2012-01-27 18:03:25 +0000 #1
My lineup is not including Harrelson who is out 6 weeks, and is assuming Baron Davis is healthy.
My starting 5:
BD
Walker
Melo
Stat
Chandler
[U]Bench:U]
Shumpert for Walker
Linn/Bibby for BD
Novak for Stat
Fields for Melo
Jeffries/Jordan for Chandler
Reasoning
- Walker is our best 3 point shooting SG and would open up the floor for Stat and Melo, and is also the reason Shumpert should be coming off the bench
- I wouldn't want to use BD too many minutes in a row (given his bad back, age, conditioning, etc), and Linn is our best penetrator BY FAR! He can drive and kick, and needs to play with some starters and some shooters. The biggest thing our offense has been missing is a quick BALL HANDLER who can dish! He is a little overaggressive and needs to improve on the turnovers, but he has the potential.. HE CAN ACTUALLY DRIBBLE WITH HIS HEAD UP! If we need a more steady PG to run the half-court, Bibby is good for 10-15 min. a game. He's definitely slowed down, but he can still run a team, has a high bball IQ, and can still shoot I think.
- Novak is one of the best knockdown shooters I think I've ever seen!! His shot is just pure, and it's unbelievably quick! AND he hustles his *** off on D! Maybe he's not the best one-on-one defender in the world, but at least you can tell he really gives a **** about playing D when he's out there and he's a very solid TEAM DEFENDER because he has a high basketball IQ. He should really be getting some serious burn, and he would be perfect in the lineup with Linn penetrating and Melo drawing defenders. He'd be getting open 3's all over the place! Melo can play more in the post while Novak sits on the wing salivating.
- Fields is a natural SF, plain and simple. He obviously plays best off the ball when the ball movement his high. Fields can play most of his minutes with Amare on the court and Melo on the bench which should be a no-brainer!! Fields was great w/ Stat before Melo came because the ball just doesn't move as much when Melo is in the game. I just don't know how our coach can't see this stuff, it's pathetic.
-Jeffries/Jordan: put Jeffries in for Chandler when Stat comes back in, and you can slide Amare to the Center which will give him some good minutes as the main pick and roll man, and will be able to exploit Centers defending him. If you play Jordan instead, obviously he still has his limitations, but he's long and athletic, can block shots, rebound, and dunk. He could even get some offense going just from dishes and alley-oops from Linn's penetration since they would be on the court together.
Other Subs:
T.D. - I honestly can't stand him, and should really only be used if we're desperate for a spark off the bench. I'm sorry, other than that, he is an undersized combo guard who can't dribble or pass well enough to be a PG, and isn't enough of a consistant shooter (and again is undersized) to be a SG, and he gets burned on D soooooooooooo easily. Any decent guard just blows right by him. And, he usually has a horrible shot selection. I will say he's been playing a little better lately, but I still don't think he should be playing.
Balkman - I actually wish there were more minutes for him, because I think his game has improved and he's a nice athletic, versatile player that should be used on certain nights when we want to go with a small and fast lineup.
I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts and what your ideal rotation would be
My starting 5:
BD
Walker
Melo
Stat
Chandler
[U]Bench:U]
Shumpert for Walker
Linn/Bibby for BD
Novak for Stat
Fields for Melo
Jeffries/Jordan for Chandler
Reasoning
- Walker is our best 3 point shooting SG and would open up the floor for Stat and Melo, and is also the reason Shumpert should be coming off the bench
- I wouldn't want to use BD too many minutes in a row (given his bad back, age, conditioning, etc), and Linn is our best penetrator BY FAR! He can drive and kick, and needs to play with some starters and some shooters. The biggest thing our offense has been missing is a quick BALL HANDLER who can dish! He is a little overaggressive and needs to improve on the turnovers, but he has the potential.. HE CAN ACTUALLY DRIBBLE WITH HIS HEAD UP! If we need a more steady PG to run the half-court, Bibby is good for 10-15 min. a game. He's definitely slowed down, but he can still run a team, has a high bball IQ, and can still shoot I think.
- Novak is one of the best knockdown shooters I think I've ever seen!! His shot is just pure, and it's unbelievably quick! AND he hustles his *** off on D! Maybe he's not the best one-on-one defender in the world, but at least you can tell he really gives a **** about playing D when he's out there and he's a very solid TEAM DEFENDER because he has a high basketball IQ. He should really be getting some serious burn, and he would be perfect in the lineup with Linn penetrating and Melo drawing defenders. He'd be getting open 3's all over the place! Melo can play more in the post while Novak sits on the wing salivating.
- Fields is a natural SF, plain and simple. He obviously plays best off the ball when the ball movement his high. Fields can play most of his minutes with Amare on the court and Melo on the bench which should be a no-brainer!! Fields was great w/ Stat before Melo came because the ball just doesn't move as much when Melo is in the game. I just don't know how our coach can't see this stuff, it's pathetic.
-Jeffries/Jordan: put Jeffries in for Chandler when Stat comes back in, and you can slide Amare to the Center which will give him some good minutes as the main pick and roll man, and will be able to exploit Centers defending him. If you play Jordan instead, obviously he still has his limitations, but he's long and athletic, can block shots, rebound, and dunk. He could even get some offense going just from dishes and alley-oops from Linn's penetration since they would be on the court together.
Other Subs:
T.D. - I honestly can't stand him, and should really only be used if we're desperate for a spark off the bench. I'm sorry, other than that, he is an undersized combo guard who can't dribble or pass well enough to be a PG, and isn't enough of a consistant shooter (and again is undersized) to be a SG, and he gets burned on D soooooooooooo easily. Any decent guard just blows right by him. And, he usually has a horrible shot selection. I will say he's been playing a little better lately, but I still don't think he should be playing.
Balkman - I actually wish there were more minutes for him, because I think his game has improved and he's a nice athletic, versatile player that should be used on certain nights when we want to go with a small and fast lineup.
I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts and what your ideal rotation would be
