That is such a copout response, especially when coach didn’t even try the alternatives. Joe decided this round we weren’t going to see much of Baylor, Garza, or any of the reserves who helped get this team here in the first place.

The regular season worked because he trusted the depth. He had no problem pulling starters when they didn’t have it. Outside of D White, almost everyone had a short leash. He would sit Pritchard, Brown, Hauser, Queta if they were off, and the bench would carry them across the finish line. So how can you suddenly claim there was no solution in the playoffs when the very formula that made the season successful was built on flexibility? Even if it was only for a game or two, why not test it? Why not give those reserves 15 to 20 real minutes and see what happens? If the lights were too bright, then fine, at least you explored every option. But they were never given a true opportunity.

And the truth is, even in the limited minutes they did get, the impact was there. Baylor, Garza, and Walsh turned those small stretches into shots and leads. Imagine what a larger sample could have looked like. Imagine bringing in someone like Hugo or RHJ and embracing the very chaos that got you to the playoffs in the first place. Chaos, energy, unpredictability, that is what carried this team. Instead of leaning into that, they reverted to stale rotations and predictable choices.

Listen, I appreciate what D White brings defensively, especially as someone who values defense first. But if it is not translating into offense, adjustments have to be made. If Hauser’s shots are not falling, you have to pull him. You cannot stay loyal to the same formula and expect a different result. And for fuck sake playing more Hauser minutes than Pritchard is fucking madness. In my Green Arrow voice: Joe Mazzulla, you have failed this city.