IMHO the coaches are almost always right. As fans we do not possess a quarter of their individual player knowledge. And to be honest, compared to the coaches, we fans know little about the NBA game. When and if Jones comes back this season, I am 100% OK for the coaches to make the player rotation decisions. Which is a good thing because none of us have any input into the decision.
Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint) what any of us thinks the rotation should be doesn't matter. The coach decides based on player performance on the floor, the match-ups, and his gut feeling. The amazing play against the Grizzlies last night was just that. We shouldn't forget that the constant in both the past starting line-up (with those injured now) and the current starting line-up have Harden in common. He truly is what makes both line-ups as effective as they are. If it were not for that, I would say having a 10-man rotation for most situations would be feasible. The original starting 5 and then bring in the line-up that played last night. Only problem is, Jones was in the original line-up and D-Mo would have been part of the "second" five. Now that Jones is injured, we have he and Harden that would normally be replaced by bench players. Black and Dorsey may not be able to make up for D-Mo's offense if he starts and they sub for him. When Harden goes out, it looks like it's either Garcia or Johnson. Daniels is undersized and isn't hitting his shots consistently enough. I don't see how you get around not having Harden on the floor for maximum efficiency. He has to be rested, but the offense will almost surely struggle more. There just is no substitute for Harden. It's still a puzzle whose solution will start to emerge when all players are healthy. (Cross our fingers on Jones.) I think Dorsey is better than he first showed due to the foot problem, too. One thing is for sure. The confidence and experience the "replacements" are getting now will, I think, pay big dividends down the road. These guys are gaining a "battle-hardened," "can do" mentality. McHale's comments about why he loves Euro-league players is part of that. As he said, "They are just unflappable."
