Maybe it's recency bias, but our current roster overall looks better to me than the 2018-19 team. The big advantage the 2018-19 team had was 4 guys that could play center.
Winslow until Christmas. If the team is playing playoff ball, Winslow stays as the starter. If not, we’ll see Hart. But I won’t count out experimental lineups of Nas or even moving Grant to the 3 and Watford at the 4. This team is deep!
I’m not saying Winslow starting wouldn’t work but… Winslow is a worse shooter than Harkless and Aminu. If Grant has a resurgent season shooting the 3 and Nurk started hitting 3s at a more consistent rate, I think the combination of offense and defense would work. But that’s a lot to ask for imo.
Props to Blazers Uprise, but I’ve changed my opinion in Nas starting, I think it should be Hart. If Nurk goes down, I would think that Hart would be someone to go in order to bring in another big. Makes sense even from a value standpoint to maximize it as a starter. I have a lot of hope for Nas still, and think he’ll likely end the season starting. I just hope he doesn’t spend too much time at PF, I’d much rather just throw Watford and Walker into the fire and let them compete for the backup PF spot. Watford went from undrafted -> 2 way -> guaranteed 3 years -> SL MVP. Walker slid far past where he thought because teams wanted to gamble for a star, he showed everyone he was a 1st round talent because he was okay NOT being a star. Compete, but build for the future. The future at PF needs minutes. So yeah, ultimately my new answer is Hart for fifth starter.
I will say, maximizing a player's trade value was definitely not an aspect I had considered as a part of this discussion.
Good grief. The team decides what each player's role is whether we like it or not as we are never consulted on anything. If come January Ant is coming off the bench, playing well & the team is winning games, no one here will be saying boo about his contract. STOMP
the issue with comparing our roster to 2019 is that the west is much more stacked than it was in 2019. Yes, this roster is better, but so is the rest of the west.
I'd gladly wager with you that a healthy Ant is starting in January. Do you want to take the other end of that bet? I didn't think so. I wish I believed the NBA was ran based off of pure equity, where beind the scenes deals, agents, and contracts did not play a role in playing time.
I will be surprised if the starting unit on opening night isn't: Dame Ant Hart Grant Nurk With a bench unit of: Payton Winslow Little Watford I think it's debatable how much time Sharpe, Keon, and Walker will get at the start of the season. I don't see Keon being a part of the rotation. I feel for the kid because I think he's working really hard, but there's simply no minutes for him. Sharpe could see minutes at small forward, and I think Walker might sneak his way into the rotation. I don't see Eubanks, Louzada or Brown getting any minutes at all. I think we need a consolidation trade that moves Keon and maybe Winslow for a SF/PF.
I think he will start, based on the pick-up of GP2. They seem to be penciling in Hart at SF. But I don't buy your behind-the-scenes theory for a 23-year player who just got paid. A seasoned Vet who had other options to sign with....sure. But I just don't believe that any promises were made to Ant or his agent. Regardless he is going to get big minutes and it looks like he will start.
This is how I see it as well, except I think Watford/Eubanks could be situational, to begin with at BU center.
Yup. This is actually how I wrote out my minutes distribution in the other thread. There's about 20 minutes of backup center time and I think it will be split up depending on what team we're facing. Could be Eubanks getting most of it, or it could be Watford or it could be something crazy like Winslow or Walker. Hard to say.
You think our CURRENT roster is better than THIS!!!!!!???? Wow! Am I the only one who thinks this person is completely wrong?
Considering half that roster was injured most of the season, I'd say it's nearly impossible to compare apples to apples.
