Hooped Up

Paul Millsap did not start when Mehmet Okur was sidelined with a shoulder injury for a couple of reasons. Generally, coach Jerry Sloan rarely shuffles two or three players around when a starter is hurt. He believes in taking the injured player’s backup and moving him into the starting lineup so just one guy — not two or three — must adjust to a temporary role. This keeps the disruption of his regular rotation to a minimum. It also prevents the backup player from losing confidence in himself and becoming confused about his role on the team. He knows with certainty that if the starter gets hurt, he will replace him.

Salt Lake Tribune