At this point I have no patience for anyone who doesn't see the upside to playing Branch 20mins a game. He gets in the lane and creates easy baskets. What more do we expect from our backup pg?
And Sanchez v. Gift? Really? That's even a debate?
I'm glad we have an experienced big on the bench for moments like this when CO is injured. But Gifts game is what it is. Expecting big mins from him is not something a post-season team can afford.
Shouldnt be a surprise with our fan base though really. They have a bad taste in their mouth from praise being given to Sanchez and others so they scrutinize every move. But the players with less skill and lower rankings are put on a pedestal.
It's true.
But if I take a deep breath I can let the fan base slide a little, because after all they're just fans. We're supposed to be emotional.
But I look back and see that Branch didn't get more than 20mins until the Dartmouth game, and played just 5,8, 6, and 9 mins in losses to Syracuse, Xavier, Villanova, and Providence(OT!), when "he-who-shall-not-be-named played 18, 23, 26, and 38 mins in those contests.
I'm ecstatic we're winning, but this sh*t was obvious in October. Play Phil off the ball and shorten the rotation!
Doesn't that frustrate anyone else? I feel like we gave games away for the sake of experimenting and teaching lessons that could have been given during a chat in coach's office.