Geno: Substitution Patterns

[MD#12Fan]

Yes, I'm willing to shake the beehive a little bit! (BY)
Disclaimer: 11 NC's, .88 winning percentage............. That being said..
1) Is GA struggling with his subbing? I might argue that great coaches may be less skillful at subbing than mediocre coaches. The mediocre coach has a squad with minimal difference between the best player and the last man, so they're used to using their people. Are these runs by our starters evidence of anything? 12-0 start, 12 point margin at the half.
2) Did we see some similar results from our subs in both games? Don't forget our bench is a roster for a McDonald's All-Star game. They ain't chopped liver.
3) What if Geno subbed only one player at a time? Looks like that 1st move is too drastic.
4) Do you see roles being formed by the subs? Saw a little more from Nika, especially with her on-ball pressure.
5) Tough decisions- get your key people minutes together versus getting everyone some minutes. I'm not saying it's easy! Amari and Mir?
6) Maybe when BE starts, Geno forms a "blue team", 5 subs at a time, usually one stint a half, 2:00 or so depending on whether they hold the lead, maybe more, if they increase the lead. Maybe they have a different personality than the starters: zone team, pressing team, purposely changing the tempo, whatever their strengths are. They also form their own cohesive unit. Good for practices. Improves team morale. Players from this squad can earn additional time. Group not carved in stone, can change. May need a key player to be with them for leadership- E, Nika? Result is: everyone is contributing, every game. Everyone is ready to be called. Everyone is being coached in real game situations, not just "turkey-time" at the end.
3-4 top-ten games this year, you may not use this. Can you imagine the look on Dawn's face as he receives a left hook from Geno's blue team? Ouch!
Have at it!

 

[Mdoggie]

Right! It’s the second game and he hasn’t got it figured out yet! He is struggling! Hope it’s together by game 3!

 

[HuskyNan]

He’s subbing with freshmen for the most part. Usually the board is screaming for Geno to play the bench, now he is.

 

[Kaizen]

5) Tough decisions- get your key people minutes together versus getting everyone some minutes. I'm not saying it's easy! Amari and Mir?

Yes I am disappointed that Amari and Mir didn't enter the game. Did anyone know the reason?

 

[MD#12Fan]

He’s subbing with freshmen for the most part. Usually the board is screaming for Geno to play the bench, now he is.

I suppose, except when they're not freshmen, like Nika, Dorka, and hopefully Aubrey soon and Mir. (not intending to be snarky, just writing for effect). Thanks for the post!

 

[Boreifs]

Yes I am disappointed that Amari and Mir didn't enter the game. Did anyone know the reason?

Geno does. No one else.

 

[Gus Mahler]

3) What if Geno subbed only one player at a time? Looks like that 1st move is too drastic.

That has occurred to me as well. And just when the starters are starting to groove.

 

[hoophuskee]

Yes I am disappointed that Amari and Mir didn't enter the game. Did anyone know the reason?

They aren't as good the other players according to Geno is my guess. That's how he has always coached, right? I think every coach coaches like that too. There might be 1 exception for the worst team etc,.

 

[Boreifs]

That has occurred to me as well. And just when the starters are starting to groove.

That is far better for a team with only six players in the rotation. When one is playing three guards and two posts, it is almost imperative that both a post and a guard come in at the same time. There are two rotations happening simultaneously.

 

[Bama fan]

Geno does. No one else.

I think he tells CD .

 

[rvwsleep]

3 games in 3 days. Would the team look better, this game, if all 5 starters played 30+ minutes ? Yes, but what about Sunday and hopefully, Monday ?

 

[huskyd]

The youngest member of my family best described the FloHoops' experience as "poopy-poopy-stinky-stinky." Only a service with a sense of humor could go dark at precisely the moment of tip-off. Then, while we sat in the dark, we learned that Minnesota was leading the game 10-0, then by 12, then by 14, even though the only team scoring was UConn. In fact the only person scoring was the only Husky who seems to have shown up: CW. She discovered that no one on the opposition knew she was in the game, so she stood under the Gopher basket all alone collecting passes and scoring points. She even made her FTs. Evina was her steady self, the world's greatest guard tandem of generational players scored 12 pts. between them, Dorka looked great for someone who had never played the game of basketball. And everyone threw the ball away at least once. In fact Piath aimed a pass directly at me sitting at my desk in Maryland.
Geno has criticized himself for not doing a good job coaching. I always believe him.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Yes I am disappointed that Amari and Mir didn't enter the game. Did anyone know the reason?

Who’s minutes do you want to take away? This isn’t rec ball. Not everyone is going to play.

 

[huskeynut]

Geno's sub patterns are the ones he wants. It's a work in progress. Seems he is committed to a 9 player rotation.

What more do some of you want?

 

[DaddyChoc]

Yes I am disappointed that Amari and Mir didn't enter the game. Did anyone know the reason?

Is Mir injured… hopefully not a bruised ego?

 

[MilfordHusky]

Aubrey was not available. I think Mir and Amari were. Piath came in with 2-3 minutes left.

Again, Geno played 9 players in the first half.

The new combos, especially involving underclassmen, cause some problems. In the first game, some players were slow to switch on defense. In both games, players ran into each other on offense. At least they were moving. The good news is that should get cleaned up in time.

 

[JoePgh]

Obviously I am only speculating, but my hunch is that the reason why Geno didn't play Amari and Mir is that he wanted to give the 6th through 9th players in the depth chart (Azzi, Dorka, Nika, and Caroline) as many minutes as possible, even if it was at the expense of the 10th through 12th players. At the end of the game, he decided to spare a couple of minutes for Piath (presumably she was playing better than Amari in practice), but he didn't choose to find time for Mir or Amari. I'm guessing that he figured that Dorka or Caroline needed the playing time to get untracked for the next two games and for the season, and that was more important.

I can't really disagree with that view, if in fact it was why he did what he did.

 

[donalddoowop]

Who’s minutes do you want to take away? This isn’t rec ball. Not everyone is going to play.

With a lead as big as they had, late in the game, everyone could have played. It did not matter whose minutes they took away.

 

[Twolf]

Yes, I'm willing to shake the beehive a little bit! (BY)
Disclaimer: 11 NC's, .88 winning percentage............. That being said..
1) Is GA struggling with his subbing? I might argue that great coaches may be less skillful at subbing than mediocre coaches. The mediocre coach has a squad with minimal difference between the best player and the last man, so they're used to using their people. Are these runs by our starters evidence of anything? 12-0 start, 12 point margin at the half.
2) Did we see some similar results from our subs in both games? Don't forget our bench is a roster for a McDonald's All-Star game. They ain't chopped liver.
3) What if Geno subbed only one player at a time? Looks like that 1st move is too drastic.
4) Do you see roles being formed by the subs? Saw a little more from Nika, especially with her on-ball pressure.
5) Tough decisions- get your key people minutes together versus getting everyone some minutes. I'm not saying it's easy! Amari and Mir?
6) Maybe when BE starts, Geno forms a "blue team", 5 subs at a time, usually one stint a half, 2:00 or so depending on whether they hold the lead, maybe more, if they increase the lead. Maybe they have a different personality than the starters: zone team, pressing team, purposely changing the tempo, whatever their strengths are. They also form their own cohesive unit. Good for practices. Improves team morale. Players from this squad can earn additional time. Group not carved in stone, can change. May need a key player to be with them for leadership- E, Nika? Result is: everyone is contributing, every game. Everyone is ready to be called. Everyone is being coached in real game situations, not just "turkey-time" at the end.
3-4 top-ten games this year, you may not use this. Can you imagine the look on Dawn's face as he receives a left hook from Geno's blue team? Ouch!
Have at it!

Most teams that I have been involved with have players on the bench who feel they deserve more minutes, but to get them more minutes someone loses minutes. To get more minutes it’s a pretty simple proposition - you have to show the staff a reason you should get more. Believe me if a player gives them a reason to play more they will get more court time, and if you haven’t given them a reason you may not get minutes even if it is a blowout.
In these discussions it’s only natural to focus on the players who you want to see get more PT, but turn that around to look at who has to sit to make that work. Going way out on a limb here, I’m just guessing EW came back this year to play, not sit, and is one of the top perimeter defenders along with being a great steadying influence on the team. Then you have the returning player of the year along with CW, whose play this season speaks for itself. If it’s a competitive game, barring injury, foul trouble, or fatigue, where do minutes come from on the perimeter, other than a two or three minute break? (which media timeouts provide)
No doubt depth is needed in a long, grueling season, but most coaches are not going to play more than 8 or 9 on a regular basis unless the game score allows them to. On this team, at this point, 6 & 7 are pretty well set, so that leaves several players battling for what’s left.

JMO

 

[MD#12Fan]

Most teams that I have been involved with have players on the bench who feel they deserve more minutes, but to get them more minutes someone loses minutes. To get more minutes it’s a pretty simple proposition - you have to show the staff a reason you should get more. Believe me if a player gives them a reason to play more they will get more court time, and if you haven’t given them a reason you may not get minutes even if it is a blowout.
In these discussions it’s only natural to focus on the players who you want to see get more PT, but turn that around to look at who has to sit to make that work. Going way out on a limb here, I’m just guessing EW came back this year to play, not sit, and is one of the top perimeter defenders along with being a great steadying influence on the team. Then you have the returning player of the year along with CW, whose play this season speaks for itself. If it’s a competitive game, barring injury, foul trouble, or fatigue, where do minutes come from on the perimeter, other than a two or three minute break? (which media timeouts provide)
No doubt depth is needed in a long, grueling season, but most coaches are not going to play more than 8 or 9 on a regular basis unless the game score allows them to. On this team, at this point, 6 & 7 are pretty well set, so that leaves several players battling for what’s left.

JMO

Well stated and you make perfect sense….in like you said, a normal situation. This isn’t normal. This bench is stacked and I want to make an assertion that every player, recruited nationally to play at this level, has unique characteristics that can help this team win and be the best it can be. I want to see this formula that is described often here, with 6-7 players getting the minutes, shelved in favor of something more creative. These are blue-chip players that need to get the opportunities to contribute.

 

[TeamFirst!]

They are trying to win a tournament and so far they have played only two official games. Of course they want to win the tournament and they need those top8-9 players to contribute. They don't need to worry about the end of the bench until later.

 

[MD#12Fan]

They are trying to win a tournament and so far they have played only two official games. Of course they want to win the tournament and they need those top8-9 players to contribute. They don't need to worry about the end of the bench until later.

I contend that they are to be committed to all 13 of their players each and every day. I also profess that by so doing, they will achieve the greatest success.

 

[Topdawg]

I junderstand what Geno is doing. Get the starting 5 going first. Then get the next group of subs going. He has the big East season to get the rest of the bench going. It is not unusual for it to take more than a few games for the subs to get productive. Many of them have never played at college speed before! Patience!

 

[Stymie]

Dawn Staley gave her bench a combined 80 minutes in her blowout yesterday.
40% of the playing time.

 

[rvwsleep]

Dawn Staley gave her bench a combined 80 minutes in her blowout yesterday.
40% of the playing time.

I hesitate to even display this statistic. UConn's bench got 31% of playing time in yesterday's game.
However, and I thought this would be obvious, but evidently it's not. Dawn is not coaching UConn. How Dawn distributes playing time, for South Carolina, has nothing to do with how playing time is or should be distributed for UConn.