What was up is that he was lost, plain and simple. More minutes for him and Gabe tonight, would have meant an L. I really don't understand why people can't understand the nuance of playing as a team. He was not fitting in with the way the Hornets were playing D, and knowing where to go and when. Pruitt was not much different. Go ahead, keep roasting Doc for his vindictive habit of burying the young guys as many here characterize it. How he managed things led the team to #17, and the best record in the East this year. His job is to win games, period. Not to integrate guys, sacrificing wins now for their development later.
You just cannot focus on a players individual skills as a reason to play them. It is about fit, roles, and understanding what is needed. It is very rare for a young player to be experienced enough to get it without the team taking a step backwards while they learn. With Cleveland and LA both fighting neck and neck with the C's for the best record, Doc is just not going to commit minutes to help guys come along. Accept it. It does not mean he hates young players or has some agenda. If he does have an agenda, it is to win the current game, every game, and he has done one helluva job with that over the past 2 seasons. Those who want to characterize this as some Doc flaw, just don't get it and never will I am afraid.
I also agree with most of this. Personally, I believe that in most cases (although not all) it's a mistake to force-feed rookies with PT minutes they didn't earn.
As a side-note, Doc philosophy about playing rookies is no different from most NBA coaches, in spite of what one frequently reads here. Almost every NBA fanbase moans about how their coach doesn't like to play rookies. Fans are extremely biased towards their young players who were drafted by the ballclub, I think. Coaches almost always take the right decisions though. I believe that playing a very unready rookie can be highly counterproductive to his development.
Topic: What was up with Bill Walker? (Read 7340 times)