Your Starting 5
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Really Vasquez is the only one I'm sure should start apart from Cuz. Not that he's been great, but he'll get better after his injury and he gets the ball to Cuz. If McLemore is starting then it has to be GV starting because IT doesn't look for him.
I still don't want Outlaw to start. A couple decent games in pre-season doesn't change who he is. Hopefully LMAM recovers fully and makes the position his, but I'd be OK with Salmons starting for the time being if he's not healthy.
PP or JT will start at PF but JT has looked terrible in pre-season, seems to have regressed. I've lost a lot of faith in him, if he starts hopefully he can become dependable again. Right now I'd start PP. It's not ideal as he's a weak rebounder but he spaces the floor for Cuz and offers as much of a post game as JT.
I'm not sure if Ben will start simply because he's a rook. He fits in the offense much better than the alternatives but will make some rookie mistakes. Thornton looks unmotivated and Jimmer showed us against GS last night why he's likely not ready for significant minutes (if he ever will be, sorry Jimmer homers).
Right now I'd go with Vasquez/McLemore/MBAM/PPat/Cuz, with IT, JT and Thornton off the bench. But I don't think it's hugely important right now who starts as the rotation will likely be solidified within a month or so of the season starting.
I still don't want Outlaw to start. A couple decent games in pre-season doesn't change who he is. Hopefully LMAM recovers fully and makes the position his, but I'd be OK with Salmons starting for the time being if he's not healthy.
PP or JT will start at PF but JT has looked terrible in pre-season, seems to have regressed. I've lost a lot of faith in him, if he starts hopefully he can become dependable again. Right now I'd start PP. It's not ideal as he's a weak rebounder but he spaces the floor for Cuz and offers as much of a post game as JT.
I'm not sure if Ben will start simply because he's a rook. He fits in the offense much better than the alternatives but will make some rookie mistakes. Thornton looks unmotivated and Jimmer showed us against GS last night why he's likely not ready for significant minutes (if he ever will be, sorry Jimmer homers).
Right now I'd go with Vasquez/McLemore/MBAM/PPat/Cuz, with IT, JT and Thornton off the bench. But I don't think it's hugely important right now who starts as the rotation will likely be solidified within a month or so of the season starting.
This year there could be 3 or 4 correct starting lineups as viewed by the fans. Who starts matters to the players, but this year not so much to the coach. Players always have an individual, mano a mano ego view of starting. But as Coach said post-game last night, it is the best starting "team" that matters most to him. Who plays best with the other 3 or 4 will be the key. IT is the best PG right now but I really like his game off the bench. As we all know, its whose on the floor for the last 5-7 min of the game that really matters in a close game.
based on performance it should be
IT, B Mac, Salmons, P Pat, Cousins
based on theory
Vasquez, Thornton, Mbah, P Pat, Cousins
based on what coaches are probably thinking
Vasquez, McLemore, Salmons, P Pat, Cousins
my personal preference(at least until Vasquez is 100% and we see what Mbah can offer)
IT, McLemore, Salmons, Hayes, Cousins
IT, B Mac, Salmons, P Pat, Cousins
based on theory
Vasquez, Thornton, Mbah, P Pat, Cousins
based on what coaches are probably thinking
Vasquez, McLemore, Salmons, P Pat, Cousins
my personal preference(at least until Vasquez is 100% and we see what Mbah can offer)
IT, McLemore, Salmons, Hayes, Cousins
C Cousins
PF Thompson
SF Mbah a Moute
SG McLemore
PG Vasquez
bench: Thomas, Thornton, Salmons, Patterson, Hayes
this is not a playoff team. there's not nearly enough defensive personnel among these kings, nor is there enough rebounding. there are far too many chuckers, and few efficient scorers in the absence of tyreke evans. there is simply no magic formula to make these disparate pieces fit; they don't fit. we all know they don't fit. so, at this point, i say throw the rookie into the fire. he's being hailed by the new regime as the kings' future star SG, so start him. let him learn and grow on the job...
start vasquez, as well, and give him time to develop chemistry with cousins and mclemore, because the kings are going to have to make a decision about whether or not to re-sign greivis next offseason. give thornton significant minutes off the bench, then trade him before the deadline, along with a few other spare parts. coach can fill in the blanks elsewhere as he sees fit, but i don't ever want to see more than an 8-10 man rotation, which means guys like fredette and outlaw could easily be squeezed out. one of hayes and patterson should be squeezed out, as well, once landry is healthy...
ultimately, coach needs to just make a decision about his rotation, and then stand by it. again, there's no magic formula. given the mismatched, ill-fitting make-up of this roster, there is likely not one single rotation that makes any more sense than the rest (beyond the ludicrous, of course), so pick something and give it time to breathe...
PF Thompson
SF Mbah a Moute
SG McLemore
PG Vasquez
bench: Thomas, Thornton, Salmons, Patterson, Hayes
this is not a playoff team. there's not nearly enough defensive personnel among these kings, nor is there enough rebounding. there are far too many chuckers, and few efficient scorers in the absence of tyreke evans. there is simply no magic formula to make these disparate pieces fit; they don't fit. we all know they don't fit. so, at this point, i say throw the rookie into the fire. he's being hailed by the new regime as the kings' future star SG, so start him. let him learn and grow on the job...
start vasquez, as well, and give him time to develop chemistry with cousins and mclemore, because the kings are going to have to make a decision about whether or not to re-sign greivis next offseason. give thornton significant minutes off the bench, then trade him before the deadline, along with a few other spare parts. coach can fill in the blanks elsewhere as he sees fit, but i don't ever want to see more than an 8-10 man rotation, which means guys like fredette and outlaw could easily be squeezed out. one of hayes and patterson should be squeezed out, as well, once landry is healthy...
ultimately, coach needs to just make a decision about his rotation, and then stand by it. again, there's no magic formula. given the mismatched, ill-fitting make-up of this roster, there is likely not one single rotation that makes any more sense than the rest (beyond the ludicrous, of course), so pick something and give it time to breathe...
Vasquez needs to clean up those turnovers, but I'd still start him just by default. I'd start McLemore at the 2 guard but we know that isn't going to happen, I don't see Coach Malone throwing him out to the wolves all ready. Once again by default, I'd go with Salmons at the SF spot and finish the front court with Patterson and Cousins. Pretty terrible defensive starting unit but we can't keep getting behind double digits so that might be a good way for the offense to keep flowing with firepower off the bench in Marcus and IT.
I haven't voted for Mbah A Moute just for the sole reason that I have not seen him play with this team yet. It's hard to place a guy as a starter that has never once played with the other starters on the court at the same time. If it was a superstar or something like that I would say ok. But a roleplayer that hasn't developed any chemistry with the other 4 is not a good combo
This isn't true at all... McLemore and IT the past 2 games have been the reason we've erased huge double-digit deficits. They've played extremely well together as other teams have struggled to keep up with the energy and aggressive nature both bring.
Now if you want to say the style those two were running wouldn't work with a big, I'd be willing to listen. But not because IT-McLemore havent worked together
Now if you want to say the style those two were running wouldn't work with a big, I'd be willing to listen. But not because IT-McLemore havent worked together
I would like to start and all Vet lineup to start the season.
Cus, PPat, JS, MT and GV. Because, PPat’s shot is starting to fall. MT and GV need more game time for their proven capabilities to emerge.
Off the bench, the Chuckwagon, Thompson, MBAH, Ben and IT. MBAH needs consistent time on the floor to get back to playing shape. Ben I agree, has been playing great but I think he should be brought along just a little slower so that his confidence can grow. I feel that this bench squad can be a solid force to hold the game close or increase our point total. Plus this bench squad will fight hard to take over a spot that a starter holds.
The same can be said about Jimmer, Outlaw and RayM . Nothing like having 14 guys Duke it out for four starting spots.
Cus, PPat, JS, MT and GV. Because, PPat’s shot is starting to fall. MT and GV need more game time for their proven capabilities to emerge.
Off the bench, the Chuckwagon, Thompson, MBAH, Ben and IT. MBAH needs consistent time on the floor to get back to playing shape. Ben I agree, has been playing great but I think he should be brought along just a little slower so that his confidence can grow. I feel that this bench squad can be a solid force to hold the game close or increase our point total. Plus this bench squad will fight hard to take over a spot that a starter holds.
The same can be said about Jimmer, Outlaw and RayM . Nothing like having 14 guys Duke it out for four starting spots.
K
Thompson has to come off the bench to give us size in both units imo, otherwise Hayes and Patterson together are to small. IT has proved why he will make a excellent bench player and I still would take Outlaws first 2-3 performances over Salmons last 2-3 . I also can't understand how anyone at this point could have Thornton over Ben Mac based on what we have seen so far of our very talented rookie he's completely blown Marcus out of the water.
Cousins, Patterson, Outlaw, Ben Mac,Vasquez
Cousins, Patterson, Outlaw, Ben Mac,Vasquez
PG - Vasquez/Thomas/McCallum
SG - McLemore/Thornton/Fredtte/Lockett
SF - Outlaw/Moute/Salmons
PF - Thompson/Patterson/Hayes/Landry
C - Cousins/Ndiaye
I would prefer this starting lineup because I think it is the most balanced lineup we can throw out there. A couple things to note about this starting lineup:
Now if I assume Cousins will play the majority of the game, we should look at how the second unit fits with Cousins. Just for reference, this is what the second unit would look like with Cousins:
PG - Thomas
SG - Thornton
SF - Moute
PF - Patterson
C - Cousins
This lineup scares me. Thomas and Thornton together does not seem like a good mix offensively or defensively. They both are pure scorers. Considering they are coming off the bench, this might be a positive however. Moute will be our best defender in this group, but he won't be able to help spread the floor. However, with Patterson's extended range from the PF spot, there should still be plenty of room to operate for Cousins.
I'm worried there are way too many people who can score in this lineup. Thomas, Thornton, and Patterson can all put up points which is what you want from your bench. The problem lies in that they are not very good at scoring within a system. Patterson is able to do it, but Thomas and Thornton have shown that they are having a tough time adapting. It's definitely a potent offensive lineup, but the questions remain whether they can compete on defense and that all of the players know that the ball goes through Mr. Demarcus Cousins first and foremost.
SG - McLemore/Thornton/Fredtte/Lockett
SF - Outlaw/Moute/Salmons
PF - Thompson/Patterson/Hayes/Landry
C - Cousins/Ndiaye
I would prefer this starting lineup because I think it is the most balanced lineup we can throw out there. A couple things to note about this starting lineup:
- This is a big lineup (6'6", 6'5", 6'9", 6'11", 6'11"). This should help us match-up across the board against our opponents. It'll be nice knowing that teams won't be able to power through us, shoot over the top of us, or rebound over us.
- Everyone around Cousins can knock down jumpers. Vasquez, McLemore, and Outlaw can all knock down threes when left open and Thompson can hit that 15ft jumper he loves so much. The floor spacing will be much better and allow us to run a more effective offense. It's one of the reasons why I left Moute out of the starting lineup.
- This team can compete defensively. Vasquez isn't a very good defender, but after watching McLemore guard Curry last night, it might make sense to put McLemore on the opponents best guard and hide Vasquez on their weaker offensive player. I think this could work considering how athletic McLemore is and how big Vasquez is (6'6" 210lbs). It's definitely a lot to ask of our rookie to go out and guard the opposing team's best guard every night, but I also see it as a way for him to accelerate his defensive skills. He'll definitely get some good experience quickly. Outlaw is also a very athletic, tall, and long player who can hold his own on defense. I definitely wouldn't call him a plus defender, but I think he'll be able to create some havoc with his length and athleticism. Moute is the better defender, but by how much? Has his injury made him less effective as a defender? There are a lot of questions around Moute right now. Although Hayes is a good man defender, I think Thompson is the best all around defender at the 4. The thing with Hayes is he is almost useless on help defense because of his size. If he doesn't establish position on you in the post then he is not very effective. At least Thompson has the size, strength, athleticism, and length to cause some problems when opponents get into the lane.
- This lineup can rebound. With his size, Vasquez is an above average rebounder at PG (he averaged over 4 rebounds a game last year). McLemore averaged over 5 boards a game last season at Kansas. With his work ethic and jumping ability, I see no reason why he couldn't average 3-4 boards a game this year. Outlaw isn't really an above average rebounder for his position, but he's consistently grabbed 3-4 boards a game throughout his career. Thompson is a solid rebounder with his size and athleticism who's been snatching 7 boards a game the past couple of seasons. Lastly, Cousins is our monster who could easily be a 11-12 RPG type player. That's 28-31 rebounds a game from your starting lineup. That's not bad at all.
- Everyone in this lineup (minus Cousins) has a role players mentality. This should help contribute to the team play we want to see. With Thomas, Thornton, and Salmons out of the lineup, we won't see anybody dribble up the court and pull-up for a quick jumper. Everyone knows their place and will look to highlight Cousins as the main option.
- I like the idea of McLemore working with Cousins and Vasquez. McLemore's work ethic on the offensive end will help him get many looks, and with Vasquez's vision and the majoritiy of the defense's attention being put on Cousins, it should only open up more opportunities for McLemore.
Now if I assume Cousins will play the majority of the game, we should look at how the second unit fits with Cousins. Just for reference, this is what the second unit would look like with Cousins:
PG - Thomas
SG - Thornton
SF - Moute
PF - Patterson
C - Cousins
This lineup scares me. Thomas and Thornton together does not seem like a good mix offensively or defensively. They both are pure scorers. Considering they are coming off the bench, this might be a positive however. Moute will be our best defender in this group, but he won't be able to help spread the floor. However, with Patterson's extended range from the PF spot, there should still be plenty of room to operate for Cousins.
I'm worried there are way too many people who can score in this lineup. Thomas, Thornton, and Patterson can all put up points which is what you want from your bench. The problem lies in that they are not very good at scoring within a system. Patterson is able to do it, but Thomas and Thornton have shown that they are having a tough time adapting. It's definitely a potent offensive lineup, but the questions remain whether they can compete on defense and that all of the players know that the ball goes through Mr. Demarcus Cousins first and foremost.
A darkhorse might be Chuck Hayes at PF. It's clear a defined system has done him wonders. Under Malone, every time he's come into the game, he's had a calming vet presence, played strong defense, and done a good job rebounding.. I'd wager he has one of the better +/- ratios for the Kings in the preseason.
K
Yeah I would not be overally surprised plus on offense he moves well without the ball and actually has one of the best tear drops in the L when he uses it. Just the floor spacing would be a major issue than, if we had an elite shooting SF than I would probably would not mind Chucky starting games to set a tone defensively.