I just think having a terrible bench like this will be hard on our starters. We need players to take some of the minutes away. I see an injury due to fatigue. Even if you don't want playoffs; our starters need rest man. I know we don't have much to trade; but maybe grab some players via d-league to support the starters.
Well with some of the comments by some; doesn't seem as obvious as you think. Some think we shouldn't get a bench because we may make the playoffs.
If one of the starter's gets hurt then they'll get plenty of rest and our draft position will improve. Where's the downside again?
Well depends on the injury. What if one tears an acl? Then the player will be out most the next season. So it could be a huge downside; especially if Lillard, Aldridge or batum get hurt.
You can tear an ACL at any point during a game, playing 38 minutes per game instead of 35 isn't going to make that big of a difference. You wanna talk about fatigue, think about those guys like Kobe and Garnett, etc. who've been playing 38 a night and making deep playoff runs all the way into June every year. This team is mostly young, doesn't have a lot of playoff wear and tear and they're not exactly playing 45 minutes a night.
But our bench is terrible on both offense and defense; which makes them have to play harder and exhort more energy. Players like Kobe and Garnett have players that can score or defend; which allows them to pace themselves. Our team doesn't have either and they are using a Ton of energy to play both ends of the court. This is why shots are flatter than they were 20 games ago.
Did we recently not have a discussion about LMA shooting better recently? No body on this team has the.ability to play offense or defense like Kobe or KG, so asking them for effort on both ends is reasonable. We need help if we want to make the playoffs, not with injury prevention.
Funny how we hear complaints about minutes, but coaches rarely make substitutions in overtime. If it was that big of.deal, they wpuld.go.with rested players.
Easy solution: Waive Nolan and Ewill, give some DLeaguers a shot via 10-day contracts, nothing to lose and maybe we find a decent bench player
I guess that's an option, but frankly the odds of getting a D-league call-up that can stick is sort of a longshot. And if they do stick you've got to pay them eventually. Maybe that only adds up to a prorated league minimum contract and I know Paul Allen has thrown money around in the past, but I just get the impression that "fiscal responsibilit" are the new buzzwords at one-center-court; layoffs, cost cutting, etc. None of that really implies burning money on D-leaguers and eating contracts.
Being fiscally smart and responsible is crucial to maintaining a good team long term. But if you have an owner who can throw money around, then what is the drawback of offering one year minimum contracts? You've got guys like Sam Young, Kenyon Martin, Derek Fisher, Josh Childress, Michael Redd all out there seemingly willing to play for league minimum. They've all got their warts, but they all also bring something to the table and if its no skin off Paul Allen's sack then why not bring them in and see how it works out?
rep'd This is a process. We have 6 NBA calibur players and need 9 to 10. We can pick up a couple via free agency and maybe manuever to get another in the draft. It'll get worked out over time.
I still don't understand this "fatigue" injury concern. What is the basis for this concern? This is the sixth season in a row that LaMarcus Aldridge had played comparable minutes. He played 39.6 mpg for 81 games the season before last. Why is playing fewer minutes (38.0 mpg) this season such a big concern? And the Lakers bench sucks almost as bad as ours. Kobe is playing more minutes than he has in 5 years and scoring more than he has in 6 years. And he's 34 and in his 17th season and playing more minutes than the 27 year old Aldridge. So, why all the hand wringing over Aldridge playing 38 mpg? Yes, we need a better bench if we want to win more games, but I don't see how a D league call up or two is going to protect anyone from injury. Injuries happen, for someone who is otherwise healthy they are random events that can happen anytime, whether it's the first minute they play or the 40th. If you want to win, you play your best players as much as possible. Right now, that means playing our starters big minutes. It's not like any of them are old or injury prone. If one of them gets a minor nagging injury, you rest them accordingly and sacrifice a win or two. That's just the reality of the situation. BNM
I disagree! We don't need help. We just need to endure!! This is not a playoff team. It's a terrible bench. We need to just get through it. We should be hoping that we continue to play hard and lose close games, so as to ensure we keep our draft pick, and our cap flexibility this coming summer. Hickson may not be kept beyond the trade deadline, or return next season as he is a UFA. Without him, its obvious how much we need additional talent. We're only going to get it by drafting well and signing smartly. Hang on folks, half way done with a terrible season. We're not making the playoffs - barring a miracle! Stay the course!
I would grab Kenyon, redd and fisher! That's actually not bad. Then I would waive smith and Jeffries.
I would grab Kenyon, redd and fisher! That's actually not bad. Then I would waive smith and Jeffries.
