Minutes creep due to injuries vs. playing the kids

[obnoxiousmime]

Recently Stevens has been playing the starters what seems to be increased minutes (36-40 min). I know that the team is especially shorthanded right now - perhaps the most it's been this season - but wouldn't this be a good opportunity to play the kids? Are these wins especially valuable if it's going to tire the team out in the long run? Isn't Hayward just coming off an injury that he admitted had been bothering him all season? Kemba is our most important player offensively and he's pretty small. He's not old, but he's not young either.

What would be the most disturbing answer to me is, Stevens knows playing the kids would be a disaster and they'd probably lose more than a few games. However, I would rather lose games now than risk fatigue or injury to some of our older vets. There is a lot of research into how fatigue can increase the likeliness of injury.

If you're not willing to play the kids in relatively unimportant games in January, then it probably means a determination has been made they're simply not ready to contribute this season. In which case, you're pretty much saying they have no shot at the playoff rotation either. Yes, it's possible they could improve in practices or the D-league, but wouldn't actual game time be the most useful in terms of improving?

Is anyone else bothered by this? It almost seems like Stevens is saying to management, I only trust these guys and we better hope they are all healthy throughout the playoffs because none of these kids are going to be ready. I happen to agree that a lot of the rooks probably shouldn't play in a playoff game, but this is the regular season. Going all out to compete for playoff seeding doesn't strike me as the behavior of a confident team.

[nickagneta]

Want to show some statistical evidence that the minutes of important players are creeping into the 36-40 minutes a game territory. I looked at the monthly splits and none are in that range and really only Hayward has any type of decent uptick in minutes and that was a little over a minutes worth of uptick to 34 MPG.

Also, isn't Grant Williams getting good minutes? Robert Williams is hurt. None of Romeo, Edwards, Fall or Waters appears ready for rotational minutes and all can learn in the G League with playing time there and Poirier doesn't appear to be an NBA level player.

Not sure what else you expect. You don't give players that haven't earned minutes playing time because it can destroy a locker room, like it did last year.

I am good with how Stevens is developing the young guys. Smart, Tatum, and Brown seemed to have been handled and developed well. Grant seems on a good developmental track. The others will get their time in coming months and years. I have high expectations for Langford.

[wdleehi]

I think the team needed to get out of it's January funk.   Best way it to go to a playoff style rotation.


Plus, I think more then other years, the 2nd seed in the East will be huge.  There are 6 teams in the East that should be good enough to make it to the 2nd round, avoiding them in the 1st round is a big deal for all 6. 

[tstorey_97]

Last night the bench:

Minutes --56
Points -- 18

Semi
Wanamaker
Grant (you could say "Grant got Kanter's minutes")

The team has played 46 games

Tatum -- 42 games --33 mpg (1424 mins total)
Walker --41 games-- 33 mpg (1316 mins total)
Brown -- 38 games --32 mpg (1278 mins total)
Hayward 32 games -- 31 mpg (973 mins total)
Smart -- 31 games -- 31 mpg (1166 mins total)
Theis -- 42 games -- 23 mpg (945 mins total)
Wanamaker 45 games 18 mpg (845 mins total)

Kanter 36 games (667 mins total)
Grant 44 games (649 mins total)
Semi 44 games (645 mins total)

Does Stevens play the bench?
Before he got hurt, Kanter was averaging 18 minutes with Wanamaker and Semi about the same. For a month, the Celtic's bench averaged about 72 minutes a game and Walker/Tatum/Brown all had fewer minutes.

In the playoffs, the bench (Hopefully, the above 6 starters will be healthy):

Semi, Kanter, Wanamaker with just a couple of minutes for Grant.
All veteran, playoff experienced guys.
 
Does Stevens "overplay" his starters? I think so. He leaves them in too long and brings them back out too soon. If Stevens smells a win? He'll leave them in.

As far as the "young guys?" Forget about it and I agree, it hurts their development. Robert can blame injuries too, I guess , but, he might be the poster child for "Brad won't play young players".

Williams got 282 minutes last year. Jaylen Brown has played 282 minutes in his last 5 starts. (not a point, just a contrast)

Stevens really didn't want to give Kanter minutes early this season when he came back from injury and he didn't...then, Kanter blew the lid off the garden a couple of nights and Stevens had to give him a regular shift. This hurt Grant's minutes.

Theis got 907 minutes last year in 66 games.
Theis has 945 minutes already this year in 42 games.
Theis last year 3.4 rebs and 5.7 pts this year? 6.1 rebs 8.2 pts.
Kablam!

The Theis/Kanter two headed monster has really rescued the Celtic's over worked wings by grabbing some minutes.

Langford-Edwards-Waters got nuthin.

Javonte Green has been decent on defense and gets an A+ for dunks, but, his outside shooting ain't much yet. He has more minutes than any of the young guys because he isn't that young.

I agree with playing the young guys because I watch g league and it isn't much beyond a work out.

Injuries have helped Grant get minutes and the guy is getting better!
Robert out
Kanter out
Tatum out

Grant in!....sort of.

Stevens literally hates putting the young guys in late in games. The Celtics can be up 14 with 5 minutes and Stevens just won't rotate.

[jambr380]

The Cs have two signature wins lately in LAL and MIA. They may have played their starters a bit too much in those games, but I think it was worth it in the long run.

Otherwise, injuries have played a big part in the rotations and I agree with tstorey that if Stevens smells a win, he will try to get it. I also agree with wdleehi that it is important to get a top 2 seed this year (I would take top 3, but the difference between IND and ORL is pretty huge). We'll see where it gets us, but, overall, I am not too crazed about the minutes creeping up - especially as we approach the all-star break.

[RPGenerate]

Every win matters, even in January. A couple of wins could mean the diference between the 2nd seed and the 6th seed. This whole "Brad doesn't play rookies" take is pure nonsense. Brad plays rookies that are ready to contribute plenty. Olynyk, Smart, Brown, Tatum, and Grant (to an extent) all got a good amount of minutes in their rookie seasons.

[Surferdad]

Every win matters, even in January. A couple of wins could mean the diference between the 2nd seed and the 6th seed. This whole "Brad doesn't play rookies" take is pure nonsense. Brad plays rookies that are ready to contribute plenty. Olynyk, Smart, Brown, Tatum, and Grant (to an extent) all got a good amount of minutes in their rookie seasons.

I agree.  Grant is getting decent minutes and producing,  Brad gave Javonte a shot and he produced some.  I think it's more a question of who is proving they deserve minutes rather than some anti-kid approach by Brad.