Numbers so far for SG and SF

[Esohny]

You guys should have just drafted him from the beginning and you wouldn't have had to throw in 2 firsts

How do you figure?

[C.lupus]

Might be time to throw Ellington into the equation? Only one pre-season game, but it's going to be interesting to see how Rambis handles his minutes this season.

Ellington is our truest 2guard, and after last night he definitely deserves another start.

Rambis' recent quote that he wants his players to know that there's someone hungry and talented breathing down their backs wanting to start is key. Of course, he might just be spinning a situation that he has. But if so, it's good spin.

I really think it's too early to trade right now. Somewhere in the January-February range we might be able to make a deal, but the mechanics of the situation are against us. Teams that do a quality for quantity deal are usually more engaged in rebuilding than the team they deal with. Not many teams that are more in that zone than we are.

Furthermore, there's not a ton of really great 2guards out there right now. Especially not in an all-around player way that Rambis wants (and our offense demands). And most of them are too old for our young team (Ray Allen, Manu Ginobili) or overpaid (Ben Gordon, Joe Johnson). And I don't think Brandon Roy is on the market. Kevin Martin *might* be a good option, but would he mesh? Would he stay healthy? I dunno. And unfortunately, I think that Philly knows how good of a thing they have with Iguodala.

I think we may be "stuck" with the options we have right now, but really, people, we're doing pretty good! "Too many talented wings" is a great problem to have!

Agreed. I'd like to give it the first half of the season to let the guys get more comfortable in the offense. We've got much much improved talent but so far nobody has been consistent so we actually need the numbers we have until the pecking order settles out a bit.

[Peezo]

Is anyone else just loving the fact that we are talking about competent wings?

What a 180 from last year.

[stephenlitel]

Is anyone else just loving the fact that we are talking about competent wings?

What a 180 from last year.

It is odd, isn't it? I agree with most of the takes in the thread...

You have to add Ellington into the mix of players deserving of time. He's earned it. Rambis stated to the media before last Tuesday's home game that he would play the guys who earn it...everyone has made a case for themselves except for Brewer. It may be a bit too early to think about trading him, but he's really going to have to show something incredible to see much time on the court.

[Ice32]

I dont think its fair to write off any player yet, they have all had highs and lows this pre-season. I agree that Brewer hasnt had the best pre-season to date, but each player is bringing different attributes to the team, either starting or coming off the bench.

Brewer has actually played the least amount of minutes out of Beasley, Wesley, Webster and Ellington, yet he has the most steals with 8, the least amount of turnovers with 5 and has gotten to the FT line 15 times in just 91 minutes (every 6 minutes).

Yes the SG and SF spots are stacked ATM, and thats a good thing. Each night, one of these players will have a great game, not all of them, but I say hang onto Brewer and make these guys even hungrier for eachothers minutes.

[wolfbourne]

I agree. The stacking at those spots has seemed to steered clear of being any C/PF-type mismatch thats happened in past seasons. There aren't really any major combinations that are a major no-play (maybe Ellington and Brewer...?).

Without coming to any conclusions, the scariest thing that has happened this preseason is the lack of consistantcy from one player either in SG or SF, but the logjam has been our savior with having one guy to goto on the night with somesort of hot hand.

Plenty of time right now to keep playing the hot rotation, and basically giving time to the guy who's on fire for the night. Will one player start playing considerably more time sooner rather than later? I would like to have a very good idea of the pecking order 20 games in, and a bit more final on it at about the 40 game mark, and then looking to move forward from there.

[shrink]

Keep perspective. It's just pre-season. OPec looked like a find last pre-season.

[Klomp]

And that has made the competition that much more intense. Just ask Corey Brewer. A year ago, the long, quick, athletic Brewer stood out on a team that lacked much of the above. Now he's one of many vying for time.

"It sure is different this year," Brewer said. "In the past we had a lot of guys, but not like the guys we have now. Just look. We have young guys, athletic guys. They're good and we have a lot of depth. There is going to be a fight for playing time. But that's good."

Even if it means less time for him? Brewer doesn't seem to mind getting pushed. Ask him about his shot, which has been less than consistent so far this preseason, and he assures you it will be there when the regular-season whistle blows. Brewer, whose strength continues to be 1-on-1 defense, also pledges to play within Rambis' defensive scheme and do less gambling.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/105316863.html

[Klomp]

With a roster of wing players that now includes rookie Wesley Johnson, Michael Beasley, Martell Webster and Wayne Ellington, Brewer is struggling to find a niche for himself on this team. Of course, it is only preseason and Coach Kurt Rambis is constantly throwing different lineups out there to see what players work best together on the court, but one thing has already become a constant: Brewer is playing himself out of the lineup.

“His defense has been most surprising,” said Rambis last week when asked about Johnson. “His individual defense and his team defense. He’s still learning a lot and he still makes mistakes in what he does mostly off-ball, but he covers a lot of ground and he’s got a tremendous wingspan. I like how wide his stance is and he anticipates things really well, whether he’s guarding the ball or helping off the ball. He has good, natural defensive instincts and I see him getting a lot better at that and having an impact on the game on that end of the floor as well.”

Doesn’t that seem similar to comments made about Brewer only a few years ago?

Rambis identified four of his starters rather quickly this preseason in Luke Ridnour at the point, Michael Beasley at the small forward, Kevin Love at the power forward and Darko Milicic at the center. The only question mark for his starting five is which player will play the two-guard spot and mesh best with the starting unit? Although Webster has the best stats of those in question, his scoring punch off the bench may be the best fit. Brewer started three of the first six preseason games, but has done very little, only averaging 4.2 points on 22% shooting and 14% from three-point land. He also is only on the court for 15.2 minutes. Production-wise, Wayne Ellington is also outplaying Brewer, seemingly moving him even further down the bench.

“They’re fighting for time, they’re fighting for positions, so I like that,” said Rambis. “I think competition is always good. That way, guys don’t sit back and rest and think that everything is going to be handed to them. They have to go out and earn it every day.”

http://www.slamonline.com/online/blogs/ ... ey-brewer/