EAST LANSING -- Draymond Green plays roughly 33 minutes a game for No. 10 Michigan State. This is more than his coach would like. And even though Tom Izzo uses 10 players a game and spreads his minutes throughout his roster, reducing Green's minutes is a priority he hasn't been able to figure out.
Partly this is due to the senior co-captain's versatility. He is technically a power forward and often guards the four-man on defense. His most suitable substitute is Alex Gauna, who is 2 inches taller and has shooting range like Green.
Gauna can't defend or rebound like Green. But that's beside the point. Izzo just wants to give Green a longer blow each half.
"Just when I'm ready to sub him with Gauna, (the opponent goes) real small. And then I can't have a four-man guard that (a forward who) is 6-4," Izzo said.
When teams go small, he has thought about using Branden Dawson at power forward -- Dawson is 6-feet-6 and plenty athletic to check smaller forwards. But he worries that the freshman has enough to study learning the small-forward position.
"I haven't yet wanted to put BJ in there, because I just don't want to go through the big change for him," Izzo said.
Limiting Green's minutes isn't the only rotation concern Izzo has. For two months. he has wanting to shorten his rotation, too. On Saturday, however, when MSU beat Purdue, Izzo used 11 players -- one more than normal.
During his news conference Monday he said he was resigned "to the fact that I'm probably never going to get it solidified."
He wants to find more minutes for Russell Byrd. And Brandan Kearney. And Gauna, because, Izzo said, "every time we've put him in he's done some good things. (He) probably deserves a few more minutes."
Izzo remembers Paterno: The first time Izzo went to a Big Ten meeting as MSU's coach, Joe Paterno helped him.
"He really took me under his wing," Izzo said. "He knew I loved football. He also knew I was Italian."
Izzo said he was saddened Sunday when he heard the former Penn State football coach had died of complications from lung cancer. Paterno was fired in November, amid a child sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Izzo said he loved Paterno and that the two talked occasionally. Paterno would come watch MSU play when the Spartans visited State College, Pa. And he called Izzo when he made the Final Four.
"Can't say I had a great relationship with him ... but (we were) in Chicago a couple times together, and he'd take you out to eat," Izzo said. "I could listen to stories until 4 in the morning. Some of them were about guys that I idolized that I thought were a lot older than him."
Izzo said he knew the past few months were tumultuous for Paterno and his family.
"I sure hope we admire and respect him for his body of work, because what he did for so many coaches ... I don't know a coach that didn't like him. That's impossible.
"I don't know if we will ever know what went on, but Joe Paterno, it almost seemed like he was the one involved in it, and he wasn't. But I know this, if I had a son that could play for a guy ... (or if) I could work for a guy ... he would definitely be at the top of that list."
Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com.
MSU basketball beat writer Shawn Windsor will answer your questions in a live chat at 3 p.m. Wednesday at freep.com/sports.
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