Paxson wants 30+ minutes a night for young guys?

[dougthonus]

I forgot to post this (and didn't see it elsewhere), but when I was driving home from the Knicks game I was listening to the post game show with Steve Cashell (sp?).

He said he had a lengthy interview with Paxson, and paraphrasing as to the best of my memory of Cashell's recap of the interview (you didn't actually hear paxson at this point though maybe he was on the pregame I'm not sure):

Cashell: What about playing the young guys?

Paxson: We're going to give this a little time to get on track, but if it's not going to happen we're going to definitely play them heavily.

Cashell: So we can expect them to play 20 minutes a night if the ship isn't righted soon?

Paxson: More like 30 minutes a night.

Now I'm not sure (2 days later) of the exact quotes, and I didn't hear Paxson himself, but just a recap of what he had said to Cashell in some interview, but I took 2 things away from this at the time:

The first was that Paxson was fairly impatient about the team improving, and that the window to right the ship was very small. I'm not sure exactly how it was phrased to make me think that, but it was definitely phrased in a way to give that impression.

The second was just the thing about 30 minute a night. :o I'd love to see that.

[Cliff Levingston]

Let's hope he truly means it.

If we start playing Thomas and Noah 30 minutes a night, it'll mean that Wallace won't get his 35+ and will become a major distraction. But, so be it.

[bre9]

Playing the young guys 30 minutes a night expect a lot of losses. Thabo, Tyrus, Noah, and Gray are not good of rookies like Deng, Nocioni, Duhon, and Gordon were those guys were nba ready.

[House]

Awesome news! Top 5 pick here we come...

[Magilla_Gorilla]

I really think that if this team doesn't right the ship, immediately, that the youngins are going to get court time and the vets are going to be involved in some serious trade discussions.


Or maybe thats just wishful thinking on my part.

[Chi town]

Wallace can watch the young guns play and learn to deal with it.

If the Bulls don't go at least 10-5 in their next 15 games I think you will a trade and the young guys shipped out or playing sig. mins.

The best Pax could probably do is trading Wallace and Gordon for a star and then playing the young guys big mins.

We will see some very interesting developments if wins don't start coming.

[Wingy]

Doug, KC's recent article backs up your memory.

This seems like the first encouraging things we've heard in awhile. Let's hope it gets executed one way or the other.

[Cliff Levingston]

Playing the young guys 30 minutes a night expect a lot of losses. Thabo, Tyrus, Noah, and Gray are not good of rookies like Deng, Nocioni, Duhon, and Gordon were those guys were nba ready.

Revisionist history at it's best right here.

- Ben Gordon was (and still is) a tweener who's only "NBA ready" skill was shooting.
- Deng was a 19 year old tweener who has a lot of questions swirling around him about whether or not he could play the small forward position.

Sure they played well but it's not like there weren't concerns about them as rookies, just like there's concerns about Thomas/Gray/Noah/Thabo right now.

Duhon and Nocioni were pretty NBA ready even though Nocioni was wildly out of control as a rookie.

[Ralphb07]

Before the young guys play, there are some trades that need to be made. Theres no way we can get them 30mins with the current roster. If paxson doesnt think we can get the ship right, he must make a trade, For a really good SG. Trade Gordon,Noc and Smith and get what you can. Maybe Tmac or Redd.

Hinrich, Deng and Wallace stay. I know you all hate Wallace but if we get rid of Noc and Smith theres Noah and Tyrus mins. I really like Smith and would rather keep him, but we dont live in a perfect world.

Paxson take your stance, if you want the young guys to play, make a damn TRADE to enable that.

[Three34]

I am sad at the prospect of Joe Smith's smiling arse sitting on the bench.

Ben Wallace's scowling arse is a different story.

[fudgie]

Hopefully this is true and it happens soon. My guess is that if we're not at .500 by the halfway point of the season we'll go all in with the young guys.

I completely agree with this and have already said that I'm ready to live and die with them. It's painfully obvious that Smith and Wallace are not in our long term plans. Ideally Wallace gets about 20 minutes (you've got to give him something or he'll raise hell) and Smith about 10. I'd feel a little bad about cutting Smith's minutes because he's performed quite well but it has to be done. He could be moved in the offseason to a contender and we might be able to get a decent return.

If Du keeps performing as he has I'd like to see Thabo get a shot at starting. This has been discussed before and as long as Du is playing like crap I don't see a down side to playing Thabo. If Kirk doesn't turn his game around I'd even be open to trying a Gordon-Thabo starting backcourt.

Noc's minutes are a wild card. I'm not sure what we should do with him if we go with the young guys.

Let's hope this is true and it's not just Pax or Cashell blowing smoke up our ass.

[mr.ankle]

-= original quote snipped =-


Revisionist history at it's best right here.

- Ben Gordon was (and still is) a tweener who's only "NBA ready" skill was shooting.
- Deng was a 19 year old tweener who has a lot of questions swirling around him about whether or not he could play the small forward position.

Sure they played well but it's not like there weren't concerns about them as rookies, just like there's concerns about Thomas/Gray/Noah/Thabo right now.

Duhon and Nocioni were pretty NBA ready even though Nocioni was wildly out of control as a rookie.

Nocioni still plays out of control on offense

[mr.ankle]

If he wants the young guys to play 30 minutes a game that means a trade is on the horizon or he is tanking

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Doug has given me hope.

[BULLHITTER]

while you may see the young'uns a lot more, it's important to recognize that until any of them are traded, hinrich, gordon and deng are central to the bulls fate this season and beyond. tanking, fwiw, isn't going to be considered, covertly or otherwise.

all of the youngs are complimentary players, and will be subject to the success of hinrich's play (in particular because of the pg position), deng (he's option 1 or 1a on offense) and gordon (he's the team's best scorer). gray might seem the most logical fit, cause he provides what the team doesn't have, but until he can play at the same speed as everyone else, he'll be limited minutes wise due to excessive fouling. thomas and noah will do their thing, but neither are players who's offense is their focal point at this time.

therefore, if those guys play well i don't necessarily believe the bulls will be a "top 5" lotto pick. they will underachieve badly, but only because the expectations were set so high. gordon wants a contract, it's difficult to determine how he'll approach such a philosophy.

re: wallace; as disgruntled as he may become, he's painted himself into a corner by his play. if the bulls can't move him, and he stains himself, it doesn't bode well on being able to be moved; i think he'll play the quiet warrior and let the bulls do what they will with him. paxson's the kind of guy who'll go to ben and state his appreciativeness for his play (yes, he'll be PC) but then go on to move him in a deal that's probably going to be viewed as a "bull lose" type of trade based on the rest of the league seeing how ben "didn't work out" in chicago, and give pennies on the dollar for ben and whomever else.

bottom line, even if the youngs do play, they won't be as bad as some seem to think if any of the "core" remain post ASB.

[ptpablo]

I think the Bulls would win more games if they played these yougens serious minutes. It is way past time to play Noah and TT big minutes. Every attempt I have to distribute minutes in a way that plays the young ones, Noc keeps mucking it up. He needs to be turned into a 2/3. I know I am preaching to the choir. If BW does not like sitting... who cares.

[Ralphb07]

Also, just because he said the young guys will play, I don't think he meant every one. Wallace will man the Center spot for his 30mins a night. Lets not think Wallace will be sitting. It's the PF spot with Noc and Smith that mins will drop for.

At this point I'm ok with anything, just dont want to see Noc and Smith sitting the bench, trade them and Gordon for the SG we need.


This team really is pathetic, Paxson is really starting to annoy me!

[richard]

i hope that also means duhon gets dnp's while sefolosha plays.

[bre9]

I want to see Tyrus get big minutes for every game just to see if he's nba ready which I don't think he is. His jumper are weak he don't have a back to the basket game. He can only dunk when open. We could have had Aldridge instead that guy is nba ready, i don't care if it took him a year he playing really well now.

As far as trades go I think Pax should try that Hinrich and Wallace for Hughes and Gooden trade. Works out fine for us. Kirk and Wallace have been the most dissapointing this season.

[coldfish]

I think the people wanting the Bulls to tank and / or expecting losses in regards to playing the young people will be sorely disappointed when they get to see the results of 30mpg of Noah.