Michigan State Basketball: 3 players who should be getting more minutes
After a 10-7 start to the season, there’s a feeling that a few players deserve more minutes to turn Michigan State basketball around.
Tom Izzo has had a forgettable season thus far. His Spartans are just 10-7 overall and 4-7 in conference play, sitting in 10th place in the Big Ten. He has also struggled to find the right lineups in certain situations in conference play which many blame for a couple of losses against Purdue and even Wisconsin.
Riding a two-game winning streak, Michigan State needs to figure out which lineups work and which players need to be cut from the deep rotation.
It seems like Izzo has had a tough time trimming down the rotation this season with 10 guys getting at least 10 minutes per game and 12 getting more than five minutes. That’s unusual for an Izzo-coached team and that may be why there are so many struggles.
Which three players should see their minutes increase, taking from some less productive rotational pieces moving forward?
OK, hear me out on this one. I get that Rocket Watts has been struggling this season and he’s already averaging just under 22 minutes per game, but much of his game is based on confidence and when Tom Izzo doesn’t let him see the floor a healthy amount or pulls him after mistakes, that just messes with that mojo.
Need proof?
Look no further than the start of the season. He struggled in the opener, shooting just 1-for-6 with two points in 23 minutes and Izzo gave him 20 minutes again the following game and he finished with 13 and got back on track. He then played at least 25 minutes over the next three games and averaged over 17 points per game with a couple of 20-point games.
Since that stretch, his minutes have decreased and he has only recorded 10 points just one time. He needs minutes in order to build confidence and right now, he’s not getting that. He’s played less than 20 minutes in five of the last eight games.
Want a confident Rocket? Play him more to get him out of this slump.