Back to Preparation
Fatigue is a matter of survival in the NBA. A young team like ours should not be fatigued on a back to back. Gallo was the highest level performer, last night, and he is a veteran. He manages himself.
We should be in such good shape that our performance will be consistent regardless. Look at the energy Houston played with against the Nuggets off a double-overtime back to back earlier in the year. No excuses.
But we have to be smart on our resting and what we consume and do during off time.
What are the rules the Nuggets have for preparation?
This is a job, and one of the requirements of the job is to take care of yourselves physically, and more importantly, being mentally prepared.
Nothing is more important than rest, sleep particularly. Naps for sure.
A big loss last night was Barton’s lack of energy. He was off. His focus was gone. It was an obvious fluke for him and it cost us. Whatever he did between games; don’t do again. All of you, take care of yourselves.
Each piece of the cog must fit perfectly at this level. There is no compromise or we lose.
On back to back’s each team member, whether they will play or not, must have a regimen to let them rest, eat right, and be able to refocus. If they are actually tired, or use this as an excuse, they must change how they prepare. This includes preparation for all other games also.