beb0p said:
I can stomach a 40+ pts loss. What I can't stomach are fans who say, Just give the youngsters 35 mins regardless of whether they've earned it. As if they are plants and PT is water. Sorry, but players get better by practicing, not by playing in games. At this point, games are merely a gauge to what weakness they need to address and how far they're from starting. And the verdict thus far is that they're not far off, but they're not there yet.
No one is saying, give the youngsters 35 minutes a game. On certain nights, maybe, if their having a good night and making a difference out there. But what your doing is taking the issue to the extreme with the 35 minutes. Its one thing to have a philosophical approach to developing young players. Its another thing to lock yourself into it. For every HOF player you mention that worked his way into the starting lineup, I can name you one that started from the get go. Neither one of us will prove anything by doing so.
The British lost the revolutionary war because they locked themselves into fighting the same way they always fought. March in a straight line and get the hell shot out of you. Winners think outside the box. Their flexable. They adjust to the situation. They just don't do things, because this is the way its always been done.
If a rookie is as good or better than the starter, you don't sit him on the bench, because thats the way its always been done. Shaq didn't sit on the bench. Neither did Akeem or Wilt, etc. I'm not comparing Hawes and Thompson with those players. But I can compare them with Moore and Miller. To say that Hawes is stinking right now simply isn't true. As a matter of fact, in the first quarter in which he played 6 minutes, he was the best defensive player on the floor. I will agree thats not saying much, considering how badly Miller and Moore were playing.
I would bet you a dollar to a doughnut, that if you were to give Thompson 35 minutes in one game and Moore 35 minutes in another game, that Thompsons points and rebound numbers will far better than Moore's. He won't be as pretty as Moore, but the results will be better. But more than that, he'll get better. He'll learn. Your already looking at the finnished product with Moore. He's as good as he's going to get, and, Thompson is already better on pure athletic ability and some college experience.
I will agree that some players need a close reign. They come in thinking their great from the get go, and the last thing you need to do is fertilize their ego. But Hawes and Thompson are hard workers that hate to lose. They're self motivated, and harder on themselves than anyone else could be. Work with them, but give them their lead and let them run.
