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I'm noticing that the regular abuse he's getting in the paint is starting to take a major toll on his body. I know he's a team-first competitive guy, but he's been asked to do too much for too long.

Frankly, I don't think he needs more reps playing with a bunch of bums. He's got nothing to prove (for this season at least) and the team is done. There's nothing left to play for.

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I think we should be liberal with resting our key players the rest of the way (it seems like we've already started down that path with RJ and IQ).

You can't just shut a player down, but I think we should rest Scottie any time he gets mildly hurt, limit his playing time to low 30s MPG, ensure he doesn't play on B2Bs, etc. And of course, do the same for RJ and IQ. We want our guys to get more reps, but we also want to lose as many games as possible and preserve longterm player health.

Of course, we wouldn't need to do any of this if we properly protected our pick when we traded it, but we didn't.

From "Siakam/Fred are holding back Barnes" to "he has to do too much" in a matter of months.

You just can't make this stuff up LOL.

He needs the reps, clearly.

Tor_Raps wrote:From "Siakam/Fred holding back Barnes" to "he has to do too much" in a matter of months.

You just can't make this stuff up LOL.

Yes, Barnes is a really nice player, will be a perennial all-star and does have top tier level potential, but the idea that Siakam or Fred was holding him back or stifling his development was ridiculous.

canz55 wrote:I'm noticing that the regular abuse he's getting in the paint is starting to take a major toll on his body. I know he's a team-first competitive guy, but he's been asked to do too much for too long.

Frankly, I don't think he needs more reps playing with a bunch of bums. He's got nothing to prove (for this season at least) and the team is done. There's nothing left to play for.

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They shouldnt shut him down. He still needs to work on his game. But he should be limited to 31-32 mpg. Give Gradey more minutes.

Yes, let's shut down the most important player to develop for the future of this franchise...

I wouldn't shut him down, but I'd give him the night off here and there -- Same goes for IQ and RJ

The new core needs reps together. First Poeltl was injured, then Quickley missed 3 games, then Barrett did the same. Our guys have barely had any time to play together

i'd say give him the Cade treatment and throw him into the fire on offense. after a season or two he should be able to adjust to the pressure... If not then we have the 2026 draft to look forward to.

tell him to forget about the defense though (unless he wants to turn it on star matchups) Darkos defense scheme isn't worth breaking your body over.

Is he taking abuse??

Tbh, he kinda has the VC thing going where every little hit he'll act as if he's been shot then 2 seconds later he's all good.

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I think one of the things he needs in his offensive arsenal is a pet move, a go-to play that he feels supremely confident about, and which will force other teams to try and take away, from there he can build all his counters. It’s great to be as multidimensional as he is, but if you are going to be The Man..still not 100% on that, but he’s a keeper either way…you can’t be as tentative and ad-hoc all the time when you get the rock. There has to be more suddenness in his game, and that starts with some go-to plays to build off of.

Harry Palmer wrote:I think one of the things he needs in his offensive arsenal is a pet move, a go-to play that he feels supremely confident about, and which will force other teams to try and take away, from there he can build all his counters. It’s great to be as multidimensional as he is, but if you are going to be The Man..still not 100% on that, but he’s a keeper either way…you can’t be as tentative and ad-hoc all the time when you get the rock. There has to be more suddenness in his game, and that starts with some go-to plays to build off of.

the answer is always mastering the elbow jumpshot. It opens up everything inside the arc.

He doesn’t get shut down

You send him out there with a flawed roster ensuring losses while working on parts of his game at NBA level competition as the focal point of the defense so that when he plays with a proper roster next year and after another offseason of training/improving he is ready to play

Probably closer to the end of the season but considering that the team doesn't have a lot of players that can fill in roles, the young players are going to take on the minutes.

TheGeneral99 wrote:

Tor_Raps wrote:From "Siakam/Fred holding back Barnes" to "he has to do too much" in a matter of months.

You just can't make this stuff up LOL.

Yes, Barnes is a really nice player, will be a perennial all-star and does have top tier level potential, but the idea that Siakam or Fred was holding him back or stifling his development was ridiculous.

I mean, Pascal and Fred should've been the helpers for Scottie's development.

Rather Scottie was used as the helper to elevate Pascal and Fred.

Now...look who Scottie has to work with.

HangTime wrote:

TheGeneral99 wrote:

Tor_Raps wrote:From "Siakam/Fred holding back Barnes" to "he has to do too much" in a matter of months.

You just can't make this stuff up LOL.

Yes, Barnes is a really nice player, will be a perennial all-star and does have top tier level potential, but the idea that Siakam or Fred was holding him back or stifling his development was ridiculous.

I mean, Pascal and Fred should've been the helpers for Scottie's development.

Rather Scottie was used as the helper to elevate Pascal and Fred.

Now...look who Scottie has to work with.

What does that even mean, lol.

Scottie is great but his 1st two years he was more raw, his jumper wasn't as good. He benefitted from the attention guys like Pascal and Fred were getting.

Guys like Pascal, Fred and OG were still able to develop really quickly despite playing behind guys like Lowry, Derozan/Kawhi, JV/Gasol, Ibaka etc.

That being said, Scottie needs reps and time to get used to being the #1 option on a team. He's going to have some challenges and some great games and some bad games, but the experience will be good. Hopefully he develops good habits as he's going through it.

He doesn’t get shut down because after the trade deadline the team goes on a crazy run and plays themselves into the play in

Why are we shutting down a player in the middle of a season where we're trying to develop guys? He has an entire off-season to heal. If anything I'm happy to see he's going inside more and getting used to the physical toll it's taking on his body. He has been getting to the line a lot more which is a development you want to see going forward.

They're not going to shut him down, but will probably make moves here and there in game decisions that help the tank.

As someone that has been anti-tank and a member of team positive for the 10+ years I've read this board, I almost find it amusing how much a few weeks of terrible basketball has driven a large portion of posters to collectively lose their minds. You don't shut down your star player and by far the most important piece to the future success of your team because "there is nothing to play for".

Probably doesn't need to play that many minutes, but not sure why we need to shut him down. If we are tanking and he is impacting that, then perhaps, otherwise, I don't see the need.