luckymcd wrote:

phil95 wrote:

JJ, Acuff, & Okani have all suffered from KD's bizarro substitution patterns & musical lineups.

None of these guys was going to be a star this season but, it is hard to flourish & grow if there is no consistency in these matters. There is no way that these guys are confident about understanding their roles & responsibilities.

Yes I certainly agree. Coming into the season Acuff seemed like he was going to be not only a starter, but the on-court leader of the team. He started well, but lost more and more opportunities to Spears and Johnson as the year went on. Then he started slumping, which was my reason for concern. Again hopefully the VCU game can get him settled back in.

Okani also seemed like he would be a big player this year, but has never really gotten the opportunity to do so. He’s played well for the most part in a minor role. His length, athleticism, and hustle check off boxes that we are sorely lacking in. Still he went half a season without getting the kind of minutes he’s earned. VCU was just the third time all year he played 30 minutes and the first since Colorado 2 1/2 months ago. He’s 4th on the team in rebounds, 4th in steals, and 3rd in blocks but has only played the 7th most minutes.

I'd like to see Okani on the floor most of the time as well. He works hard and has great athleticism.  
I think he needs to focus primarily on rebounding and defending.  He needs to play around the hoop getting put backs and dunks.  I have no confidence in his jump shot and ball handling.  If he focusses on a Dennis Rodman like role I think he could be a huge asset to this team.  This is meant as a compliment to Toby - I want to see him do what he does well.