I think JB played too few guys but Red is going to have to be smart on game day PT decisions. I am not sold that anyone other than Judah and Maliq are going to be consistent enough in their role to warrant big minutes. I know JJ was a big time player but as of yet he has not been impressive let alone good. Q, Bell and JT are hot and cold and Cuffe looks good but that jury is obviously still out.
Benny needs to be good - not just a good stand alone 3 point shooter, but a good basketball player, and that need scares me more than anything else with this team. Defense and half court offense need to get much better, but I'm still excited for the season and the change.
Good post. Very much agree.
Instead of minutes, how about tiers of importance to the team? That might be a different way to look at it, and last year, that's why I targeted Maliq Brown as a guy who was going to have a bigger than expected role because of his skill set.
This year, I see most of the floor time going to these Tier 1 guys:
Judah Maccabee
Maliq Brown
And I think that's it. And I think that with these guys, we're maxing out at 30 minutes per game this year. Judah got 29 last night on a night that JJ just didn't have it. That might remain the case this year; we have a lot of interchangeable parts, and a lot of guys with gaps in their skill sets again.
Tier 2 guys:
Benny Williams - Benny is going to get every chance to be a contributor, because his skill set is unique. He's the only forward we have right now who projects as a potential "alpha guy" who can score in the teens and get 7 or 8 rebounds for you. I don't see anybody else among the forwards who appears to have the ability to create his own shot to match Benny's turnaround in the lane, or on the low block.
I think Taylor Swish is going to make it into the rotation because he's showing the toughness and inclination to rebound and defend that is going to win him minutes. Plus he will get streaky hot this year; probably our best bet from three.
Naheem Among The Clouds is going to be a weapon for us. Fouls will probably limit him to 15-20 minutes, but I think we'll see it. When Hima is healthy, maybe not quite as much, but holy hell, if he can catch and dunk it at 7-4 like he showed last night, not many teams are big enough to stop that. Of course, the big question will be, "Can he make a FT?" That will determine his playing time, in the end.
JJ Starling - he's too good not to play at least 20 minutes a game, and he will have to for appearances sake, even if he is not a contributor at first. He will be eventually. He can run an offense and he can get to the rim most of the time. The outside shot will come in time, but might hamper his minutes.
Tier 3 guys - situational, but could play a big role from game to game, depending on match-ups
Chris Bell - he's going to every chance to get hot from 3 like he did last night for a spell, but he also has to score inside the arc, which he also did against St. Rose, and play defense. I think he'll be inconsistent, and there are simply too many guys on this team to dedicate 30 minutes a game to a guy who isn't a consistent contributor somewhere on the scoresheet.
Quadir Copeland is going to get minutes, and a lot of them, between forward and 2G, but if he can't make a three (and he is about 0-5 so far), he has to play smart, not too emotional. He's a good player though, and we are also going to see a lot of him this season. I'm just not sold that it's going to be much more than 20 minutes, tops.
Kyle Cuffe has shown enuff to know that if JJ is off his game, Cuffe is going to see minutes. He makes a nice pass, has good court vision, plays passing lanes well, and plays solid defense. All the ingredients you would hope for from a kid who went to Kansas. In the first exhibition, he seemed a bit tentative on the drive a couple times early. If he can develop into a dependable 3 point threat, he will move into Tier 2 of game time, and I wouldn't be surprised.
Tier 4 guys - you just don't know
I think Chance Westry is going to challenge for time, at the expense of the other forwards (Benny, Bell or Cope). But you just don't know. He'll be back in January, we think, right? He's a talent, but I think this year is about getting his game legs back, and then next year, he will play a big role, as will Kyle Cuffe.
Peter Carey - showed some nice things in the exhibitions, is mobile, athletic and not at all a stiff. He's a basketball player, not just a tall guy. But he's been hurt a lot, and you just can't predict or rely on a guy with his injury record. I hope he gets through the year healthy, sees action in 20 games or so, and builds a base to contribute next year.
Mounir Hima - gosh, he was a defensive weapon at times last year (7 blocks in 18 minutes vs. St. John's). I just hope that his lingering knee pain doesn't render that stat his career highlight.
The other big kid who's a freshman, William Patterson, also looked like a basketball player, not just a tall guy who was told he should try basketball (in the words of SWC, I believe). He had some nice moments against St. Rose, too. But you can't count on a young guy at C for much this year, barring "break glass in case of emergency".
