Doc needs to play his bench more

[OsirusCeltics]

Doc is obviously a great coach, but he really needs to trust his bench more. A team's bench is the most underrated in terms of winning a title. I feel he over-trusts the Big 4, to a fault

What I think he should do is just play 5 guys off the bench in the first 8 minutes of the second quarter. Let Green, West, Murphy, Wafer, and Kristic feel like they are apart of the team. They'll gain confidence, and eventually win playoff games for them. It'll also save the Big 4 from tiring out from too many minutes

And I think Big Baby robbing Jeff Green of valuable minutes
Green would thrive in a series like this
Let him be the focal point on offense for some stretches
Why would you trade for a guy, and never give him enough minutes to show his stuff?

[Fafnir]

Why would he play an entire bench unit in the playoffs? He's tried that sort of lineup plenty of times in the regular season, usually its been a disaster.

Especially if its a Davis/Krstic or Green/Davis big man unit.

[scoop1977]

No.

This is the time to tighten the rotation and have your best players on the floor as many minutes as possible.

5 man bench units in the playoffs is just a bad idea.

There's this famous quote from some coach "to win you need 8 guys who can play basketball and 5 who are great at towel waving". That's exactly right.

This is not really about Doc, what he does is what most NBA coaches have been doing for decades.

[OsirusCeltics]

No.

This is the time to tighten the rotation and have your best players on the floor as many minutes as possible.

5 man bench units in the playoffs is just a bad idea.

There's this famous quote from some coach "to win you need 8 guys who can play basketball and 5 who are great at towel waving". That's exactly right.

This is not really about Doc, what he does is what most NBA coaches have been doing for decades.

Yeah that is a great point TP
Jeff Green just needs play more minutes at least. Green has more of an advantage in this series than Big Baby

[KeepBigAl]

I agree that the fresh legs of Green and West should play a bit more - maybe kristic in certain matchups

However, this is the playoffs - there is no need for a single minute of Murphy or Wafer, outside of injury or blowouts.

[Who]

The amount of minutes I'd like to see Doc play everyone in this series:

Starters

PG - Rondo = 36-40 minutes
SG - Ray = 36 minutes
SF - Paul = 36 minutes
PF - Garnett = 36 minutes
C - Jermaine = 26-31 minutes

Bench

Guard - Delonte = 20-24 minutes
Forward - J.Green = 28-33 minutes
Big - Glen Davis = 12-15 minutes

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I'd like Doc to keep one of Jermaine O'Neal or Kevin Garnett on the floor at all times. Something like JO plays the first six minutes of each half, then goes to the bench and returns at the ten minute mark and plays the next 6-7 minutes while KG rests, then KG re-enters and finishes the half.

Then to close the game, the final 5-6 minutes, I'd like to see Doc go with Jermaine if D'Antoni is using Turiaf ... however, if D'Antoni goes with Jeffries or Shawne Williams, I'd like to see Doc play Jeff Green instead.

I want Jeff Green to play the non-Paul Pierce small forward minutes but for him to get the majority of his minutes (in this series against NYK - not future series) at the power forward position matched up against either Jared Jeffries or Shawne Williams.

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I would be open to Doc using Von Wafer for Ray Allen's backup minutes and keeping Delonte at the point. Using a nine man rotation instead of an eight man rotation.

However, I do not want to see Troy Murphy or Nenad Krstic on the court ... unless D'Antoni plays Shelden Williams.

If Jermaine O'Neal ends up in foul trouble, Doc can either extend BBD's minutes or plug in Krstic when Turiaf is out on the floor.

[kg is king]

Doc is obviously a great coach, but he really needs to trust his bench more. A team's bench is the most underrated in terms of winning a title. I feel he over-trusts the Big 4, to a fault

What I think he should do is just play 5 guys off the bench in the first 8 minutes of the second quarter. Let Green, West, Murphy, Wafer, and Kristic feel like they are apart of the team. They'll gain confidence, and eventually win playoff games for them. It'll also save the Big 4 from tiring out from too many minutes

And I think Big Baby robbing Jeff Green of valuable minutes
Green would thrive in a series like this
Let him be the focal point on offense for some stretches
Why would you trade for a guy, and never give him enough minutes to show his stuff?

Sure we can bring the entire second unit in, while LBJ, Wade, and Bosh are all on the floor. Does that image make you feel better?

Joking of course. But come on man, this is the playoffs, you gotta have your best players on the court for as long as you can. Imo, KG at 34 minutes. Paul under 40, and Ray + RR both barely over 40 is fine by me, especially given the number of off days in the playoffs.

[pearljammer10]

Why? So we can lose?

[jsingh1699]

in this series, i agree we need a lil bit more of jeff green at the 4 (against jefferies or shawne williams), and a little less of BBD.

i wouldnt be opposed to wafer getting 5 min. when the offense goes stale and no one is moving around, he is great to have on the floor to drive and attack. at the very least, a few minutes of that should in theory make the other guys a lil more active.

[Roy H.]

No.

This is the time to tighten the rotation and have your best players on the floor as many minutes as possible.

5 man bench units in the playoffs is just a bad idea.

There's this famous quote from some coach "to win you need 8 guys who can play basketball and 5 who are great at towel waving". That's exactly right.

This is not really about Doc, what he does is what most NBA coaches have been doing for decades.

Co-sign.  Why play inferior players like Murphy and Wafer?  At this point, making our scrubs feel like they're "part of the team" is a very secondary goal to actually winning games.

[Marcus13]

The bench is awful....but Ray Allen certainly can't be logging 40 mpg

[Boris Badenov]

The bench is awful....but Ray Allen certainly can't be logging 40 mpg

He didn't look too worn out on that last shot yesterday (and had 11 pts in the 4th quarter).

Any player who can average 36 MPG during the season with more travel and less rest can safely go up to 40 MPG in the playoffs.

[SHAQATTACK]

YEP at this point, you got go with your top horses and ride em till they fall.  Time for saving anything is pretty much over, its put up shut up time. No excuses , during playoffs.

I think you gotta milk the big three and Rhondo for all their worth .

Thats what they are here for and making the huge pay check , to WIN FINALS GAMES.........they are the EXPERTS and its their PRIME TIME .......to step up and DO THEIR JOB.

The stars would have it no other way...

Best to sit back and ENJOY the ride....  

 

[Jon]

Well, minutes aside, I'd like to see West and Green shoulder more of the offensive burden out there.  If the C's run plays for them, it makes the long minutes that the starters are playing easier minutes. 

[bucknersrevenge]

The bench is awful....but Ray Allen certainly can't be logging 40 mpg

The bench has been awful West looks useless out there. We're missing a shotmaker off the bench now that Nate is gone(though Nate wasn't making his on the way out). I'd actually like to see a bit more Wafer and less Baby. Von is capable of getting off a good shot given space and you can still use him the way we use Ray. The other guys save Baby are just being too passive out there. West was useless last game. And I don't want Baby jacking up every shot with 5 seconds to go on the clock.