Starting 5?
- Thread starter Nikolizzle
- Start date
If this is our roster, well..
PG - Collison / McCallum
SG - Stauskas / McLemore
SF - Gay / Williams / Outlaw
PF - Evans / Landry / Acy
C- Cousins / Thompson
You almost have to slot it that way. I'd start Evans, but I would expect Cousins / Thompson / Landry to get a bulk of the minutes there.
I hope there is more to come.
PG - Collison / McCallum
SG - Stauskas / McLemore
SF - Gay / Williams / Outlaw
PF - Evans / Landry / Acy
C- Cousins / Thompson
You almost have to slot it that way. I'd start Evans, but I would expect Cousins / Thompson / Landry to get a bulk of the minutes there.
I hope there is more to come.
If Landry doesn't show up bigtime, our bench looks to be putrid. Stauskas is probably a better player over McLemore, but who at this point thinks McLemore coming off the bench is going to be a sparkplug for this team? I think Stauskas ends up being the 6th man, and like IT, he ends up playing a lot of minutes in the 4th. So then you have Cousins, Evans, Collison, McLemore, Gay for your starters. If Thompson is still with the team*, Thompson, Landry and Stauskas might be able to hold the fort for the starters. Again, Landry must be an offensive force for this bench to hold it's own. If he isn't, I think there will be a slow-mo implosion of the bench.
*I'm still thinking, though, that Thompson is not with the team when the season starts. And while we're at it, let's see if we can possibly get a 2nd rounder for D-Will. He's a flat out bust. I'd take Outlaw over him any day.
*I'm still thinking, though, that Thompson is not with the team when the season starts. And while we're at it, let's see if we can possibly get a 2nd rounder for D-Will. He's a flat out bust. I'd take Outlaw over him any day.
PG - Collison (30 min)/McCallum (18 min)
SG - Stauskas (26 min)/McLemore (22 min)/Terry
SF - Gay (35 min)/Williams (13 min)/Outlaw
PF - Thompson (12 min)/Landry (20 min)/Evans (9 min)/Williams (7 min)/Acy
C - Cousins (34 min)/Thompson (14 min)
Gay - 35 min
Cousins - 34 min
Collison - 30 min
Stauskas - 26 min
Thompson - 26 min
McLemore - 22 min
Williams - 20 min
Landry - 20 min
McCallum - 18 min
Evans - 9 min
I have Gay averaging more minutes than Cousins because I don't think he'll be able to average over 34 MPG this year due to foul trouble and stamina. Otherwise, I would have him getting the most minutes. I also have Evans dropping out of the three big rotation in an effort to 'showcase' Thompson and Landry. The GM in me thinks this would be the best approach to get value back for them in a trade (at the deadline perhaps?) and ultimately improve our team. Rather than playing a 34 year old PF heavier minutes when he is coming off our books next season and having our 'bad contracts' ride the bench and remain 'bad contracts.'
With Collison and Stauskas in the lineup, you have two good playmakers at the guard positions who are willing to give up the ball. If you get Cousins and Gay to buy into moving the ball more, I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with the passing potential of this lineup.
Defense will still be an issue, but it should be better than last season. Collison > Thomas and I can't imagine Stauskas being a much worse defender than McLemore was last season. Also, there is the possibility that Cousins has further developed on this side of the ball as well. Lastly, with a full training camp with one another, we should see more synergy between this team defensively.
Perimeter shooting should be improved with Stauskas in the lineup. Collison, Staukas, Gay, Thompson, and Cousins can all knock down shots from outside. It should make it easier for the offense to operate.
The bench should be solid as well. McCallum, McLemore, Williams, and Landry all have the ability to put up points. With a healthy Landry, we shouldn't have too much trouble getting bench points.
SG - Stauskas (26 min)/McLemore (22 min)/Terry
SF - Gay (35 min)/Williams (13 min)/Outlaw
PF - Thompson (12 min)/Landry (20 min)/Evans (9 min)/Williams (7 min)/Acy
C - Cousins (34 min)/Thompson (14 min)
Gay - 35 min
Cousins - 34 min
Collison - 30 min
Stauskas - 26 min
Thompson - 26 min
McLemore - 22 min
Williams - 20 min
Landry - 20 min
McCallum - 18 min
Evans - 9 min
I have Gay averaging more minutes than Cousins because I don't think he'll be able to average over 34 MPG this year due to foul trouble and stamina. Otherwise, I would have him getting the most minutes. I also have Evans dropping out of the three big rotation in an effort to 'showcase' Thompson and Landry. The GM in me thinks this would be the best approach to get value back for them in a trade (at the deadline perhaps?) and ultimately improve our team. Rather than playing a 34 year old PF heavier minutes when he is coming off our books next season and having our 'bad contracts' ride the bench and remain 'bad contracts.'
With Collison and Stauskas in the lineup, you have two good playmakers at the guard positions who are willing to give up the ball. If you get Cousins and Gay to buy into moving the ball more, I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with the passing potential of this lineup.
Defense will still be an issue, but it should be better than last season. Collison > Thomas and I can't imagine Stauskas being a much worse defender than McLemore was last season. Also, there is the possibility that Cousins has further developed on this side of the ball as well. Lastly, with a full training camp with one another, we should see more synergy between this team defensively.
Perimeter shooting should be improved with Stauskas in the lineup. Collison, Staukas, Gay, Thompson, and Cousins can all knock down shots from outside. It should make it easier for the offense to operate.
The bench should be solid as well. McCallum, McLemore, Williams, and Landry all have the ability to put up points. With a healthy Landry, we shouldn't have too much trouble getting bench points.
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I think it's pretty obvious that it'll be:
PG - Collison
SG - Stauskas
SF - Gay
PF - JT
C - Beast
Off the bench:
PG - McCollum
SG - BMac
PF - Landry
F - either Evans or Acy depending on menu of the day
Will be squeezed out and for good reasons: Outlaw, DWill, Terry
Love him or hate him, JT is still the only PF we have who has the size in addition to mediocre offense, and defense. Evans and Acy will get some burn in the starting lineup from time to time when Malone is fed up with JT but the PF from Rider always eventually find his way back to being a starter.
PG - Collison
SG - Stauskas
SF - Gay
PF - JT
C - Beast
Off the bench:
PG - McCollum
SG - BMac
PF - Landry
F - either Evans or Acy depending on menu of the day
Will be squeezed out and for good reasons: Outlaw, DWill, Terry
Love him or hate him, JT is still the only PF we have who has the size in addition to mediocre offense, and defense. Evans and Acy will get some burn in the starting lineup from time to time when Malone is fed up with JT but the PF from Rider always eventually find his way back to being a starter.
unfortunately we need both his shooting and his creating in the starting lineup as well.
People will soon find that Collison isn't really much more of a PG than Thomas. He's just less of a chucker. You want to improve upon league worst in assists, the only way is to count on Stauskas to carry that weight. Besides which, he may be perfect for the Boogie 2 man game on the left side.
People will soon find that Collison isn't really much more of a PG than Thomas. He's just less of a chucker. You want to improve upon league worst in assists, the only way is to count on Stauskas to carry that weight. Besides which, he may be perfect for the Boogie 2 man game on the left side.
According to what? He averaged 9 assists per game as a starter his rookie season including a 20 assist game and an 18 assist game and another dozen or so double digit assist games. IT's never had more than 12 in a game. Even so, I think PG assists are dependent on the system to a certain extent. He probably won't average a ton of assists for us but it'll be because Cousins and Gay like to create on their own a lot of the time and we've got a better backup PG situation this season, not because he's incapable of running an offense.
The assist/turnover problem last season wasn't entirely on Isaiah anyway (or even primarily on Isaiah), it was a team wide problem. Both Cousins and Gay have always been high-usage, high-turnover players. If we're going to improve in that area this season it won't be about getting better at one position or another, it'll be about the whole lineup committing to more ball movement and taking better shots.
Stauskas might be a starter eventually, our whole front office has Klay Thompson on the brain and Stauskas looks like a better approximation than Ben McLemore, but I'd be very surprised if he gets the job out of training camp.
The assist/turnover problem last season wasn't entirely on Isaiah anyway (or even primarily on Isaiah), it was a team wide problem. Both Cousins and Gay have always been high-usage, high-turnover players. If we're going to improve in that area this season it won't be about getting better at one position or another, it'll be about the whole lineup committing to more ball movement and taking better shots.
Stauskas might be a starter eventually, our whole front office has Klay Thompson on the brain and Stauskas looks like a better approximation than Ben McLemore, but I'd be very surprised if he gets the job out of training camp.
Assists can be deceptive. he also averaged a buttload of turnovers. The problem was that year that franchise was pulling a Kings and just letting their guards run wild and do whatever they wanted in totally undisciplined fashion. And that's sort of the thing for Collison. He's speedy, at his best on the break. But he's always struggled to run a halfcourt offense, hence his problems in Indy and Dallas. Luckily our system is more simple and more free, but Collison is still a long way from Stockton.
I'm not all that sure you understand basketball and how Boogie fits into team defense. He doesn't have a problem guarding players in the post and getting into foul trouble down on the block for the most part, against 4's or 5's in 1v1 situations.
Where do most of his issues come defensively?
A) Being the last line of defense when our perimeter guys repeatedly get blown by and you've got explosive guards coming straight at him. His lateral quickness does help him there though. More on that in a min.
B) Reaching and going for steals. That's more a pick your spots issue and maturity issue.
C) Guarding the pick & roll up top, however it was a nightmare attempting to do so with our guard core last year, especially IT who got rubbed off on every other screen he came across and more often than not simply quit on the play. What we didn't have when Boogie was put in pick & roll situations was a guy like Lopez sitting back ready to challenge and clean up at the rim. The worst part of JT's defensive game is rotating quickly and contesting/altering shots in help situations. None of our other 4's are tall enough to even pretend to fill that role.
The worry for Boogie guarding PF's on the perimeter would be 1) reaching and picking up cheap fouls on jumpers and b) is he quick enough laterally to cut off a PF off the dribble from 15-18 ft out? I say his lateral quickness is extremely underrated and this idea he can't at least do a decent job staying in front of a few perimeter PF's doesn't coincide with the lateral quickness he's shown in help situations nor his ability to be a league leader in charges taken, which requires lateral quickness and a good reading of the game.
But it's not just a question about can Boogie stay with a Blake type on the perimeter 15-18 ft out. In a team defensive situation, he's forcing Blake to the help, which would be Lopez. Or he's forcing him toward one of our SG's/SF's shading him outside. Many times it would be both if played correctly. If Cuz does get beat by a Blake or a Love, that's where the rotations come in, the staple of any good defensive team. Lopez slides over, weakside SF/SG rotates down, and so on. I'd however recommend Cuz play off a guy like Blake or Lee or Aldridge and make them beat us from outside. That would be a nice change from the freeway we normally have going to the rim where it's either a layup or Boogie risking foul trouble as the last line of defense. Get a shotblocking 4 and Cuz many times still would be the last line of defense as that defensive 4 would be farther out on the perimeter guarding his guy. That's more of a consistent foul risk than what he'd face as a PF with a guy like Lopez behind him doing the dirty work.
Is it ideal? No, but I never claimed that, just it'd be better than what we have, which is FGA after FGA right at the rim with Cuz being the last line of defense and being put in a position to regularly pick up fouls due to the mistakes or limits of others. What's better than that? Having a guy like Lopez be the last line of defense(freeing up Cuz to worry about offense more btw) while Cuz forces the weenie, jump shooting 4's to beat us from the outside while also giving him cover in pick & roll situations. That's a lower % chance of beating us. It's shots at the rim vs jumpers outside.
There's also the other side of the ball. Blake/Love/Lee would have to spend some time guarding Boogie. I'd pound the hell out of them inside. Cuz would eat just about every PF in this league alive aside from a guy like Ibaka. He treats Anthony Davis like I treat a double bacon cheeseburger. Demolish it, then sit back with a little grin on my face thinking "that wasn't so bad, I'd like some more of that".
There's always the question of, "how will other teams attempt to guard Boogie as a PF?" I'd pound them into oblivion and do what I can to make the league regret going small and soft.
If all that would "suck" to you, give me more of it. Give me a bowl of suck and cover it in more suck. Then sprinkle a little suck on top. That's far more enticing than what our front court currently offers.
P.S. Z-Bo is slow as hell and couldn't jump over his own headband, but does very well defensively year in, year out guarding PF's.
P.P.S. Boogie still considers himself a PF.
Where do most of his issues come defensively?
A) Being the last line of defense when our perimeter guys repeatedly get blown by and you've got explosive guards coming straight at him. His lateral quickness does help him there though. More on that in a min.
B) Reaching and going for steals. That's more a pick your spots issue and maturity issue.
C) Guarding the pick & roll up top, however it was a nightmare attempting to do so with our guard core last year, especially IT who got rubbed off on every other screen he came across and more often than not simply quit on the play. What we didn't have when Boogie was put in pick & roll situations was a guy like Lopez sitting back ready to challenge and clean up at the rim. The worst part of JT's defensive game is rotating quickly and contesting/altering shots in help situations. None of our other 4's are tall enough to even pretend to fill that role.
The worry for Boogie guarding PF's on the perimeter would be 1) reaching and picking up cheap fouls on jumpers and b) is he quick enough laterally to cut off a PF off the dribble from 15-18 ft out? I say his lateral quickness is extremely underrated and this idea he can't at least do a decent job staying in front of a few perimeter PF's doesn't coincide with the lateral quickness he's shown in help situations nor his ability to be a league leader in charges taken, which requires lateral quickness and a good reading of the game.
But it's not just a question about can Boogie stay with a Blake type on the perimeter 15-18 ft out. In a team defensive situation, he's forcing Blake to the help, which would be Lopez. Or he's forcing him toward one of our SG's/SF's shading him outside. Many times it would be both if played correctly. If Cuz does get beat by a Blake or a Love, that's where the rotations come in, the staple of any good defensive team. Lopez slides over, weakside SF/SG rotates down, and so on. I'd however recommend Cuz play off a guy like Blake or Lee or Aldridge and make them beat us from outside. That would be a nice change from the freeway we normally have going to the rim where it's either a layup or Boogie risking foul trouble as the last line of defense. Get a shotblocking 4 and Cuz many times still would be the last line of defense as that defensive 4 would be farther out on the perimeter guarding his guy. That's more of a consistent foul risk than what he'd face as a PF with a guy like Lopez behind him doing the dirty work.
Is it ideal? No, but I never claimed that, just it'd be better than what we have, which is FGA after FGA right at the rim with Cuz being the last line of defense and being put in a position to regularly pick up fouls due to the mistakes or limits of others. What's better than that? Having a guy like Lopez be the last line of defense(freeing up Cuz to worry about offense more btw) while Cuz forces the weenie, jump shooting 4's to beat us from the outside while also giving him cover in pick & roll situations. That's a lower % chance of beating us. It's shots at the rim vs jumpers outside.
There's also the other side of the ball. Blake/Love/Lee would have to spend some time guarding Boogie. I'd pound the hell out of them inside. Cuz would eat just about every PF in this league alive aside from a guy like Ibaka. He treats Anthony Davis like I treat a double bacon cheeseburger. Demolish it, then sit back with a little grin on my face thinking "that wasn't so bad, I'd like some more of that".
There's always the question of, "how will other teams attempt to guard Boogie as a PF?" I'd pound them into oblivion and do what I can to make the league regret going small and soft.
If all that would "suck" to you, give me more of it. Give me a bowl of suck and cover it in more suck. Then sprinkle a little suck on top. That's far more enticing than what our front court currently offers.
P.S. Z-Bo is slow as hell and couldn't jump over his own headband, but does very well defensively year in, year out guarding PF's.
P.P.S. Boogie still considers himself a PF.
Collison has his limitations in a half-court setting, but his mentality couldn't be more different from a guy like Thomas. Even on a team with two 20 point scorers IT took his starting gig as an opportunity to get off 15 shots a game and started his free agency period by announcing to the world that he was on the market for whoever wanted to commit to a scoring PG. In contrast, Collison has always been a system PG who runs the plays and picks his spots carefully. He takes less shots than Thomas but makes them at a higher percentage and he's used his opportunities as a starter to rack up high assist totals not score a bunch of points. No he's not John Stockton, there's a reason he's still a fringe starter 5 years into his NBA career, but if a true PG is defined as someone who's primary concern is finding good looks for his teammates, Collison fits the bill. I don't see him stepping in and wowing us by creating open layups out of nothing. He's not preternaturally gifted in that regard like a Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Ricky Rubio, or former King Jason Williams. But he's not likely to chuck the offense and freelance for large portions of the fourth quarter either. And hopefully guys like Stauskas, McLemore, Williams, and Thompson will get the ball when they're wide open.
