This is the first time looking at the roster this summer. For those of you who don't like the addition of Pau, who were you wanting to see as our backup center???
I've said for a while there's 4 positions now: Guard Wing Forward Big It's much easier to sort our players into these 4 categories. Guard - Dame, CJ, Simons Wing - Hood, Bazemore, Trent Forward - Hezonja, Tolliver, Little Big - Whiteside, Collins, Gasol, Labissiere, Nurkic Guard is PG/SG types Wing is SG/SF types Forward is SF/PF types Big is PF/C types. For more perspective - Zach Collins will probably end up taking over for Aminu as our starting "PF", but they're completely different types of players. Aminu is a forward while Zach is more of a big that has the ability to play next to another big.
What our rotation should be next season: Lillard (36) / Simons (12) McCollum (35) / Simons (7) / Hood (6) Bazemore (24) / Hood (24) Collins (28) / Labissiere (16) / Bazemore (4) Whiteside (31) / Gasol (14) / Collins (3) Lillard - 36mpg McCollum - 35mpg Whiteside & Collins - 31mpg Hood - 30mpg Bazemore - 28mpg Simons - 19mpg Labissiere - 16mpg Gasol - 14mpg
I like this... however, I'd love to see Dame's & CJ's minutes a bit lower (closer to 32). We also need another real PG. Not sure who that is though. I also think Mario is going to take all of Labissiere's minutes... I'd love to see what Skal can do, but I'm not sure he's going to get the chance. When Nurk comes back, he'll take Gasol's minutes and help reduce Whiteside/Collins minutes too.
If we want a top 4 seed we have to play Dame and CJ more than that against Western Conference teams. Our path to the WCF last eyar came down to the last night of the season. If you want to manage their loads, rest or lower their minutes against awful teams. And Skal has shown more during his NBA career than Hezonja ever has, and he was in Sacremento. He's also a more natural fit for the PF or C position. He also has more long-term retainability than Hezonja. I really hope Skal takes the backup PF role and runs away with it.
Skal, Hazonja, Little and Trent will not play. And I honestly don’t see Simons thriving this season as much as some in here. This is a grown mans hame and he is still so young and raw. I believe the addition of Pau is huge. And Hood needs to have a career season.
You can give him 5 to 7 a half. That's what you get right? 2-3 at the end of the first and third quarters plus 3-4 at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters? somewhere between 10 to 14 mins a game unless there is something that makes it be more like foul trouble or just a great matchup that is working? Or isn't working whatever the case may be? If they push Gasol more than that they will wear him out. It's a long season. Personally i would rather see him make it healthy and into the playoffs.
Swap in Anthony for Skal and you're correct. Like it or not Tolliver will take a chunk of Aminus minutes.