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Originally Posted by BillLaimbeer  In the first 12 games, the Pistons four All-Stars have all missed games (Billups-2, Hamilton-2, Wallace-1, McDyess-3). The new guys (Hayes, Amir, Afflalo) are still showing what they can do. The backup PG (Stuckey) is injured. The fill-in PG (Murray) has shown flashes. There is no way to have a rotation at this point. |
So what were the rotations the previous 2 years when none of these guys got hurt? You can't have a rotation when you consider making 3 shots in a row a once in a lifetime achievement that can't be disrupted. Flip plays he bench like a little kid learning to ride a bike. He starts of wobbly at first then he sees that the bench isn't killing him and it's, 'I'M PLAYING THE BENCH! LOOK EVERYONE - I'M PLAYING THE BENCH!'.
Can you honestly say you know when a player is going to come in and for who? Dysee has been the only player you could reliably predict when he might sub in going into year 3. Is there any coach in the NBA who sits starers until there are 2 minutes left in the half? Has that ever been done? How about having your starters sitting with 5 minutes to go in close games? 'I'M PLAYING THE BENCH!'.
If you look at the minutes per game averages, the bench plays. To me the bench plays just enough to lose, just enough to ensure that they need to lean on the starters, just enough that the starters will pick up nagging injuries along the way. That doesn't mean there is a rotation. Every game is a blank slate for Memento-man.