Josh Hart and KAT call out the Minutes Police!

[Chanel Bomber]

Players want to play, that's how they're wired.

That's why you need sober minds in the organization to manage their minutes.

It should be the coach, but ours plays basketball vicariously through his players, and he gets lost in the meat grinder as if he were wearing a headband and Patrick Ewing knee pads.

We have a good-to-great basketball coach, but also a mad general.

The front office should've put guardrails around the minutes management a while ago. Players who love basketball will play even at their own cost.

[Kampuchea]

NWA has a message for the minutes police

[Kampuchea]

When we get to the playoffs we will have built up the stamina where playoff minutes will be easier for our players. When these other teams up their minutes against us and are gassed, going to hear crickets from the minutes police.

[Chanel Bomber]

Minutes police: Thibs needs to play the bench!

The Bench:

Our bench sucks, and I don't expect them to develop into some productive unit by just giving them playing time.

But they should be splitting 12 additional minutes to manage the playing time of our key players, especially those who have a track record of injury, starting with OG and KAT.

It may cost a couple games but I think you still have to keep eyes on the prize and plan for the medium to long term.

Just cutting into OG's playing time by 3 minutes removes 7 (rounded up from 6.7) games from his season. It's a meaningful difference on the whole, even if it looks insignificant at first glance.

[DOT]

Coach Thibodeau hasn’t used the second unit as much as I expected. Jimmy, Karl and Andrew are not only leading the NBA in minutes, they’re also running the floor a ton. Among all NBA players, Andrew ranks first in total minutes (1,628), Karl ranks second (1,607) and Jimmy ranks third (1,580). When you look at the total miles run, Jimmy is fourth in the NBA (111.9), Karl is fifth (108.9) and Andrew is sixth (107.9). I feel like playing the bench more would allow you guys on the second unit to contribute more, while also helping the starters stay fresh. Has that been a discussion that’s taken place with Coach behind the scene? How do you handle that?

Jamal Crawford: We haven’t really talked about it much, to be honest with you. As a professional, your job is just to stay ready. Any competitor wants to be out there playing, but we just have to go with the flow, try to make the starters as good as possible and do our best to help the team whenever we are out there. For us [on the second unit], we just try to help each other collectively and help make the team better. That’s all we can really do: be ready when our number is called.

https://hoopshype.com/2018/01/15/jamal-crawford-on-the-wolves-success-tom-thibodeaus-minute-distribution-jimmy-butlers-dominance-lavar-ball-and-more/



Minutes police have a case that would land this man in Guantanamo if it went to trial.

https://www.nba.com/stats/players/speed-distance?PerMode=Totals&dir=D&sort=DIST_MILES

Mikal and Hart are 1 and 2 this season for total miles

Brunson and OG are 5 and 6.

[Jalen Bluntson]

When we get to the playoffs we will have built up the stamina where playoff minutes will be easier for our players. When these other teams up their minutes against us and are gassed, going to hear crickets from the minutes police.

You ramp up minutes the back half of the season.

Wear and tear" refers to the gradual damage or loss of function that occurs over time due to normal use. It can apply to physical objects, equipment, and even the human body.

[JBreezeNY]

If this is the answer they’re giving then fu*k em.

When both get ACL tears because they love Thibs play style so much then whatever. Players don’t wanna save themselves and Thibs can’t even save himself from himself. All this means is we just need to be louder about the minutes, this is just Stockholm Syndrome they don’t know any better.

[JBreezeNY]

When we get to the playoffs we will have built up the stamina where playoff minutes will be easier for our players. When these other teams up their minutes against us and are gassed, going to hear crickets from the minutes police.

This nonsense been debunked already.

[mpharris36]

The Nova guys are used to it. Jay Wright basically played a 6 man rotation.

KAT I think is being political, but at the end of the day, these guys are vets and should also know how to manage their bodies.

fair its one thing to do this to 18-20 year olds (they also play what 30-40 games at max during a season) ...its another thing to do it in the NBA where the game is much more physical and the guys are older.

they are never playing back to back or 3 games in 4 nights in college easier...much easier to maintain a shorter rotation because its not a grueling schedule.

[MrDollarBills]

Would anyone expect them to say otherwise?

Nope. This is what they should say. Frankly you'd be hard pressed to find any pro that wouldn't want to play all 48 minutes of a game if they physically could. I have no issue with what either guy said.

But just because Tom has guys who want to play 40+ mins doesn't mean he should do it. Playoffs in April, May, June? Sure. But January 9th? This horse race isn't settled in January.

[GONYK]

The Nova guys are used to it. Jay Wright basically played a 6 man rotation.

KAT I think is being political, but at the end of the day, these guys are vets and should also know how to manage their bodies.

fair its one thing to do this to 18-20 year olds (they also play what 30-40 games at max during a season) ...its another thing to do it in the NBA where the game is much more physical and the guys are older.

they are never playing back to back or 3 games in 4 nights in college easier...much easier to maintain a shorter rotation because its not a grueling schedule.

Not saying Thibs is right or wrong. Just saying that I'm not surprised that the Nova guys are saying its fine.

Ideally, they would all play less mins, but the bench is weak and Thibs swears they get rest in other ways.

We've seen some games where a few of them look a step slow but I also don't know what the magic number is that keeps everyone healthy.

[Gravy]

Minutes police: Thibs needs to play the bench!

The Bench:

Our bench sucks, and I don't expect them to develop into some productive unit by just giving them playing time.

But they should be splitting 12 additional minutes to manage the playing time of our key players, especially those who have a track record of injury, starting with OG and KAT.

It may cost a couple games but I think you still have to keep eyes on the prize and plan for the medium to long term.

Just cutting into OG's playing time by 3 minutes removes 7 (rounded up from 6.7) games from his season. It's a meaningful difference on the whole, even if it looks insignificant at first glance.

You say it may cost a couple games, what is the lowest playoff spot you would be comfortable going down to, to give OG three more minutes of rest?

[mpharris36]

The Nova guys are used to it. Jay Wright basically played a 6 man rotation.

KAT I think is being political, but at the end of the day, these guys are vets and should also know how to manage their bodies.

fair its one thing to do this to 18-20 year olds (they also play what 30-40 games at max during a season) ...its another thing to do it in the NBA where the game is much more physical and the guys are older.

they are never playing back to back or 3 games in 4 nights in college easier...much easier to maintain a shorter rotation because its not a grueling schedule.

Not saying Thibs is right or wrong. Just saying that I'm not surprised that the Nova guys are saying its fine.

Ideally, they would all play less mins, but the bench is weak and Thibs swears they get rest in other ways.

We've seen some games where a few of them look a step slow but I also don't know what the magic number is that keeps everyone healthy.

all fair...Hart is a warrior...Mikal is an iron man as well.

If anything I'm more talking about OG and KAT...they are so important to our success and they haven't been a model of health in there past...those are the guys I would really talk about managing the minutes better.

We know Hart and Mikal are playing a ton. They for the most part seem to be able to handle it ok.

[Fat Kat]

Minutes police: Thibs needs to play the bench!

The Bench:

[DOT]

I just think it's wild people are rooting for half the team to suck for their narratives

Like, normal fans of good teams celebrate their scrubs and root for them to do well and develop, but I guess not everybody is wired that way.

[MrDollarBills]

Minutes police: Thibs needs to play the bench!

The Bench:

Our bench sucks, and I don't expect them to develop into some productive unit by just giving them playing time.

But they should be splitting 12 additional minutes to manage the playing time of our key players, especially those who have a track record of injury, starting with OG and KAT.

It may cost a couple games but I think you still have to keep eyes on the prize and plan for the medium to long term.

Just cutting into OG's playing time by 3 minutes removes 7 (rounded up from 6.7) games from his season. It's a meaningful difference on the whole, even if it looks insignificant at first glance.

You say it may cost a couple games, what is the lowest playoff spot you would be comfortable going down to, to give OG three more minutes of rest?

If Tom has to play OG 40 minutes a night to maintain a top 3 seed in the East, then that is a serious problem.

[GONYK]

fair its one thing to do this to 18-20 year olds (they also play what 30-40 games at max during a season) ...its another thing to do it in the NBA where the game is much more physical and the guys are older.

they are never playing back to back or 3 games in 4 nights in college easier...much easier to maintain a shorter rotation because its not a grueling schedule.

Not saying Thibs is right or wrong. Just saying that I'm not surprised that the Nova guys are saying its fine.

Ideally, they would all play less mins, but the bench is weak and Thibs swears they get rest in other ways.

We've seen some games where a few of them look a step slow but I also don't know what the magic number is that keeps everyone healthy.

all fair...Hart is a warrior...Mikal is an iron man as well.

If anything I'm more talking about OG and KAT...they are so important to our success and they haven't been a model of health in there past...those are the guys I would really talk about managing the minutes better.

We know Hart and Mikal are playing a ton. They for the most part seem to be able to handle it ok.

Yea, OG is the big one for me. I would cheat a few mins from Dadiet if I could, but I'm not sure what the plan is for him. I really wanted Ryan Dunn in the draft just because he'd be able to buy 12 mins a game for OG, but I know the financials really prevented that possibility.

Either way, I think if we had one more wing with size off the bench, the rotation would make way more sense. I will eternally be pissed that the Mavs blatantly tanked and cost us the pick that would have been Cam Whitmore.

[JayTWill]

When isn't Josh disagreeing with something?

[Gravy]

Our bench sucks, and I don't expect them to develop into some productive unit by just giving them playing time.

But they should be splitting 12 additional minutes to manage the playing time of our key players, especially those who have a track record of injury, starting with OG and KAT.

It may cost a couple games but I think you still have to keep eyes on the prize and plan for the medium to long term.

Just cutting into OG's playing time by 3 minutes removes 7 (rounded up from 6.7) games from his season. It's a meaningful difference on the whole, even if it looks insignificant at first glance.

You say it may cost a couple games, what is the lowest playoff spot you would be comfortable going down to, to give OG three more minutes of rest?

If Tom has to play OG 40 minutes a night to maintain a top 3 seed in the East, then that is a serious problem.

I agree, it would be nice if we had solid bench players to give him more rest.

[Spree2Houston]

When we get to the playoffs we will have built up the stamina where playoff minutes will be easier for our players. When these other teams up their minutes against us and are gassed, going to hear crickets from the minutes police.

Our guys won’t make it healthy to the playoffs