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Message: [QUOTE="Carnac, post: 4723087, member: 5798"] [B]Coaches know their team. [/B]They know the players that make plays and make a difference when they're on the floor. Sometimes the box score does not tell the real or complete story of a player’s impact or contribution to a game. We’ve been conditioned to look at box scores and make decisions strictly on the “numbers” we see. A player can do things and be a presence on the court that coaches want, need, and expect that we as fans don’t see or appreciate. From game to game, we have no idea what Geno wants or is trying to achieve on the floor at any given time. [B]Team (unit) chemistry cannot be assumed or taken for granted. [/B]Chemistry (or the lack thereof) is real. Remember when Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (KLM) went down with an elbow injury? She was out for approximately 12 games (off the top of my head). Gabby Williams and Brianna Banks took her place in the starting lineup until she returned. After her return, Stewie was asked in a post-game interview what it meant to have KLM back. She said it was huge because having her out disrupted the chemistry of the starting unit. I never forgot that. Banks and Williams were on the floor, but it wasn’t the s as same. [B]Kiah Stokes[/B] starts for the Las Vegas Aces. Her box score numbers will not blow you away. Sometimes she does not score a single point, but they win. Her coach and teammates sing her praises. They know the value she brings to the team when she's on the floor. That value seldom shows up in the box score. The same can be said about [B]Brianna Turner[/B] of the Phoenix Mercury. A starting unit may not consist of the best scorers on the team or even the best players, but [B]the 5 players that (as a unit) play best together.[/B] Nika may not burn the nets with a consistent scorer’s touch, but she brings other intangibles to the floor that Geno feels give the starting unit "the best chance to flourish" and be successful. Like that old beer commercial said........"Don't let the smooth taste fool you." :cool: [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach