I'm not sure how that helps the team or his growth as a player? I get the "limited minutes" part. He only played 17 tonight which is "limited" for a guy that was starting and playing 25+ minutes. The thing about his 17 minutes is I don't remember him playing even 17 minutes good or bad which I think is actually a good thing. I remember him missing a three, that at the time seemed crucial but other than that it wasn't like games past this season that I remember him making horrible decisions/bonehead turnovers that killed the momentum and the team.
In 17 minutes he had one turnover which is really good especially against WVU as a guard. I think his biggest issue right now is confidence. He came into the season in his own mind (and a lot of fans' minds) as being the #1 or at worst the #2 scoring option on the team. For a kid his age coming off a season he was the 5th or so scoring option and the season before being out for injury that's an unrealistic expectation but it was there.
In the last two games, he has played 17 minutes against WVU and 19 against TTU and had 1 turnover combined. However, he's also only had 3 points total in the last two games as well. I feel like this team is finally establishing an identity on offense through JWood, McGusty and Odomes that teams have to game plan for. That to me should only help James if he buys into it. He can relax a little and just play. This is a team that could/should have 3-4 guys each game score 10+ a game which is exactly what they've done the last 2 games (5 guys with 10+ against WVU and 4 guys against TTU) and they've won.
James still has the ability to score (it doesn't vanish overnight) he just has to pick and choose his spots and be ready when his time comes. I for one, think he can still play a huge role for this team this year and moving forward. Moving him to "mop up" duty would be a huge mistake in my opinion.
