What starting line-up do you expect to open season?

[Stratmaster]

I guess for those who voted something other than the first... why would Hoiberg differ from the same main starting lineup used last season? What performance, stats, eye test, etc. are being used to insert Niko, Taj or Snell into the starting lineup?

Noah can't shoot.

Niko shot 40% last season, and 31.6% from 3. Noah, playing the same position much of the time, shot 44.5%. Niko was certainly more of a volume shooter, although the disparity in shot attempts, while significant, is not as great as one might think.

[League Circles]

2/3 think there will be a starting lineup change. i don't see what reason there is to believe that

Do you truly not?

Umm, Noah and Gasol are both natural centers. Taj and Niko are both natural PFs. We didn't succeed as we wanted last year and they fired the coach that started noah and gasol together.

The reasoning is very clear. I don't see any reason to particularly think the lineup will stay the same. Why would it? If the coach was the same sure. Obviously either is a good possibility but IMO it's more likely the lineup is different than the same.

[meekrab]

I guess for those who voted something other than the first... why would Hoiberg differ from the same main starting lineup used last season? What performance, stats, eye test, etc. are being used to insert Niko, Taj or Snell into the starting lineup?

Noah can't shoot.

Niko shot 40% last season, and 31.6% from 3. Noah, playing the same position much of the time, shot 44.5%. Niko was certainly more of a volume shooter, although the disparity in shot attempts, while significant, is not as great as one might think.

Jo took 82% of his shots inside 10 feet.

Niko took 50% of his shots from 3.

You could not possibly have picked a worse comparison.

[Stratmaster]

Noah can't shoot.

Niko shot 40% last season, and 31.6% from 3. Noah, playing the same position much of the time, shot 44.5%. Niko was certainly more of a volume shooter, although the disparity in shot attempts, while significant, is not as great as one might think.

Jo took 82% of his shots inside 10 feet.

Niko took 50% of his shots from 3.

You could not possibly have picked a worse comparison.

Which would you rather have. Niko shooting from the 3 or a reasonably efficient big shooting from inside 10'? Granted Noah wasn't reasonably efficient last season. he was also barely able to jump or run.

Niko shooting 40% in his first season while being a bit lost defensively is not a reason to start him. If he tears it up in training and the preseason and Jo still looks hobbled, we have another story. But none of us know that, and to slot Niko in as a starter at this point is at best premature, and at worst fanboy stuff.

Assuming Niko starts shooting like he is supposed to, and makes real improvement in his overall game (and I expect to see that) I see him in contention for 6th man of the year, and the likely starter at PF in 2016...but not starting this season; certainly not starting at the beginning of this season unless something monumental is seen in the preseaon.

[Stratmaster]

Niko shot 40% last season, and 31.6% from 3. Noah, playing the same position much of the time, shot 44.5%. Niko was certainly more of a volume shooter, although the disparity in shot attempts, while significant, is not as great as one might think.

Jo took 82% of his shots inside 10 feet.

Niko took 50% of his shots from 3.

You could not possibly have picked a worse comparison.

Which would you rather have. Niko shooting from the 3 or a reasonably efficient big shooting from inside 10'? Granted Noah wasn't reasonably efficient last season. he was also barely able to jump or run.

Niko shooting 40% in his first season while being a bit lost defensively is not a reason to start him. If he tears it up in training and the preseason and Jo still looks hobbled, we have another story. But none of us know that, and to slot Niko in as a starter at this point is at best premature, and at worst fanboy stuff.

Assuming Niko starts shooting like he is supposed to, and makes real improvement in his overall game (and I expect to see that) I see him in contention for 6th man of the year, and the likely starter at PF in 2016...but not starting this season; certainly not starting at the beginning of this season unless something monumental is seen in the preseaon.

I should add that the OP specifically said this wasn't about who we WANT to see starting, but who we EXPECT to see. It would be barrels of fun to see Rose/Butler/McD/Niko and Noah start, with Gasol,Taj, Snell and MDJ tearing up 2nd units off the bench. But it isn't likely what is best for the W/L record or what will actually come to be.

[meekrab]

Niko shot 40% last season, and 31.6% from 3. Noah, playing the same position much of the time, shot 44.5%. Niko was certainly more of a volume shooter, although the disparity in shot attempts, while significant, is not as great as one might think.

Jo took 82% of his shots inside 10 feet.

Niko took 50% of his shots from 3.

You could not possibly have picked a worse comparison.

Which would you rather have. Niko shooting from the 3 or a reasonably efficient big shooting from inside 10'?

This is what we like to call a false dilemma. Those aren't the only two options, and to imply that we actually have a "reasonably efficient big" other than Gasol and Mirotic available to start the season is to imply that you have some secret knowledge that Noah's going to be a decent player again that the rest of the internet doesn't.

I laid out my logic in another thread: You don't bench Gasol, he's your best overall front court player. Gibson will be recovering and miss most of camp, plus he'll never be a real stretch 4, his midrange shot is weak unless he's on the right baseline. Noah is apparently rapidly aging and he's always been a hustle guy who outworks the other team. If he comes off the bench, he can probably give you 20 minutes a night of high intensity, reasonably effective play throughout the season and playoffs. If you ask him to start and play 30 mpg, he's going to look gassed again just like he did in the playoffs. Niko showed he's at least got the talent to be a primary scoring option in the NBA last season.

As for expectations, I personally expect a coach who values shooting and spreading the defense to start the best offensive threat available at each position. That's pretty obviously Rose Butler Dunleavy Mirotic Gasol. McDermott isn't even close to the discussion, not sure why you brought him up.

[Fl_Flash]

I should add that the OP specifically said this wasn't about who we WANT to see starting, but who we EXPECT to see. It would be barrels of fun to see Rose/Butler/McD/Niko and Noah start, with Gasol,Taj, Snell and MDJ tearing up 2nd units off the bench. But it isn't likely what is best for the W/L record or what will actually come to be.

Actually, that's almost the lineup I voted for - substitute Gasol for Noah.

I really don't expect the same starting 5 from last season. The lineup just didn't work. Noah isn't a PF and he seemed scared to death to shoot the ball outside of 5 ft. of the rim. If he's lost all confidence in his earthball, there is no way I want him on the floor playing the PF next to Gasol. That lineup never worked - even to start the season.

I want this team to come out and look to put its' foot on opponents throats from the start. Having five guys you simply have to account for does that. Far too many times last season this team had to play catch-up because they would come out flat. Some of that is preparation and being ready; some of that is that the players simply didn't mesh.

We simply can't have extended periods of time where the offense sputters or does nothing. Noah at the PF standing at the top of the key facilitating offense is beyond terrible and Thibs should have seen that and changed the offense. He didn't. You just can't play 4 on 5 in this league for extended periods of time and expect to have good to great offensive games. Noah needs to come off the bench and play exclusively at center. Keep him close to the basket on both sides of the ball.

I think you put your best 5 on the floor and I think that after preseason that will be Rose/Butler/McDermott/Mirotic and Gasol. Five guys you absolutely have to account for and all of whom can score from various locations on the floor and in various ways. Not the best defensive group but I see them compensating for that with much better than average offense.

[Ice Man]

Shouldn't Doug McDermott need to show that he is an NBA player before becoming a starter? OK, let me take the question mark out of that. Doug McDermott needs to show that he is an NBA player before he can start. I can't imagine him as a starter on Opening Day, absent multiple injuries (well, at least two).

[Fl_Flash]

Shouldn't Doug McDermott need to show that he is an NBA player before becoming a starter? OK, let me take the question mark out of that. Doug McDermott needs to show that he is an NBA player before he can start. I can't imagine him as a starter on Opening Day, absent multiple injuries (well, at least two).

McDermott is an NBA player. Part of this speaks to just how poor our SF position is. Dunleavy shouldn't be a starter on an NBA Finals aspiring club. Snell is pretty good, but I like him better as a backup SG as opposed to starting SF. I think Doug is going to get every chance to succeed or fail this year. I believe he's going to show enough in preseason that he gets the nod over an older, shows up every third or fourth game Dunleavey or not-aggressive-enough Snell.

That's not to say that McDermott is an all-star. Or even a star. Simply that he's the best option available - especially as the season wears on. This guy is going to need to show he belongs or the team needs to move on. He's going to have every chance to show just that. Sink or swim. The guy can play - he just didn't get much of a chance to show it last year. The bum knee killed him. Limited his ability early on and by the time he got back, the season was pretty much done. I think he's going to change a lot of folks' opinions of him this year.

[Rerisen]

I think you put your best 5 on the floor and I think that after preseason that will be Rose/Butler/McDermott/Mirotic and Gasol. Five guys you absolutely have to account for and all of whom can score from various locations on the floor and in various ways. Not the best defensive group but I see them compensating for that with much better than average offense.

Expecting Doug to prove he's better than Mike Dunleavy by the end of preseason, harkins back to the exaggerrated expectations of last year. Preseason just isn't that valuable even if a guy does good, so it would be hard to see that happening unless he's looking like Larry Bird out there.

[Fl_Flash]

I think you put your best 5 on the floor and I think that after preseason that will be Rose/Butler/McDermott/Mirotic and Gasol. Five guys you absolutely have to account for and all of whom can score from various locations on the floor and in various ways. Not the best defensive group but I see them compensating for that with much better than average offense.

Expecting Doug to prove he's better than Mike Dunleavy by the end of preseason, harkins back to the exaggerrated expectations of last year. Preseason just isn't that valuable even if a guy does good, so it would be hard to see that happening unless he's looking like Larry Bird out there.

Mind you, I have no basis for what I'm about to state... I think McDermott showed he was at least equal to Dunleavy last season - Thibs just buried him to spite Gar and Pax. Sounds like an incredibly petty and stupid thing for a coach to do. I get the impression that there was quite a bit of egoism going on between the front office and the coaching staff. I think that Butlers observation that McDermott was killing it in practice has some validity to it. Things had become so damaged between GarPax and Thibs that he would refuse to play a guy that I bet the front office was clamoring to be played - just to spite them. Again - no basis for this line of thinking - just conjecture.

All we can do is to see what unfolds this season. I get the impression that some folks think that Mike Dunleavy is some sort of great player and that it would need a "Larry Bird-like" showing for anyone to beat him out. Mike Dunleavy is a 15 MPG backup who, by default, was a starter on a really good team. It's not that MDJ is all that great, it's just that the other options were less than him. I don't think it will take all that much for Mcd (or snell for that matter) to supplant an aging Dunleavy for the SF spot.

[sco]

I think you put your best 5 on the floor and I think that after preseason that will be Rose/Butler/McDermott/Mirotic and Gasol. Five guys you absolutely have to account for and all of whom can score from various locations on the floor and in various ways. Not the best defensive group but I see them compensating for that with much better than average offense.

Expecting Doug to prove he's better than Mike Dunleavy by the end of preseason, harkins back to the exaggerrated expectations of last year. Preseason just isn't that valuable even if a guy does good, so it would be hard to see that happening unless he's looking like Larry Bird out there.

Mind you, I have no basis for what I'm about to state... I think McDermott showed he was at least equal to Dunleavy last season - Thibs just buried him to spite Gar and Pax. Sounds like an incredibly petty and stupid thing for a coach to do. I get the impression that there was quite a bit of egoism going on between the front office and the coaching staff. I think that Butlers observation that McDermott was killing it in practice has some validity to it. Things had become so damaged between GarPax and Thibs that he would refuse to play a guy that I bet the front office was clamoring to be played - just to spite them. Again - no basis for this line of thinking - just conjecture.

All we can do is to see what unfolds this season. I get the impression that some folks think that Mike Dunleavy is some sort of great player and that it would need a "Larry Bird-like" showing for anyone to beat him out. Mike Dunleavy is a 15 MPG backup who, by default, was a starter on a really good team. It's not that MDJ is all that great, it's just that the other options were less than him. I don't think it will take all that much for Mcd (or snell for that matter) to supplant an aging Dunleavy for the SF spot.

I won't disagree that MDJ is a 15MPG backup, but Doug's problem is easily defined. This team needs 3pt shooting, especially with the starters. There is some debate on whether Doug has shown anything offensively. The one thing he has shown, to his detriment, is that he can clank 3pt shots at a high rate. If Doug wants to start, he just need to change those clanks into splashes...that simple.

[mj234eva]

I guess for those who voted something other than the first... why would Hoiberg differ from the same main starting lineup used last season? What performance, stats, eye test, etc. are being used to insert Niko, Taj or Snell into the starting lineup?

Noah can't shoot.

Niko shot 40% last season, and 31.6% from 3. Noah, playing the same position much of the time, shot 44.5%.

Your method is so outdated.

[dice]

2/3 think there will be a starting lineup change. i don't see what reason there is to believe that

Do you truly not?

Umm, Noah and Gasol are both natural centers. Taj and Niko are both natural PFs.

that would be the reason why it would and probably should be done. but as you know, there is a very strong reason why it would NOT be done, and that is status. both pau and jo have well earned the status as starters in this league. neither has indicated a willingness to come off the bench (quite the opposite in pau's case). consequently, a rookie head coach would have to have the temerity to upset that balance of egos. and that's ASSUMING he has any significant desire to make a change in the first place. hoiberg has not yet expressed that desire

We didn't succeed as we wanted last year and they fired the coach that started noah and gasol together.

although the lack of chemistry up front contributed to the team's sub-par performance, we both know it's not why thibs got fired

[Rerisen]

Mind you, I have no basis for what I'm about to state... I think McDermott showed he was at least equal to Dunleavy last season - Thibs just buried him to spite Gar and Pax. Sounds like an incredibly petty and stupid thing for a coach to do. I get the impression that there was quite a bit of egoism going on between the front office and the coaching staff. I think that Butlers observation that McDermott was killing it in practice has some validity to it. Things had become so damaged between GarPax and Thibs that he would refuse to play a guy that I bet the front office was clamoring to be played - just to spite them. Again - no basis for this line of thinking - just conjecture.

All we can do is to see what unfolds this season. I get the impression that some folks think that Mike Dunleavy is some sort of great player and that it would need a "Larry Bird-like" showing for anyone to beat him out. Mike Dunleavy is a 15 MPG backup who, by default, was a starter on a really good team. It's not that MDJ is all that great, it's just that the other options were less than him. I don't think it will take all that much for Mcd (or snell for that matter) to supplant an aging Dunleavy for the SF spot.

Well you admitted no basis. Last year Dunleavy was a rather average-ish player, sub average for a starter probably, but Doug was a terrible player. You can blame some of that on low minutes, which may or may not be true, but I don't think it can be argued that what we saw, as the fans, was a very unproductive, bad player. On both ends.

So it's not like Doug was out there getting things done in 10 minutes, then getting yanked, to where it was obvious that this guy had all kind of ability as a rookie to be worth putting out there.

As far as getting it done in practice though, how many times did we hear the same thing about Derrick Rose over the last 3 years? Many times, but it seemed to be all fluff talk, because it rarely ever carried over to real games. Was that on Thibs too. Or maybe people just like to talk positive about their teammates.

Just the other week Westbrook said Derrick, "looked like Derrick Rose" whatever that means, preumably it was taken to mean 'he's back'. But what is Russell - or anyone speaking about a friend - supposed to say, that Derrick, "Just isn't quite the same as he used to be." Then it would be blown up into a big comment. Most of that stuff I consider just throw-away comments with little value.

[WesleyExChiFan]

I'd like to see McDermott and Niko start up front with Gasol so that you'd have 5 scoring threats on the floor. McD, if nothing else, shows that he draws attention. Teams aren't going to leave him open and you can exploit that. Plus it doesn't leave him and Dunleavy on the floor at the same time in the 2nd unit.

Speaking of the bench, I like Jo in the second unit surrounded by shooters. AB, Kirk, Snell and Dunleavy can all hit the 3 pretty reliably. Kirk, that's about all I trust him with these days, but he can do it. I think Jo could make a run for 6MOY in that role.

I like him better than Pau in that role too, because of offensive flow. Not that Pau's a ball hog, but the temptation would be to throw him the ball in the post and let him work on 2nd unit centers, which takes away from the pace of the game. Noah could set a ball screen on those side pick and rolls and then crash the glass. He's great at making the quick read for the right should he get the ball back too. Him on the bench makes everything easier.

[DarthDiggler69]

Rose - obvious
Butler - obvious
MDJ - has to lose his spot. Snell could start but not likely. Doug has a lot of proving to do still
Taj - Niko is a better choice but Taj may have to cover Gasol's butt on D. Will probably be traded eventually
Gasol - hard to bench an all-NBA guy and need to keep our biggest free agent signing in ages happy for at least one more season

[bulliedog8]

I guess for those who voted something other than the first... why would Hoiberg differ from the same main starting lineup used last season? What performance, stats, eye test, etc. are being used to insert Niko, Taj or Snell into the starting lineup?

Gibson likely won't even be ready to play game 1.

The only reason I can see that Niko will be the starter is if Noah is still not healthy (in which case he likely never will be).

I can't see any possible reason to start Tony Snell, unless he just turns into a monster in the preseason and appears to be poised for a Butleresque improvement over his poor showing last season. I could see McD jumping in there before Snell if he somehow had a monster preseason, because he at least is an "unknown" as far as any real playing time previously.

I expect MDJ will still be the starter but will play less voerall minutes. I also HOPE that Hoiberg will use the noah/Gasol pairing much differently when they are on the court together; and I think he will.

Yup, just like how the warriors benched lee after his return from his injury. An 18pts 10 reb all star.

Snell showed flashes. He is athletic and can run with rose and Butler, good 3 shooter. Keeps Dunleavys legs fresh coming off the bench.
You could say the same thing for barnes and draymond. Barnes showed flashes (especially in the playoffs his rookie year) then was absolutely garbage in his 2nd year when they started Iggy. Snell has been bad but then has also shown flashes of his potential.

Niko you have all of march when he started and avged 20pts 8rebs per game like how draymond showed how well he played when D Lee went down with an injury.

I thought taj would be ready by game 1? Isnt his recovery 4 months which leads towards the end of october for a return.

Noah is healthy and motivated to prove everyone he isnt done (according to himself) so he should start (imo).

You could say the same thing for Barnes and Draymond. that still gives me no indication of why you would pull the same trigger for Tony Snell.

You make a case for Niko to start, and then mention Taj, and then mention Noah should start. So if Noah is starting, are you advocating benching the guy who made the all-star team and was the most consistent scoring threat last season so that Niko or Taj can start?

[art_barbie]

expect:
Rose
Jimmy
MDJ
Mirotic
Gasol

Desire:

Rose
Jimmy
Snell
Mirotic
Gasol

[ralphisBullsFan]

I wouldn't' be surprised if we see multiple starting line ups in the first month or so of the season...our two natural centers no matter what level they are playing at are old and injury prone, it shouldn't be a problem we have both it should be somewhat of a luxury.