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Ain’t no rest for the wicked: Spoelstra says no rest for Heat stars

Erik Spoelstra

Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra watches his team trail the Boston Celtics during the second half of Game 3 of a second-round NBA playoff basketball series in Boston, Saturday, May 7, 2011. The Celtics beat the Heat 9-81. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

AP

Cue up Cage the Elephant…

The Miami Heat looked tired Friday night, losing at home to a more physical and physically ready Memphis Heat team. Dwyane Wade even said after the game he had a feeling in shootaround his legs were tired and he wondered if the Heat were ready compete.

So, with Miami tired and pretty much locked into the No. 2 seed in the East, we can expect to see the key Heat players get some rest the next couple of weeks before the playoffs start, right?

Wrong. That’t not Erik Spoelstra’s plan. From our man Ira Winderman at the Sun Sentinel.

“This is absurd. Everybody is going through this right now. Does everyone feel 100 percent? No. Is there some physical fatigue? Yes. Is there some mental fatigue? Probably. Every team is going through that. We’re not going to shut it down with three weeks to go. That type of storyline is getting ridiculous.”

Sure Erik, that Gregg Popovich guy has been doing it wrong for years. And what’s he ever accomplished?

I get why Spoelstra is frustrated with his crew — you see the Bulls without their star player come out and kill it every night. They don’t always win but how often do you question their effort, their willingness to play through it?

But at some point that has to come from the players and the leaders in the locker room, not the coach. What Spoelstra has to do is have his team ready to go come the playoffs, and for that a few days of rest for key guys matters. Another win or two now doesn’t. The Heat will not be judged on regular season wins this year.

But go ahead, grind them down in a Pat Riley style. See how that works out for you.