frumble wrote:Not to get too hung up on positions, but is Wiltjer really a viable option for the 3? Did he play 3 with the Zags at all (e.g., did they ever have Karnowski, Sabonis, and Wiltjer on the floor at the same time?)
Of the hybrid forwards on the PanAm roster, I see Ashaolu, T Scrubb, Ejim, Doornekamp and maybe even Bennett as more likely to play the 3 than Wiltjer.
You're right that he played very little at the 3 for Gonzaga. At the same time, he won't be the primary offensive option for Team Canada like he was for the Zags. I would think that Nicholson, Bennett and English would all be ahead of him. His biggest benefit to the team will probably revolve around his outside shooting, which means that he'd probably play more of a "3" for that team on offence anyway.
The biggest concern, of course, would be how he fares defensively at the 3, particularly going against some national teams that might have a smaller wing playing the 3 in what is essentially a three guard lineup. He'd probably get torched there, so Triano will need to be creative with his lineups.
Basically, maybe you're right, maybe he would be better coming off the bench, where he could have more of a primary scoring role and his defensive short-comings could be better hidden in lineups that don't have Nicholson, etc. who have their own short-comings at that end.