Of course it's way early to be talking about this but are people worried that Stotts still seems inclined to play the starters too much? It seems to me that he only really trusts three bench players, two of whom were predictable (Mo and Dorell) and one a surprise (Freeland). And even then, Wright's minutes are kind of scanty given that Stotts likes to play Lillard and Mo together and to play Batum the whole game. It's starting to look like the only way we'll see Claver, Leonard or Will at all is if there's a massive blowout or injuries. And if I was Wright I'd be a bit worried that I came to the wrong place.
Re: Roation and Minutes We won't see any of our 3rd stringers unless there's an injury, or big foul trouble. Leonard, Claver, and Will haven't shown they're worthy of being in the rotation. I would like to see none of the starters averaging more than 36 minutes a game though. It's nice to have a bench that can come in and play with a burst of energy, no need to hold back when you're only playing 12 minutes a game.
Re: Roation and Minutes I missed the last two games for various reasons, so I can't really comment on in-game tactics with respect to rotations, but something tells me that Stotts desperately wants to win early on in the season and establish some kind of identity for this team. Maybe if that gets accomplished we'll start to see some of the other guys sprinkled into the mix as the season goes on, but I'm OK with an 8 man rotation.
Re: Roation and Minutes I'm a little disappointed in Thomas's production, but it's not like he's been put in a good position yet. And Wright seems to get limited minutes. I hope they don't continue these minutes (37+ for both Lillard and LaMarcus)
Re: Roation and Minutes Yeah its a long NBA season and I want to see the team fresh in April. Playing backups more also prepares them when a guy misses an entire game. Wright has been the most deserving of additional minutes. He has been excellent in the time he's been given. I'd like to see our starters in the 32-35 mpg range, not close to 40. There is a chance it costs us a loss somewhere but the benefit of less fatigue and more experienced bench will outweigh that at the end of the year.
Re: Roation and Minutes Interestingly, Lillard has played 34 and 36 minutes in the two wins... success allows rest.
Re: Roation and Minutes Yeah it could turn into a Jermaine Oneal situation. Sometimes having a bench is a damned if you do damned if you don't. We all saw the problems last season with no bench. But if you have a couple players deserving of minutes on the bench it can be impossible to get them time without someone being unhappy.
Re: Roation and Minutes Yeah, the Phoenix game did kind of throw things off a bit (minute wise). Not sure why they played as much as they did.
Re: Roation and Minutes I think the tighter rotation is to establish the starters in the new defensive system. Until they look as though they "get it", I expect them to have the majority of playing time. I want to see more of the reserves too, but I really want our starters to know the system well.
Re: Roation and Minutes I see CJ as Mo's understudy. I don't really see Mo as a Blazer for the long haul.
Re: Roation and Minutes I agree. It was very important that this team did not have a disastrous start to the season. Terry could have lost the team, the fans, and his job. The tight rotation IMO is necessary until everyone is ready to contribute. I am sure he will ease them in gradually. But playing too many players while trying to change the system would not have worked. And quite frankly preseason was not helpful due to the injuries.
Re: Roation and Minutes Sorry, but I'm not going to lament Leonard, Will, and Claver not getting minutes. We have a nine man rotation right now, and that's how it should be. Lillard Wes Batum Aldridge Lopez With Mo, Freeland, Wright, and Robinson off the bench in that order. I'm fine with that. We'll have to worry about CJ when we cross that bridge.
Re: Roation and Minutes Can somebody add a "t" to the "Roation" in the thread title? It's bugging me.
Re: Roation and Minutes Yeah, and then you have to figure at least a month before he's back in game shape.
