Only if Scoot is starter quality and Sharpe elevates to near all-star caliber. At the levels they've shown previously, it definitely is not.
I think Sharpe can take that next step. Hopefully, he gets some good experience practicing against the Canadian team while going to their camp. Scoot has a ways to go but I expect a lot of improvement this year. In that scenario (which probably won't happen) playing alongside Shae, Deni, Ayton, and Grant he should be able to focus more on being a playmaker. He just needs to shoot enough to keep the defense honest.
Test for the coach: If you can't make a lineup of Scoot/Rupert/Camara/Advijah/Cong play statistically measurable good defense, you need another job.
I really don’t think Cronin will consider trading Ant or Grant, so I’m including them in my rotation. Ant (17)/Scoot (31)/Deni Shae (31)/Ant (17)/Rupert Grant (30)/Deni (8)/Kris (10)/Camara Deni (24)/Camara (18)/DA (6)/Walker DA (26)/Clingan (22)/RobWill/Reath Cronin will bank on Deni’s addition increasing the value of Ant and Grant, and I honestly don’t mind. That starting lineup—Shae will have to pick and choose his spots again like in his rookie year. With a more efficient Shae from deep, the shooting in this starting lineup is going to potentially be lethal. Deni can shoot 3’s from DEEP. You have no idea how much he is going to do for the confidence of some of these guys like Murray, Camara, and Shae, it only takes one guy to get hot and spark some confidence in the rest of the team. I’d be very curious to see how that starting lineup does with Clingan in place of DA. When Scoot enters, I want him surrounded by 6’8+ guys or multiple shooters. Scoot/Shae/Grant/Deni/Clingan Scoot/Kris/Deni/Camara/Reath Scoot/Shae/Deni/DA/Clingan Scoot/Kris/Grant/Camara/Clingan Scoot/Rupert/Grant/Deni/DA or Clingan
everyone forgets about Matisse. It happens. It's not intentional. There's now 5 Blazers squeezed into the 3 spot.
His 8 points per 36 minutes on below average efficiency will be missed. I'd much rather play Camara, but I'm fine with Thybulle playing over the scrub trio of Walker/Murray/Rupert.
Clingan will need some time, theres no rush, so let him succeed as a low minute limited backup first. Kris can be cut in camp. I'm interested to see if Rupert looks any better but if not he can watch another year. If we're trying to win with Grant/Simons/Timelord/etc I don't see why we need so many young scrubs playing with them. The Blazers need to pick a lane, either trade away the vets or leave the scrubs on the bench.
It's assumed that Camara is in the rotation, but Thybulle is not. Advanced numbers indicate that Thybulle is a significantly more impactful player than Camara is--why is he considered less valuable?
I'm not a fan of tearing this team down any more. We need this team to stay healthy so they can build experience and chemistry. Draft smart. Look for key consolidation trades. Let this cake bake. I like what Cronin has put together and wouldn't be surprised if he has a few more interesting moves to make before the opening of the season.
Ant starting and Scoot coming off the bench seems highly unlikely given the last two pressers we've seen where they said they were building around Scoot and Shae and didn't say a damn thing about Ant.
If the roster stays as currently constructed, though I think Scoot should start, I think it's still likely that Ant will start. I think what we've heard in the pressers speaks more to how likely it is that Ant is traded in the next 12 months than who starts the season opener.
Barring major moves, this feels right to me. If they always pair scoot/ant with deni avdija, the defense won’t give up a million points, but Avdija will backslide from his last season trying to cover for those two.
