The other thing is, we did that exact thing with Darko.  Obviously the circumstances are a bit different and being able to crack the rotation.  But I think it led to a bit of Darko’s play, not having played and everyone just “waiting” on him.   He didn’t think there was no “rush” because he wasn’t going to crack the lineup.  Now, playing for LB vs. Frank is different, but you raise the bar.

Finally, this is their job.  You start a new job as a fresh employee or new grad, businesses don’t “wait” for you to catch up.  That’s the reason they hired you, to step in and get moving.  If you’re not playing this or that guy right now because he “might” hurt you, what’s to say he won’t “hurt” you later down the road.  Now, with NFL blocking schemes, calls, etc., your left tackle better know what’s going on or your QB will get killed.  I understand that, but that’s the exception.

We’re NOT a play or missed rebound away from winning a chip.  Errors will happen.  I’d rather have them learned in the first quarter than become evident in the 4th.

Finally, play Drummond.  Monroe & Knight are young enough to be able to relate to Drummond about staying late, arriving early, off-season workouts, etc.  Having Knight or Monroe bark at Drummond on the way down the court will do more for us as a team and for Drummond as a player than either Frank or Prince doing the same.  If Knight and Monroe are the leaders we belive them to be, it will work itself out.  If not, then we were wrong about knight/monroe more than Frank.

Did I forget to mention to play Drummond?  He’ll adjust his game, and more importantly learn to adjust his game by playing (i.e., officials, the speed, etc.)  There’s NEVER been a way to imitate in practice, regardless of the sport, game speed.  Calling TO in practice to go over a missed assignment pales in comparison to barking at someone during the game. 

“We’re talking about practice?”

Some players think that they can just go in the game and get 20 points a night.  Aside from those extremely physically gifted athletes, nobody can do that, not without chucking up a crap load of shots.  And those extremely physically gifted athletes didn’t just get that way by eating Wheaties in the morning and going to mandatory practice.  They put in the extra time to go to the gym and lift, to get up extra shots, to run long distances to build endurance, and to learn the playbook.

If you have players on a team that aren’t willing to put in the work out of the actual game, then you shouldn’t want those players on your team.  You want players who want to be better and put in the extra work to do so, especially if they’re behind.  That’s what the point was of his message.

But I can see the flip side also.  Andre Drummond needs to learn to block out better.  You can practice and preach that some in practice, but if he needs more help, because of his vast potential, you may need to push him.  There’s a fine line.  It’s not all Frank’s responsibility, but it partly is. 

I’m all for rigid “systems” when they work. Dumars’ hasn’t. It’s time he made some ch-ch-changes — turn and face the strain.

The young players that were kept on the bench in favor of the likes of Damien Wilkins are 1) a big man that is currently no longer in the NBA, 2) an undersized stretch four who shot nearly twenty-three percent from the field and provided little else,  and (if we’re counting Walker Russell) 3) a 30 year old point guard that similarly could not shoot the rock.

Conversely, Gren Monroe played thirty-one minutes a game last year and the rookie guard Brandon Knight played thirty-two.  Jonas Jerebko played nearly twenty-three minutes a game and Rodney Stuckey played around thirty minutes a game, and likely would have played more had he not been so oft-injured.

You’re really going to go after Lawrence Frank for keeping young players on the bench last year?