Would you rather have a strong starting five and no bench or an average starting five and a deep bench?
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Hello Czar.
I must say, that neither of these options would apply to me, I’d rather have two average players in the starting lineup that are accompanied by three great players and have a deep enough bench that challenges the starting lineup in scrimmages sufficiently.
So to speak, if I had say (DJ Augustin, Ray Allen, DeMar Derozan, Dirk Nowitzki, Brook Lopez) for a starting line up, I’d settle for (Chris Duhon, Jason Terry, Ronnie Brewer, Taj Gibson, Nenad Krstic, Sasha Vujacic, Hilton Armstrong) as the bench.
Hey Coach,
This is an easy question. While a strong starting 5 lineup may win a ball club more games than not, a coach always has to be aware of that thing they call the injury bug! How many times has it ruined potentially great teams or teams that had a premier starting 5 with a weak bench? One too many times…
An average starting 5 has the opportunity to get better throughout the season and gel once the chemistry kicks in. Say this doesn’t happen…well that’s what a deep bench is for. To mix and match and get the right combination with the best 5 on the court, regardless who starts.
A numbers coach would and should definitely opt for a deep bench, and one that can carry a team throughout the season so the stars of the team can shine during playoffs. Play the numbers, not the chances!
Peace