https://youtu.be/oCv3lRYbpw4?t=28
Turner shooting and 1 free throw. BS decides to sub Smart for Sullinger. Sullinger seems to disagree with the substitution based on his reaction. Did I get it right?
I would've disagreed as well, taking off your best rebounder in that situation off the floor for a guard is a very questionable decision. More than questionable, surprising.
Down 2, with 5 seconds left, you have an 85% free throw shooter (whose also having a pretty good game) at the line shooting 1. Your strategy is to play for the rebound?
I think most coaches are playing for the make and going for a quick steal/foul off the inbounds pass. Not a situation I would want Sullinger in. Crowder, Smart, Bradley, Turner, Thomas are my guys every time in that scenario. I feel like that's a pretty basic/normal strategy here.
When the C's needed to score, and the likelihood of a miss is much greater, Sullinger was right back in there though.
You know what though, every time Sullinger questions Stevens, it seems to turn out great for the C's. Remember this play? https://streamable.com/s1zf I now want Sullinger questioning Stevens all the time
I was VERY careful with my wording. And I meant it in the purest meaning of the word, it's a questionable move, and surprising as well. Consider, I didn't say bad or good, just questionable.
So yes, it is a questionable move as it's a questionable move to make, just like it happened last night, there was a miss, with no bigs on the floor. Thankfully it worked out, because as I mentioned I fully support having smaller feisty players in there causing havoc on the offensive boards on free-throws, and are hard to box out. Just the same a big is able to tip the ball in on a miss, particularly with little time left on the clock. And as mentioned, Sully had just come off a play with an offensive rebound with an assist for a 3-pointer (and he also grabbed 5 offensive rebounds in that game).
But certainly, playing for the quick steal is a valid strategy as well. That said, I thought the move was to foul Thompson regardless.
I meant every word I said, me being a sole big on the floor's shoes, and being the best rebounder, I would've been caught off guard for sure being subbed in by a guard in that situation. So yes it was questionable, yes it was surprising. From an outside view? Very much understandable considering the varying strategies one can employ doing such a move, even if I don't fully support it to its entirety. I'm 50/50 on the move, whether I'm wrong or not. I'd try to maximize some potential offensive rebound and then having enough players out there to play for the steal. No bigs also means that an easy can be made for the entry pass (which works if the pass is to Thompson regardless, who was later subbed out). Bigs are also good to bother the entry passer as well.
But meh. I have no beef with Stevens doing this move. I fully understand it, and have no real qualms with it. I still think it's a questionable move to make, and if I was the sole big on the floor at the time, I'd have trouble understanding it as well, and would've been caught off guard. Would've reacted much better to it though, just the same I understand the reaction. No biggie.