If This Is It

rambone wrote:Sam, Olynyk was something like third among centers in steals per game, while averaging less minutes than any of them. Something like one steal per game in 22 minutes. He also draws a lot of charges and offensive fouls.

rambone wrote:


There's probably a trade or two coming, but I just figured I'd take a stab at how minutes might work out with this group.

One way to make a player or two happy with less minutes is to put them in the starting lineup. I'm thinking of Avery Bradley. 20 mpg is a lot easier to swallow if you get the glory of starting.

Danny Ainge made an interesting comment the other day about his unbalanced roster. He said, "maybe you have to play your shortstop at second base". I took that to mean that Danny might/will play a guard at SF, or play a PF at SF often.

Rozier
Bradley
Smart
Amir
KO

I suspect we're going to see at least one stretch big on the floor at most/all times. Part of the reason the starting offense was a weakness last year was not having a 3 point shooting big. KO led the team in +/- last year, and the second unit's offense was among the top strengths of this team, along with the defense of the starting backcourt in Bradley and Smart.

This starting unit above would put Bradley on the point guard defensively, with Rozier, Smart, Amir, and KO playing aggressive, ball hawking defense. Much like the Heat a few years ago when they would lead the league in forced turnovers and fast break points. The Heat didn't have a rim protector either, so they played a gambling high pressure defense that allowed them to dictate a faster pace and play to their advantages.

Danny conspicuously declined to add a big center, even when Hibbert and others like Koufos were available. The plan is to win without a Hibbert-type giant, and we already know Brad Stevens likes pace and space.

Smart at SF is undersized vertically, but from a strength standpoint he's basically average, and I think his defense overall at SF will be average, by playing the passing lanes making SFs afraid to dribble the ball.

Having Amir in between Smart and KO helps cover their flaws defensively at those positions, but don't forget that KO has a real knack for getting steals, and he actually would work out pretty well in this high pressure, gambling defense.

Offensively, Amir would have the paint to himself, and with a solid mid-range jumper, Amir could step out and allow Rozier and Smart to attack the rim to create havoc and offense. And every lineup with Olynyk in it seems to thrive offensively, so he would really help with his floor stretching, passing, and ability to dribble drive when attacking closeouts from the 3pt line.

IT4, Crowder, Zeller, and David Lee are top subs. Mickey, Hunter, and Sully as depth.

Young, Holmes, Turner round out roster.

PJ3 tough cut in preseason, and Thornton to Europe.

Who am I missing?

dboss wrote:

rambone wrote:


There's probably a trade or two coming, but I just figured I'd take a stab at how minutes might work out with this group.

One way to make a player or two happy with less minutes is to put them in the starting lineup. I'm thinking of Avery Bradley. 20 mpg is a lot easier to swallow if you get the glory of starting.

Danny Ainge made an interesting comment the other day about his unbalanced roster. He said, "maybe you have to play your shortstop at second base". I took that to mean that Danny might/will play a guard at SF, or play a PF at SF often.

Rozier
Bradley
Smart
Amir
KO

I suspect we're going to see at least one stretch big on the floor at most/all times. Part of the reason the starting offense was a weakness last year was not having a 3 point shooting big. KO led the team in +/- last year, and the second unit's offense was among the top strengths of this team, along with the defense of the starting backcourt in Bradley and Smart.

This starting unit above would put Bradley on the point guard defensively, with Rozier, Smart, Amir, and KO playing aggressive, ball hawking defense. Much like the Heat a few years ago when they would lead the league in forced turnovers and fast break points. The Heat didn't have a rim protector either, so they played a gambling high pressure defense that allowed them to dictate a faster pace and play to their advantages.

Danny conspicuously declined to add a big center, even when Hibbert and others like Koufos were available. The plan is to win without a Hibbert-type giant, and we already know Brad Stevens likes pace and space.

Smart at SF is undersized vertically, but from a strength standpoint he's basically average, and I think his defense overall at SF will be average, by playing the passing lanes making SFs afraid to dribble the ball.

Having Amir in between Smart and KO helps cover their flaws defensively at those positions, but don't forget that KO has a real knack for getting steals, and he actually would work out pretty well in this high pressure, gambling defense.

Offensively, Amir would have the paint to himself, and with a solid mid-range jumper, Amir could step out and allow Rozier and Smart to attack the rim to create havoc and offense. And every lineup with Olynyk in it seems to thrive offensively, so he would really help with his floor stretching, passing, and ability to dribble drive when attacking closeouts from the 3pt line.

IT4, Crowder, Zeller, and David Lee are top subs. Mickey, Hunter, and Sully as depth.

Young, Holmes, Turner round out roster.

PJ3 tough cut in preseason, and Thornton to Europe.

Who am I missing?

Rambone

That lineup presumably has Smart at the SF position.  You are aware that Smart is only 6' 4"  and SF now a days are significantly taller than Smart.  In think that he would have great difficulty defending the 3 spot except in situations where he was merely rotating over to check them.

Amir is a stretch 4 and KO cannot play in the post.  Do you think this lineup can win without some form of a low post presence to bring some balance to the force?

I see that Zeller is not in the starting lineup and neither is Lee or Sully.  All of them I think would be a better option than KO.

I think the biggest problem with that lineup is size.  There is no solid  rebounder rebounder among that group.

So her is my opening Day lineup barring injuries

Smart
Bradley
Turner
Johnson
Zeller

and backups of

Thomas
Hunter
Jones
Sullinger
Lee

dboss

rambone wrote:dboss, I think the biggest reason KO led the team in +/-, and just about every single lineup he was in playing + basketball, is because he spreads the floor from the 5 spot. He doesn't really have to do anything else, not even score, to have a profound impact on the guys around him.

An open lane is pretty much always preferable to having a big clog it up, even if they are great post scorers (with minimal exceptions).

Part of the reason Rozier wasn't rated higher by the mock drafts is because the lane was always clogged up with bigs like Montrezl Harrell who couldn't really stretch the floor.

And the most underrated reason IT4 had such tremendous success in Boston was because he played with KO at center so much. IT4 and Rozier can pretty much beat their man at will and get into the paint, but if a rim protector is sitting right there, it doesn't matter much.

Take a look at IT4's highlights, and a lot of his successful drives happened when the paint wasn't cluttered with big guys.

A rim protector helps erase or otherwise compensate for the perimeter defenders. When the team's two best rim protectors are guarding good jump shooting bigs far away from the hoop, they can't protect the rim.

If Chris Bosh hadn't been so effective in drawing opposing centers away from the hoop, LeBron and Wade would have had significantly less success scoring at the basket for 5 straight years, or however long the Heatles were together.