Minutes & Rotations

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Originally Posted by TD 21

No question. As I alluded to, past the top six, it just depends on what you mean specifically though: His average or in the "ideal scenario". He'll probably average closer to 20, but play closer to 10 in the latter.

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There's also the possibility of Pop promising more minutes for Kawhi provided he's healthy.

I wouldn't doubt it. Pop allowed Parker and Manu to have a couple of "free" seasons.

Anderson is a huge question mark, If he's terrible every wing will have to play more..I think simmons gets the DNP treatment

PG-Parker-28.5
SG-Green-31
SF-Leonard-32
PF-Aldridge-32.5
C-Duncan-26.5

PG-Mills-19.5
SG-Ginobili-20
SF-Anderson-13
PF-Diaw-20
C-West-17

LMA
PF-28
C-4.5

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Originally Posted by cd021

PG-Parker-28.5
SG-Green-31
SF-Leonard-32
PF-Aldridge-32.5
C-Duncan-26.5

PG-Mills-19.5
SG-Ginobili-20
SF-Anderson-13
PF-Diaw-20
C-West-17

LMA
PF-28
C-4.5

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This is good...also like the LMA PF/C minutes. It makes a lot of sense for him to move to 5 for some minutes. :toast

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TD 21

It was a fluke. Parker and to a lesser extent, Leonard, left numerous games relatively early with injuries and they blew so many teams out, that it just happened.

I agree; like I said, that's basically the doomsday scenario. Duncan will only go under 28 if he leaves at least a few games with injury relatively early and/or they're blowing so many teams out, especially relatively early. West doesn't really preserve Duncan, since he doesn't do the same things.

I never said Pop was, but you made it sound as if 11-15 are going to push 6-10 for minutes and that's not happening, with the exception of Anderson.

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The older Spurs were set for a third straight deep run. Pop had an emphasis on minutes management. Maybe, if the Spurs weren't comfortably in the top two seeds and opposite of OKC in the brackets, players would have been more extended; but no player reaching 30 min was that much of a happy accident.

Anderson is arguably 10 going into it. Simmons, Jimmer, Boban, McCallum and a potentially better Bonner are all candidates for quality minutes.

Wonder if Diaw will get any burn as a Backup Sf...

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Originally Posted by apalisoc_9

There's also the possibility of Pop promising more minutes for Kawhi provided he's healthy.

I wouldn't doubt it. Pop allowed Parker and Manu to have a couple of "free" seasons.

Anderson is a huge question mark, If he's terrible every wing will have to play more..I think simmons gets the DNP treatment

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Leonard will get more minutes just based on the fact that they lack a fourth proven rotation wing, more than anything.

Things were different back when Ginobili and even Parker, were in their respective prime. The depth wasn't what it is now and less was known about overexerting players or at least it wasn't taken as seriously.

Obviously, 34 mpg is somewhat arbitrary, but this team shouldn't need Leonard or Aldridge to exceed that threshold and if they do, it's probably because something has gone wrong.

If Anderson is terrible, they'll likely give Simmons and Fredette a chance before resorting to essentially a three wing rotation or looking for external help.

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Originally Posted by Spurtacular

The older Spurs were set for a third straight deep run. Pop had an emphasis on minutes management. Maybe, if the Spurs weren't comfortably in the top two seeds and opposite of OKC in the brackets, players would have been more extended; but no player reaching 30 min was that much of a happy accident.

Anderson is arguably 10 going into it. Simmons, Jimmer, Boban, McCallum and a potentially better Bonner are all candidates for quality minutes.

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So now you agree that Pop didn't intentionally manage minutes to that extent? I'm pretty sure he admitted as much after the fact.

Marjanovic and Bonner have no chance at quality minutes, barring a significant injury to one of the four rotation bigs.

Since fourth wing is such a major question mark, Simmons, Fredette and even McCallum (if they think Fredette can exclusively guard wings, then he shouldn't be excluded), all have a shot.

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Originally Posted by TD 21

So now you agree that Pop didn't intentionally manage minutes to that extent? I'm pretty sure he admitted as much after the fact.

Marjanovic and Bonner have no chance at quality minutes, barring a significant injury to one of the four rotation bigs.

Since fourth wing is such a major question mark, Simmons, Fredette and even McCallum (if they think Fredette can exclusively guard wings, then he shouldn't be excluded), all have a shot.

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I don't think that Pop was trying to do the Hubie Brown approach and divvy up minutes among 10 players each night almost equally. But I do think that that season Pop had much more of an emphasis of limiting minutes than any other season. Maybe, if Parker doesn't get hurt, then the Spurs don't become the first champion to no have a 30 MPG guy; but otherwise, I don't really consider it that much of a happy accident that the Spurs had nobody reach 30 mpg. What I think is a happy accident is that they did it while winning 62 games and taking the 1 seed over OKC.