A point of controversy in the Denver Stiffs comment section has been Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and his choice for end of game lineups. Particularly as it relates to young guys Nikola Jokic and Emmanuel Mudiay. Today at practice I asked Malone about his thought process when it comes to crunch time lineups, and if it’s based on match up or reliability. His answer is interesting.
Coaches are funny. Nine times out of ten they will tell you that it's a combination of trust and match up. Do you react to the lineup that a team plays, or do you make them react to yours. Can you force a team to defend you more then you defend them? There's no clear answer and every coach is different.
My own thought is that, as this team is still young and growing, that you give the young guys as much end-of-game opportunities as possible to FIND OUT if they have what it takes to close games.
Interesting.
Enjoy the video.
