Hornacek looking great so far

[JCSunsfan]

Did you skip a post or two? We are arguing over whether there could be problems if Bledsoe was held to 28 minutes per game. Find me a young, healthy max or near max player that averages under 30 minutes per game. I don't think you can.

I cannot see why in the world you would limit a young, potentially star-type player to 28 minutes a game. Any healthy player should be able to do that. If you don't want to burn him out, keep him under 35 minutes.

 

[Errntknght]

Actually I didn't say to limit Bledsoe to 28 minutes - I said he should average 28 minutes and that was on the hypothesis of his effectiveness falling off at 30 minutes. All players minutes are limited to some extent - except for Wilt Chamberlin, who one year averaged slightly over 48 minutes/game. Even LaBron is taken out of the game to rest but I wouldn't be surprised that he has more input on his PT than lesser stars do.

If I were running a team I would seek the advice of conditioning experts as to a PT regimen where the goal is to be in peak condition after playing 82 games in 6.5 months. If they said to play the guy as much as he could tolerate every game then thats what I'd do but I was speculating that was not the ideal method - based on my rather sketchy reading about interval training methods. (The reason I said average, not limit was that I was guessing that some of the time the player should push himself to his physical limit.)

The reason I picked out Bledsoe is that he appears to be near exhaution late in games, which most players would react to by pacing themselves and I'd rather play Ish a bit than have him to do that. Few players expend energy as fast as he does and the team benefits from that.

 

[JustWinBaby]

I cannot see why in the world you would limit a young, potentially star-type player to 28 minutes a game. Any healthy player should be able to do that. If you don't want to burn him out, keep him under 35 minutes.

I don't know why this subject always comes up as an issue. I believe the number of minutes a player plays should be flexible based on several issues and should never be set in stone.

Durant has averaged 38 minutes for his career and is averaging 37.9 this year.

Lebron has averaged over 40 minutes for his career but is down to around 35 this year.

Have these guys logged too many minutes in their career?

Are they playing too many minutes this year?

I don't think so.

I can see Bledsoe and Dragic playing around 40 minutes a night come the playoffs, if we make it. I really think the concern of players playing too many minutes is way over blown as an excuse for winning and losing. Virtually every top notch player in the NBA is around 40 minutes per night, during the early stages of their career.

Even Popovich played Duncan between 35 and 40 per night early in his career and he currently is around 28. Surely Goran and Bledsoe can play more than Timmy.

I think our players are in good hands with Hornacek making the decisions.

 

[BC867]

It isn't as simple as planning minutes per game because of the inconsistencies in scheduling, such as back-to-back's.

As I cited in the Suns-Mavs game thread (a back-to-back following the Nuggets game), the Suns had their highest scoring game of the year on the 2nd night.

Bledsoe played 37 minutes and seven other Suns (including Dragic) played between 21-32 minutes.

The night before, it was Dragic playing 40 with seven other Suns (including Bledsoe) between 21-29 minutes.

And we won both games. Seven of the eight in the rotation played between 21 and about 30 minutes each night, with our dual Point Guards taking turns with 37 and 40 minutes.

Jeff Hornacek did a great job of planning it. That philosophy also allows for playing a hot hand extra minutes without disrupting the team chemistry.

 

[Budden]

If action from around the league has taught us anything, it should be that minutes restrictions do more harm than good.

I think Mike Woodson is finally learning this with how he's handling Amar'e Stoudemire's minutes. A month ago, Amar'e looked like he was 100% done. Amar'e basically said "enough is enough" and demanded that his minutes restrictions be lifted. Since then, he's looked so much better.

Look at Steve Nash. He's had his activity restricted to the point where it appears that can't play anymore. For the Lakers, they've actually done more than what most NBA fans think is necessary - they've restricted his activity in practice. And now, he's out for another month at the earliest.


Look at Tim Duncan. Last season, he played MORE MINUTES than he had in half a decade. And he was healthier and more productive than he had been in half a decade.

ONCE AND FOR ALL: the CORRELATION between activity and health is a negative one, not a positive one. By this, I mean that the LESS activity a guy does, the MORE LIKELY he is to injure himself.

How do you watch basketball and come to any other conclusion?

 

[Errntknght]

ONCE AND FOR ALL: the CORRELATION between activity and health is a negative one, not a positive one. By this, I mean that the LESS activity a guy does, the MORE LIKELY he is to injure himself.

How do you watch basketball and come to any other conclusion?

How true, how true... it's driven home every time I see a guy sitting on the bench, then suddenly burst into screams of pain as he hyperextends his knee or breaks his arm.

 

[Catlover]

How true, how true... it's driven home every time I see a guy sitting on the bench, then suddenly burst into screams of pain as he hyperextends his knee or breaks his arm.

Simple solution. Pad the chairs on the sideline which will raise them up so the players don't have to strain as much when they stand and sit. Also, pad the players to help prevent those nasty broken arms.

 

[sunsfan88]

Jared Dudley on the difference between playing for the Suns and Clippers:

“It’s more intense here,” Dudley said. “We don’t practice a lot, but when we do, it’s no messing around and guys are focused and locked in. We always had it carefree in Phoenix. Once the ball goes up here, we’re locked and loaded.”

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...ow-builds-chemistry-los-angeles-clippers.html

So glad that we don't have Gentry or Hunter around anymore...

 

[95pro]

That style of practice doesn't seem to be working for Duds though lol

 

[AfroSuns]

So glad that we don't have Gentry or Hunter around anymore...

I think that modus operandi is more Rivers' than Gentry's.

I can only imagine Rivers and Garnett ......

 

[desertdawg]

Gotta give the guy his props!!

 

[Superbone]

Hornacek looking great so far?

I'd say so. Coach of the month, baby!

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/hornacek-named-west-coach-month

 

[sunsfan88]

Hornacek becomes first ever person to be coach of the month and player of the month for the same team!

 

[82CardsGrad]

Hornacek becomes first ever person to be coach of the month and player of the month for the same team!

 

[BC867]

I like that it squeezes Utah from Jeff's path of excellence.

'Just like interviewing for a job. They remember the first and last the best.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Hornacek becomes first ever person to be coach of the month and player of the month for the same team!

I thought that was pretty cool when it scrolled across the NBA channel's bottom line but I suspect that means that the "of the month" awards weren't around in the 60's or 70's.

Steve

 

[Suns_fan69]

Hornacek becomes first ever person to be coach of the month and player of the month for the same team!

He beat out Kidd for it!

 

[AzStevenCal]

He beat out Kidd for it!

LOL. And just in the nick of time too as I'm sure Jason is knocking on that door any month now.

Steve

 

[Superbone]

LOL. And just in the nick of time too as I'm sure Jason is knocking on that door any month now.

Steve

"Hit me."

 

[AzStevenCal]

"Hit me."

You know, that was really kind of dumb on his part. He didn't need to tell the guy to "hit me", all he had to do was steal one of his french fries.

Steve

 

[Kel Varnsen]

I'd say so. Coach of the month, baby!

http://www.nba.com/suns/news/hornacek-named-west-coach-month

That's awesome. Coaches should be eligible for the rookie of the year award, too.

 

[ProdigalSun]

http://www.nba.com/suns/gallery/suns-creep-latest-power-rankings?page=0

Latest power rankings

 

[sunsfan88]

"A lot of credit goes to Jeff. He will try to deflect it all because of who he is. He sets a tone and has a lot of credibility for the way he has carried himself through his career. He is persistent...he played a hard-nosed brand of basketball. He played in a system where standards were high in both places, Utah and Phoenix. His players have the character to respond, adjust and buy into his system and the way he wants to play. They don't have any problems or drama. They compete."

-- Gregg Popovich on Hornacek and the Suns

Quite the flowing endorsement from one of the best, maybe THE best, HC of all time

 

[Mainstreet]

Quite the flowing endorsement from one of the best, maybe THE best, HC of all time

Popovich is a great coach. Most coaches have elite players that help them win it all. I'm not saying the Spurs do not have elite talent, because they do, but I get the feeling Popovich could field a team of the walking dead and still win 50 games.

 

[sunsfan88]

Popovich is a great coach. Most coaches have elite players that help them win it all. I'm not saying the Spurs do not have elite talent, because they do, but I get the feeling Popovich could field a team of the walking dead and still win 50 games.

I feel the same. He's beaten some of the best teams even without Duncan, Ginobili and/or Parker.