BuzzerBeater Forums

Hello all,

Very little has been discussed about substitution patterns in the help forum. I would like to open up the topic since the guide is pretty lax on it and I can find hardly any mention of it in forums. I will update this topic with information provided by users in this forum.

What we know:
Option 1 Let Coach Decide (LCD):
LCD works best with not SETTING A LINEUP or BLANK LINEUP (BL). (For season 28 in private leagues there will be testing completed in making teams submit more than 0-1 players in the lineup for this to function). The coach will use optimal methods to decide which player plays where. Setting a blank lineup means not putting players in any of the available rotation slots. I would prefer someone explain various options with this method. I've personally only tried it once since the announcement for season 27. From what I know of this is the best option to use during the playoffs or must win games. As well as to evaluate what player is the best in which position without manually figuring it out over time. Also, starters will move to various positions around the court.

Option 2 Coach Picks from Depth Chart:
Never used. Someone needs to explain how it works and why/when to use it.

Option 3: Strictly Follow Depth Chart (SFDC):
Most of the time this will result in minutes you can understand. Starters will play 36-44 min depending on stamina. Starters will play less minutes in a blowout situation. Unfortunately the AI is not as smart and will sub out everyone at the same time usually. This option will manage 48 minutes pretty well for training purposes if needed. Another issue is that players are normally stationary so that if someone fouls out, their backup will take their place even though a different starter may be more well suited for the position.

Option 4: Depth Chart Until 4th:
Never used. Someone needs to explain how it works and why/when to use it.

Also I am ignoring foul trouble for the above, because IMO it severely limits the starters and thus creates issues in games where the goal is to win.

Last edited by lawrenman at 7/6/2014 9:26:33 PM

Things like Depth Chart Until 4th are broken & always have been. BBs even admit it. Just FYI.

Option 3: Strictly Follow Depth Chart (SFDC):
Most of the time this will result in minutes you can understand. Starters will play 36-44 min depending on stamina. Starters will play less minutes in a blowout situation. Unfortunately the AI is not as smart and will sub out everyone at the same time usually. This option will manage 48 minutes pretty well for training purposes if needed. Another issue is that players are normally stationary so that if someone fouls out, their backup will take their place even though a different starter may be more well suited for the position.

Two things:
First, if you can get your players' stamina low enough and the backups are relatively decent, you can get starters to play even less than 36 minutes. It's sad that stamina is more of a problem than a benefit, but that's just how it is.

On the fouled-out player substitution, it's worse if you have a guy trying to go all 48 who fouls out. My experience with that is that the coach seems to pick the backup who is least needed (least likely to come in normally), rather than picking a player best suited for that position.