Who Should Start at the 4 & 5; and who Should come off the Bench?

[Triple7]

Al needs to start this year off the bench. He needs fewer minutes, Porzi and Rob need to develop together, and if he's healthy Rob makes a better pairing with Porzi and the other starters anyway.

Better this way than having to demote Al midseason.

I don’t think Al won’t mind coming off the bench. I still think he finishes the game than Rob.

Al said last year that it mattered to him to be a starter and I'm not even sure he should be finishing ahead of Rob at this point.

Smarter, less selfish, ball distribution should help "role scorers" like him and Rob.

Depending on the matchups, but i’d rather out finishing lineup doesn’t have a weakness on offense, and Rob is the weakest link due to his inability to score on his own. He doesn’t post up and with an established half court setting, it’ll be hard for him to score. We also really don’t have a facilitator that can penetrate and give him lobs. So better for horf to finish. Teams guard us differently if we have all scorers inside. Makes it more difficult to double Tatum.

[cloverleaf]

I don’t think Al won’t mind coming off the bench. I still think he finishes the game than Rob.

Al said last year that it mattered to him to be a starter and I'm not even sure he should be finishing ahead of Rob at this point.

Smarter, less selfish, ball distribution should help "role scorers" like him and Rob.

Depending on the matchups, but i’d rather out finishing lineup doesn’t have a weakness on offense, and Rob is the weakest link due to his inability to score on his own. He doesn’t post up and with an established half court setting, it’ll be hard for him to score. We also really don’t have a facilitator that can penetrate and give him lobs. So better for horf to finish. Teams guard us differently if we have all scorers inside. Makes it more difficult to double Tatum.

Rob's TS% in the clutch in the playoffs was over 73%. Al's was 50% (Malcolm's, 34%, and Brown's, 25%). In the regular season, Rob had a 66% TS% to Al's 48%.

And next year Rob should still be improving, Al still continuing to decline.

You may well be right that Al will continue to close games over Rob, but there's a lot in Joe's coaching that I don't like. And I don't think it's so much that the rest of the team can't get the ball to Rob, but that they don't. Again, coaching.

[darrendaye]

I'm definitely starting Rob with Porzingis. The duo of White and Timelord can help keep the tempo up. And Rob is far and away the team's best offensive rebounder.

I am rather curious if Rob's increased aggressiveness at the very end last year bears watching to see if there is carry-over or if he will revert to being deferential.

[captain green]

I mean best five right.
We know white brown Tatum and unicorn are starters
Then you have timelord, Brogdon, horford who could start. At the beginning of the season I'd imagine it's going to be horford starting and at the end timelord.

[[EverGreen]]

I don’t think Al won’t mind coming off the bench. I still think he finishes the game than Rob.

Al said last year that it mattered to him to be a starter and I'm not even sure he should be finishing ahead of Rob at this point.

Smarter, less selfish, ball distribution should help "role scorers" like him and Rob.

Depending on the matchups, but i’d rather out finishing lineup doesn’t have a weakness on offense, and Rob is the weakest link due to his inability to score on his own. He doesn’t post up and with an established half court setting, it’ll be hard for him to score. We also really don’t have a facilitator that can penetrate and give him lobs. So better for horf to finish. Teams guard us differently if we have all scorers inside. Makes it more difficult to double Tatum.

I'm along the same line of thinking as this.

Time Lord and KP have both had careers impacted by injuries and Horford is father time.

They will all be managed I expect on back to backs and match ups. I don't think there will be a clear 2 starters and 1 bench guy. They'll all rotate through those roles. If the staff are doing their jobs, which I'm sure they will. It's about being health for the play-offs, not who starts 82 games.

[BrianFitz]

I'm definitely starting Rob with Porzingis. The duo of White and Timelord can help keep the tempo up. And Rob is far and away the team's best offensive rebounder.

I am rather curious if Rob's increased aggressiveness at the very end last year bears watching to see if there is carry-over or if he will revert to being deferential.

I'm of the opinion, and this is strictly off judging with my own eyes and no proof to point to, that the team has been dissuaded from throwing free for all lobs to Rob because of his injury history. Or maybe he just couldn't get up because of a injury he still was nursing at the time.

Rob is highly impactful at full health, and very mundane when he can't use his freak athleticism. If I were him, I would practice half hooks and drop steps 24/7 in the off-season.