David Thorpe calls it the "Royal Jelly" and it's a pretty compelling argument for player development. Any young player needs real court time and a real chance to work through their issues without a quick hook and with a steady role. Without it guys wash out all the time -- some would have washed out anyway, but how many fall through the cracks who otherwise could have been productive players if they'd gotten the opportunity?
Furthermore, practice time in the NBA during the regular season is mostly about shoot-around, getting shots up and game planning, scrimmages are few and far between.
So while I don't necessarily want to see a bunch of scrubs getting force fed minutes at the expense of guys like Lillard, LMA, Wesley and Batum, this is the year to try and see what you've got -- no real expectations, no reliable bench depth and not a lot of pressure.
