Start Battier or Artest?

[tha_rock220]

I don't know why Rockets fans have to put so much emphasis on labels. Who's our 3rd scorer, 6th man, who are our starting 5, who's the towel boy on odd numbered game nights, etc. It doesn't matter. The great thing about basketball is the entire roster is available to the coach to put in at any time he wants. That means if you start Yao, T-Mac, Rafer, Scola, and Battier you can still insert Artest in at any point be it 10 seconds or 10 minutes into the game.

Personally I think it's best for chemistry if Shane starts. His shooting, defense, and lack of need for the ball make him a good fit with Yao and T-Mac, but if we play a team like the Lakers I say start both and put them on Kobe and Odom. If we're playing the Cavs where LeBron's strength gives Shane trouble then start Artest. The point is we have options. This season we can mix and match 4 very good NBA players(yes Shane is very good) based on our current need. There's no need to pigeonhole guys into roles to fit your need for an ordered lineup.

[King Roosk]

I think a lot of us are overanalyzing this, but one thing can not be forgotten: Artest's ego. I know Artest claims that he wouldn't mind coming off the bench, but I don't buy that crap. We have to start Artest.

[cavsfan_osiris]

but if we play a team like the Lakers I say start both and put them on Kobe and Odom. If we're playing the Cavs where LeBron's strength gives Shane trouble then start Artest. The point is we have options. This season we can mix and match 4 very good NBA players(yes Shane is very good) based on our current need. There's no need to pigeonhole guys into roles to fit your need for an ordered lineup.

That makes no sense to me. So you start Battier, except in certain situations? You can start Artest every game no matter what the situation. Your post actually makes a better case for Artest to start than Battier.

Like you said the rotation can be adjusted, if Artest doesn't need to be out there with TMac and Yao for too long you take him out quick, then reinsert him for TMac. It's not that complicated guys.

[Optimism Prime]

I think a lot of us are overanalyzing this, but one thing can not be forgotten: Artest's ego. I know Artest claims that he wouldn't mind coming off the bench, but I don't buy that crap. We have to start Artest.

Thank you, Roosk. Nice to know I'm not the only one...

[moofs]

Personally I think it's best for chemistry if Shane starts. His shooting, defense, and lack of need for the ball make him a good fit with Yao and T-Mac, but if we play a team like the Lakers I say start both and put them on Kobe and Odom. If we're playing the Cavs where LeBron's strength gives Shane trouble then start Artest. The point is we have options. This season we can mix and match 4 very good NBA players(yes Shane is very good) based on our current need. There's no need to pigeonhole guys into roles to fit your need for an ordered lineup.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooohaaaaaaaa!!! I like that notion!

Max suggested it prior to this, but that's a very nice instance of TMac off the bench. It should wear the poo out of the Lakeshow.

[skbucks1985]

You guys are way over thinking this. Artest starts, Battier is a bench player.

I don't think so. I think others have laid out why Artest should be coming off the bench. With Artest coming off the bench, he can spell T-Mac and have a guy we can run the offense through.

I do think mid-way through the season we'll see a lot of Artest at the 4, depending on who we're playing. Looking at the West, I think the Lakers and Phoenix are the only teams that could really kill us downlow if we played Artest at the 4.

Speaking of the Lakers, if we got into a series with the Lakers I think we could see some real interesting matchups because both teams have guys who can be point-forwards and for both tems there is starting PG is not one of their 5 best players. I think we could see a matchup where the Lakers have Odom running the point with Kobe, Gasol, Bynum and either Radmanovic or Luke Walton while the Rockets have T-Mac running the point with Battier, Artest, Scola and Yao. Not a person under 6'7 on the floor.

[tisbee]

Safi,
The Lakers will play Odom at the 4 quite a bit,so Artest?Battier could match up very nicely. Phoenix often goes small w/out Shaq,leaving Amare at C and Diaw at the 4,again a good match-up for Artest/Battier.
The Lakers talk of Odom running the point-but they mean from the SF/PF spot. They will prob have Sasha on the floor in that case.
The one problem w/T-Mac,Artest,Battier covering PGs-leaving aside the quickness issue-is officials call alot of cheap fouls out on the perimeter. We would often see them picking up a couple of quick fouls w/hand checks,etc and being forced to the bench.

[skbucks1985]

^^^ In that scenario, traditional position labels go out the window. With both teams having 2 bigs and 3 perimeter players, it doesn't really matter whose playing PG, SG and SF.