Regular season I like Hood over Bazemore, playoffs I’d rather have Bazemore out there for his defence when things get more half court oriented.
The problem is overall minutes, not necessarily load per game. I'm fine if he sits out 10-15 games/yr and plays 35 a night. Edit: https://www.basketball-reference.com/leaders/mp_active.html It's crazy, Dame has played nearly a season's worth of minutes more than guys like Gallinari (drafted 08) and Hayward (10). History tells us that guys who climb above 15k mins are prone to a redshirt sorta injury year. Hayward/Steph/Kawhi/PG/Klay/KD/Blake/etc etc. All of em have had at least one year with a major injury. Dame is closing in on 20k.
Weird, I think just the opposite. It SHOULD be Bazemore starting (want best possible defense next to our starting guards), but I think it'll be Hood (to convince him to stay at year's end).
At the moment I’d start Bazemore at the 3, and bring Hood off the bench. I seem to remember that Hood was great off the bench in Utah, but not as a starter. I don’t know what the stats on that are though. However that was obviously years ago, and he’s young enough to be given a second (third?) chance. So I’d just let everyone battle it out in training camp, give the spot to whoever earns it, and tell everyone else to take it off them if they’re good enough. Good spirited competition for a starting spot is good for everyone involved.
Stotts will want to keep what's left over from his 2nd unit rotation from last season so Hood will come off the bench.
You just convinced me that Bazemore should start, and Rodney should come off the bench, haha. Knowing Stotts though, your logic is sound. Initially.
Good point. It will be Stotts, who will want the guy who knows the system and who he is comfortable with as the starter vs. Stotts, who will want to maintain his second unit rotation by having the guy he's comfortable with coming off the bench. Chances are, Stotts wins that argument.
Hood can't play the 4. The guy is 206 lbs. He isn't terribly long and he's only 6'8". I know a lot of small ball fours are 6'8" but they weigh a lot more than Hood.
Dame and CJ have always played more than that. We cant afford to consistently play them 33mpg. Tolliver and Hezonja getting 15mpg each is scary...
Tolliver does not scare me he can come in off the bench and has a decent shot and not lose ground while the starters are out he knows his role and will perform adequately . Mario well who knows but yeah he probably wont show much. I think we will see more Skal then him
FWIW..... https://ripcityproject.com/2019/07/23/rodney-hood-bench-portland-trail-blazers/ Rodney Hood should come off the bench for the Portland Trail Blazers Why might the Portland Trail Blazers bring Rodney Hood off the bench in 2019-20? ........Sure, Portland could just stagger Hood’s minutes, replacing him with Kent Bazemoreat the first substitution, and then bringing him back later in the quarter/half with the second. However, in my opinion, that takes both Hood and Bazemore out of their rhythm. Instead, I suggest Stotts toy with the idea of starting Bazemore outright. Not as threatening of a threat with the ball in hands, Bazemore would be much better suited playing off Lillard and McCollum rather than being forced to have the ball in his hands in tandem with Anfernee Simons. Bazemore has consistently ranked in the upper tiers when it comes to assisted baskets, and that can only improve with such a dynamic starting backcourt.......
He can come off the bench, be an average at best 3pt shooter, an average at best defender, and suck at everything else. That's fine for an average team. I thought we were trying to contend.
I think it's going to be Hood. Bazemore will finish more games, though. Hezonja will be playing the Turner role, and he might finish some games depending on situations.
I would imagine Hood starting but regardless, Hood will be finishing games. Adding yet another guy who can get his own shot will be valuable when teams decide on whether or not to blitz Dame/CJ.
