Lamont Paris shares why Josh Gray hasn't played much this season
With more talent on this year’s roster, it’s been hard for some players to play big minutes. The most notable suffering from this has been Josh Gray.
After starting in 15 games last year, Gray has seen his role drastically dwindle. He didn’t see any time on the floor in South Carolina’s win over Elon last Friday.
The 7-foot forward hasn’t played double-digit minutes since Nov. 17 against DePaul. So why is that?
“I looked the other day, I think we’ve got 11 guys that played in every single game that they’ve been available to play in,” head coach Lamont Paris said. “And a lot of guys are playing double figures minutes. And so, it can be difficult to maintain that, particularly in that position.”
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While Gray is averaging 5.8 minutes played per game, 10 other players are playing more than 10 minutes per game. To really put it into perspective, he’s been playing as much as Eli Sparkman, who ended up getting into the game on Friday.
Part of the problem is that Gray hasn’t been super effective this season. That might be due to a lack of minutes. But he’s known to be a big rebounder as he averaged 6.3 rebounds per game last year. Now this year, he hasn’t sniffed double figures.
On top of that, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk has taken steps forward in his game, thus earning more minutes over Gray.
“I think honestly, what you’re looking for is consistency at something, whether that’s being a shot blocker, low post scorer, an incredible help defender,” Paris said. “I think there’s a lot of different things that you can do, and we’ve been searching for consistency. That’s why some games he has played more. That’s why some games Ben hasn’t played as much.
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“And in recent days, Ben has been more consistent in practice — he has. He’s been a consistent piece of what’s going on in practice. And so that’s been reflected in his minutes. And then while he’s been out there in those minutes he’s performed.”
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For clarification, Paris says “it’s nothing against Josh at all.” He’s simply playing the players who are performing, which is fair. Bosmans-Verdonk played 21 minutes on Friday, finishing with four points and five rebounds.
“We’re just constantly searching for a high level of consistency, but Josh can’t lose his way either,” Paris said. “Josh has been a vital part of what we were doing last year and played a huge role in some good wins.”
But Paris made it clear there’s still a chance for Gray to earn more time on the floor. As South Carolina heads into SEC play next month, the competition only gets harder, especially in the paint. That’s where Gray could find his minutes as a guy with experience against the best big men the conference has to offer.
“There’s going to be a significant role for Josh. We’re going to need Josh,” Paris said. “While he’s continuing to try to improve and be more consistent, he could still get out there and help us win this particular game or that particular game. And so, he just can’t lose his way that way. He’s got to stay focused and positive and know that I as well as his teammates value his role.”
