One Way Geno Can Solve the "Minutes" Problem

[JoePgh]

There seems to be general agreement on this board with the view (which I share) that Geno's biggest problem this year will be finding minutes for all the talented and motivated players on the roster. It seems to me that there is one way that he can solve that, which actually might work.

The players nearer to the end of this year's bench, by most reckonings, are the following:

Kyla Irwin
Molly Bent
Andra Espinosa-Hunter
Lexi Gordon
Mikayla Coombs (borderline)
Megan Walker (very borderline)

Proposal: Designate this group as the "Chaos Monkeys", whose role is to come in at 6-8 minute intervals and play two minutes of full-court-press, two-on-the-ball craziness. If it works as planned, they won't play much half-court offense or even half-court defense; ideally they will produce turnovers and play at a pace that no opponent can match, especially if the opponent has just spent 5 to 6 minutes contending with the "real" team and its precise sets. The regular team will also play at a faster pace than most opponents, but nothing like what this band of hombres can produce if they only do it for a couple of minutes before returning to the bench.

If the Chaos Monkeys can just score as many points as they give up, they will contribute to victory by wearing down the opponent -- who will not have nearly enough talent off its own bench to retaliate in kind.

This kind of play would put a premium on these players' assets: speed, energy, and athleticism -- while making minimal demands for precision or discipline. They would offer a few minutes of Paul Westhead basketball to contrast with the standard Geno approach used by the regulars.

It would certainly get these players involved, with a role that they can take pride in, that allows them to feel that they are making their own special contribution to the team's success.

 

[SVCBeercats]

"Chaos Monkeys"

Dude!? You could not conceive of a better nickname? Try again.

By the way Geno does not solve the so-called minutes problem. The players solve it. His and his coaches' trust will be earned by the players. Hopefully, at least 8 will be trusted players. He has four locks in Phee, Lou, Gabby, and Kia. Z, Danger, and Batouly appear to be near locks. So who will be #8? Nine would be nice. Walker? Will the new lean mean Kyla emerge? Who knows? It will be fun to watch the trust form.

 

[pinotbear]

 

[Vowelguy]

1) As noted above, there is no minutes problem.
2) Geno does not subscribe to the "hockey line" substitution pattern.

Players who exhibit the required level of effort and talent in practice will play. The rest will get mop up time. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[Huskee11]

I doubt Geno will do this. To my knowledge he has never used that approach before. He also requires players to earn minutes in practice and some will, some won`t. So, treating them all as a single unit would run counter to the earned minutes approach. Also, the drop off in talent from such havoc wreckers like Nurse and Williams would probably be welcomed by the opposition.

I am confident, or at least hopeful, that they will play an up tempo, full court, pressing game with the luxury of a deep bench. However, I see Geno doing this by going nine or possibly ten deep, for the most part at least. They better be in good enough shape to do this.

We shall see!

Dude!? You could not conceive of a better nickname? Try again.

FYI, San Antono Spurs a couple of years ago called their second unit - Ginobili, Mills, Diaw, Simmons and West - the "Juice Unit".

 

[Monte]

Dude!? You could not conceive of a better nickname? Try again.

By the way Geno does not solve the so-called minutes problem. The players solve it. His and his coaches' trust will be earned by the players. Hopefully, at least 8 will be trusted players. He has four locks in Phee, Lou, Gabby, and Kia. Z, Danger, and Batouly appear to be near locks. So who will be #8? Nine would be nice. Walker? Will the new lean mean Kyla emerge? Who knows. It will be fun to watch the trust form.

Rightfully so, that the players will decide how many minutes they play. The players who do NOT give their "all" in practice and game situations will descend down the scale to fewer minutes played.

 

[CL82]

Well I think it is a great idea. You should email it to Coach Auriemma. He's always looking for new ideas and I am sure he'll appreciate the help.

 

[pacific 44]

Chaotic juice monkey units?

 

[Sonny44]

There seems to be general agreement on this board with the view (which I share) that Geno's biggest problem this year will be finding minutes for all the talented and motivated players on the roster. It seems to me that there is one way that he can solve that, which actually might work.

The players nearer to the end of this year's bench, by most reckonings, are the following:

Kyla Irwin
Molly Bent
Andra Espinosa-Hunter
Lexi Gordon
Mikayla Coombs (borderline)
Megan Walker (very borderline)

Proposal: Designate this group as the "Chaos Monkeys", whose role is to come in at 6-8 minute intervals and play two minutes of full-court-press, two-on-the-ball craziness. If it works as planned, they won't play much half-court offense or even half-court defense; ideally they will produce turnovers and play at a pace that no opponent can match, especially if the opponent has just spent 5 to 6 minutes contending with the "real" team and its precise sets. The regular team will also play at a faster pace than most opponents, but nothing like what this band of hombres can produce if they only do it for a couple of minutes before returning to the bench.

If the Chaos Monkeys can just score as many points as they give up, they will contribute to victory by wearing down the opponent -- who will not have nearly enough talent off its own bench to retaliate in kind.

This kind of play would put a premium on these players' assets: speed, energy, and athleticism -- while making minimal demands for precision or discipline. They would offer a few minutes of Paul Westhead basketball to contrast with the standard Geno approach used by the regulars.

It would certainly get these players involved, with a role that they can take pride in, that allows them to feel that they are making their own special contribution to the team's success.

Positively brilliant!

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Entertainingly nutty!

 

[RogueDave]

1999-2000 Team used 10 players consistently, so there is a precident for having a big rotation...

 

[Fairfield Fan]

UNC coach Dean Smith had a group of five players he called his "Tall Blue Team." He substituted all five at one time. And only once during the season did that group of five come out of the game without either maintaining the score or widening the team's lead. The one time they lost ground was to Maryland, and UNC lost the game.

Coach Geno could do that. The problem is that he doesn't have a proper front court with that group, so he's vulnerable if he takes out both Gabby and Z. Even more so if Napheesa goes out.

So the team is heavy on guards, but still vulnerable if Z gets in foul trouble, or leaves against a big and talented team.

 

[JordyG]

Well I expect Geno to press most of the game on made baskets as it is, second unit or not, since he has the personnel. I expect more of a transition game than last year. Also no matter the bench size come Waltz Weeks he's going to shorten that bench to no more than 8. The way he likes it and as usual.

1999-2000 Team used 10 players consistently, so there is a precident for having a big rotation...

An anomalous year. A freshman or 2 would have to really come on. Right now I don't see it.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Chaos Monkey Bread

 

[EricLA]

I think it's a clever idea. Will Geno employ it? Probably not the way you envisioned, but hey, it's a good subject to discuss. The main reason I suspect we won't see something like what you mentioned is because not only has Geno always given playing time based on practice effort/results, but also because throughout the course of the year, with a team this large, I bet on any given game day there will be at least 1 and may be 2 players in the "doghouse".

We've often seen it in the past where we speculated why one player or another did not get more PT. We usually don't get the insight as to who's in the doghouse, and while we usually can guess why, we don't know for sure. No one is immune - even Molly was in the DH last year.

On game days, with one or more players potentially in the DH, it becomes more likely he will play even blowouts with no more than 8-9 players bringing in the bench reserves at the 4-8 minute mark in the 4th quarter.

Having said that, I do expect much more active defense that will try trapping, pressing, harassing, and generally forcing the issue for other teams when they try to run their offense. I'd love to see a game where we pressed for a good 30 minutes out of the 40 (and not in a blowout - against a good team)...

 

[wire chief]

Lose those references to simians. Just recall the Howard Cosell flap, and it should be obvious why.

 

[JordyG]

Lose those references to simians. Just recall the Howard Cosell flap, and it should be obvious why.

Plainly. For that matter Rick Barry's and Jimmy The Greek's.

 

[Vowelguy]

UNC coach Dean Smith had a group of five players he called his "Tall Blue Team." He substituted all five at one time.

Coach Geno could do that.

And yet in 30+ seasons he never has. But yeah sure, he's going to change his entire coaching philosophy this season.

Let me know how that prediction works out.

 

[CocoHusky]

In addition to the many good reasons not to ever do this that already have been pointed out your assumption that requires it minimal demands for precision or discipline" is a very poor assumption. It takes great discipline and precision to create chaos on a basketball court against the high caliber teams that UCONN plays. Any players who gets a scholarship to play basketball at UCONN could likely play just as much or more at many other school so it would be hard to imagine any UCONN player taking pride in something that requires no discipline or precision.

 

[JordyG]

And yet in 30+ seasons he never has. But yeah sure, he's going to change his entire coaching philosophy this season.

Let me know how that prediction works out.

Just got home and you beat me to this very same reply. We can't expect Geno to suddenly play Doug Bruno ball just because. Yeah as I said, I expect a faster paced game: More of a transition game, more trapping, pressing after more made baskets against more teams deep into games. I also expect him to continue to play a switching defense. On offense he's going to play hi/lo with Gabby up high, Collier up high and AZ at the high post and all three down low as well, with KLS occasionally under the basket. AZ's going to bring them up high and dribble to the post when the defense comes out. Offensively this team is a match up nightmare in the half court, and this team can fly in transition when Crystal Dangerfield, Gabby and Kia are in the game with KLS, AZ and Collier as trailers. Tough to defend.

 

[hoophuskee]

UNC coach Dean Smith had a group of five players he called his "Tall Blue Team." He substituted all five at one time. And only once during the season did that group of five come out of the game without either maintaining the score or widening the team's lead. The one time they lost ground was to Maryland, and UNC lost the game.

Coach Geno could do that. The problem is that he doesn't have a proper front court with that group, so he's vulnerable if he takes out both Gabby and Z. Even more so if Napheesa goes out.

So the team is heavy on guards, but still vulnerable if Z gets in foul trouble, or leaves against a big and talented team.

I remember a game on National TV Dean Smith doing this vs Indiana- and Indiana killed it. Smith immediately pulled his 2nd team. The reason why you don't see elite teams with superstars do it - because overall in this era it is such an awful idea.

 

[hoophuskee]

I really don't understand what this infatuation is with a full-court 40 minute press. We're the same fans that despise teams that deliberately run up scores on over-matched opponents. And now that we're going to be obscenely filled with stars and deep - there is talk of running up the score by pressing even more? As if four all-Americans, Kia Nurse and elite recruits on the bench isn't enough? We want to cram it further down the over-matched opponent’s throat? SO they are going to improve a lot by beating SMU 120-35?

With that said, in no real world type of game are you going to use the last players on the bench while the all-Americans sit in a close game unless it is senior night and the last players on the bench are seniors and the game just started.

It is such an awful decision on so many levels that it’s extremely difficult to put it down on paper. Bottom-line is—we want to sit our great all-Americans so we can give Molly Bent, Kyla Irwin, and the 3/4/5 freshmen more minutes vs a top team? Are you kidding?

BTW, if that strategy is ever employed, see how many other top 5 recruits come to your school. I’m sure they are going to love the game that the 3rd string bench blows the lead while they sit in a nationally televised game. We've heard how our past elite players -- all great kids I might add (I WILL ADD)- DELIBERATELY have missed a free throw so they can stay in the game-- and yet now there is even a mention of having the super players sit - on National TV vs a bench player? Are you kidding? So the elite all-american isn't in a groove yet after 4 minutes so then you yank her before she can get in a groove and replace her with eventually a 3rd string player that she regularly wipes out daily in practices? Are you kidding?

**The best way to solve the minutes problem is to play your best players and see if others on the bench can earn minutes instead of inventing some hockey approach to a game in which in basketball the superstars and hot players and athleticism and fundamentals dominate. Putting in less athletic, less fundamental, less skilled players and for the most part less experienced players is NOT the answer.

 

[meyers7]

Well I think it is a great idea. You should email it to Coach Auriemma. He's always looking for new ideas and I am sure he'll appreciate the help.

Haven't you learned yet? You gotta use a or a . Posters on here do not pick up real quick.

 

[SVCBeercats]

1999-2000 Team used 10 players consistently, so there is a precident for having a big rotation...

Yes there is - lots of trusted talent.

 

[JoePgh]

Lose those references to simians. Just recall the Howard Cosell flap, and it should be obvious why.

I won't attempt to reply to most of the points made in this thread. It appears that the mere suggestion has created discomfort and possibly chaos in some posters' emotional well-being.

However, let me comment on the use of the term "Chaos Monkey". In the software world, that is actually becoming a well-known term. It started when a prominent firm with a web site whose name you would all recognize decided to test the resiliency of its service by creating software (called by that name) that would, at random, take down servers that were supporting its site. (The site was and is generating millions of dollars of revenue per hour.) The idea was to make sure (by actual demonstration) that the site as a whole was resilient enough to withstand the abrupt and unplanned outage of some of its servers. At first, it wasn't, but the experiment forced the software developers and engineers to make it sturdy enough that the Chaos Monkey software couldn't disrupt it. Now that software is a standard part of its service, and other companies are using the same model for the same purpose.

The UConn women's team has "servers" on which they depend heavily -- this year named Lou, Pheesa, Gabby, and Kia. Is UConn's basketball team resilient enough to withstand the temporary outage of one or more of those "servers"? Chaos Monkey could prove whether or not that is the case.