The Sixer Sense
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Allocating Minutes Per Game Can Be Difficult

By Darryl Bishop

PHILADELPHIA,PA - OCTOBER 29: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against Atlanta Hawks during a game at the Wells Fargo Center on October 29, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - OCTOBER 29: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball against Atlanta Hawks during a game at the Wells Fargo Center on October 29, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia76ers coach Brett Brown not only needs to choose a starting lineup, but also needs to set the number of minutes per game for 15 players — a difficult task.

Brett Brown has his work cut out for him, when he begins to allocate minutes per game for his superstars and other talented players. So I’ve set up a quarter by quarter minute chart to make it easier for the next Coach-of-the-year:

              1st / 3rd quarters               |
               2nd / 4th quarters
4 minutes4 minutes4 minutes |
4 minutes4 minutes4 minutes
CEmbiidEmbiidHolmes      |EmbiidHolmesEmbiid
PFSimmonsSaricSimmons   |
SaricSaricSimmons
SFCovingtonLuwawuCovington |
LuwawuCovingtonCovington
SGRedickBaylessLuwawu    |RedickBaylessRedick
PGFultzFultzMcConnell |FultzSimmonsFultz

The minutes are allocated so that our starting lineup (in bold) plays the first four and the last four minutes of each half, and at least two of our starters are on the court at all times. Likewise, one of our play makers (Ben Simmons or Markelle Fultz) is on the court at all times.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

Most teams have a basic nine-man rotation (the Philadelphia 76ers had a 9-10 man rotation in January when they went 10-5), so here’s how the total minutes/game are allocated for a ten-man rotation:

32 minutes: Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Robert Covington, Markelle Fultz

24 minutes: Dario Saric, J.J. Redick, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot

16 minutes: Richaun Holmes, Jerryd Bayless

8 minutes: T.J. McConnell

With Embiid, Simmons and Covington coming off surgeries, it is probably best to not have them play 36 minutes a night, especially in back-to-back games. Redick is 33 and should play less than the 28 minutes that he did last year. Fultz is only 19 and should not be given heavy minutes yet.

Our deep bench does have some starting experience with PF Saric (36 starts), PG Bayless (82), SF Luwawu (19), PG McConnell (68), PF Johnson (461), C Holmes(18), SG Stauskas (63), C Okafor (81) and SF Anderson (19). They will gain additional minutes due to injuries, in back-to-back games, and in blowout games.

But in certain situations, Brown might play Luwawu in the first-half and either Anderson or Stauskas in the second; or Holmes in the first-half and either Johnson or Okafor in the second-half. This would keep everybody involved in each game.

Exceptions: I would definitely put McConnell in for the last 5 seconds of every game. He is clutch in those situations. Rookie Korkmaz will be inactive during games, but will gain minutes playing for the Delaware 87ers in the G-league.

We’ll reallocate these minutes as the season progresses. The next update, will come after the preseason games.

Next: Projecting stat lines for the Sixers' starters

I’m sure Brett Brown will be impressed. What say you?

Stats are from https://www.basketball-reference.com/