09-30-2022, 05:01 PM
(09-30-2022, 01:21 PM)F Gump Wrote: I think you underestimate the minutes to be played by Luka-SD. They played a combined 64 last season (35 1/2, 28 1/2), and I would look for about the same this time. Perhaps even a tick higher, with Brunson no longer here needing minutes.
So that would make 16-18 minutes of overlap inevitable, which in a simple iteration would have them playing together the first 4-5 minutes and the last 4-5 minutes of each half. Obviously there are many other ways to script that, but that keeps one of them on the floor at all times, and still offers about 1/3 of the game with 2 of them.
I’m aware it was 35/28 last year (and Luka was 34 and 33 the two years before that). I’m splitting things 32/28 on the assumption that we have much more depth than in years past and having been there before, being ready for the post season will be the overriding goal. If so, I could see them lowering his average minutes a bit.
With that said, how they play OKC on a Tuesday in November won’t be the same way they play a team like Denver on national TV in late March.