To Play or Not To Play: Are Sahvir Wheeler's Reduced Minutes a Sign of What's to Come?
LEXINGTON, Ky. —From the first few games of the regular season onward, there has been a polarizing discussion surrounding who the primary ball-handler should be for the Kentucky Wildcats.
After leading the SEC in assists for the second year in a row in the 2021-22 campaign, point guard Sahvir Wheeler returned for a second season in Lexington, poised to lead the charge for the Cats.
The Georgia transfer tallied 10.1 points and 6.9 assists-per-game while being named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award a year ago, so how has it reached the point in 2023 that half of Big Blue Nation is clamoring for him to ride the pine for as long as possible?
Well, a diaper dandy came along. Superstar freshman Cason Wallace was quickly labeled with expectations of being one of those coach John Calipari guards, having the potential to be a takeover talent that could lead the UK backcourt's offensive attack alongside Oscar Tshiebwe, then heading to the NBA draft after a quick year in Lexington.
Wallace has — for the most part — lived up to the hype, averaging 11.3 PPG, 3.7 APG, 3.4 rebounds-per-game and a pair of steals a night. He's firmly on track to hearing his name called in the first round of the 2023 draft. As he's continued to perform at a high level, more and more people have begun wondering why its Wheeler (31) averaging more minutes than Wallace (30).
It's not that Wheeler hasn't done himself any disservice, as he's still providing 8.9 PPG and a team-best 6.1 APG. There just happens to be a clearly successful group of five that work best on the court for UK, and he isn't apart of it.
With Kentucky on the ropes in the second half against Georgia on Tuesday night, Calipari opted to keep Wheeler on the bench in favor of a lineup consisting of Wallace, CJ Fredrick, Antonio Reeves, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe. It would be that group that helped UK eventually pull away, winning 85-71.
Wheeler was returning from injury, as he did not play in the Wildcats' win over Tennessee last Saturday due to a left shoulder ailment. He didn't return to his usual place in the starting lineup against the Bulldogs, though he was cleared and available to play. In 10 first-half minutes, Wheeler didn't score, but he did have three assists, a rebound and a steal. UK played poor as a unit and entered the locker room down 42-34.
Wallace played just nine minutes in the half, as he picked up two personal fouls in the same UGA possession, leading to a mixture of Wheeler and even freshman Adou Thiero running the point for a couple of possessions. Calipari would opt for Wallace to open the second half, but not Wheeler.
It would remain that way until Wallace picked up his third foul, giving his backcourt mate a chance to shine. The opposite would occur, as Wheeler quickly turned the ball over, leading to a Georgia bucket. Just that one sequence was all Calipari needed to see to yank Wheeler back to the bench — on his birthday, no less. Wallace returned and played the rest of the game, scoring 17 points on 7-11 shooting, while Wheeler never came back in, heading home with zero points, three assists and two turnovers.
"The game just dictated to me this is how you've got to play this. It's not brain surgery. We were all watching the same thing," Calipari said postgame about not playing Wheeler or Thiero much in the second half.
The aforementioned lineup that doesn't include Wheeler has been one that much of BBN have been yearning for — and the statistics back it up.
Evan Miyakawa showcased a stat after the win on Tuesday, explaining just how well Kentucky is doing with that group of five on the floor.
Per Miyakawa, "Adjusted Team Efficiency Margin adjusts for the quality of opposition faced by a lineup, down to the individual opposing players, on every possession." Essentially, this lineup is excelling against stout defenses for the Wildcats.
If you're a plus-minus fan, Wallace earned a plus-22 in the win over the Bulldogs, while Wheeler finished at minus-9, further driving home the point.
The case for Wheeler isn't helped when you add in that Wallace played just eight minutes in the loss against South Carolina, leaving the game due to back spasms. He then helped will his team to victory against the Volunteers in Knoxville with a bad back, all while Wheeler wasn't an option available to fall back to.
There's zero denial that Wheeler is a more-than-serviceable option to run the point for UK. It just may be a case of his play-style not meshing well with this group of players, while Wallace and the addition of two shooters — Fredrick and Reeves — on the floor at the same time yields better results.
Wheeler isn't the PG that should play 40 minutes a game, but he also isn't someone who should only get in for mop-up duty. The actual answer for what his role on this edition of Kentucky should be is somewhere in-between.
Calipari made a clear point on Tuesday: Wheeler's minutes as a starter are no longer a formality.
More on the big win over the Bulldogs here.
CJ Fredrick has emerged as a necessary leader for Kentucky. More HERE.
More on Ian Jackson's commitment to North Carolina HERE.
More on how a players-only meeting shifted Kentucky's momentum HERE.
John Calipari found vindication in Kentucky's victory over the Volunteers. More HERE.
Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.
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