What's Your Preferred Starting Lineup?

[twslam07]

It's probably too early to ask this question but it's TDOS, so let's go for it.

Let's just imagine that no major moves were made for the rest of the offseason (perhaps McLemore for a backup PG). What would be your preferred starting lineup going into the season?


***Keep in mind this isn't what you think the starting lineup will be, it's asking what would you like the starting lineup to be***

 

[twslam07]

I'm between two lineups personally...

Collison / Temple / Gay / Cauley-Stein / Cousins
Collison / Temple / Gay / Casspi / Cousins

For the first lineup, you obviously have a lot of defense out on the floor. Collison, Temple, Cauley-Stein, Cousins are all good defenders. Collison, Temple, & Gay supply the spacing for Cousins. We have three main cogs (Cousins, Gay, & Collison) with two low usage players to help balance the roster. This lineup mirrors that Collison / McLemore / Gay / Thompson / Cousins lineup in 2014-2015 that was extremely successful but instead we have Temple & Cauley-Stein instead of McLemore & Thompson. I also really like the bench that would be coming in. Afflalo & Casspi would be our scorers off the bench with Tolliver & Koufos as our big man replacements who provide both shooting and defense. However, the 4 man combination of Collison / Gay / Cauley-Stein / Cousins (with Rondo off the floor last year) had an offensive rating of 104.4 and a defensive rating of 154.4 (-50 net). That's beyond awful. Granted that combination only played 68 minutes together last year, so it may just be a sample issue.

The other lineup was very, very strong last year statistically. Collison / Gay / Casspi / Cousins (with Rondo off the floor) had an offensive rating of 111.5 and a defensive rating of 98.8 (+12.7 net). If you add McLemore to that 4 man lineup (a low usage, 3&D type player), the offensive rating jumps only a little bit to 111.9 but the defensive rating drops to 85.7 (+26.2 net). All we would be doing is replacing McLemore with Temple who is a better ball handler, passer, & defender. His 3pt shooting isn't too far behind McLemore either (Temple was 36% on catch & shoot 3s & McLemore was 37% on catch & shoot 3s).

Having said that, I think I would still error on the side of size, length, & defense and go with Collison / Temple / Gay / Cauley-Stein / Cousins. If that lineup doesn't seem to be working the way Collison / McLemore / Gay / Thompson / Cousins did, I don't mind switching to the Gay/Casspi lineup. If the Collison / Temple / Gay / Cauley-Stein / Cousins lineup proves to be effective, it gives us 2 solid bench options that can help carry the load on offense (Afflalo, Casspi).

 

[itzcoatl]

I said Collision/Afflalo/Gay/WCS/DMC. For me, the only question was who starts at SG. Certainly not Ben. So it was between Afflalo and Temple. At least for now, without having seen them play, I gotta give it to Afflalo as he is the proven vet.

 

[pshn80]

Why on earth would anyone want to start Temple over Affalo - or anyone? And yes it is TDOS. My only temptation away from yout first option is starting someone other than WCS. Maybe Casspi, maybe Barnes, maybe Koufos, or trade McLemore for an over-the-hill vet a PF. Since our offense this year should have a strong option of Cuz passing out to scorers then Casspi/Gay/Affalo/Collison might be the best choice.

 

[twslam07]

Why on earth would anyone want to start Temple over Affalo - or anyone? And yes it is TDOS. My only temptation away from yout first option is starting someone other than WCS. Maybe Casspi, maybe Barnes, maybe Koufos, or trade McLemore for an over-the-hill vet a PF. Since our offense this year should have a strong option of Cuz passing out to scorers then Casspi/Gay/Affalo/Collison might be the best choice.

Because I think he's a better player & a better fit in the starting lineup. There I said it!

Temple is a much better defender than Afflalo. Afflalo used to be good on that side of the ball, but he really doesn't give you much on that end of the court anymore.

Afflalo Defense
-1.20 DRAPM
-2.58 DRPM
+3.00 Def On/Off (team gives up 3 more points when he's on the court)
6'5" w/ 6'9" wingspan

Temple Defense
+1.81 DRAPM
+0.89 DRPM
-5.00 Def On/Off (team gives up 5 less points when he's on the court)
6'5" w/ 7'1" wingspan


Afflalo is most certainly the better offensive player as you can see by the stats below:

Afflalo Offense
-0.39 ORAPM
-0.67 ORPM
+2.20 Off On/Off (team scores 2.2 more points when he's on the court)

Temple Offense
-1.79 ORAPM
-1.24 ORPM
-3.20 Off On/Off (team scores 3.2 less points when he's on the court)


But as you can see, Temple's defense outweighs his offense unlike Afflalo who's offense can't overcome his lack of defense.

Afflalo Overall
-1.59 RAPM
-3.25 RPM
-0.90 On/Off (opponent outscores his team by 0.9 points when he's on the court)

Temple Overall
+0.03 RAPM
-0.35 RPM
+1.8 On/Off (team outscores their opponent by 1.8 points when he's on the court)


I think Temple is a much better fit in the starting lineup. His defense would be utilized against our opponents better wings while Afflalo's offensive abilities will be used against weaker defenders in the 2nd unit (while also just giving us a player who can score with the ball in his hands off the bench). Not to mention his athleticism, size, & wingspan can allow him to guard the most difficult matchup at PG, SG, or SF.

We don't need Afflalo's scoring in the starting unit. We need a player who can defend, shoot, not turn the ball over, make the smart play, & (for the most part) stay out of the way on offense. Afflalo's scoring ability & poor defense are much more suited to come off the bench. Afflalo & Casspi would give us two scoring options off the bench and help us balance our lineups.

Obviously, Afflalo's 3pt shooting would be great to have in the starting unit, but Temple at 35% is not bad either. Like I mentioned before, Collison / McLemore / Gay / Thompson / Cousins was one of the best lineups in 2014-2015. McLemore shot 36% from three that year with worse defense, worse ball handling, & worse decision making. Swap him out with someone who is better in the last 3 areas but slightly worse at shooting and what do you get? I would venture to guess that the lineup would be more effective.

 

[dude12]

This isn't the final roster but if it was, Temple has to back up Collison. I'm starting DC and Afflalo, Boogie and WCS and then either Barnes or Casspi. I'd bring Gay off the bench where he would give us some firepower to go with Temple, Tolliver, Koufos and then Richardson.

Based on the roster and the anticipated style though, I expect Joerger to run a lot of guys in and out of the lineup and rotation as they give full effort on defense necessitating large rotation. I see lots of mix and matching to the other teams lineups as we great flexibility with the roster. Lots of stretch 4 types, spot up 3 point shooters, lots of defensive parts and I think the defensive matchups is what is going to drive our rotations.

 

[twslam07]

This isn't the final roster but if it was, Temple has to back up Collison. I'm starting DC and Afflalo, Boogie and WCS and then either Barnes or Casspi. I'd bring Gay off the bench where he would give us some firepower to go with Temple, Tolliver, Koufos and then Richardson.

Based on the roster and the anticipated style though, I expect Joerger to run a lot of guys in and out of the lineup and rotation as they give full effort on defense necessitating large rotation. I see lots of mix and matching to the other teams lineups as we great flexibility with the roster. Lots of stretch 4 types, spot up 3 point shooters, lots of defensive parts and I think the defensive matchups is what is going to drive our rotations.

Yeah, I don't think we're going into the year with Temple as our backup PG. McLemore for D. Harris is always an option. Chalmers is still available & K. Marshall may be released soon as well. I'm having a tough time seeing us go in with just Collison & Temple.

I'd rather Afflalo come off the bench simply because Gay has shown to be a more efficient scorer against tougher competition...

Gay: 55% TS% / 19 PPG
Afflalo: 53% TS% / 13 PPG


and Gay is a better defender...

Gay: +0.17 DRAPM / +0.36 DRPM / +0.20 Def On/Off
Afflalo: -1.20 DRAPM / -2.58 DRPM / +3.00 Def On/Off


The majority of us were upset last year with our perimeter defense. I understand Joerger vs. Karl & Collison vs. Rondo should help with that, but starting a SG who is a worse defender than Gay when you have someone like Temple who is theoretically a good fit, will improve the perimeter defense (+1.81 DRAPM, +0.89 DRPM, & -5.00 Def On/Off), will help cover defensive liabilities (can guard 1-3), will make smart decisions (2.2 AST/TO), knows his role on offense (14% Usage), & can knock down spot up 3s (36% on C&S 3s) doesn't make much sense.

It would also be nice knowing that both our starting PG & SG would have a AST/TO ratio above 2. I'm getting tired of all of the turnovers.

 

[pshn80]

Because I think he's a better player & a better fit in the starting lineup. There I said it!

Temple is a much better defender than Afflalo. Afflalo used to be good on that side of the ball, but he really doesn't give you much on that end of the court anymore.

Afflalo Defense
-1.20 DRAPM
-2.58 DRPM
+3.00 Def On/Off (team gives up 3 more points when he's on the court)
6'5" w/ 6'9" wingspan

Temple Defense
+1.81 DRAPM
+0.89 DRPM
-5.00 Def On/Off (team gives up 5 less points when he's on the court)
6'5" w/ 7'1" wingspan


Afflalo is most certainly the better offensive player as you can see by the stats below:

Afflalo Offense
-0.39 ORAPM
-0.67 ORPM
+2.20 Off On/Off (team scores 2.2 more points when he's on the court)

Temple Offense
-1.79 ORAPM
-1.24 ORPM
-3.20 Off On/Off (team scores 3.2 less points when he's on the court)


But as you can see, Temple's defense outweighs his offense unlike Afflalo who's offense can't overcome his lack of defense.

Afflalo Overall
-1.59 RAPM
-3.25 RPM
-0.90 On/Off (opponent outscores his team by 0.9 points when he's on the court)

Temple Overall
+0.03 RAPM
-0.35 RPM
+1.8 On/Off (team outscores their opponent by 1.8 points when he's on the court)


I think Temple is a much better fit in the starting lineup. His defense would be utilized against our opponents better wings while Afflalo's offensive abilities will be used against weaker defenders in the 2nd unit (while also just giving us a player who can score with the ball in his hands off the bench). Not to mention his athleticism, size, & wingspan can allow him to guard the most difficult matchup at PG, SG, or SF.

We don't need Afflalo's scoring in the starting unit. We need a player who can defend, shoot, not turn the ball over, make the smart play, & (for the most part) stay out of the way on offense. Afflalo's scoring ability & poor defense are much more suited to come off the bench. Afflalo & Casspi would give us two scoring options off the bench and help us balance our lineups.

Obviously, Afflalo's 3pt shooting would be great to have in the starting unit, but Temple at 35% is not bad either. Like I mentioned before, Collison / McLemore / Gay / Thompson / Cousins was one of the best lineups in 2014-2015. McLemore shot 36% from three that year with worse defense, worse ball handling, & worse decision making. Swap him out with someone who is better in the last 3 areas but slightly worse at shooting and what do you get? I would venture to guess that the lineup would be more effective.

Very good analysis. Thanks. Temple has not been a starter. Affalo has. I believe McLemore always hurt us more on offense than on defense. We need the offense or we may have to again depend too much on Cuz forcing his one-on-one offense to our detriment. Affalo will give Cuz and the Kings more options which was a zero in Ben's bag of tricks. We need to depend a little (or a lot) less on scoring from Cuz. However, you might be right. I hope both our new SGs excel this season.

 

[Bricklayer]

If no moves are made, then you start the talent, spot in the roleplayers depending on how things are going.

 

[Iced Espresso]

Collison / Afflalo / Barnes / Gay / Cousins wasn't my choice, but that's not too bad for a small ball team.

 

[twslam07]

Very good analysis. Thanks. Temple has not been a starter. Affalo has. I believe McLemore always hurt us more on offense than on defense. We need the offense or we may have to again depend too much on Cuz forcing his one-on-one offense to our detriment. Affalo will give Cuz and the Kings more options which was a zero in Ben's bag of tricks. We need to depend a little (or a lot) less on scoring from Cuz. However, you might be right. I hope both our new SGs excel this season.

I think the use of Cousins will depend on Joerger & the lineup he currently is playing in. Obviously, if Cousins is out there with Temple, McLemore, Barnes, & Cauley-Stein, Cousins is going to basically be the one with the ball in his hands which could make us pretty easy to defend. Considering the starting lineup already has 2 other efficient scorers (Gay: 19 PPG / .55 TS% & Collison: 15 PPG / .58 TS%), I don't see the necessity in sacrificing defense for yet another offensive option.

There are a plethora of teams that have 3 options or less in their starting lineup: Oklahoma City, Portland, Houston, Toronto, & Boston to name a few. Defense wins in this league. It's about time we start prioritizing it.

I actually went ahead and pulled the last 2 years of data that looks at when Collison, Gay, & Cousins were on the floor at the same time without an additional scorer (no Omri Casspi, Derrick Williams, Marco Belinelli, & Carl Landry) or dominant PG (no Rondo), and these were the results:

Off Rating: 111.6
Def Rating: 102.5
Net Rating: +9.1 pts per 100 possessions

Cousins: 53% TS / 34% Usage
Gay: 57% TS / 25% Usage
Collison: 64% TS / 18% Usage

Cousins at 53% is obviously not where you want him to be, but Gay & Collison are feasting. If you get Cousins to buy in & look to move the ball/share the ball, you could see Cousins usage drop and TS% increase. I think this is where Joerger comes into play.

Despite Cousins' TS% being 53%, that trio without another scorer on the floor is still outscoring their opponents by 9.1 pts per 100 possessions. Considering that, I'd prefer to surround those guys with defenders. Cauley-Stein has the PF spot covered & Temple is a great defender who can handle, pass, & knock down 3s.

In fact, Temple is actually a pretty good 3pt shooter from the right corner. He has shot 43% from that spot over the last 2 seasons. Considering Gay has shot 41% from the right wing over the past 2 seasons (this is where McLemore usually is on the floor and he shot 38% from this spot), that's some pretty good cross court 3pt shooting when Cousins has the ball in his hands.

Collison is only 32% from straight on over the past 2 seasons. However, he did shoot 39% from that spot during the 2014-15 season, so perhaps there is some hope for him to be effective there. If not, Collison could always take a step in after the ball come his way considering he shoots 50% from midrange. With Cousins in the low post on the left side (where he likes to be), that gives him three decent shooters across the court in case the defense decides to collapse. I'd probably have Temple feed Cousins on the left hand side. With his height & length, it should make it easier for him to get the ball to Cousins. After doing so, he simply runs through to the right corner while Gay & Collison shift up.

If Cousins is in the high post, I would still have Gay on the right wing (41%) and Temple in the right corner (43%), but then I would have Collison run through to the left corner where he has shot a blistering 55% over the past 2 seasons. With Cousins in the high post, he has 3 shooters around him who all shoot above 40% in their hot spots. All while having a good defensive group still on the floor.

 

[twslam07]

If no moves are made, then you start the talent, spot in the roleplayers depending on how things are going.

I guess it really depends on what (or who) you mean by "talent"

 

[twslam07]

The results are pretty interesting so far. I did not expect everyone (except me) to be okay with Afflalo as the starting SG considering he would arguably be the worst defender in that lineup. A lot of us were fed up with the 'no defense' mentality last year. I'm surprised to see so many people willing to accept a worse defender in the starting lineup this year.

Granted Joerger may elevate everyone's defensive games to where it may not be an issue or as much of an issue, but considering we already have 3 scorers in the starting lineup & considering we're lacking bench scoring, I'm surprised more and more people aren't opting for a different option.

 

[kingsboi]

I'll go ahead and go with Collison/Afflalo/Gay/Cauley-Stein/Cousins and call it a day...let that team grow together and build chemistry without changing your starting line ups consistently...I have a feeling we won't be seeing any trade until the February trade deadline.

 

[twslam07]

I'll go ahead and go with Collison/Afflalo/Gay/Cauley-Stein/Cousins and call it a day...let that team grow together and build chemistry without changing your starting line ups consistently...I have a feeling we won't be seeing any trade until the February trade deadline.

But why would you want that to be your starting lineup?

 

[kingsboi]

But why would you want that to be your starting lineup?

Best chance of winning IMO

 

[twslam07]

Best chance of winning IMO

Is it just a hunch? I'm curious to why so many people feel the way you do as I'm having difficulty finding the logic.

 

[lwc]

I'm not sure if this was posted already or not but this story came across my news feed:
Click here

According to that story above that Kings have the 28th best starting 5 in the NBA, it ranks each teams starting 5. Cavs and Warriors are 1 and 2.

 

[pshn80]

Is it just a hunch? I'm curious to why so many people feel the way you do as I'm having difficulty finding the logic.

I think Brick's simple statement above is the answer to your very good question. Go with the talent in the first instance. Defense has been a big problem for the Kings but so has offense. To do as well as we did offensively we had to greatly over use and abuse Cuz. Let's try to change that.

 

[kingsboi]

Is it just a hunch? I'm curious to why so many people feel the way you do as I'm having difficulty finding the logic.

Tell me, who would you throw out there to give you the best chance of winning?

 

[twslam07]

I think Brick's simple statement above is the answer to your very good question. Go with the talent in the first instance. Defense has been a big problem for the Kings but so has offense. To do as well as we did offensively we had to greatly over use and abuse Cuz. Let's try to change that.

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but a lot of Brick's post have been "the offense is fine, fix the defense!"

Just because Afflalo used to be a great 3 & D player doesn't mean we should reward his old reputation and start him. If we desperately needed shooting & scoring in the starting lineup, then yeah start him. But when we have an adequate 3pt shooter who is leaps and bounds better defensively, I have trouble seeing the logic (especially when our bench scoring would be limited to just Casspi).

 

[twslam07]

Tell me, who would you throw out there to give you the best chance of winning?

It seems as if you're avoiding my question... I'm really just curious what your reasoning is considering the number of people who would prefer to start Afflalo.

I would start Collison/Temple/Gay/Cauley-Stein/Cousins (for the numerous explanations given throughout this thread) & close out the game with either the same lineup or Collison/Temple/Gay/Casspi/Cousins.

 

[kingsboi]

It seems as if you're avoiding my question... I'm really just curious what your reasoning is considering the number of people who would prefer to start Afflalo.

I would start Collison/Temple/Gay/Cauley-Stein/Cousins (for the numerous explanations given throughout this thread) & close out the game with either the same lineup or Collison/Temple/Gay/Casspi/Cousins.

My reasoning is fairly simple really. The Kings struggled over the last few seasons with the SG position, Afflalo is a veteran, the Kings are trying to win now...they've been down the Ben McLemore train for far too long, Afflalo is on a two year deal with an option for year two...you would think that he will produce on a more consistent basis than any other SG can right now on this roster. You want to start Temple, that's fine...that's your opinion, you are entitled to it. I'd lean more towards an offensive group to start the game and close the game with a more defensive minded team if the game is close.

 

[twslam07]

My reasoning is fairly simple really. The Kings struggled over the last few seasons with the SG position, Afflalo is a veteran, the Kings are trying to win now...they've been down the Ben McLemore train for far too long, Afflalo is on a two year deal with an option for year two...you would think that he will produce on a more consistent basis than any other SG can right now on this roster. You want to start Temple, that's fine...that's your opinion, you are entitled to it. I'd lean more towards an offensive group to start the game and close the game with a more defensive minded team if the game is close.

I don't think anyone is recommending McLemore to start. I'm not sure where that is coming from. The point about McLemore is that despite how "scrubby" he was, that type of player was an excellent fit next to Collison, Gay, & Cousins. Temple's 3 & D, low usage style is much closer to McLemore than Afflalo's style of play. Roster balance is crucial. Throwing all of your scorers (or most of your scorers) into the lineup doesn't always work out. Especially when you're sacrificing defense to do so.

You think Afflalo will produce on a more consistent basis than any other SG right now on our roster, but I think you're failing to recognize what kind of production that is and how that plays into the lineup. I'll just say that defensive effort is way more consistent than scoring/shooting, so I wouldn't be so sure that Afflalo would be the most "consistent" on our roster.

If you have enough scorers on the floor, you might as well load up on defense & spacing. As shown, Temple is a net positive on the floor and helps the team win. Afflalo? Not so much...

 

[kingsboi]

I don't think anyone is recommending McLemore to start. I'm not sure where that is coming from. The point about McLemore is that despite how "scrubby" he was, that type of player was an excellent fit next to Collison, Gay, & Cousins. Temple's 3 & D, low usage style is much closer to McLemore than Afflalo's style of play. Roster balance is crucial. Throwing all of your scorers (or most of your scorers) into the lineup doesn't always work out. Especially when you're sacrificing defense to do so.

You think Afflalo will produce on a more consistent basis than any other SG right now on our roster, but I think you're failing to recognize what kind of production that is and how that plays into the lineup. I'll just say that defensive effort is way more consistent than scoring/shooting, so I wouldn't be so sure that Afflalo would be the most "consistent" on our roster.

If you have enough scorers on the floor, you might as well load up on defense & spacing. As shown, Temple is a net positive on the floor and helps the team win. Afflalo? Not so much...

You're giving Temple way too much credit here...he is nothing special, he is a defensive player, that's it. Afflalo is a scorer, that's it. He is capable of playing defense if he puts his mind to it, you have to believe that Joerger will get the majority of the roster to commit on that end. Starting Temple or starting Afflalo won't make or break the season, it's who fits the most with the roster and who will produce more to wins.

 

[twslam07]

You're giving Temple way too much credit here...he is nothing special, he is a defensive player, that's it. Afflalo is a scorer, that's it. He is capable of playing defense if he puts his mind to it, you have to believe that Joerger will get the majority of the roster to commit on that end. Starting Temple or starting Afflalo won't make or break the season, it's who fits the most with the roster and who will produce more to wins.

How am I giving Temple too much credit? Saying it doesn't make it so. What have I written that makes you think I'm giving him too much credit?

Afflalo didn't play defense in Orlando. He didn't play defense in Denver. He didn't play defense in Portland. And he didn't play defense in New York. What makes you think he's going to play defense in Sacramento? The last time he actually was a positive on the defensive side was the 2009-10 season.

So what's more likely? Joerger is able to motivate a player who hasn't been a good defender in the last 6 years or Afflalo will continue playing the way he has played the last 6 years? I think it's more than optimistic to "believe" that Afflalo will become a good defender again.

To your last point, I totally agree. Temple in the starting lineup would make that lineup more effective while Afflalo off the bench gives us a couple of good scoring options off the bench (while hiding Afflalo's defense against weaker 2nd units). I know you think Afflalo starting will produce more wins, but I'm still waiting for why you think Afflalo will produce more wins. If it's just a "feeling," that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I'm just curious if anyone has some evidence as to why we should start him.

I think a lot of people (not necessarily you) just see the name "Afflalo" and automatically slot him in as the starting SG because of his old, old reputation of being a 3&D SG. Temple obviously doesn't have the flashy name which may be why some shy away from him.

 

[KingMilz]

One of Afflalo/Gay has to play with the 2nd unit assuming no trades/legit signings imo

 

[pshn80]

Forgive me if I'm mistaken, but a lot of Brick's post have been "the offense is fine, fix the defense!"

Just because Afflalo used to be a great 3 & D player doesn't mean we should reward his old reputation and start him. If we desperately needed shooting & scoring in the starting lineup, then yeah start him. But when we have an adequate 3pt shooter who is leaps and bounds better defensively, I have trouble seeing the logic (especially when our bench scoring would be limited to just Casspi).

Read: Affalo is more talented than Temple. Brick doesn't complain much about the offense compared to the defense but I do. Now you know why I want to start Affalo. In the end coach will decide.

 

[twslam07]

Read: Affalo is more talented than Temple. Brick doesn't complain much about the offense compared to the defense but I do. Now you know why I want to start Affalo. In the end coach will decide.

I guess it matters how you define talent. Do you define talent by ability to help a team win? Do you define talent by how good someone is at scoring? Is it by how many skills they have? Talent is great, but if you're not using your talent to better the team, what's the point?

There are players who are very talented who if they had more of a team mindset, accepted a different role, played a different way, etc., they would be very valuable. But I wouldn't confuse talent with helping a team win.

 

[kingsboi]

How am I giving Temple too much credit? Saying it doesn't make it so. What have I written that makes you think I'm giving him too much credit?

Afflalo didn't play defense in Orlando. He didn't play defense in Denver. He didn't play defense in Portland. And he didn't play defense in New York. What makes you think he's going to play defense in Sacramento? The last time he actually was a positive on the defensive side was the 2009-10 season.

So what's more likely? Joerger is able to motivate a player who hasn't been a good defender in the last 6 years or Afflalo will continue playing the way he has played the last 6 years? I think it's more than optimistic to "believe" that Afflalo will become a good defender again.

To your last point, I totally agree. Temple in the starting lineup would make that lineup more effective while Afflalo off the bench gives us a couple of good scoring options off the bench (while hiding Afflalo's defense against weaker 2nd units). I know you think Afflalo starting will produce more wins, but I'm still waiting for why you think Afflalo will produce more wins. If it's just a "feeling," that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I'm just curious if anyone has some evidence as to why we should start him.

I think a lot of people (not necessarily you) just see the name "Afflalo" and automatically slot him in as the starting SG because of his old, old reputation of being a 3&D SG. Temple obviously doesn't have the flashy name which may be why some shy away from him.

Whether Temple starts or whether Afflalo starts, it really is irrelevant IMO. Neither player will produce more or less wins than the other, you must really believe in Temple than most because you've been writing a nice lengthy response about why Temple is more deserving than Afflalo because of his name...where as in playing Temple in small spurts is the best way to use him IMO. You can start Temple fine...just don't play him 30+ minutes a game and expect that will do much of anything.

Afflalo hasn't played defense in a lot of his stints, I agree. At this point, you just hope he buys in on the defensive end...regardless, Temple and Afflalo aren't here for the long term, one will start this season and then next year we will be discussing who our new starting SG will be again.