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Message: [QUOTE="orangecuse, post: 1666324, member: 668"] Below, I had posted this earlier in the the thread. I wasn't criticizing as much as just stating that over the years our bench has been quite weak and not highly productive. I don't see the harm in acknowledging this reality, it's I believe directly related to JB's chosen method. At times though, I do feel it has bit us some, whether from guys getting injured, in foul trouble, etc. And, I do find it somewhat of an enigma (considering SU's stature in the hoops world) of the large drop off of apparent talent/quality once we get past our top 7 guys. [I]When you look over the past 40 years of JB at the helm, his 7 man rotation is his way, it's clearly his comfort zone. Only on a few occasions over this entire duration has he gone to 8, where one can objectively say that all 8 get "real" minutes of significance. He has stated in the past over and over that the college game with all its breaks, TV timeouts, etc., that players at this level have the stamina, etc. to more than function adequately. He also prefers and has stated that he wants his best players out there on the floor as much as possible as it gives him/SU the best chance of winning, now. That's what ultimately matters to him, winning, and now. It may be somewhat myopic in that it doesn't afford other players a legitimate chance to develop, gaining that critical game experience that may enhance the team's winning percentages late in the season, and, ultimately, come tourney time, but that's his way and prerogative. It is what it is...he has been very successful with this approach and it isn't ever going to change. I imagine his preferred method of playing 7 guys, again, 'as long as these 7 are quality players,' may contribute to SU seemingly usually consistently having a relatively weak bench. This approach/system may also contribute and be casually related to why once you go past the 7th/8th man in the rotation, the roster level (quality) seems to drop off exponentially.[/I] [/QUOTE]

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