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Message: [QUOTE="oldhusky, post: 4519073, member: 9844"] Since everybody is debating tired starters vs. fresh rested bench players, I thought I would bring up another factor I think is being overlooked. When you try to get 35-40 minutes out of your players some of your strategy options are also taken away. If you are using just one substitute like today, your hands are tied for a couple of minutes. Regardless of what is happening in the game, you have to wait until the player you just took out is rested enough to go back in before you can make any move. At that point you are also limited regarding strategic moves depending on the game situation. Rather your substitution pattern is dependent on minutes management, not game strategy, you can only make one substitution at a time, and have to wait a couple of minutes for the next one. Timeouts for strategic purposes probably get sacrificed as well, because you need to time your timeouts for giving a little rest, without having to take players out. The whole approach shifts from game strategy substitutions and timeouts, to a role of minute manager. I'm just saying when your bench plays this little, it limits Geno' options as a coach as well. Now clearly he trusts his current starting 5, and doesn't really trust any of the currently available bench options, but he pretty much has to leave his starters on their own, figure it out for yourself because I can't blow a timeout for teaching or correcting, I need to plan them for your rest. I presume Ayanna will someday achieve a playable status that has Geno wanting to use her more, but she seems to be wrestling with being too aggressive, and then too passive when she tries to avoid fouls. Also she seems to rush things and doesn't let the game slow down for her. Finding the proper balance and trade offs is a work in progress that is taking a lot longer than I thought, but the talent is clearly there. If Geno could at least trust her for 15-20 minutes as the sole substitute, it would buy us some time until Azzi and Caroline return. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach