TDL Archived: The 2nd Rnd Pick Yankee Swap

[DanSchwartzgan]

Might they be able to address this internally? While I'd certainly be glad to see them add more talent, they might have ways to go even if they add no one.

C 

Bigs - Powell, Maxi Wood   (1/2 a slot to McGee)
...Swing - Maxi
Wings - Green, Reggie and THJ
...Swing - Green
Playmaker - Luka, Ky  (1/2 a slot to Hardy)

In this scenario, your 9th man minutes are split between McGee and Hardy, depending on what is needed that game. But most of the need is covered by using Maxi and Green in a way where they sop up minutes from 2 different places.

Certainly for the rest of the regular season, I hope Hardy is getting this 1/2 slot.  If you go back to January 5th, he's been playing regularly.  8 times his role was just 5-10 minutes (more of a quarter slot).  The other 8 times it has been anywhere from 12-27 minutes (mainly with people out injured).  I'd like to see him at least get an 8 minute run in the first half for the rest of the season.  I'm doubtful that will carry to the playoffs.  I'm also not trusting that the two game McGee sample size will hold.  I'd love for that to happen, just not sure it will.

Kidd did something unusual in the last game.  All season long subs have been at the six minute mark of the quarter.  Dinwiddie would sit for the back half of the first/third quarter and Luka would sit for the front half of the second/fourth quarter.  If he sticks with the 8 minute pattern (he did it in both halves), then slots end up being 40 minutes for Luka/Irving.  This probably applies to Green/Reggie as well.  He had at least one of the floor at all times against LAC.  Like DFS/Reggie in the playoffs last season, the two of them will join the 'one-on-the-floor-at-all-times' club.  Luka and Kyrie would play together for 8, separate for 4 for one and 4 for the other and play the final 8 together.  That is 40 a game.  It may not happen against San Antonio in the regular season, but probably will in playoff games.  Reggie and Green will do something similar.  You just won't be able to take those guys off the floor.

So, another way of solving the issue internally may mean 'slots' expand from 36 minutes (three six minute chunks per half) to 40 (two eight minute chunks and one four minute chunk per half).  I suspect Hardy would be squeezed out and the THJ minutes might drop (he averages 23.9 minutes per game when he comes off the bench this season).  That all works to the penny if Luka plays 100% of his minutes as the second biggest player on the court (call it PF for short hand).  That only gives Maxi about 8 of his 24 minutes as a PF with the remaining 16 as the solo big.  It is easy to imagine this.  He and Wood (together) cover the minutes where Luka sits together.  His solo-big minutes come mainly at the end of halves.

The issue is that leaves VERY limited minutes for Powell and Wood.  Powell goes back to shorter stints (he is the anti-Green.  Green's productivity skyrockets with extra minutes.  Powell's goes way up when he plays fewer minutes).  Maybe he gets 6-8 to start each half leaving Wood 20-24 per game.  None of this works out to the second.  Maybe Josh gets 36 on average instead of 40 giving a few more minutes to Powell or to lineups with Maxi/Wood together.  

I've read people say several times recently that Powell was "unplayable" in the playoffs.  That just isn't true.  He was +6.8 and +8.1 On-Court during the last two playoffs.  His On-Minus-Off has been +8.7 and +16.7.  He's impacting winning, he just needs to be managed properly to get that result.  Maxi was actually -1.4 and -8.8 On Court the last two playoff runs.  The good news is we have another option or two beyond just these guys.  The good news is McGee was a gross and net negative in last years playoffs and Wood has never sniffed the playoffs.  He may be just as 'unplayable'.  Hopefully it will come against the lesser competition of the bench and he will be just as productive and efficient on a per minute basis as he's been all season.  I think Kidd will be very cautious about 'exposing' him against starters in the playoffs.