Quick survey question(s).

How many practice minutes would you assign to a particular category when you "needed" rapid improvement while also "needing" to practice in several other categories?  For example, with 80 minutes of practice time and needing to put minutes into at least 5, would you go above 30 minutes?  40 minutes?  More?

Does it matter what the category is?

For what it's worth, I'm asking because I currently have players set to 34, 35, and 38 minutes ... and questioning whether I'm anywhere close to giving too many.  Each player needs minutes in 5 categories and one needs a bit of SH and I have 86 minutes to dish out.  I'm thinking of going over 40 but don't know if it is worth doing.

nah, if you have 5 categories that you need 8 minutes or more in, I probably wouldn't do more than 30.  What are the WEs on the kids in question?  Higher WEs (i.e. >60) you can certainly get by with lesser minutes, esp. if they have high potential.

The old Admin (Tarek) put out info one time that anything over 25 minutes in a category would start to have diminishing returns.  Of course, that was several years ago and with Seble taking over that may have changed.  Still, if you have that many categories that need minutes, you're probably better spreading them out just a bit more.  Just my opinion....

I think there are still diminishing returns, but that doesn't necessarily negate the value of additional minutes, it just dilutes it some. If I have other stuff to develop too I usually stop at 30 or so though - depending on how serious I am about the other 4 things...if they were all high pot I might go 12, 12, 12, 12, 32

when did this change? I've still been going off the 20-25 minute model for diminsihing returns.

I go up to 30 fairly often.  The only time I go over that is when they've maxed in other areas and I have minutes to blow.  25 is my general limit when there's no particular reason to bump up a category faster than the others though.

Interesting responses.  I thought maybe I wasn't giving enough ... it sounds like I'm giving too much.

Here are the players.  I'm not showing this to say "I'm right and you guys are wrong".  Just to know if seeing the actual examples changes things any.  I'm not going to bother with one of the three players that I have 30+.  With what I know of his potential, I don't really have questions.  But the other two have me a bit perplexed about the correct strategy and that is why I created the thread.

Jess Youngblood -- 21 games into Junior season
Athleticism - 71
Speed - 86 (low)
Rebounding - 12
Defense - 59 (low)
Shot Blocking - 10 (maxed)
Low-post - 1 (maxed)
Perimeter - 71 (high)
Ball Handling - 75
Passing - 79
Work Ethic - 52
Stamina - 88
Durability - 37 (maxed)
FT Shooting - C (low)

I'm giving Youngblood 34 minutes in PER.  He is almost ready to start his senior season and he still is high potential in the category

Peter Buttrey -- 21 games in Freshman season
3.3 GPA
Athleticism - 63
Speed - 25 (high)
Rebounding - 59 (high)
Defense - 59
Shot Blocking - 44 (maxed)
Low-post - 17 (high)
Perimeter - 14
Ball Handling - 16 (high)
Passing - 11 (high)
Work Ethic - 50
Stamina - 65
Durability - 65
FT Shooting - C-

I'm giving Buttrey 35 minutes in low post.  The category is high-high.  He probably doesn't end up with a rating that is much more than 45-50 but I'll be kicking myself if it could have been a lot more.  Since the category started at 11, the growth has been extremely slow this season.  I've only upped his minutes to 35 over the past week, prior to that it was 22.  I'm not even bothering to give minutes to ball handling and passing even though I wish I could.

looks good to me - makes me even more upset that I didnt get Youngblood (although you might not even have known I was recruiting him - not sure I ever showed...)

I guess I do it the opposite...once I max a category, I drop it to zero and then spend elsewhere.  By their sr season, I have 1 or 2 categories over 25-30 until those max out as well.  I just don't like the thought of the diminishing returns possibly making me leave points on the table down the road.

Posted by udm_mike on 7/8/2012 9:32:00 PM (view original):
I guess I do it the opposite...once I max a category, I drop it to zero and then spend elsewhere.  By their sr season, I have 1 or 2 categories over 25-30 until those max out as well.  I just don't like the thought of the diminishing returns possibly making me leave points on the table down the road.

That's what I do.

Posted by Trentonjoe on 7/8/2012 9:37:00 PM (view original):

Posted by udm_mike on 7/8/2012 9:32:00 PM (view original):
I guess I do it the opposite...once I max a category, I drop it to zero and then spend elsewhere.  By their sr season, I have 1 or 2 categories over 25-30 until those max out as well.  I just don't like the thought of the diminishing returns possibly making me leave points on the table down the road.

That's what I do.

Yep.

udm_mike -- I'm confused about what you mean on "do it the opposite".  What would that be.  I get the rest of your post but that part ... not so much.

What you're doing with Youngblood sounds about right to me-- I think he'd be anywhere between 30-40 on PER for me, depending on speed of other growth.

For Buttrey, I think it very much depends on where you are going to use him. If he's playing PF or C, I'm likely zeroing out BH/PA (or putting them low, anyway) and building his REB/DEF/LP a lot. If you're going to use him at SF, you need fewer minutes in more categories. Also depends on the shape of the rest of your roster, to some extent. (Do you ever NEED him to be a scorer for you?)