How Many Minutes Does Timelord Play This Season?

[Hoopvortex]

Robert Williams played 283 minutes last season. Team management is cautiously optimistic about how quickly he値l progress, even as they池e enthusiastic about his long-term future.

But what about this season? An exec gave a word of caution:

Word of warning: Don稚 put too much on this kid too early. We signed a lot of bigs for a reason.

So where does he wind up at the end of the season? I'm going with 9 per game for 40 games, and 12 per game for 26 games.  That would give him 672 for the season in 66 games played, which would have been the 11th-most minutes last season.

[slamtheking]

only real proven player ahead of him at C is Kanter but this kid is still raw.  I still anticipate a lot of DNP-CD's next to his name in the boxscore.  figure 440 for the season would be about right.   there'll be games where he'll see 15-18 minutes due to injuries to other players ahead of him on the depth chart as well as other games where he'll get spot minutes (5-8 minutes).   

[BitterJim]

I think he spends more time in the d-league this season (Theis, Kanter, and Poirier will get minutes over him), with a chance at earning real minutes with the team

I could see him getting 10-15mpg for the last month or so, but I don't expect him to play many minutes overall

[Hoopvortex]

I think he spends more time in the d-league this season (Theis, Kanter, and Poirier will get minutes over him), with a chance at earning real minutes with the team

I could see him getting 10-15mpg for the last month or so, but I don't expect him to play many minutes overall

I call this a conservative projection, but it makes perfect sense - and wouldn't surprise me at all. I have him starting low rotation minutes earlier in the season than you do, but otherwise this is what I expect.

So, how many NBA games do you think that he'll play in? The poll assumes something like 66 for minimal time in Maine, or 50 games for multiple trips there.

[slamtheking]

I think he spends more time in the d-league this season (Theis, Kanter, and Poirier will get minutes over him), with a chance at earning real minutes with the team

I could see him getting 10-15mpg for the last month or so, but I don't expect him to play many minutes overall

I call this a conservative projection, but it makes perfect sense - and wouldn't surprise me at all. I have him starting low rotation minutes earlier in the season than you do, but otherwise this is what I expect.

So, how many NBA games do you think that he'll play in? The poll assumes something like 66 for minimal time in Maine, or 50 games for multiple trips there.

I could see him getting minutes in 40-45 games.  Some time in Maine.  on the bench for probably 60 games -- 15-20 DNP-CDs

[Hoopvortex]

only real proven player ahead of him at C is Kanter but this kid is still raw.

You're pointing to the opportunity he's got in front of him, as well as his rawness - since while Kanter is clearly ahead of him, he's also got a very different game. In fact it would be easy to imagine a developed Williams sharing the floor with Kanter, since their skillsets are different.

You would not consider Daniel Theis to be in front of him, then?

I still anticipate a lot of DNP-CD's next to his name in the boxscore.  figure 440 for the season would be about right.   there'll be games where he'll see 15-18 minutes due to injuries to other players ahead of him on the depth chart as well as other games where he'll get spot minutes (5-8 minutes).

That would be a bit of a disappointment all around, especially for him. You're projecting an incremental increase from year 1, playing in more games but basically the same minutes per game (he averaged 8.8 last season).

I'm curious to know what you think his future is: for example, do you think he's a regular rotation player in his year 3?

[Hoopvortex]

I think he spends more time in the d-league this season (Theis, Kanter, and Poirier will get minutes over him), with a chance at earning real minutes with the team

I could see him getting 10-15mpg for the last month or so, but I don't expect him to play many minutes overall

I call this a conservative projection, but it makes perfect sense - and wouldn't surprise me at all. I have him starting low rotation minutes earlier in the season than you do, but otherwise this is what I expect.

So, how many NBA games do you think that he'll play in? The poll assumes something like 66 for minimal time in Maine, or 50 games for multiple trips there.

I could see him getting minutes in 40-45 games.  Some time in Maine.  on the bench for probably 60 games -- 15-20 DNP-CDs

He played in 32 last year, so you're projecting an incremental increase. I'm going to call this a very conservative projection. 

Kudos for making a prediction.

[Vermont Green]

only real proven player ahead of him at C is Kanter but this kid is still raw.

You're pointing to the opportunity he's got in front of him, as well as his rawness - since while Kanter is clearly ahead of him, he's also got a very different game. In fact it would be easy to imagine a developed Williams sharing the floor with Kanter, since their skillsets are different.

You would not consider Daniel Theis to be in front of him, then?

I interpreted his take as the only "proven" player ahead of him, not the only player.  I suspect camp starts with Theis, Ojeleye, and Poirier all ahead of RWill but none of these players are really proven or fully established like Kanter.  The opportunity is there but based on summer league, I don't think he is quite ready.  How that translates into minutes, I don't know but I put him out of the regular rotation (like last year), getting minutes in the event of injuries or foul trouble, or blowouts.  I have not given up on RWill by any means.

[slamtheking]

only real proven player ahead of him at C is Kanter but this kid is still raw.

You're pointing to the opportunity he's got in front of him, as well as his rawness - since while Kanter is clearly ahead of him, he's also got a very different game. In fact it would be easy to imagine a developed Williams sharing the floor with Kanter, since their skillsets are different.

You would not consider Daniel Theis to be in front of him, then?

I still anticipate a lot of DNP-CD's next to his name in the boxscore.  figure 440 for the season would be about right.   there'll be games where he'll see 15-18 minutes due to injuries to other players ahead of him on the depth chart as well as other games where he'll get spot minutes (5-8 minutes).

That would be a bit of a disappointment all around, especially for him. You're projecting an incremental increase from year 1, playing in more games but basically the same minutes per game (he averaged 8.8 last season).

I'm curious to know what you think his future is: for example, do you think he's a regular rotation player in his year 3?

the point I was trying to convey is that the only proven center on the roster is Kanter.   The opportunity to get playing time is there if he can make some real improvements in his game.  I just don't think those improvements will happen this year.  I'm not looking to rush him into having to perform for the team to succeed.  I don't see Poirier as a proven entity -- he has to prove he's worth playing time as well.  Theis is someone who had a surprising first year but a dud of a second year.  I wouldn't call him proven based on 1 good year and I also see him as someone that could be getting some minutes at the 4 spot depending on matchups.

[slamtheking]

I think he spends more time in the d-league this season (Theis, Kanter, and Poirier will get minutes over him), with a chance at earning real minutes with the team

I could see him getting 10-15mpg for the last month or so, but I don't expect him to play many minutes overall

I call this a conservative projection, but it makes perfect sense - and wouldn't surprise me at all. I have him starting low rotation minutes earlier in the season than you do, but otherwise this is what I expect.

So, how many NBA games do you think that he'll play in? The poll assumes something like 66 for minimal time in Maine, or 50 games for multiple trips there.

I could see him getting minutes in 40-45 games.  Some time in Maine.  on the bench for probably 60 games -- 15-20 DNP-CDs

He played in 32 last year, so you're projecting an incremental increase. I'm going to call this a very conservative projection. 

Kudos for making a prediction.

yup, just an incremental improvement.  he still looks really raw.  expectations for next year will be a different story but if he turns into someone that is good enough to deserve 10-15 minutes off the bench each game then I'll be pleasantly surprised.  the key is that he's getting the minutes based on being good enough to deserve them as opposed to getting those minutes because we need someone to play center and he's what we have available. 

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Rozier played in 39 games his rookie season and a lot in Maine. He got 8 minutes per game in those 39 games.

Williams played in 32 games his rookie season and a lot in Maine. He got 9 minutes per game in those 32 games.

Rozier saw 17 minutes per game in 74 games his second season. I think Williams gets something close to that.

[slamtheking]

only real proven player ahead of him at C is Kanter but this kid is still raw.

You're pointing to the opportunity he's got in front of him, as well as his rawness - since while Kanter is clearly ahead of him, he's also got a very different game. In fact it would be easy to imagine a developed Williams sharing the floor with Kanter, since their skillsets are different.

You would not consider Daniel Theis to be in front of him, then?

I interpreted his take as the only "proven" player ahead of him, not the only player.  I suspect camp starts with Theis, Ojeleye, and Poirier all ahead of RWill but none of these players are really proven or fully established like Kanter.  The opportunity is there but based on summer league, I don't think he is quite ready.  How that translates into minutes, I don't know but I put him out of the regular rotation (like last year), getting minutes in the event of injuries or foul trouble, or blowouts.  I have not given up on RWill by any means.

I see Semi as a PF, not a center but still he's still really unproven at least on offense.  Theis may get some minutes at PF and he's really only had 1 good year with us so he's not proven.   Poirier's an unknown so by definition he's not proven either. 

I hope I'm underestimating the progress in Timelord's development but I suspect my guesstimate will be fairly close to the mark by the end of the season.   I tend to give all late first rounders until their 3rd season in the league before placing any expectations on them for contributions.  Next year I would hope to see him develop into someone who's at least earning 10-15 minutes of playing time each game with the goal of him developing into at least our primary backup center the following year.

[nickagneta]

Funny enough, the players that may effect Williams' playing time the most are the group of Semi Ojeleye, Grant Williams and whichever of Hayward or Tatum that end up playing against PFs. If Grant Williams or Semi Ojeleye can give this team a credible 24 minutes a game as a PF, and Hayward/Tatum are at least okay at PF, Timelord's minutes disappear as Kanter and Theis will eat up most of the center minutes.

But if GWilliams and Semi can't give this team quality minutes at PF, and Theis needs to be used a lot there, then a bunch of rotation minutes could open up for Poirier or Timelord.

I am expecting about the same amount of games played and minutes played as last year, maybe as much as 350-400 total minutes if he has an increase. But he won't get as many DNP-CDs as he will spend more time in Maine than last year. I think the team has admitted they couldn't get TL to Maine enough last year because of the lack of big men and injuries. That changes this year.

[ChillyWilly]

All of them!

[Vermont Green]

I see Semi as a PF, not a center but still he's still really unproven at least on offense.  Theis may get some minutes at PF and he's really only had 1 good year with us so he's not proven.   Poirier's an unknown so by definition he's not proven either. 

I agree but I don't think the distinction is all that important.  All these guys we are talking about are really just "bigs".  Ojeleye is clearly not a center, and may only barely be a PF, but most of the rest could be either center or PF.  I think we are gong to see many combinations of these bigs plus a fair amount of the smaller units with Tatum as the second big.