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[QUOTE="IthacaMatt, post: 5363045, member: 405"]
JJ went from being the 9th best defender out of 10 guys last year, to the 5th best out of 10 this year.  So, he's gotten better.

You're agreeing that all these guys have holes in their games, right?

So, does playing a guy like Eddie Lampkin work better if he plays 35 minutes (with his back) or 25 minutes?  Is it better for Naheem McLeod to play zero minutes, or 5-10 minutes in the middle of the zone, just to change the momentum of the game?  You shouldn't play EITHER of those guys too much, because they have big weaknesses in their games.

If JJ isn't good at setting up others, then you can't play him 35 minutes with the ball in his hands the whole time.  You do have to play another guy at PG.  Should Carlos have played 35 minutes, or 15?  Should Moore have played 35 minutes when he was "defense optional"?  You just can't do that.  Right?

How much should Petar play?  How much should Donnie have played?  Neither is a finished product, but they bring different things to the table.  Petar at least challenges shots.  Donnie was a matador interior defender, just like Eddie for most of the year.  But Donnie could score and got rebounds with just his athleticism.

If Eddie and Donnie don't defend the rim, the other 2 guys [U]have[/U] to see some minutes.  Not be starters, but it helps the team, and can change the energy and flow of a game to change things up.

When people say Autry lacks feel for coaching the game, this is exactly what you should consider.  Situational substitutions.  Changing up defenses masks deficiencies, and make an offense that has been torching you adjust and attack differently.  Even if it's only for a few minutes.  Use the press as a weapon, not out of desperation.  There is so much strategy to coaching that he just failed to grasp this year.
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