"I don’t put much into Burks 4th quarter it was all garbage hoops" - locke
True. One thing these "rebuilding" fanatics should understand is that playing in garbage time does NOT help development of a player by any means. A rebuilding team has to determine a rotation which allows all the prospects to play valuable minutes, competitive basketball, not necessarily 20+ mins. I could care less if Kosta had scored 10 on Enes late in 4th Q. I really wonder how trading all the vets, old faces and giving all the PT to newcomers for the sake of "development" will help those rookies "develop" their game, rise to their peaks. You break the winning habit, and a squad consisting of 12 young, inexperienced players probably will not turn your franchise into a contender anytime soon.Maybe never.
Last year, I watched Omer Asik of Chicago and Semih Erden of Boston many times. Their teams were contending for ECC. I can assure you that the advantage of playing for a winning team, practicing with proven All-stars and experienced players has made a significant contribution to Omer's development, which could not be the case if he had played 25-30mins/gm for a terrible, "rebuilding" Bulls team. The importance of the atmosphere, expectations, level of basketball in winner teams for overall improvement, maturation goes unnoticed many times.
As for Semih, he was very lucky for a rookie. I mean, you practise with KG, JO, Pierce. That's unmatched by any benefit a team in complete rebuilding process can offer. Did he play in garbage time? Yes. But, he made his strides when he played in competitive atmospheres, games and moments of games, in PRACTICE as well as when he "later on" was given the chance to start b/c of injuries. He was traded to Cleveland and while he had refused to undergo a crucial surgery, treatment to continue playing for C's; after a couple games w/ Cavs, he became inactive. You can claim that he was frustrated with the trade but isn't "to play as much as possible" the best way for a rookie to develop -supposedly- ? He cannot be that stupid.
The Jazz have to insert new faces, new cornerstones and build for the future. They also have to maintain the winning culture/habit, keep the product respectable,attractive. Neither "Go with youth all the way" nor "respect the vets, start them no matter what, 'cause we have to win" approach. First of all roles and rotations, the 5-man units that mesh together should be determined. That's what coaching staff has been working on.
We will see lots of bad executed plays, bad rotations. 2 preseason games with very little time to insert a game plan for players, most of which have been together not more than a month... I mean, impossible to reach the level we expect and are used to seeing from old versions of Jazz, and unfair. What we do not deserve to see and do not have to bear watching is lack of effort, slow rotations etc.
