Martin has a Tough Decision to Make (Long)

#1
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BruinVol

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#1
First of all I want to say this is a great dilemma to have but I do think it's one that CM will be challenged by.

I am going to list three options that CM has in dealing with Stokes. I am also going to list my opinion of the results of all three.

Option 1) Continue to play the rotation we have settled on with Stokes only playing if serious foul trouble occurs or games are out of hand.

Result: The team will continue to progress and in the short term this option will produce the best results for this team. The team chemistry will continue on its current path which from everything I can see is very good.

Option 2) Eliminate Yemi's minutes and insert Stokes into the rotation.

Results: In the short term I think the team will digress slightly mainly due to chemistry issues. I feel that the team will be resentful of Stokes in some small degree but after a short period of time the results will begin to turn in a positive fashion.

Option 3) Play Stokes as much as his body will allow and once he is in complete shape insert him into the rotation of Hall, Maymon, and Stokes with RW playing the minimal minutes.

Results) The team will take a significant step backward in the short term due to both significant chemistry issues and a lack of cohesiveness. After a long adjustment time the team will begin to flourish.

I am curious which option you think CM will take and what result you feel it will provide.
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#2
#2
Well I dont know ccm but I would honestly be surprised if it didn't go as follows...first of all there no chance in option 1 happening stokes will play. Now the way I see this playing is stokes will start out tomorrow getting probably 10-15 minutes, all of yemi's and probably a few of woolridges. After they have decided he can play a full load of minutes and as long as he is being productive his minutes will be upped to around 30 minutes a game. When this happens he will probably take most of tatums minutes and in effect Woolridge will play the 3 to replace tatum and stokes will play the 4 and maymon the 5. I really don't see this playing any other way, maybe if tatum is playing better Woolridge has his minutes cut instead of tatum but at this point Id say tatum is the one that needs to be benched.
 
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#3
#3
I think CCM puts the players out there he thinks give us the best chance of winning. He'll decide that based on practice. I think he has more experience and opportunity than any poster on here to evaluate his team. But that's just a guess.
 
#5
#5
Two: Yemi was playing only about five minutes anyway. I don't think it would hurt chemistry if Stokes got 5-10 minutes a game first couple games.
 
#8
#8
If he has the ability some of you think he has (Tobias Like) he will start the second half of the season!
 
#9
#9
PineyBluff Vol said:
If he has the ability some of you think he has (Tobias Like) he will start the second half of the season!
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If he produces like most think that he will then I would expect to see him starting within about 2 weeks. Then again ccm may bring him off the bench but give him starters minutes, only time will tell.
 
#10
#10
zjcvols said:
Two: Yemi was playing only about five minutes anyway. I don't think it would hurt chemistry if Stokes got 5-10 minutes a game first couple games.
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I expect that option 2 is what we are going to see. I would like to see CM use Stokes in this way and gradually work him into more minutes when he earns them. I think this situation is tough because CM runs the risk of hurting team chemistry which appears to be really good. Short term I expect playing Stokes will have some negative effect on the team but we all know long term its the best thing,
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#11
#11
BruinVol said:
I expect that option 2 is what we are going to see. I would like to see CM use Stokes in this way and gradually work him into more minutes when he earns them. I think this situation is tough because CM runs the risk of hurting team chemistry which appears to be really good. Short term I expect playing Stokes will have some negative effect on the team but we all know long term its the best thing,
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I really don't see how the chemistry will take this negative hit that you are talking about. It isn't as if we brought in a guy that isn't a good teammate and that has a bad attitude. The players all love this kid, he is a great kid, puts his faith in god ahead of everything, and would rather be in the gym instead of on the strip like other guys do. This is a guy who asked ccm if he could come in and watch film at 6 am before freshman orientation started, after he was up at 2am getting shots up, ccm had to tell him no get rest. I would be very surprised if this young man is not completely embraced by everyone of his teammates.
 
#12
#12
bleedingTNorange said:
I really don't see how the chemistry will take this negative hit that you are talking about. It isn't as if we brought in a guy that isn't a good teammate and that has a bad attitude. The players all love this kid, he is a great kid, puts his faith in god ahead of everything, and would rather be in the gym instead of on the strip like other guys do. This is a guy who asked ccm if he could come in and watch film at 6 am before freshman orientation started, after he was up at 2am getting shots up, ccm had to tell him no get rest. I would be very surprised if this young man is not completely embraced by everyone of his teammates.
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If CM uses option 2 I agree it won't be effected much at all but if Stokes jumps in and takes KH or RW minutes I see some finger pointing happening. That kind of finger pointing is very much human nature and happens in all walks of life when the "new guy" comes on to the scene and doesn't pay his dues. In this case Stokes can't "pay his dues" and that unfairly may cause issues. IMO
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#13
#13
Stokes will make it easy for CCM.
Martin bases playing minutes on how you practice.
There isn't a guy on the team that will out work or out perform Stokes in practice.
That rules out any chemistry problems.
Stokes will earn his minutes and be played sparingly at the 4 and 5 starting out.
This guy eats, drinks, breathes, even dreams BASKETBALL!
 
#14
#14
calban said:
Stokes will make it easy for CCM.
Martin bases playing minutes on how you practice.
There isn't a guy on the team that will out work or out perform Stokes in practice.
That rules out any chemistry problems.
Stokes will earn his minutes and be played sparingly at the 4 and 5 starting out.
This guy eats, drinks, breathes, even dreams BASKETBALL!
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Exactly this isn't a pearl team where he plays favorites no matter what. If stokes takes someone's minutes, and I see that person being tatum, then they can only blame themselves. As said above, stokes will outwork and out play whoevers minutes he takes and the whole team will be at practice to see why. There will e no chemistry issue or rifts between teammates, you can't get mad at someone for out working you in practice.
 
#15
#15
Stokes will play about 5 minutes in each half. Will only get more if he is doing something really positive for the team. Just my thoughts.
 
#16
#16
Option 1, play Stokes as much as you can and make the ball go through him on every possession. Sit whomever isn't cutting it.

Options 2+, see option 1.
 
#17
#17
bleedingTNorange said:
Exactly this isn't a pearl team where he plays favorites no matter what. If stokes takes someone's minutes, and I see that person being tatum, then they can only blame themselves. As said above, stokes will outwork and out play whoevers minutes he takes and the whole team will be at practice to see why. There will e no chemistry issue or rifts between teammates, you can't get mad at someone for out working you in practice.
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Tatums's minutes?

Does he have the skill set to play the 3?

I was under the impression he was a 4 or 5 for sure.
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#19
#19
yoranguavol2 said:
he was saying that swiper boy would slide over into Tatum's spot at the 3.
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Got you. If that happens then we take a big step backwards. RW has finally settled into a contributing role and changing that now wouldn't end u well IMO.
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#20
#20
I'd love Option 3 but I'm shooting more for Option 2. Yemi is average coming off the bench and doesn't play that much anyways. He has potential, hasn't played organized basketball long and doesn't have a very high IQ when it comes to recognizing things so I think it would be better for him and the team to let him soak it all in and become better.
 
#21
#21
Shaun1985 said:
I'd love Option 3 but I'm shooting more for Option 2. Yemi is average coming off the bench and doesn't play that much anyways. He has potential, hasn't played organized basketball long and doesn't have a very high IQ when it comes to recognizing things so I think it would be better for him and the team to let him soak it all in and become better.
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I agree. The more I think about it here's what I think will happen.

1game of option 1 (miss state)

Followed by 6 games of option 2

Then Option 3 for the remainder of the year.
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#22
#22
volmaniac5674 said:
Stokes will play about 5 minutes in each half. Will only get more if he is doing something really positive for the team. Just my thoughts.
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That is probably about spot on maybe a few more in the second have but that's about what I expect, unless as you said he is doing something great!

Here's to hoping!
 
#24
#24
BruinVol said:
Got you. If that happens then we take a big step backwards. RW has finally settled into a contributing role and changing that now wouldn't end u well IMO.
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Your not taking away RW minutes, if anything your giving him more. In tho situation the person losing minutes is tatum, which is more than fine with me. Here's your rotation:

Golden/Richardson
Richardson/McRae
Woolridge/tatum
Stokes/maymon
Maymon/hall

All you are doing is taking away tatum's minutes putting RW there and giving stokes the PF position.
 
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