When Bird was with the Celtics, that five-star Green Army relied on six players to conquer the Finals.
In the 1985 Finals, the Celtics starters logged the most minutes, with Dennis Johnson at 41.2 minutes and Danny Ainge the fewest at 33.8 minutes. The sixth man, Scott Woodman, only played an average of 17.5 minutes, just half the time.
The rest were role players playing under ten minutes, coming on to give the starters a breather for a few minutes, scoring 2 or 3 points and grabbing a couple of rebounds, which was considered job done.
In important games, maximizing the main players is inevitable; it's all about how the coach adjusts and arranges things.
In the last two seasons, the Trail Blazers have had a tactical approach that dominates in strategy and shooting ability, with a long rotation that maximizes stamina advantages.
