Sensor wrote:Melvinlocker wrote:OrlDave wrote:
And Brandon Jennings got 32mpg under Skiles as a rookie. We don't know the reason Skiles didn't play Harris, but clearly Harris thinks the reason was justified and not arbitrary or he wouldn't be returning to Orlando to play under Skiles.
I'm pretty sure Skiles explained the Tobias part in an interview when he arrived here. He said something to the effect that at the time, Mike Dunleavy was the better offensive player and Luc Mbah a Moute was the better defender. I also want to say that tobias had been injured in training camp that year as well (can't confirm that).
As far as minutes go, I think Mario is going to end up competing with Moe Harkless for the backup up small forward minutes. I think Watson and Fournier have the backup guard minutes on lockdown. A feature role will come Mario's way as he progresses and acclimates to the NBA (I understand he was a pro, but transitioning to the NBA is still an adjustment).
I don't see Watson taking much mins at the 2 spot unles we're facing some weird combination of players on the other end. Mario(or Evan as you stated) seems like the better fit at the 2 for either Elf/Dipo. That 1/2 line up seems better than rolling out Elf/Watson or Dipo/Watson don't you think? It's ok if you disagree but IMO getting Mario as much burn as we're able to seems like the better short and long term course of action.
I don't see Watson taking the back up SG minutes, I think Fournier will do that instead. I think some people forget that he was a very productive starter level player on an NBA team last year until he was injured. He's also just 22 years old so he still has a great deal of room to improve as a player if he puts in the time. Those SG minutes will be hard to come by between Vic and Fournier.
Obviously Tobias or Aaron will be taking up a significant amount of the "SF" minutes, but there should be some leftovers for about 18-20 minutes a game for some player. I see Moe and Hezonja as the primary candidates for those minutes and I think Hezonja will eventually earn those minutes. However, I'm not so sure it's an absolute guarantee that he gets those minutes. Moe is a very young vet in this league who has already acclimated to playing the NBA game (has played significant starter minutes) which is a major adjustment for any rookie whether they have been a pro or not. He is probably going to be the better be defender on our team and Hezonja will more than likely be the better shooter coming in.
It's also important to remember that Moe is in a contract year and could very well come in and knock Skiles socks off. We know Skiles is the kind of guy who will play someone off of merit, not status so I think there will be real competition for these minutes.
Please don't take this as me not liking Mario as a player because I think he will be great for us. I'm just not so sure its going to be that easy for him to receive minutes coming into the season as many on this board think. Long term, I see him playing a significant role for us as long as he stays true to himself and keeps working hard (which I think he will).
