Right now, our five best-performing (i.e., best PER) players available are: Bayless (16.2) Miller (15.6) Roy (19.2) Cunningham (15.5) Aldridge (16.5) This lineup could work as a Nellie ball group that gets after balls and runs for broke at every play. While this lineup would get abused in a slow game, it could bust some heads in the open court. It also has decent spreadability: Bayless, Roy, and LMA are all realistic threats from 20 feet out, allowing Miller to drive and dish in a pick-and-roll game with Cunningham as a floater to support Miller and hit the offensive boards. It would never happen, of course, but I like the idea of this lineup as a "fuck it, let's just see what happens" approach to the remainder of the season.
Great, thanks. Can I paste my original post in your thread, since you're just posting without really responding here?
I'm not against unconventional lineups, especially in a season like this, when there are unique circumstances...but the problem is, how does the team play? "Small" teams try to exploit greater quickness to get up and down the court. We've already seen resistance from Roy and McMillan to fast-paced ball. Pushing a smaller lineup into a half-court, grind-it-out game seems almost suicidal. Houston manages it, but Houston seems an order of magnitude tougher and more defensive-minded. Also, I don't think I'm ready to trust Cunningham's PER. Small sample size and such. Also, PER neglects defense (largely) which is definitely relevant to "best players." I think if Portland were to try to play its best five players (with some modest wish-casting on Bayless), it would be: Bayless, Miller, Roy, Aldridge and Przybilla. This lineup isn't small up front, but is small on the perimeter. Does it play fast or slow? On defense, it seems ripe to be exploited by post-up wings but maybe there aren't enough of those to be a major problem. I don't know...at this point, no matter what lineup you use, there are going to be real problems. So I just want Bayless (and Rudy when back) to get as much playing time as reasonable and for Roy and Aldridge to develop a tight two-man game that they can always rely upon.
This. Portland now has one of the smallest, slowest and least aggressive (in terms of points in the paint) teams in the NBA. I am guessing that isn't going to be a receipe for great success.
