Further, in what way did benching him make him better that could not have been accomplished without benching him?

You said he “developed” him into a double double player.

He did that before he got benched. In fact, he was in the midst of a stretch of five games where he was coming on very strong when he got benched.

He still got tunnel vision when he got the ball at the end of the season. He passed a little more. He was already a solid playmaker *when* he passed.

What was significantly better at the end of the season from what he was doing when he got benched?

Did his defense improve?

Doesn’t seem like it.

Further, doesn’t Byron shoulder a significant portion of the burden of the defensive deficiencies of everyone on this team? Wasn’t that part of his job? So while he’s letting everyone know how bad they are defensively in their exit interviews, how much responsibility do you think he gives himself for that?

Or was Byron just a really good teacher with really poor students?