Ice Man wrote:On another board, somebody suggested that Billy should vary Lauri's minutes depending upon how his shot is falling. That is what a good coach would do. Hmmm. Yesterday Lauri started 2-3, then went 2-8 after that. The day before he started 0-1, for the entire first half, and then went 5-6 in the second half.
Such tactics can never be done successfully, not for Lauri, not for anybody.
Yep. The more you shoot, the more comfortable you are shooting. Shooting does not have straight-line odds, just a large-sample average. Ray Allen could go 1/15 one game and still end the season #1 in 3P shooting.
The real deal with Lauri, is he needs to plug into a team where he can fit their defensive concept without dumping his energy on intense schemes. If that happens, then he's a reliable starter without the defensive headaches. Wasn't happening with Coby/Zach/Wendell, and it sure as hell isn't happening with Vucevic. Like Korver, McDermott and JJ, these guys are really no benefit to you if you're playing them 20 mpg. Their best seasons were full-time starting roles, with good 4-man defensive combinations. You need them on the floor for 30+ minutes to let them catch their hot streaks. They're not going to be all-stars (well I guess Korver snuck 1 appearance in), but they'll open up the floor.
Same thing with Coby. His 1-dimensionality poses problems. But he's clearly not suited for that irrational confidence microwave role.
Some guys like JR, Crawford and Lou were more automatic with that 20 mpg bench shooting role. But fans also appreciated their late-career versions much more than younger years. If I recall, Jamal, JR and Lou were passed around a dozen teams, if even untradeable after their big contracts. It's obviously easier for 32yo vets to play short minutes off the bench with no nerves.
