So now playing small with 2 PGs and Rudy at the 4 is good? I feel like that's something that's been criticized heavily before but I just can't put my finger on it. Something vaguely about Rudy out of position and a bad year and whatnot.
Playing Rudy or Barnes at the 4 is the best thing Joerger can do with this roster. Nothing changed there from last year. You have Cuz as your main guy? You need someone mobile, who can shoot as his frontcourt wingman in todays league.
Two midget PG's at the same time was a very good move versus the Clippers, because Reddick is a one dimensional player, who will only beat you with jumpshots in transition and off screens. Beat him to his spots and he is ineffective. Same goes for Crawford or Rivers. All guys, who are clever and will beat you with quickness. None of them will outmuscle you or post you up.
Try that against a much more 90's throwback type of SG like DeRozan and he will light you up for 30+ points, if his team doesn't screw up the spacing.
So it's basically way more situational, than playing Rudy or some other combo forward at the 4.
And it deserves to be mentioned, that Joerger was doing "playing small" the right way versus the Clippers. Our midgets didn't switch onto bigs all the time and they were aggressively chasing guys around, really using their quickness advantage to the fullest.
I agree, that some fans should leave their way of looking down onto "smallball" behind, because it's simply the way basketball works today. But at the same time we have to be aware of the limitations.