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I searched this forum briefly for a thread on this, but couldn't find one. Apologies if this is an old/shot down suggestion...

One big difference between this game and basketball at practically every level is the strange absence of a 6th man role. Creating an effective Manu Ginobli, James Harden, or Kevin McHale is virtually impossible in this game because of lack of meaningful minutes available to a reserve player. I have a SG/SF who strictly comes off the bench to provide a scoring punch, but only averages 19 minutes per game and this is including blowouts where he plays half the meaningless minutes and he has started some games. He actually plays much less in a tight meaningful game where I really need his scoring off the bench.

It seems that in any lineup A - B - C, A gets 36 minutes, B gets 10 minutes and C gets 2 minutes give or take variation for stamina levels, game flow and slots filled. If you try to put your designated "6th man" as backing up 2 positions, he just splits the 10 or so minutes over 2 postions and the starters play an extra few minutes each. Not productive to say the least.

What is the downside in having a designated 6th man that can come off the bench for 2 or 3 positions for 24 or so minutes per game (maybe ~10 for each position he is listed as backup for a maximum of 30 minutes)? This would greatly improve gameplay for me and make it more realistic. I Just don't like that listing players at multiple backup positions cannibalizes minutes instead of adds them.

To prevent anyone from accusing me of this, I do like how minutes aren't guaranteed and they fluctuate based on aforementioned variables. I am not suggesting OCD style contol over minutes, per se, just want the ability to create a 6th man role player from the bench who actually affects the outcome of the game...like in real basketball.

Any yea/naysayers out there?

I like to see this for a while, giving Backup different level of importance would bring more variability to the team, without making managing minutes to easy.

Agree.
Being able to put a back-up on two positions without having your starters playing 40+ minutes a game would be great.
Having "roles" for your back-ups would be even better. This would ad a whole new strategic dimension to the game!

If you put a better player than the starter to the sub spot and choose let coach decide, the sub will get 24 minutes easily. This game is about skills/stamina/GS. In real life not everyone can effectivly come off the bench. There are guys who prefer to come off the bench in order to get minutes against the other teams bench players. Easier to produce etc. You can always start a low salary defence only player and have your gunner come off the bench. Is it wise?, I doubt it.
6th man award is like: hmm I know I can't get MVP or All-NBA honors, let me get that 6-th man award...
Everyone should want to be a starter.

Yes, I can use let coach decide and he will play the better player. I will have to test this out a bit more in my PL league games to see what it can do. I want the 6th man to come off the bench at multiple positions and I fear it will just play him at one of the positions I list him as for most of the game, though. Not really what I am looking for.

I also think that your view on the 6th man is a bit off-base. There are guys who come off the bench in the NBA who could either start on other teams or even on their own team. They come off the bench to preserve stamina and carry the team when the starters start to tire and go to the bench for a breather. It is not because they aren't good enough to be an MVP...in fact, a few 6th men award winners have made the All-Star team from the bench and Bill Walton and Kevin McHale are hall of famers who played the 6th man role (and Walton was a previous MVP award winner!).

My previous examples of Manu and Harden are really good ones for my case. Both players are better than the guy they sit behind. Harden comes off the bench because his scoring is redundant with 2 all star scorers in front of him. One can sit and Harden can come in to mind the gap really well. Manu does the same thing for the Spurs, carrying the offense when Parker and Duncan need to sit. Manu/Harden both get 30+ minutes per game. I want to recreate that with my team, where a well-balanced scorer comes off the bench at multiple positions to prey on the backups of other teams for extended periods of time.

I like this idea. +1

I'm sorry for this late answer, but it's summer:)

The sixth man in NBA is a funny concept. There are scorers in the NBA, that need to get their touches. If you have 2 goto guys in the starting lineup, then the third option has trouble being effective. Unless he can defend. A lot of the scorers are not really good defenders. So they get their touches when the 2 first options take a rest.
What I don't like about the so called "sixth man" is that surprise surprise... they play a lot of minutes. In my eyes if you play 31.4 minutes a game (Harden "the award winner" third most in his team) you are not a freaking bench player, period! Same with last season winner L.Odom 32.2 mins (third most in his team).
J.Crawford 31.1 (4-th in his team), J.Terry 33.7 (3-d), M.Ginobili 31.1 (3-d).
Those guys are always on the floor when the game is on the line. I think it's pretty idiotic - let's say Dirk wants the sixth man award. They just set Brand to starting lineup and switch Dirk in at the first possibility. If he still logs 33.5 minutes per game, but has less starts than he comes off the bench, he takes the award.

I have a pretty good rotation in my teams backcourt, with the third player averaging 26.7 mins. If I would start my trainee for example and choose let coach decide and assign my starter to both backcourt backup, he will average more minutes than the starting trainee. So it's still doable in this game. Is it a good strategy? I doubt it...

I see what you are saying about the 6th man, and I do agree with you. I don't want to recreate a 6th man type of deal exactly, but I want a player to play meaningful rotation minutes off the bench.

There is no way your 3rd guard off the bench gets 26.7 minutes PER GAME. He probably gets 35 minutes 1 game and 15 the next unless you are constantly winning blowouts. Not the same.

I am looking for the option to play a player at 2 positions off the bench and have those minutes added together instead of canabalize each other. I feel that having all backups play 10-15 minutes only at the position they are set to back up minimalizes the bench. What is the benefit of having a great bench when they don't play that often?

The more I think about it, the more I wish there was a better way to regulate the ratio of minutes between starters/reserves other than stamina. That seems like a silly way to regulate playing time, anyways.

I will continue to experiment with the "let coach pick from depth chart" to see if it gets me closer to my idea of regular rotational minutes off the bench.

He get's more minutes when my starters get into foul trouble or I win by blowout. It's not profitable to have a better player to come off the bench in this game.
Like I said you can get more minutes to a backup if you let your better player come off the bench. I think you current team lacks the skill difference needed to successfully use that option.

yer good topic, im not sure what the answer is, but there is some good discussion here, and id love to hear how the tactic of 'letting coach decide' works out.

I dont think you will ever be able to replicate the scenario of some NBA players, who, play 30+ mins but come off the bench. Starters who only log <10 mins, i just dont think its possible to do in this game.

Setting one player as backup to two positions is a good way to get more mins, but you want more still, i understand that as well and i agree with this.
an interesting tactic, might be to play a guy with low stamina as a starter? My C has/had pitiful Stamina, and he seemed to only play 25-30-ish mins per game. unless i set him as backup as well, that increased his mins a bit.

So maybe... get a starter who has great stats, but has low stamina? And set ur 6th man to replace him. That might help.

The other thing that ive started doing with a good 6th man, is have your 6th man be an 'out of position' player. eg: Buy a SG with a level of ID which doesn't hurt you too much, and play him at PF? its only for 10- mins a game, and dependant upon your tactic, you might get more offensive punch from the out of position guy. I know this doesnt increase his minutes, but it may increse the 6th mans offensive output?

worth a try in some PL or scrimmage games anyways.

I guess I should clarify that I do not necessarily want a scorer from the bench nor a 10 minute starter and 38 minute bench player$ I just used those as examples of possibilities.

What I really want is for my well rounded bench player to rotate better with my starters so he gets 20+ minutes as opposed to the 8-12 he is getting now. This is happening to my front court and back court, mind you.

Playing players at multiple back up positions does not increase his minutes. It only serves to increases starters minutes.

I could buy players with low stamina, but because I train all 9 of my rotation players I would have to purposefully buy trainees with low stamina and then consciously not train stamina. I just think stamina is a poor way to regulate lineup minutes. Kind of silly, actually.

Keep the conversation going!