worldbarrow
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2014
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Batum wasn’t getting starting five numbers, but his play has improved in the past two games with play calls that would have gone to Aldridge. What about making Batum the sixth man? We don't have another sub for a power forward who does nothing but nail a seventeen footer. Batum went for 23 against the Warriors and 21 against the Bucks, both games without Aldridge. If Batum will perform off the bench, then we'll start winning again. Stotts hasn't found a way to work Batum into the offense when the play calls are going to Aldridge for jumpshots. Wright can certainly get Batum's usual numbers as a starter, but Wright was 0 for 8 last night, and Throb makes a better small forward as soon as everyone recognizes that he's not as big as he was in college. Batum is being wasted for a few threes, and we don't want him to be the next Rudy Fernandez. Please stop talking trade and root for the next sixth man of the year.
Two changes were supposed to make this a better year: having a true center and having a deeper bench. We have our true center, and he's playing as well as expected. With the exception of Mo Williams, production from the bench has been poor. Stotts hasn't put enough confidence in Leonard or McCollum, and there should be no question of who backs up Lopez and Matthews. Stotts treats his subs like his practice unit when he should use them piecemeal and more often. As long as the reserves are matched appropriately to the starter's roles, there isn't a 'second unit', but enough individual role players to make a real bench. Mo Williams is the only player being used consistently and effectively as a backup because the expectations for a scoring point guard are consistent regardless of the lineup or the nature of the game. A player like Leonard might seem lost on the court because it's not clear what he's supposed to do. Stotts seems to treat his second unit like another team, with different expectations, different calls, and no consistency to the lineup, despite that there has been absolutely no question about the starters. Stotts has too much confidence in his first five—not to say something like "Lamarcus Aldridge isn't a superstar" but the opposite: there are supporting roleplayers on the starting five when compared with two players, Aldridge and Lillard, who are consistently good for twenty or thirty a night. Matthews is streaky, and Batum has been dormant. Lopez is consistent, but still not primarily a scoring threat. Putting Batum in the sixth man spot will increase his scoring and give Aldridge the rest he needs. The rest of the bench needs consistent minutes and enough early minutes to warm them up and make them a part of the game. If players feel like they're being watched and judged, then they lose confidence and they perform poorly. So let's not point our fingers at another player, but at Terry Stotts. He doesn't have to play.
Two changes were supposed to make this a better year: having a true center and having a deeper bench. We have our true center, and he's playing as well as expected. With the exception of Mo Williams, production from the bench has been poor. Stotts hasn't put enough confidence in Leonard or McCollum, and there should be no question of who backs up Lopez and Matthews. Stotts treats his subs like his practice unit when he should use them piecemeal and more often. As long as the reserves are matched appropriately to the starter's roles, there isn't a 'second unit', but enough individual role players to make a real bench. Mo Williams is the only player being used consistently and effectively as a backup because the expectations for a scoring point guard are consistent regardless of the lineup or the nature of the game. A player like Leonard might seem lost on the court because it's not clear what he's supposed to do. Stotts seems to treat his second unit like another team, with different expectations, different calls, and no consistency to the lineup, despite that there has been absolutely no question about the starters. Stotts has too much confidence in his first five—not to say something like "Lamarcus Aldridge isn't a superstar" but the opposite: there are supporting roleplayers on the starting five when compared with two players, Aldridge and Lillard, who are consistently good for twenty or thirty a night. Matthews is streaky, and Batum has been dormant. Lopez is consistent, but still not primarily a scoring threat. Putting Batum in the sixth man spot will increase his scoring and give Aldridge the rest he needs. The rest of the bench needs consistent minutes and enough early minutes to warm them up and make them a part of the game. If players feel like they're being watched and judged, then they lose confidence and they perform poorly. So let's not point our fingers at another player, but at Terry Stotts. He doesn't have to play.
