Time Management

by Ziller on Nov 26, 2008 12:31 PM PST in Commentary Comment 24 comments

*Brad Miller, 35.3 minutes a game.
*Spencer Hawes, 29.3.
*Jason Thompson, 27.
*Mikki Moore, 22.3.
*Shelden Williams, 10.1.

Take Williams, the guy most squeezed by Miller's return from the season-opening five-game suspension and the speedy development of Hawes and Thompson, off the list. That's still four bigs deserving of minutes, a major logjam, and four bigs getting minutes. Quality time management of the roster.

From the impossible position of needing to play veterans to win games and needing to play prospects to get to the future, Theus is making it across the tightrope.

We have lauded Reggie Theus of late for the team's improved energy and a better looking offensive effort, as well as a touch of improvement on defense (first Portland game aside). But his rotations have been especially strong. Maybe Shock got short shrift on Monday, but otherwise the mix has been excellent.

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You could flip Williams and Moore's minutes

And I’d bea happy camper.

"Don't sweat the petty stuff and don't pet the sweaty stuff." - My Dad, confusing me at a very young age.

by otis29 on Nov 26, 2008 12:37 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

No doubt!

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Nov 26, 2008 12:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

for sure

by hudson101 on Nov 26, 2008 1:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Scoop deserves credit

For a team that is 5-11, it doesn’t look nearly as bad as it does in Washington or OKC right now. And that’s for a team that has every bit a tougher schedule than either of those teams so far.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Nov 26, 2008 12:38 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

And a team

5 points away from being 8-8 (Suns, Spurs, Blazers games)

by eduardo_m7 on Nov 26, 2008 1:53 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

Good points - both of you

Shut up and Coach

by Carl on Nov 26, 2008 2:04 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Rec'd

How different would things be with 9 more (strategic) points scored this year?

8-8 is so much nicer than 5-11, no?

by smgmatt on Nov 26, 2008 2:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, a good point - that makes me weary

But isn’t it actually 9-7? Don’t forget opening night in Minn.

I’d be a lot happier if we’d gotten a 50-50 split.

Cisco? Cisco? CISCO!!!! #*$!%! !

by lietothegirls on Nov 26, 2008 2:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

A lot HAPPIER?

I mean good lord, talk about high expectations. If this team was 8-8 that’s a freakin miracle by any realistic defintion.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Nov 26, 2008 3:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

by smgmatt on Nov 26, 2008 3:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I meant a 50-50 split on those 1&2 pt games

meaning 7-9

Cisco? Cisco? CISCO!!!! #*$!%! !

by lietothegirls on Nov 26, 2008 4:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

take it easy

Cisco? Cisco? CISCO!!!! #*$!%! !

by lietothegirls on Nov 26, 2008 4:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather the team is 16-0

I don’t agree with your opinion. That’s my right. Your right is to have yours. No problem either way.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Nov 26, 2008 4:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

There is a problem

Add those numbers up and you get 124. 48 minutes x 2(C and PF) = 96. The reason the minutes look all nice a intelligently divided is because the minutes for Hawes, JT and Williams are all inflated by the missed games of Miller, Moore, Cisco, and Martin.

Looking at numbers from only the 7 games where all 5 bigs were available, Avg. minutes are:

Miller – 36.7
Moore – 22.6
Hawes – 28.3
JT – 25.6
Williams – 5.2(4.4 includes DNP-CD)

Still looks good you say? JT started at SF in 5 of those 7 games. If you only give JT PF/C minutes in those 5 games ie. subtract the minutes of the other 4 from 96(106 for the OT game) and assign those remaining minutes to JT, his average drops to 6.4 minutes per game.

When Cisco/Martin return I don’t expect to see JT getting minutes at the 3, so he’s going to have to get minutes from somewhere. Where?

I’d much rather see Brad-36, Hawes-25, JT-25, Moore-10, than Brad-36, Moore-20, Hawes-20, JT-20.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Nov 26, 2008 3:10 PM PST reply actions 2 recs

I'd rather the Kings move Mikki for a song

But that’s a personal opinion.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Nov 26, 2008 3:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Me too

I like Mikki, but would rather see Williams getting 10 a game than Moore getting 20.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Nov 26, 2008 3:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

yes

Cisco? Cisco? CISCO!!!! #*$!%! !

by lietothegirls on Nov 26, 2008 4:25 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Good breakdown

Seeing beyond the initial figures, and putting in a lot more effort than I ever would have. That’s what Kfan brings to the table on a consistent basis.

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Nov 26, 2008 3:39 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd

by smgmatt on Nov 26, 2008 3:52 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I am worried that with all the forwards available

Reggie will cut JT’s minutes, he seems to prefer the vets to the young guys. IMO JT ans Hawes MUST play at least 25 to 30 a night they are the future, if it costs you wins this year so be it. They will repay with many victories down the road

by Beagle12 on Nov 26, 2008 5:26 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I'm going to play devils advocate with you Beagle

Step into Reggie Theus’ shoes for a minute here. There are many teams around the league that automatically play young players, like the Grizzlies, and see them do well for a time or two. Yet, those players do not make the overall impact because they do not necessarily do the types of things that winning teams need. If I’m Reggie, I want to see JT make the type of players that lead to the Kings getting the most out of him. I don’t think JT needs 35 mins today to be effective, I just think he needs more than table scraps to really reward all the early hype surrounding him. Reggie’s job is to set a tone for this club, to ulitmately, play hard and win games. Young players, Tim Duncan is one notable exception that comes to mind, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul are some others, that make immediate impacts as rookies. Most take some time to adjust to a league, or even productive rookies need time to curb some of the things that ail them as young players making the rounds the first time through.

Essentially Beagle, what I’m getting at, is that Reggie does trust JT. Now what he, and JT, need to figure out is how to get the most out of his abilities, and work with each other to keep doing the same in the future. Unfortuntaely, the process isn’t as simple as giving JT more mins.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. It's simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get tangled, you tango on

by pookeyguru on Nov 26, 2008 5:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

well I have no interest in watching Mikki Moore

play over JT when Mikki Moore doesn’t rebound and is very limited on offense and Hawes needs to start getting more of Millers minutes, I can take young mistakes when they accompany talent and hustle.

by Beagle12 on Nov 26, 2008 6:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm with you

Young mistakes accompanied by talent and hustle > old average play accompanied by yelling and whining any day.

Ball movement ... is like jogging for most people: They do it occasionally, and it makes them happy. Then they go back to not doing it. - Henry Abbott

by Kfan in Korea on Nov 26, 2008 6:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Not the minutes but how you play them

I agree with your assessment, but before Hawes starts getting more minutes than Miller, the Kings need to start running the offense through Hawes at the hi post. Let Miller stand waiting to take the corner three. Hawes gains nothing by playing the PF and shooting corner threes.

We need Hawes to prove that he can run the offense as well as Miller. Then the next step is for Miller to be the backup, and the step after that is for Miller to play somewhere else.

"If you don't have anything good to say, LIE" - Mom

by HighTops on Nov 26, 2008 6:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs