With Kevin Garnett suspended for one game, the question becomes who will replace him:
Patrick O'Bryant or Brian Scalabrine?
You could throw Glen Davis or Leon Powe into the mix. But based on precedent, Doc prefers not to upset the rotation by moving one of the first guys off the bench into a starting role when the choice is presented.
We saw this last season when Doc plucked the then seldom-used Scalabrine off the bench and started him at power forward after KG went down with an abdominal strain. We also saw Doc start Tony Allen at the point against the Lakers when Rajon Rondo was injured, even though Eddie House was getting most of the minutes at the back-up point.
Why does Doc do this?
Easy.
It requires only one change.
If you move Powe or Davis into the starting role, then not only do you have that player undertaking a new role, but then someone has to fill their role off the bench. If you instead throw a player into the mix that wasn't playing heretofore, you only have one change.
Of course, precedent is only a guideline.
But I say it holds true again tonight.
Which returns us to my original question?
O'Bryant or Scalabrine?
4 comments:
and the winner is?
I'll go with O'Bryant.
He played pretty well with the starters, and Doc needs to give him some minutes at some point.
Of course, one of those starters was KG, and he won't be out there with him tonight.
I say he goes with Scal. Scal filled in for KG when he was out last season.
You're probably right.
But I'm rooting for POB.
I think Scal was the right choice. He was successful in the role last season ... and the idea of O'Bryant+Perk alongside one another doesn't fill me with confidence, especially with someone like Wilson Chandler attacking O'Bryant off the bounce.
If it were Perk that was out I think O'Bryant would have stood a good chance of getting the call ahead of Scal.
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