DP's offical season line is that he played in 17 games, averaging 27.4 minutes and 19.5 points per minute. Very strong average of 0.71 ponts per minute.
But what about if you factor in all the time he DIDN'T play.
Over 28 games (with 11 where he didn't play at all), he averages only 16.6 minutes per game and 11.8 points. In that light, he's a 2nd round pick, not THE first pick.
As for "starter minutes", most key players are on the court 30+ minutes per game. DP has done this 8 times in 28 games.
He's played under 25 minutes 18 times (11 sit outs and 7 more low minute outings).
Now for what I hope is good news. Since he was a surprise no-go vs AZ and including the mystery early out vs. OSU, over the past 4 games, he's averaging 26 minutes (stilll a little low, but inlcudes 18 mins at OSU) and 16 ppg. That's still a very healthy .61 points per minute.
Bottom line, EVERYONE wins if he turns it up for the last 3 games. He can quiet the critics if he can play 30-ish minutes per game and at 0.61 ppm, that's 18 points per game which is very healthy. Add in the fact that the team can get used to playing with him more, it's a good finish for us.
I also like that we played on Monday this week, maximizing the time we have to work on things prior to the @AZ game where they have one less day to prep.Every little advanage helps.
