The other double-headed monster

[SnowLeopard]

While the spotlight is on H&H combining for 27.4 points, 14.1 rebounds, 3.6 blocks per game, the PG position is turning out to be a mini-me version of the two-headed monster

PJ & Hill giving us, in 40 minutes, 12.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2 TO.....neither of them is better than prime LJ at this point in their careers, but together, they are giving productivity at the PG spot comparable to when LJ was manning the position

What I am unsure about is that this means sticking to a deep rotation at least 9 deep. Or will we have to shorten the rotation down to 7 going into the business end of the season, as conventional wisdom has it?

What recent teams have made deep tourney runs playing such a deep rotation?

 

[TC4THREE]

Not sure what case could be made for shortening the rotation. That's usually done because you have to take away minutes from less productive players as the competition increases. There's nobody in our top 9 that hurts us and I believe if you were to pick an MVP in all 8 games this season it would be possible that we've had 6 or more different players be our MVP. So long as the players are stepping up and giving us good minutes, I don't see any reason to not play them. Figure out which players are playing well or are exploiting favorable matchups each game and ride those players each game.

With that said, I think there is an opportunity for one of our shooters to step up and if one of Stephens, Mathias, or Cline can shoot consistently well then I think that person could earn themselves more minutes than the other two. Until that person steps up, I think we just keep playing them all and try to find the hot hand on an game-to-game basis.

 

[Sennsational1]

Not sure what case could be made for shortening the rotation. That's usually done because you have to take away minutes from less productive players as the competition increases. There's nobody in our top 9 that hurts us and I believe if you were to pick an MVP in all 8 games this season it would be possible that we've had 6 or more different players be our MVP. So long as the players are stepping up and giving us good minutes, I don't see any reason to not play them. Figure out which players are playing well or are exploiting favorable matchups each game and ride those players each game.

With that said, I think there is an opportunity for one of our shooters to step up and if one of Stephens, Mathias, or Cline can shoot consistently well then I think that person could earn themselves more minutes than the other two. Until that person steps up, I think we just keep playing them all and try to find the hot hand on an game-to-game basis.

If we go down to 7 it would be whatever 7 were hot that game. Maybe 1 OR 2 of our shooters are lights out and the 3rd doesn't get many minutes. Or 1 of our points or bigs are unstoppable and the other doesn't get much pt. No way we cut it down to the same 7 every game barring injury!!! Knocking in wood

 

[TC4THREE]

If we go down to 7 it would be whatever 7 were hot that game. Maybe 1 OR 2 of our shooters are lights out and the 3rd doesn't get many minutes. Or 1 of our points or bigs are unstoppable and the other doesn't get much pt. No way we cut it down to the same 7 every game barring injury!!! Knocking in wood

Well you have to play all 9 to figure out those things each game. And everyone has to come out of the game sometime regardless. Haas, for example, probably isn't going to play 10 straight minutes very often. Neither point guard is going to play an entire half.

When healthy, you know Swanigan, Davis, and Edwards are going to get at least 20-25 mpg usually. That leaves 45-60 minutes to divide up between our three shooters. Still more than one guy can fill but you could possibly see some games where one of them sees less than 10 minutes if one of the others proves to have a hot hand early.

 

[proudopete]

Well you have to play all 9 to figure out those things each game. And everyone has to come out of the game sometime regardless. Haas, for example, probably isn't going to play 10 straight minutes very often. Neither point guard is going to play an entire half.

When healthy, you know Swanigan, Davis, and Edwards are going to get at least 20-25 mpg usually. That leaves 45-60 minutes to divide up between our three shooters. Still more than one guy can fill but you could possibly see some games where one of them sees less than 10 minutes if one of the others proves to have a hot hand early.

Aren't we playing 10 players regularly?
Hill,PJ,Ray,Kendall,Mathias,Cline,Edwards,Biggie,Haas,Hammons.

 

[nate_h]

I see no reason to eliminate anyone's time from the rotation unless someone really falls off and is hurting the team. Every one of our 10 players who are currently getting minutes have the ability to affect the game positively and potentially win it for us.

For example, even with Kendall's shooting struggles recently he's still been contributing on defense, rebounding, and assisting. And you never know when one night he's going to go off for 4 threes and 15+ points. On another night that player might be Mathias or Cline. Painter is smart to give everyone a shot in every game (at least 8 minutes) and then ride the hot hands in the second half.

If you have the talent to play 9 or 10 guys, play them. The reason teams trim their bench to 7 or 8 isn't because it's some golden rule of basketball, it's because their 8-10 guys aren't talented enough. Ours are this year.

 

[TC4THREE]

Aren't we playing 10 players regularly?
Hill,PJ,Ray,Kendall,Mathias,Cline,Edwards,Biggie,Haas,Hammons.

Yes. When healthy it's 10 instead of 9.

 

[CRBoiler]

I think Kendall is being given time to find his shot, but if he doesn't between now and B1G, then I believe you will see his minutes go down. Ray, Dakota, and Cline are out shooting him. In more areas than just shooting (e.g. assists, rebounds per 40 min), he is being outperformed by those 3. Of course, his length on D gives him an advantage over Dakota and Cline, but both of those two are improving steadily. Dakota was the epitome of defensive intensity toward the end of the New Mexico game. This is not a bash KS post... I really hope KS finds his shot because it will help the team win.

 

[purdue4sure]

Dakota was the epitome of defensive intensity toward the end of the New Mexico game. This is not a bash KS post... I really hope KS finds his shot because it will help the team win.

Anyone know what was going on between Mathias and the NM player in the 2nd half? It got so bad that the NM player was called for a technical foul as everyone was lining up for a freethrow.