Player Spotlight: Luke Ridnour

The league operates in funny ways.

If you’re competing with another guy for a spot or for minutes, then if something ill happens towards that guy (traded, injury, suspension, etc) then you’re almost happy that it happened - in a sick, twisted way - because it means more opportunity for oneself.

Take Luke Ridnour for example.

Caught on the wrong side of a three-way PG scrum in Seattle with Delonte West and Earl Watson, Ridnour, himself a former starter, basically had his first-half of the season count for naught. Struggling with injury, and then struggling for minutes when actually healthy, it was clear that PJ Carlesimo’s drug of choice was a West/Watson rotation.

Prior to the All-Star break, Ridnour was playing less than 20 minutes per and contributing just five points and four assists, down from career averages of nine and five.

Then in mid-February, Seattle traded West to Cleveland. Ah-hah… Ridnour goes from not-sure-if-I’m-gonna-get-off-the-bench-tonight to Seattle’s backup PG.

And Ridnour, like a lot of reserves in this league, usually makes the most of an opportunity to play a lot of minutes. Since the All-Star break, he’s at around 22 minutes, eight points, four assists and exactly one spot in the rotation that is set in stone – the latter probably the most important aspect.

His 19 points in Seattle’s We’re-gonna-screw-your-playoff-chances win over Denver on Sunday night was a season high. Late in March he had a string of four straight games in double figures, something that once was considered the norm is now something to hang your hat on. Ridnour also had 15 assists in a February game in Golden State.

Moral: Take your chances when they’re there.