Honestly, no pun intended
With a season, and potentially a coaching tenure, on the line, Mike Woodson could not have been happy to lose his leading scorer and one of his most proven veterans in Malik Reneau. It would not be the first time in recent years that Indiana has lost a key player to a long-term injury.
The good news is that Reneau’s injury doesn’t appear to be serious. He sat out today, but the broadcast crew mentioned that Woodson does not believe Reneau will miss a big chunk of the season.
The less good news is that a lot of things have worked better for Indiana with Reneau missing some time.
This isn’t to say Reneau hurts the team. It’s possible that Indiana’s improved play over the last two games has been, at least in part, due to his teammates rallying around him in support.
On the other hand the stats, particularly the 3-point shooting, over the last two games, tend to support the idea that Indiana needs to stick to smaller lineups for longer stretches.
Looking at the starting lineup alone, the obvious advantage is that Luke Goode and Mackenzie Mgbako – Indiana’s two best shooters – get to share the floor more. This has resulted in a higher volume of takes and makes.
The other advantage is the increased number of touches for non-post players, which has allowed Myles Rice, Mgbako, and even Oumar Ballo, to thrive in recent games. Things just flow better.
When Reneau returns to the lineup, Woodson will have to decide whether he wants to return to the style of play that got him to this must-win situation or stick with what’s worked when injury forced his hand.
This isn’t the first big decision Woodson has had to make this season. Benching Kanaan Carlyle and taking him out of the starting lineup following his inconsistent play could not have been easy considering how highly touted he came in the portal.
Reneau has been playing well this season though, and benching him and/or Ballo for longer stretches will be a decision of a different magnitude. Reneau is a player Woodson has recruited and developed out of high school and deserves the utmost respect and loyalty from his coach.
Woodson has also demonstrated a strong preference for playing two bigs together, starting from his first seasons with Race Thompson and Trayce Jackson-Davis. As he’s had the chance to build his own rosters and distribute minutes, he’s done it year after year.
This is a philosophical change he has to make, as a guy with fifteen years of head coaching experience across the collegiate and professional ranks. Is it asking an old dog to learn a new trick?
We will find out. How he manages this team through Big Ten play will determine the season which could determine how his tenure at Indiana ends. I’m sure it’s not something he’s taking lightly.