Playoff-bound NBA teams aren't always above needing help from fledglings.
Some of them are, for the record. The day Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers entrusts pressing responsibility to a rookie is also the same day Boris Diaw stops walking his dogs while riding a Segway.
Other situations—sincere apologies to C.J. Wilcox—aren't as hopeless. Sometimes, teams with postseason and championship aspirations play rookies. Sometimes, they start rookies.
Our big reveals will rest heavily on the following logic: Certain rookies are just too good or promising to sit. There may not be an obvious need for them to log extensive minutes, but their skill sets complement their respective team's system and on-court culture, and subsequently they cannot be ignored.
To be flat-out honest, it's necessary in other instances. If a team—however prominent—is especially thin at one position or needs dire assistance on one end of the floor, it will be forced to experiment with combinations and players it wouldn't otherwise use. Think (spoiler alert) Chicago Bulls and their anemic offense.
Collegiate and o ...
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Article written by Dan Favale
NBA Rookies Who Could Make Impact on Playoff-Bound Teams
October 3rd, 2014 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »
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