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Preseason is over. We know all we're going to know about our SF rotation. Who deserves the starting role at SF? Thornton, Young, Booker, Martin or Hinrich? FWIW, here are the pace-adjusted per-36 numbers for the preseason:



Pick your poison.

Thornton is the most well-rounded of the group, but he can't shoot the three.

Young is the best shooter of the group, but he gives us nothing in the boards.

Booker can make up for our lack of toughness in the frontcourt, but he's a complete self-check on offense.

Hinrich is too small and a defensive liability against most SF's with decent size

Martin is also a bit small but he shoots well and he rebounds better than Young, though he doesn't defend as well.


I'd start Nick Young. After a pathetic effort on the glass in his first 3 games (a grand total of 1 rebound in 50 minutes), Young has picked it up a bit. In his last three games, he is averaging 4.5 boards per 36 minutes. That's not great, but at least he's not invisible. Young may be a streaky shooter, but streaky is better than being consistent at missing like Booker and Thornton are.

Considering how pathetic our options are, I don't think we should have a specific starter. Start whoever works best against our given opponent. With any luck, Howard will be back before it really starts to kill us.

Thornton or Booker


Thornton should be serviceable until JoHo comes back, but I like the idea of Booker running around grabbing as many rebounds as possible.

My money's on Kirk, though I want Thorton in there because he is the most talented option (with sufficient size).

I'd consider going with Yi until Thornton can run the floor a few times without getting out of breath. I don't trust Young in the starting lineup because he does so little except shoot. Hinrich is too small -- that 3-guard set is a gimmick lineup. Booker and Martin aren't good enough. I realize that Yi in the starting lineup takes the primary reserve big off the bench. It would mean going to the bench fairly early to bring in Young or Thornton. I dunno. SF is going to be a big problem until Howard gets back. Assuming he comes back at full speed.

On second thought, maybe they should start Booker for his rebounding and hope that Gil, Blatche and Wall can carry the load on offense.

I think Kirk will start but he may come out at like with like 5min left in the quarter for Thorton and then Kirk comes off the bench to start the 2nd

I'd go with Thornton because he's the truest small forward we have right now. He can't shoot the three but he can shoot the mid to long range two.

This is a tough call.

I would start Nick Young because he's probably not going to be outscored, even at SF. His outside shot and his rapport with Gil would both take some pressure off Wall. Wall's game is the assist game and getting to the hole or getting fouled. He needs strong perimeter play to compensate for his inability to consistently hit the outside. Nick gives that and makes Wall better. He and Wall have good chemistry on the court, it seems so far.

Starting Thornton would be better on the boards, but I don't think he's got a future with the Wiizards. Al is a decent sub til Howard returns.

Booker is a guy I'd give some time to. Right now, he's foul-prone. I wouldn't start him early in the season, but he'd get a lot of run. Could well be that if he cuts down on fouls, Booker can hold down SF just be being an energy guy.

Yi Jianlian can play any of the frontcourt positions, but I wouldn't start him at any of them. He appears to be a good utility player.

I want Kirk off the bench to spell Gilbert and Wall and keep all three fresh. I wouldn't start him at SF but I can see ending games with him at SF because execution with three guards will be better.

Alonzo Gee

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:This is a tough call.

I would start Nick Young because he's probably not going to be outscored, even at SF. His outside shot and his rapport with Gil would both take some pressure off Wall. Wall's game is the assist game and getting to the hole or getting fouled. He needs strong perimeter play to compensate for his inability to consistently hit the outside. Nick gives that and makes Wall better. He and Wall have good chemistry on the court, it seems so far.

Starting Thornton would be better on the boards, but I don't think he's got a future with the Wiizards. Al is a decent sub til Howard returns.

Booker is a guy I'd give some time to. Right now, he's foul-prone. I wouldn't start him early in the season, but he'd get a lot of run. Could well be that if he cuts down on fouls, Booker can hold down SF just be being an energy guy.

Yi Jianlian can play any of the frontcourt positions, but I wouldn't start him at any of them. He appears to be a good utility player.

I want Kirk off the bench to spell Gilbert and Wall and keep all three fresh. I wouldn't start him at SF but I can see ending games with him at SF because execution with three guards will be better.

I concede some of the reasons you stated for Young starting for, but I don't know about him not being outscored (Lebron, Carmelo, Durant, Pierce come to mind) and as much as I like his somewhat erratic ability to harass his man, I could see NBA SFs putting a hurt on him.

Until Howard gets back, SF by committee might be best, starting or subbing Thornton or Young or Heinrich (or any of the others) as the matchups dictate, because they all have shortcomings that say "Hurry up and get better Josh."

Chocolate City Jordanaire wrote:This is a tough call.

I would start Nick Young because he's probably not going to be outscored, even at SF. His outside shot and his rapport with Gil would both take some pressure off Wall. Wall's game is the assist game and getting to the hole or getting fouled. He needs strong perimeter play to compensate for his inability to consistently hit the outside. Nick gives that and makes Wall better. He and Wall have good chemistry on the court, it seems so far.

Starting Thornton would be better on the boards, but I don't think he's got a future with the Wiizards. Al is a decent sub til Howard returns.

Booker is a guy I'd give some time to. Right now, he's foul-prone. I wouldn't start him early in the season, but he'd get a lot of run. Could well be that if he cuts down on fouls, Booker can hold down SF just be being an energy guy.

Yi Jianlian can play any of the frontcourt positions, but I wouldn't start him at any of them. He appears to be a good utility player.

I want Kirk off the bench to spell Gilbert and Wall and keep all three fresh. I wouldn't start him at SF but I can see ending games with him at SF because execution with three guards will be better.

My sentiments exactly. Kirk is the best basketball player of the group, but it would be a mistake to start him. We need him to spell Wall and Arenas, and he's much better if he's matched up with people his own size. He can play SF in certain stretches when the matchups are right.

The same goes for Yi. It may well be true that he's a better option at SF than Young, Thornton or Booker, but if we play him there, it'll take away from our play at backup PF and backup C.

In before Hands says Blatche.

Nick Young. the extra 1-2 rebounds that thornton would get over nick is offset by the spacing and scoring Nick's 3 point shot provides. Plus nick is a half-decent defender as long as he doesn't have to fight through any screens.

Martin isn't a great athlete, but he's more consistent than Nick. We don't really have anyone that I could see averaging consistent minutes though, so whoever starts still probably only plugs in for 18 minutes or so.

Thornton is probably our best talent now as a pure 3, but he's just a real bad fit with our halfcourt sets.

Not sure about starting, but I could see Booker there so long as we have Yi or Blatche on the court at the same time to work the spacing.

The numbers might not show it but Thornton has looked out of place in every game I've seen so far. Not liking his play within the current set up of this team at all.

my pre-pre-season thinking: "SF situation isnt too bad, Thornton should do O.K. until Howard comes back, backed up by Young and Booker."

my post-pre-season thinking: "We have no one of starting quality until Howard comes back, hello high lottery pick."

Thornton's not a great choice, but he's the only one that makes any sense, imo.

Howard

I am not much of a Nick Young fan, but I think there are a few good arguments for starting him.

he helps with spacing
he is a good individual defender
he has the length/size to play SF
he performs better in a starting role
it gives him a chance to build his trade value
it lets Thornton stay in the back-up role when Howard gets back

Unless Nick gets hot I think Thornton or Booker should be the first guy off the bench. Booker should come in if the team needs help on the boards or an "energy boost". Thornton should come in if they need some offense from SF, but a more well rounded performance than Young or Booker.

I would hate to say a Booker/Yi forward combo against the other team's starters, but they could compensate for each other pretty well.