MU's guards, status quo edition

[wadesworld]

I see your point but I didn't particularly mean he plays the guys he "likes" more. On the contrary, I think your Heldt example shows that he doesn't let his love/admiration for a particular player affect his decision making with regards to minutes played (you could argue for good or bad on a case by case basis).

I more-so meant that I think he locks into a thought/feeling about the quality of a player and then said player gets more slack than others who are more of a work-in-progress. It seems that the guys that are higher rated and should be better get that slight preference because, and I assume here, in his mind he's thinking "this guy is bound to figure it out and become who I think he can become."

Don't crush me on the complete conjecture, and overall he does a nice job allocating the minutes, but my main point is that he really wanted Koby to work last yr and he force fed him at the 1 spot, which didn't do him any favors in the fans eyes

Yes.  When a lesser player makes one mistake Wojo sometimes handles it differently than when a star player makes the same mistake.

That is how sports are at every level.  If Markus takes a contested 3 pointer early in the shot clock he will not get pulled.  If Theo takes a contested 3 pointer early in the shot clock he will get pulled.

I'm guessing just about any coach in the country would handle that the same.

[Lennys Tap]

It was a perfectly good example, Lenny.

If Wojo only played Heldt over Luke because he "loved Heldt like no other," it's funny that Wojo played Heldt about 10 seconds a game when Heldt was a senior.

Had he lost his love for Heldt? Not at all. In fact, he wept describing Matt's contributions on Senior Day ... even though Matt made almost no contributions that entire season ... because Wojo didn't play him hardly at all ... because coaches want to win.

Wojo will not play Koby "just because." He'll play Koby because he thinks doing so gives the team the best chance to win. It's what coaches do.

Wojo sat an inherited player who was a starter for a very limited player who was his favorite and to you this is a perfect example of not showing favoritism? Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying Wojo did it because of his bias towards Matt/against Luke. Who knows? Just saying that picking your favorite in a close call is not an example (perfect or otherwise) of proving you don't favor your favorites. Sounds like logic your pal in Washington might use.

Had you originally used Wojo SITTING a very limited
player (Heldt) that he loved for a couple of newcomers your point would have at the very least supported your thesis instead of contradicting it.

[The Sultan]

Wojo sat an inherited player who was a starter for a very limited player who was his favorite and to you this is a perfect example of not showing favoritism? Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying Wojo did it because of his bias towards Matt/against Luke. Who knows? Just saying that picking your favorite in a close call is not an example (perfect or otherwise) of proving you don't favor your favorites. Sounds like logic your pal in Washington might use.

Had you originally used Wojo SITTING a very limited
player (Heldt) that he loved for a couple of newcomers your point would have at the very least supported your thesis instead of contradicting it.

FFS Lenny.  Heldt started *7* games over Fischer that year.  Fischer started 25. 

In the two years they were on the same roster, they played 65 games.  Fischer started 58 of them.  (And Fischer started 19 of the 24 games he was eligible to play in during Wojo's first year.)

This is really a dumb argument.  Heldt starting had nothing to do with playing favorites.  It was because Fischer was struggling. 

[HutchwasClutch]

This is really a dumb argument.  Heldt starting had nothing to do with playing favorites.  It was because Fischer was struggling.

As I recall, Heldt was starting over Fischer the end of that year because of Fischer's issues staying out of foul trouble, not performance struggles. It was a way to protect Fischer from taking himself out of the game early.

And i was of opinion too that Fischer had a target on his back often, and foul issues were not always on him. 

[Lennys Tap]

FFS Lenny.  Heldt started *7* games over Fischer that year.  Fischer started 25. 

In the two years they were on the same roster, they played 65 games.  Fischer started 58 of them.  (And Fischer started 19 of the 24 games he was eligible to play in during Wojo's first year.)

This is really a dumb argument.  Heldt starting had nothing to do with playing favorites.  It was because Fischer was struggling.

Fluff

With all due respect you are missing my point. People were arguing about whether coaches always play their best players or sometimes go with their "favorites".

To make his point that Wojo always plays his best guys, Mike cited the fact that Wojo sat down one of his favorites (Luke) and played Matt. Well Luke wasn't his favorite. Matt was. Saying he took out his starter to play his favorite guy and claiming this is proof Wojo doesn't play favorites is ass backwards. I'm not saying Wojo plays favorites. I'm just saying citing the one time you could make an argument that he did as your example that he doesn't is bizarre.

[MU82]

Wojo sat an inherited player who was a starter for a very limited player who was his favorite and to you this is a perfect example of not showing favoritism? Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying Wojo did it because of his bias towards Matt/against Luke. Who knows? Just saying that picking your favorite in a close call is not an example (perfect or otherwise) of proving you don't favor your favorites. Sounds like logic your pal in Washington might use.

Had you originally used Wojo SITTING a very limited
player (Heldt) that he loved for a couple of newcomers your point would have at the very least supported your thesis instead of contradicting it.

It appears that we agree, Lenny, so I'm not gonna argue with you.

[tower912]

I may be wrong, but didn't the Heldt Fischer switch come after Wojo announced that every position was open and would be determined by effort in practice during the week off?    JjJ got a DNP-CD and Heldt started after that.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I may be wrong, but didn't the Heldt Fischer switch come after Wojo announced that every position was open and would be determined by effort in practice during the week off?    JjJ got a DNP-CD and Heldt started after that.

Correct

[tower912]

Pretty straight forward reasoning then and not some conspiracy theory.

[WhiteTrash]

As I recall, Heldt was starting over Fischer the end of that year because of Fischer's issues staying out of foul trouble, not performance struggles.

I get your point. Truly do; but that statement is a little ironic.