GDT: Detroit vs Dallas, Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. central

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

I think that's all correct, but even still, Wright playing a little bit wouldn't throw anything out of whack. Dirk isn't going to play 48 a game once he gets back, so there will have to be a "Dirk-less" philosophy to the offensive approach even then.

To some extent that's true, but with Shawn and Elton (and possibly Jae), it won't need to be a Wright-friendly philosophy.

And I can't speak for anyone else, but what I'm hoping for is pretty minimal. I'd like to see just a few minutes a game for Wright. I don't need him to start and play 25-30. I don't think leaving him on the bench versus playing him for 5-10 minutes is "preserving" the offense.

It's worth pointing out that he would be getting 5-10 minutes if Sarge hadn't been beating him out for backup center minutes recently. I know you talked about PF later in your post, but that just appears to be a lost cause; and the fact remains, it's not just the PF position where Brandan is getting clipped. I guess maybe look on the bright side: a non-trivial portion of the minutes that Brandan isn't getting are at least going to a couple young guys (Jae and Sarge). It's not all going to vets.

The difference is that Murphy doesn't do anything else well. Wright does.

I'm not sure the coaching staff would agree here. For example, I remember seeing a quote praising Troy's pick and roll defense (I watched him some myself and definitely thought I saw what they were referring to). Troy was also making a bigger impact on the defensive boards than Brandan, even if the overall rebounding numbers were the same. Given how bad this team has looked in those two areas for most of this season, I expect those were major factors in determining his claim on a rotation spot.

Also, Murphy was playing more than I even expect Wright to. I'd like to see 5-10 per game out of Wright, mostly at PF. That's it. I haven't averaged out the numbers, but I know Murphy played 14 minutes in one of his last games, and 17 minutes in another. That's too much for a guy like that.

Minutes always get out of whack when you've got injuries. And Troy played 16 mpg last year, so the 18 mpg he got in Dallas doesn't look all that out of whack to me.

[LonghornDub]

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

To some extent that's true, but with Shawn and Elton (and possibly Jae), it won't need to be a Wright-friendly philosophy.


It's worth pointing out that he would be getting 5-10 minutes if Sarge hadn't been beating him out for backup center minutes recently. I know you talked about PF later in your post, but that just appears to be a lost cause; and the fact remains, it's not just the PF position where Brandan is getting clipped. I guess maybe look on the bright side: a non-trivial portion of the minutes that Brandan isn't getting are at least going to a couple young guys (Jae and Sarge). It's not all going to vets.

Yeah, I'm really only talking about PF, and that it's a "lost cause" is exactly what troubles me.

Originally Posted by grndmstr_c

I'm not sure the coaching staff would agree here. For example, I remember seeing a quote praising Troy's pick and roll defense (I watched him some myself and definitely thought I saw what they were referring to). Troy was also making a bigger impact on the defensive boards than Brandan, even if the overall rebounding numbers were the same. Given how bad this team has looked in those two areas for most of this season, I expect those were major factors in determining his claim on a rotation spot.

There were a couple times I thought Murphy did fine in PNR defense. I even used the word "savvy" to describe him in that area once with regard to a particular game. But on the whole, I wasn't very impressed. And the numbers really don't bear out that he does anything much better (if at all) than Wright.

There's also a strategic element to this. What kind of team are the Mavs right now? They're not a contender. Even if we believe that Murphy (for instance) was actually better than Wright, he clearly has less upside. There is significantly more to be gained from giving Wright a bit more PT, whether that's his own development or just boosting his trade value.

In other words, even if I give Murphy the benefit of the doubt in every area, I still seriously question whether he should have played over Wright at this point in a Mavs' season that clearly isn't "championship or bust."

[grndmstr_c]

Originally Posted by LonghornDub

There's also a strategic element to this. What kind of team are the Mavs right now? They're not a contender. Even if we believe that Murphy (for instance) was actually better than Wright, he clearly has less upside. There is significantly more to be gained from giving Wright a bit more PT, whether that's his own development or just boosting his trade value.

In other words, even if I give Murphy the benefit of the doubt in every area, I still seriously question whether he should have played over Wright at this point in a Mavs' season that clearly isn't "championship or bust."

But again, don't the Mavs have a number of players, not just Wright, who they need to get reads on, develop, and build up their value? Jae and Sarge playing ahead of Brandan in the rotation clearly fits that bill. And if having Murphy out there provided an opportunity for DC and OJ to get game experience - and for their coaching staff to evaluate their performance - running plays and working out of sets that the team will rely on heavily when Dirk gets back, isn't that also serving developmental purposes (of an arguably higher priority)?