Official Offseason Thread 9.0: The Long Road to October

[eyriq]

Sounds like AB ran with the second unit today.

AB, Cole, Harris, JI, Moe

[eyriq]

If that is the lineup I see AB running point and defending the 3.

[eyriq]

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[mattdelray1220]

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This is exactly how I thought the season would start. With Jett, TDS and Caleb fighting the be to be first one called on if there is a injury to a G/F. This is a good problem to have. Depth. The thing I cannot wrap my mind around is the minutes allocation.

Suggs 28, Cole 20
KCP 30, AB 18
Franz 33, Gary 15
PB 35, JI 13
WCJ 28, Moe 18, JI 6

This looks pretty good to me. JI is the one who I really want to get more minutes. It doesnt seem like he is too excited about playing center. I am sure it will depend on the game. Wouldnt be shocked if Goga comes in from time to time either. Obviously the cream will rise which is exactly what we want. Does your minute allocation look that much different than mine?

[SOUL]

Seems obvious for now. Black slots into the Jingles jumbo ball handler role, Gary starts the season in the second unit but I think will have the shortest leash for the backups. Depending on what we need TDS and Jett will find minutes with injuries (which will def happen). Think Goga will get random minutes as well when Isaac is resting or Moe isn't as productive.

[VFX]

Makes no sense. Cole isn't good enough offensively off-ball and AB isn't good enough offensively on-ball. But ok.

[SOUL]

Not many other options. They'll obviously give AB chances to see how his on-ball game has grown and Cole is always going to be imperfect as a backup scoring guard, but provides a skillset no other guard on our team has in terms of his own shot creation.

[RookieStar]

Fair enough, I just think it comes down to learning the position. The additional mass won't hurt either.

Our best case scenario, IMO, involves more playing time for JI, and the main route to this is by him starting at the 5. So this is what I'm rooting for.

Wendell Carter and Mo Wagner in the frontcourt will be interesting but inserting JI in the starting lineup would benefit us because now we have an identity defensively in the frontcourt, not to mention Suggs/KCP in the backcourt.

Give me JI 25 minutes per game off the bench and 70 games.

I’m not on the let’s start him bandwagon.

Im with you here.

[Bensational]

Makes no sense. Cole isn't good enough offensively off-ball and AB isn't good enough offensively on-ball. But ok.

I hadn't noticed it before, but last year's version of that lineup was one of our worst offensively - but still a Net +: Cole / Harris / Ingles / Isaac / Moe was only good for 105.8ortg and 101.8drtg, with a +4. Same results with Fultz instead of Harris.

BUT... with AB instead of Harris they had an ortg of 127.5 and drtg of 108.4 for a net of 19.1. So if TDS or Jett can displace Harris, we might see a more comparable balance and result?

[Knightro]

And y’all swore up and down to me that Gary Harris was gonna be third string…

[Knightro]

Makes no sense. Cole isn't good enough offensively off-ball and AB isn't good enough offensively on-ball. But ok.

Cole won’t be off the ball.

[VFX]

Makes no sense. Cole isn't good enough offensively off-ball and AB isn't good enough offensively on-ball. But ok.

Cole won’t be off the ball.

So what is AB doing?

[SOUL]

So what is AB doing?

If your gripe is that he's not aggressive (or good enough offensively) yet on-ball, and that he can't play a wing role either as a corner three shooter/occasional second ball handler, then I'm not sure how you view him or what role he should play at all lol.

[VFX]

Makes no sense. Cole isn't good enough offensively off-ball and AB isn't good enough offensively on-ball. But ok.

I hadn't noticed it before, but last year's version of that lineup was one of our worst offensively - but still a Net +: Cole / Harris / Ingles / Isaac / Moe was only good for 105.8ortg and 101.8drtg, with a +4. Same results with Fultz instead of Harris.

BUT... with AB instead of Harris they had an ortg of 127.5 and drtg of 108.4 for a net of 19.1. So if TDS or Jett can displace Harris, we might see a more comparable balance and result?

So,

Cole/AB/TDS/Isaac/Moe ?

Again, I think people are writing off Gary Harris, who is a 10 year vet and is solidly in the second unit per these tweets. Would I start anyone else? Yes. But I'm not Jamahl Mosely. He's going to go with what he knows vs what he doesn't. Which is exactly why AB is in over TDS for now. I don't expect the other 4 guys to leave the second unit unless injured.

[RichCollab]

And y’all swore up and down to me that Gary Harris was gonna be third string…

He will be. Not day 1 of training camp. TDS and Jett are basically rookies. No free lunch.

[Bensational]

Interesting shot of a journal entry there from Suggs. Says he started it on the first day of training camp “in the middle of contract negotiations”.

So they’re still talking at least. I interpret that as it’s something he’s hoping to sort out sooner rather than later.

[Bensational]

Makes no sense. Cole isn't good enough offensively off-ball and AB isn't good enough offensively on-ball. But ok.

I hadn't noticed it before, but last year's version of that lineup was one of our worst offensively - but still a Net +: Cole / Harris / Ingles / Isaac / Moe was only good for 105.8ortg and 101.8drtg, with a +4. Same results with Fultz instead of Harris.

BUT... with AB instead of Harris they had an ortg of 127.5 and drtg of 108.4 for a net of 19.1. So if TDS or Jett can displace Harris, we might see a more comparable balance and result?

So,

Cole/AB/TDS/Isaac/Moe ?

Again, I think people are writing off Gary Harris, who is a 10 year vet and is solidly in the second unit per these tweets. Would I start anyone else? Yes. But I'm not Jamahl Mosely. He's going to go with what he knows vs what he doesn't. Which is exactly why AB is in over TDS for now. I don't expect the other 4 guys to leave the second unit unless injured.

Nah, I’m not making a case that Harris will lose his spot all that easily, just hoping the alternative proves to be too good to ignore.

[RichCollab]

Makes no sense. Cole isn't good enough offensively off-ball and AB isn't good enough offensively on-ball. But ok.

Cole won’t be off the ball.

So what is AB doing?

We don’t play with a traditional pg.There will be multiple ball handlers coming down the floor.

[VFX]

So what is AB doing?

If your gripe is that he's not aggressive (or good enough offensively) yet on-ball, and that he can't play a wing role either as a corner three shooter/occasional second ball handler, then I'm not sure how you view him or what role he should play at all lol.

He's a point guard that has positional advantage over other point guards because he's 6'7...
Why is this the most complicated thing in the world to understand for 99% of this board?

He's not skilled enough off ball to contribute immensely on offense. He's average defensively against dudes his exact size at the 2/3. We have also yet to see him "run point" with someone like Cole on the floor.

He isnt being utilized correctly playing next to another point guard and other dudes that can also handle the ball. He's just another guy on the court then...

So is your idea that you want AB to be "plugged in" to the 3 because we need him on the floor for the sake of it? Or is it because he's significantly better than the older 6'8 dude they just drafted that has played that exact role for the last 4+ seasons?

[eyriq]

AB will run point and defend 3's.