The Big Question

[bondom34]

MOAR POLLS!!!

So, just figured we could take a tally on who you all think should start. Personally, I thought Adams had it locked up....til I saw Kanter play a few games next to Serge. Honestly, Serge and he compliment each other perfectly, and as Royce said the PnR ability helps keep Serge inside instead of the old 3 point range Serge we saw for a while. Ibaka's help D is great next to Kanter as well, and Russ seems to like him too. I think Kanter is genuinely happy on OKC, and to me he won the job in a short time span. I'd love having Adams/McGary off the bench, and think his comfort with the bench would be good. Plus I don't know how well Kanter works with the backups. My vote is Kanter to start, Adams backup. Thoughts?

[Podirk]

My heart says Kanter(so does my vote) but my mind says Adams.
Reasons
Bondom laid out the argument for Kanter, I'll add, it's a little sinister of Presti to get Kanter knowing his wants to play and then burying him in the lineup. Adams wasn't supposed to be as good as he has been for another year or so, that said the other option has been Perk( note: I really like Adams) if the flow between the current unit stays like it has been...why miss with it (besides KD of course).
Adams argument, continuity. It's why thank started for so long, why Robertson starts today, and why perk started for so long...cause that's the way it's aleays been(and that does have some value to it) and why it wouldn't surprise me if Adams starts.

[bondom34]

Someone keeps voting the Lamb options in these polls. Gotta keep em.

[Podirk]

:lol:
Someone keeps voting the Lamb options in these polls. Gotta keep em.

The ghost of joest rises and casts its vote!!

[KD35Brah]

Kanter starts. Russ and KD finally have a center who can finish off their dimes.

Adams just isn't as good as a roll man for KD and Russ.

[spearsy23]

Who should start? Kanter. Who will? F*** if I know. It's a nice problem to have though. Somebody is getting bumped out of the rotation though and I don't know how we deal with that. As bad as Nick may have been to start the season, he has come on strong lately, and McGary has been a revelation. I'm assuming it will be Mitch that gets cut out, but I don't know that there is a correct call to be made.

[oeskaer]

Ibaka 30 minutes
Kanter 24 minutes
Adams 22 minutes
Collison 10 minutes
McGary 10 minutes

Something like that with Kanter starting. Everyones minutes adjusted to the daily disposition.

[falcon107]

Ibaka 30 minutes
Kanter 24 minutes
Adams 22 minutes
Collison 10 minutes
McGary 10 minutes

Something like that with Kanter starting. Everyones minutes adjusted to the daily disposition.

4 men rotation is more possible. 5 men rotation does not make any sense.

And at the play-off's, we will likely see the rotation to drop 3 men.

[Podirk]

Ibaka 30 minutes
Kanter 24 minutes
Adams 22 minutes
Collison 10 minutes
McGary 10 minutes

Something like that with Kanter starting. Everyones minutes adjusted to the daily disposition.

4 men rotation is more possible. 5 men rotation does not make any sense.

And at the play-off's, we will likely see the rotation to drop 3 men.

4 man with McGary getting bumped in reg season and 3 man for the most part with Collison seeing the min go away in post season.

[spearsy23]

Ibaka 30 minutes
Kanter 24 minutes
Adams 22 minutes
Collison 10 minutes
McGary 10 minutes

Something like that with Kanter starting. Everyones minutes adjusted to the daily disposition.

Throwing minutes out there is the easiest part though. The question is how do you juggle the lineup?
Kanter and Ibaka start - 8 minutes
Sub both for Collison and Adams- 4 minutes
End 1st - I(8) K(8) a(4) C(4) M(0)

Start Ibaka and Mitch- 4 minutes
Kanter and Ibaka- 2 minutes
Adams and Kanter- 4 minutes
Adams and Mitch- 2 minutes

Halftime- I(14) K(14) A(10) C(4) M(6)

Start 3rd
Ibaka and Kanter- 6 minutes
Adams and Mitch- 2 minutes
ibaka and Adams- 2 minutes
Collison and Adams- 2 minutes

End 3rd- I(22) K(20) A(16) C(6) M(8)

Start 4th
Adams and Collison- 2 minutes
Adams and Kanter- 2 minutes
Ibaka and Kanter- 4 minutes
Ibaka and Adams- 4 minutes

Game- I(30) K(26) A(24) C(8) M(8)

That seems like a lot of shuffling. Also, coming up with lineups is effing hard

[KD35Brah]

I just checked Kanter's On/off Ortg/Drtg.

On:
122 Ortg
100 Drtg

Off:
106 Ortg
103 Drtg

I know it's a small sample size against crap competition, but that type of impact would never happen with Perkins or Adams. Just thought i would point that out.

[oeskaer]

Ibaka 30 minutes
Kanter 24 minutes
Adams 22 minutes
Collison 10 minutes
McGary 10 minutes

Something like that with Kanter starting. Everyones minutes adjusted to the daily disposition.

4 men rotation is more possible. 5 men rotation does not make any sense.

And at the play-off's, we will likely see the rotation to drop 3 men.

You won't see rotation drop to 3 men in the playoffs, because they simply wouldn't be able to stay away from foul trouble.

About the lineups – Kanter should play alongside Ibaka most of his time on the floor, because that gives him space in the paint.

McGary looks great with Collison so I wouldn't have problem with these two playing first 5 minutes of 2Q and another 5 at the end of the 3rd + beggining of 4th.

1-8: Ibaka-Kanter
8-12: Collison-Adams
12-18: Collison-McGary
18-20: Kanter-Adams
20-24: Ibaka-Kanter

24-28: Ibaka-Kanter
28-32: Ibaka-Adams
32-38: Collison-McGary
38-42: Ibaka-Kanter
42-48: Ibaka-Adams (depending on the score and the opponent)

Ibaka: 30
Kanter: 22
Adams: 16
Collison: 16
McGary: 12

Something like that, but it'll surely be up to matchups, daily disposition etc.

[bbms]

Kanter is my preferred to start. He's putting effort on defense and he is more polished offensively than Adams. Also, Collison/McGary aren't his best fits this team can offer, plus, our second unit needs athleticism/defense now that Jackson is gone and we're likely to play defensive liabilities on the perimeter this defense. The chemistry Westbrook, Kanter and Ibaka instantly developed isn't something to ignore.


I'm not also on the 3-bigman rotation wagon. We have now one of the deepest rotations of bigs if not the deeper, all kinds of bigs available, and we should play like that. Specially when you ask them to be two-way players. Rest their legs for the key stretches of the games.

[Devilanche]

Ibaka 30 minutes
Kanter 24 minutes
Adams 22 minutes
Collison 10 minutes
McGary 10 minutes

Something like that with Kanter starting. Everyones minutes adjusted to the daily disposition.

4 men rotation is more possible. 5 men rotation does not make any sense.

And at the play-off's, we will likely see the rotation to drop 3 men.

You won't see rotation drop to 3 men in the playoffs, because they simply wouldn't be able to stay away from foul trouble.

About the lineups – Kanter should play alongside Ibaka most of his time on the floor, because that gives him space in the paint.

McGary looks great with Collison so I wouldn't have problem with these two playing first 5 minutes of 2Q and another 5 at the end of the 3rd + beggining of 4th.

1-8: Ibaka-Kanter
8-12: Collison-Adams
12-18: Collison-McGary
18-20: Kanter-Adams
20-24: Ibaka-Kanter

24-28: Ibaka-Kanter
28-32: Ibaka-Adams
32-38: Collison-McGary
38-42: Ibaka-Kanter
42-48: Ibaka-Adams (depending on the score and the opponent)

Ibaka: 30
Kanter: 22
Adams: 16
Collison: 16
McGary: 12

Something like that, but it'll surely be up to matchups, daily disposition etc.

Depending on how collison plays in the playoff PLUS brooks trust level in McGary, OKC can go small and play KD at 4 while playing the average batch of SG more minutes.

The best answer would be Kanter to start and Brooks to be more fluids with substituition between Kanter/Adams based on how Kanter is coping on defence.

[falcon107]

When you are beating the teams with 30 points of course 5 man rotation make sense. But if none of the players are at foul problem, and if the match is head to head, does it make sense to stick on the rotation, or to win the match using 3 or 4 men rotation?

I never liked fixed rotations. If a player on heat, it would make sense to keep him and use him as much as possible. Don't take this away from the player. If the name is Collison or McGary, I still believe that.

[oeskaer]

When you are beating the teams with 30 points of course 5 man rotation make sense. But if none of the players are at foul problem, and if the match is head to head, does it make sense to stick on the rotation, or to win the match using 3 or 4 men rotation?

Even if the 4th and 5th player would only get under 10 minutes it's always good to have someone you can rely on to play those minutes at a high level. And if you want to have players like that you have to give them minutes regularly.

I never liked fixed rotations. If a player on heat, it would make sense to keep him and use him as much as possible. Don't take this away from the player. If the name is Collison or McGary, I still believe that.

Of course that's what Brooks should do and I certainly hope he will.

You can never predict an accurate rotation, but you've got to have a plan on which you can base.

[babase]

I'd prefer to see Kanter start, at least for a while anyway. Interested to see if not starting out 3 v 5 offensively makes a difference or not.

[Thunderhead]

Right now, for me, this race is too close to call ......... do ya want offense ? Or defense ?

[bbms]

Right now, for me, this race is too close to call ......... do ya want offense ? Or defense ?

Is this really the case? In what ways Kanter put our defense in jeopardy untill now?

I think Thunder improved by a hair the average defensive rating acquired this season. We'll face Blazers, Bulls, Raptors and Clippers. Better wait for how does the defense reacts to those matchups before making bold statements. Kanter is putting good efforts on defense.

I don't think we should focus on defense or offense, but to make the most balanced pairing of bigs possible, and right now, I don't think Thunder have a better balance than with Ibaka and Kanter. Offensively and defensively, ones hides the best the deficiency of the other.

[KD35Brah]

Right now, for me, this race is too close to call ......... do ya want offense ? Or defense ?

Our defense was actually 2 points worse with Adams on the court than off. He gets lost off the PnR a lot.

If he isn't locking up a post playing big he really isn't that big of a factor on defense.

Kanter is an adequate man defender as well along with his better offense.