Blazers Rotation after 1 game: did we learn anything?

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by Wizard Mentor, Oct 19, 2017.

  1. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    Who wasn't in the rotation:
    Biebs, Layman (but got PT due to blowout)+ CJ (suspension), Collins (illness), Vonleh (injury)

    So, we rocked a 9-man rotation that looked something like:

    Dame/Napier
    ET/PatC
    Harkless/
    Aminu/Biggie
    Nurk/Davis

    With CJ coming back, and considering the results of game 1, the simplest thing to do is
    to simply add CJ to the 9. Something like:

    Dame/Napier
    CJ/PatC
    Harkless/ET
    Aminu/Biggie
    Nurk/Davis

    OK, no problem. But what happens when Collins and Vonleh come back? I'm pretty sure
    coach won't go beyond a 10-man rotation, so, if Collins or Vonleh come in, 1 has to leave.

    Option 1: Collins and Vonleh stay out of rotation
    see above

    Option 2: Napier leaves rotation (something like):
    Dame/ET
    CJ/PatC
    Harkless/Aminu
    Biggie/(Vonleh or Collins)
    Nurk/Davis

    Option 3: Pat C leaves rotation (something like):
    Dame/Napier
    CJ/ET
    Harkless/Aminu
    Biggie/(Vonleh or Collins)
    Nurk/Davis

    Option 4: Davis leaves rotation (something like):
    Dame/Napier
    CJ/PatC
    Harkless/ET
    Aminu/(Vonleh or Collins)
    Nurk/Biggie

    Other options:
    Biggie or Aminu or Harkless leaves rotation - I find these unlikely.

    All of this assumes coach is willing to go to a 10-man rotation.
    All of this assumes that there are no injuries.
    All of this assumes that each of the players continues to play well.

    It's not obvious what to do, but I think we just might go with Option 1 - especially if we are winning.
    Bottom line: if Napier and Pat "freaking" Con continue to play well, depth is actually a serious problem.

    What would you do?
     
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  2. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    Great post....but none of them

    My vote is:

    Dame/Napier
    CJ/PatC
    Harkless/ET
    Vonleh/Aminu (gradually ease the rookies in)
    Nurk/Davis
     
  3. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    FWIW, Davis played the fewest minutes of any of the rotation players last night.
     
  4. SportsAndWhine

    SportsAndWhine Dumbass For Hire

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    Dame / Napier
    CJ / Patty
    Harkless / ET
    Aminu / Swanigen / Vonleh
    Nurkic / Davis / Collins

    A 12-man rotation? Yes and here’s why: you might start Nurk and Aminu, but Davis/Swagitron and Vonleh/Collins can act as matched pairs of situational solutions. I think Zach and Noah will work well as a more offensive, long, help defense sort of pair while Ed and Caleb act as a gritty rebound-and-pound sort of pair. One pair or the other will get the bulk of minutes in a game.
     
  5. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    Yeah Davis does not need huge minutes. And sometime he can look really bad on offense. But you gotta like how he battles. Our 2nd unit needs that vet leadership.
     
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  6. tlongII

    tlongII Legendary Poster

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    How is "depth a serious problem"? I've never understood that point of view.
     
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  7. noknobs

    noknobs Well-Known Member

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    Not sure you can learn anything from one blowout game against Phoenix, so my preference hasn't changed:

    Damian/Pat (Either CJ or Damian is always out there anyways)
    CJ/Turner
    Harkless/Aminu
    Collins/Swannigan (or they could switch)
    Nurk/Ed

    Vonleh and Napier will get opportunities as well.

    Even though I know it would be difficult to guard stretch PF's, I really like us when we have two actual bigs on the floor at all times, as opposed to going small with Aminu at PF. With Nurk, Davis, Swannigan, Collins and Vonleh, two of them should almost always be out there. They really go after the rebounds and hustle inside.

    In reality I'm pretty sure it'll change from night to night depending on match ups.
     
  8. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    It leads to Chemistry problems, which leads to problems off and on the court.
     
  9. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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    We learned that we need to play the Suns 81 more times.
     
  10. Trackjack

    Trackjack Well-Known Member

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    It nice to be deep and young guys like Swanigan and Collins eventually will get there chance. Swanigan again very active on the boards and with him there Davis that 2 active players on the boards on both ends. It has to be headache for opposing teams. But I still think Collins will be our future 4 and stotts properly going bring him on very slow. If he was stronger he properly either backing up the 4 or starting before the season ends and that might happen anyway.
     
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  11. Duckhook

    Duckhook Well-Known Member

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    For all the +/- crap we gave ET last year, his +43 last night was a thing of beauty. I don't know if I've ever seen one that high before. That's yuuuuuge!!!
     
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  12. Boise Blazer

    Boise Blazer Thread Lightly

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    I just cant see a scenario where the rookies haven't earned at least some playing time in the rotation. But then again so did Ed. So Meyers is SOL and if Vonleh brings it there is going to be at least one or two players that deserve to play that wont be. If we stay healthy and there isnt a consolidation trade its going to get really interesting around here.
     
  13. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    It is funny that Miles Plumlee gave us more of a problem than Chandler now does. The Morris brothers as well.

    The current Suns roster is just too young. You think last night was a problem, wait until they go out on a long road trip.
     
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  14. Boise Blazer

    Boise Blazer Thread Lightly

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    One thing that I dont like after game one is the thought it we continue to have this many successful contributors to the rotation then that could lead to trade talk. It would really suck ass if a trade fucked up our mojo on a good season. Guess thats always a risk though
     
  15. Reep

    Reep Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, this is a game where the primary stats (pts, reb) don't really tell the story. ET and Harkless share the game ball from me. I'm not suggesting we start ET over CJ, but when we have a bad matchup at the SG, ET should be the first one off the bench. And the ability of ET/Harkless/Aminu to switch seamlessly really paid off.

    Other rotation findings:

    Pat and Napier are plenty good to be used in the rotation as needed. Both have the confidence and ability to come in and really help.

    Would love to see Phys-Ed and Biggie in the game together more. I think it really wears down the other team's front line. Nice to see Biggie contribute with whatever was needed. Nice passing last night.

    Questions remaining:

    Layman: there is part of me that would love to see him take Aminu's place at some point. He may never get the consistency I want, but he is an amazing athlete and a lineup of Dame, ET, Harkless, Layman, Collins someday would be fun to watch on D.
     
    Last edited: Oct 19, 2017
  16. Mr. Robot

    Mr. Robot Well-Known Member

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    I like this, Id like to see them all play, except Id put Vonleh starter with Aminu as first replacement
     
  17. tlongII

    tlongII Legendary Poster

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    Winning is the salve for those problems and great depth helps keep us winning. I never heard the Lakers or Celtics of the 80's complain about being "too deep" although those teams had about as much depth as you can get.
     
  18. blue9

    blue9 Well-Known Member

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    Still maintain that our rotation should be:

    Dame/Turner
    CJ/Turner
    Harkless/Pat
    Collins/Biggie
    Nurk/Davis

    Give Bazz a few minutes to cut down on Turner's, but Turner is the primary back-up guard.
    And when Vonleh is back, then he takes the PF spot and Biggie/Davis split back-up C duty until we trade Vonleh/Aminu/Davis.
     
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  19. Nikolokolus

    Nikolokolus There's always next year

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    We learned that Phoenix might be worse than they were last year? Or maybe we learned that the Blazers out-shot and out-hustled a very poorly prepared team? It was a helluva way to open a campaign, but I don't think there was much learned about the Blazers.
     
  20. Schilly

    Schilly Well-Known Member

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    I have a couple of thoughts. You could tell the front court players to play their asses off every night because we have depth to cover foul trouble and fatigue. Most coaches go shorter rotations because of drops in talent.... Except one coach, Popovic uses his depth most nights. Last year the Spurs had 12 guys play in 63 games or more and they all averaged at least 12mpg.

    This is how I would roll it out there.
    Dame/Turner
    CJ/Pat
    Harkless/Aminu
    Vonleh/Swannigan
    Nurkic/ Davis

    Then Collins gets spot minutes depending on fatigue/matchup/foul situations.
     
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