Monty admits to making mistakes with coaching this season.

[Mythrol]

You know I just had an entire response typed up and accidentally hit the cancel button instead of advanced post.

I hate that button, why is it even there?

Anyways, the crux is this, the only two players that have shown a high level of consistency in the clutch are Davis and Gordon. Evans and Ryno are at the bottom.

Ultimately this argument is a projection of future behavior and no one can win that argument until it can be tested in the future.

Do I think his flexibility in clutch situations may change now that he trusts guys like Cole, Babbitt and Qpon? Maybe a bit. Say, a 10% increase in late game flexibility with his traditional closing five. Mostly on nights of extremes - where a starter has a very poor night and a bench guy has career night. But not enough that I would say he will maintain his current flexibility into the future with the starters back. No way.

I guess my argument would be how many coaches change their finishing lineup drastically per game?

If you believe AD and Gordon have to be in the game I don't think there is any way you can leave Jrue out. That still only leaves 2 spots. You are still hamstrung in your choices. Especially before having QPon and Cole on the team.

It's a nice story to constantly switch out your core players for bench guys who might be hot but the truth is if you want sustained wins you have to let your core guys play together and get the end of game experience.

This is of course also greatly conplicated by trying to rehab guys coming back from injury and guys getting injured.

When looking at our games this year how many do you really feel Monty lost by playing a core guy instead of one of our bench players? 1? 2 maybe? Until very recently I don't think there was anyone Monty could sub in that I would have felt increased our odds of winning over correctly guys by anything significant.

[N.O.Bronco]

I guess my argument would be how many coaches change their finishing lineup drastically per game?

If you believe AD and Gordon have to be in the game I don't think there is any way you can leave Jrue out. That still only leaves 2 spots. You are still hamstrung in your choices. Especially before having QPon and Cole on the team.

It's a nice story to constantly switch out your core players for bench guys who might be hot but the truth is if you want sustained wins you have to let your core guys play together and get the end of game experience.

This is of course also greatly conplicated by trying to rehab guys coming back from injury and guys getting injured.

When looking at our games this year how many do you really feel Monty lost by playing a core guy instead of one of our bench players? 1? 2 maybe? Until very recently I don't think there was anyone Monty could sub in that I would have felt increased our odds of winning over correctly guys by anything significant.

I think we need to step back and understand what I am and am not arguing.

This whole conversation was set off by a comment I made that Monty has been strict with adhereing with his clutch lineup when available: Jrue, Gordon, Evans, Ryno and Davis. Thats a fact. That when not fully healthy any of those 5 players traditional in his clutch lineup have been in the clutch lineup most of the time, regardless of most external factors. Fact. I then said I think that a part of our recent success was attributable to the fluidity in which he played with his lineups recently. Thats an opinion. I further added that I don't think he will maintain this level of fluidity when the starters come back. Opinion. I then said I think he will go back mostly to his rigid and strict lineup with maybe a marginal bump in fluidity. Again, opinion.

Do I think he should be more fluid with his clutch lineups going forward? Yes. Am I saying that my ideal is for him to be as fluid as he is being with his lineups now due to injury? No. And it would be unrealistic to expect any coach to be like that.

A lot of what I see you arguing is straw men. Which isn't really getting anywhere.

[Mythrol]

I think we need to step back and understand what I am and am not arguing.

This whole conversation was set off by a comment I made that Monty has been strict with adhereing with his clutch lineup when available: Jrue, Gordon, Evans, Ryno and Davis. Thats a fact. That when not fully healthy any of those 5 players traditional in his clutch lineup have been in the clutch lineup most of the time, regardless of most external factors. Fact. I then said I think that a part of our recent success was attributable to the fluidity in which he played with his lineups recently. Thats an opinion. I further added that I don't think he will maintain this level of fluidity when the starters come back. Opinion. I then said I think he will go back mostly to his rigid and strict lineup with maybe a marginal bump in fluidity. Again, opinion.

Do I think he should be more fluid with his clutch lineups going forward? Yes. Am I saying that my ideal is for him to be as fluid as he is being with his lineups now due to injury? No. And it would be unrealistic to expect any coach to be like that.

A lot of what I see you arguing is straw men. Which isn't really getting anywhere.

My joining in the conversation was mainly to do with the comment that based off history Monty will go back to his set finishing group. There is no history of Monty having reliable bench players he can put into the game at the end to draw from. We cannot assume how Monty will juggle the rotations now that he actually has solid 7,8,9 players.

I do remember a game last year where it was a blow out and he put the bench players in. When they cut the lead to single digits he left them in instead of playing starters again.

While I believe he still has core players he will go to (and should), I also believe now with a better bench he will be more inclined to leave QPon or Cole in if they are playing well and it's a good matchup.

The other point I disagreed with was the seeming negativity toward Monty's sticking with his finishing 5. First, there is not a ton of flexibility in it to begin with when 2-3 players MUST be in it. Second, if he feels certain players are core then he would want to get them as much end of game time together as possible. Third, he is not the only coach who has his end game line up and uses it nearly every game. Fourth, until very recently he did not have any players that you could even argue deserved to bench one of the main 6 to keep in late.

I guess I see a 10% shift in how he handled the end of game lineups as about just the right amount I'd want to see from Monty.

I say all of this with a heavy heart because Spock is dead.