Bench minutes in the second half

#26
#26
If I was Barnes this week, I'd use the bench heavily at Kentucky so that the starting 5 will be well rested for Auburn and they can go 35-40 minutes each like they did versus Florida. Maybe play the starting 5 a little more if TN is within striking distance in the 2nd half. But I'd throw ORN, Gaines, Uros, and Pember out there for a lot of minutes to get them oriented with the hostilities at Rupp. Basically I'd throw in the towel pretty early unless TN has a reasonable opportunity to steal a win. Rest the starting 5 for Barn and let the young uns experience an intimidating environment.
 
#27
#27
Sometimes the rhythm of a player overturns a players fatigue, and you don’t want to mess it up with someone who might not contribute. We really have a young team.

Our best lineup is:
Vescovi G (fresh)
Bowden G (sr)
JJJ G (fresh)
Pons F ( Jr)
Fulky F (R-Jr)
——
6th man? Johnson G (R-Jr)
Or
6th man? Gaines G (Fresh)
Nkamhoua F (fresh)
Uros F/C (R-fresh)
Pember F/C ( fresh)
 
#28
#28
Thunder Good-Oil said:
If I was Barnes this week, I'd use the bench heavily at Kentucky so that the starting 5 will be well rested for Auburn and they can go 35-40 minutes each like they did versus Florida. Maybe play the starting 5 a little more if TN is within striking distance in the 2nd half. But I'd throw ORN, Gaines, Uros, and Pember out there for a lot of minutes to get them oriented with the hostilities at Rupp. Basically I'd throw in the towel pretty early unless TN has a reasonable opportunity to steal a win. Rest the starting 5 for Barn and let the young uns experience an intimidating environment.
Click to expand...
I feel like you already suspect we aren’t going to win? 😂
 
#30
#30
Thunder Good-Oil said:
I'm leaning that way. They handled TN in Knoxville pretty easily. I'd go all in on Auburn. Bruce's reign of terror needs to end.
Click to expand...
KY will face a different lineup than last time.
JJJ didn’t play at all and Gaines didn’t play much. We relied on Johnson too much. I think we pull a shocker and beat them by 6
 
  • Like
Reactions: iBleedOrangeWhite and PulaskiVolFan
#31
#31
ColinS said:
Wrong. You must have missed the first half of the last several games. Im not talking about using them 10 minutes a half or at the end of the game but you have to give your starters a little bit of rest here and there.
Click to expand...
Well, that seems to be what we have been saying. We need a stronger bench. We know that only a very few players can play 40 minutes every game and not lose their legs. That is the point that has been made. One also has to realie that we have a young team and there is not very much experience on the bench. Some of the non-starters may turn out to be very good players with the coming off-season. The problem remains that we are not getting adequate play from the bench. Yesterday, it was pointed out late in the game, that neither team has scored a point from the bench. I have not seen the final numbers, but if you get no points from the bench, you will not win very many games against good teams.
 
#32
#32
It's crazy about Ganes scoring ability. I think he just needs to get stronger. He had a 50 point game in highschool, and I know some AAU coaches who played against him and they said he would knock down threes and was always finishing on the break. Maybe with a year in the weight room he can be an impact player off the bench. His hustle and D are contagious on the court.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cncchris33 and PulaskiVolFan
#33
#33
Warriorvol said:
It's crazy about Ganes scoring ability. I think he just needs to get stronger. He had a 50 point game in highschool, and I know some AAU coaches who played against him and they said he would knock down threes and was always finishing on the break. Maybe with a year in the weight room he can be an impact player off the bench. His hustle and D are contagious on the court.
Click to expand...

He has great hustle and I think he will eventually learn how to translate his game. I like his potential. Might take until his Junior year to really break out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cncchris33
#35
#35
ColinS said:
Not using our bench in the second half of games is killing us. Barnes is wearing his own players out. Fulkerson is gassed and missing free throws.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately Barnes doesn’t trust his bench much. When tempo is slower he thinks he can ride the starters with more minutes. Auburn presses and pushes tempo, thus he likely will need to use more bench. Can’t really say that I blame him. I trust Gaines for defensive purposes and due to his effort. Nkamhoua is a body and Fulkerson needs some rest, so I think he should get more minutes. Every third game Johnson contributes, but frankly isn’t offering as much as a junior should. Plavsic is a long term project, but can’t defend or rebound well...we have seen enough to know this. Is what it is.
 
#36
#36
cncchris33 said:
I don't think it is Barnes' ideal gameplan to run our starters to death. He just realizes there is a significant talent gap and/or experience and readiness gap between the starters and the majority of th bench. He had typically played 8-9 guys with regularity.

We have more guys averaging double digit minutes this year than either of the previous two years, but we have 6 guys averaging over 29 mpg. Last year, we had 4. The year before, we had 0. He just can't trust much outside of the starters in crunch time, unfortunately.
Click to expand...

I mean maybe but he continuously played starters up 20+ late in games last year too. I remember multiple times people bringing that up.
 
#37
#37
cncchris33 said:
I think the fatigue caught up to them @AU and @Arky. That said, he doesn't have a lot of good options on the bench, right now. He pretty much has to ride or die with the starters if he can afford to.

Take one of those guys out and replace them with ON, Plavsic, or Pember, and then we get to hear all about why Barnes would insert those guys into the game when the starters were building such a lead. Gaines, and to an extent, Johnson, are the only guys off the bench worth a darn, right now. Not sure why Gaines played so little, today.
Click to expand...
I poi Ted this out a few weeks ago and was poopooed. We have 5 guys averaging almost 30 mins a game and mostly young guys at that. You can see the minutes adding up especially guys like Vescovi (not fully physically ready for div1 ball), JJJ coming off injuries and Fulkerson who's punching well above his weight. Pons and Bowden seem mostly unaffected but both are veterans. I know Fulky is too but he's giving up 30-40 pounds night in night out.

Realistically we were expecting Turner to be our starting point and Plasvic to contribute...something. of this team had Turner starting and Vescovi or JJJ as 6th man and Plasvic coming in as the 6th and 7th options it changes the whole complexion of the team. All our bench guys suffer from one simple problems...none of them are point guards or centers. Our whole bench is mostly tweener wings, 2 places we are totally set on. Our two leading rebounders both weight as much as the average NBA POINT GUARD. The good news is helps coming and we will have a deep bench next season. Im just praying we make the NIT these guys need all the game exp they can get.
 
#38
#38
zjcvols said:
I mean maybe but he continuously played starters up 20+ late in games last year too. I remember multiple times people bringing that up.
Click to expand...
Yes, I remember it, as well, but they were all upperclassmen, which I think makes a difference. The significance of which, I suppose, is debatable.

We currently have 2 freshmen averaging 30+ mpg. Neither of which were around and/or available for significant portions of preseason practice and conditioning, no less. Just 2 months ago, Barnes was talking about redshirting Vescovi. Now, he is #3 in minutes/gm.

Last year, we had 4 guys averaging 30+ mpg, but they were all juniors and seniors. Guys that had been conditioning for that kind of workload for 3 or 4 years. Bone, Turner, and Admiral had a Jordan Bowden to spell them. Vescovi, Bowden, and James have Jalen Johnson and Davonte Gaines. The dropoff is talent and experience is much sharper.
 
  • Like
Reactions: PulaskiVolFan
#39
#39
Barnes explained time out policy and limited subs in the Florida game in his Monday presser. give it a listen.
 
#41
#41
Thunder Good-Oil said:
If I was Barnes this week, I'd use the bench heavily at Kentucky so that the starting 5 will be well rested for Auburn and they can go 35-40 minutes each like they did versus Florida. Maybe play the starting 5 a little more if TN is within striking distance in the 2nd half. But I'd throw ORN, Gaines, Uros, and Pember out there for a lot of minutes to get them oriented with the hostilities at Rupp. Basically I'd throw in the towel pretty early unless TN has a reasonable opportunity to steal a win. Rest the starting 5 for Barn and let the young uns experience an intimidating environment.
Click to expand...

And this is why I became a CPA instead of a coach.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VolNExile
#42
#42
Thunder Good-Oil said:
And this is why I became a CPA instead of a coach.
Click to expand...
Well, in fairness to you, it was only out of hand for a couple minutes and then we cut it to 10 or less. Hard to give up on a game like that as a coach.

I wonder how many teams have both blown a 2nd half, 17-pt lead on the road and lost, and also overcome a 2nd half 17-pt lead on the road to win in the same season?
 
#43
#43
Speaking of the bench, did Olivier or Pember play last night? Jalen came through like a champ. Uros managed to get in a hit or two.
 
#44
#44
Thunder Good-Oil said:
If I was Barnes this week, I'd use the bench heavily at Kentucky so that the starting 5 will be well rested for Auburn and they can go 35-40 minutes each like they did versus Florida. Maybe play the starting 5 a little more if TN is within striking distance in the 2nd half. But I'd throw ORN, Gaines, Uros, and Pember out there for a lot of minutes to get them oriented with the hostilities at Rupp. Basically I'd throw in the towel pretty early unless TN has a reasonable opportunity to steal a win. Rest the starting 5 for Barn and let the young uns experience an intimidating environment.
Click to expand...
We got 3 bench players for 24 minutes total & 8 points 2 rebounds. The game being on Tuesday gives the starters a day extra before Auburn at noon Saturday. Hopefully that don’t come out flat.
 

Attachments

  • 46C345C6-334D-421C-A122-6F7AEFBE5E14.png
    46C345C6-334D-421C-A122-6F7AEFBE5E14.png
    128.9 KB · Views: 6
  • Like
Reactions: Thunder Good-Oil
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top