I don't think so. It's because he's the coach, dammit, and don't forget it. Such a rigid system, which treats players as interchangeable parts, only increases the reputation of the coach. It's as if the system itself wins games. Try as they might, however, coaches can't entirely control players.
Coaches have to win, and so they have to put their best players on the floor most of the time.
So, a Tom Davis must grit his teeth and play the mercurial Kevin Smith when he obviously prefers Troy Skinner, who is steady and consistent in his ineptitude. The possibilities increase tenfold. Suddenly Davis is more spectator than puppeteer. That's why Isiah Thomas couldn't play for Knight for long. Into this battle of wills step the zebras, the referees.