Build with a change at the guard?

PG: Miller
SG: Batum
SF: Wallace
PF: Aldridge
C: -TBD-

6th man/spark: Matthews

With his ability to shoot the three (37% career) and guard multiple positions I'd like to see this lineup rather than developing him into a Odom/6th man type.

He's too valuable to bring off the bench (IMO) but so is Wallace. Start both - problem solved.

It comes down to Batum vs. Matthews; what exactly does Matthews do that Nic can't do at the two? Neither are that great of ballhandlers and both shoot around the same from three. I just think Nic (at 6'9") would make our first unit a lot more interesting on both ends of the court.

 

I've thought about that actually. Play Batum at the two with Miller, Wallace, Aldridge, and Camby.... but Batum seems to be playing very well off the bench, so why mess with a good thing?

 

TBD == Oden

For most of the season, before the Wallace trade, many here were bitching about our lack of depth (with Oden, Camby and Roy all injured). Now, depending on who starts and what happens with Roy's knees, we have potentially 3 future 6th man of the year candidates in Matthews, Batum and Roy.

If, and I know it's a big if, Oden can be reasonably healthy next year, it also solves our front court depth issue. Camby can back up both the 4 and 5 spots. We've needed a good back-up 4 for a long time, and while Camby isn't the banger I've longed for, he would provide the two things this team needs on the second unit - defense and rebounding.

BNM

 

IMO, Nico doesn't have the requisite ball handling or passing ability. I'd love to see him develop them, however.

 

I'd be in favor of it next year, but for now it would leave us without a single front court rotation player off the bench.

 

I think he's at least as good as Matthews. Neither has the skills to be a primary ball-handler and Matthews doesn't have a passing mindset. I think Batum has that mindset and some skill, but doesn't seem to have the confidence in that part of his game.

I have to say, the idea of a possible future lineup of Miller/Batum/Wallace/Aldridge/Oden would be truly exciting to me. Batum has been up and down, but I just love his game and the defense + length of that team would just give opponents fits. I like Matthews, but not quite as much.

 

Batum
Wallace
Aldridge
Camby
Oden

Deal with it.

 

Speaking of the backcourt, I think it's pretty clear what Nate wants in a PG:

He wants a PG who will run the team and look to pass first, pass second, score third. Personally this is how I feel as well. I can't stand the new breed of PG's who look to score 25+ per game.

 

I'm sure you'd change your tune if they were scoring 25 points en route to a 1st seed.

 

We'll see how they do in the playoffs. Give me a CP3 (healthy, of course) over Rose/Wall any day.

 

That's exactly why I like him as a gunner off the bench.

 

I don't think Batum has a passing mindset either....

I think he has a deferring mindset. I actually wish Batum copy Matthews's mindset. He's not a good passer anyways.

 

Have you watched Matthews with the ball in his hands? He's terrible. Worse, he thinks he's good! As a defensive specialist or a catch and shoot 2 Matthews serves a valuable role on this team, but he should never, EVER have the ball in his hands in a playmaking capacity.

I would agree that Batum isn't exactly stellar when it comes to handling or playmaking, but when it comes to passing/ball handling, just about anyone else on our roster is an improvement.

 

I have. If you read my other posts, I've advocated getting a starting SG and moving Matthews to the bench for months. Just because Matthews isn't any good at it doesn't mean we make the situation worse by moving Batum to the two.

 

Agreed, Batum can already get plent of minutes off the bench. He got what, 35 the other night? Having all our forwards and centers in the starting lineup is stupid. This would not be Nic getting minutes over Wes, it would turn into Wes losing minutes to Chris Jonshon and Luke Babbit.

 

Dang, I think we could rack up more turnovers than points with that lineup. No one can handle the ball that well.

 

We can agree to disagree then!

 

I think Batum is the perfect 6th man...able to play multiple positions and can be a factor on both ends of the court.

 

Matthews stunk early in the year when we had him coming off the bench. Since he's started, he's hitting threes at a 41% clip.

A lot has changed over the season, but it's not worth trying it at the late in the game, especially with Batum producing so well for the second unit.

I guess your post is really about long-term, though. I guess I'd think about it. He'd probably be the tallest, longest shooting guard in the league.

Another possibility is to package Matthews or Batum in a trade for an upgrade at PG. Somebody like Stephen Curry might be had for the price of Batum, although it'd be really, really tough for me to do that deal.

But if you had Matthews and Curry in the back court, it'd be damned hard to ever doubleteam Aldridge or Wallace or Oden.

 

As much as I like Batum, if Portland could get Curry for him, I'd definitely do it. In fact, I'd trade Batum and Matthews for Curry. In the very short term, Curry could play in the backcourt with Miller (nominally the shooting guard, but labels don't really matter) and take over as the long-term point guard once Miller is no longer highly effective.

A quick fantasy: Miller, Curry, Wallace, Aldridge, Oden. That would be rather delicious. It would be painful to me to part with Batum, as he's probably my favourite player, but Curry is so good and would finally solve the long-term point guard issue.