Minutes Per Game for 2009/2010 Season

[GilArenas88]

With this most recent trade, if we are not to make another major move, which could very well still be the case, I tried to see how I could best do minute distrubution among our players. This is what I got, tell me what you guys think.

Arenas(32mpg)/Javaris(12mpg)/James/Foye/Stevenson(4mpg)
Foye(20mpg)/Young(20mpg)/Stevenson/Miller/Mcguire(8mpg)
Butler(30mpg)/Miller(14mpg)/McGuire(4mpg)
Jamison(30mpg)/Blatche(15mpg)/McGuire(3mpg)
Haywood(30mpg)/McGee(13mpg)/Blatche(5mpg)

Arenas-32 mpg
Butler-30 mpg
Jamison-30 mpg
Haywood-30 mpg
Foye-between 24 and 20 mpg
Miller-between 22 and 14 mpg
Blatche-20 mpg
Young-20 mpg
McGuire-between 15 and 7 mpg
McGee-13 mpg
Javaris-12 mpg
Stevenson-anywhere from 12 mpg to a DNP
James-4 mpg or less

I gave our "Core 4" atleast 30+ minutes apiece. With our added depth I decreased the minutes played by our "Big 3". Are young talents of Foye, Blatche, Young, and veteran Miller I think will be best suited by minimum 20 mpg. Then we have another group of young, but still developing talent in McGee, McGuire, and Javaris who should recieve anywhere from 15-8 mpg. Then we have Stevenson, who depending on how he returns from an abysmal 08/09 campaign, could see anywhere up to around 12 mpg, and that could increase if he proves himself again. Mike James and whoever we draft with our 2nd round pick can be victory cigars in blowouts.

With our newly added depth our most important pieces can play less minutes, be fresher for the playoffs, and have a better chance at avoiding injuries. I did try to calculate into the mpg the fact that there will be injuries, some players will get DNPs, and that some players will play more one night then the next based on their performances, and the situation of the game.

[MJG]

If we make zero trades, I see no room in the rotation for James, Crittenton, or McGuire. On top of that, Stevenson and Young will likely have to share leftover SG minutes, with matchups likely determining who gets the lion's share of the scraps unless one manages to distinguish himself.

PG: Arenas (38), Foye (10)
SG: Foye (18), Miller (12), Young (10), Stevenson (8)
SF: Butler (34), Miller (14)
PF: Jamison (36), Blatche (12)
C: Haywood (30), McGee (12), Blatche (6)

Everyone has reduced minutes compared to what they're used to, minus Haywood, who gets a few more. I think cutting down the role players any more to squeeze in some time for one guys bumped from the main rotation has the risk of causing locker room friction. And cutting down the minutes of the big three to 30-32 is just way too extreme to be realistic in my opinion.

We really do need to make another deal to balance the roster.

[toughjuice03]

I really don't like the idea of starting Foye at SG I would rather start Miller and play him alongside Caron maybe give M&M more minutes at SG (20) rather than SF I don't really know much about Foye but I don't wanna see Critt fall off the roster I really liked the pick up last year.