Forum Game Who's the 9th man in the rotation?

In the interview in SL game 3, Neil specifically talked about a "looking to make trades to bolster the top 9 guys in the rotation."

Here it is, started when Neil is talking:


Who are the "top 9 in the rotation?"
The top 8 have got to be
Lillard/CJ/Harkless/Aminu/Nurk
Curry/ET/Collins

Who's #9?
Candidates: Biggie, Leonard, Trent, Simons, Baldwin, Layman, PapaG, Stauskas

I'm pretty sure he doesn't mean Biggie, Trent, Simons, Baldwin, PapaG. So, that leaves
That leaves (gulp) Leonard, Layman, Nik.

As far as I'm concerned, any of these 3 would be a disaster.
Leonard - sucks
Layman - can't dribble
Nik - relying too much on Curry and ET to be ballhandlers.

It SHOULD DEFINITELY be Baldwin, but I'm quite sure he's not talking about Baldwin. Baldwin was noticeably absent when he, twice, talked about ballhandling in the 2nd unit (he mentioned ET).

Who do you think Neil was talking about?

 

Baldwin

Baldwin

Ohh Baldwin

 

No poll? Fail!

 

I don't believe that he was thinking of a specific 9 individuals. I think he was generically thinking in a normal basketball game, how most coaches go with a 9 man rotation.

So instead of looking at ways to bolster 10-15, guys that won't generally play a ton, he's saying we need to find trades to improve our actual game rotations.

 

I was hoping someone would just say "It's obvious that it's..." and everyone would agree, and I'd be a bit embarrassed, but would learn the answer to my question.

 

Anyone not named Damian Lillard.

 

So maybe my post will get 30+ likes and that will be that!

 

Don't mean to be a contrarian, but I don't agree at all. Neil has always been very careful and very intentional about what he says. I think he has 9 specific players in mind.

 

I liked it to make you feel better! I can't add a poll now

 

But if he's looking to make a trade or trades to bolster the top 9, that would imply that the trade target would be in the top 9 of the rotation, not that we'd add a guy and he'd then be 10. So in that matter, it doesn't matter who "9" is right now, it's who it(hopefully) is after a trade

 

I'll take the conspiracy approach and say he specifically didn't mention Baldwin because he hasn't guaranteed his contract yet and doesn't want to drive up the price in an extension negotiation.

Interview mystery solved.

 

You liked the wrong post.

It’s all about Baldwin

Baldwin

Or it could be Balwin?

 

Quite sure he's not talking about Baldwin.

 

He is but you didn’t add butler to the list after he trades CJ/hark and a pick for him.

 

To me it is absolute a joke that we are even talking about ET over (?!!) Baldwin. Baldwin is already better than Turner!

 

Obviously it's Nunnally.

 

Neil didn't say. Maybe he thinks it's Nunnally our business....

 

After some soulsearching, I think it's Nik. Baldwin will have to beat out Nik.

 

I interpreted it to mean he is looking for a trade - of anyone on the team - the outcome of which would be that our top 9 rotation players - whomever they will be - will comprise a better team than our current top 9 rotation players -- whoever that is.

In other words, stating the obvious

 

Ok so IMO the current 9th player to round it out is clearly Wade Baldwin, if that's the question.