The DeAndre Hunter Issue...

[Wretch]

I've been talking about Hunter for a long time and I think I've been clear on my opinion.  I'm going to say this for the record again though...

I like Hunter and I do not think he's is JUST a bench player.  I think the construction of our team limits how effective he can be in the starting lineup.  Unless he develops instincts for finding open guys and our system features him that way...then he will always be 3rd isolation option behind Trae and DJ - and further down the totem pole with Jalen Johnson starting.

Coming off the bench, he's a primary and not surprisingly everything is definitively improved:

5 minutes ago, AHF said:

There are people who are invested in the success or failure of certain players.  I don't think discussion around whether Hunter is better served coming off the bench is necessarily linked to that, though.  The numbers are better as a reserve in a similar number of games.  I personally have him mentally penciled in back as our starting SF next season but I can at least see why some people feel he has flourished off the bench and should remain in that role.

...along with his usage and he's doing this in FEWER minutes.  It's not so much how good/bad he is.  It's the fit with the starting unit.  Unless he really separates from the pack, or we have major injuries or roster moves, I don't see where he's going back to starting.  

[AHF]

I personally think he will go back to starting but agree that against bench players he has been very successful taking on a role with more scoring responsibility.  He isn't taking on a drastically different role but he goes from 11 shots per 30 minutes played as a starter to 12.7 shots per 30 minutes played as a reserve.  No playoff team's primary scorer is taking 13 shots a game but that is around an 18% increase in shots taken and when combined with the increase in shots made it is a real nice bump in per minute scoring.  His rebounding, steals, and blocks per minute are all slightly lower and the assists slightly higher but other than blocks they are all close enough that I think you can call them unchanged.  (And the blocks are a SSS issue so I wouldn't call that significant.)  As such, I don't think that slight bump in shots taken and % made means he should be moved to the bench long-term in the absence of a big wing addition.  

But I do think it means that the coaching staff knows he can take on more scoring when he is mixed in with bench lineups.  So I see him returning to starting and maybe Quin flexing the rotations to get him a few more shots along the way.

[Diesel]

2 hours ago, AHF said:

I personally think he will go back to starting but agree that against bench players he has been very successful taking on a role with more scoring responsibility.  He isn't taking on a drastically different role but he goes from 11 shots per 30 minutes played as a starter to 12.7 shots per 30 minutes played as a reserve.  No playoff team's primary scorer is taking 13 shots a game but that is around an 18% increase in shots taken and when combined with the increase in shots made it is a real nice bump in per minute scoring.  His rebounding, steals, and blocks per minute are all slightly lower and the assists slightly higher but other than blocks they are all close enough that I think you can call them unchanged.  (And the blocks are a SSS issue so I wouldn't call that significant.)  As such, I don't think that slight bump in shots taken and % made means he should be moved to the bench long-term in the absence of a big wing addition.  

But I do think it means that the coaching staff knows he can take on more scoring when he is mixed in with bench lineups.  So I see him returning to starting and maybe Quin flexing the rotations to get him a few more shots along the way.

If he were going to be returning to the SL, that would have happened when Bey went down.   I think this strategy works for the team.  Not to mention his knee health. 

 

[RedDawg#8]

6 hours ago, Diesel said:

If he were going to be returning to the SL, that would have happened when Bey went down.   I think this strategy works for the team.  Not to mention his knee health. 

 

Agreed 

That knee has plagued him for years, best continue to moderate him and extend his career.

[AHF]

5 hours ago, RedDawg#8 said:

Agreed 

That knee has plagued him for years, best continue to moderate him and extend his career.

I feel that is more about minutes than starter / reserve.  If he continues to play around 26 mpg he will still be playing a majority of the minutes at SF.  Time will tell on this.  I would absolutely rather we don’t play him stupid minutes to get him hurt in a lost season so I’m perfectly fine with what Snyder is doing to manage his load right now,

[kg01]

2 hours ago, AHF said:

I feel that is more about minutes than starter / reserve.  If he continues to play around 26 mpg he will still be playing a majority of the minutes at SF.  Time will tell on this.  I would absolutely rather we don’t play him stupid minutes to get him hurt in a lost season so I’m perfectly fine with what Snyder is doing to manage his load right now,

I think the bench role suits him.  It seems obvious he's thriving in that role.  And I hope people are sophisticated enough to understand bench vs starter isn't suggesting "hE's nOttA sTaRtEr". 

Sure he's a starting caliber player.  But his whole demeanor and mentality have looked significantly better in his current role.  The sample size in that regard is only growing, imho.

[AHF]

5 minutes ago, kg01 said:

I think the bench role suits him.  It seems obvious he's thriving in that role.  And I hope people are sophisticated enough to understand bench vs starter isn't suggesting "hE's nOttA sTaRtEr". 

Sure he's a starting caliber player.  But his whole demeanor and mentality have looked significantly better in his current role.  The sample size in that regard is only growing, imho.

There is a case to be made either way here, imo.  I don't think my take or yours is a sign of homerism or hate.  Just thoughts on how to best deploy him.  

[kg01]

7 minutes ago, AHF said:

There is a case to be made either way here, imo.  I don't think my take or yours is a sign of homerism or hate.  Just thoughts on how to best deploy him.  

Agreed.  And to be clear, I was going at someone else, not you.  You were just collateral damage.

Wait, I probably shouldnt admit that to a mod out loud.   Ah, I take back what I said.

 

[AHF]

27 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Agreed.  And to be clear, I was going at someone else, not you.  You were just collateral damage.

Wait, I probably shouldnt admit that to a mod out loud.   Ah, I take back what I said.

 

So you were going after me.  I see how it is, kg.  

[kg01]

1 hour ago, AHF said:

So you were going after me.  I see how it is, kg.  

Wait .. no .. see ... you never read me my rights so I'm innocent?

Those years of watching Law and Order finally pay off. 

Edited March 19 by kg01

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, kg01 said:

"hE's nOttA sTaRtEr". 

Yeeeeaaaa and I should worry about others at my front door . 
 

Cagey, I’ve always been with you. How bout crossin ol’ Spud off the list?  

2 hours ago, kg01 said:

The sample size in that regard is only growing

That’s not the only thin growin amirite? 
 

  .. Go Hawks!

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, kg01 said:

Ah, I take back what I said.

 

   

Go Hawks!

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

Law and Order

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

I think the bench role suits him.  It seems obvious he's thriving in that role.  And I hope people are sophisticated enough to understand bench vs starter isn't suggesting "hE's nOttA sTaRtEr". 

Sure he's a starting caliber player.  But his whole demeanor and mentality have looked significantly better in his current role.  The sample size in that regard is only growing, imho.

Let me poke the bear or play Devil's advocate or whatever else you want to call it.

Let us say somehow, we get a guy in here that thrives at the 3 and Dre is playing BU...  If the imaginary guy is deserving of a lot more PT... does Dre bu the 4?

[kg01]

Someone explain Hunter's absence(s).  I was told it was Trae's fault.

Who's fault is it now? 

*crickets*

[JayBirdHawk]

17 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Someone explain Hunter's absence(s).  I was told it was Trae's fault.

Who's fault is it now? 

*crickets*

At least he picked it up over the last 4 minutes. Games like these I want him forcing the issue.

[kg01]

2 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

At least he picked it up over the last 4 minutes. Games like these I want him forcing the issue.

It was right after that post.

*gasp*

Did I anger the avatar ... vatarr ... atarrr...? 

[kg01]

...... the avatar stays. 

[JayBirdHawk]

Congrats Hunt!

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]