Line-ups, rotation, analysis thread.

[J-Ves]

I’m happy Gil is getting a shot in the rotation this year. His offensive numbers from last season are eye opening even if they mostly came in garbage time

[dckingsfan]

Reminder - this is the rotation thread about the players that we have and Wes' rotations and schemas.

Let's not derail this thread with couldashouldawoulda… lots of other threads to have that discussion.

Appreciate dcking for picking up my slack as the People's Moderator. Hear hear!

Happy to be the junior co-moderator. This is already starting to be a fascinating thread. I really didn't think Deni would get to be the starter - I thought it was going to be Kispert (injuries happen).

Thoughts on how much Wes is running that high post offense?

[smoothSeph]

I like Anthony Gill but I am looking forward to seeing Kispert play in those moments at end of games.

Watching him lackadaisically try to catch that pass from Beal was such a facepalm.

Where is your awareness given the situation? But to be fair he has no business being on the court in that moment.

[smoothSeph]

I like Anthony Gill but I am looking forward to seeing Kispert play in those moments at end of games.

Watching him lackadaisically try to catch that pass from Beal was such a facepalm.

Where is your awareness given the situation? But to be fair he has no business being on the court in that moment.

Read on Twitter

?s=20&t=V4Qqk1_YMyZz3EvrIWXyFQ

And now we find out he should've cost us the game? C'mon Wes please never do this again.

[doclinkin]

I like Anthony Gill but I am looking forward to seeing Kispert play in those moments at end of games.

Watching him lackadaisically try to catch that pass from Beal was such a facepalm.

Where is your awareness given the situation? But to be fair he has no business being on the court in that moment.

Read on Twitter

?s=20&t=V4Qqk1_YMyZz3EvrIWXyFQ

And now we find out he should've cost us the game? C'mon Wes please never do this again.

Or: please Wes, continue to lay the groundwork for a stealth tanking.

[payitforward]

So far, everyone we are counting on, except for KP, has played very well. Porzingis hasn't gotten on track -- & obviously neither has Rui or Gill.

Above all, Morris, Avdija & Beal have absolutely killed it so far, & Kuzma has been way way better than expected. Wright has been very good too -- but he is sooo outstanding on his career that I'm still expecting him to improve his productivity a lot.

Barton has been the best version of himself, & Gaff has been more or less as expected.

In short... this has been really great so far!

[Dat2U]

I expect Beal, Avdija & Wright to play well. Advanced numbers wise these would be 3 of the 4 best players on the roster based on past performance.

Kuzma & Morris are the surprises. Although Kuzma has certainly had good stretches before in short spurts. That's part of what makes Kuz such a frusting & confounding player to watch. You see small stretches of solid play, a diverse skill set, a clutch gene plus he's so damn likable and easy root for but more often than not, he plays more like a tank commander, dragging the team down with his inefficiency & decision making offensively along with being a non-factor defensively.

[tontoz]

I have watched Denver quite a bit the last couple of years and Morris has looked pretty good to me. Not a natural playmaker, but then his playmaking won't get tested much playing with jokic, but a pretty good scorer. Seems like he has a reasonable bbiq. Don't see many dumb plays from him. Not bad in D.

Below average starter probably but an above average backup which is definitely an upgrade for us.

[dckingsfan]

I haven't watched the third game yet... but, in the first two games it felt like the second unit's offense was very helter-skelter in contrast to the smooth high post offense with Porzingis/Beal.

My thoughts are (with a VERY small sample size) that the offensive schema has to change with Wright/Barton/Hachimura/Gill/Gafford. Yes, Gill will need to swap to Kispert and that should help but... I think it requires a different way to run the offense.

[dckingsfan]

I have watched Denver quite a bit the last couple of years and Morris has looked pretty good to me. Not a natural playmaker, but then his playmaking won't get tested much playing with jokic, but a pretty good scorer. Seems like he has a reasonable bbiq. Don't see many dumb plays from him. Not bad in D.

Below average starter probably but an above average backup which is definitely an upgrade for us.

He seems to defer to the Beal/Porzingis duo to initiate the offense - which seems good. And he seems to be able to knock down threes when they leave him wide open.

[payitforward]

I have watched Denver quite a bit the last couple of years and Morris has looked pretty good to me. ...Below average starter probably....

On the overall numbers, Morris was an above average starter with Denver last year -- well above average.

In fact, on his career he has posted numbers that are, overall, far better than the average numbers of a starting NBA PG.

& so far this year he is at a whole new level:

1. He's posted a .634 TS% so far (29 points on 22 FGAs & 2 FTAs).
2. He's recorded 15 assists & 3 steals as against only 2 TOs.

Too early to mean anything, but overall Monte Morris's numbers place him comfortably among the top 10 PGs in the league.

[FAH1223]

I have watched Denver quite a bit the last couple of years and Morris has looked pretty good to me. ...Below average starter probably....

On the overall numbers, Morris was an above average starter with Denver last year -- well above average.

In fact, on his career he has posted numbers that are, overall, far better than the average numbers of a starting NBA PG.

& so far this year he is at a whole new level:

1. He's posted a .634 TS% so far (29 points on 22 FGAs & 2 FTAs).
2. He's recorded 15 assists & 3 steals as against only 2 TOs.

Too early to mean anything, but overall Monte Morris's numbers place him comfortably among the top 10 PGs in the league.

I took notice of Monte's play in DEN during the 2019 and 2020 playoffs. He had some big time moments. Just a smart player.

[dckingsfan]

I have watched Denver quite a bit the last couple of years and Morris has looked pretty good to me. ...Below average starter probably....

On the overall numbers, Morris was an above average starter with Denver last year -- well above average.

In fact, on his career he has posted numbers that are, overall, far better than the average numbers of a starting NBA PG.

& so far this year he is at a whole new level:

1. He's posted a .634 TS% so far (29 points on 22 FGAs & 2 FTAs).
2. He's recorded 15 assists & 3 steals as against only 2 TOs.

Too early to mean anything, but overall Monte Morris's numbers place him comfortably among the top 10 PGs in the league.

He seems to play well in that high post offense. That is not a bad starting 5 at all - although I would like to see Kuz more in control and work in that offense in a better way.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Monte Morris does not hunt for his shots like Raul Neto does.

[dckingsfan]

Monte Morris does not hunt for his shots like Raul Neto does.

I think that is why he is such a good fit next to Beal, Kuz and Porzingis. I also think this is why Deni is a good fit.

Now about that second unit

The second unit doesn't seem like they have an offensive schema and/or are well constructed to work together. And that group of Delon Wright, Will Barton, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Gill and Daniel Gafford play a substantial amount of time together.

I think Wes is going to have to rethink this rotation.

[payitforward]

Monte Morris does not hunt for his shots like Raul Neto does.

I think that is why he is such a good fit next to Beal, Kuz and Porzingis. I also think this is why Deni is a good fit.

Now about that second unit

The second unit doesn't seem like they have an offensive schema and/or are well constructed to work together. And that group of Delon Wright, Will Barton, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Gill and Daniel Gafford play a substantial amount of time together.

I think Wes is going to have to rethink this rotation.

The bench has been bad not good overall, it's true.

OTOH, if you really want to find players to blame for the fact that we didn't end regulation with a win over Cleveland, then it's the two worst performances that would be likely to stand out: Deni's 14 minute stint & Barton's 35 minutes.

But, to tell the truth, this is kinda ridiculous. We're 2-1. & despite giving Cleveland every possible advantage they could want, we almost won that game in regulation!

[Halcyon]

Kispert is needed for the 2nd unit to replace Gill's minutes. Gafford has also been invisible off the bench in 2 of the 3 games, hope he bounces back.

[mhd]

Kispert is needed for the 2nd unit to replace Gill's minutes. Gafford has also been invisible off the bench in 2 of the 3 games, hope he bounces back.

Gaff needs to learn how to set a screen. He's got to have been called for an illegal screen in every game this year.

[dckingsfan]

Monte Morris does not hunt for his shots like Raul Neto does.

I think that is why he is such a good fit next to Beal, Kuz and Porzingis. I also think this is why Deni is a good fit.

Now about that second unit

The second unit doesn't seem like they have an offensive schema and/or are well constructed to work together. And that group of Delon Wright, Will Barton, Rui Hachimura, Anthony Gill and Daniel Gafford play a substantial amount of time together.

I think Wes is going to have to rethink this rotation.

The bench has been bad not good overall, it's true.

OTOH, if you really want to find players to blame for the fact that we didn't end regulation with a win over Cleveland, then it's the two worst performances that would be likely to stand out: Deni's 14 minute stint & Barton's 35 minutes.

But, to tell the truth, this is kinda ridiculous. We're 2-1. & despite giving Cleveland every possible advantage they could want, we almost won that game in regulation!

Yeah, the positive is that first unit over the first three games. The trio of Morris, Beal and Porzingis have been quite good.

To me, it isn't just that the bench has been bad but that there seems to be no structure on the second unit (on offense).

But the good is outweighing the bad. But the bad needs to be rectified.

Kispert is needed for the 2nd unit to replace Gill's minutes. Gafford has also been invisible off the bench in 2 of the 3 games, hope he bounces back.

Kispert will definitely help but... we aren't going to run the offense through Kispert. Although that would definitely be an improvement at this point.

[dobrojim]

Kispert is needed for the 2nd unit to replace Gill's minutes. Gafford has also been invisible off the bench in 2 of the 3 games, hope he bounces back.

Gaff needs to learn how to set a screen. He's got to have been called for an illegal screen in every game this year.

Your overall point is quite true. But it seems to be me that several of his offensive foul calls
for illegal screens were pretty ticky-tack. He's going to have to be extra conscious of the fact
the zebras are on his case.