utter stupidity which rivals any of the stupid criminals stories.

Prepare for case 2. Tomorrow they are playing the Bulls, and are given a partial power to choose who will Cleveland, their foe in the second round in case they manage to beat Miami, play in the first round. Do they want Cleveland to play Toronto who just lost its best player to season ending surgery, or do they want Cleveland to face the Bulls who gave them a lot of problems last year in the playoffs? All they need to do is rest their star players. (Of course even if they play all their players they might still lose to the Bulls.) I think by now it's clear how stupid are the people in charge of strategy with the Celtics so I'm not keeping my hopes up.

One last point. If I were Miami I would probably lose the next game so they wouldn't need to face the Celtics in the first round, as they are more likely to lose in that case than being number 6. They won't, but I can't say that their strategy is wrong because they might think they prefer the Celtics in the first round.

Add more cases here when you see them.

Reply to:

Andrew Stein, I'm not going to claim to be a genius. I'm not...

April 13, 2010 at 4:37 AM

7 followers

I haven't watched basketball in years. I haven't even followed sports for a long time. That being said, I'll venture forth my quite possibly ill-conceived opinion for whatever it may be worth.

As an athlete, you want to win every game.

Period.

Statistics be damned. So what if the Celtics are gonna play the Heat in the playoffs? Who says winning an NBA championship should be easy? No pro-baller is gonna throw a game just so they'll end up playing a worse team in the playoffs. Have a little faith in your Celtics!

You think a guy like KG is going to want to lose games just so he'll play an easier team later on? Fuhgeddabout it.

That's what makes them different from us. They thrive against insurmountable odds. They don't want it to be easy. And, of course, it shouldn't be.

Strategically, yes, your theory makes sense. But realistically, it's a bad idea. You want your team and your players to win every game, every time. No exceptions! :-)

Reply to: or

Arthur Mont

In response to Andrew Stein

April 13, 2010 at 7:26 AM

70 followers

Hi Andrew,
This would be a nice explanation except for the fact that they have spent the last year proving, and saying, they don't really care about the regular season but only about the playoffs, losing easy game after easy game. The whole reason for playing hard during the year is to get favorable playoff assignments.
They want to prove, mostly to themselves, that they have turned a page, but it is a strange time to do that.

Your explanation would have been nice, and maybe that's exactly what they were telling themselves going into the game, but that's their egos taking over their brain. Kobe Bryant isn't playing and the Lakers are losing, and Lebron James isn't playing and Cleveland is losing, both because they are waiting and resting for the playoffs.

It's hard to play a game and intentionally lose, that's why you sit and rest your starting five and hope the other team can simply beat your reserves, and like that everyone gets a good game, with a plausible good outcome.

Reply to: or

Andrew Stein, I'm not going to claim to be a genius. I'm not...

In response to Arthur Mont

April 14, 2010 at 5:10 PM

7 followers

Hi back, Arthur!

"...they have spent the last year proving, and saying, they don't really care about the regular season but only about the playoffs, losing easy game after easy game."

Wow! Talk about arrogance (on the Celtic's part). That's a really disappointing strategy. How on Earth can they not "really care" about the regular season? I understand that they've clinched the playoffs already, and thus, they don't have to work as hard, but come on! The '95 Bulls didn't have to keep winning games until they reached 72. Michael Jordan didn't have to keep leading his team into the playoffs with a record shattering season. They didn't have to do anything but sit back, rest, and coast into a mediocre position in the post-season.

But they did go on and keep playing. They did choose to keep fighting and win 72 games, even when it was a moot point. It was a matter of principal. They wanted to dominate the rest of the league -- and they succeeded. Was it arrogance? Ego? Stupidity? Maybe. Others might call it tenacity.

Losing games before the playoffs in order to sit pretty in the middle of the field is just weak in my opinion. I admit, I'm not even following the NBA right now, so I didn't know about Kobe or Lebron sitting out. My opinion? Shame on them! Sheesh -- why are they even playing in the NBA if they won't take advantage of these moments and prove they are the very best players in the world? Get out there and play. Dominate. They can do it, but they're choosing not to in order to rest? They don't need to rest. They need to dominate.

"It's hard to play a game and intentionally lose, that's why you sit and rest your starting five and hope the other team can simply beat your reserves, and like that everyone gets a good game, with a plausible good outcome. "

Actually, I wouldn't say they're hoping the other team will beat their reserves -- I would assume they're letting the bench get experience. I very much doubt they're just sending out the "bad" players to slaughter... they're just letting the guys who normally never touch the ball get out there and play and get better.

There's a problem with overthinking the game -- you tell yourself "this is the best option". You say "this is the most viable strategy". You can try to be smart, but in the end, it's not all about strategy and intelligence. As much as some people may not like to admit it, it is a game about heart, passion, and the will to compete. As soon as you lose focus of that, you'll start thinking too much and you'll end up getting beat by the underdogs with more passion than you. (1980 "Miracle on Ice" anyone?)

I'm more of a thinking guy -- that's why I prefer to play golf. That's why I don't play basketball or hockey.

With all that being said, I'm definitely no NBA coach. I'm merely a fan who wants to watch the players play with 110% every time -- and I've always assumed that, you know, getting paid millions of dollars might give you incentive to keep playing... you know, even if you're, like, tired and stuff. Poor Kobe. I'm sure he needs to rest, though. Yeah.

If I'm right, then it just means the Celtics believe in themselves and they want to win games. If you're right (which I admit you probably are), then it just means I'm going to keep losing faith in the game and its players. Don't play in the NBA if you don't plan on winning every game... or at least, don't expect me to watch.