RealGM

I tried doing this the other night and dang it was confusing when you factor in Hollins new found fondness for small ball and the versatility of some of our players...and his insistence on Jack and D.Will playing together. It's also confusing because while you don't want to see guys playing too many minutes, it's the stretch run where every game is important.

Going by each position, who would you play where and for how many minutes?
(when full strength and (edit) NOT assuming T.Rob is on the roster)

EX:

PG: D.Will (30) / Jack (18)
SG: Brown (22) / Bogs (18) / Jack (4) / AA (4)
SF: Johnson (18) / AA (20) / Young (6) / Bogs (4)
PF: Young (22) / JJ (16) / CJ (10)
C: Lopez (28) / Plumlee (20)

Totals:
(current averages in parenthesis)

JJ - 34 (35)
D.Will - 30 (31)
Lopez - 28 (28)
Young - 28
AA - 24 (24)
Jack - 22 (31)
Brown - 22 (8)
Bogs - 22 (23)
Plumlee - 20 (23)
Jefferson - 10 (10)

DNP: Morris, Karasev, Jordan, Mirza


I guess this is two separate questions..
How would YOU manage the minutes?
How do you think Hollins will manage the minutes?

I don't wanna get into minutes. Line ups:

1st unit:

Williams/AA/Joe/Thad/Mason

Subs:

Jack/Brown/Bogs/CJ/Brook

CJ's minutes probably will fluctuate the most. No two PG line ups. Only reason I have AA in over Markel is because I like his defense/3 pt shooting but I am open to Markel starting at the 2 depending on how he fares over the next few games against good competition.

No one else needs to play unless its an emergency

Basically agree with MDB. Minutes are tough to do. Really depends on the game but I like the small lineup.

Deron/Jack are PGs only.

Brown is 2 only.

Bogs/AA are 2/3s

JJ is a 3/4

Young, Cory Jeff are strictly a 4s

Plumlee, Lopez, Jeromeo only play 5.

Deron/AA/JJ/Young/Plumlee should end up being the starting lineup. Although I wouldn't mind continuing to test out the smallball lineup with JJ at 4. There's a handful of teams that might force us to go traditional - but let's see it fail. Only 6 minutes each half. See if it gets our offense going to start games - see how teams respond to Joe at 4. I would be okay with seeing Deron/Jack together ONLY if Jack is rolling and the other team is playing a small backcourt. And Deron better be the PG - not the SG. Let Jack spot up.

Also think AA should have a starting spot locked up. He just brings exactly what we need from a wing player. Defense, toughness, spot up shooting. Brown does deserve minutes but I'm not ready to hand him major minutes jus yet. Need to see a little more.

MGrand15 wrote:Basically agree with MDB. Minutes are tough to do. Really depends on the game but I like the small lineup.

Deron/Jack are PGs only.

Brown is 2 only.

Bogs/AA are 2/3s

JJ is a 3/4

Young, Cory Jeff are strictly a 4s

Plumlee, Lopez, Jeromeo only play 5.

Deron/AA/JJ/Young/Plumlee should end up being the starting lineup. Although I wouldn't mind continuing to test out the smallball lineup with JJ at 4. There's a handful of teams that might force us to go traditional - but let's see it fail. Only 6 minutes each half. See if it gets our offense going to start games - see how teams respond to Joe at 4. I would be okay with seeing Deron/Jack together ONLY if Jack is rolling and the other team is playing a small backcourt. And Deron better be the PG - not the SG. Let Jack spot up.

Also think AA should have a starting spot locked up. He just brings exactly what we need from a wing player. Defense, toughness, spot up shooting. Brown does deserve minutes but I'm not ready to hand him major minutes jus yet. Need to see a little more.

Great post. Totally agree

Agreed with both MDB n MGrand are far as lineups and situations...

I, however, am not a fan of small ball unless its situational, not as a base/starting lineup... we need our bigs, PFs/Cs to learn to play with one another cuz the Clevelands, Chicagos, Toronto(to a degree), WSH have bigs that will beat their size advantages(if)....

I think we need to transition of a traditional base line up with Thad/Plums up front. Amir Johnson would toss Joe around like a rag doll, and I can't fathom having Joe defend Pau Gasol.

11 man rotations/lineups really dont work. we got away with it with KG and pierce cause they needed the rest and nights off. i think 9 or 10 is really more realistic. id personally go big but it appears that wont be the case. here is what I would send out...

Dwill 30| Jack 18
Johnson 24| Brown 12 | anderson 2
Young 30 | Anderson 18
Robinson 25| Young 6 | Plumlee 17
Plumlee 20| Lopez 28

Let brown backup SG until he shows he cant, then you send bogs back. CJ/Bogs/Jordan basically get garbage minutes or minutes when foul trouble messes up rotations. i'm also ok with swapping robinson and CJ, but with a 10 day contract i think you feed robinson the minutes and see what weve got... if you DONT want to go big...

Dwill 30| Jack 18
Brown 32 | Anderson 16
Johnson 34 | anderson 14
Young 25| Robinson 15 | Plumlee 8
Plumlee 20| Lopez 28

Again same situation. CJ/Jordan/Bogs dont see the floor unless fouls dictate it.

MrDollarBills wrote:I don't wanna get into minutes. Line ups:

1st unit:

Williams/AA/Joe/Thad/Mason

Subs:

Jack/Brown/Bogs/CJ/Brook

CJ's minutes probably will fluctuate the most. No two PG line ups. Only reason I have AA in over Markel is because I like his defense/3 pt shooting but I am open to Markel starting at the 2 depending on how he fares over the next few games against good competition.

No one else needs to play unless its an emergency

Robinson?

Prokorov wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:I don't wanna get into minutes. Line ups:

1st unit:

Williams/AA/Joe/Thad/Mason

Subs:

Jack/Brown/Bogs/CJ/Brook

CJ's minutes probably will fluctuate the most. No two PG line ups. Only reason I have AA in over Markel is because I like his defense/3 pt shooting but I am open to Markel starting at the 2 depending on how he fares over the next few games against good competition.

No one else needs to play unless its an emergency

Robinson?

LOL

didn't you hear? Trob is a Sixer my man.... LOL

(unless your implying that the sixers will release him in time)

CalamityX12 wrote:

Prokorov wrote:

MrDollarBills wrote:I don't wanna get into minutes. Line ups:

1st unit:

Williams/AA/Joe/Thad/Mason

Subs:

Jack/Brown/Bogs/CJ/Brook

CJ's minutes probably will fluctuate the most. No two PG line ups. Only reason I have AA in over Markel is because I like his defense/3 pt shooting but I am open to Markel starting at the 2 depending on how he fares over the next few games against good competition.

No one else needs to play unless its an emergency

Robinson?

LOL

didn't you hear? Trob is a Sixer my man.... LOL

(unless your implying that the sixers will release him in time)

that sucks. CJ gets mroe minutes, but unlike many here im not ready to say he is going to be a positive playing 20-25 minutes consistently based on a decent game or 2 vs. non-NBA competition

Don't really see the need for Thad to see one second at 3. Cory Jefferson isn't good enough to push someone out of position. Plumlee at PF is a disaster. Plumlee/Lopez or Plumlee/Jordan just doesn't work. If we had a really good PF, I'd think about trying Young out at 3. But with this squad? Thad needs all the minutes at 4 that he can handle. Cory Jefferson is our only other option.

It's just gonna be like last year. Sometimes we're going to play big PFs or rebounding monsters and Young or whoever is at PF is gonna be at a disadvantage. We just have to double/front the post. Team rebound. Make up the difference with opposing TOs, offensive efficiency and defending with intelligence.

MGrand15 wrote:Don't really see the need for Thad to see one second at 3. Cory Jefferson isn't good enough to push someone out of position. Plumlee at PF is a disaster. Plumlee/Lopez or Plumlee/Jordan just doesn't work. If we had a really good PF, I'd think about trying Young out at 3. But with this squad? Thad needs all the minutes at 4 that he can handle. Cory Jefferson is our only other option.

Well, Bojan at the 2 or 3 is kind of a disaster as well. I like Cory Jefferson at PF a whole lot more then i like bogs at wing. Thad doesnt need to play a ton of SF, but you move him there when joe sits and/or anderson is at the 2.

It's just gonna be like last year. Sometimes we're going to play big PFs or rebounding monsters and Young or whoever is at PF is gonna be at a disadvantage. We just have to double/front the post. Team rebound. Make up the difference with opposing TOs, offensive efficiency and defending with intelligence.

last year was different... because we had the speed on defense and the size at gaurd (livingston could switch onto forwards) to switch on everything and create steals. and our small ball 4 could stretch the floor and cause problems for PFs trying to gaurd him. we dont have the defense to be able to switch everything with this lineup, and we dont have the benefit of 3 point shooting or getting to the FT line from the wing that we did with pierce anymore.

its one thing to say you are going to just eat it at rebounding.... but when you dont see the benefits on the other side then that doesnt work out very well.

Dwill 32/ Jack 20
AA 25/ M Brown 15
Joe J 33 / Bogs 22
Thad 30 / Cjeff 12
Lopez 29 / Plum 22

Thad has a speed advantage at PF. Lets him attack the rim. Lets him grab offensive boards. Lets him work the Pick and Pop pretty well. He can also outrun guys in transition. It's been his game for years now. Not sure why you think he'll be effective at 3 without shooting around him. Thad's strengths are completely nullified at 3 and his weaknesses are magnified. Only advantage he gains is that he can post up smaller guys. Not really something I want to build my offense around. And with AA/Joe/Thad - that's definitely the "switch everything" lineup.

MGrand15 wrote:Thad has a speed advantage at PF. Lets him attack the rim. Lets him grab offensive boards. Lets him work the Pick and Pop pretty well. He can also outrun guys in transition. It's been his game for years now. Not sure why you think he'll be effective at 3 without shooting around him. Thad's strengths are completely nullified at 3 and his weaknesses are magnified. Only advantage he gains is that he can post up smaller guys. Not really something I want to build my offense around. And with AA/Joe/Thad - that's definitely the "switch everything" lineup.

he does all those things at the 3 as well. and at the 3 he doesnt have a major size disadvantate.

i complete disagree, i think all of his flaws are magnified at the 4. undersized, doesnt defend the rim, struggles to defend bigs without fouling, put in to many spots to take long 2's.

im nto saying he sucks at the 4. but i like him better as a 3

1. First thing first. DWill doesnt derserve to start. He cant make a contested shot and he throws up hail mary's when he drives to the rim. The guy is mentally weak. Jack has shown that he is the best option to start and has played well vs good PGs unlike DWill.

PG:JACK

2. Since Jack is starting then Brown can start at SG. His lack of shooting wont be an issue with Jack on the floor since Jack will take the majority of the shots. Brown brings a lot of defensive activity and does a great job of staying in front of his man. He does a good job of fighting through screens and drew a number of offensive fouls last night. He isnt the best ballhandler but he doesnt have to be since JJ can help Jack bring the ball up. I wouldnt mind seeing Anderson start either but I think we need to see how Brown does with the gig.

PG:JACK
SG: BROWN

3. Johnson should continue to start at SF. Have him play for catch and shoot off of Jack's dribble penetrations. We need him to be a 3pt shooter on our roster since he is the only one capable of doing so.

PG: JACK
SG: BROWN
SF: JOHNSON

4. Young should be the starting PF. He, like Brown, brings defensive activity. Between Young and Brown we should get plenty of opportunities to run since they will get a lot of steals. Young and Johnson will be interchangeable at the forwards spots.

PG: JACK
SG: BROWN
SF: JOHNSON
PF: YOUNG

5. This is the hard one to choose. I think Lopez has outplayed Plumlee for the last few weeks but his poor rebounding might hurt us with this lineup. Plumlee will bring a more open game with his athleticism but he doesnt help space the floor. That determining factor makes me lean to Lopez. We need his ability to be a shooting threat with Brown and Young out there. He has to accept that the offense will run through Jack and Johnson though.

PG: JACK
SG: BROWN
SF: JOHNSON
PF: YOUNG
C: LOPEZ

F3LON wrote:1. First thing first. DWill doesnt derserve to start. He cant make a contested shot and he throws up hail mary's when he drives to the rim. The guy is mentally weak. Jack has shown that he is the best option to start and has played well vs good PGs unlike DWill.

PG:JACK

2. Since Jack is starting then Brown can start at SG. His lack of shooting wont be an issue with Jack on the floor since Jack will take the majority of the shots. Brown brings a lot of defensive activity and does a great job of staying in front of his man. He does a good job of fighting through screens and drew a number of offensive fouls last night. He isnt the best ballhandler but he doesnt have to be since JJ can help Jack bring the ball up. I wouldnt mind seeing Anderson start either but I think we need to see how Brown does with the gig.

PG:JACK
SG: BROWN

3. Johnson should continue to start at SF. Have him play for catch and shoot off of Jack's dribble penetrations. We need him to be a 3pt shooter on our roster since he is the only one capable of doing so.

PG: JACK
SG: BROWN
SF: JOHNSON

4. Young should be the starting PF. He, like Brown, brings defensive activity. Between Young and Brown we should get plenty of opportunities to run since they will get a lot of steals. Young and Johnson will be interchangeable at the forwards spots.

PG: JACK
SG: BROWN
SF: JOHNSON
PF: YOUNG

5. This is the hard one to choose. I think Lopez has outplayed Plumlee for the last few weeks but his poor rebounding might hurt us with this lineup. Plumlee will bring a more open game with his athleticism but he doesnt help space the floor. That determining factor makes me lean to Lopez. We need his ability to be a shooting threat with Brown and Young out there. He has to accept that the offense will run through Jack and Johnson though.

PG: JACK
SG: BROWN
SF: JOHNSON
PF: YOUNG
C: LOPEZ

I'm all in on this line up.

that lineup isnt any better then any others we have thrown out. the shooting is horrifically bad and you have 3 guys that love to take long 2's, a SG who cant shoot, and more then a couple ball stoppers. you also struggle to defend anyone or rebound.

not saying it wouldnt be any worse then other lineups. but i just dont like running a lineup that has major flaws but no benefits/upside. id rather go big or small.

Markel and young are athletic but overall thats a pretty average lineup with some poor athletes mixed in as well. only 1 guy who shoots it from 3, and no one who rebounds.

true, but Williams/Johnson/Young/Plumlee/Lopez gives us a physical advantage but not much else.

we're not going to be good no matter how many combos we throw out there. I just say put the most aggressive guys out on the floor to generate TOs and fast breaks. Thad is not afraid to attack either which is great, as soon as he gets the ball he makes a move towards the rim

MrDollarBills wrote:true, but Williams/Johnson/Young/Plumlee/Lopez gives us a physical advantage but not much else.

we're not going to be good no matter how many combos we throw out there. I just say put the most aggressive guys out on the floor to generate TOs and fast breaks. Thad is not afraid to attack either which is great, as soon as he gets the ball he makes a move towards the rim

ill take a physical advantage over no advantage. few teams can match that size... if anyone. im also all for putting 5 super aggressive guys out there and telling them to run, only i feel that is less sustainable and consistent.