I'm after what is best for the Raptors long term. Jose and Bargnani on the floor till they drop is not. Davis riding the pine so Bargnani can help win games they don't need to win isn't good either. Davis is not playing well offensively but it won't get better on the bench. Davis is a guy who very few plays are set for as he works best off penetration. But Jose is allergic to the paint.
Bayless is either the future or he ain't. Not going to find out if he is playing backup minutes.
DD working exclusively in a half court set that does not suit his strengths( he has no handle whatsoever) isn't aiding his development no matter how many minutes he plays with dribble all day Calderon.
Bayless works hard, so does DD and so very much so does Davis. Thus defensively Casey can mold them. But yes the offense won't function as well because Bayless will turn the ball over far more than Jose. But he will also create opportunities for DD and Davis. Bayless is also an inconsistent chucker so again Jose this year is the better option if the goal is NOT development.
If going forward the lineup is Bayless, DD, Barnes(perhaps), Davis and JV then you give Bayless, DD and Davis minutes together.
Earn minutes? Based on what? The young guys are all very hard workers. So based on what--whether their shats go in the hoop? If they are going out there and hustling and giving it their best effort and the real goal is development then you not only reward them with more minutes but tailor the offense to suit them.
Again it's all extremely short sighted to base playing time on whether they are hot offensively.
Frankly with Casey as a new coach and BC on his last legs as GM I'm thinking they are trying to win as many games as possible even if it does not help them future wise. Casey I get as that is his job. BC, however, who has already stated that the goal is to setup for next year with JV and a high pick should get busy and remove the obstacles to that goal.
He should flip Calderon and Barbosa and then Kleiza(if he can show enough to be tradeable) and get on with development.
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