Does Chris Boucher make Oregon basketball better coming off the bench?

Zachary Regelin: Anyone think Oregon might be better off having Boucher play big minutes off the bench? Two best wins of the season have come that way. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.

Eli Boettger: I don't know a ton about Boucher's effect but I have never been a huge fan of the starter/bench role argument. I get how it's a chemistry thing but if someone is still playing the same amount of minutes and doesn't play from the opening tip to the U-16 timeout, I don't know if it's that significant. That's just me though, this situation could be different

Either way, Oregon is back (if they were ever gone).

Zachary: Yeah I'm not sure. The first thing that hits my mind is Dion Waiters at Syracuse a few years back. Was probably the best player on the team but never started. Way different situation though. I sort of like Brooks started the game at the 4.

I agree with you on the bench/starter thing too. I was never a fan of Harden coming off the bench in OKC.

Eli: True, that never made much sense to me either. Although say you have two players that play 35 minutes a game, one starts and one comes off the bench. I would think the guy that comes off the bench is more important because as the game progresses the minutes become more important, so the starter plays the first few minutes of the game which pretty much doesn't matter much when it's all said and done but the bench player doesn't play those first minutes.

Zachary: Oh that does make sense. Which is why so many 6th men in basketball close games.