Minutes Distribution the rest of the season

[downtown85]

DJ averaged 33 minutes a game this season and perhaps more during the Conference portion.  What do you think the distribution will be from here on out?

Here is what I think it should be:

PG: Acker 25, Matthews 10, McNeal 5
SG: McNeal 33, Cubes 7
SF: Matthews 27, Butler 7, Fulce 6
PF: Hayward 30, Butler 6, Fulce 4
C: Burke 25, Hayward 5,  Butler 5, (Otule or Hazel?)  5

Basically Each of the other starters will need to up their minutes a little and Acker, Cubes and Fulce will get more minutes.  The question is whether we need to activate Otule or re-activate Hazel to spread the minutes. 

These coming practices will be interesting and will truly test Buzz's and his staff's coaching ability.  What do you think?

[tower912]

Or start Butler, move Jerel to the point, increase minutes for Acker, Cubi, Fulce, and either Hazel or Otule.    Hazel or Otule need to provide minutes at the 5 now.   No more hiding them. 

[Marquette_g]

I think you saw last night how things will break down. 

DJ = 33 minutes -  in the new lineup Mo = 33 minutes.

Fulce and O'tule will not contribute this season.  An injury to any player would not have changed that and especially not an injury to the player who plays a position most unlike their own.

[oshkoshbgosh]

I was very disappointed in Buzz's in-game adjustments after DJ went down. All he did was put Mo in there, and he was totally overmatched. There has to be a better solution to the pg problem for the rest of the season, or MU could go winless.

Now Buzz has some time to work on different lineups, but he'll need contributions from Cube, Fulce, Hazel and Otule. He buried these guys so deep on the bench I hope their confidence isn't shot. Now we need them, since Acker shouldn't be playing more than 10-15 minutes a game.

[Marquette_g]

but he'll need contributions from Cube, Fulce, Hazel and Otule. He buried these guys so deep on the bench I hope their confidence isn't shot. Now we need them, since Acker shouldn't be playing more than 10-15 minutes a game.

I don't get this fascination with Fulce and O'Tule.  While I expect them both to be good players in time, that in no way means they should or can contribute right now. 

O'Tule has looked completely lost when he has made even a cameo.  Fulce might have had a chance to help but he got hurt.  O'Tule was not going to contribute this year, injury or not. 

Our desire for them to be good players and contributors because of their size has no bearing on their actual ability to help us win games. 

I also do not understand how losing a starting PG should lead to more minutes for a backup center.

[jaybilaswho?]

whats wrong with Hazel that he isnt getting even looked at by buzz?

[Marquette_g]

whats wrong with Hazel that he isnt getting even looked at by buzz?

I think what has happened is that Dwight Burke has played with some intensity that was maybe lacking early in the year and Jimmy Butler has proved he is better able to step-in than Pat Hazel.  I think he's just the odd man out.

[muhoops1]

Buzz needs to consider Cubillan @ the point.  He cannot play Acker for 30 or 40 minutes.  Cubillan is stronger and a better defender.  Reece was overmatched defensively. 

[bma725]

Buzz needs to consider Cubillan @ the point.  He cannot play Acker for 30 or 40 minutes.  Cubillan is stronger and a better defender.  Reece was overmatched defensively. 

Except that Cubillan isn't a PG.  He doesn't have the ball skills necessary to play PG. 

And given what we've seen of Cubillan this year, he's not a better defender.  Acker has at least had some good defensive games this year, Cubillan has looked brutal the entire time.

[NYWarrior]

Except that Cubillan isn't a PG.  He doesn't have the ball skills necessary to play PG. 

And given what we've seen of Cubillan this year, he's not a better defender.  Acker has at least had some good defensive games this year, Cubillan has looked brutal the entire time.

Agreed....Cubillan is an east/west player when he handles the ball and can't distribute in traffic. And he can't finish.   This season, he's a specialist without a specialty.

It's all about what Acker can provide this team down the stretch --  maybe Fulce can do something, but that's a reach.  The biggest issue will be on defense -- no way does Price go off for 36 last night if James plays his customary 35 minutes.

[3Mer]

It may just be that I haven't adequately researched, but I don't understand why Cubillan's minutes have shrunk to zero even with DJ out.  I've seen conjecture that he's still suffering residual effects from shoulder injuries, but nothing definitive.

Everyone has known that this team was one injury away from mediocrity, but I've always thought that if MU was going to lose one of the Big 4, the most replaceable was DJ.  But after DJ goes down, Acker played the entire game despite getting repeatedly torched by Price. 

Why would Buzz be so reluctant to at least give Cubillan a chance -- I mean how much worse could Cubillan have been at guarding Price?

[Warrior1969]

YOU GET BETTER WITH PLAYING TIME!  was Butler this good in Dec - NO!  Hazel was getting better with playing Time and then he stops playing completely.  Fulce was good enough to play at Providence but not a month later? 

[mosarsour]

Or start Butler, move Jerel to the point, increase minutes for Acker, Cubi, Fulce, and either Hazel or Otule.    Hazel or Otule need to provide minutes at the 5 now.   No more hiding them. 

We'll probably be seeing more of Jerel at the point now. But i think it's all up to Maurice now to step up and fill some pretty big shoes.

[Moonboots]

I don't think Maurice starts, especially with the size disadvantage he's at in these last few games.  There's some pretty strong point guards he's going to have to match up with.

I think you go with McNeal, Matthews, Butler, Hayward, and Burke as the starting five, and sub Acker liberally in and out of that line up.  We're paper thin right now.  I don't know if Cubi, Fulce, or Hazel have anything left to give this year, but it will be interesting to see what Buzz has up his sleeve down the stretch.

[krocheck]

But i think it's all up to Maurice now to step up and fill some pretty big shoes.

True, and I'm OK with it.  After what I saw last night ... he needs a little help on strategy and what his role is, but I'm happy to have him at the point given the circumstances.

Keith

[CTWarrior]

Did anyone else watch that Georgetown-Marquette game from the three amigos' freshman year last week?  I DVR'd it and watched it to get me pumped for the Georgetown game.  Back then Matthews played quite a bit of PG whenever they gave James a blow, and he looked fine doing it.

So I don't see why we have to play Acker 33 minutes a game.  Why not try playing a little bigger with Butler as the third guard 20 minutes/game?  Is Acker that much better a ball handler than Matthews/McNeal?

My feeling is that we have four quality players left (Butler being the 4th), three of whom are already maxing out on minutes so now Butler's minutes that have to go up.  We can't play five guards/wings all the time so we can't play Acker 30+ minutes.

The good news is that our four remaining stars are very versatile and can play a lot of positions passably.  So Buzz can be creative, he doesn't have to replace DJ's 38 minutes with just Acker and Cubillan.  So, assuming Burke and Acker will get 20 minutes a piece, the question we have to ask every game is who is the next best player than can give MU 5-10 non-horrid minutes/game?  Buzz should decide that game by game.  If we need ball handling, go Cubes.  Need a little more on the interior, go with Hazel.  Probably not going to get much out of Otule or Fulce at this point.

[GGGG]

The problem is that if you go with McNeal or Matthews at the point, their point totals will suffer.  Face it, as it stands we are really only going to get a consistent 10 ppg+ from three people - Hayward, McNeal and Matthews.  To put the two latter at point for significant stretches isn't going to work.

I think Acker gets major minutes, possibly spelled for a bit by Mc or WM.  Someone is going to have to get some minutes though.  My thought would be Fulce because at least he has some athleticism and can maybe fill the "hustle" role that Butler filled early in the year.  Butler has basically taken over for Hazel.  Cubes and Otule aren't going to see much of the floor either. 

[Big Papi]

YOU GET BETTER WITH PLAYING TIME!  was Butler this good in Dec - NO!  Hazel was getting better with playing Time and then he stops playing completely.  Fulce was good enough to play at Providence but not a month later? 

Agreed.  It is a fine line between winning games and making everyone and the team better.  Buzz has been short sighted this year in that he really needed to try to cultivate a contributing bench.  Acker, Cube, Hazel, Fulce and Otule all should have received more minutes here and there. 

Going 6 deep in just about every game has now created a situation where it is more difficult for anyone from the the bench to jump in and contribute when you need them. 

[muwarrior87]

I wouldn't mind us seeing a slightly more traditional lineup in w/ Fulce and potentially Otule picking up some of Dom's minutes. We have guys that can handle the ball in Wes and Jerel when Mo isn't in the game and now those two will NEED to contribute.