When will Reed be placed into the starting lineup?

Ime put Reed in towards the middle of the 3rd quarter, and played him most of the 4th until the Rockets had the lead. As soon as the Rockets lost the lead, Ime put Reed back in (maybe a minute on the bench). Ime didn't play Reed in overtime much as he had played him from the middle of the third through down the stretch in regulation with little rest.

Ime did not know in regulation that it would go to overtime.

 

There are some great players who just work better for their team coming off the bench. It's part of what makes players like Manu so effective, and why the sixth man award exists. That role makes sense to me on this team, too, with a starting lineup featuring Durant and Sengun, but we'll see.

Getting burned by Bane certainly didn't help, but nonetheless, I agree with your overarching point that Ime showed faith in Reed in most of the games other important moments.

... Still it was clear we needed defense in that last minute of overtime.

 

Reed starting turns Amen into a different and MUCH more valuable player. Night and day.
In fact, he makes all the starters better on the offensive end.
Yes, the defense changes, but that will gradually improve.
It's just a matter of time at this point.

 

On getting burned, this is like the third or fourth time I've seen this. When did this happen? The only points I can see that Bane remotely scored on Reed were free throws after Reed tripped him, and Reed getting trucked on a moving screen by Isaac forcing Adams to switch onto Bane who nailed a three. I can't find video of how Bane got to the line in the 1st half so there is a chance Bane blew by Reed causing a foul. I don't consider getting flagrantly fouled by Reed, shooting a three over Adams after a switch, and maybe getting a couple of free throws as Bane burning Reed. Reed nailed at least two three-pointers with Bane on him, and put him in a hostage dribble once to nail a mid-range shot.

Bane toasted Holiday and JSJ much worse.

Franz (maybe someone else as well) got Reed a few times in a short period in the 3rd leading mostly to free throws.

 

I totally agree. As long as Reed can get the ball up the floor QUICKLY and make a good pass to KD or Sengun for them to setup the play, I think it's then time for him to start, and move Amen back to the role he's already a superstar in.

Having Amen bring the ball up, and then have to get into the play afterwards is just using up energy, and wasting time in the play. The ball is going to KD or Sengun at the top of the key when the ball cross half court anyways. Whoever is playing the perimeter floor spacer in the play going to have to come up to where Amen is and Amen is going to have to get to his spot. So you are just wasting time and energy of everyone in the play.

Start Reed, and play Holiday more as well IMO. If KD has to miss some time then you put Amen in the position on most plays to be the lead guard facilitating the play at the top of the key with Sengun. But right now KD is balling out of his mind. Like what the hell are we doing here with Amen?

Of course if Reed starts doing dumb things again like killing his dribble at the half court, or getting scared and throwing the ball away frantically then we got problems, and can go from there.

 

There was a play late in the game where Bane got by Reed a little too easy...

Bane didn't score but he ended up getting an assist to the player that snuck in behind KD for an easy layup...

Reed did give up the penetration way too easily, but there was no need for KD to lose track of the baseline cutter because Sengun was already in the lane in help position to contest Bane at the rim.

It can be argued that Reed allowing Bane to get into the lane so easily is what set off the chain of events, but with how far Sungun was in the lane there was likely going to be an open shot somewhere. KD just could have done a better job not allowing 1 of the two guys that would be open to cut right behind him for an open look at the rim.

Go to the 5:22 mark in this video:



You can see what I'm talking about.

Also, like you and others said Bane torched Jabari much more than he torched Reed. People just like to hyperfocus on him and make his mistakes monumental.