First of all ChatGpt denies knowledge of anything that happened in the last two years, so we were limited to historical examples.
I started by asking: Can you give me examples of successful coaches who had one of their best players start on the bench?
Here's the answer:
Certainly! One notable example is Gregg Popovich, the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. Popovich is known for his strategic coaching style, and he has often brought key players off the bench, even though they are among the team's best players.
I continued the dialogue a bit further and it mentioned some Phil Jackson examples, but this post is long enough already.
I started by asking: Can you give me examples of successful coaches who had one of their best players start on the bench?
Here's the answer:
Certainly! One notable example is Gregg Popovich, the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA. Popovich is known for his strategic coaching style, and he has often brought key players off the bench, even though they are among the team's best players.
- Manu Ginobili: Ginobili, a future Hall of Famer, spent a significant portion of his career coming off the bench for the Spurs, despite being one of the team's top players. Popovich utilized Ginobili's skills as a sixth man to provide an offensive spark, playmaking ability, and energy to the second unit. Ginobili's ability to thrive in this role contributed to the Spurs' success, including multiple NBA championships.
- Tony Parker: While Parker was primarily a starter for most of his career with the Spurs, there were instances where Popovich brought him off the bench, particularly in later years as Parker's role evolved. Popovich used Parker's experience and scoring prowess to bolster the second unit and maintain a balanced rotation.
- Bruce Bowen: Though not a star scorer like Ginobili or Parker, Bruce Bowen was a key defensive player for the Spurs during their championship runs in the 2000s. Popovich often started Bowen to provide lockdown defense on the opposing team's best perimeter player. However, Bowen's offensive limitations sometimes led Popovich to substitute him early in games for offensive-minded players.
I continued the dialogue a bit further and it mentioned some Phil Jackson examples, but this post is long enough already.