Jimmy Recard wrote:I thought Wes did a good job with the rotations. Staggered KP and Gafford enough that we didn’t have to see Taj Gibson and didn’t play Barton.
He went with a tight, 8-man rotation (until garbage time). 8-man rotations typically look great over the short term because everyone still gets enough rest but everyone also gets enough minutes to get into a rhythm.
The only problem with 8-man rotations is that the end of the bench gets rusty and those players often aren't in good form when called upon if there are injuries or foul trouble. So most coaches don't keep their bench that short through the regular season.
It really was interesting that Wes kept Barton on the bench though. Barton has been terrible all year, but tonight, with Beal out and Orlando short-handed, would have been a good opportunity to try and get him back into a rhythm. It might be a sign that Wes has basically given up on him. Or maybe they're expecting he will be included in whatever midseason trade we make to accommodate the Kuzma resigning problem.