It’s the fans who focus so much on who starts. It’s a team game played over 40 minutes. There are many chess decisions and moves to juggle from start to finish.
- A coach doesn’t put the “best” 5 players on the floor to start. It’s a team game.
- A coach doesn’t (necessarily) put the “best” team on the floor to start.
- The “best” team to start is the one that gives the team the most ideal beginning of the game to set the tone for the rest of the game.
- It’s not only figuring out the “best” team to set the tone at the beginning of the game but also weighing that with the “best” bench lineups throughout the game. Geno has said numerous times that he values being able to change the game through subs. Some of those players have to start the game on the bench in order to change the game when they sub in.
- It’s not just Geno who thinks this way—if you spend time looking at the box scores of the best teams, there are frequently bench players who average more minutes than starters. (Fulwiley at LSU is a prime example—she’s definitely a player who can change the game when she comes in.)
- It’s a luxury for the coaches of the best teams to be able to use game changer subs. Many teams have a clear and significant drop off after the starting 5. They use subs mostly to manage starter minutes or hopefully give a slightly different look if something isn’t working and pray that the other team doesn’t exploit the drop off.
- This is a great problem to have!
