A Few Minutes with KG

Rotation with Minutes

Rasheed Wallace   14  Kevin Garnett   18  Baby        16
Kendrick Perkins  28  Rasheed Wallace 14  Baby        6
Paul Pierce       32  Marquis Daniels 10  BW/TA/Baby  6
Ray Allen         30  Marquis Daniels 12  Eddie House 6
Rajon Rondo       36  Eddie House     12

Average Minutes Per Game

KG          18
Perk        28
Paul        32
Ray         30
Rondo       36
Sheed       28
Baby        24
Marquis     22
E.House     18

One response to my sky-is-falling series on KG yesterday was to suggest a scenario in which KG is healthy enough to play, but not healthy enough to play big minutes. So Doc brings him off the bench to play Walton-type minutes, 18-20.

Interesting idea.

The above chart indicates it could be done.

KG would come off the bench somewhere around the eight-minute mark of the first quarter and stay on the court for eight minutes. He'd play four more minutes in the third quarter, and then finish the game on the court, playing the last six minutes or so. The above chart also suggests Doc could go conservative with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Rasheed Wallace . . . if he was so inclined.

The other day Tanguay interviewed Sheed, and Sheed said that one reason he chose Boston is because Doc doesn't run his players into the ground. This year Doc needs to listen to his own sound bites. Not only would the health of our stars be better maintained by low minutes, but our chances for longer-term success next May and June would increase.

Now what are the chances that Doc pursues a plan of action anything like the above once the season starts? Personally, I think there is a chance KG comes off the bench even if he's healthy. There's nothing quite as deflating as watching your opponent's sixth man stroll over to the scorer's table knowing that he's better than anyone you have in your own starting lineup. On the other hand, if Doc preaches HOME COURT ADVANTAGE, and the importance of winning games to achieve it, well, I don't see him playing the stars conservative minutes and we're back to the 1980s, where KC Jones treated every regular season game like he was under siege at Vicksburg.