There is zero penalty for having 1, 2, 3, or 4 fouls. It is totally irrelevant. The penalty for a 5th foul is that you have to sit on the bench.
Another related myth is that most games are decided at the end so that there is value in preserving your best lineup for the decisive portion of the game. By the end of the game, the winning team is highly incentivized to reduce the pace of the game (to reduce the variance in the outcome and make the status quo more probable) so there may be fewer possessions.
You need your players on the court while the game is still being decided. Not playing optimal rotations with all of your eligible players is coaching malpractice.
Another related myth is that most games are decided at the end so that there is value in preserving your best lineup for the decisive portion of the game. By the end of the game, the winning team is highly incentivized to reduce the pace of the game (to reduce the variance in the outcome and make the status quo more probable) so there may be fewer possessions.
You need your players on the court while the game is still being decided. Not playing optimal rotations with all of your eligible players is coaching malpractice.
