I like Antonio Blakeney because he’s currently scoring almost thirty points per 36 minutes. I also like him because he has a flattop and because he apparently has a bunch of childhood friends who go to the comment sections on his videos and call him “Tone”, but the main draw for me is how singularly focused he is on scoring.
The reason Hoiberg only plays this scoring prodigy fifteen minutes a game is because if he played more than that, nobody on the Bulls would ever get to shoot the ball and it would hinder their development. You could argue that nobody on the Bulls is worth developing except for Markkanen, and I would understand that, but it’s still better for team chemistry if the shots get distributed evenly and aren’t all just Blakeney isos.
It’s common for scorers who look good in small roles to regress when given a bigger role. I’m not saying Blakeney would regress, but it could happen if his minutes went up. You would see all the telltale signs of regression: his numbers would dip, his flattop would get limp and flaccid, and his skinny arms would get skinnier. Being a number one option or number two option on a bad team is not all fun and games.
That said, I want Hoiberg to try it at least a few times this season so we can see if Blakeney actually scores thirty in a game or not.