THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: Help needed, or is it in Zags rotation already?

Are we seeing the first hint of change with the Zags?

Maybe.

You almost have to watch every minute, follow every screen, check every defensive switch — and definitely note every substitution — to guess what’s going on in the minds of Mark Few and his staff.

Over the past few games, however, what appeared to be a decent but not-quite-special team (and sometimes a disjointed one at that) has seemed to acquire the look of a group heading upward.

That observation, remember, is based on Gonzaga’s almost impossibly high bar of yearly success and national prominence.

Consider …

This untested team, having lost point guard Andrew Nembhard and all-world rim protector Chet Holmgren to the NBA, was ranked No. 2 in the AP’s preseason poll.

Now, 11 games in (with three losses and an exhibition whipping from Tennessee already on the ledger), that early projection appears to have been based pretty much entirely on Gonzaga’s reputation — and the return of elite scorer Drew Timme.

If the Zags truly are finding something of a comfort level these days, not to mention looking as though they MIGHT be competitive at the game’s loftiest levels, that notion will be tested soon enough.

GONZAGA travels south on Saturday for a rematch with No. 4-ranked Alabama (9-1), the team that basically overwhelmed the Zags last year in Seattle.

Except ..

Although the Tide are slowly bringing guard Jahvon Quinerly back into the fray after he blew out his knee in the NCAA tournament, they’ve unleashed a super freshman on the hoops universe.

Brandon Miller, a graceful 6-9 do-it-all forward who has drawn comparisons to a young Kevin Durant, is averaging 18.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game — and he’s carried the Tide during the rare times that things have gotten dicey.

Miller thew in 24 points Tuesday night as Alabama outlasted Memphis 91-88 in Tuscaloosa.

If that sounds like the Tide can struggle occasionally, consider that they also have a road win at Houston, which spent time as the top-ranked team in the country.

So …

Are the Zags developed enough after their brutal early schedule (Alabama will be their sixth ranked opponent) to take on the mega-talented Tide in Birmingham?

A looming issue …

Plenty of Gonzaga junkies are anxious to know if Few is willing to juggle the lineup that started the season — and which has driven plenty of fans to frustration.

If the emails I see are any indication, there is considerable discontent surrounding young point guard Nolan Hickman and senior forward Anton Watson.

Few has shown no indication to cut either’s playing time — even though Hickman’s series of wild turnovers directly cost the Zags a 64-63 loss to Baylor, and Watson still can’t run or dribble in anything but a straight line.

Hickman has improved, and Watson remains a savvy guy who isn’t quick or athletic — but knows the game and gets into good positions.

Sometimes.

Interestingly, Few has shown that he’ll go to a lineup containing steady transfer Malachi Smith and defensive whiz Hunter Sallis when it’s time to close out games.

Smith is a strong, calm character who’s shot 46 percent from behind the arc, and Sallis has completely reworked a funky shooting stroke to become a serious offensive threat.

Yes, and finally …

Sophomore Ben Gregg, who has become bigger (6-10), stronger and smoother with every passing week, gives the Zags skill, toughness and energy up front.

As much as Gonzaga fans love hometown hero Watson, there is a growing groundswell behind the idea of letting Gregg play at power forward alongside Timme.

Few is never likely to change starters, but Gregg’s minutes are surely going to increase from game to game.

IT’S NO secret that the Zags need energy and athleticism to compete with Alabama, which will get up and down the floor in a serious hurry.

In recent years, Gonzaga could run efficiently with anyone, but this year’s team — with Watson alongside Timme on the boards, has turned the ball over repeatedly when games speed up.

Even with recent improvement, the Zags are averaging 13 turnovers against just 15 assists per game. Those are NOT the numbers we’ve been accustomed to seeing, and they’ve really jumped out in games against teams like Texas and Purdue (two blowout losses).

The Zags cannot handle the ball like a live grenade and hope to win — or even stay competitive — against Alabama.

They also need to match the Tide’s production in the 3-pointer column.

That combination of factors — in what you’d consider a fair dress rehearsal for the NCAA tournament — almost screams out that Smith, Sallis and Gregg need to play a LOT against the Tide.

Timme will get his points, but last year he had issues dealing with 7-foot shot-blocker Charles Bediako — so the Zags better have a Plan B prepared.

THIS IS the equivalent of a road game against a potential Final Four team — even though they’ll be playing in Birmingham instead of Tuscaloosa.

Not exactly a neutral court.

Few is notoriously slow to change lineup combinations, and to be fair, he sees these guys every day in practice.

But Timme, for one, practically cried out for Gregg (8.9 minutes per game so far) to play a bigger role after the rugged sophomore rang up 18 points against Northern Illinois.

“He looked like how he does in practice, finally in a freaking game,” Timme said.

“This dude’s been cooking and killing it in practice and it’s like, you want to cook me and (Anton) and all these guys, but you don’t want to do it to other people?

“He gives something to this team that we need, this extra spark and boost, and it’s huge.

“He’s a big-time player.”

From what we’ve seen through Gonzaga’s first 11 games, you’d have to say they need more big-time players. Maybe some have been waiting on the bench.

You can hope.

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”