Better Guard Rotation

[jojo4341]

Assume we're playing in the current era and the frontcourt of both teams are equal. What guard rotation would you rather have to fill out the roster? I realize it could depend if your frontcourt has a Giannis/Jokic as opposed to a Towns/Gobert. So feel free to specify if needed.

Rotation 1: combo guards
Derrick White
Jrue Holiday
Chauncey Billups
Joe Dumars
Byron Scott

Rotation 2: specialists
Steph Curry
Reggie Miller
Rajon Rondo
Tony Allen
Marcus Smart


For me, if I'm going in completely blind, and I had one of the all-time greats available, then Rotation 2 with Steph wins. He can always team up with Allen or Smart to balance the defense a bit. And if we're going all-out on offense, just pair him with Miller. Rondo only really comes in to give Steph rest. Now, if it was Dame/Steve Nash/Haliburton, I'd go with Rotation 2. As good as these guys are, they're not Steph.

But if we have a deep or high-scoring frontcourt, I'd go with Rotation 1. I just like having the versatility that each of those players bring. They're roughly the same size (6'3 or 6'4) that can shoot, defend and pass. Since they're basically interchangeable, they'll be more fresh throughout the game unless 1 of them is on fire.

Also, for anyone picking rotation 2, would it change if we replace Steph with:
Dame
Steve Nash
Haliburton?

[Owly]

Many questions, often interrelated ...
1) Who's the competition. Because neither of these are remotely like a rotation in a normal league. Especially if we are getting in prime versions of these players.
2) What version of these players are we getting.
3) How much, if at all, do salary considerations com into play?
4) How were these teams formed and do we expect to be able to keep all these players and keep them happy, motivated?
5) How long a time frame are we discussing
etc

If we assume not a superleague and not a significant cost difference (related to following point) then, subject to caveats concerns etc, team 2.

They have by a long distance the best player. They have ... most will say the second best player ... since 2014 (with Billups finished by that point) Miller has always ranked ahead in the 4 projects run here with an average difference of 16.75 (smallest gap in 2020: 39 to 46, gap of 7; largest gap in 2023: 36 to 66, gap of 30).
Unless the frontcourt is much worse and we see substantial time with 3 guard lineups then the top 2 (maybe you can extend it to three if you go with a third guard with someone that can play both spots really well ... even then in playoff rotations the third guy is getting squeezed by superstars) will matter most. Team two have the by a distance the best player and probably second ... bench players matter and often that gets lost but there's too much of a gulf to make up here.

[SlimShady83]

Team 2 and not even close

I mean Curry/Miller omg

[jdzimme3]

Switch steph for Seth and you may have an argument.

[trelos6]

As much as I love team 1, and think that's an awesome guard rotation, you have Curry and Miller. That's like Splash bros ++

[henshao]

I feel like Ray Allen should be in here, probably on team 1

[jojo4341]

Many questions, often interrelated ...
1) Who's the competition. Because neither of these are remotely like a rotation in a normal league. Especially if we are getting in prime versions of these players.
2) What version of these players are we getting.
3) How much, if at all, do salary considerations com into play?
4) How were these teams formed and do we expect to be able to keep all these players and keep them happy, motivated?
5) How long a time frame are we discussing
etc

If we assume not a superleague and not a significant cost difference (related to following point) then, subject to caveats concerns etc, team 2.

They have by a long distance the best player. They have ... most will say the second best player ... since 2014 (with Billups finished by that point) Miller has always ranked ahead in the 4 projects run here with an average difference of 16.75 (smallest gap in 2020: 39 to 46, gap of 7; largest gap in 2023: 36 to 66, gap of 30).
Unless the frontcourt is much worse and we see substantial time with 3 guard lineups then the top 2 (maybe you can extend it to three if you go with a third guard with someone that can play both spots really well ... even then in playoff rotations the third guy is getting squeezed by superstars) will matter most. Team two have the by a distance the best player and probably second ... bench players matter and often that gets lost but there's too much of a gulf to make up here.

1) Let's say vs all-time rosters since you're right, I'm assuming prime versions of the players here.
2) Prime versions.
3) Salaries don't come into play because it's vs all-time rosters/fantasy.
4) All hypothetical. Not a normal NBA season.
5) Same as point 4. Not a season, just gauging overall talent.

I agree, that team 2 could very well have even the 2nd best player and judging by the poll, Steph alone is just too good to pass up. If we replace Steph with say, Mark Price, then Team 1 will probably be the overwhelming favorite. And even if we replace Reggie with Kyle Korver, I suspect Team 2 would still be the favorite. As for bench players, I assumed they have identical benches as well.

[tsherkin]

I misclicked on my phone again... Meant to select team 2.