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Chemistry lesson Returning players require careful balance
Updated: Thursday November 23, 2000 6:32 PM
When a player returns from injury, a coach has to be careful about inserting him back into the lineup, especially if the team's been successful without him. Eventually that player is going to help the club, but when you're enjoying success, it's tough to break up a good thing. In fact, the Suns have lost the two games Tom Gugliotta has played in since his return, not that it's necessarily a reflection on Googs, but he has to be eased back into the lineup rather than picking up where he left off. The undefeated Sixers are facing the same situation with Matt Geiger. The one good thing that resulted from Geiger's absence is that it allowed Theo Ratliff to get more minutes and more confidence, knowing that he was going to play 35 to 40 minutes a game. With no Alonzo Mourning in the East, Ratliff has developed into possibly the best center in the conference.
So with Ratliff playing as well as he is, Geiger will probably continue to come off the bench. I coached Matt, and I think he'll adapt to coming off the bench; he'll have no problem with that. In Indiana, the Pacers are anticipating a different scenario. Head coach Isiah Thomas wants Jalen Rose to be his starting point guard. As soon as his wrist is healed, Rose will get the starting nod. But it will be interesting to see how he plays the point when he hasn't had much time to work with the other players. The point guard position is the most important position on the floor, and he's unfamiliar with his teammates.
Rookies not making their mark just yetThis is the least impact I've seen out of a rookie class in a long time. The primary reason is that rookies don't do much for a coach's job security unless the rookie is really an exceptional player. For example, Desmond Mason was supposed to be getting minutes in Seattle, but when they started losing, they moved Ruben Patterson back in. With his job on the line, Paul Westphal needs Patterson on the floor for his toughness and his defense, because outside of Gary Payton, that's not a defensive-minded club. Kenyon Martin is getting a lot of minutes for New Jersey, but the best rookie statistically has been the Nets' Stephen Jackson. He leads all rookies in scoring, and he wasn't even drafted. I also like Mike Miller in Orlando, but Doc Rivers uses a lot of players, and a platoon system is difficult for rookies because when you come in and out, it's hard to develop confidence.
Dallas' Nelson has many helping handsWhen I was coaching, I felt that eventually the NBA would become more like football, where the head coach would be an organizer, delegating authority to his staff. The Dallas Mavericks (8-5) are doing that, and it seems to be working. Head coach Don Nelson has five assistants (his son, Donn; Del Harris; Sidney Moncrief; Charlie Parker; and Kiki Vandeweghe ) and a defensive coordinator ( Rolando Blackman ). Owner Mark Cuban doesn't seem to worry about finances, so he can afford a big payroll. And with the amount of money you're paying players today, it's really good to have coaches who can work with players individually and be specialized. The delegation of authority appears to have been beneficial for the elder Nelson as well. This time last year, he looked ready to hang it up for good, so it's a tremendous turn around for him.
Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/Sports Illustrated's This Week in the NBA.
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