lets hear it dorks. Starters Dame CJ Hood Collins Whiteside Second unit Simons Bazemore Hezonja Skal Gasol I also think Trent plays (replacing Gasol) when other second units go small. Btw this is my rotation to start the season, assuming they stay healthy. Stotts usually goes deep early and with so many new players, expect him to experiment.
The top 8 are clear IMO. Trent/Little are 12/13th men. In between, I have no idea what Stotts is going to do with Tolliver, Skal, and Gasol. I could see him playing any one of them 20mpg or none at all.
Starters: Lillard - McCollum - HOOD - Collins - Whiteside Rotation: Simons - Bazemore - Hezonja - Tolliver - Gasol Won't see but occasionally: Trent Jr - Little - Skal - Nurkic
Here is what I am hoping for: Starters: Lillard - McCollum - Baze - Collins - Whiteside Rotation: Simons - Hood - Hezonja - Skal - Gasol Skal and Toliver will alternate until one of them becomes the clear winner. As for who finishes the game....... I would play whoever is having the better game between Hood, Baze, and Mario to finish the game at SF. There might even be games where we need to go small and have Mario at PF and either Hood or Bazemore at SF. Zach might finish at center on occasion as well.
Lillard McCollum Hood Gasol Whiteside Simons Bazemore Collins Hezonja Tolliver/Skal finishing the game....Zach for Gasol....I think Gasol plays half the first qtr and half the 3rd....the old Noah Vonleh rotation. I also think Gasol will sit against some younger, faster teams and Zach will start those. Stotts will probably look at minutes early in the season for Tolliver, Hezonja and Skal...see who sticks
I think it is interesting that the Blazers seem to be going all in on the twin towers concept. Given that this is a departure from the Aminu teams in recent history, I am curious what Stotts is going to do with this. I can't imagine he isn't part of the planning with Olshey.
Likely. It probably depends a lot on where the other team is playing their big/versatile scorers (Kawhi, LeBron, PG, etc.).
With Gasol out I wonder if Stotts starts Tolliver, or if Collins just doubles as the backup five, similar to how CJ used to play on the second unit. If it’s the latter, expect Hezonja to get more minutes. I’m also expecting to see Moses in uniform, especially since Whiteside probably isn’t 100% either.