Snidely FC wrote:This is well said by Bradford Doolittle, and points to the frustration some of us on this board feel about the end of the CHA bench:Miami's Hassan Whiteside is in the spotlight, and deservedly so. He's having one of those Roy Hobbs-like impacts on the Heat, coming from nowhere to post by far the highest block percentage of any player ever with at least 250 minutes in a season. The Heat deserve a lot of credit for using the end of their roster and the D-League creatively, and there are team-building lessons to be learned from Whiteside's success. While it's not like there's a hidden collection of Whitesides out there for everyone to discover, teams can be dense when it comes to the end of their rosters. Too often, they'll give fungible roster spots to veterans that have no impact but are players their coaches feel comfortable with. There's an unfortunate opportunity cost in operating that way: You lose the possibility of uncovering a Whiteside.
A good example is that of Milwaukee's recent signing of Kenyon Martin, ostensibly to be a voice on the practice floor. Not only did the move cost the Bucks second-year point guard Nate Wolters, who would be useful now that Kendall Marshall is gone for the season, but the short-handed Bucks actually have a need for big bodies to use in games. Martin has played 35 minutes in seven games, posting an individual winning percentage of just .205. If Milwaukee really needed another big man, wouldn't a young D-Leaguer with upside have made more sense for a team that is having a terrific season but is still in building mode? Try one on a 10-day deal. If he doesn't work, try another.
And so on.
A perfect fit would have been JaMychal Green, who's now on a 10-day contract in San Antonio. Green was one of the league's breakout players during preseason, but the Spurs couldn't accommodate him on their roster. So they sent him to their D-League affiliate in Austin in hopes he'd still be around when needed. Everyone knew the Spurs loved him, and you'd think that would carry some weight. And Green was great in the D-League, averaging 23 points, 10 boards and shooting over 58 percent. Maybe Green wouldn't have had a Whiteside-like impact in Milwaukee, but then again, maybe he would have. We know Martin won't. Opportunity lost.
Couldn't have said it better. The way I feel when I'm being treated to Maxiell and Neal's "comfortable" blend of professionalism and experience.
